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cegantheayugipi · 2 years ago

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Eternally Weak Chapter 17 (Various Genshin x Reader

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Summary: You've finally reached your breaking point.

Pairings: Diluc, Kaeya, Zhongli, Xiao, Childe, Albedo x F!Reader

Word Count: 3.9k

Zhongli had returned to Mondstadt once again. It had been several weeks since his last visit, and he was eager to see you once again. He tried his best to give you space, to allow you to recover in peace, but he simply couldn’t wait any longer. As much as he tried to wait for you to come back, he was so distracted with thoughts of you that even Hu Tao noticed his work was suffering. It had gotten to the point where he would close his eyes at night and be unable to resist the temptation to peer into the ether just to feel your presence where you rested in Favonius Monastery. Zhongli was so overcome by thoughts of you that he used this connection to your soul just to see how you were doing.

You seemed sad, and…

Lonely.

Zhongli had made up his mind. Now that you were awake and had weeks to recover, Zhongli decided that speaking to you would reduce the severity of such thoughts.

Thus here he stood, at the florist, buying a bouquet of Cecilias.

“Here are your flowers, have a great day!” The cheerful young Flora smiled as she handed the bouquet to Zhongli.

“Thank you.” Zhongli responded, carefully picking up the neatly tied bouquet. He continued his way up the tiered streets of Mondstadt. The morning was frigid but bright, the sun beaming down from a cloudless sky and warming up the former Archon enough to not feel the cold. He reached the Monastery after several flights of stairs, and remembered the way to your room, so he helped himself along the winding hall and narrow stairwell.

Every night, when he used his link to you, he could feel your soul resting in this room.

However, as he opened the door, he was met with a scene he couldn’t quite understand.

The first thing he noticed was Diluc Ragnvindr sitting in a chair next to your empty bed, his head in his hands. Zhongli lifted his gaze to spot Kaeya leaning against the far wall, his arms crossed with obvious discomfort as he stared at the empty bed.

The bed was empty…

Had you died?

The bouquet of Cecilias slipped from Zhongli’s arms, scattering across the wooden floor. He couldn’t think. Rex Lapis knew better than to assume the worst, but it was the first thought that appeared in his mind as he noticed your neatly made infirmary bed and the sullen mood of the room he had walked into.

Both Ragnvindrs looked up at the rustling sound of flowers falling to the ground. Kaeya’s visible eye widened for a moment, surprised to see none other than the former Geo Archon standing bewildered in the doorway.

“What… happened?” Zhongli’s gaze was dark, his voice low as it rumbled through the room.

“We think she might have run away.” Kaeya responded flatly, his gaze shifting from the neatly made bed to the chest of drawers on the other side of the room. “She took her cloak and shoes with her.”

“She made the bed, but didn’t bother to close the window.” Diluc added.

“It makes us think she climbed out through that window.”

Zhongli glanced towards the fluttering curtains, noticing the window facing west. He could see all the way across Cider Lake from where he stood, and he could even make out the trees that dotted the hills on the other side.

Zhongli’s body relaxed as he realized you had likely left on your own accord.

“Good.” He sighed, nodding his head slowly.

“Good?” Diluc questioned. “What’s good about that? We need to find her before anything happens to her.”

“No,” Zhongli responded. “She left because she wants to be alone.”

“She’s not fully recovered yet, and she’s weaker than a child! She’ll get hurt if we don’t find her soon.”

“She’s lived for centuries traveling on her own.” Zhongli explained. “She’s going to be fine-”

“No she won’t!” Diluc’s voice was almost a growl as he cut off the former Archon. He stood up from his chair and turned to face Zhongli, beginning to close the distance as they argued. “I’ve seen how she travels, and it makes me wonder how on earth she’s still alive. She shouldn’t be traveling at all, it’s too dangerous for her.”

“You should have some more faith in-”

“Faith? Hah!” Diluc scoffed, stepping towards Zhongli until they were face-to-face. “Morax himself, who couldn’t save her from the Tsaritsa, is asking for faith?!”

Diluc noticed the wince that crossed Zhongli’s face at his statement of fact. Zhongli knew that it wasn’t his fault. He had no clue this would happen when he completed that deal with the Tsaritsa only months ago.

