#im LOVING diluc so far

[serendipitousxiao]

im finally reading the webtoon and oh my GOD its so good

[kaeyachi]

i miss kaeya :(

[ventismacchiato]

16 stuck with you — im so obsessed with your ex !

scaramouche x gender neutral reader

“It’s finally happening,” Yae sighs with a gleam in her eye, practically floating into the dorms. She sits next to Scara on the couch, her excitement palpable. “The three mystery guests are arriving! Finally, some drama!”

“I feel like there’s been enough drama,” Aether mutters.

“This will take the cake,” Yae giggles, clearly delighting in the upcoming chaos. “Trust me.”

“I think I’ll just stay here then,” Scara mutters, sinking deeper into the couch, his arms crossed tightly as he tries to resist the inevitable.

“Not so fast,” Yae says, “I need you there, especially.”

“She’s scaring me,” Yoimiya pipes up with a nervous laugh, inching her way toward the bedrooms, clearly trying to make a quick exit.

“Come on, enough chitchat,” Yae declares, standing up. She grabs Scara by the shoulder and yanks him up off the couch, practically dragging him by his feet. “I think the guests are situated.”

As you all make your way down to the beach and head toward the kitchens, you can't shake the uneasy feeling sitting in your chest. You’d known guests were going to join the main lot for the show, but no one ever told you who they could be.

“Oh my god, is that Diluc?” Lumine pipes up as Childe begins to fix his unkempt hair in response.

“Oh, hell no,” Scara mutters, his face immediately twisting with disgust as he takes one look at the scene in front of him. His instinct is to turn and leave, but Yae grabs him by the shoulder and pulls him forward, much to his annoyance.

“Is that my ex?” you say in disbelief, glancing at the table. His burgundy hair was recognizable even from how far you were standing. At the same time, everyone in Delusion turns to you, their eyes wide.

“Since when did you have an ex?” Aether asks, genuinely curious. Even Scara looks over at you now, his gaze lingering a little longer than you expected.

“Heizou and I had... a thing for a while,” you murmur, suddenly feeling awkward. “It was more of a situationship. How did you find out, Yae?”

“Research, baby,” Yae says smugly, clearly enjoying this too much.

“What kind of research?” you ask, eyebrow raised.

“Xiao. We asked Xiao.”

“She loves to gossip,” Xiao adds offhandedly, giving a shrug that seems almost apologetic.

“This is great,” Yae exclaims, her eyes lighting up as if she’s already imagining the chaos. “Let’s have some jealousy arcs!”

“I need to drown, I need to drown right now,” Scara mutters in exasperation, visibly agitated. He pulls his arm away from Yae’s grasp. “Please, just let me go.”

Even you’ve never seen him that agitated around you.

“Hush, it won’t be that bad,” Yae says, pulling him along  like a petulant child despite his protests. The rest of the group follows hesitantly behind.

The tension in the air thickens as the group walks into the dining area. The three figures sitting at the table come into full view. Mona is sitting nearest to the door, her posture more relaxed than you would have expected, while Heizou is across her, looking just a bit too calm for comfort.

Her eyes immediately fall on Scara, and she offers him a gentle smile. It’s sincere but carries a hint of hesitation.

“Scara,” Mona begins softly, her voice almost tender. “It’s been a long time since we’ve met, hasn’t it?”

It’s clear she’s trying to be civil, maybe even friendly, but Scara is having none of it.

“Yeah, not long enough,” Scara mutters as Yae pushes him into the chair beside her.

Meanwhile, you sit yourself next to Heizou, which is coincidentally also right across from Scara. Heizou looks as unbothered as ever, though you notice how his gaze flicks between you and Scara. 

“So... long time no see,” Heizou says, speaking in a neutral tone, trying to ease the tension in the room. He flashes one of his smiles, pretending not to care about the undercurrent of discomfort between everyone. “How have things been? You know, outside of... whatever this is.”

You can’t help but chuckle at how easily you slip back into conversation with him. You can’t help but notice the way he leans just a little too close when he says that last part, like he’s testing the waters. 

“Things have been fine,” you reply, your tone playful, “And you?”

“I'm doing better now,” he smiles, his eyes trailing you for a second. You feel your ears burn under his gaze.

Meanwhile, Childe, who’s been awkwardly sitting beside Diluc perks up, “Hey, uh, I like your music,” Childe says, his voice unexpectedly shy as he glances over at Diluc.

Diluc, who’s normally a man of few words, gives a rare smile, his expression softening. “Thank you,” he replies in his low, gentle voice, making Childe shift in his seat.

“So... uh, you like being an idol?” Childe continues, his words tripping over themselves in an effort to keep the conversation going.

Aether, sitting next to him, raises an eyebrow, clearly amused by the sudden shift in Childe’s usual extroverted self. “Wow, you’re really wooing him, huh?”

“Shut up!” Childe hisses, elbowing Aether in the ribs, his face flushed. “I’m trying!”

୨୧✧

The rest of breakfast goes on in a strained silence. Scara refuses to even glance at Mona, his arms crossed tightly and his eyes fixed on his plate. He’s not engaging with anyone. 

On the other hand, you and Heizou are catching up, your easy back-and-forth making the tension at the table feel a little less suffocating. So much so you don’t even realize Scara’s listening in on it.

Heizou, with his usual calm smile, picked up a blueberry tart and slid it across the table toward you. “I remember you really liked these,” he said, his voice warm and casual. “So, I asked them to bring some for you.”

Scara, who had been uncharacteristically quiet all morning, suddenly spoke up. His voice was flat, and his gaze remained fixed on his plate. “Yn doesn’t like blueberries.”

The words hung in the air, and for a moment, the room fell silent. Every eye turned toward Scara, the unexpected interruption making the tension in the air feel even heavier. Scara, clearly aware of all the attention, slowly lifted his eyes, his expression unreadable.

Heizou’s polite smile didn’t falter, but there was a hint of confusion in his tone. “Yes, they do. I used to gift them to them during our trainee days, right?”

He looked at you, his eyes searching for confirmation. But you, suddenly feeling like the weight of the room was on you, couldn’t meet his gaze. You shifted uncomfortably in your seat and looked down at the tart in your hands.

“Actually,” you said, sheepish, “I’m not very fond of blueberries.”

Heizou blinked, clearly surprised, and for the first time, his smile faltered. “...Oh.”

Scara, who’d been content to stay silent up until now, couldn’t help the smug grin tugged at the corners of his lips. “Told you.”

“And why do you care?” Heizou asks, raising a brow at Scara.

Scara, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, looked entirely unbothered. “I don’t want to see them gag at the dinner table,” he said dryly, glancing at Heizou for the first time. “I’m already losing my appetite sitting across from you.”

The table fell silent again, the weight of Scara’s words hanging heavy in the air. You couldn’t help but notice the way Heizou’s smile tightened, as though his polite exterior was beginning to crack. He leaned back, trying to brush it off, but you could see the slight strain in his shoulders from the tension Scara’s jab had caused.

“…Whatever,” Heizou muttered, though you could tell Scara had bothered him, turning back to you. “What did you do with all the tarts I gave you then?”

“I gave them to Venti,” you admitted, still feeling a little awkward.

Venti, ever the enthusiastic one, raised his hand with a mouthful of tart. “They were good!”

For a moment, the tension in the room dissolved into awkward chuckles, but you could feel the remnants of discomfort still lingering. You couldn’t ignore seeing the flash of hurt in Heizou’s eyes upon realizing you didn’t enjoy his gifts. That man had bought you a lot of blueberry related snacks. 

On the other hand, Scara seemed less tense after his squabble with Heizou. 

The awkwardness lingered, but before anyone could say anything further, Mona, who had been quietly watching the scene unfold, spoke up. “Yn, I also don’t like blueberries that much.”

Scara scooped his plate forward, pushing his untouched blueberries onto Mona’s plate. Without a word, he walked out of the room, leaving a trail of silence in his wake as everyone wrapped up their breakfast.

Mona remained unfazed by the small act of defiance, simply getting up from the table and following suit.

After breakfast, Yae gathered everyone around outside with her usual enthusiastic flair. Well, gathered might be too generous a term since she practically herded you all together. She had to ask the film crew to chase down Scara who was surprisingly athletic when it came to escaping Yae’s stupid games. Well, game was a strong word for whatever this was. It was all rigged from the start, Yae wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to get you and Scara paired with your exes on live television. 

"Could you at least pretend to smile?" Yae sighed, pointing to her lips in an attempt to show him as Scara leaned back, clearly not interested in playing along.

"No," Scara deadpanned, scooting further away from Mona.

“Fine, if you won’t sit by her, at least go sit by Yn,” Yae quipped, clearly amused at his indifference.

Surprisingly, Scara did exactly that, stepping over to your side. Seems he found you more tolerable than her. 

Yae clapped her hands, clearly pleased with herself, and shot a thumbs-up toward the film crew. "Alright, are we all set?" she asked, the microphone in her hand now buzzing with static. "Okay, contestants!" Her voice rang out, louder than before, making everyone jump a little. "We’ll have a quick challenge to see which two couples get to go on a date at Paradise's carnival!”

She lowered the mic, cupping it with her palm and muttering, ���Obviously, we need those four to win this,” gesturing at you, Scara, Heizou, and Mona. She paused before continuing with a sigh. “But I’ll get everyone else catering to make up for it.”

"I keep getting my hopes up and forgetting this is all rigged," Childe moaned dramatically from the sidelines, earning a laugh from Diluc, who patted him on the back.

Yae rolled her eyes but wasn’t fazed. She raised the mic again, her voice returning to its enthusiastic pitch. “Alright, time for a little competition to earn your prize! You guys are going to participate in a quick trivia game about each other!"

You didn’t want to win this, especially not when it involved a fake date, but it was becoming clear there was no escaping it.

The teams were set up, and you ended up paired with Heizou, while Scara was stuck with Mona. Yae started her rounds, and the questions were as ridiculous as you expected. It wasn’t a serious trivia challenge, but that didn’t make it any less awkward whenever it was your turn. Everyone else was having fun answering, unlike you. You should’ve known most of the answers about Heizou, but your mind was surprisingly blank on all the details you used to remember.

“Yn, what’s the name of Heizou’s first album?” Yae asked. 

You blinked, then grimaced. “Oooh, can I get a new question?” you asked, trying to deflect.

“It’s called After Hours,” Yae instructed, her voice a little too chipper. "Just say that, and we'll move on."

You hesitated, then awkwardly repeated, “After Hours.”

“Correct!” Yae singsonged, moving on without missing a beat.

You shot Heizou with a sheepish look. “Sorry. I swear I did listen to your album... it just... slipped my mind.”

Heizou chuckled, though there was a hint of hesitation in his smile. “It’s fine. Honestly, I wouldn’t have remembered the title of yours either if I didn’t see it sitting on my shelf every day.”

You blinked, surprised. “You bought my album?”

Heizou shrugged casually. “Yeah, why? Did you not buy mine?”

You pause, “I was broke when I first debuted,” you awkwardly reply, suddenly feeling rather guilty. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Heizou answers, looking the other way. 

Meanwhile, Scara was making a game out of trying to tank his answers, but Yae didn’t even bat an eye. She was too busy setting up the drama.

“Now, Scara, what’s Mona’s stage name?” Yae asked, shooting him a smile. 

Scara barely looked up, “Stardust?” he says with a bored tone, flicking his gaze to the ceiling like he couldn’t care less.

“Correct!” Yae cheered, almost too enthusiastically.

Lumine, sitting nearby, raised an eyebrow. “Won’t people know this is fake? It’s Astra, isn’t it?” she pipes up, “That wasn’t even close.”

Yae waved her hand dismissively. “We’ll voiceover the correct answers later. Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay, bonus points for anyone who gets this!” Yae announced with a sly grin. “If any of your four, apart from Scara, can answer this right, I’ll cut your awkward date short on the island.” Yae adds, looking at you, clearly not expecting you too.

“What was Scara going to originally name his debut album?” She asks, grinning.

“How the hell are we supposed to know that?” Mona muttered, glancing at you, only to be interrupted by your sudden answer.

“Meet Me at Midnight,” you said, almost instinctively, before you even realized what you’d said.

Yae’s eyes widened, a look of disappointment on her face. “That’s correct!” she gasped, then immediately slapped a hand to her forehead. “Wait, why did I bet on that one?”

