#m1d : [chats]

[m1d-45]

welcome to teyvat !

before you begin your journey, here’s my original take on the logistics of sagau, as well as an update after some more information from fontaine. while not essential, here are my thoughts on how nations worship.

if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see in the future, please send in your request to my ask box.

1k event m.list

(host to: aether, alhaitham, bennett, collei, cyno, diluc, dottore, kaeya, kaveh, kazuha, keqing, nahida, razor, tighnari, venti, wanderer, xiao, xingqiu)

warnings [⏵] : yandere / heavy cultish || obsessive

genre [title] : angst || fluff || hurt/comfort

traveller from afar — aether

‘I'm saying that I'm having a lot of fun traveling with you… It'd be nice if we could just go on like this forever.’

⏵ a new tomorrow

—⏵ my love, my god

twilight sword — dainslef

‘No, it’s just… I’m still waiting for my drink.’

⏵ will you promise that i'll see you again?

mondstadt

ah, the city of freedom. a wise choice as a first stop, to best wind up for what’s to come. a calm atmosphere and a soothing wind across your shoulders… truly, the only thing better is the wine.

choose the winds of anemo ?

(host to: albedo, diluc, venti)

liyue

the land of contracts… perhaps it’s a fitting choice, to visit the land so recently abandoned. the realm of illuminated beasts and host of history… unless it’s the music you prefer?

choose the stone of geo ?

(host to: baizhu, ga ming, xiao, zhongli)

inazuma

eternity… a false ideal, one impossible to chase, but i must commend ei’s determination if nothing else. all her effort, and the only thing permanent is its beauty.

choose the spark of electro ?

(host to: ayato, heizou, kazuha, thoma)

sumeru

hmph. the akademiya still runs rampant, and the desert is still a wash of ruin. i can’t promise much about here, except a few familiar faces. care to visit your friends?

choose the root of dendro ?

(host to: alhaitham, tighnari, wanderer)

fontaine

a nation submerged in water, surrounded by mirages at every turn. perhaps we could go see an opera, or catch a magic show… or have a cup of tea and catch up. what do you say?

choose the court of hydro ?

(host to: neuvillette, wriothesley)

natlan

…hm? ah, my apologies, but it looks like this destination isn’t available for travel just yet. thank you for your patience!

choose the ember of pyro?

snezhnaya

the land of ice and love, led by the lady of contradictions. have you found comfort in the snow?

choose the frost of cryo ?

(host to: il dottore, regrator, tartaglia)

series!

⏵ dearly beloved — complete trilogy

8.7k — being hunted across half of teyvat wasn’t exactly on your bucket list. but if he’s the one you keep seeing… maybe it’s worth it.

—⏵ on broken bones

—⏵ death, rebirth, new life

—⏵ the scottish play

⏵ abiogenesis — complete duology

10k — after being abandoned, albedo didn’t have the brightest hope for his future. travelling to mondstadt, he finds the closest thing to ‘purpose.’

—⏵ from soil…

—⏵ …was birthed chalk

⏵ secret contributions — complete trilogy

8.2k — false faith has forced you to flee to inazuma, barely surviving the trip. thankfully, the kamisatos are here to help.

—⏵ small miracles

—⏵ hidden blessings

—⏵ silent conclusions

⏵ spoken across stars — episodic

2.7k — voicelines characters would have in sagau.

—⏵ kaeya, diluc, thoma ft. noelle + candace

—⏵ kazuha, wanderer ft. tighnari + baizhu

—⏵ zhongli, ayato, heizou ft. xinqiu + chongyun

—⏵ lyney, lynette, freminet ft. arlecchino + navia

⏵ sanctity — incomplete

1.5k+ — to be shielded by the one you love.

—⏵ the eye of the beholder (zhongli)

miscellaneous / multiple

⏵ in excess (ft. zhongli + xiao)

⏵ new hopes (ft. the arataki gang)

⏵ emotions (ft. mondstat)

⏵ the young (ft. your main!)

—⏵ still too young (ft… a lot of ppl)

⏵ plagued (ft. diluc + kaeya)

⏵ reverse isekai drabble (ft. your main!)

⏵ slapfight (ft. a lot of people-)

⏵ mea maxima culpa (ft. zhongli + barbara)

⏵ in the stars (ft mona + your main!)

⏵ replacement (ft. kaeya + venti + albedo + xiao)

⏵ discretion advised (ft. mondstat)

⏵ warmth (ft. every pyro character as of 3.4)

⏵ a soft place to land (ft. zhongli + kaeya + diluc + alhaitham + tighnari)

⏵ constellations (ft. barbara + thoma + heizou + collei + kujou sara + sucrose + candace +ganyu)

⏵ connection (ft. diluc + kaeya + kazuha + albedo + kaveh)

⏵ your shield, a sword (ft. thoma + tighnari + zhongli + alhaitham + cyno + albedo)

⏵ divine favor (ft. yae miko + itto + kazuha + kaeya + chongyun + noelle)

⏵ dead leaves (ft. ..people)

—⏵ new sprouts (ft. chongyun)

⏵ the rule of threes (ft. albedo + his brother)

⏵ darling, my dear (ft. diluc + tighnari + childe + xiao + kazuha)

⏵ sandy refuge (ft. nahida + wanderer)

⏵ dancing soldiers (ft. aether)

⏵ a break in routine (ft. alhaitham + kaveh + sethos)

⏵ snapshot (ft. tighnari + neuvillette

please report any missing entries or misleading content as soon as possible !

thank you for reading !

[m1d-45]

1) welcome back 2) thank you

“when memories linger / plaguing the mind / shattering rose tinted glasses” you’re so right actually the dichotomy of lovely memories pre-isekai and the horrific hunt afterward is 100% gonna fuck somebody up

“and they will never forgive / not in the way that matters” so right!!! how could somebody truly forgive somebody else trying to kill them!! those memories will permanently influence their actions for the rest of time- “you who once stood so tall / blessed and beloved / are nothing more than sinners / fallen from grace” so right it’s so-

because they were loved! they were cared for and cherished and built up from sand and stone to glory and gold and in return they shattered the hand that made them!!! they willingly broke the base of their ivory tower and have nobody to blame but themselves!!!!! fuck!!

“your honored god sits / surrounded by a court of monsters” FUCK you’re so right, so true, they crowd asking for forgiveness and redemption when they don’t even deserve it, all they’re doing is making it worse and worse “forgive and forget, was it? / pitiful.” they can’t be forgiven and doubly not when they’re continuing to insist and insist and won’t let it heal nor give them space- how can a wound be healed when it’s constantly being pried open?

“mercy was not meant for you” because they’re not the ones hurt, they’re not the ones wounded and bleeding and trapped in nightmares, they’re not the one who was hunted and stabbed and betrayed and- they’re not the one being granted mercy, not when they were the ones to take it away!!!

“you shall find no salvation here.”

Normalcy Is What You Crave (But How Can You Be So Foolish?)

@m1d-45. I've returned with another poem.

Forgive and forget

An interesting saying, is it not?

But can it really be applied here

When the scars remain

Of cruel deaths 

And vicious hunts

When the memories linger

Plaguing the mind

Shattering rose tinted glasses

Can one be forgiven

Of such a heinous deed

Can one even forgive 

Such a terrible sin

When one pledges loyalty

Faith to the very end

But it is the monsters who stay

Devoted and loving

Forgiveness is not for you

They will never forget 

And they will never forgive 

Not in the way that matters

You who stood once so tall

Blessed and beloved

Are nothing more than sinners

Fallen from grace 

And it is before you 

Your honored god sits 

Surrounded by a court of monsters 

Who wait on them

For every beck and call

Forgive and forget, was it?