“Diluc, stop.” Kaeya stepped between them, placing a hand on the redhead’s chest. “If she wanted us to come with her, she would have asked.”

“I don’t care about what she wants, I care about what she needs.” Diluc growled. “And she needs to stay and rest.”

“You need to step back and calm down.” Kaeya cut in flatly, staring sternly into his brother’s eyes. Diluc registered how serious Kaeya’s tone was, and faltered for a moment.

“How can I be calm when she’s missing?” Diluc’s voice cracked as he spoke, his shoulders sagging, defeated. His anger seemed to deflate thanks to Kaeya’s coercion.

“If it helps to give any sense of comfort, I can find out where she is.” Zhongli responded. “But will you be able to leave her be?”

“You can find her right now?” Diluc’s eyes widened.

“Only if you are able to let her go.” Zhongli spoke calmly, despite the incredible amount of tension that filled the room only moments ago.

“I…” Diluc looked out the window, his gaze conflicted. “I can’t promise that.” He stalked towards the bedroom door, swinging it open and stepping out into the hallway.

“I’m sorry.” Diluc muttered, gently shutting the door behind himself.

“If you would like, I can still figure out where she is.” Zhongli turned towards Kaeya.

“Despite being far more mature than my hot headed adoptive brother,” Kaeya sighed. “I don’t think I’d be able to help myself if I knew where she was.”

“I see…” Zhongli nodded slowly, realizing just how attached both of them had become to you.

“Have a good day, Zhongli.” Kaeya spoke as he walked out the door, leaving the former archon alone in the monastery infirmary room.

Once again, Zhongli found himself alone. He stared out the window and across Cider lake, preparing to summon his celestial powers to find you when he stopped himself.

After what both brothers had said, he realized that he also would not be able to help himself from following after you.

Zhongli let out a deep breath, turning towards the door. The mere presence of the soul link was enough to reassure him that you were alright, no matter where you were. As Zhongli opened the door and stepped into the hallway, he took one last look through the open window at the rolling hills and sharp cliffs of Brightcrown Canyon. After a momentary pause, he turned around to travel back to Liyue Harbor alone.

~~~

Your feet scuffled across the ground as you hiked up a steep hill. Despite your body not being used to traveling at all, your spirits were higher than ever. This was exactly what you needed.

You understood that you’d need to rest more frequently thanks to your particularly fragile state, so you searched for a clearing in Brightcrown Canyon where you could make a fire and rest for the afternoon and evening.

You emerged through a thicket, hoping that this small break in the woods would be sufficient for a campfire. However, the last thing you expected was to happen upon a hilichurl camp.

“Wah!” One hilichurl exclaimed, jumping up as it saw you. It had been sitting with several hilichurls and a pyro samachurl around a small campfire.

“O… Olah.” You spoke awkwardly, the Hilichurlian greeting feeling foreign on your tongue, silently praying that you wouldn’t anger the creature.

“Kucha ya..”The Hilichurl seemed to calm down as it sat back down to the ground. “Movo zido. Celi dada.” It patted the ground next to itself, as if it were gesturing to have you sit there.

“Dala?” You asked, confused, tilting your head to the side. The hilichurl simply stared at you with its expressionless mask, seeming as though it were waiting for you to sit down. You weren’t sure if you were hallucinating because you’ve never seen a hilichurl be so friendly before.

You hesitantly approached the spot on the ground, and as you got closer you realized their campfire was incredibly warm. The warmth drew you in, and before you knew it you were sitting next to a hilichurl as if it were simply another human.

“Wah!” You jumped in fear as the hilichurl exclaimed. It had pulled an apple out of its pocket, setting the piece of fruit on the ground in front of you. “Mosi.”

“V-valo…” you thanked the Hilichurl as you looked down at the apple, surprised by its generosity. You glanced around the campfire to see the rest of the monsters lounging around, not seeming to care that a human had joined their camp.

You felt the need to give the Hlichurl something in return, and rummaged through your pockets for something hilichurls might appreciate. You had no food, which was very typical of yourself, but you managed to find an Agnidus Agate sliver at the bottom of your bag. As you pulled it out and held it up in the air, it glowed red in the cloudy afternoon light. You held it out towards the hilichurl, and it leaned towards the fragment as if it were examining the common mineral.

“Celi!” The hilichurl exclaimed, taking the fragment from your hand and passing it over to the lazing Pyro Samachurl.

“Hehehe!” The samachurl exclaimed, picking up the fragment and dancing in a circle. It waved its staff, and the small campfire surged into a bonfire.

Echoes of Hilichurlian cheers and thank you’s filled the clearing, as your body relaxed in the comforting warmth of the fire. You laid down on your side, facing the blaze, and watched in fascination as the hilichurl who invited you pulled out a book and began to read. You stared more closely at the hilichurl, realizing that everything about it was unusual… even its mask had Liyuean characters painted on it instead of the typical ominous markings.

You bit into the apple as you watched the hilichurl read, enjoying the tasty snack while resting in the warmth of the fire. Despite being surrounded by monsters who would sooner fight a human than befriend one, you felt safe here… You closed your eyes and drifted off as the first flurries of winter began to fall from the sky.