Scara turned to look at you, genuinely surprised.

“How do you know that but not my debut album?” Heizou asks with a surprised laugh.

You shrugged, trying to play it off. “I remember because I told him it was a terrible name for an album,” you said, looking at Scara. “Now it’s just called Midnights.”

“It was an alright name,” Scara mumbles to himself.

“Sure it was.”

Yae, already over it, clapped her hands with exaggerated enthusiasm. “And that wraps up our trivia game!” She paused for dramatic effect. “The top four contestants are... Yn, Scaramouche, Mona, and Heizou!” She feigns a gasp as everyone rolls their eyes, “What a twist! You four will be off to the island soon for a double date!”

As everyone else started discussing what food to get Yae to cater, you could feel the weight of your fate hanging over you.

୨୧✧

After the game, everyone else heads back to the dorms for some free time, while the four of you are left to awkwardly prepare for your double date. You couldn’t think of anything more awkward as Yae explained how you guys would be spending the day at the carnival on Paradise. Just great.

Once everyone is gathered outside, Jean approaches with a clipboard in hand.

“So, we need to figure out if you four want to take the helicopter or the boat with the crew to the island,” Jean announces, his voice carrying her usual professional tone, unlike Yae who was having a little too much fun. 

Your heart sinks at the mention of the helicopter. You try to act casual, shifting your weight from one foot to the other, but you feel your stomach knot. Scara notices the subtle change in your demeanor.

Heizou speaks up with an excited grin. “Wouldn’t the helicopter be a nicer view? Plus, it’s quicker.”

Mona, standing beside him, nods in agreement, her smile sweet and sincere. “I think the helicopter would be lovely,” she says, her eyes flicking toward Scara. It’s a small, calculated glance. You can’t help but feel a pang of discomfort.

You force yourself to keep a neutral expression, trying not to give away how uncomfortable you feel. You hate flying. The last time you were in a helicopter, you barely made it through without a panic attack. And Scara had been there to witness it. You don’t want to relive that embarrassing moment, especially not with Heizou and Mona around.

Clearing your throat, you try to sound casual, although your voice betrays you with a slight tremor. “I’ll just go on the boat, if that’s okay,” you say, not looking at anyone directly. There. Perfectly played. Totally.

Heizou gives you an amused look. “Oh? Your loss,” he says with a grin, his tone light and teasing. “The helicopter’s way more scenic.”

But then, to your surprise, Scara speaks up, his voice flat as always. “I’ll take the boat too,” he mutters, already turning away as if the conversation had never mattered to him. He starts walking toward the dock without another word.

You blink, taken aback. Mona looks at Scara in surprise, clearly expecting him to choose the faster, more fun option. But Scara just keeps walking, his footsteps heavy with disinterest. He doesn’t look back. 

Jean shrugs, unfazed. “Alright then. We’ll all meet at the carnival on the other island.” She gestures for the crew to follow you two, and the tension seems to dissipate as everyone moves on to their respective transport.

You follow without saying anything, still processing Scara’s response. It wasn’t like he had to take the boat. He could’ve gone with Mona. And yet, here he was, going with you.

Once aboard the boat, the sunlight shimmers across the water, making everything feel a little more serene. The boat rocks gently beneath your feet, and you settle in, stealing glances at Scara, who’s staring out at the horizon with his usual unreadable expression. His posture, though, seems stiffer than usual.

“Thanks for coming on the boat,” you say, breaking the silence. Your voice sounds too loud against the stillness of the water, and for a moment, you regret even saying it. The awkwardness of it hangs between you like an unwanted presence.

Scara doesn’t answer immediately. His eyes stay fixed on the water, but after a few beats, he finally shrugs. “Didn’t wanna sit next to Mona,” he mutters lowly, as if the answer is self-explanatory.

“Alright,” you reply, though the simple response feels like it doesn’t quite cover the weight of the situation. But still, you can’t ignore the fact that he chose to sit with you instead of her. “But still.”

You had been disappointed when Heizou boarded the helicopter without you, but you didn’t blame him. Things had been rather awkward since breakfast, and there was no way to get around it.

Scara shifts in his seat, his eyes flicking toward the water as he says, “Whatever. It’s fine. You don’t have to thank for shit like this.” His voice is as nonchalant as ever, but you can sense there’s more to it. You don’t push it though, choosing to remain quiet, happy just to have the ground beneath your feet. After all, not dangling thousands of feet in the air is a small victory.

୨୧✧

You arrive a bit later than Heizou and Mona, who are already waiting for you both on the island, standing near the carnival entrance.

“Alright, Yae and I will be on the boat while you four go on your date, in your ears,” Jean explains, skimming through what was on her clipboard. “Just go explore the carnival together, and please, try to keep it civil.” Her gaze lingers on Heizou and Scara as she says that last part.

“Actually, I think they’re adding some good drama,” Yae whispers to Jean, her voice carrying a playful note.

“There’s a line between drama and full on fighting,” Jean sighs, clearly unamused.

Once the film crew is situated, Yae starts her spiel again, her voice ringing out through a mic.

“Alright, the winning pairs have arrived and will be having their double date here at Paradise's carnival!” Yae says enthusiastically. “You four must stick together as you explore the attractions! No running off now! Have fun!” she singsongs.

“Where to first?” Heizou hums, his eyes scanning the map board in front of you all.

“Maybe some games?” Mona suggests with a bright smile.

“Sure,” you reply, even though the idea of spending the day with your ex and Scara on a date makes your stomach twist in awkward knots. Scara, as usual, hangs back, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he follows behind the group with no real enthusiasm. You don’t blame him.

The smell of buttered popcorn and sugary cotton candy drifts through the air as you walk through the carnival. The place is mostly empty, though you suspect the company rented the space out just for you all. It’s quiet in a way that almost feels like a trap.

“This one looks fun,” you say, pointing to a ring toss game in front of you.

“Would you like to win something for your date?” The man working the booth asks Heizou, waving some rings around.

Heizou grins, catching your eye. “Sure, which plush is catching your eye, Yn?”

You glance at the display and point to a penguin plush. “I guess the penguin’s pretty cute.”

“Five tries,” the worker explains, handing Heizou the rings, “Three to win.”

Heizou takes the rings and tosses the first one, missing by a wide margin. One miss. Two miss. Three miss. Four miss. Five... another miss. Heizou manages to miss every single one, which, frankly, seems impressive in its own right. You start to wonder if the game is rigged.

Scara, who had been watching with mild amusement, can’t help but chuckle at Heizou’s pathetic attempts. Mona pats him on the back sympathetically, equally entertained.

“Sorry, Yn,” Heizou says with a sheepish grin, clearly embarrassed.

“It’s fine,” you say, rubbing him awkwardly on the shoulder.

“How about you?” The worker asks, nodding towards Scara. “Want to try and win your pretty lady something?”

“Win me the cat plush,” Mona says, folding her arms with a smirk as she glances over at Scara.

Scara rolls his eyes but takes the rings with a lazy flick of his wrist. His first throw barely makes it off his hand, landing miles away from the bottles.

“Oh no. I lost,” he says in his usual monotone voice, clearly throwing the game on purpose.

Even so, Heizou seizes the opportunity to provoke Scara. “See? You’re no better than me,” he teases, his voice light.

Scara gives him a glare as he raises his hand again. “Actually, I’ll take another round.”

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. He easily lands all five rings around the bottles. The worker blinks, clearly surprised.

The man reaches for the cat plush Mona had pointed to earlier, but Scara interrupts.

“That one.” He points to the penguin plush you had chosen earlier. His voice is flat, but you wonder if he’s doing it to spite you.

Instead he grabs the penguin and tosses it over to you without a word.

“At least one of us can actually win a plush,” he says, smirking at Heizou before walking off towards the next stall. Mona sighs and follows him.

You look down at the penguin in your hands, still processing what just happened. He’d won, but he’d also given it to you. 

Every game after that is a repeat of the same pattern: Heizou trying (and failing) to win, and Scara effortlessly collecting plushies. By the time you leave the stall, you’re carrying an absurdly large pile of stuffed animals. You’re forced to hand them off to one of the cameramen just to be able to walk around. You almost feel guilty, offering Mona the cat plush she’d wanted earlier.

Soon, the date devolves into nothing more than Heizou and Scara making bets with each other as you and Mona trail behind, quietly watching them one-up each other in a strange unspoken rivalry. 

“Hey,” Mona says, nudging you gently. “Let’s sneak away.” She nods towards the rides you haven’t touched yet. “You were eyeing the swings.”

You look over at Heizou and Scara, who are too absorbed in their competition to notice anything else. The worker at the fishing game is giving them a look of horror as they try to fish rubber ducks out of a tiny pool.

“You know what?” you say, relieved by the chance for a break. “Yeah, let’s go.”

She grabs your hand and tugs you along toward the swings, placing the cat plush between you two as you hop onto the ride.

As the swings start to rise, you glance over at Mona. She’s screaming with excitement. You can’t help but smile at her, but the smile quickly fades as you find yourself wondering about something. What happened between her and Scara? You know the basic gist of it from what your fans post on social media and from what gossip Xiao has passed on to you, but the Mona you’re seeing now feels oddly different from the one who’d dated Scara.

The ride slows, and you look down to see Heizou and Scara finally noticing that you’ve gone missing. Scara looks up, and you and Mona wave at him as the ride speeds past.

Once you’re off the ride, you suggest grabbing some snacks before Heizou and Scara catch up.

“Chocolate churros sound good?” you ask, already feeling the weight of the strange tension between the group. Mona agrees, walking up to the food stall to ask for a few.

You find a bench to settle on as you wait, the stillness between you and Mona only slightly alleviated by the warmth of the churros.

“Thanks for dragging me away,” you say, looking over at her. “I had fun.”

“No problem,” Mona hums, her voice light as she takes a bite. “Besides, I wanted to check out the rides too. And bonus, got to make Scara upset.”

You glance down at the churros at that, having the urge to ask her about what really went down between her and Scara. But it isn’t quite your place to ask. 

Your train of thought is interrupted when Mona reaches out, brushing some chocolate off your lips.

“You got something…” she murmurs, her face much closer to yours than you expected.

You blink, caught off guard by how close she’s sitting to you. She seems so casual about it, but you start to wonder if she has a different intention than just being friendly.

“Huh?” you murmur, turning towards her.

“Shh,” she whispers, her palm caressing your cheek as she pulls her hand back. “He’s watching.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you spot Heizou and Scara making their way toward you. Scara’s gaze is unreadable, but his stare is piercing.

“Just wanted to make him jealous,” Mona smiles mischievously, her hand gently pinching your cheek.

You try to mask the surprise that rises in you as you look up at Scara. His expression remains neutral, but there’s something unsettling about the way he’s staring. Mona seems to notice too.

“Sorry for abandoning you guys,” Heizou apologizes, looking sheepish as you hand him your extra churro. “Got too caught up in competition.”

Scara says nothing. He doesn’t seem at all sorry for leaving you both. He takes the seat next to you, not Mona, who’s holding out a churro for him. His eyes flicker over to her before settling back on you.

“We should all ride something together before we leave,” you suggest, trying to shake off the tension. “How about a coaster?”

“Sure,” Heizou hums, though you can hear the hesitation in his voice.

Scara shrugs, nonchalant as always. “Whatever.”

The rest of the night drifts by in a blur of rides and laughter, though it’s hard to tell just how much fun Scara’s actually having. He never fully cracks a smile, his face as unreadable as ever, but there’s something about the way his posture relaxes just slightly on the rollercoaster that makes you think he’s enjoying it at least a little bit. Heizou, on the other hand, is the opposite and makes it known how much fun he’s having. He’s as animated as ever as he throws flirty comments your way between rides. 

The weirdness from earlier fades between you and Heizou, especially as he ends up sitting next to you on every ride, his easy smile gradually putting you at ease. 

But Scara? He’s hard to read. He follows along without complaint, occasionally joining in on the banter between you and Heizou, but when he’s not pulling one of his usual stony expressions he’s somewhere else. You catch him staring off into the distance as the carnival lights flicker in the fading sunset, his gaze fixed on something beyond you. It’s moments like these that make you wonder what’s really going on in that head of his. Something you never used to care about before.

Before you know it, the night sky has fully taken over, the bright carnival lights casting long shadows behind you. You pause for a moment, just long enough to breathe in the cool air, the faint smell of popcorn and sweets still lingering in the breeze. 

