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teaberrii · 10 months ago

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Year of the Dragon

You and Dan Heng are a match made in heaven until fate takes him away from you too soon. Years later, you think you moved on with a mutual friend who shared your grief and stuck with you during tough times until you meet a mysterious man with a striking resemblance to your past lover and a hidden motive. You’re determined to get rid of him, but how are you going to get rid of a god?

Dan Feng/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail crossover

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

Support my writing

Chapter 1: Take Me Home

The strapless, white dress with light, gold sparkles all around hugs your bodice and flares out at your hips and thighs, creating a dramatic silhouette that makes you look ethereal. Yet, the happiness reflected in your eyes is far from what should be present in a wife-to-be. You step off the small stool and leave the changing room, where your friends are waiting for you.

"This is the one!" March exclaims. Then, with a teasing smile: "Looks like a dress he'll want to get his hands on if you know what I mean."

Stelle sighs. “Is there no limit to your inappropriate innuendos?”

March puts her arm around you. “You know I’m right, Stelle. They’re taking the next step together as blissful newlyweds where intimacy is at its finest.” She winks at you. “You gotta take advantage of those golden years.”

“Gotcha,” you say. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

March puts her hands on her hips. “Hey! I’m serious!”

Stelle has a hand on her chin, looking you up and down. “I agree with March. It’s a beautiful dress, but most importantly, it fits you very well.”

“Oh my! You look absolutely gorgeous!” You hear the heels of a woman working at the high-end boutique. She's already behind you, admiring the dress, by the time you turn around. “It’s like it was made for you.”

“...It’s like it was made for you.”

You were standing in front of a mirror with him behind you. His hug was warm and comforting, and when he put his chin on your shoulder and smiled, you felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

“It’s beautiful,” you said.

“You really like it?”

You turned around. “Of course!”

“Then, it’s yours.”

“Wh—What? Just like that?”

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. “I… designed it for you. It was my first time, and I wasn’t sure if you’d—”

You cut him off with a kiss on his soft lips. “...I love it, Dan Heng.”

“Would you like to see some accessories that’ll go perfectly with this dress?”

“Oh, yes, of course she would,” March answers for you.

Soon enough, you, Stelle, and March are following the worker toward another part of the boutique. You’re walking up the stairs when she looks over her shoulder and asks:

“So, who’s the lucky man?”

There’s a brief pause before you answer her. “We were high school friends.”

She gasps. “Oh! High school sweethearts? That’s adorable! I adore those kinds of stories. It’s so rare for a relationship after high school to work out, and�� ”

The rest of her rambling falls on deaf ears. It’s something you’re used to hearing when you tell people the simple basics about your “fairytale relationship” with your fiancé. You met in high school and were friends for a very long time before you got together. As soon as people heard that, you never had to explain how you got together as most people were enamoured by the "high school sweetheart love story." You never want to explain anyway, considering how you ended up with your fiancé is as beautiful as it is painful.

If you never lost the love of your life, you and he never would've happened.

“Is there anything you have in mind?” the woman asks as soon as you reach an area filled with expensive but stunning wedding accessories for women.

“Not anything in particular, but—"

Elegantly displayed on the neck of a female mannequin is a crescent moon necklace made out of pure gold. As soon as the woman notices what you're looking at, she says:

“Oh, good eye! That design is new! It’s…”

Again, her explanation falls on deaf ears when you’re once again reminded of him.

“Can I look now?”

“Patience.”

You were standing on the balcony of Dan Heng’s room, facing the view of his family’s garden with his eyes closed. You had a hunch that Dan Heng had a surprise for you, but nothing could’ve prepared you for what you were about to see.

“...Okay. Open your eyes.”

You were speechless upon seeing an elegant, golden necklace in the shape of a crescent moon where your initials are engraved. Dan Heng unclipped the necklace and put it around your neck. His hug was warm and comforting, and you could feel his heartbeat.

“Happy birthday.”

“Hey!” You turn at the sound of March’s voice. She and Stelle are looking at some headpieces in a glass case. March gestures for you to come. You come up beside her just when she says: “This would look great with your dress.”

“Mind the pricetag,” Stelle cautions.

March takes a breath. “Ooh, okay, never mind… This might be a little out of our budget.”

You look back at the necklace. Stelle, noticing that you’re a little distracted, turns and sees the beautiful necklace in the other corner of the room. She looks back at you but says nothing.

Eventually, you wander toward a different corner of the room, looking at earrings and bracelets when you hear Stelle’s voice.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” you say. “Why do you ask?”

“You keep staring at that necklace.”

“Oh, well… It looks just like the one I have.” You force a little smile. "I guess I was a little surprised."

You turn back to look at a new collection of earrings, but Stelle knows what’s on your mind. And like you, she’s reminded of the loss of a friend. She’s seen it all. Your ups and downs with Dan Heng, the man who went from a childhood friend to a lover with the evolution lasting for close to a whole decade.

“This is… truly amazing,” Stelle said, looking closely at the necklace Dan Heng had got you for your birthday. “Rich kid’s… riching.”

“Is that even a word?”

“Probably not.” She stood upright. “But I expected nothing less.” Just then, a large advertisement of a high-end fashion brand introducing their latest fall collection flashed on a tall building. “You never would’ve thought by looking at him.”

You looked in the direction she was looking and saw models with perfect skin and fits on the screen. Then, an elegant-looking logo in the shape of an L appeared on the screen. Seconds later, the name ‘Lunae’ appeared underneath the logo.

Stelle was right. You never would’ve thought Dan Heng would be the heir to one of the biggest and most luxurious fashion companies in the world. When you first met, he was a scrawny, stubborn kid who ruined your sandcastle. And now, he was someone you loved with all your heart.

March stretches as soon as the three of you leave the boutique. The only thing you bought was the dress.

“Gosh, that was exhausting. I’m starved.”

“Isn’t there a Cultural Festival going on right now?” Stelle asks. “We could go there for some food.”

“Oh, you’re right!” March takes out her phone. “Today’s the second day… I think? There’s supposed to be some awesome performances happening.”

You’re on the way there with your friends when your phone goes off. You slow down and take the call as it’s from your fiancé.

“Miss me?”

“Oh, of course. It’s…” You look at your watch. “It’s only been an afternoon.”

“That’s too long without you.”

“Okay, okay. What’s the real reason you called, huh?”

“On my way to drop things off at the pawn shop, and then I’m going to grab some groceries for tonight. Anything you want for dinner?”

March looks back and sees you smiling and talking about something. Then, when you get off the phone and join her and Stelle, she asks:

“Was that your man?”

“He has a name, you know,” you say. “But yes, that was. Nothing exciting. Just syncing up for what we’re going to have for dinner.”