~~~

“Well, this is an unusual sight indeed.” A youthful giggle erupted from behind you, rousing you from your slumber.

“Hnn, five more minutes.” You grumbled, refusing to open your eyes just yet.

“Can you tell me why an old traveler is sleeping in an old Hilichurl camp while surrounded by a ring of cabbages?”

You blinked your eyes open, completely baffled by the child’s remark.

“What the hell?” You mumbled, the first thing entering your vision being the vibrant green of a fresh cabbage. You slowly propped yourself up, noticing the red streaks of dawn in the sky and the glowing embers of the bonfire you had fallen asleep beside. The ground you laid on was warm and dry, but snowfall coated everything beyond the radius of the bonfire’s warmth.

You sat up fully, turning around to see someone had placed a ring of cabbages around you while you slept. You glanced up to see more green towering over you.

“Woah, a big cabbage.” You mumbled.

“I’m not a cabbage!” The blob exclaimed, and you rubbed the blurriness from your eyes to realize it was a short boy dressed in green.

“Woah, a kid in Brightcrown Canyon?”

“I’m not a kid either!” The boy exclaimed, stomping one foot. “I’m offended that you don’t even remember me, Y/N!”

“What?” You furrowed your eyebrows, far too confused for so early in the morning. How did the kid know your name? You stared up at the lyre at the kid’s waist and the braids that glowed blue at the ends.

You gasped.

“Venti?!”

The last time you had seen the Anemo Archon was before the Cataclysm that had fragmented the seven nations and their Gods. Venti had gone to sleep shortly after it, and you believed he was still asleep to this day. To suddenly see him appear in the mountains of Northern Mondstadt after five centuries was an incredible surprise to you.

“Yup, that’s me!” He grinned. “What are you doing all alone in Brightcrown, and with such poor health on top of it!” Venti leaned closer to your face, squinting at your health bar. “You should really eat something or take a potion!”

“It doesn’t work…” You muttered awkwardly, squirming under his inquisitive gaze.

“Huh? How can that be possible?” Venti questioned.

“It’s a long story…” You answered, scratching the back of your neck. “Anyway, I’m trying to get away from things for a while.”

“Oh, I have just the solution for that!” Venti immediately switched his tone as he grew excited.

“Uhm… does the solution include copious amounts of alcohol?” You questioned, raising an eyebrow at the Archon.

“I mean, it could…” Venti laughed. “Anyway, when was the last time you visited Inazuma?”

Your eyes lit up. Inazuma was far, far away from Mondstadt and the perfect place to start a new adventure.

“It’s been decades! Not since the Sakoku Decree was initiated!” You exclaimed before pausing for a moment and becoming confused again. “But wait, how are we meant to get there with the borders and teleporter waypoints closed down?”

“Oh, I have my ways!” Venti giggled.

“I was gonna go to Natlan for a while, but Inazuma sounds even better.”

“Isn’t Natlan harder to get into than Inazuma?” Venti questioned, confused.