Mona and Heizou end up walking ahead, chatting about something or the other. Meanwhile, Scara trails along beside you. He doesn’t speak, but he doesn’t walk ahead either. You almost feel like you should say something, if only to break the silence, but you’re not sure how to approach it.

“Thanks for the plushies, by the way,” you pipe up, the words feeling almost too casual, but you don’t know what else to say. Your hand instinctively grips one of the stuffed animals, the penguin that Scara had won for you. You’d given the rest to the crew, but you wanted to hold onto this one. The soft plush feels comforting against your palm. 

Scara doesn’t immediately respond. You can feel his eyes on you for a brief second, before he looks back down at the ground, his expression unreadable. “No need,” he says in his usual flat tone, like it’s no big deal.

“Didn’t think I’d see you giving out prizes, Scara,” you say, the words slipping out before you can stop them. You try to make it sound lighthearted, but your voice catches a little on the last word. “You seemed pretty determined to win... for Mona.”

“It wasn’t for her,” he immediately says. But then, after a beat, he answers, his voice a little softer than usual, “I just didn’t want to hear Heizou gloat.”

“Besides,” he adds, eyeing the plush in your hand, “it looks better with you.” His steps slow, just slightly, and for a moment you think he’s about to say something else, but then he just keeps walking towards the dock.

You stand there for a second, a little caught off guard by his words. The air between you two feels charged. He said it so nonchalantly, like it didn’t matter, but there was something in the way he said it that made you wonder if it did.

With a small sigh, you hurry to catch up with him. As you walk alongside him, you can’t help but glance at the penguin plush in your hand, still unsure of what to make of this strange, quiet moment between you.

୨୧✧

Since you and Scara had chosen to go by boat you two had to wait a while longer for it to arrive. Mona and Heizou were already off to the island as you stood by the beach. You look over and see Scara sitting by himself.

He was sitting by the edge of the dock, legs dangling just above the water, his posture tense as he stared out at the horizon with a detached sort of focus.  

You weren’t stupid, you knew he was trying to be alone. But with the way he’d been acting off all day and was now sitting out here by himself you felt your chest twist with something. Something that made you carry your feet over to him. 

You hesitated for a moment, watching the way the wind tousled his hair and how he drew circles in the water with his feet.

"Scara," you called out, your voice quiet.

He didn’t respond.

You sighed, stepping closer. "Kuni," you tried again. 

This time, he turned his head, his eyes flicking toward you, just enough to acknowledge your presence. He said nothing, but he scooted over on the small dock.

You hesitated for a second before taking a few steps and sitting next to him at the edge of the dock. The tension between you two was still thick and unresolved.

“So…” you began, trying to break the silence with casual ease. “It’s weird with our exes, huh?”

He let out a low, almost inaudible sigh, his eyes returning to the water. “Yeah.” His voice was flat. He was frustrated, whether it was with Mona, with Heizou, you, or himself, you couldn’t tell, but you figured it was a mix of all of it. 

You watched him for a moment, then took a breath, deciding to ask something that had been nagging at you since breakfast. “How do you remember the blueberry thing?” you asked, eyes narrowed in curiosity.

Scara’s gaze flicked to you again, and this time, he raised an eyebrow, as if the answer was obvious. “Why wouldn’t I remember?”

His tone was casual, but there was a sharpness to it that made your chest tighten slightly. You’d never really considered that all the times you’d argued, all those little details, would stick with him over the years. 

The silence stretched between you two, and you looked down, finally noticing the cigarette hanging loosely from his fingers.

“I thought you quit,” you said, offhandedly, trying to push the knot in your chest aside.

He didn’t even glance at you. “Don’t worry, I did,” he muttered, voice as indifferent as always. “I just carry one around.” He doesn’t question how you know about him quitting.

You were unsure if you should press further, so instead you just hummed in acknowledgment. You’re about to stand up and leave when Scara’s voice breaks through the quiet once more with a question of his own.

“So, you and Heizou?” he asks. 

“Yeah, a long time ago,” you say, your tone more guarded than you intended. You didn’t think he’d ever cared about it. Then again, maybe he was just being nosy, as usual.

“Why didn’t you date him?” Scara asked, his eyes still trained on the water, watching the waves as they lapped lazily at his feet. He absentmindedly twirled the cigarette between his fingers, but you could feel his attention on you. You always could.

“I don’t know," you said after a long pause, your voice quieter. Your throat tightened. You hadn’t thought about Heizou in a long time. "He switched companies, and then... I debuted." You shrugged slightly, trying to make the words sound casual. “No time, or whatever.” You hated how unconvincing that sounded, but there it was.

Scara didn’t look at you, but you could feel his gaze. Then, after a moment, he said something that made your throat tighten even more.

“You have the time now, don’t you?”

You blinked at the question. For a few seconds, you didn’t answer. Three years had passed since then. Three years of nothing. You could have found the time. You could have sent a message or tried to find him after a concert, maybe even crossed paths at some industry event. You could have tried. But instead, you were caught up in everything that had come after…you’d been occupied with Scara. 

You spared a glance towards him, but he wasn’t looking at you. He never looked at you when the questions got too close to something real. He was staring at the water, still twirling the cigarette between his fingers, but there was an unreadable expression in his face.

“I was occupied, to be honest,” you said, your voice unsteady.

He scoffed, “With what? Your other ten exes I don’t know about?”

“With you.”

There was a brief, charged silence. The weight of your words hung in the air, and you didn’t even understand what you meant. He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he continued twirling the cigarette, his fingers moving mechanically. But you could feel his gaze shift towards you, sharper now. The unreadable expression on his face faltered just for a moment, but it was gone before you could place it.

Finally, he huffed out a breath, leaning back slightly, “Whatever. Not my problem,” he glances at you, “Can’t blame me for that.”

"Yeah, sure." You paused, your voice softer now, tinged with frustration and something else you couldn’t quite name, “But arguing does take up a lot of time.”

He didn’t answer right away. What was there to say? You could feel the unspoken weight of the past between you two, the years of frustration, of unspoken words. 

All of the time that had slipped away, together but apart.

But instead, he just exhaled sharply, pulling himself to his feet with a lazy, practiced motion. He tucks his unlit cigarette away as he reaches his palm towards you. He hoists you up with ease, and you stumble a bit on the dock. His other arm grabs your waist to steady you before letting go, his touch lingering for a moment longer than he needed to.

“The boat’s here,” he murmurs, eyeing you. 

You stare at his hand, your waist still warm from the brief contact, and then at the boat approaching in the distance. The night is settling in, the world around you dimming as the sky deepens to purple and dark blue. The quiet between you is thick, like the air before a storm, and for a moment, you can’t tell if you’re relieved or frustrated that he’s not saying anything else.

You swallow, a mix of something bitter and sweet twisting in your chest. “Yeah. Guess we should go.”

But as he walks, his pace a little faster than before, you catch the faintest of glances over his shoulder. His gaze meets yours for a fleeting second, almost like he wants to say something but stops himself. 

And just like that, he’s gone, stepping onto the boat with the same indifference he always carries.

[00:00:00] GUEST INTERVIEW TAKE ONE

YAE: What's your name, my beautiful queen?

JEAN: Oh God, cut!

[00:00:03] GUEST INTERVIEW TAKE TWO

YAE: [SIGHS] What's your name?

MONA: [LAUGHS] It's Mona! You all know me.

JEAN: How has your first week on the island been?

MONA: Honestly, weird. Scaramouche has been giving me the nastiest side eye but I still want him to at least acknowledge me, and Y/N is so socially awkward it kind of hurts and—

YAE: Haha, so funny! [PAINED LAUGH] What about a good thing?

YAE: [WHISPERS] This isn't a good look for you, Mona.

MONA, STILL TALKING: - and you know, Fischl is beautiful, but how am I supposed to talk to her? I know I'm a bad bitch, but I can't fumble this one. It'll be so bad for my image and-oh, sorry, did you ask me something?

JEAN: What's... what's a good thing about your first week here. [SOUNDS PAINED]

MONA: Oh! Getting to tan. I'm so pale being inside all day as an idol, it's nice to get some sun. [SMILES]

YAE: Cut!

[00:00:00] POST DOUBLE DATE INTERVIEW

YAE: So, how are you feeling about our guests?

YN: You are an evil woman for bringing them here.

YAE: [GIGGLES] Right? I’m so good at this.

YN: Seeing Heizou was a little awkward, but I think we’re okay now?

YAE: Any sparks flying? 

YN: I’m not sure, I don’t think so.

YAE: And what are your thoughts on Mona?

YN: Well, she was nice…?

YAE: [RAISES A BROW AND GESTURES FOR YOU TO CONTINUE]

YN: Well, she was nice on the date. But looking back I think she was just trying to get a reaction out of Scara [SIGHS] I still had fun though.

YAE: I see all those plushies your not date won for you [WIGGLES HER EYEBROWS SUGGESTIVELY] That was romantic, right?

YN: [WAVES HER OFF] He was just competing with Heizou!

YAE: [GROANS LOUDLY] 

JEAN: Don’t mind her–

LISA: [ALSO GROANING BEHIND THE CAMERA]

YN: Archons, sorry. 

YAE: Yeah, you should be. Open your eyes. 

YN: They’re open I swear! [PUTS HANDS UP]

YAE: Hmph. CUT!

stuck with you!

masterlist — prev | next

btw chapter eleven is when yn mentions they don’t like blueberries, told ya it would come back (and sorry again if u actually like them, replace it with a fruit u hate)

also typo slide 27 it’s supposed to say yn weverse update

me tryna figure out how to do backstory: twitter thread! more scaramona backstory next chapter so be patient xx

i cudnt fit the written text below pic in this as much so make sure u read all the written parts!

also scara only saying his body count after yn shows interest i know what u r

pls comment or send me an ask if u enjoyed i need motivation 🤗

comment on the MASTERLIST if i can use ur user as a fan in the au!

notes — wow 3 updates in one month merry christmas also btl easter egg who caught that

synopsis — after the disaster that was the live award show, where you and scaramouche got into an argument on stage after both of your groups got a tie for top artists, your guys' PR teams have been in shambles trying to scrape up your mess. that's when the idea to send you both off with some other idols to a remote location for a survival dating show to mend your public image comes up. before you know it your bags are packed and you’re on a plane to a remote island. the only obligation is you need to end up with scaramouche at the end of the show, whether you end up liking him or not doesn’t matter to your managers as long as the show’s ratings stay high. whatever you do in between to get there is up to you!

taglist — @na1lea @cindywasneverhere @lunavixia @aestherin @mlaakai @camvrin @retiredmommylover @iheartpieck @cartierfiles @loveariel @silly-ez @mochipls @pomeiu @flowerypesky @creammpuff @boxdisappeared @kissingkzuha @webbywill @kazusboyfriend @s3xpistolss @bunns-wonderland @lordbugs @localgirlywithnolife @kosumos @danfelions @featuredtofu @pinxeajin @haeunoo @scaradooche @pglt19 @chemiru @childesbabygirl @simonisferal @shutingstar @ttalgi @esuz @tokkishouse @kitsuvil @scarasmood @ihearttori @nomurahayami @starringyau @androxphobic @reivelmin @animeobsessed56 @femaholicc @vi0let-writes @izayumi-chan @aloflapse @migorengeaterrr

[i23kazu]

GENSHIN MEN & DOING CUTE AUTUMN THINGS .

characters. zhongli diluc kaeya childe neuvillette alhaitham kaveh x gn!reader genre. romantic fluff. an. happy almost october. which means happy almost christmas | please reblog!! im getting back into writing and reblogs with tags and comments will make me want to write more :D

zhongli

autumn, with zhongli, is sitting around a bonfire together. his hands are tightly wrapped around you, with you leaning against his shoulder – liyue never had seasons like these, so experiences like these came far and few. it was lovely all the same, sitting nestled in the leaves with you.

diluc

autumn, with diluc, is helping him with the autumn harvest. carts of grapes, pumpkins, cantaloupes, tomatoes, and more were filled to the brim, with two satisfied smiles on your faces after as he pushed the cart back to the manor. a sweet tradition, always ending with a glass of the harvest's finest wine at the end of the day.

kaeya

autumn, with kaeya, is always filled with baking and your household smelling like the grand mixture of cinnamon, butter and nutmeg. pumpkin pie, apple pie, cinnamon rolls, pecan bars, apple crisps and so many more left no more room for actual eating at the kitchen counters – time to host another soirée!