Pitiful.

Mercy was not meant for you

You shall find no salvation here

[m1d-45]

I know yall hate on her for wrecking the 50/50, but. Imagine Qiqi finding the creator. Lil zombie girl is just roaming around, kinda lost, when she sees a strange blue bird flying through the air. She gets the feeling that she needs to follow it, so she does. She ends up finding the blue bird, and with it, the Creator. She doesn't really get that the person before her is the God Of All Things, but it doesn't matter. This person is injured, and she has plants on her that can help. Baizhu had written down a few simple recipes in her notebook in case she got hurt, and now she can use them to help someone else! She's a little doctor now, like Baizhu!

The blue bird seems suspicious of her, but she doesn't mind. Baizhu told her that finches fly away as a precaution, not because they are truly scared. Maybe it's the same for this bird? She hopes she can be friends with the pretty bird one day.

-sibling anon, who absolutely adores Qiqi

WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HATE QIQI WHAT HAVE I DONE TO GIVE THAT IMPRESSION-

i love qiqi. she’s baby. i’d rather lose the 50/50 to her than to keqing or jean or mona. we love and adore qiqi in this house.

anyway:

imagine. qiqi going on a trip to gather more herbs, basket in one hand. her trip has been successful, more plants than usual cropping up around the area.

above her, a bird cries. she looks up, free hand holding her hat, and sees a bright blue… finch? it’s fling quickly, urgently, something grasped tightly in its claws.

is the finch… in trouble?

maybe if she had a clearer head she’d know that it was ridiculous to follow a bird because it sounded distressed, but some instinct within her told her to follow.

“wait… bird…” she grabbed a final fistful of horsetail and rushed as quickly as she could to follow. the bird was quick, but with a few lucky guesses (and the repeated cries of the bird) she was able to follow.

still, it was a long journey. once qiqi saw the bird fly into a tree she took a break underneath the shade of another, resting against the tree.

it was so hot in liyue. a breeze came by, somewhat cooling, and she put her hand to her forehead to keep her talismans in place.

she had to go. something told her that somebody was in trouble.

so she clutched her basket tightly, using a bit of cryo to keep herself cool. as she got closer to the birds tree, she could hear a voice.

“-can’t do anything with this, friend.” the bird chirped. “i don’t know enough about medicine. thank you, but…”

qiqi carefully rounded the tree, basket held in front of her like a shield.

you didn’t seem like much of a threat. you were sitting against the tree, chest heaving, clutching a stained bundle of cloth to one of your arms. the bird sat on your knee, and she could see now that the thing it was carrying was a small bundle of qingxin.

qingxin…

“excuse me?”

both you and the bird startled, the small finch flapping its wings as if to scare her off. you tried to calm it down, carefully, looking over at her with a watery smile.

“sorry, he’s a bit skittish.”

the bird, though small, felt familiar, and you… she had to have met you before, right?

“i am qiqi. i do not remember you.”

“we’ve never met.”

that’s not right. she barely recognized dr baizhu sometimes, but you she knew she met before. but where…?

“…you are injured.”

the birds wings ruffled.

“i am.”

“i have herbs.”

“…shouldn’t you be getting back to the pharmacy, qiqi?”

“qiqi does not understand. you are injured.”

the bird flapped over to her basket, seeming to inspect the plants she’d gathered. satisfied, it turned with a sharp chirp, and you sighed.

“are you certain you don’t need to get back soon?”

“qiqi needs to be at the city before the stars. that is far later.”

you glanced up, through the protective canopy of trees.

“alright then. just don’t use too much of your supply, okay? you still need some for the pharmacy.”

the bird chirped again, flying back to you when qiqi picked up her basket.

it settled at your shoulder while qiqi worked, glass eyes watching her flip through the small field notebook baizhu had filled out for her. crush this, apply that, prevent infection with-

you hissed at the sudden burst of cryo to your wound, the icevein talisman at her side jerking back when your bird cried.

you shakily pet over him, and with some hesitation, she continued.

as she worked, qiqi thought. sifting through her small memory bank. you were familiar, she knew it, but from where? your face struck a chord on an instrument she didn’t know how to play, your voice an unheard chorus.

and your bird…

when qiqi returned to the harbor, she did so with a half-empty basket and a new entry in her notebook.

‘remember the person with the blue finch.’

[m1d-45]

Now I thought of something fluffy that make my heart burst

So you're chilling with lil bird xiao on ya

And you're singing to him to sleep

But the moment xiao falls asleep

Your lil birdie poofs into ACTUAL FUCKING XIAO

you at first are panicking until you see xiao start cooing and trying to snuggle up to you

So you end up just having a sleepy xiao on ya until he wakes up

So you end up just having a nice cuddle with xiao

That is until xiao wakes up and nearly has a panic attack due to still thinking you'll freak out

From raccoon anon 🦝

xiao is probably used to his human form and likely found being a bird for you awkward at first simply because he wasn’t used to it. his limbs were in the wrong spots, his joints were different, everything was so odd.

and sleeping is already an activity that he doesn’t partake in anymore. he meditates at night, if he takes a break at all.

but with you…

his eyes droop when he’s curled up with you under the leaves, his mind slows to a crawl sitting under the sun with you. it’s so easy to rest with you.

he tries to be careful, he does, but when he sits on your knee and watches you practice with dendro… it’s so peaceful. so calm.

so… so quiet.

when your bird falls asleep, you don’t think much of it. when the wind seems to blow w bit harder, ruffling his feathers, you double check nothing had blown away before continuing your practice.

when your bird is gone, and it’s a human head resting in your lap instead, you notice.

you startle, dropping the small stick you’ve been working with, the wood landing in the blue strands of a yaksha’s hair. he looks… peaceful, when he’s asleep, his head resting where your bird once was.

so he… was your bird? you knew adepti had different forms, but now…

oh god, you’d been feeding an adeptus bird food.

there’s more to unpack, about the likelihood that he was sent as a spy, about the repeated kindnesses he’s shown you, about the fact that xiao felt comfortable enough around you to not only sleep, but to unconsciously reveal the secret he was unable to spill while awake. a lot to unpack and think about, but you’re not equipped to unzip that suitcase.

so you pick up your stick, and sprout a flower, feeling satisfied with how it looks in his hair.

[m1d-45]

-Pari Anon

After the, um, accidental kidnapping, Albedo learns that Pari!Reader hates being taken to the city. But they enjoy being at the Inn or in nature.

He finds them again on the balcony. They’re splashing happily in a tub of shallow water. He remembers the Adeptus that got angry at him, but as long as he doesn’t take Pari, he isn’t breaking any rules.

So he plays with Pari a while. And he isn’t bothered.

Until Xiao is walking up the stairs and finds Albedo with Pari again. It takes all his self control to not attack Albedo.

He begrudgingly learns that Albedo isn’t much of a threat to Pari. And maybe he can help should Pari get kidnapped by a certain Geo Archon.