“Should’ve flustered him and said—”

“March,” Stelle deadpans.

“What? You don’t even know what I was going to say!”

Your fiancé had been a friend of yours, Stelle’s, and later Dan Heng's in high school. He’d confessed his feelings after knowing that your life was on the road to normalcy after the terrible, horrific accident that left you as an empty shell. Because of him, your days became brighter, but there was never a day where you didn’t think of Dan Heng and… what could’ve been. But, you love your fiancé, and that’s all that matters.

It’s late afternoon by the time you reach the Cultural Festival, which is bustling with visitors from all walks of life. You got to do some wine tasting from the Mondstadt booth—where you also heard the not-so-subtle gossip about how “hot” the bartender was—and showed off your calligraphy skills at the Inazuma booth. As the Year of the Dragon is right around the corner, you also enjoy a memorable lion dance performance with people from your hometown, Xianzhou, and the neighbouring region, Liyue.

“Oi, Haitham! Where’s my wallet?”

You and your friends walk by a pretty male who’s searching for something inside his bag while not too far away another handsome blonde is showcasing his swordsmanship with a blue-haired male on stage.

“Ooh, there’s also a fortune-telling booth,” March says. The map she’s holding is so big, it covers her entire upper body as she holds it. “Wanna check it out?”

“Lead the way.”

You and Stelle follow March past a popular circus show by the Cirque de Fontaine. You almost bump into a tall man with long dark blue hair with red tips and his friend, a man with long blonde hair and green eyes, as you’re distracted by the cheers for a young man and woman who look nearly identical on stage.

"Careful."

Is it silly that you remind yourself you're getting married when you look into the eyes of the man with the long, dark blue hair? He's handsome, you admit, and his gentle demeanour is reminiscent of Dan Heng. In the end, you quickly apologize and continue on your way.

“We’re here.”

Stelle looks around. “Are you sure this is the right place?”

Unlike the lively atmosphere at the other booths, the one a short distance away is a little… cold. There are no visitors around the dark green tent; the only occupant is a person sitting inside wearing a dark green, brown, and red robe. The hood is up, so you can’t see the person’s face.

“...This looks sus as hell,” March whispers. “Maybe we should go.”

Stelle takes another look at the map. “It’s a registered booth, though.”

“Hello, lovelies.” You and your friends turn toward the person—who you believe is an elderly woman from her voice—inside the tent. She puts her hands together and slightly bows. “Happy New Year… Would you like a free fortune prediction for the upcoming year?”

You and your friends glance at each other, and Stelle says:

“Sure. Why not?”

March grabs her friend’s arm just as Stelle steps forward. “...Girl, are you sure?”

“Ah… the one in pink,” the woman says, and March points to herself. “I see a raise… and possibly a promotion in your future this year. Would you like to learn more?”

March immediately sits in front of her.

“Well, that was fast,” you say.

Stelle sighs. “That’s March for you, I guess.”

You aren’t surprised that your friends are getting such great predictions for the upcoming Year of the Dragon. You assume it’s a business strategy, so you’re expecting to hear how you’ll also thrive and prosper this year. Once you sit in front of her and the woman takes your hand, she immediately looks at you, whereas her head has always been tilted down when reading Stelle and March’s fortunes.

“My child… A wedding is in your near future..." Well, that’s not creepy at all. If you recall, no one has mentioned your wedding, nor are you wearing your engagement ring. “...But, you will walk a path of uncertainty, and only when you walk with the man in the shadows, you will see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“...Did you… understand any of that?” March whispers.

“No,” Stelle answers flatly. “Not at all.”

“...Man in the shadows?” you ask.

“I cannot see who it is,” the woman says. “...His presence is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.” Her head tilts downwards, and you assume she’s looking at your palm. “My dear… You’ve suffered a great loss in your past." Your heart freezes over, and your eyes widen. "Fire, destruction… Their bodies were never—”

“Stop!”

You didn’t mean to sound so anxious. But the short cry is clear that time does not heal all wounds. March has a comforting hand on your shoulder while Stelle is baffled and intrigued, though she does not show it. Just who is this woman?

You take back your hand. "Sorry... I... I think that's enough for today."

Then, you stand, but before you can leave with your friends, the woman says:

“...It’s up to you, my child.” You look over your shoulder. “Your Year of the Dragon will be the most exciting yet. Reap its rewards or fall further into darkness.”

“C'mon.” Stelle grabs your arm. "Let's go.”

The woman’s voice is quiet, but you hear:

“Be very careful, my dear.”

◆◆◆

The large golden gates creak open, revealing a spacious room where small, floating lights flicker until they settle on a glowing honey yellow. A tall, slender young man with fair skin, black hair, and green eyes walks with an air of confidence over a gold, dragon-shaped bridge. Statues of dragons are situated around the room—where endless, liquid gold pours from their mouths—into a small river that runs underneath the bridge and into crevices of the walls. If one looks up, it will remind you of a cathedral with large arched windows… except if you look out, you’ll be looking straight into the galaxy.

The footsteps stop just before a set of wide stairs. Two men are sitting across from each other on golden thrones in the shape of a dragon.

“You’re looking well for not having shown your face for weeks, Dan Feng.”

The one with pale skin and waist-length show white hair doesn’t spare Dan Feng a glance. Instead, he’s focused on the chess board in front of him where all the pieces are dragons.

It’s his playing partner, a man with yellow, diamond-shaped pupils and short brown hair with a long fringe on the side of his face, who says:

“Yes. Where have you been? We were quite worried.”

“Worried is a stretch, Zhongli,” the white-haired man says. With a snap of his fingers, one of the chess pieces moves to a different spot and suddenly takes out a weapon and smashes the other piece to smithereens. “I’m sure Dan Feng is capable of taking care of himself. He is one of us, after all.”

“Yes, well, before you two can continue talking as if I’m not here… The Aeons have escaped to the human realm.” Now, Dan Feng knows he has their full attention.

“How do you know this?”

“Not sure if you’ll like it, Neuvi, but a dead, little birdie told me all about it.”

“Sampo?”

Dan Feng nods.

"Did you confirm he was telling the truth?"

"Always the careful one, aren't you?" Dan Feng asks. "But, I did. Went down to the dank dungeons of death myself. Honestly, can't blame them. Their quality of life must've been horrendous."

Zhongli puts a hand underneath his chin. “...The Aeons have been locked up for centuries. How in the world could this happen?"

"Someone must have helped them," Neuvilette says, “why would they do that? And… What would the Aeons want with the humans?” Neuvilette looks at Dan Feng—”Why did Sampo tell you this now?”

“Well, my water dragon friend," Dan Feng says, "Sampo wants us to do something about it. The Year of the Dragon is coming, which means the gates to the human realm will open again. Assuming the Aeons left during the last Year of the Dragon, then they've been causing chaos for over a decade down there. We need to haul their asses back up because this is where they belong."