childe

autumn, with childe, is always competing to gather the biggest pile of leaves outside to jump into, within the coziness of your backyard. some years, the children eagerly watched the you go against each other, only for childe to tackle you into your pile of leaves. you always forgive him, though – you can't stay mad at your favourite ginger.

neuvillette

autumn, with neuvillette, is taking a stroll through the cold gardens of fontaine. the air seems to whisper and flitter about, and the melusines skip around as happily as ever. neuvillette forgets about all his worries the moment his hand slips in yours so perfectly – it seems as if your hand was made exactly for his.

alhaitham

autumn, with alhaitham, is booking an isolated cabin in the woods – and spending your most favourite two weeks of the year there. the air is sweetened with the scent of cinnamon biscuits and browned butter. you and alhaitham finally get to take a breath away from the bustle of sumeru city, and curl up within each other to read and live.

kaveh

autumn, with kaveh, is booking every single haunted house and maze you can find on the sumeru websites. you laugh as you watch your boyfriend's face turn from pleasantness to a horror-filled shock, the most high-pitched squealing and shrieking you've ever heard extract out of his body when the jumpscares start. he may have grabbed your hand too tightly, and now there's a red mark.

taglist: @tiredsleep @loptido @raincxtter @chichikoi @ladyadii @soulsanta @sheiiths @genshinparty @eowinthetraveler @moonbyunniee @legitnoi @lemontum @manager-of-the-pudding-bank @starz222 @ilyuu @cherry-colored-petals @mondaymelon @tartaglia-apologist @soleillunne @m1shapanda @aimynx @smokipoki @adeptuscharm @diorlumx @vennnnn-diagram @ryuryuryuyurboat @yuminako (send ask to be added to taglist)

reblogs w/ tags & comments help me lots !!! if you liked this, consider dropping me a follow as well :-)

[akimiiyo]

-> KISSES

⌗synopsis : how genshin men kiss.

⌗characters : diluc, kaeya, albedo, zhongli, childe, baizhu, xiao, thoma, ayato, heizou, wanderer, kazuha, tighnari, cyno, alhaitham, kaveh, neuvillette, lyney, dainsleif, dottore, pantalone, capitano, pierro.

⌗cw : gn!reader, lowercase intended, probably ooc.

his kisses are full of love, but mostly happen behind closed doors. he’s often busy and caught up in his own duties, left craving for your affection all day long before he can come back home to you where he’ll finally get to hold you in his arms and shower you with the love that has been building up over the hours. still, when you’re out together, he refrains from doing anything more than walking hand in hand or letting you link your arm around his. perhaps a quick peck on the cheek here and there, but that’s how far he’ll go when you’re in public. he thinks that everything other than that is too intimate to be done in front of others. not to worry though, in private, he’ll be sure to show you how much he cherishes you.

diluc, ayato, alhaitham, neuvillette, pantalone, pierro.

his kisses are playful and teasing. he has always loved kissing you, no matter if it is a fleeting kiss or a passionate one, he firmly believes your soft lips were made for his. although your kisses are definitely considered a blissful experience for him, what he really adores is your expression after you pull apart. he simply can’t get enough of the small glint in your eyes and the faint hue on your cheeks. he takes it upon himself to kiss you when you least expect it to enhance such reaction. at work? he’ll swiftly turn you around and plant his lips on yours. out with friends? he can’t go on without getting a small peck from his darling. minding your own business? he’ll interrupt your train of thoughts by quickly placing his lips against yours. he’ll leave you wanting for more as he walks away with that usual mischievous smile of his, acting as nothing ever happened.

kaeya, childe, heizou, cyno, kaveh, lyney.

his kisses are sweet and calm. he’s simply a peaceful soul whose current wish is to make you feel as if you were the most important being in the entire world and it’s working. the delicate and gentle way he touches you has your cheeks flaring up, the way he looks at you with such fondness has your heart racing while his kisses make you feel as if you’re floating above the clouds. he’s truly a gentleman at heart, kissing the back of your hand every time you go out or your forehead to reassure you wherever you need him to. it also doesn’t matter how long you’ve been together, he’ll always look up at you before asking for permission to kiss you, only looking out for your own comfort. he would never miss his chance of kissing you as it’s the fastest way to calm him down no matter what.

albedo, zhongli, baizhu, thoma, kazuha, tighnari.

his kisses are hesitant and rare. this poor man is too unfamiliar with affection, especially physical, to be open about his feelings. he loves you dearly, maybe way more than he had first thought when he had started to fall for you, but it’s simply too complicated for him to show you all that and he hates himself for it. he wishes he could be more forward with making his feelings for you clear, however, he is scared that everything will come crumbling down as soon as he gets too used to your warmth. nonetheless, he is genuinely convinced that you deserve everything and more, so he musters up the courage to actually reciprocate your display of affection, and he tries to pour all of his deeply felt emotions into it too. give the scarred man some time, he’ll eventually cave in to your touch.

xiao, wanderer, dainsleif, dottore, capitano.

⌗a/n : can you tell this is my first time writing smth like this?? LMAOO pls tell me if this is cringe pls pls pls 😞 also, im sorry if this makes no sense, i wrote this at 1am 🙏🏻 do tell if i made any spelling mistakes tho!!

want to read more? take a look at my masterlist!

©2023 akimiiyo. do not repost, translate, plagiarise, or modify in any way, shape or form.

[m1d-45]

a soft place to land

summary: life can be hard. when the day is long and your body is weary, your lover is there. features zhongli, diluc, kaeya, alhaitham, and tighnari, in that order.

word count: ~800

-> warnings: none.

-> gn reader (you/yours)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay

< masterlist >

zhongli.

his arms are sturdy around your shoulders, pressing you into him. one hand rests on your head, letting you hide in his shoulder. hes frowning, upset at seeing you upset, but carefully keeps it from his words.

“you’re alright, beloved. this will pass.”

you squeeze him tighter in response, a fresh set of tears sinking into his suit, but he doesn’t mind. you could ruin all of his clothes, and he only asks that you would be okay on the other end.

he promises you that, now. his hand slides down to the other, his embrace nearly crushing as he turns to whisper into your hair.

“it will be okay.”

you sink further into his arms.

maybe it will be.

diluc.

diluc holds you close within his office, leaning against the closed door. he’s not sure what brought this on, but it’s clear now is not the time for questions.

he presses a soft kiss to the side of your head, gently wrapping his arms around you. soft coos and sweet words fall from his lips as easy as air, slipping into your ear and slowly driving the dark, thick muck of helplessness from your mind. his words are slow, his voice quiet, but you hear him clearly.

“im right here, beautiful. it’ll be alright.”

you take a shuddering breath, pressing your face further into his jacket and breathing in his cologne. when you exhale, some of the weight lifts off your shoulders.

kaeya.

his hands are almost kneading where they’re holding your sides, keeping you sat firmly in his lap. yes, he was technically on shift, but his paperwork could wait until you weren’t crying into his shoulder.

he’s hoping the repetitive motions of his hands will help ground you, his silver tongue failing when he needs it most. he wants nothing more than to reassure you, to say exactly what you need to hear and banish your tears to a far off corner of teyvat where they’ll never harm you again, but all that escapes his mouth is the soft, gentle sound of your name. it’s careful, filled with empathy, every shake of your shoulders reflected in the harsh twist of his lips.

he lets his head rest on your shoulder, taking deep breaths in an attempt to encourage you to do the same. in, and out, in, and out, every breath measured, an inaccurate picture of his mind. he wants to hyperventilate with you, to fret and worry over his love, to ask what’s wrong and how to fix it, but that’s not what you need right now. so he counts his breaths, in (one, two, three, four) and out (one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight).

slowly, surely, you fall back to earth, right into kaeya’s open arms.

alhaitham.

alhaitham’s eyes were fixed on his book, on the theorized etymology of some of the runes in king deshret’s ruins. he kept his voice low, calm and clear, reading slowly. one hand propped the pages apart, and the other was entangled in your hair, gently sweeping arcs with his thumb.

you were lying with him on the couch, head in his lap and face buried in his side. your hand occasionally flexed and tugged at his shirt, but you didn’t speak up when he paused.

he was fine with that.

he’d sit here with you for as long as you needed, picking another book up off the end table if he needed to. whether you wanted to vent off whatever was bothering you, or simply lie in his company, he would be happy either way.

alhaitham turned the page and continued to read.

tighnari.

tighnari’s tail flicked behind him, thankfully outside of your view. you hadn’t given much explanation before you’d pulled him into a crushing hug, but his jitters weren’t from irritation. no, he could never be upset at you; he was worried.

your arms were tight around him, a sharp contrast to the gentle circles he rubbed into your back. he wasn’t sure if you wanted to hear his comfort, so he settled for non-verbal signs of it instead, leaning the side of his head to yours.

for however long you wanted to stand there, he’d be there. when the moon sank below the horizon and stars glittered in the window, he’d smooth his ungloved hands over your shirt, only speaking to offer a cool cup of water.

when you inevitably collapsed into bed, he’d lie at your side, holding you close until morning.

[lilacsandamethysts]

Ragnvindr(s)

Pairing: Diluc x fem!Reader (she/her pronouns)

Summary: The Ragnvindr clan is expecting a new addition.

Warnings: pregnancy and mention of kids, characters expecting and becoming parents

A/N: Hi im back, hopefully i'll manage to post more regularly bc I have truly missed this (writing and posting). This is the first fic of my dad!character series bc I have a huge case of baby fever and seeing my favorites as dads satisfies my daddy and abandonment issues.

“Can you please take a seat? Boss is going to kill me if he finds out you’ve been exerting yourself.” Charles could have sworn to any archon willing to listen to his pleas that he had lost ten years from his life during this six hour shift. He was on bar duty this evening, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing he couldn’t handle and nothing he hadn’t done before. What he hadn’t done before was have his boss’s pregnant wife on duty with him. “I swear miss, you’re giving me gray hairs.” Funny, now that he thinks of it, he had heard his boss utter the same exact words three hours prior when he dropped her off, a thin layer of sweat covering his forehead as he had looked at his wife worryingly. She rolled her eyes at his comments going back to cleaning the dried glasses littering the underside of the bar. 

“Barbara said that moving around would do me good. Besides,” she frowned at him, the fire burning in her eyes making it clear to Charles why master Diluc had found his match in her. “I’m feeling peachy.” She wasn’t even that far along, stomach barely showing from under her slightly loose blouse. Diluc, ever since it had been revealed that her sudden unwellness was due to her expecting their child, had become thrice as protective than he already was, barely leaving her out of his sight. Truthfully, as much as she loved and cherished her husband, being under constant surveillance was starting to irritate her. She couldn’t fault him; this was his first time going through such an experience and he was rightfully anxious. A soft hum escaped her lips at the thought of his frazzled gaze every time she shifted in her seat while they went through documents of the winery. Diluc was going to be an amazing father, she knew that from the moment she announced her pregnancy to him. What she was even more certain about was, the gray hairs he was bound to start sprouting by the end of these agonizingly long nine months.

The door to the tavern flew open and in stepped a slightly agitated Diluc, hair sticking out from his usual high ponytail he dawns whenever he works behind the bar and eyes darting all over her figure as she continued to shine the glass in her hand. His shoulders sagged slightly in relief upon seeing her in one piece. With a sigh he shed the heavy layers on his shoulders before walking behind the bar, peking her cheek once with a hand resting on the slight bump of her stomach. 

“Why are you up? Again.” He said, a serious expression engraved on his features, brows furrowing when she simply hummed in response. He sighed again, rubbing at his temples before kissing her cheek again and reaching for one of her glasses. “You two are going to be the death of me.” 

“And they haven’t even been born yet.” She giggled again, leaning into his side, head tilting so it rests securely on his shoulder. Instinctively, he leaned closer, cheek smooshed on her hairline. “Imagine the terror once they start walking or even worse, running.” She swears she could already see the dark circles forming under his eyes which only made her laugh harder. The shift went by calmly with the tavern not being at its highest customer rate. They even got the chance to close up earlier than usual and make it back to the manner before midnight. Once inside, Diluc helped her hang her coat-even though she whined about being capable of doing it herself- and then led her to the kitchen where their dinner awaited them on the counter. Adelinde had taken it upon herself to teach both her masters the art of healthy nutrition; she had tried twice before in the past but they both were too stubborn and drowning in work to keep up a healthy diet, now with a child on the way they were more than willing to listen to her advice. 