[ prev post ] : spoilers for albedo lore/story quest

all things considered, albedos trip to liyue was going rather well. aside from the part where he angered an adeptus and nearly got his head cut off, of course, he could have gone without that. but he’d found the source of the ley line disturbance, and a few books in the city on teyvat’s mythos confirmed what he already suspected. the pari were an ancient sumerun race capable of changing the very terrain with their elemental powers… so why were you here?

unfortunately, there was no book on the local adepti at wanwen bookhouse. he considered asking around, but that might just draw unnecessary suspicion. if you lingered around the inn, it was likely your adeptus wasn’t far behind. he conferred with a few local specialists, comparing notes on the ley line disturbances. taking care of his business in the harbor took less time than traveling here, but he wasn’t as upset as he’d normally be. you alone would have warranted a full trip to the inn.

revised notes and a few new pages of others’ observations later, he was on his way. it was late into the afternoon, too late to return to mondstat but more than early enough to make it to the inn. the path was well-worn and easy to follow, and even if it wasn’t it was hard to get lost in the plains. wangshu inn stood high above the horizon line, a permanent marker of his path. he passed the occasional merchant or guild member, but neither they nor he stopped. his journey was largely uneventful, in truth, arriving at the inn an hour or so before the sun would sink below the sea. perhaps if he was able to get settled in by then, he’d be able to watch.

he checks in, going to the balcony to try and catch a glimpse of the sky, and finds you again. someone’s set out a shallow tub for you, filled halfway up with water and sitting on a table so you can see over the railing. the fading sun catches the splashes of water and turns them a bright gold, though you quickly freeze up. how strange, that someone as far removed from human form as you express such complicated emotions as conflict and warning so easily.

how strange, that a pari had not only found itself in liyue, but chosen to stay under watch of an adepti.

“i apologize for earlier,” he says, taking post by the railing and setting up an easel from his inventory. “i didn’t know you had found a guardian. you’re not native to liyue, and i worried.”

a half truth. his motives were far more self-serving than selfishness, but he truly wouldn’t have bothered you if he knew you had “the bane of all evil” as your host. his mistake, though the circumstances of your relationship were quite strange. not a pet, you were too intelligent and the adepti had insisted otherwise.

idly, he trasmutes one of his shorter pencils into a small wooden boat, khemia buzzing in his fingertips. it’s child’s play, one of the first forms he’d mastered, but he hears you chirp sharply from behind him. it’s not fearful, and you don’t say anything when he sets it on the table next to your basin in a quiet offering. he angles himself such that he can see both you and dragonspine behind you, taking up another pencil and beginning to draw.

was it wise to start another sketch when his first was still unfinished? probably not. but that one didn’t have you in it, did it?

the wind runs cold as the sun begins to set, though he doesn’t notice. what does make him pause is the burn of ozone in the air, his mind automatically wondering if tubing had come loose before remembering that he wasn’t in his lab anymore, and that-

“what are you doing here?”

right. ozone, the same odd smell that he didn’t have enough time to register earlier, stinging his nose and warning the air. albedo set down his eraser, giving his hands a cursory dusting before turning around. the same adeptus as before, flickers of gold gathered in one hand like he’s prepared to draw his spear at any moment. you sit in your tub, glancing between them, and he notices you’ve brought the boat in with you.

“drawing. it’s too late to make the journey to mondstadt, and i’ve already checked in with ms goldet. don’t worry, no harm has come to your… friend?”

the adeptus doesn’t respond, not that he expected him to. this was a shared public space, one that he happened to be in at the same time as you. nothing suspicious. you were not alarmed, and had not called for assistance.

you chirped softly, succeeding in getting both of their attentions. you were holding up the boat, carefully balancing it on your wings. were you… showing it to him? why?

the adeptus—would it be rude to ask for his name?—picked up the boat by the mast, turning it over. his gold eyes flashed white with elemental sight, then he returned it just as delicately as he’d picked it up. “where’d you get that?” he asked, voice considerably softer than before.

you pointed one wing at albedo with another chip, letting the boat fall back into the water and batting it around. he’s not sure how much entertainment someone capable of understanding complicated inter-personal relations could garner from a boat, but you were pushing yours to the upper limit, it seems.

“you.” he lifted his eyes, surprised to see the harshness in the adeptus’ had dulled. “what’s your name?”

“i am albedo, chief alchemist of the knights of favonius. you are?”

“…I don’t suppose you just *happened* to have that boat on-hand?”

“no, i made it for them. consider it a gift for scaring the both of you last time.”

“i did not get *scared-…*” he crossed his arms, shaking his head. “irrelevant. come with me, you’re going to catch a cold.”

the latter sentence was of course addressed towards you, his hand lowering to pick up his sleeve. he held it out for you to flap up and into, clutching the boat tight to your chest. the adeptus turned away, swallowed by blue smoke, and albedo sighed.

he’d much have preferred to have his name, but it wasn’t strictly necessary. as for his drawing, it was getting dark, so he added in a quick detail on the front before flipping it over, writing along the top of its frame.

‘an adeptus and his friend.’ — oil, canvas — a painting of a small pari in a basin, lifting a toy boat into the air. at first glance, it may seem like they are the adeptus in question, but finer eyes will see a figure hidden in the shadows atop the roof, looking down with a thin smile. completed by the chief alchemist during his trip to liyue, kindly donated to the knights’ headquarters for your viewing pleasure.

[m1d-45]

YO!!

star gazer is from these posts a while ago, btw!

✨️Star Gazer✨️

(Line art comes from a base made from artwork from the game Okami)

Yo @m1d-45 here be the girl

[m1d-45]

i need MISERY and SADNESS and ANGST !

reader absolutely sobbing to bird xiao. i mean fucking wailing, man.

our birdie was going about his usual business, peeping around, looking for any possible dangers, maybe bring back a nice acorn. once he’s done, he’ll fly back to us, glad to report — (chirp a few times) — that the area is safe.

but instead of finding you eagerly awaiting him with an outstretched hand, he finds you curled in on yourself, stifling sobs.

he lands on the ground in front of you, worriedly hopping past the squirrels and deer nudging various forest tributes to you. he peeps once, but you don’t respond. he peeps a second time, and this warrants an answer.

you weakly unfurl yourself, willing your head upwards.

xiao now notices the state of your clothes. tattered, dirty, and dampened with what he hopes is just a peculiar blue juice.

he then meets a pair of reddened, glossy eyes. your cheek was scratched, and your now visible hands badly scraped. he chirps in concern, flapping his wings and hopping closer to your face.

that same face scrunches once again, as you curl your head back into your knees. as another sob escapes, you only wordlessly produce a few almonds from your pocket. you only whimpered an apology as a deer laid at your feet.

the almonds were not what he wanted. he did not need an apology for- what? a lack of attention? no, none of that. he only wanted you to be happy. how had he failed you again? he was a disgrace to the adepti, he was surely deserving of avid punishment. perhaps the loss of a finger would serve well. or two, after all, he had been too selfish and ignorant to save you. why was he even aIive? why was he ever even born? such a faiIure should never have been —

his inner monologue was cut off by an offering of a hand instead. you shakily nudged him with your index finger, making him release a squeak.

“hey.. i said i’m fine, right? please eat. you’re always so hungry.”

you sniffled.

“i can find some plants, and-“

but the sobs only continued.

“and fix it..”

your hand went limp as your cries shook your body. you didn’t even bother to weep silently anymore.

the squirrels chittered, the approaching raccoon held a rock in its small hands as an offering. a deer sniffed your head as you curled into fetal position again.

“i didn’t want this- i- i didn’t want to—”

i was just having fun, why did- how did it come this far?-”

a rabbit hopped closer.

“i want to go home. i miss my mom, i miss my dad, i miss their hugs-”

the deer at your feet nudged your leg.