Suddenly, thunder rumbles in the distance, but no one is fazed. Then, a disembodied, cheerful voice sounds throughout the room:

“Happyyy Year of the Dragon!”

Lightning strikes a spot between Neuvilette and Zhongli, and when the smoke clears, there’s a young girl with mint-green eyes and long purple hair.

“It’s our year once again, my brothers!” She makes a fist and gently hits her heart. “How are we going to celebrate this year?”

“Work, Bailu,” Dan Feng answers flatly. “We have work to do.”

Bailu looks at him incredulously. “What do you mean we have work?” After Zhongli tells her about the conversation earlier, Bailu puts her hands on her hips. “So, you’re telling me that we have to spend the year cleaning up someone else’s mess? We won’t get to go down and party with the humans for another twelve years!”

“We aren’t supposed to get involved with humans in the first place, Bailu,” Neuvilette says. “You know that.”

“Well, yeah… I know. But, I’ve been seeing all the cool technology they’ve been coming up with. Like, did you know they have robots that’ll create art and write for you now? It’s literal magic!”

“It always baffles me how you can get so excited about human technology,” Dan Feng says. He snaps his fingers, and parchment and a quill appear in midair, where the quill writes what’s on Dan Feng’s mind:

We’re Gods.

“But, the fact that humans aren’t and can develop all these cool gadgets makes them so much more interesting!” Bailu looks at the disinterested faces of her dragon brothers. Only Zhongli seems to show mild interest. “Just wait until we get down there and we lose all of our godly powers. You’ll be forced to adapt to human technology just to survive.”

“...We lose our powers?”

“Guess you weren’t expecting that plot twist, huh, Neuvi? You would know if you visit every dragon year. The longer we stay down there, the more human we become. But, as soon as we poof back here, we slowly gain our powers back.”

Neuvilette almost looks disgusted.

“If the Aeons left during the last Year of the Dragon, they would’ve stayed in the human realm for twelve years…" Zhongli says. "At least, they'll be weakened, but we cannot underestimate them."

“We have one whole year!” Bailu whines. “Can’t this Aeon hunting mission wait until after we celebrate? It’s literally our year!”

“I guess it can’t hurt.” Everyone looks at Dan Feng. “It’ll be interesting to see the foolishness of humans during this time.”

“Woo! That’s one for Brother Moon!”

“Brother Moon?” Neuvilette asks.

“He’s the Dragon of the Moon, isn’t he?"

“Anyways,” Zhongli says, “looks like we’ll have no choice but to go to the human realm this year. Make sure you’re prepared.”

Neuvilette sighs. "And if we refuse?"

"Oh, come now, Neuvi," Dan Feng says. "Show some camaraderie. We have a traitor out there... At least the cronies of death know that we're innocent."

Only Bailu is beaming with excitement.

Later that evening, Dan Feng is in his room, looking out at the galaxy when he senses a presence. He doesn’t need to turn around to know who it is.

“Need something, Brother Earth?”

“I’m sure Bailu would be thrilled to hear you’re catching on to her nicknames,” Zhongli says.

“It’ll be our little secret.”

Zhongli is beside him just as an asteroid flies by. “...Sampo is neither friend nor foe." Dan Feng glances at him. “Call me curious, but I just find it strange he would go out of his way to tell you that the Aeons have escaped. How would he know? He’s the Reaper. The Aeons are none of his business.”

“...Sampo may act on his own interests, but even he is afraid of what the Aeons are capable of. Considering if they were to interfere with the natural order of things, it would be disrupting his work.”

“Natural order of things… Are you saying they’d interfere with the afterlife?”

Dan Feng briefly closes his eyes. “Sampo was the one who approached me first.”

The star-covered skies were different shades of purple and pink, and occasionally one would see shooting stars or meteoroids fly by. A tall, muscular man with tufted dark blue hair stood on a cliff, overlooking a long bridge where small, floating lights were bobbing their way across. They were the souls of the deceased, crossing the bridge that would erase their memories of their past life and toward an unknown realm, and only Sampo, the Reaper, could see what they looked like before they died.

“That bored, huh?”

Sampo turned around. “Let’s just say I saw something quite… intriguing. I can’t stop thinking about it, which is why I called you here.”

“Okay,” Dan Feng says, not interested in the slightest. “And what would that be?”

Sampo walked a few steps toward him. “...Did you know you have a doppelganger? A man who looked exactly like you in the human realm. Honestly, I thought it was you but with a better haircut.” He smiled upon seeing the hard look in Dan Feng’s eyes. “...Is it just me, or did you already know about him?”

So, he reincarnated, and if he looked like him, then his life was cut short once again… Dan Feng clenched his fists as he saw his brother’s face. What had happened to him this time? Was it because of a woman… again?

“Your silence is telling me a lot of things,” Sampo said.

“How did he die? You know, don’t you?”

“I do. I had a front-row seat to his untimely death so to speak. Very exhilarating, however.”

“...Untimely? Are you saying it wasn’t time for him to die?”

That cat-like smile was even more annoying than usual.

“I’ll tell you what you want to know. But, in exchange, I need a favour from you and your dragon friends.”

“...That’s when he told me he senses there's something strange going on in the human realm," Dan Feng says. "Over the last decade, he gradually noticed people are dying... when they aren't supposed to."

"And that led to the discovery that the Aeons have escaped?"

"Not directly. It was a fleeting thought, but someone went down to check anyway, and"—Dan Feng slightly smiles—"'lo-and-behold... our big, bad gods are gone. Apparently, there was an investigation without alerting everyone else, and while they couldn’t find our dirty, little traitor, they’re sure it wasn’t anyone from Castle of Dragons.”

“That explains why they entrusted this task to us.” Zhongli glances at his friend. “But it sounds like it worked in your favour. Sampo probably wouldn’t have told you about your doppelganger if he couldn’t get anything in return.”

“He would've baited me for as long as he can,” Dan Feng says flatly.

“...Who is this doppelganger of yours, if I may ask?”

Dan Feng closes his eyes for a brief moment and mutters a name that hasn’t left his lips in centuries.

“Dan Heng, my brother.”

◆◆◆

Over the next couple of days, you and your fiancé are settling nicely in your new home. But, you never told him about the strange encounter with the fortune teller at the Cultural Festival, even though it’s been on your mind. You already know what he’ll say:

“It’s just a creepy coincidence… Don’t let it bother you.”

You’ve never asked, but you gradually noticed how he’d change the topic or brush it aside when it’s about Dan Heng. Perhaps the wound hasn’t fully healed.