Taking a seat side by side they dug in, emptying their plates in a matter of minutes with not even a peep leaving their lips until they were both done. Diluc brought her chair closer to his own, one arm draped over her shoulders while the other traced patterns on the fabric of her shirt absentmindedly, an action he seemed to be doing more and more each day. He had developed a habit of touching her in some way no matter the time or place or who was with them; whether it be his hand on the small of her back or his warm palm engulfing her own, an arm around her waist or merely their pinkies linked, Diluc couldn’t seem to let go of her no matter what. The citizens of Mondstadt would swoon at his blatant displays of affection, eyes full of unfathomable softness whenever they saw the soon to be parents on a stroll through the busy streets. There were still those select few who side eyed the couple -mostly her-, those whose jealousy shown through the happy facade, who sometimes didn’t even hide their displeasure at the fact that the informant who had managed to take Master DIluc off the market a few years prior was now securing her spot further with the birth of an heir. The Ragnvindrs merely scoffed at their sly comments and back handed compliments, Diluc usually making a mental note to have a word with the Knights about their insolent behavior. 

“Our baby is the size of a sweet potato.” She softly broke the silence, hand gently resting on the small sweet potato sized bump. “And in about four weeks they’ll be as big as a pomegranate.” Diluc couldn’t help but place his hand over hers, running his thumb over her knuckles before kissing the crown of her head. 

“Barbara sure has a weird way of measuring the weeks of pregnancy.” He unlatched himself from her, hand still resting over her own, as he examined the curve of her stomach trying and failing to imagine a sweet potato sized baby. Eyebrows scrunched in concentration, he failed to notice the pure disbelief written on his wife’s face. 

“Are…are you trying to actually imagine a sweet potato?” He looked at her sheepishly for a moment, big red eyes filled with nothing but serenity. Laughter echoed through the empty halls as she burst out into a fit of snorts making Diluc join her after a moment. Once calm, he brought her unbelievably close, kissing the tip of her nose before tucking her head in the crook of his neck and letting his eyelids fall shut. 

“I love you.” 

BONUS: 

The sun was at its highest when Katheryn spotted the family enter the city. The edges of her eyes crinkled as she nodded in acknowledgement at Master Diluc, red hair a mess from the strong winds of the city of freedom. Even worse was the mop of red hair in his arms as his daughter played with the ruby pendant around his neck, completely ignoring her hair obscuring her fathers’ vision. Turning around, they waited for their counterparts to catch up as the lady of house Ragnvindr strode up the steps, another mop of red hair in her arms in the form of a little boy this time, fast asleep while clutching his mothers’ blouse.

[vxiphoid]

PIXELATED ZEN

❨ summary ❩ genshin › genshin men playing minecraft with you ((ft. alhaitham, itto, cyno, diluc, kazuha, kaeya, heizou, & xiao))

tags ✧ modern au, drabble, fluff, chaotic energy, not proofread, cursing, ooc(?), established relationship, gn!reader, kaeya sets a forest on fire, alhaitham does not appreciate bees, mentions of pixelated deaths

amanuensis’ message ⊹ IM NOT TRYING TO KILL MY OTHER FANDOMS I SWEAR… im gonna back up from twst for a bit (im literally posting scarabia soon.) you can clearly tell who my favorites are… this unlocked a whole different part of my brain holy shit im deceased

⌜200+ e/chara ⌟

♫ blossom - t. shan

genshin masterlist

ALHAITHAM

╰┈➤ tbh he thinks minecraft is stupid, i mean, why not read a book instead of burning the images of pixels into your eye sockets😒 yeah, he’d just rather books. its a game about blocks, what could possibly be so interesting? he will admit the music is… nice. its nostalgic even though he’s never heard the track before. his favorite animals are the axolotl idk they’re his little pookies. its their little stick arms, they look so silly… as soon as haitham found out that you could color things its over, he make some sweet things like putting a sign on top of your shared house with both initials with colored dye. he’s so happy, just not very vocal about it, but he has the smallest of smiles. he definitely has headphones with the crochet sprout on it omg😭 alhaitham does not like bees whatsoever, they stung him for trying to get food. he just wanted honey :[

“look, the dog’s collar is blue. and the sign’s letters are green and then if you add a glow squid’s ink, it lights up.”

┏━━━━━━ ━ ─ ╴⋯ ⟢

ARATAKI ITTO

╰┈➤ he has waited YEARS for someone to play minecraft with him omfg. certified snack hoarder for times like these. you both literally hit each other to show love, you’ve accidentally killed him once bc he didn’t tell you that he had like half a heart… itto likes the water, hates the guardians because who do you think you are attacking him out of nowhere??? gets one shotted by the elder guardian while trying to fight it with a stick and then blames it on magma blocks pulling him down. GAMING WITH HIM IS NEVER CALM GODS💀 you cannot lay on him or anything bc as soon as those cave sounds or disc 13 start playing, he’s already done sprung out of his seat. his screams are actually really funny though, you got him a cat from how much he’s been assaulted by creepers. when you introduced him to shaders, he was so in awe. “babe i have a shadow!” type of excitement JAKEJEJDMnda.

“the cat’s name is sir arataki the third, you are now my loyal guard cat. who’s an adorable little guy?”

┏━━━━━━ ━ ─ ╴⋯ ⟢

CYNO

╰┈➤ look at this nerd (affectionate), ofc he plays cubecraft. loved it so much that when he didn’t have the actual game, he would play the really bad knockoffs💀 plays on console so you can sit between his legs, lean back, and game with him. cyno hate the split screen because he always gets confused on what side he’s on so he lets you use his switch, that way you’re both still comfortable. he’s more of an explorer if you do get mod packs for him, likes the horror ones the most. there’s nothing like hitting the enemy or shit talking the thing that could potentially one shot you with your s/o‼️ yall crouch a lot, its like a little dance. he really likes the disc “far” it itches his brain in the right way. definitely downloads the little raccoon mobs but then regrets it because he gives up all his berries to them, look at their little begging arms, literally how can you say no to that?? AND THEY WASH THE BERRIES. you both fall asleep to the ambience and to each others breathing all cuddled up ‘n warm. cyno absentmindedly sings the music while chopping wood or mining that shit has you SLUMPED. he kisses your head when you fall asleep, smiling like a silly goober.

“do-do-do-do do-do-do-do do, neow neow neow nneow neeeowwww… huh? oh, i’m almost done then we can go to bed, yeah? i’ll charge the switch too, don’t worry. just rest.”

(he’s singing that one part in danny lmfao)

┏━━━━━━ ━ ─ ╴⋯ ⟢

DILUC

╰┈➤ diluc does not understand the concept of minecraft but its okay, he’s just happy to be here. he also doesn’t call it minecraft but “cave game”, the original name, he did his research though it is rare that he actually calls it minecraft. found out that you could breed animals and accidentally made a pack of wolves. diluc is really good with redstone its actually insane😭 he’s the type to protect you the whole time while you’re getting flowers for the house, boyfriend bodyguard. diluc doesn’t play much because of his job but when he does, he’s prepared to sit for hours and spend time with you :(. these are the times where he’s most affectionate, randomly kissing your cheek, getting water for the both of you before you play, etc. luc loves the mod pack “industrial”, he can build machines, how neat is that??? also it has way more OMFP with the added features it has yk? he likes the trains :D

“is the water running…? the water’s running, they have moving windmills!”

┏━━━━━━ ━ ─ ╴⋯ ⟢

KAEDEHARA KAZUHA

╰┈➤ kazuha has the most expensive equipment yet doesn’t use this shit half of the time unless he’s streaming with heizou??? like im talking msi infinite rs pc, multiple monitors, a graphic drawing tablet, headphones with immaculate sound quality AND!!! the ear cups have fucking cyberpunk 3d wing guards on them. but anyways, minecraft, yes, he plays. in fact, kaedehara has about 10 beaten hardcore worlds every time a new update comes out, he must beat the game again. he rarely plays minecraft without his shaders so when you want to play the original og minecraft, he doesn’t mind, he actually enjoys the nostalgia. so much so the music is actually his background music when he’s just lazing around. words cannot express how much he dislikes (hates) wardens omg. he’ll protect you from them but if there were diamonds behind a warden, ig he’s going somewhere else😭 kazuha gives you random shit, weather that be something really sweet or questionable…

“love, do you want my rotten flesh? here<3 oh! and, i also got you some steak, you’re low on hearts…”

┏━━━━━━ ━ ─ ╴⋯ ⟢

KAEYA

╰┈➤ he’s heard of it, watched people play, just never played it. but when he does… he’s a menace. kaeya got his hands on flint and steel and set an entire jungle on fire… but he can be sweet sometimes! you’re the one protecting his ass while he walks around at night UNARMED to gather blue flowers for you. like you’re cute, but take a shield or something😭 he’s jumped off of a tall building before and landed on half a heart for a stack of bread you didn’t want. he’s rather oblivious to the mobs around him, he once thought shulkers were friends because they were just “silly little guys in little boxes” yk until they almost killed him. you bought him his own skin and introduced him to parrots and now its his favorite animal, he looks like a pirate!!! kaeya is chaotically sweet.

“yes, you almost died protecting me but how could you resist my everlasting love plus pixelated blue flowers?”

(has a cat unironically named ice spice LMFAO)

┏━━━━━━ ━ ─ ╴⋯ ⟢

SHIKANOIN HEIZOU

╰┈➤ your boyfriend is good at literally anything else BUT minecraft. its the way this game constantly has it out for him too like what did bro do??🙁 heizou stream’s with kazuha every now and again and on those, he still doesn’t know what to do… he’d rather play on the servers, bedwars in particular. extremely good at bw, you’d rather NOT be his enemy😭😭 wins almost every single game even when he carries, rank 98 in the server. yet when it comes to a casual server between you and him, the chats are filled with his deaths and his hashtagged rages💀 heizou despises silverfish which is also why he hates going into strongholds, they could get stomped on for all he cares! >:( he has texture packs with really beautiful skies and then a picnic mod so he can stargaze with you and eats minecraft cake :(<3

“oh. babe, green is heading for our bed, no pressure or anything. i loovveee youuu😚”

┏━━━━━━ ━ ─ ╴⋯ ⟢

XIAO

╰┈➤ xiao has the MOST downloaded mod packs, shaders, and worlds. not very expensive mod packs most of the time but when they are, they’re always good. spends his time fighting off mobs at night, #1 totem holder. he even has his own custom skin!!! he’s kinda been waiting for you to ask so when you do play mc together, you already have your own room, but when you voluntarily move your bed into his room to sleep… he melts. xiao loves cuddling while the two of you play, he’d rather your arms around him than the other way around, feels more intimate. you have matching hoodies for occasions like this. he has the dragon mod pack and has his own golden and orange dragon named ‘li’. he doesn’t talk while gaming, curses silently when he gets hit, but other than that doesn’t talk. if you want to talk, he’ll listen, he likes hearing about your day :].

“no, keep talking. i’m listening. see, li’s listening too.”