“why can’t i just die aIready?”

xiao squealed, flapping his little wings furiously. he chirped and chirped, trying to bring you back to your senses.

he’d seen this thing time and time again- the form taken by relinquishment. once the thought was spoken, it could only end in misfortune.

he knew this was only a psychological effect, of course. to lose a battle when a small part of you wants to. to become careless and fall asleep on a thinly frozen lake. or, to intentionally cause one’s own end.

but that would not stop him from bringing you charms of good fortune in the following days. talisman to ward off draining spirits, necklaces and bracelets he personally imbued with evil-vanquishing power.

it did not stop him from distancing himself from you, in fear his karmic binds had effected you. that they were having the same effect on you as his siblings- as himself.

he had to protect you.

it was his duty.

-owl anon RAAAHH

i’m sorry this got so long, my thumbs go *taptaptaptap* on my keyboard while i just watch

oh…. you get it.

(under the readmore because my fingers tend to go)

xiao blessing small pebbles with adeptal energy, ignoring how it stings his hands as he wraps it in a leaf. as the one enchanting the stone, he’s granted a small amount of grace, but protection charms always tended to hiss at his karma.

he picks it up with his claws, flapping up and into the skies of liyue. he always brings you small gifts, and he knows you keep them, at least for a little while. he’s not sure if the magic is absorbed into you, if it fades, or if you simply lose them—some small part of him is satisfied at the image of mountain shaper being repelled by a simple stone—but he brings them to you faithfully. you always greet him the same way, and anticipation begins to bubbles under his skin at the thought.

he loves seeing you.

…but not like this.

your tree is more crowded than usual, various small wildlife surrounding you. nothing big, nothing threatening—the deer hesitate at the treeline, huffing and pawing at the ground—but worrying for certain.

he gives his same warning cry he always does, but you don’t step out to greet him. he has to duck beneath the leaves, and he sees you… crying.

he freezes, dropping a few inches in his shock, but quickly recovers.

(he can’t hesitate. he can’t pause. there’s no time for his own problems when you are in pain-)

he lands on your arm, bumping his head to yours and giving you a small chirp.

(please be okay. please be okay. please let the teal grass around you be lighting, or his bird eyes. please.)

another bump. another chirp. he reaches and pulls a leaf from your hair, turning to drop it away, and when he looks back you managed to lift your head.

he can’t stop the way he jumps, flapping to regain his balance at the smear of blue across your face.

“oh… hello there, little friend.”

he can’t even bring himself to be as happy as he normally is at your voice.

you take the wrapped rock from your claws, both you and the leaf unfurling. the blue stone glitters, and you smile slightly. from his new perch on your wrist and your shift in posture, he can’t help but notice more and more tragic details about you.

a slash across your waist, the cloth of your shirt clinging to your skin. the dirt across your skin, the tracks of tears down your cheeks.

“th-“ you cough, and the stone in your hand pulses outside of your view. “thank you, pretty bird.”

some part of him hopes that the stone brings you some joy. that you can absorb some of his magic- hell, he’d enchant it again if he needed to, expending every drop of energy he had of it meant you didn’t have to cry.

but not even the beauty of the earth can mend the tragedy of betrayal.

if anything, you cry more, curling up again in an attempt to hide from the world that wanted you dead. concerned cheeps slip from his beak as easily as the rabbits and birds around you hop closer. none dare to get as close as he, but acorns and river stones and pushed towards you, a ring of offerings surrounding their god.

“sorry,” you stutter, your voice choked, and he wonders why you’re apologizing. “i- i still-“ another sob. xiao feels like crying himself.

(he has no right to be distraught. not when he’s the blade you fear)

“here,” you manage, offering up a shaking handful of crushed almonds. you still have him your food, you still went through the strain and effort of crushing them so he could eat them in this form- even after the adepti had injured you, you still found it in yourself to help him?

(you didn’t know he was an adeptus. he was still lying to you. he hasn’t even taken any serious action, he couldn’t even try and help you when you still helped and cooed over and loved him-)

“do- do you-“ your voice hitched and broke, and he chirped, hopping up your arm. how he wished he could comfort you properly. how he wished he wasn’t a coward, that he could do more. “i know it isn’t enough, i-“ fresh tears welled in your eyes, and he had the feeling the pain ran deeper than your skin. “i’m sorry.”

you were sorry? why? he didn’t need an apology, he- if anything he should apologize. you deserved his offerings and apologies, you deserved his effort- and he couldn’t even give you that. he couldn’t even do what he was meant to, he wasted air with every breath, he spent his time protecting the citizens that hurt you. you shouldn’t be giving you his food, he should be giving you his blade, his armor, his mask, his- his faith.

he didn’t deserve to cry. but when he took a look at his own actions, he couldn’t help but think that he should be the one with blood on his skin, with ragged clothes and heaving breaths.

(he should be dead for what he allowed to happen to you.)

“please eat,” you sobbed, nudging him with the hand holding the almonds. “i can- i’m- you can trust me.”

(you shouldn’t trust him.)

“please…”

he hated seeing you cry. he hated hearing your sobs and knowing he was indirectly part of the cause. he hated that he was too much of a coward to take any serious action, he hated that he still stood besides your enemies, he hated that some of your blood fell on his hands, hated that every ounce of strength he had was one that you didn’t, and it was his fault. at least partially.

(entirely.)

your cries took words, pleads to the wildlife for a world they didn’t know, people and names you begged to carry you from your position.

“i just wanted to have fun.” you should be. you should be dressed in gold with jewelry of silver, you should be smiling and dancing with the ones you had blessed, traveling nations not as a fugitive, but as a god. “i never meant to come here. i never meant to be a problem.”

he hates that he knows you’d be safer in your previous world. he hates it. he hates it. he hates the adepti, he hates the millelith, the knights, the matra, he hates every blade that dared to cross your skin.

(he hates himself. he hates that he’s never done enough. he hates that he’s still so much of a coward he can’t take any action, not even against himself. he should turn his spear on himself, for allowing such heresy.)

you sniffled, harshly wiping at your eyes.

“god, why can’t i just die?”

ice frosted xiao’s veins.

he would understand if you were angry. he would understand if your tears were of frustration, if you beat at the ground instead of your aggressor’s bones, if you wanted to shout and take out your anger on the sky. he’d offer himself for your wrath—at least then he could finally be of service—but for you to wish to offer your life?

for you to be convinced that the death of a god was the only solution for the falsehood of another…

how long had this thought been in your head? how long had you offhandedly thought of letting yourself be captured, be slain, of giving up what you had blessed upon so many? how many times had you debating letting a wound get worse, of allowing infection to rid you of the thorns of this world?

xiao hopped up your arm, cooing sadly and curling into your neck.

he wished he could do more. he wished that he could hold you with human arms, he wished he could give you faith in your own creations, he wished he could whisk you away and take on the world himself, that he could fight on your behalf, that you would remain safe and if anything, he would be the one to die.

“don’t cry,” you said shakily, awkwardly reaching to pet over his wings.

how could he not, when his god had forsaken everything, including themself?

[m1d-45]

-Pari Anon

Pari!Reader gets sad when their leaf mask gets torn. Whether they were playing too rough or Wei (the cat in the inn lobby) tore it, they lost their mask. They have those sad anime eyes (the cutely exaggerated ones). They want to fix it, but no one else knew about that leaf mask.

They stay gloomy for the rest of the day until Xiao comes back.

The next day, they see a little replica of Xiao’s mask made from wood. It was sitting near their nest. When they tried it in, it was light but sturdy. Who could have gotten it for them? How was it so detailed? Who could have known? Oh well. Time to play, little Pari thinks.

Xiao didn’t have the heart to just leave them after he heard them crying when the leaf mask was ripped. He might have put a charm on this one so it wouldn’t break as easily.