Your fiancé is cooking a special dinner for New Year’s Eve when you go to the kitchen to find him.

“Have you seen my necklace?”

“Necklace?” he asks, looking at you. “What necklace?”

“The one Dan Heng gave me. I've been looking for it over the past few days, but—”

“...Oh, that. I… I pawned it.”

“You… what?”

He turns off the stove. “I told you I was dropping some things off at the pawn shop the other day.”

“Why would you do that?!”

“You never wore it anymore. I just…" He walks up to you and attempts to put his hands on your shoulders. But, you step away. "I thought you didn’t want it anymore.”

“Didn’t want it anymore?” You clench your fists. “You should've asked! That wasn’t for you to decide!”

“I’m sorry. I…” He takes a small breath. “You’re right. I should’ve asked instead of making that choice for you. But… It’s about time we move on.”

“...What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you think keeping that necklace is hurting you? Hurting us?” Is it just you, or do you have no idea what he’s talking about? “It’s been years since the accident. Keeping something like that… It’ll only remind you of the past.”

“So, according to your logic, I should also get rid of all the things my parents got me as well.”

“No! Of course not! That’s not what I meant.” You walk out of the kitchen with him following you. “Dan Heng wasn’t just a friend.”

You turn around with a hard look in your eyes. “I’m getting my necklace back.” Then, you walk to the closet near the door to grab your jacket.

“It’s late.” His tone isn’t so kind anymore. “Is it really that important?” You don’t bother answering that question but instead, ask for the address of the pawn shop. He hesitates, and it isn’t until you ask for it again that he finally tells you. You grab your car keys and are about to open the garage door when he grabs your arm. “...It’s my fault, I admit. But, can’t you wait until tomorrow? It’s going to rain.”

Even if it can, you still want to get out of the house anyway.

By the time you arrive at the pawn shop, it’s already raining. The vintage-looking pawn shop looks as if it popped out of a fantasy novel. As soon as you step inside, you smell the scent of fresh wood. The place is lit entirely out of oil lamps. Some are hanging from the ceiling. Some sit on small stands. Old paintings and shelves with books and other knicknacks populate the walls. You walk past a glass case with old journals, compasses, and objects you’ve never seen before—not in Xianzhou, at least. Just when you reach the counter, a young woman pushes the beaded curtain aside.

“Hello.” She steps out. “Can I help you?”

“I’m here for a necklace.”

After describing it to her, she looks almost apologetic. “Oh, I’m sorry… Not too long after that young man dropped it off, someone bought it.” Your heart immediately sinks to the pit of your stomach. “Were you interested in buying it?”

“Buying it? That belonged to me," you say, trying but failing to let your emotions get the better of you. “...Do you know who bought it?”

“A woman. A very pretty one, at that. Long blonde hair and gray eyes. I didn’t get a name, though.”

Well… That really narrows it down.

“I’m sorry," the woman continues. "I wish I could be more helpful.”

You look around, checking the store for any CCTV cameras. When you finally find one, you point to it. “Could you check and see if you can identify her?”

“I can try, but… it's quite old, so I hope I can get some clear footage. Could you come back tomorrow morning?"

What other choice do you have?

By the time you leave the shop, it’s pouring. You quickly get in the car and take a glance at your phone.

Are you coming home? Are you okay? I’m sorry… Please forgive me.

You don’t want to forgive him, but a part of you still hopes that you can talk things out. You shoot a quick reply, telling him that you’ll be back at the shop tomorrow. As soon as you toss your phone in the passenger seat, it buzzes, but you don’t bother looking at it again.

You’re driving slower than usual as it’s getting difficult to see the road in front of you and your only companion is the heavy sound of rain against your car.

The one day you forgot your umbrella was the one day it rained. You were standing awkwardly at the bus stop, noticing that you were the only one to take public transportation while everyone else left in cars or had someone to drive them home. A bunch of your classmates drove past you, but you weren’t too surprised that they ignored you. You were like the black sheep of the school. You weren’t rich; you didn’t have connections. But, you did have good grades and loving parents who encouraged you to apply to this private school as it’d “look good on college applications.” There wasn’t any evidence that it’d truly help you, but it was an elite school with good programs. So, why not?

It wasn’t until a week in that you realized everyone knew each other. Or, at least they knew of each other. The community was small, and some people had asked about you and your background. You quickly caught on that telling the truth was a mistake. Some of your classmates made fun of you; others avoided you. The better ones were those who gave you a polite nod and smile. But the best one was Dan Heng, a boy who you met at a park almost a decade ago. A quiet, calm kid who made an effort to sit with you at lunch and unknowingly drew attention to you by giving you his.

You took a breath. Okay. Maybe you can run home. Twenty kilometres isn’t that bad. You ran 5 kilometres and survived. Then you’d have a fun story to tell your parents who were currently overseas. Just as you finished tightening your shoelaces, thunder rumbled in the distance, but it was the sudden calm, male voice that startled you.

“...Hey.”

You turned and almost gasped. “D-Dan Heng? What are you doing here?”

“...Practice got cut short.” He was still in his track uniform. “You don’t have an umbrella?”

“It’s refreshing to run in the rain, don’t you think?” Dan Heng continued staring at you until you finally sighed. “No, I forgot mine.”

“...You’re not running in this weather.”

“Yeah, well, if I continue waiting, it’ll be midnight.”

Dan Heng moved closer to you until you were under his umbrella. “I’ll take you home…”

Suddenly, the truck, speeding in the opposite lane, starts swerving.

Tires squealed.

The incoming headlights come as fast as the speed of light.

You swerve.

A crash. A bang. And soon, you’re plunging into total darkness.

…

You want to open your eyes but can’t. But you know you’re still alive. You taste the fresh blood that runs from your head to your mouth. You feel the pain of a million needles stabbing you from all angles. You want to cry, speak, or move. But, you’ve become a vegetable. In the darkness, you see the silhouette of a man. Who is he? You have no idea. So, with the last of your strength, you mutter the name of the person you wish to see:

“...Dan Heng.”

And then the silhouette disappears. Now, you hear a calm, male voice.

"...Save her."

A chuckle.

“And here I thought you didn’t like getting involved with humans.”

Then, you hear someone snap their fingers, and then everything goes completely silent.

Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15

End notes:

I don't think anyone can be more excited about this story than me lolol This began as a little seed of an idea a few months ago, and it wouldn't leave my head. At the time, I was thinking of just posting it as a one-shot. But after finding out it's the Year of the Dragon, I kept getting more ideas about it, and what better time to post than, well, now? lmao

There will be a little bit of Blade/You but I've yet to decide if it'll turn into a love triangle... Regardless, I'm determined to make this an epic crossover with fun character interactions between the two worlds. LET'S GOO.