[harmoniouseclipse]

Woe fankids be upon ye

Doing a little series where I took some ship requests on my instagram to make them fankids, this one is for me tho (jeanlisa to kick it off whoo 🙌🏻) The lineup so far is Cytham, Kavetham, Lionfish (aka Freminet x Gaming aged up probably idk how old they are canonically), Cynonari, Jealuc, and Beiguang, and feel free to send me some other pairings you wanna see (as long as they are legal pls otherwise I will ignore it 👎)

I'm gonna ramble about some headcanons and lore for them under the cut, continue with caution bc I'm insane

These two are my brainrot rn, don't even joke lad. And I wanna tell yall their name meanings too bc I like them a lot 🥹 Zephra's means "west wind" derived from Greek, and it's the feminine version of Zephyr. Tyrian was a type of purple dye used by the Ancient Phoenicians, huge huge HUGE thanks to my pookie bear @miothefish for helping me out with his name!!! Also he has Lisa's butterfly earring and you can't see bc of the angle but Zephra has the rose that went in her hair holding her ponytail <3

I'm also making a massive family tree for the characters as a go along, and just the jeanlisa tree is taking up half of the canvas bc of the KoF and Sumeru characters since Cyno is their uncle and the rest of the gang are their honorary uncles 😭 I'll be posting that once the series is done/all the requests are finished/I run out of ships and otps I enjoy

Here's an alternative version with some more info on most of the characters I wanted to briefly mention in their relation to them; Tyrian likes calling Eula his aunt too even though she was never really considered one for them so it's kind of like her unofficial title she pretends to dislike but she loves it and dotes on Tyrian 🤭 She and Diluc also helped train Zephra with a claymore and Diluc kind of became a parental figure to her in her teen years after Lisa's passing 🥺 She also feels like she's outshined by Jean and that she's not smart or powerful enough to follow in Lisa's footsteps (something that Lisa wouldn't want anyways bc it led her to her death 😔) rip zephra she's just like me fr

And yeah some Kaeya angst bc he's still going thru it I fear, and Jean is single mombossing but she's worried for zephra which me too dawg, im afraid to say she might be cooked 😦 Zephra is also kind of like a weird mix of Lisa when she was her age and Jean, where overall she's well-mannered and kind but she can be competitive and feel the need to push herself too much and pull a few strings to get what she wants from time to time. Tyrian is a ray of sunshine tho, he has not yet witnessed the horrors 💔 I do think that Jean is also a lot easier on him than her mom was with her so that also helps. He's very shy tho and wants to stick with Zephra or Razor most of the time, and they both have some nasty tan lines from going out with Razor and Klee and Fischl a lot 😔 Cyno also freaking loves them and dotes on them and Tyrian is getting a TCG addiction because of it smh, Cyno is also one of Zephra's favorite people and when she's in Sumeru she stays with him and Alhaitham (bc in my universe they are married ough I love cytham)

And (I think?) Klee physically and mentally ages slower than humans so I think she'd be technically 9 or 10, and Zephra is left with babysitting duty most of the time if she's home on break or smth 😭 Klee really looks up to her tho

Also, I wrote Tyrian's last bullet point like he was super young when Lisa died, but I think he was around 7 so he actually remembers Lisa better than I intended it to sound, he was just younger than Zephra (who was 11 at the time) and just didn't have as much time with her as Zeph did, but his most fond memory of Lisa was reading with her and she probably taught them some potion-making skills too.

I think there will be some abyss angst in here too at some point, since I hc Lisa to be probably an Abyss Lector/Harold (I forget which is which) um so thinking that Zeph and Tyrian experiencing some not normal things happening and Jean doesn't know what to do since Lisa also didn't really know what that dog in her was until it was too late 😔 That's what Kaeya's for tho since he's like the heir of the abyss???? Go off king. Also some touchy ragbros angst bc Kaeya is scared for Zeph knowing how close she is with Luc and he doesn't want him to push her away because of her being from the abyss or smth (they mostly made up but it's still a fear in Kaeya's mind both for him and Jean's kids)

I think that's all I wanted to touch on for now?? Mainly just thinking about domestic fluff and angst all the time now 🥺 Zeph not being able to be open with Jean bc she feels like a disappointment but Jean would literally actually die for her and shes proud of her no matter what ough im going to lose my freak dawg guess who my favorite fankid is it's super hard ik

Send me asks or dms or whatever for more ship requests!!! I'm having so much fun with this dawg 🫶🏻

[froggibus]

Would They Wear A Friendship Bracelet? - Scaramouche, Xiao, Kazuha, Childe, Diluc & Itto

Includes: Scaramouche/Wanderer, Xiao, Kazuha, Childe, Diluc and Itto

Genre: fluff, could be considered crack

Summary: how they would react to receiving a friendship bracelet + would they wear it

CW: Scara is a brat, Xiao is a trog, general fluff and cuteness all around, some characters may be a lil OOC, (spoiler) of course they’re gonna wear it forever

i thought this was a cute idea and given ive been on a bit of a bracelet making kick, this happened lol. my first time writing any of these characters so im sorry if the lore is messy or they're ooc <3

————

Scaramouche/Wanderer:

looks at the bundle of navy, gold and red string in disgust

“you expect me to wear this? tsk, another one of your menial childish crafts.”

lowkey hurts your feelings

like you know he’s the most tsundere mf on the entire planet but sometimes he just goes too far 

you avoid him for the rest of the day after that

of course the minute you leave he’s tying it to his wrist 

he will never take it off either. it’s now his most prized possession 

next time you see him, you’re still a little upset about how he reacted

until he’s talking about something completely unrelated and you notice him fidgeting with something on his wrist

he’s running his fingers across it, an action that brings him comfort (and reminds him that no matter what he’s done, you still care about him)

never mention it to him tho or else he’ll pretend like he’s doing it just to appease you

Xiao:

his cheeks are instantly red

“you—you’re gifting this to me? to do what?”

looks at you in utter fascination while you explain what it is 

he adores the idea of carrying a physical object to commemorate your relationship 

his hand is probably shaking when you gently grab him to tie the bracelet around his wrist 

and of course his face erupts into an inferno

he’s never been handled with so much care before, and the sight of you tying a symbol of your affection into him is enough to make his heart race

you pull away with a smile, “there you go. you can always take it off if it bugs you or you don’t like it.”

he shakes his head

he’s never taking it off

he’ll probably find some sort of adepti magic to bind it to him so he’ll never lose or break it 

on long night when he misses you, he finds himself playing with the strings and thinking of you

Kazuha:

his eyes are practically sparkling when you present it to him 

“it’s wonderful, my love. like falling leaves in the autumn sunlight”

a little hesitant to put it on at first 

he’s just worried he’ll lose it during all of the adventuring he does

you’re a little sad when you see he’s not wearing it tho

and of course he loves you so much and all he wants is for you to be happy 

he offers you a gentle smile and asks if you’ll help him put it on since he totally can’t do it himself 

obviously you happily oblige and tie it to his wrist with the biggest smile

he spends a solid five minutes admiring it

kinda weird but also feel like he would kiss it?? 

whenever he’s away on long journeys, he always has you close 

and whenever he misses you, he stares at that symbol of your love and remembers that you’re out there waiting for him

Childe:

definitely not the first one he’s received 

teucer has almost definitely made him some before 

of course, yours is a little different 

“I love it, babe”

wears it EVERYWHERE

like this Fatui harbinger is always wearing this adorable little string bracelet 

you’d think it would take away from his reputation but people are equally as afraid of him 

he can’t just let you give him such a thoughtful gift without giving anything in return 

 so he sets out to make you your own bracelet 

honestly it’s really rough

his hands aren’t made for arts and crafts 

but even if it is slightly misshapen and filled with holes, you accept it happily 

the thought that he sat down and spent time trying to make it for you is enough to make you tear up

he ties it to your wrist and plants a kiss over the bracelet 

“there, now we match”

Diluc:

honestly you’re a little worried giving it to him

it feels stupid and dorky and he’s always dressed to the nines 

but as soon as he sees it, his face lights up

“you made this for me?”

you shift from side to side and awkwardly look at the floor. “yes…”

“thank you, darling. care to help me put it on?”

all of your worries melt away though

this man loves you to the point he would practically do anything to you

and seeing how cute and nervous you were giving him something you handmade just for him?

it’s enough to make him melt 

he examines the bracelet in the light, nodding at your handiwork 

he’ll always have it on him one way or another

whether it’s on his wrist, or in his hair, or attached to his keys or hidden somewhere when he’s the Darknight Hero

but it’s with him no matter what, just like you <3

Itto:

he cries 

like actually cries when you give it to him

he’s seen other people exchanging them, especially as a kid, and always wanted one

but of course as an oni, resigned himself to a friendship bracelet-less life

“f-for me?”

he has that cute pouty look on his face and full on sobs when you nod at him with that big smile on your face 

stops crying long enough to attempt to put it on

struggles tho cause his big ass hands aren’t meant for delicate things like that

so he sheepishly asks for your help

he is never going to take the bracelet off

like ever

probably cuddles with his wrist at night just to have it close 

(also probably loses it a million times without even realizing it—but don’t worry, Shinobu is there every time to pick it back up and sneak it into his pocket)

[mondaymelon]

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!! gifts ensue.

he really went. blep. hi user @ilyuu. im proud of this one so congrats wanderer takes home first gift wooo

lmao id like to apologise in advance as this was brought on because of me but I got super burnt out drawing like 20 of these over the course of 2 days... if you see the quality of the drawings declining ( which you will ) please don't mind it!! thank you.

@anonbinaryweirdo. sigh. i get whiplash whenever you're super nice and then in the span of the next three seconds immediately do something vile

@soleillunne. we don't talk much but from what I know you are such a sweet person omg !! and your works??? dies inside (in a good way). the way you write xiao maks me so. puddle like

@realkavehgf. we agree on one things (amongst others) and that is that kaveh is. kAVEH IS. MALFUNCTIONS PERISHES.

@emphasisondrvgs. you scare me. please take your ranpo and quietly see yourself out LMAO /j

@pjsk-writin. AMIMI ONE OF MY FIRST EVER MOOTS !!! im so proud of mikoto. sighs. straitjackets are smth else to draw .. BUT HES SO. MMMMMM !!!!

@circyexistforcontent AAAHHH HI PRECIOUS. I LIKE YOU BUT I DONT REALLY LIKE DILUC SO. TAKE THIS... quietly throws up

@whats-it-mean. puka puka. head empty. puka puka. please stop your affairs with my mother.

@falors. UGLY SOBS. UGLY CRIES. I LOVE YOU /P SM. WAAHHHH TEARS TEARS TEARS you are the most talented person ever I S T G gRAAAHHH YOU BETTER GET 18412409128410948 FOLLOWERS THIS YEAR OR I WILL RIOT. mwah.

@dustofthedailylife. omg. hi dust... tbh ive been so concerned for you recently with how much life is running you over with a pickup truck so wishing for your improved health soon !! alhaith is a smort guy what can I say

@the-white-void. DEAREST. literally one of the first people I ever interacted with on this platform and you're actually. like. literally one of the sweetest people I have ever met. KLEE IS SUCH A CUTIE FJSFJDK

@kaeffeinee. OMG. m..my kitten- woah WHO just said that. wild shit right there. have something you don't like?? have something that's been pestering you for far too long?? no worries. its the official nag seal of mendokusai !!!!

@lillonvia. sobs. I didn't do the man justice.loud sobs. DFSDDSF YOUR ART MAKES ME WANT TO LIKE DISENTAGRAT INTO GLOWING BALLS oF FUZZ AND FLOAT INTO THE HEAVENS I DONT KNOW HOW ELSE TO DESCRIBE IT. WE ARE SO DELULU oVER XIAO. FOAMS AT THE MOUTH

@absolutelyobsessedkiya. HELP WHY IS MINORI SO BRIGHT.... she's literally shining what. we need to talk more pspsspsp I just now found out that you're a fan of milgram!! remember like last year I was all 'whose that pretty pink person on their pfp??' AND NOW I FINALLY KNOW THATS ITS MUU RAHHHH

@auroratumbles. meow. cat. what a sweetie. I don't even know what my art style is doing here anymore Istg what even. what even BYE LETS TALK ABOUT XIAO LATER !!

@papiliotao. mwah. a kith for you. mWAH. ANOTHER KITH. SJFKSDJFLS GRAHHH YOU ARE THE SW E. E T E ST AND YOUR THE SWEETEST AND YOUR CAT IS THE SWEETEST AND YOUR VOICE IS MAKING ME WANT TO ELEVATE INTO THE CLOUDS AND YOURE SO SILLY EVEN THOUGH YOU DONT LIKE AKITIO SHINONOME

@yinyinggie. hihihi ying !! it honestly amazes me how you're able to juggle so many events and servers at once. im actually in awe. always look at xiao he's so emo and short

@solxima. GRAHHH HI. I DONT LIKE HOW JINGYUAN LOOKS IN THIS BUT. DLJFLSDJ DIES> I CANT DO THIS AN Y M O RE. your honor. hes so cat coded hes so cat coded he's so PERISHS

@yelshin. WAIIIIT NO YOUR NAME GOT CUT OFF> iM SORRY. I don't know why he looks... so r e g a l in this but its definitely giving off oRAtRice MecAnIquE DAnAlySe CARdiNAle .