“Psh, that’s only what people think!” You waved your hand at Barbatos.

“Then trust me, Inazuma will be a piece of cake!” Venti giggled, twirling through the air as he skipped through the clearing. “Come with me to Dornman Port, we can hitch a ride on a cargo ship!”

“Okay, okay, wait a second!” You scrambled to your feet, “let me pick up these cabbages first!”

You shoved them into your bag one by one, mouth watering at the thought of cabbage soup for dinner.

“A second’s up, let’s go!” Venti called, beginning to skip away from you again.

“Come on, ‘batos!” You groaned, rushing after him.

~~~

Dawn Winery felt empty. The grounds were completely silent, the fresh blanket of snow muffling the noises of nature. Diluc sat in his office, festering with the events of the previous day. He couldn’t sleep a wink the previous night, but he couldn’t focus for long enough to get any productive task done either.

For some reason, Diluc couldn’t get you out of his mind. Something about your injury, your coma, and your sudden disappearance dredged up memories from the loneliest years of his life. The years he was left to manage Dawn Winery alone, far before he was mature enough, alone far before he was ready to be.

Diluc gazed out his window, at the silhouette of a quiet Mondstadt City in the distance. It was early in the morning, and the first streaks of sunrise began to paint the sky with reds and oranges.

Red at dawn… A storm was going to come.

Diluc had a sudden thought. He reached across the desk for a blank piece of paper, and began to write a letter.

Finally, he felt like he was doing something productive as his quill scratched against the paper; it scrawled neat and curly letters along the page in pitch black ink without a single smudge or spill. When Diluc was finished, he rummaged through his desk for some legal documents before sealing them up in an envelope. He tucked it into his pocket, striding out his office and heading down the stairs. When he entered the front foyer, he reached into his pocket again. This time, however, he pulled out something far different than a letter – something far worse than a letter.

Pulsing with arcane power, Diluc held up his father’s delusion to observe it in the light. It glowed faintly red, with some Fatui symbol encapsulated at the center of the pristine gem. Despite his father having died almost 10 years ago, the delusion hummed with just as much energy as that fateful night. Unlike visions, delusions didn’t fizzle out when its user died – anyone could use them, sucking away their life force to wield power far more intense and dangerous than a vision.

Diluc lowered the delusion into a peculiar-looking vase. The brightly painted patterns on the ceramic piece were gaudy and didn’t suit the decor of the foyer at all. Despite Adeline’s insistence, Diluc refused to have the vase removed. After all, it had been the vessel Kaeya had sent containing Diluc’s vision once upon a time, returning it to him despite everything that had happened between the two.

Diluc nodded, satisfied with the delusion safely inside the ugly vase. He stepped out the front door, walking to the edge of the snow-covered patio and placing his letter into his mailbox. He could send it by bird, but he didn’t need the letter to get to its destination fast. He shut the mailbox and walked down the path a little more, gazing around the snowy orchard. He glanced back at the manor house, smiling to himself as he recalled so many of the memories here. The land held his entire life – good memories, bad memories, and everything in between.

Diluc let out a sigh as he reached into his pocket to retrieve a teleporter crystal. He held it up in the cold air, the crystalline facets refracting the first rays of sunlight.

Diluc set his mind to the place he wanted to go, gripping the crystal tightly as he willed himself through the ether.

‘Midsummer Courtyard.’

~~~

Kaeya hated work. He hated having to wake up early and attend morning meetings, he hated patrols and he hated training new recruits. The only part of his job he enjoyed was intel and reconnaissance, but that was simply because he was effortlessly perfect at them.

The Cavalry Captain was tasked with all three of his most hated tasks today. He had to sit through the most boring morning captain’s meeting where Jean gave a recap of the month’s goals (and chastised Kaeya for taking too much vacation leave at once). Then, he was sent on a patrol all the way to Springvale. And of course, the patrol was pointless and there was nothing to do. Kaeya’s back was sore thanks to the 2-hour horseback journey each way. And to top it off, he was tasked with training some new cadets in Archery of all things. Kaeya hated archery with a burning passion. He was good at it, of course, but he would still rather wield any sort of blade instead. His only reprieve was being paired with Fischl to conduct the training. Her jargonic and overcomplicated explanations thoroughly confused the cadets, entertaining Kaeya briefly.