Tag list (open): @lunavixia @aerithsthingss @boomie-123 @sunsethw4 @kiarathace

#dan feng #dan feng x you #dan feng x reader #imbibitor lunae #imbibitor lunae x reader

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overheadforecast · 3 months ago

Text

"pulling me every which way"

rating: teen and up audiences

archive warnings: graphic depictions of violence

category: gen

fandoms: honkai star rail, honkai impact 3rd

relationships: welt yang & march 7th & boothill

characters that speak: welt yang, march 7th, boothill, caelus

characters mentioned: otto apocalypse, stelle, welt joyce

wc: 1.8k

link to the ao3 post of this

! not beta read !

Welt let out a yell of pain as he slammed into a wall, having been thrown by a mechanical dinosaur. Distantly, he searched his brain for the creature's name and classification, but the pain in his ribs made it nearly impossible to focus. For fuck's sake, the thing had targeted him, of course. Even though there were other people in the memory zone, it'd chosen to attack him specifically. And as Welt sunk down against the wall, he noted with great dismay that the monster had summoned companions, the dreamjolt troupe dog creations.

He hadn't meant to get into a fight, really. He was trying to follow Caelus' directions to the bar he'd ranted and raved about. The drinks were apparently top quality, and by using memoria techniques, they could quite literally make a drink of your dreams. Ever since the day he'd crossed into this world, he'd been missing the tea his wife used to make him. So, when he heard about the technique, he had practically begged Caelus to tell him where it was. Sue him, he was a man of wordly desires!

But he'd gotten lost in a memory zone. A memory zone infested with monsters. Hence, fighting.

Welt held up the Star of Eden to create a barrier of Honkai particles, catching a blow one of the hounds had aimed at him. He couldn't do shit, he was stuck where he was. He was 80% sure he had broken multiple ribs, not to mention his shattered glasses. He couldn't see. He was at such a great disadvantage that he mused in grim humour that the last time he'd been this challenged was Otto, who'd damn near killed him. Maybe the creature would finish the job?

Welt tugged his phone from his pocket, opening the messenger app, and entering the "Astral Express Family (+ BS&BH)" chat.

[Mr.Yang] 22:07:13

> Need help. In the dreamscape Reverie, got lost, can't fight enemies. In the foyer room memory zone. Help.

[Trash Panda Male Edition] 22:07:26

> fufkc stelland i are on herrtas space station

> marhc & bh should be at tbe bar, theyll be closest

[cold capture] 22:08:03

> on my way!

> i'll bring hilly with me

> hang on, mr yang!

With that, Welt turned his phone off and tucked it into his pocket, focusing all his strength and attention onto the Honkai shield he was maintaining. The telltale purple had begun to creep up his arm - he wouldn't be able to keep this up for long without dipping into his Herrscher Core. Well, half of it. The Bronya he'd once known still held the other half, as she was the active Herrscher of Reason.

Welt gripped the Star of Eden tighter, ignoring the pain shooting up his arm. Just a few moments more, and March and Boothill would be here to help. Those two were reliable, March could shield them all and taunt the enemies, and he and Boothill could chip away at the enemies' toughness to defeat them. He thought, at least. The pain through his body made it tough to remember what these damn things were weak to.

Welt's eyes shot up as he saw an arrow shoot through the air, sticking itself into the main robot's hat. He followed the path, and layed his eyes on both March and Boothill standing on the railing of the stairs. His fatherly instinct screamed at him to get them down, but he had other things to think about.

Boothill jumped off the railing and aimed his gun between his legs, propelling himself forward with the blast to stand next to the barrier Welt had made. The man's stance as Welt looked up at his back reminded him of that man that had saved him all those years ago, his Hero. And, well, he was playing the role of Welt's hero in this situation.

March slid down the railing, surrounding the three with a wall of six-phased ice as a shield. Welt let out an audible sigh of relief, sealing the Honkai power within his cane and smiling up at her. "Thanks, you two."

Boothill made a noncommital noise of acknowledgement, keeping his eyes on the enemies he could still see through the ice. "What's the plan, strategizer?"

Welt was silent for a moment, before he realised March was looking at him. "Am I the strategizer?"

March scoffed and raised an eyebrow at him, tilting her head. "Who else would be?"

At that, Welt paused and thought for a moment. Usually, he did come up with battle plans... "Fair point. March, do you think you could alter your shield to give RES-PEN? It would play to both mine and Boothill's strength."

March's eyes lit up as she nodded, pointing her finger at Boothill then Welt. Six-phased ice crept across their bodies as the shield took effect, acting as armor. "Yeah! Stelle's been teaching me some of her tricks from when she picked up the Harmony path!"

Boothill turned his head around to look at them, and nodded. "Good. These overcooked fudgers aren't weak to any of our types, so I'll need as much respen as I can get to put them down like the dogs they are."

March looked between the two, narrowing her eyes. "This doesn't play to any of our strengths... Mr. Yang, I think we need a new plan."

With a nod, he looked wistfully at the Star of Eden, closing his mouth as he thought. "...Explosions?"

Both March and Boothill tilted their heads at him, Boothill raising an eyebrow. "And how the heck are we meant to do that?"

Welt paused, his mouth twisting into a cruel smile. "The dogs. Their armor is coated in potassium to allow them to self-destruct as needed. Potassium is highly explosive when it comes into contact with water and air, the water part including ice."

As she listened, March's eyes lit up. "That's brilliant, Mr. Yang!"

Boothill blinked a couple of times, looking between them. "What the heck is the plan? I don't know any of that nerd shirt."

Welt stood, grimacing as he braced himself against the wall. "My cane allows me to make miniature black holes that can group the dogs together and put them in a sort of stasis-bubble, that's weak to physical attacks. March coats them in ice, and then you shoot the static field to break it. Potassium comes into contact with water molecules and air molecules, and..."

March giggled, a strange giddy joy in her eyes. "Boom."

Boothill looked between the two, a mix of confusion and concern gracing his features. "You two are scary as shirt."

In return, both of the Nameless grinned at him.

"Okay, so I take the walls down now? It is taking a lot of energy to continuously keep this barrier up, the monsters are still attacking it." March looked to Welt for guidance, and when he gave her a thumbsup, she let the wall drop. Instantly, the dogs lunged forward, and Welt caught them in a black hole forcefield just an inch away from colliding with Boothill.

Thank fuck he did it, because Boothill's reaction speed was mediocre. He jumped back a breath after the enemies were trapped, yelping as he did so. "Son of a nice lady- fork these motherforkers!"

March brought her hand to her head, frowning. "You- can you two hold them off? Coating the hounds is going to take a bit longer because I'm drained from the wall."

"Course, sugarpie. Old man, got it in you?"