[ previous post ]

xiao was better than this. the last yaksha, conqueror of demons, the bane of all evil himself.. searching the plains of liyue well into the night for a suitable piece of wood to carve. it wasn’t for an offering, it wouldn’t be turned into an incense bowl or statue, it was neither for a critical repair or somehow enchanted to be a danger. no, this wood would be used for a far more frivolous purpose: you.

you, who he’d been watching from the roof as you played on the balcony below. you with your mock spear and wei with his paws, uselessly batting at each other in a play fight. he thought it was ridiculous, really—your thin wings would surely bleed beneath any monster’s claws, better you learn to run away from danger—but had watched. it was harmless fun. you ducked behind the potted bonsai for protection, racing around the trunk and likely making the poor cat dizzy, when a harsh rip echoed into the night. you stopped, looking behind you as the two halves of your ‘mask’ fluttered to the floor, torn by one of the branches of the tree. his only thought was that you weren’t hurt, watching as wei tackled you off the pot and onto the floor, but you squirmed free quickly, floating over to the remains… sadly? wei followed, sniffing the leaves, but you didn’t seem interested in playing anymore. you sat by the leaves for far too long, not even moving when wei curled up beside you.

it was nothing. it was a leaf tied around your head with another’s stem, bound to rot and flake away anyway, but you were sulking the next day. he never thought he’d return to his makeshift room and have you not fly up to him with a cloud of chirps, and he quickly decided he didn’t like it. if you were sad you lost your mask, then he’d just have to get you a new one.

he kicked at the remains of a campfire, stomping out the remaining embers. an abandoned adventurer’s camp of some sort, the air free of any malicious warnings. besides the remains of the campfire were a few stray logs, likely spare firewood. he dug through the measly pile, pulling out a log. there was no rot, water damage, no sign of bugs or anything else that would ruin the wood. without another thought, he tucked it under his arm, turning and vanishing into the wind.

he had left when you were already asleep, so he could go straight to his room, but he made a stop first. yanxiao hardly jumped when he turned from the stove, though he did eye the log in his hands strangely.

“what can i get you?”

“i need to borrow a knife.”

“…” he laughed, propping his hands on the table in front of him, and xiao grit his teeth. an adepti, reduced to this… “what, did you lose your spear?”

“of course i didn’t,” he snapped, “but i’m not foolish enough to think i can use a spear to carve wood.”

yanxiao nodded in understanding, reaching into his pocket for a small flip knife. it was barely as long as one of his fingers, the handle a dark wood. “this should do, i think.” he threw the knife underhand, and xiao caught it with ease. the blade flicked out easily, sharp to the touch. “remember to cut away from you, yeah?”

his grip tightened on the knife, leaving without thanks.

safely in the shadow of his room, xiao finally relaxed. one by one, he removed his guards and charms, quietly setting them in their respective places. you were curled up in your bed as always, none the wiser as he stepped out onto the balcony. he sat facing the moon, setting his mask on the floor beside him. again drawing the small knife, he braced the wood in his lap and began to carve.

yanxiao was many things, but a fool he was not. he had heard from verr about your mask tearing yesterday, about how you sat quietly on xiao’s terrace for the rest of the day in a pout. you were a strange guest, certainly, but you were xiao’s. he kept very limited company, and those he lingered around felt his affections quietly.

when flowers had blown off their tables prior to the reception of an important guest, a mysterious bundle of qingxin had found it’s way onto the reception desk to replace them. when the eccentric xianyun had stopped by for a ‘surprise lunch,’ a small note in familiar writing on his table told him her tastes. when your small, flimsy mask tore in two… well, he couldn’t wait to find out.

he worked as usual, trading guesses with verr as he helped ferry plates back and forth. would he fetch you new leaves in perpetuity? fetch new ones from your home nation of sumeru? find a new toy to distract you? neither of them had ever met a pari before, didn’t know what you wanted or needed to thrive, but they entertained themselves with nonsense speculation nontheless.

xiao showing up in his kitchen without warning was nothing out of the ordinary. yanxiao had learned to pick out the shift in air pressure that signaled his arrival, wiping off his hands and putting the washed vegetables aside. the flat expression on his face was also routine, but the log he held most certainly wasn’t. handcarved offerings weren’t all too uncommon in liyue, especially from an adeptus, but he had a feeling it wasn’t for rex lapis or another adepti.

the next question, of course, was what he would carve. verr suggests a wooden mimic of the leaf mask and he can’t hide the way that makes him laugh, his smile wider than usual as he greets customers.

that night, if you stood just quietly enough beneath the upper balcony and the wind blew the right way, you would hear the quiet scrape of wood and metal. and the next morning, if you were anywhere near the inn, you would likely see a bright pari weaving through the levels, eager to show off their brand new mask carved by the hero of dihua marsh himself.

[m1d-45]

Literally a lurker on your blog since ur early days but too shy to slide into ur ask box, hiii!!! I keep seeing cryo anon and teddy anon's brainrots and asks,,,, and like, regarding post impostor AU hehe

imagine after the hunt when your fave character/vessel begs you for forgiveness the most, practically turning their voice hoarse from their pleas to share just a bit of your mercy....

(you never showed your face to them, even when they were your most favored. how selfish of them, wanting more than they could ever deserve. but they can't help it. if you wanted them to die a thousand times over to repent, they would. just please, look at them again.)

post imposter au always tickles an itch in my brain I've never known existed. angry creator? boiling hot rage creator for their acolytes killing them when they've shown nothing but love and kindness for this world?? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP LORD

I wanna see guilt. And I mean GUILT. it's probably cause I'm petty asf and if I would be killed over and over and over again only for them to realize I'm not the fake I would literally lock myself up in whatever tower they built for me and never talk again. Creator's trust? Shattered, irreparable. Followers? Wallowing in the despair.

Thank u and goodbye heh. If it's not too much, can I be called Marcotte anon? Hehe fontaine reference hhhh,, anyways have a good day ily and ur fics <3

post-hunt can be incredibly good, entirely agree

the love you felt for the world is so strong already, and it only grows as you finally get to teyvat. being here, feeling the elemental energy, feeling the world greet you as you return after your rest.. what hate is more powerful than a love turned rotten?

you hid behind your veil, uncertain if you’re protecting yourself or them. it hurts to see their eyes tearing up as they plead, but what else are you to do? your hands shake when they draw close, and you can’t erase your own memory.

(you’d know. you asked nahida about it, but she’d only shaken her head. all she could do was clear the memories of teyvat, but not yours. it hurt, but was probably for the best.)

(despite it being a failure, that day was the calmest you’d felt in weeks. she was easy to talk to, and made lovely tea. perhaps you should visit again, if only to take a break from… everything.)

your solitude is comfortable, most of the time. a few of the hunters are a bit too comfortable with their sin, and are the ones tasked with bringing you food and other necessities. it’s not much better, though, since you can still see the guilt sinking in their eyes.

it’s a lose-lose all around. you want to see them, you want to see the world, but every leaf and branch is stained with the memories of the past, what used to be your favorite retreat now something else to hide from.

part of you is angry. furious at how easily they were tricked. it’s hard to stay mad at those you love, though, so you end up sitting in your window and watching the wind blow safely behind glass. your tea is from inazuma, this time, the faint edge of bitterness keeping you from sinking too far into much of anything.

leaves dance in the breeze. you won’t be seen again until they’ve long turned brown.