Thus, Kaeya was thankful to finally ascend his front steps and come to a stop at the front door of his small townhouse. He wanted to enjoy some dinner and wine then have an early evening. However, before he opened his front door, he noticed his mailbox had a letter in it, so grabbed it to bring whatever new mail he had inside.

However, when Kaeya spotted the familiar handwriting on the front of the letter, his brows pinched together with confusion.

It was Diluc’s handwriting.

Kaeya was perplexed why Diluc would send him a letter by mail rather than by bird or even just approaching him in person. Most nights (and afternoons), Kaeya was drinking in one of Diluc’s own taverns.

He tore open the letter, wondering what could possibly warrant a written letter sent in such a manner. Kaeya’s eye scanned down the page, his expression becoming even more confused and worried as he read down the page. Kaeya’s breath fell still as he looked at the envelope again, noticing a second piece of paper. He pulled it out, and his visible eye widened with shock.

“Evening, captain!” A voice came from the street, and Kaeya turned to see Jack, a fellow Knight of Favonius.

“I need a horse.” Kaeya responded bluntly. “The fastest one.”

“Scallop should be at the stables, Captain Eula just returned her.” Jack responded, “But wait. Why do you need a horse at this hour?”

“At full speed it’ll take 2 hours.” Kaeya descended his front steps, shoving the handwritten letter into Jack’s hands. “Bring this to the Acting Grandmaster. It’ll explain everything.”

And with that, Kaeya took off running.

Jack was baffled, peering down at the letter to see what could possibly make the ever-calm Cavalry Captain react in such a way. His eyes scanned down the page, catching onto the last couple of lines.

‘I’m entrusting everything to you. Enclosed is the deed to Dawn Winery. Everything is in your name now.

I’m sorry.

Luc.’

~~~

Kaeya slammed the front door to Dawn Winery Manor open, his hair wild from the high-speed travel through the frigid countryside and breathless from sprinting up the hill and stairs to the Manor.

“Diluc! Adelinde! Anyone!” Kaeya exclaimed, racing through the front hall. He knew the head maid would reprimand him for running through the manor with wet shoes caked with melting snow, but he didn’t care. He needed to know what was going on.

“Oh, sir Kaeya, it’s so good to see you again.” Adelinde smiled as she entered the front hall, before looking down and the sight of the wet carpet turning the smile into a frown. “Kaeya, you should know not to-”

“Why did Diluc give Dawn Winery to me? Where is Diluc?” Kaeya shoved the deed to the land towards Adelinde. “I don’t want this, I don’t want any of it!”

“Diluc left suddenly a week ago, but he left some paperwork and a note for me.” Adelinde guided Kaeya into an adjacent room with a table that had a stack of papers on it. “He wants you to sign all of the legal documents with me as a witness.”

“No, the Winery should stay in the Ragnvindr Family.” Kaeya shook his head.

“Sir Kaeya, you are a Ragnvindr.” Adelinde responded.

“Not without Diluc I’m not.” His words bit deep, and the head maid looked up to see the baleful expression on Kaeya’s face.

“You think Diluc is going to do something bad again, don’t you?” Adelinde’s voice wavered, the corners of her eyes pinching together as she questioned the Favonius Captain.

“More likely than not.” Kaeya responded.

“He’s not going to Snezhnaya again, is he?” Adelinde’s question was full of worry.

Kaeya turned around and paced out of the room. He spotted the starkly out-of-place vase in the front foyer, surprised that Diluc had kept such an ugly object. Kaeya approached it, studying the vase further, still baffled how Diluc managed to convince Adelinde to keep it here – that’s when he could see the reddish glint coming from inside.

Kaeya peered inside the vase, only to let out a gasp. He reached inside and withdrew his Adoptive father’s old delusion. It was the delusion Diluc had used in his grief-fueled teenage rampage through Snezhnaya. This time, he had left the delusion here… and he had signed away his entire estate…

That’s when Kaeya realized what Diluc meant.

He never intended to come back.

~~~

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