Welt nodded, and thrust the Star of Eden forward. The force of the imaginary tree encircled the large dinosaur mech, trapping and slowing it momentarily. Boothill grinned and pointed up, giving a command; "Black hole up there, pops."

With another movement of his cane, Welt summoned a black hole 2 meters above Boothill's head, to which Boothill jumped and let the gravitational pull elevate him. "Drop!"

The black hole vanished, and Boothill brought the heel of his foot down on the Beyond Overcooked's head. The creature let out a yell and tried to throw him off, but when it did, Welt just summoned another black hole above it. The force pulled Boothill up again, and subsequently dropped him onto the monster again. This time, Boothill brought his foot down on the creatures back, straddling it. He clamped his thighs down around the mech's neck, leaning forward to hook his hands under its chin. He snapped its neck back, and pointed to the floor behind him. At the command, Welt summoned another black hole at the location, and the monster fell backwards. Boothill rolled away at just the right time, barely avoiding being crushed by the enemy. He knelt next to it, pressing his knee onto the place where its sternum would be if it were an actual dinosaur.

March finally spoke, pointing at Boothill. "Shoot."

So, he did. He shot the sphere in the middle of the battlefield, the ball that contained the explosive force of 4 lbs of TNT, and shattered it. A moment of absolute silence passed, then an explosion threw everyone back (except Welt, who was still against the wall). The energy released vaporized the houndlike creatures, leaving only one enemy on the field.

Welt looked at March, frowning deeply. "No more bow, summon your blades."

March complied, closing her eyes for a moment to align herself with the Hunt, before she opened them again and caught the twin blades that had materialized from the ether. Welt pointed to the creature, and summoned a black hole above its thrashing body. March lept forward at the command, and when Welt dropped her onto the creature, she sliced its head clean off. Boothill slid around to shoot inside the thing's neck, activating the self-destruct module.

The force threw both Boothill and March in the air, and Welt sighed heavily as he conjured a black hole to catch each of them and prevent them from slamming into any walls. He'd already done so, and it was rather unpleasant.

Once the impacts were prevented, Welt waved away the summons, dropping both March and Boothill to the ground. Both of them rushed forward towards him, March hugging him. "Ow- March, no, I broke a rib, letgo-"

Boothill grabbed March's hair and yanked, pulling her from the man. "He needs medical attention, not sunshine and glitter and friendship, little plum."

March yelped and nodded, letting herself be pulled from Welt. "Sorry Mr. Yang!"

Welt waved his hand and smiled apologetically at the two. "Sorry for pulling you two away from your drinks."

SMACK!

With a screech, Welt looked at Boothill confusedly. "The fuck was that for?"

"You're much more important than any goshdarn drink, old man. Don't apologize." March nodded along as Boothill spoke, frowning at Welt.

"Plus, that was like, super fun. It was like I was fighting on a trampoline with the black holes pulling us every which way!" Just as March had done when he spoke, Boothill nodded while listening.

"I'm gonna bother you to do that with me again, by the way. It was forking awesome."

Welt looked between the two, then sighed, sliding back down against the wall. "Well fuck."

#cross posted on ao3 #welt yang #march 7th #boothill #honkai star rail #combat study #honkai star rail battlethoughts #honkai impact 3rd

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mermaidfanficlibrary · 2 years ago

Note

Hello, it's me again ehe (the one who requested for Herta and Silverwolf).

Anyways, may I request for Herta and Silverwolf again? Modern au Where their s/o is a streamer?

Thank you!

SORRY FOR MAKING THIS SO LATE! I'm gonna make a habit of posting requests on weekends, so if you request something expect it to come out between Friday-Sunday PST.

Characters: Herta and Silverwolf

CW: None

Theme: Reader is a streamer headcannons

Reader: Gender Neutral Streamer

A/U: Modern Au

Premise: How Herta and Silverwolf help their s/o being an internet live streamer

THIS IS SFW!

~🌺~HERTA~🌺~

When you told Hera about being a internet live streamer, she was a bit confused.

She didn't really spend much time on the internet to understand most things other than looking up information for a project she was working on or music.

So she had you explain the concept of what an internet streamer was.

You just showed Herta to explain by having her join you during on of your streams.

This helped her so much to gain the understanding and she was shocked to see how many people around the world watched you play games and such.

Herta made it her priority to be your number one fan as well as to help you with any technical needs.

Broken computer? No problem, Herta is already working on a new one for you.

Broken webcam? Leave it to Herta to fix it and make it so much better than before.

Any technical difficulties during a stream? Herta is already on the case to help solve it.

You sometimes have her on stream and she gets caught up on how the audience seems to love her.

She doesn't understand why they do but it makes her happy she gets to be apart of your community.

Sometimes she explains her inventions and ideas on stream and is shocked about the amount of people who are interested.

~🐇~SILVER WOLF~🐇~

Silver Wolf knows what an internet streamer is but didn't think much of it when you told her.

She does ask about what content you focus on and if the community you're involved in is pretty popular or not.

When you ask her to join one of your streams, she's hesitant.

She says she'll join through the chat and not show her face or anything on account of her being a hacker.

Silver Wolf does like how natural the whole streamer thing comes to you and she thinks you look cute.

She also keeps tabs on certain fans that either trash talk you or seem to stalk you.

How? Hacking their profile and seeing what they're like.

Silver Wolf would also be someone who would help with technical difficulties but would go overboard with upgrades.

She'll enhance your webcam to produce a quality no one even knew existed.

She'll also add so many upgrades to your pc set up so you can keep tabs on so many things and play games with zero stutter or lag.

Silver Wolf acts more like a moderator for your streams to make sure you stay safe and that no one hurts you.

This especially shows with haters and rule breakers which chats are immediately not seen and they never get to see you stream ever again.

#honkai silver wolf #honkai herta #honkai star rail x reader #honkai star rail #star rail #herta #silver wolf #x y/n #honkai star rail x g/n reader #honkai impact x you #honkai impact stair rail #x reader #x gn reader #honkai impact modern A/U

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trashyangelic · 1 year ago

Text

𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 || ғᴇʟɪɴᴇᴛᴛᴇ (1)

· ❝ 𝓣𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 ❞ · · chapter one ·

🌷⁺. [ ♡ ] — MASTERLIST | NEXT

Marinette gotten up from her bed that she made a makeover of her bedroom its no longer pink but its pastel pink mixed with white colors instead of hot pink all over her room it doesn't look good when she first saw it. Instead of sleeping on the top where she normally sleeps in.

She can finally sleep on the side of her room that she never touch at all after moving her computer and desk from it but she bought an extended cord for the plugins into her computer but she place them near the empty spot just at the corner instead it has the plugin there for her storage it before fixing her computer. The desk that is in front of her bed is for her study desk.