[m1d-45]

woag i didn’t think i was cool enough to be tagged

three ships: m not a ship-y person but chongyun n xingqiu

first ship: again not a real ship-y person… if i had to guess probably nico an will from pjo? but unclear

last song: doin time by lana del ray technically, vending machine of love by the stupendium spiritually

last movie: also john wick 4. i thought it was okay, for some reason the actors wick wasn’t Currently Fighting just kinda tripped over air waiting for him to punch them… i spent most of the movie watching the background characters tbh. not that invested in the franchise.

currently reading: a family friend’s book(can’t remember the title) that i’m beta reading. steampunk dystopian fantasy, im abt 4 chapters in

currently watching: a youtube video dragging girl defined. m not involved in tv shows or movie series if that’s what the question is supposed to be; i’m a video essay guy

currently consuming: a ridiculous quantity of sweet tea considering it’s almost midnight

currently craving: more tea. the one i have is Just Off from my favorite brand an m pissed abt it.

actually. changing my answer to that. matcha latte.

i tag(no pressure, of course!): @sagau-my-beloved who was already tagged but m taggin again because holy shit your venti lives in my brain rent free, @watatsumiis because i think you’re funny and i like seeing you on my dash, @tihgnari because your ayato smau is GOLD oh my god, and @that-foul-legacy-lover because i <3 you an your writing <33

A TAG GAME?! :O :D !!

✨️💙✨️

♡ 3 Lovely Ships:

Soukoku (i just think theyre so ✨️silly✨️ & couples that are @ war r my fav so- 🥰) also i recently discovered MANGA soukoku??!?!?! like theyre literally

✨️🍒🍑🍓🩹🩸💀🔫🏳️‍🌈🚔🗡🍉🍊🍋✨️ <- this

EraserMic THIS SHIP HAS BEEN IN MY BRAIN SINCE THE YEAR THE DAMN ANIME CAME OUT, IN THE YEAR OF YOU, OUR CREATOR 2016 I THINK 😭 (sagau ref lol)

IVE LITERALLY CEMENTED THEM SO HARD AS MY GAY DADS THAT I FUCKING FORGOT THEYRE NOT CANON- i get confused when theyre on screen and not more coupley 💀 biggest comfort ship <3

Myself / the near entirety of Genshin Impact Playable Characters LMAOO IM A POLYAMOROUS SL*T IDK WHAT U WANT FROM MEEEE-

♡ First Ship:

Wow, back in ye olden days.. hmm... i wanna say Sasuke/Naruto lmao, I DIDNT REALIZE HUT I HEARD THE WORST NEWS EVER RECENTLY THAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY A BL INSTEAD OF AN ACTION THINGY AND THEY WOULDVE DATED 😭😭

♡ Last Song:

Labour by Paris Paloma! Im so fucking obsessed it just embodies the entirety of Feminine Rage I need- and how hard women work all the fucking time!

(Idk ig this is part of the template but-)

Live, Laugh, Love Hatsune Miku too

@fandangotales lol

♡ Last Movie:

Cocaine Bear!

Kinda cgi gory, mostly gross, sometimes i gagged 😭, watched it in theaters and it was so hilarious tho, the dialogue was like, super natural too! Like realistic jokes i would make in those situations lmao

Hope i can write dialogue that natural one day :O

♡ Currently Reading:

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System!

I fucking love this light novel (AND ITS ARTIST?! I SAW IT IN A BOOKSTORE AFTER KNOWINF THEM OFF TWITTER AND WAS IN SHOCK-)

♡ Currently Watching:

Bungou Stray Dogs & Saving 80,000 Gold In Another World For My Retirement!

♡ Currently Consuming:

Some fucking stellar Boba teas from my local shop in town! I got a sort of strawberry frozen one with whip cream and mango jelly stars + lychee popping pearls And my quintessential Thai Tea w/classic tapioca my beloved <3

Yes... I am a fancy drink bitch 😔, now you all know my secret

♡ Currently Craving:

God who wouldn't I kill for some pasta rn, like penne with the sauce and the cheeseeee UGH 😫 </3

♡ HAHA IM TAGGING:

(no pressure babes!)

@mists-reading-nook (UR SOLDIER/POET/KING WORSHIP IS CONSUMING MY WORLDBUILDING HEART- I CHECK TO SEE IF U EVER POST ANYTHING/POST ABT KING BC ILY UR WRITING SM<3)

@lonelyrosegold (i just found u but i rlly loved ur background music about Linked Universe, which I also just found out about lmao)

@bk-4-trash-fire (the OG, the SUPREME, My Liege 😌✨️ ur actually one of the first ppl that rotred my brain over genshin sagau! Thank u for all ur cool ideas that i may or may not write an entire short story abt some day lmao! The Possession AU i made was partially inspired by you!<3)

@intothegenshinworld (new for me but awesome writer!! I cant wait to see more of ur stuff!)

@chocogi (UR PUPPETEER AU PARTIALLY INSPIRED MY POSSESSION AU! thanks for the cool content!!)

♡

@fandangotales & @undecidingfate

THANK YOU BOTH?! FOR THE TAG 😭 It sounds silly but ive never gotten tagged for these things before & i was so happy to see it ;u; !!

More asks answered/posts to come my fellow zodiac signs!!

Safe travels,

💀♒️

[m1d-45]

GASP I had another idea. What if, since Xiao now knows who the real Creator is, he prays the them and not the faker on the throne? And when he next visits the creator as a bird, they are excitedly showing him a new bit of power they suddenly got, not knowing that it was his own faith that restored a bit of their glory??? -sibling anon, who is just vibing with this idea like it's a rubix cube

combined this ask w your other one, and sorry this is kinda late/reads weird. been busy and i am tired 👍

word count: 723

xiao knows the one on the throne isn’t his god, and his curiosity about you has turned into conviction.

you’re his creator. you have to be.

you’re soft where they’re harsh, you gently pet his feathers where they snap out orders. he knows he’s only one against many, he knows he doesn’t stand a chance and giving you the worship and praise you deserve, but… he tries.

he’s forfeited all but basic politeness to the fraud, limiting his interactions with them and instead spending his time with you. he spends more time in his bird form than human, at this point, curled into your side as you wander liyue. he takes patrols where you are to keep the others away from you, always ‘just missing’ wherever you are. sometimes he brings you things in return for your eternal kindness, hiding things as a human to lead you to them as a bird.

your bird. your little songbird, perched on your finger as you flip over the coin of mora he brought you with a smile. perhaps he should be ashamed, that an adeptus such as him is reduced to eating from another’s palm, but he’s not. not when it’s you. not when he finds your image the one in his mind when he’s in danger, not when he finds himself defending liyue in your name, not when he makes offerings to you instead of the fraud.

your little bird, your xiao. he knows he can’t do enough on his own, he knows that his small acts of protection aren’t nearly what you deserve, but…

as he flies across liyue, a coin of mora clutched in his claws, he hopes that it will help you in places he can’t.

he lets out a call when he spots you walking between the trees, tucking into a dive. you turn, the same smile on your face as every time that you see him, and he lands in your hand, the coolness of the coin contrasting with the warmth from your hand.

“little friend! welcome back, pretty bird.”

he chirps back at you, settling in the curve of your hand as you pick up the coin he brought you. however, instead of telling him about your day, or continuing on your walk, you reached for the branch of a nearby berry bush—thankfully, one that was edible, though you didn’t go for the fully grown ones instead, you pulled off a small part of a branch with a flowering bud on it.