@vennnnn-diagram. LOUD SCREAMING N O . YOUR NAME GOT CUT OFF TOOOODJSKFLSD JGAIJFAD JKLJFD:LFS. anyways. I need to see nahida smiling more she deserves everything and then some. aranaras are so silly giggles

@lume-nosity. I hold the slightest bit of guilt for putting your angsty ish drawing right next to happy lil nahida buT AHAHAH IT MAKES IT HURT MORE IG. took some inspo from your blog title... mwah ily lume. I WAS SO SCARED TO TALK TO YOU AT FIRST WHEN I SENT YOU THAT MOOT ASK BUT I AM EVER SO HAPPY THAT I DID !!!

th end. im actually so dead lmao my fingers actually were starting to bleed afklsdjfaskdjfklsdjflkasdjflksjflkjowejtoij enjoy your Christmas gifts mooties !! if anyone asks why I haven't been posting fics as promised. this is why. ill be in a coffin for a while please let my soul rest

OH AND FORGOT TO MENTION I DREW THESE BASD ON THE MOOTIES THAT COMMNTED ON MY THINGY LIKE LAST WEEK WHICH ASKED WHICH CHARACTER THY WANTD I LOVE YOU ALL PSPS I PROMIS

[kazumist]

EPISODE 19 ✿ BLOCK AND IGNORE

YOU + ME = LOVE — A DILUC SMAU

masterlist / prev ep / next ep / timestamps don't matter

extra notes.

the basher is actually so irrelevant in the story im sorry guys they were just for the plot fr

this is probably the worst episode ive written so far (ep 20 is a close second)

taglist (open): @ryuryuryuyurboat @g4bbyyy @kizakiss @quackimilktea @mochiboo123 @thystarsshine @cerisescherries @jamieexistss @the-ghost-0f-t0m0 @aethion @dottoreworld-page @naishite @sleepyeri @staaarhin @eroxotckv @kiyiiaarchived @fallenssun @lolmeowing @dorryx @astolary @kissingkzuha @axerrri @a1-ic3 @lottierulez @livelaughlovekuni @sorcerersseestars @whipped-for-fictionals @morganadorodo @briluvspnk @venderretta @xiaosoneandonly @angeilix @morgyyyyyyy @kazioli @the-massive-simp @qtange @tiredjxnna @yuminako @acheronie @sn1perz @akitokisser @siu-ssi @artri-ad @hyeinszn @saeskiss @bubblegum-angelquartz @boomie-123 @moni11032 @sandwichmyonetruelove @cherrybb-ily @itztaki @dontmindtheevie @hotgirlshit5 [1/2]

[desafinado]

♡❀˖⁺. welcoming you home

wings on my back if you wanna fly away

°｡⋆ domestic fluff, a bit suggestive, malewife agenda-ish, maybe ooc xiao but this is my hc of him so

°｡⋆ diluc, kaveh, xiao, zhongli x reader (wc: 600)

note: so like i think im hanging out with my supposed crush alone tomorrow, so ig romance gods idk whoever is out there, im offering this for a not too awkward and productive exchange ;-;

running to you the moment he hears the door creak open, diluc doesn’t miss a beat welcoming you home. even after all these years, he never gets tired of showering you with soft kisses; oftentimes he’ll even pick you up and embrace you in his warmth, the faint aroma of wine and birch filling your lungs. “hello, my beloved.” he whispers loud enough for just the both of you to hear. he never feels like he needs to try when he’s around you, and he definitely does not feel the need to hide his abundant adoration for you. 

he knows that his eyes look exceptionally glassy. he knows that knows that you can feel him getting warmer by the second. he knows he looks like nothing but a fool in love, but he’s not afraid to feel such when you’re next to him.

“thank you for coming home to me.” 

“in the kitchen, dear.”

kaveh makes it a point to always welcome you home with a sense of comfort, him being the centerpiece, of course. whether it be cooking you a meal, preparing you a warm bath, offering to massage your shoulders, he does his best in making you forget about the stresses of the day. he loves having these intimate moments with you and only you, pretending as if the universe was made for only the two of you to wholly indulge in.

you leaned against the kitchen door frame, watching his pretty face so focused on whatever he was creating. you can’t stop the amused giggle that slips between your lips; he finally looks up at you with a raised eyebrow.

“mhm. you laugh now, but i’ll be taking my payment later in the form of kisses… and i’ll tell you now it isn’t going to be cheap.”

if we’re being honest, xiao had already checked up on you multiple times throughout the day, watching you from afar, but welcoming you home was still the best part of his day. you’d think he hadn’t seen you in years by the way he clings to you.

“you were gone for far too long.”

he would never admit such a weakness to anyone, but you. he allowed himself your warmth, and you were no better, honestly. none of you would dare be the first to pull away. “i agree, don’t let me leave the bed next time, okay?” his lips curve upwards at your little joke; it’s an offer he’d definitely take you up on if you weren’t careful.

“i know you’re joking, but i seriously just wish i could spend every waking moment with you. i know it’s cheesy, but–”

“but nothing. it’s perfect, xiao. i love you too.”

“welcome home, darling.”

ever the gentleman, zhongli welcomes you home with a kiss to your knuckles, your cheek, and lastly, your lips. he’d like to get straight to the point; that being how much he missed you. you’d think that after all his years on teyvat, he’d get used to the apathy of time, but you’re the exception that proves the rule.

“zhongli… i–” “it’s just you and me, don’t tell me you still get embarrassed?”

his face softened with a kind smile as he took in the image of you; your eyes were looking deep into his, hand squeezing his shoulder a bit too tight, and lips hesitating to move. his fingers stroke your cheek, before he moves to leave another kiss against your lips.

and you can finally ease into his touch, trusting him with whatever’s left of your heart.

“you’re alright, darling, you’re alright. i’ve got you.”

requests are open!! please do not repost on other sites.

[ventismacchiato]

i have so many thoughts apologies for rant

1. At first I would have humored for lols MonaYN getting tgt but Mona is literally using Y/N to make Scara jealous and (if mona kissed the dancer while dating scara) she literally cheated on Scara why are we moving past this rn… (but even it was after they broke up i feel like it’s cheating if you’re touching up on other people too, no??) 😭 Y/N does not need that in their life, get behind me

2. “He could've gone with Mona.” / “but the Mona you're seeing now feels oddly different from the one who'd dated Scara.” / “And bonus, got to make Scara upset." / "You seemed pretty determined to win... for Mona." | these lines pissed me off ngl esp the last one?? are YOU AN IDIOT?? 😭 Y/N is not only naive but just, what do you even call this behavior?? i don’t even wanna call it obliviousness bc where in the fuck did you see scara determined to win FOR MONA?? HIS EX THAT HE’S CLEARLY NOT HAPPY TO BE AROUND PLEASE be so serious

i love your writing kai i love you i love your brain but these certain lines that Y/N thinks of just makes me question their brain power 😔 please lord never get jealous over mona because scara does not like that girl AND SHE WAS USING HIM LIEKFHIGKFEIS

3. what redemption… could there possibly be for this diva 😔 she’s manipulative… manipulators get sent to the nono square instead of redemption (repenting on the other hand tho- but would she repent? would she actually?) AND IF SHE’S A CHEATER?! hands in head

ANYWHAJD i love the update as always u cooked my liege (staring at childe and diluc why cant we change the focus to them yae?! you have proper ship content right there just kick ynscara off to another island. have cameras in their villa and record them interacting over the next three days /j) thank you for the yummy writing eats it!! happy holidays 💜💜

NEVER SAY SORRY FOR A RANT I LOVE RANTS

1) THANK U OMG SOMEONE GETS IT lmao ik ppl r mostly joking when they say they want monayn but i tried to write her as not so nice to show why scara dislikes her sm…and yes technically cheating even if it was for a performance basically the entire relationship was her trying to make him jealous to get news outlets to talk about them so she cud get clout yk…and i have more reasons coming next chapter of why he dislikes her

1) IM SORRY HELP. GIVE YN A MINUTE the dock scene was supposed to show both of them coming around, mainly scara. scara has pretty much realized he has feelings for yn but won’t accept it himself esp after he just found out yn had an ex so he’s feeling like he doesn’t know know anything about them and yn is like so close…they just need another push…which is coming next chapter 😛. PLS DONT HATE THEM TOO MUCH LMFAO I UNDERSTAND UR FRUSTRATION THO IM SORRY THIS IS THE MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE

3) LMFAO not too much redemption dw just like some closure between scara and her but also not rlly…idk i haven’t thought too far into it yet i’m workshopping it #ineedtoplan take anything i say with a grain of salt 😭 i originally had smth in plan for her but i don’t think ill do it anymore 😛

AND AHH UR WELCOME TY FOR READING I LOVE READING UR THOTS AND LMFAOOO i’ll feed u guys chiluc content just wait a bit

happy holidays 😇

[idyllic-affections]

The platonic kaeya hcs were amazing !! If you’re still taking requests, how abt expanding on kaeya and his sibling and maybe the ragnvindr family drama :oo

how does the presence of kaeya's sibling change the fallout?

summary. how, if at all, does the presence of kaeya's sibling change his falling out with diluc?

trigger & content warnings. blood, depictions of a broken nose, canon-typical ragnvindr family drama, crying, etc.

tropes, pairings, fic length, & other notes. angst, hurt/comfort. kaeya & younger sibling!reader, diluc & reader. 0.5k words. they/them pronouns for reader. this post is an expansion of these headcanons, but it can be read as a standalone.

author's thoughts. hello lovely!! thank you hehe... my kaeya content always seems to get less traction than my other genshin content so im very glad you like those hcs!! my requests are always open unless i explicitly state otherwise, so feel free to send anything in whenever. i dont work on requests in the order which they come in; i work on them based on what i find inspiring, so i dont feel the same pressure other writers might to fulfill their requests, you know? im not as worried about being overwhelmed or burnt out bc of that, so requests are always open &lt;3

how does the presence of kaeya's younger sibling change his fallout with diluc? that is indeed a complex question.

the short answer is that it doesn't.

the long answer is a bit more complicated than that.

kaeya is very protective of his baby sibling. he does all that he can to ensure that they're safe and smart and capable, because if he happens to not be around and trouble comes their way...

well, he wants to be absolutely confident that they can handle it, whether that be by smooth-talking their way out of it (kaeya has admitted to certain people that he is very amused by the way they seem to have inherited his so-called "linguistic powers") or by fighting their way out of it.

moreover, he loves them so, so much. they most definitely have a target on their back because of that. kaeya knows he has a tendency to sometimes associate with people that... aren't exactly righteous when he needs information. he also knows that his sheer adoration for the sweetheart he somehow gets to call his sibling isn't a secret to anyone who's been in mondstadt for more than a day. he can't restrict their freedom (especially not in mondstadt of all nations), so to combat his fear, he teaches them how to handle themselves in all kinds of situations.

he always knew better than to lie to them about their heritage, for a lie that severe would only cause harm. kaeya treasured their trust far too dearly to so much as even scratch it slightly.

...

perhaps it would have been best to be honest and transparent with diluc, too?

diluc discriminates not between the alberich siblings, but he doesn't go out of his way to harm the youngest, either. they're only a child. surely they didn't know? though, by the end of everything...

diluc has landed a deep scratch on their cheek and possibly broken their nose, all because they did know the truth.

kaeya does not take that well.

if anything, the presence of kaeya's sibling worsens the fallout, for if kaeya were to ever blame himself for what happened, all of those thoughts disappear the moment diluc lays hands on what is most dear to him.

and as for kaeya's sibling?

"fuck you, ragnvindr. i hate you more than you'll ever know. have fun being alone. it's what you deserve."

they feel a rage that they've never felt before despite the blood dripping from their broken nose and split lip, despite the overall numbness of their face from their wounds.

protectiveness does go both ways with the alberichs, it seems.

even long after the fallout, when the raging fires are reduced to spiteful words and brief exchanges full of bitterness, kaeya's sibling still holds the deepest resentment towards diluc.

(diluc doesn't need to know that there are nights where all kaeya can do is helplessly hold them as they cry about wanting their other brother back.

all diluc knows is that they hate him.

knowing that, he can't bring himself to approach them.)

please consider reblogging, it helps me out quite a lot!

[kaeyazuha]

Hii ! Im so glad your rq! Are open agaim :)

I was wondering if you could do diluc and scara and maybe heizou since he's friend died its up to you ofc! having a nightmare about their past and the reader comforts them! (Just wanna comofrt these boys smm) thank you!!

; I'm sorry this took so long, but I hope it's worth it!