She even place all her school stuffs on the shelf above her desk. She even have a storage for the kwamis to explore around.

It took her three whole weeks to make over on her closet now that has enough room for her clothes that she makes of her own with some help from her mother to make it more roomie even her mother approved it. As for her fabrics are stored inside the drawers at her closet with the sewing machine included. But on the other side of her room is quite empty she might need to buy something to fill that in possibly a dream box that she saw on pinterest.

That she had help with from her father to place it down so she can fix it herself. She make it look like from the picture she saw on pinterest when she was on her computer last couple weeks before remaking her room.

She replace her old computer into a new computer but she puts her pc drive on the desk. But she might need to build her own high-end gaming PC to fit most of her designs sketches and her games she normally play but she tends to play other ones besides UMS 3 they are Honkai Star Rail, Genshin Impact, Elsword Online, Roblox, and Minecraft. Along with her mic that is near her computer that she finally done with it. I might need to make a new password for my social accounts along with my website as well. She thought to herself so that way her so called classmates won't be hacking into her computer for it..

She also removed the posters of Adrien along with her classmates pictures then burn them outside last night. Then replaced it for music she adores and listens to they were Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale, BLACKPINK, TWICE, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, BTS, Aespa, XG, Seventeen, Lee Felix, Taeyang, Jay Park, Vinida Weng, Mao Yanqi, and NCT. But leaves the bulletin board with the tracking of akumas to the main source. She didn't forget to add a sound proof in her room so that way her parents won't have to hear her music going on loud.

Felix went to pick up Dupain-Cheng since Chloe has been nagging him this morning since she got held back by her butler and her father about something. So he arrived to the bakery, "Oh welcome Felix. What can I do for you?" Sabine said at him she is betting on her husband if Felix confess his love to her daughter for 150 euros.

"Is Marinette awake? Chloe has been nagging me to pick her up since she couldn't do it. But I would like a coffee and a crossiant please." Felix stated as Sabine nodded and went to make the coffee but also grabbed a crossiant.

"Marinette is upstairs you can go up there." Sabine told Felix who nodded. He got his breaksfast and walk up the stairs to Marinette's room. As soon he reach the door then open it he saw the room changed this must have take weeks to finish this. So he sat on the chair to eat his crossiant but also drink his coffee.

Marinette is in her closet changing but also she changed her hairstyle instead of wearing lower pigtails everyday. She made her hair into a bun but leaves the rest of the hair down as she use the hairpin and bobbypin to make it stay still.

The door creak open revealing Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Felix was speechless how Dupain-Cheng look good its way better than her old clothes she wears every single day. But he already knew that Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug it wasn't hard to figure it out despite of her hairstyle from before and her eye color is the same. "Oh hello Felix." Marinette said with a smile causing him to blush as she giggle at his expression.

"I came to pick you up since Chloe has been nagging me. Oh before I forget Chloe manage to change your class to Mrs. Mendeleiev instead so you are coming with me in my class with Kagami, Adrien, and Luka." Felix said firmly as she nodded. Instead of wearing that purse she bought a backpack online last week.

"Say didn't Mrs. Mendeleiev say anything about field trips yet?" Marinette asked him. "She did but we need to do the fundraiser first to get the money you know." Felix stated as they both left the bakery to school follow by Chloe who scowl but ate her croissants with cream inside along with some coffee of her liking.

Arriving to Francois Dupont, Marinette is still chatting with Felix while Chloe follow behind still munching on her snacks that she got from the bakery. She is mostly welcome in the Dupain-Chengs household after apologizing to Marinete for bullying her for years. Then Kagami came by and kiss her girlfriend Chloe as Chloe gave her a coffee and her snacks as well.

"MARINETTE! HOW DARE YOU PUNCH LILA?!" Alya screech causing her to cover her ears quickly as she remain calm but the demeanor changes from calm to icy cold quite a level to Kagami. As Alya raise her fist at Marinette but she caught it which surprised her then she twist her arm as she scream in pain.

"Where's your proof huh? I just came to school with Kagami, Felix, and Chloe. Get that in your thick skull. You stupid wannabe reporter." She snarl coldly with so much malice and venom in it caused her to shiver down her spine and backed away. Just before she release her grip on Alya's hand she slapped her in the face hard causing her to stumble to the ground. As to there was a gasp behind Alya's back and a few from Marinette who had no idea she could that.

"You dare hit me?" Alya said while holding her cheek and stared in shock at Marinette who seem calm but glared at her with her death cold eyes. "What wouldn't I dare?" She said to her in a calm simple way with a hint of sickly sweet tone that turned out to be a malice tone.

"By title as we are students. But by rank, I am the great-granddaughter Head Ambassador of China. Who gave you the audacity to strike a court-appointed official? Do you really want my great-grandfather to declare war with Paris right now." Marinette said calmly although Kagami and Felix didn't know this information except Chloe.

"Bullshit! What kind of court-appointed official are you?" Alya exclaimed as Rose gasped, Bad Move Alya. Rose thought to herself. Until Marinette slapped Alya again causing her to fall down the ground.

"Marinette, you're pushing it too far!" Adrien butted in as Lila went to aid Alya holding her up. "Alya. Based on your insults and attempted assault, you could be punished severely. If you don't believe me, feel free to report it to the police or your lawyer. I'll wait and see to it." Marinette said coldly to them then walk away back to her group as Kagami stared at her speechless.

"Oh and one more thing, Alya... Grow up. And stop acting like a child. Your in high school. You act like a kindergarten." She said coldly then walked away with Felix, Kagami, and Chloe to Mrs. Mendeleiev's class. That tone in Marinette's voice gave chills across the Akuma Class. Nino gulped of how scary Marinette can be if she is near a limit. Lila shudder when she saw Dupain-Cheng glaring at her.

🌷⁺. [ ♡ ] — Tagged: (to get notification for the next chapter) --

🌷⁺. [ ♡ ] — i took one of the quotes from a historical chinese drama if you haven't guess it already. its actually What's Wrong With My Princess (Episode 26).

#miraculous ladybug #lila salt #alya salt #no lila rossi demption #marinette deserves better #felinette #chloe redemption #bustier salt #adrien redemption #lukadrien #chlogami #chloe bourgeois redemption #kagami x chloe #kagami tsurugi #luka couffaine #adrien deserves better #ml fic

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espritradieux · 3 months ago

Text

Today I took my first real step towards mending my relationship to Genshin Impact by finally overcoming the dumbest obstacle ever that left such a disproportionate emotional scar on me.

Back when I was playing genshin for the first time I had been actively playing the game since 1.2 and I was playing on a pretty crappy laptop (which I still use for most things including hi3) and it didn't have a lot of storage. I was young when I started. I was still a minor and still working to construct myself and still immature and emotional and school was kicking my ass. Overall, not a great life stage to be in.