“look, i learned how to do something new today!”

he chirped, moving closer to your wrist to watch your actions. you held the branch between two of your fingers and carefully brushed over the flower, something green sparking under the pad of your thumb. as he watched, the small bud bloomed, a bright red berry sprouting at impossible speeds.

something like a yelp left him in surprise, his wings puffing up as he tried to make sense of it, and your attention quickly shifted from the branch.

you moved him up and cooed nothing at him, unaware of how far xiao’s mind was from the situation.

you had made the plant bloom. dendro had answered your call, when he knew for certain that nothing had bent to your will when he’d first found you.

he knew being near you was calming—it was why you were constantly surrounded by birds and butterflies, it was how he was clued in to your divinity, at first. the way his karma seemed to settle and fade- even now, his shock washing away under your touch over his wings.

something featherlight pressed to the top of his head and he blinked himself from his thoughts, looking up to see you pulling away.

you don’t say a word, carefully plucking the berry from its stem with one hand. in your other, xiao is frozen again, this time for an entirely different reason. his forehead is alight, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, the problem of your blossoming godhood pushed aside and buried.

you put the fresh berry in your other hand, in front of xiao, and he dipped his head to nip at it.

blessed is he who partakes in the divine.

[m1d-45]

Okay last little idea and I'll leave you be for a bit

Xiao actually responding to the names the creator gives him. Little Friend, Pretty Bird, ect. No matter how far away you are, if you call those names, he has to stop himself from turning into a bird and flying away at that very moment. Those pet names are as much his name as any other he's kept.

-sibling anon

me when xiao

in his time with you in his adeptal form, xiao has never told you his name.

and yet, he still hears you.

if he’s in the area and the wind brings him the softest call of “you here, little friend?” he morphs in an instant, instinct taking over as he flies to your summons. he ducks through the trees, landing gracefully in your outstretched hand, meeting your wide smile with a chirp.

“there you are,” you mumble, and he ruffles his wings in an approximation of standing straighter. he is here. for you.

he’s commonly perched on your index finger, or your thumb if he’s eating from your palm. you only feed him simple almonds, yet it tastes of a delightful meal, energy coursing through his body. he’s careful not to nick your skin in his eagerness, but nobody could blame his enthusiasm if they knew what he felt.

by sitting in your hand, he is rested. by staying at your side, he is healed. he still upkeeps his duties, ever vigilant, but he’s quicker now, spurred on by something—someone—to return to. his place is at your side, and he hates keeping you waiting.

even when he has to.

xiao crossed his arms over his chest, staring off at liyue’s plains while he waited for the traveller to finish talking with… whoever. he honestly wasn’t paying attention. all he was there for was the lost adeptal artifact that the commissioner had promised he had, and then he would be on his way.

the man said something with a tilt to his tone. the traveller laughed. xiao grit his teeth.

“friend? little buddy? where are you?”

the call pulled at his soul as every other name he held, and he itched to answer.

paimon made a comment, an ooh! tossed somewhere in the middle, and xiao snapped.

“can we wrap it up? this is not a proper use of an adeptus’ time.”

the man swiftly apologized, handing over the totem, and xiao all but snatched it from his hand. a ‘farewell’ may or may not have slipped from him in time for the traveller to hear, he wasn’t sure. all he knew was that one moment he was dropping the totem off at his room at the inn, and the next he was leaping off the balcony, shifting mid-air to fly towards you.

he let out a loud cry when he spotted you, tucking in his wings to dive. you saw him and held out your hand, a motion so familiar that the actions to land were muscle memory.

he flared his wings, slowing his fall, flapping once, twice, before settling on your index finger. your thumb reached up, as it always did, and he leaned into it, repressing a coo at the feeling of it smoothing over his back.

“there you are, my pretty bird. where were you?”

a shiver rolls down his small body at your words, and he hides behind your thumb. you had many names for him—little friend, blue bird, simply blue—but pretty bird?

your pretty bird?

he’s hot in a way he can’t identify, a melting mix of emotions filling his chest. pride, admiration, adoration, even, all blurring into a messy film that covered his mind.

you turned towards your camp, keeping the hand with him perched close to you. “doesn’t matter. you’re here now, pretty bird. i missed you, you know.”

and you missed him?

xiao’s known for a while that the one on the throne wasn’t truly his god, but now he’s wondering if you were. the swell of confusing feelings was proof enough; were you anybody else, mortal or immortal, god or adepti, he’d have surely struck you down for your behavior long ago. cooing over him as if he were a mere household pet, feeding him scraps of crushed fruit, calling him such names as ‘pretty bird’- he’d have morphed back the second he was strong enough, held his blade to your throat and called you insolent and ungrateful. he’d leave you with a scar, and yet here he was, apologizing for the one he did leave in any way he could.

you carefully poured some almonds pieces in your palm, and he shifted to your thumb as you sat. were you anybody else, you would be dead. but your eyes are still open, carefully watching him, and your heart still beats blood. he can feel your pulse through his claws, sometimes, and often finds his own slowing down to match it.

you had an adeptus eating from the palm of your hand, and yet you were none the wiser. you simply propped your head in your free hand, a gentle smile on your face.

“my pretty bird,” you said quietly, and xiao’s eyes closed of their own volition.

yours.

[m1d-45]

More unrelated Bird Xiao blurbs because this idea has me in a chokehold.

Xiao always felt guilty about the scar he left on your hand when he but you. He nuzzles that scar with his little feathered head every chance he gets.

Zhongli noticing Xiao is in a much better mood these days. When the former archon asks the yaksha about it, he swears he saw Xiao give a small smile before he left to pray to the creator.

Xiao gets hurt in his bird form. He can't fight back in this little body and ends up with a broken wing. When the true creator finds him, he can only chirp sadly and apologetically. 'I'm so sorry,' he thinks, 'I just wanted to find you.' But instead of leaving him there like he expected, you oh-so-carefully pick him up and use what little powers you have to heal him. His heart aches for you when he hears you murmuring comforting words to him while you hold him close. He never wants you to let go of him.

-sibling anon, who is currently fixated on all the fluff+angst material of this idea

honestly i could probably post this stuff as like. a Genuine Post. but i wanna answer this now and also have a really sad post right after valentine’s day (which is already q’d) so… here’s 800 words of bird xiao :)

xiao’s fond of sitting in your palm, head resting on the small scar on your finger. he feels so bad for it, always, the glimpse of blue engrained in his memory, but he hopes by covering it you won’t hate him for it.

you don’t hold it against him (honestly, you probably forgot) and treat him as you always do: with kindness. you pet over his wings and give him your almonds, and in return he sings you a gentle song.

he’s seen at the inn less and less often, it’s so quiet on the balcony that verr ends up calling zhongli over. the consultant knew the yaksha, somehow, and she hoped he could find out what was wrong. zhongli wasn’t expecting anything serious, but when the balcony was empty even after he called for him…

(across liyue, xiao stiffened in your hands. you frowned, but he only flapped up, up, and away, leaving you as suddenly as he arrived)

xiao appears a moment before zhongli was going to call again, seeming… almost relaxed.

they talk, and though xiao swears he’s keeping up with his duties… zhongli knows he isn’t lying, but he can see how his debt has lessened. his shoulders are straighter, he isn’t as hunched over, and his hands aren’t balled at his side.

zhongli eventually shrugs it off. hes not surprised xiao hasn’t been hanging around as often when the traveller recently went to sumeru; love does strange things to people.

xiao’s only seen you in his mortal form once, and it was entirely by accident.

he’d been traveling from one hilichurl camp to the next, and your paths had crossed. he’d frozen, unused to seeing you when he want the size of your palm, but even from a distance he could see the terror in your eyes.

he hated it.

he couldn’t move for you if he wanted to—he did, he wanted to stop and hold you like you’d held him, wanted to brush his hands over your skin and assure you you had nothing to fear—as you turned and fled, leaving him alone on the trail. he couldn’t blame you, in truth, not when his spear was drawn and his face was taught with irritation. it made sense you’d be afraid of him, just… he wasn’t prepared for it to hurt this badly.