; 4/2/23

; CW: Lots of physical touch, backstory mentions for all characters, heizou's is kinda bittersweet

; Reverse Comfort, Fluff

𝗗𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗰 𝗥𝗮𝗴𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗿

✧ It’s rare that Diluc sleeps peacefully. Seeing as he normally rests at ungodly times of the morning and seldom falls into a deep sleep, he tries to get enough sleep to keep him going without the nightmares that replay in his head throughout the day. However, there’s only so much he can do before he trips and his past catches up to him again. This specific nightmare is one he’s familiar with, to the point that he has every little detail memorized and can always predict what comes after. Yet, it frightens him all the same. He sees his father's brilliant scarlet eyes that dull so rapidly, watching the bright red leak from his eyes and body. He sees his brother’s crystalline blue eyes, so full of fear and sorrow. He sees rain that falls from the sky and drips from his cheeks to the muddied grass. He sees his own reflection in a nearby puddle: He’s younger now, hair tied much higher with eyes brighter and eager to please, but they’re filled with tears and anger.

✧ He’s a fairly deep sleeper, unluckily for you. You try to wake him up lightly so as to not startle him but as you watch his face scrunch in pain and knuckles lighten from his grip on the sheets, you start shaking him like one of his signature cocktails. He wakes with a start, eyes wide and fearful as he stares through you rather than at you. It takes a while to bring him back to earth. He’s not angry, nor does he cry. He just….stares. Eyes hazy and unfocused as his body lies still where he sits. It’s as if he’s a statue, unmoving and silent. The first time he did this, it scared the hell out of you. Now though, you sit beside him and let him come to himself in his own time. Slowly, you reach for his hand to hold it. If this goes on too long, you start humming your favorite songs and tracing shapes along his scarred hands and arms.

✧ Diluc’s preferred source of comfort is physical touch, surprisingly. Words are nice, but he’s been told far too many that meant nothing. So he instead loves when you talk through your hands. When you rub circles into his back, fingers lingering over the scars you’ve kissed. When your trace hearts over his arms and shoulders, massaging them lightly while you mentally chide him for working so hard. He finds solace in how earnestly you touch him, as if tracing the most delicate of porcelain. He’s in love with how focused you are on tracing his skin like connect the dots, from freckles to sunspots to scars to random dips of skin to anywhere your eyes linger. He especially loves when you wipe the stray tears from his face, gentle eyes staring into his tired ones. He can’t help but lean into your palm, smiling so softly you nearly missed it. And slowly, comfortably, does he fall back asleep. 

- ✧ -

Of all the things to wake up to, the burning stare of two wide, reddened eyes staring back at you was not what you expected. You gasped shortly, before leaning back to get a full look of whatever it was you just witnessed. Your lover, your dear Diluc, was a mess. And it was frightening just how silent he was. He half hovered, half rested over his pillow- every inch of his body tense and rigid as a statue. His eyes, transfixed in fear, stared at nothing in particular. But most heartbreaking was the streaks of tears that dripped down from those sad eyes to the pillow below him. You sighed, sitting up fully and gently grabbing his hands in an attempt to guide him into a more comfortable position.

“Same nightmare as always, I’m assuming.” Your voice was quiet, solemn almost. Your hands were delicate when they traced over his, and you wiped at his cheeks with your thumbs. He made no effort to speak, nor did his eyes speak for him. God it was frightening to see him this lifeless, as if he’d been possessed. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long, I was asleep,” You paused your sentiment to brush some stray, wild hair away from his face. “I was dreaming of us actually, at the windblume festival. It’s still really early, but I’m excited to go today.” As you mused more and more about your dream, about how excited you were to dance with him amidst the city and pick flowers for him, he seemed to relax a bit more. 

“Mm…” He started to nod along with your words, blinking for the first time in several minutes. His lips curled into a small scowl, and life slowly returned to his face. He still remained silent and still, but now at least he was with you. “Yes, yes, I know you’ll have to leave early to take care of the tavern. I’m sure it gets busy around this time of year.” A small huff escaped his lips, the closest you’d get to a laugh, and you smiled widely. “I hope you’re feeling a bit better now, my love.” You felt his pinky twitch against your hand, interlocking with yours and you rested his head against your chest with your head resting atop his. 

“I’m happy to hear it.” Blowing a tuft of scarlet hair away from your face, still loosely wrapped in its protective night style, you pressed a kiss to the crown of his head and relished in the way he sleepily relaxed against you. “I’ll see you in the morning, Diluc. Sweet dreams.”

It wasn’t long before you drifted back to sleep yourself despite the uncomfortable position, but as your eyelids fluttered shut, you caught sight of the way his pinky still locked with yours and smiled ever so softly.

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗿 '𝗞𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗸𝘂𝘇𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶'

✧ Wanderer is a vessel. He compares himself to a puppet but really, he’s most similar to a bottle. One sealed shut that contains a murky liquid full of dark mud and slime. It looks ready to burst, the glass expanded and the cap barely holding on. Wanderer is a bottle, one that contains memories he wishes to forget and trauma he’ll never forget. He was never taught how to express his pains despite having so many of them, and instead bottles things up until they explode in the form of meltdowns, rage, violence, and even crying to the point of not being able to taste or smell for hours. This is rare though, usually he finds these things to be pathetic and opts to keep things locked within the heart he wishes he had.

✧ Nightmares aren’t new to him. He’s slept through many nights that leave him with tear stains on his cheeks and his eyes reddened from the buried pain that shows through when he’s most vulnerable. This is why he prefers to sleep alone. After convincing himself being caught crying in his sleep was the reason for his abandonment, he’s never let anyone see him show weakness like that again. He’ll sleep on the couch or anywhere you can’t see him- but you catch him one night. His usually blank face is scrunched up and pained, the moonlight reflecting off glittery tears that streak down his skin. You watch his hands shake as he mumbles soft pleas and curses through bitten lips.

✧ You comfort him while he sleeps, knowing full well he doesn’t even want you seeing him like this yet. Not that it offends you, something he’s extremely grateful for. You mumble sweet words in his ear, wiping his tears gently so as to not wake him. You take his trembling hands in yours, sweeping your fingers along his knuckles. You stay like this for gods knows how long, your knees have begun to ache and sleep pulls at your eyelids. But, as his fingers twitch and then curl around your own, you realize it was worth it. He still weeps, but he smiles as he does. And slowly do you drift off with your head rested against the couch, and his hand in yours.

- ✧ -

Living in the peaceful city of Sumeru usually means nights of tranquility and quiet dreams, with only the sound of the wind to disturb you occasionally. However, you found yourself harshly awoken by a crash downstairs. At first, you shrugged it off. ‘Maybe it was the cat.’ Was your first thought, your eyelids slowly fluttered shut only to be practically ripped open at the realization-- 

“We don’t own a cat.”

Rushing down the steps, you found yourself walking ever quieter so as to not disturb your lover who always slept on the couch. It was strange, you’d admit, but you respected it. The way he looked at you when he feebly requested to sleep on the couch reminded you of a kicked puppy, ashamed and nervous before you. And so, you let it slide. Sleeping in a cold bed as you cuddled a pillow rather than your boyfriend, but it was worth it to see him in the mornings. However, as you stare at him laying face down on the floor beside the couch he called his bed, you begin to understand his hesitation.

He’s still asleep, miraculously. But his skin, ever pale and cold, collects tears on his cheeks like morning dew on petals and leaves. You kneel down slowly, watching as his hands grip the blanket that now half lay over his curled up body. Small mumbles escape his lips, though incomprehensible you made out small pleas and curses-- curses mostly. His face is scrunched up in a mixture of pain and confusion, almost betrayal- and the way his hands guard his body even in slumber breaks your heart. You gently brush a hand over his hair that clings to the sweat on his forehead. “I’m sorry I never noticed.” He stiffens, eyes scrunching at the touch and he sniffles. Rather than lifting him back onto the couch, you opt to simply take his pillow and tuck it back beneath his head.

There’s plenty to talk about, but it can wait till the morning. You carefully move his arm, which quivers under your hold, and move it out to the side. “It’s okay, you’re safe now.” Despite not knowing if he can hear it, you whisper kind words into his ear while resting your head atop his arm. Your eyes feel heavy, but his burden feels lighter and that’s all that matters to you. Though, as you drift off, you notice his hand move to your cheek, where he brushes his knuckles over your skin so lightly you barely notice.

And then, as you turn over to look at him, you notice the faintest smile on those trembling lips.

𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝘇𝗼𝘂

✧ Heizou isn’t someone people suspect to be so…sad. They see his suave jokes, the glimmer in his eye when his suspicions prove correct, or the way his shoulders slump and lip juts out when the trail goes cold. They see a troublemaker, someone rowdy and annoying. Even his own brother sees a nuisance. Truthfully, you did as well at one point. When he picked up a piece of trash you accidentally dropped and then chided you on the “dangers of littering.” Though while being witty and fun is something he enjoys, a good chunk of it is a front. A detective is excellent at uncovering lies, but he’s also good at creating them.

✧ You know about his past, about his friend, but it never seemed to bother him as much as it really did. Heizou was a man angry at the world. He was the forefront of protests and the face of right vs wrong, he wasn’t afraid to scream and shout and the world that cursed the people that loved it. However, someone as bold and brash as this becomes overwhelmed. Sometimes the crushing realization that he can’t fix everything becomes too much. When he rests, he sees only the dagger through his friend's heart. He sees the fates of others just like his friend, people who were wronged as a result of pride and greed. One example of this was after a nightmare became too much, and he practically shot out of bed with eyes wide and hands clammy.

✧ You comfort him through words at first, something he’s very good at. But you soon realize because he’s overwhelmed and exhausted, he’s overanalyzing everything you say. Looking for hidden meanings and things to distrust. With a small, saddened sigh, you simply rest his head on your shoulder and then does he break. He gripes about how tired he is, how hard he works sometimes just to realize the world is still the same as before. And you listen earnestly, resting your cheek atop his head while rubbing circles into his back. At some point, you feel him weakly smile against your shoulder. He’s still sleepy, you note, and a breathy whisper catches your ear as he drifts off:

- ✧  - 

“It really is you and me against the world.” He mutters, and you look up from where you were 

”But we'll never be enough.”

Those barely audible words roll around your head like marbles, your eyes drifting off into the dark ceiling above you as your hand runs through magenta locks of hair. Just moments ago, that same hair was brushing against your nose as he cried against your shoulder. As your shoulder moves against your shirt, you can feel his tears still sticking to your skin, and you frown at the memory of those lovely eyes so sad as they looked up at you. Asking you why, why the world hated people so. And gods, you wish you had an answer. “No matter what I do, it’s never enough.” You wanted to deny it, but truly, nothing anyone did would matter in the end. However, you reassured him: 

“It’s enough for me. And,” You brush a few strands of messy hair away from his face, “All the other people who you helped thought the same too. They may not remember you in the future, but in that moment? You made things so much better. Or even just a bit better.” He scoffed lightly, but you saw a hint of a smile tug at his lips that wobbled with every breath. Heizou sighed and flopped limply against your chest, to which you let out a breathless laugh. His hand found yours, and his thumb caressed your skin sweetly. 

“You could’ve stopped with the first sentence, y’know.” He grinned mischievously, though it looked rather foolish seeing as he was about to burst into tears again. “Knowing I’m enough for you means a lot.” A sharp breath, a shaky exhale, and one heavy sniff later, he looked back up at you. “But why can’t we be enough for everyone else? No matter what I do, no matter what you do, there will always be more problems than solutions.” With every word that escaped the confines of his rapidly closing throat, he spoke faster. And faster. And faster, and faster, and fastandfasteranfast--

“HEIZOU!” He jolted, wide awake at your completely bewildered expression. “I have no clue what you’re saying, love, slow down.” Your hand found his cheek, and you guided him through a few slower breaths. He sighed, suddenly quiet in your arms. Tears dripped from tired eyes to welcoming arms and he cried freely where he felt safe to do so.

“I’m just tired.” And it showed. In the eyebags that grew dark enough to mask his moles, in the way he spaced out more than he spoke, in the way he poured salt in his coffee instead of sugar and then forgot to clean up when he spit it everywhere. You let out a quiet ‘I know, love.’, and your free hand moved to his hair where it stayed from then, to now. To now, where he rested peacefully on your chest. To now, where his hand still refused to let go of yours.

To now, where you were left wondering if he could fix the world in his dreams, because here?

we’ll never be enough.