Then about three years ago, the first We Will be Reunited archon quest was released and I got blocked on the stupidest, most basic level design element ever, something so unbelievably minuscule and insignificant probably no one remembers it: the disappearing bubble hallway.

I failed this thing over and over. Admittedly I was terrible at the game (and still am), and I kept failing and falling and barely making it before falling again. So I rage quit, as one does. By the time I got back to the game, 2.0 was released. And updates started pilling while I wasn't playing. And eventually my storage was saturated and I couldn't open the game anymore.

When I tell you that hallway left a scar on me I am not joking. To me it was the reason I couldn't play the game anymore. For years, the first thing I would think about when thinking about genshin was those damned bubble stairs. It is almost single handedly responsible for me being a genshin hater for so long. I tentatively attempted to come back to the game when Sumeru was fully released since I now had a good phone which could run the game much better than my laptop and I was terrified. The game was scary and overwhelming, I couldn't remember how to fight which I had never been good at anyway and I was haunted by the knowledge of failing the most basic things which killed all sense of adventure and confidence I could have had. I was miserable.

All of that coupled with the memories I had of the game being monstrously taxing and feeling like it was sucking the soul out of me, I became a hater. Mostly harmlessly though, the bulk of it was gently prodding at my friends and being petty about the game mechanisms being so time consuming and the rewards being so bad, but still the fact remains that I was essentially anti genshin, denying every connection I may have had to it and verbally tearing it down every time I could. I did not like the game.

But then a year ago, as I was studying for a final, I discovered Honkai Star Rail. I was wary of Hoyoverse but still I gave it a try.

And HSR was amazing. HSR was magical. HSR made me feel happy and welcome, it felt homey and kind and wonderful and it was written so well. The music was fantastic, the story was fantastic, the fighting was great, the content was interesting, the game didn't feel like a drag, it was incredible. And through HSR I then discovered Honkai Impact 3rd. And HI3 was insane. Hi3 took my brain hostage and rewrote it, it made me feel things I'd never felt before in a game.

Together the Honkai games opened the hyperfixation floodgate in my mind, it made me live through things and feel things I had never felt before, in a single year it fundamentally changed my life.

So I went back to genshin. Not to the game itself though, just the story. I watched other people's playthroughs to get caught up on the main archon quests. And going past the urge to say "I could fix this", I liked the story. But I liked the characters more. Enter the EiMiko hyperfixation. That very specific ship probably did more for me than anything else when it comes to fandom and is honestly probably 50% of the reason I'm back to the fandom now. EiMiko did two things for me: first it gave me angsty lesbians to obsess over and lore to dissect. Second, more recently and somewhat derivative of the first, it allowed me to meet @heemskerck .

I never had anyone who I could talk about those games with, someone who understood and had thoughts of their own about it. I think we probably all know how it feels, to be overcome with the desire to theory dump but having no one to do it with. ( @nobodynotbymitski I appreciate you so much thank you for listening to my rambling when you didn't understand a single word of it)

But now I did have someone to talk about it. So we talked about it and it was great (and it still is, I love talking with them they're so amazing and smart and talented, go follow them) and I did my usual thing of criticizing genshin as much as I could and being a hater but now it was different because now not only was I swayed by the angsty lesbians, I was listening to someone who did play appreciate the game (even if there's a lot to fix).

And when you listen to someone talk about something they're deeply interested in, you start to become interested as well. So despite my still existing dislike of the game, I was interested in going back to it to live through the story myself. The only thing really standing in my way was my dread of the combat system which would be terrible since I was coming back to a level 3 world with essentially the amount of combat experience as a new player, but I refused to start over because there is one thing I did care about on that account. My account is horrible mind you, I had four 5* and three of them were the Traveler, Kequing and Diluc. But the fourth is my beloved Ganyu. My lv 40, unbuilt, miserable Ganyu on a Favonius bow that I got on her first ever rerun who has emotional meaning to me. I still have a picture of my laptop screen when I got her, she is my pride and joy, the only thing worth saving in this game and I was not going to abandon her.

@heemskerck was really kind and agreed to log onto my essentially no pulls dead account to assess the damage and help me level up, give me pointers and even maybe play for me through the story because I was certain I wouldn't be able to run it on my phone and my laptop would certainly not cut it. And that was that.

Except that wasn't because then a month ago the Ignition trailer dropped and my Himeko obsessed self saw Mavuika and immediately imploded. Natlan had me hooked. And then I realized I could actually run Genshin on my phone. And then the 5.0 program arrived with massive quality of life updates that would greatly reduce the problems that I experienced when I was playing. I was still fearful of the fighting though and most of all I was terrified of having to go through the bubble stairs and then the rest of the story but 5.0 also fixed that for me. So two to three weeks before Natlan released, I warily installed the game and got to walk around the map again, feeling like a baby deer in a forest full of wolves.

But then yesterday, Natlan released. And Natlan is amazing. Natlan is fun. Natlan is interesting. Natlan doesn't feel like a drag or a mine field, Natlan brought back the feeling of adventure and discovery. Natlan helped me relearn combat (even though I'm still so bad at it and most of it is pure panic) and it gave me confidence.

So today, once I was done with Natlan, I went back. I went back to We Will be Reunited which, ironically enough, was waiting to be reunited with me.

I went back to this god forsaken bubble stairs three years later.

And I failed.

But then I tried again.

And I succeeded.

Three years. Three years of remembering this fucking hallway with dread. Three years of hating on a game everyone else shoved in my face. Three years away from Teyvat but finally I did it.

I am free

I can enjoy the game now.

This is the first step back towards a game that used to be my world, that became my nightmare, that led me toward games that changed my life and people I am so glad I met and maybe, hopefully, towards a great game that could make me feel as many things as the other two did.

There is no moral to this, I just wanted to tell my weird genshin storytime. Now that I'm older it probably made playing easier honestly. Genshin isn't perfect though. It still has a lot of flaws, I still don't like its combat system and once I'm caught up on the story and back to farming artefacts and items I will probably still think the game sucks and I'll probably be angry at the gacha system but I think I'm much more emotionally equiped for it now than I was three years ago. Three years is a lot for a kid and it teaches you a lot.

I'm getting genuinely excited about this now, I'm gonna go finish the quest.

#genshin impact #story time #personal #ramble #the dumbest life story to grace the internet #this isn't the biggest issue in my life but it's one I want to share on here #I'm still gonna make my friends believe I'm a hater though #for the bit #and I'm still gonna be a hater in front of heemskerck even though they know better #I play the game now so I have valid grounds to criticize it #don't tell people I play it though #I will deny it #I'm a hypocrite through and through

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