he’s been careful to only approach you in his smaller form ever since, no matter how far he had to fly. it wasn’t worth scaring you.. not after he’d already hurt you once.

he was distracted as he flew, not seeing the hawk that was diving for him until it was too late. the claws of the larger bird slammed him into the earth with a sharp crack, and he let out a cry. he couldn’t shift, not now, not when it was the time when you were usually walking about-

“hey!”

the bird didn’t pay attention to your call, only pressing xiao down further, but he did. he tried to wriggle from the hawk’s grip, to avoid the sharp beak that could spell his death in this smaller form. all he needed to do was get out, to slip free- but what if you saw him? would you still be afraid of him?

a large stick hit at the hawk, knocking its beak from xiao. you’d picked one up, one of the many splintering sticks scattered in liyue. you.. were protecting him.

the hawk cried and let him go, flapping backward, but you continued to jab at the dirt in front of it until it caved in and flew away.

xiao tried to flip to his feet, but one of his wings was hurt badly, pain shooting up his shoulder when he tried to move it. another weak chirp slipped out of him without his meaning to, and you turned, worry on your face.

you knelt—you shouldn’t be doing that, not to him, not when he was so dark and you were such a bright light—and carefully picked him up, cradling his small form in your palm. the warmth from your hands quickly covered his body, seeping into the definitely broken bone and easing some of the pain.

you carried him back to your messy camp, carefully hand-feeding him bits of almonds. if he weren’t covered in feathers, he’d surely have flushed a bright red, but he couldn’t deny that the food did help slightly.

for the rest of the day, he sat in your palm in a quiet half-sleep, weakly chirping whenever you checked on him. other birds came and went, but you kept him sheltered in your hand, wiping away any dust on his feathers.

by the time morning came, his wing was barely even sore.

[m1d-45]

i NEED xiao writings in my BLOOD STREAM arghmfhashrgh (snarling) (crawling darkly)

what if reader shows not-so-subtle favoritism to xiao, even after the whole impostor hunt? i want this man to WEEP.

maybe reader takes him up as a bodyguard of sorts, taking him around from place to place like he’s their happy little charm.

But even if reader just can’t get enough of (their scrunkly boogly bloop) - xiao, old habits die hard. sometimes when he makes a sudden move at reader, such as to catch their fall, reader still flinches. nightmares of the scarring past are common, and when they wake up to see their beloved guard hovering over them in concern, reader can’t help but yelp and shield themself with their arms.

but oh, oh no no. reader couldn’t bear to tell xiao about the dreams they have, like he kindly requests them to. then they’d have to tell him about the gruesome nightmares of him nearly tearing them apart ! that would make him awfully sad.

it would be a real shame if he found out, considering how you obviously avoid his gaze and touch during those nights. how you have a bad habit of sleep talking, when your body cannot hold in its terror.

but surely if he did find out, reverting to his small finch form as not to scare you, you’d still cradle him in your hands as if he were a fragile chick. whispering comforting words as you caress his wings, nuzzling his small head.

poor little guy awwww :((

poor little scringle :(((((

i’ve been meaning to do something w xiao post imposter au but like… this..

xiao who knows you’re afraid of him, who can’t even blame you or be upset. xiao unsure if he should try and wake you up, if it’s worth seeing the terror in your eyes when you realize who’s next to you. he wonders if it’s worth bringing you back to reality if it’s just as dangerous as your dreams.

typically he teleports out the second you’re awake as to not scare you—the glimpse of shadow he leaves behind undoes a lot of it—but one night your hand jerked and grabbed is, and in an attempt not to teleport you into the roof of the inn, he accidentally shifts into his bird form.

you blink awake, disoriented, feeling something wriggle in your palm. you sit up blearily, bringing your hand to your lap, and see a bright blue bird in your hand. it stares up at you with wide gold eyes, seeming just as startled as you are. you open your hand a little further, encouraging it to fly away—how did it even get inside??—but it doesn’t. instead, it hops closer to your fingers, bending to butt it’s head at them. you carefully close your hand again, stroking its side with your thumb, and the bird seems satisfied.

your mouth pulls into the smile, and the little blue bird closes its eyes.

.

[m1d-45]

All your Birb!Xiao works are stirring up my feelings and had me thinkin' of a good prompt--- if it's cool, and you want to write it---

What about our favorite birb outting himself to protect MC?? Like, someone finally manages to track us down--- I'm thinkin' Zhongli--- and best edgy boi Xiao is forced to shift back to stop him from striking us down.

The potential for angst between him and Zhongli fuels me, and protective Xiao fighting in our honor just--- *inhales deeply*--- gives me LIFE.

oh,,,,,,, you’re so right,,,,,,

like you’re walking with xiao,,,, he’s kinda just sitting on your finger, sitting in peace. you’re just sort of wandering, lost, he can feel your sour mood, and hopes the walk will brighten it a bit-

zhongli, evidently, was in a similar situation, his path crossing yours. you all freeze, staring at each other in shock.

you, not knowing where to go. xiao, not knowing who to follow. zhongli, debating whether the bird perched in your hand is the yaksha he thinks it is.

zhongli moves quicker than you can think, vortex vanquisher easily spun from his inventory and launched towards you at inhuman speeds. xiao, similarly, doesn’t think at all, morphing and grabbing his own weapon at the same time. he swings, the shimmering gold blade catching within the jade wings of his.

he can feel the tension in the air. the shock from you, the surprise—betrayal?—from zhongli, the way the world itself seemed to hold its breath, watching the exchange.

xiao could only grit his teeth and hope that you could escape in time.

[m1d-45]

OK but I'm just thinking

The reader gets straight up cornered by zhongli with bird xaio along with them

And their first instinct is to cradle and protect their pretty bird from harm

ADD THAT ✨️ANGST✨️

From raccoon anon 🦝

oh….. so soft… agh…

(spoilers for xiao lore and for liyue archon quest!)

like you have him perched on your hand, just going for a walk… he’s sitting, maybe slightly sleepy just from your aura and the slight swaying from your walking. the only sound is the shuffling from the leaves, your footsteps in the ground, the wind through the trees… it’s calm. quiet. peaceful.

and then it isn’t.

you turn a corner, and stop with a sudden jerk. his eyes slowly blink open—it’s bad he’s so dazed when he’s with you, but he can’t help it.

you tap his wing twice, quickly, just as he recognizes the form of zhongli a short ways down the path.

“run, birdie.“

but he’s frozen. he can’t. not when he can see the recognition carved into the lord of geo’s eyes, not when he knows this confrontation is going to end in bloodshed, whether yours or his or even zhongli’s.

zhongli took a step forward, and you took one back, your other hand coming up to- to shield xiao?

“go.“

zhongli’s eyes narrow, and through the gaps in your fingers he can see his spear begin to form in his hand.

“alatus,” he says cooly, “what are you doing?”

he feels you tense, can hear the hiss of your breath as you take in zhongli’s words, and his finch heart beats its wings.

of course you know his name. now his secret’s out, now you- now you won’t trust him, now he’s lost your faith, now this life he’s lived with you is gone over dead lost- what can he do if he’s been forsaken? how can he protect you if you don’t trust him to do so?

he feels glued in place, pinned by the weight of your breath, soft as it is, and he can do nothing but watch as vortex vanquisher finally takes shape.

you take another step back, and the shield of your hand loosens.

“run, birdie,” you urge again, but he can’t.

in a fight between two gods, a songbird cries.