#or the other way around - bringing some of the adepti to his world for a visit | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kitsuvil · 2 years

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— genshin x sick! gn! reader hcs

characters; xiao, tighnari, childe, cyno

warnings; comfort, fluff, sickness/fever

summary; how your boyfriend takes care of you when you feel under the weather !

— XIAO;

- he’s better at telling if you have a temperature through the forehead touch than most people are, there’s a certain vibe and energy he gets from a forehead that’s burning hot and definitely sick

- he offers to bring you soup that’ll warm up your body and kick out the sickness

- there are also techniques that he uses to keep his energy balanced so he tries to help you attempt them, so that while your sick, your energy doesnt become unstable

- he tries to be super nonchalant about it because he understands that getting sick is normal, especially for a human that is more vulnerable than an adepti is to the world around them

- but its always guaranteed that regardless of how casual he seems about it, you will be his number one priority when you’re sick and when he doesn’t have his eyes laid upon you, he’ll be constantly worried about your condition getting worse

- that mf be underestimating our immune systems!!

- his genius idea is just to make you unsick as fast as possible so that there’s no way your condition could get worse in the first place

- he’s normally already pretty quiet, but when you’re sick, he won’t allow you to talk nearly at all so that you don’t get too overwhelmed. he basically makes you bedridden until you get better

- he also understands that if you’re in a lot of pain, it’s more difficult to fall asleep, so he will stay with you until you fall asleep and rub his hands through your hair or message your hand until you’re able to finally get some rest, but he’ll usually never admit that it’s only for you and hint towards the fact that he gets some sort of benefit from it too

- what is the benefit he gets? we’ll never know </3 maybe it’s the fact that he gets to admire your beautiful face the entire time, even while sick and everything, or maybe it’s just the comfort he feels while in your presence

- he believes in fresh air being an amazing remedy for stuffy noses so he takes you bridal style outside in the morning to watch the sunrise and breathe in (more like attempt to breathe in) the crisp air

- he also makes you take medicine that he learned to use from growing stronger with the other adepti and zhongli, zhongli already gives him pain killers, why not bribe him for some fever reliever, right xiao?

- “i still don’t understand why you insist on this strict regime every time i get sick. you’d think with how well you take care of me, i couldn’t even get physically sick anymore.”

- “even i get sick sometimes too, there’s no way that could happen.”

- “you? sick? lovesick, maybe,” you chuckle, “i’m kidding. thank you so much for taking care of me. i love you.”

- “lovesick?- it’s just my duty as your partner. nothing more, nothing less. but you’re welcome. it’s my way of giving thanks for your existence.”

- “those words sound so oddly cheesy coming from you.”

- “anyways. i love you too, now drink up your tea before it gets cold and it has no benefits anymore. i don’t want to make another cup.”

— TIGHNARI;

- the second you come up to him with the back of your hand up to your forehead, trying to sense your own temperature, he comes up and silently grabs your hand away just to check it for you.

- he gets pretty close while trying to check if you have a fever or not, in an attempt to hear if your heartbeat is any different from usual.

-sighs in relief after hearing that everything is working like it should

- he holds up the little green part of his bangs with his other hand while checking your forehead with his own and it’s really cute

- his ears become slightly downturned once he feels the heat, showing his disappointment with no words spoken

- “didn’t i tell you to not overwork yourself? now i’m stuck having to take care of you when i could be working.”

- “are you not working right now, mr. forest ranger?”

- “it’s different when my own partner got carelessly sick. you should know your limits, don’t put yourself under a lot of stress all at once. you can snuggle in my bed until you feel better, i’ll prepare some medicine for you.”

- he quite obviously knows everything in the book to make you feel better. all you need to do is name it and he will have something to help you. nonstop sneezing? easy, here’s an incense for that. want some magical shrooms to forget about the fact that you’re sick?

- he’s kidding of course, but sometimes if you feel bad enough to say yes, that’s code for him to pay more attention to you.

- super healthy food the entire time, lots of liquids, he will spoon feed you without hesitation if you feel bad enough and it just comes naturally to him because he’s been doing this kind of thing for so long

- i think this is literally the smoothest sickness you could have, you probably won’t even experience any worse symptoms. he never lets you reach the point where you need to throw up from your fever.

- always stuffed you under blankets and more blankets, so much that you coined the term ‘burrito sickness’ in your relationship.

- when he has to work but he doesn’t want to leave you, he’ll bring all his papers and study material to whatever room you’re staying at, there’s a good chance tighnari just forced you to sleep in his bed

- you always complain because then he’s the one overworking himself and not getting proper rest

- but he just looks at you as if whatever statement you just said didn’t exist and assures you that he knows what he’s doing

- u just grunt and roll over to the other side of the bed in response and probably knock out after the sleep inducing tea he offered you.

— CHILDE/TARTAGLIA/AJAX;

- he won’t notice immediately, but when you suddenly start acting dismissive to his flirtatious actions, his suspicion grows.

- normally he expects some sort of acknowledgement, at least a ‘shut up’ but instead you leave him with an uncomfortable grunt

- he eventually realizes you’re acting this way because you’re feeling way under the weather when he pretends to hug you but instead feels your forehead with his hand and senses you burning up

- gets angry that you didn’t tell him off the bat, here he is selfishly dragging you around and you’re not enjoying any moment of it

- after telling him that it’s just because you didn’t want to ruin the date you guys were having he immediately gets upset at you because why would he care more about the date over your health??

- “don’t even worry my lyubov, you can just make up for the date in bed after you’re all healed up” he sneaks you a wink

- he’s not the smartest of the bunch when it comes to all the herbal remedies but he is a genius when it comes to fever comfort foods

- he will cook you anything you’ve ever wanted provided your stomach can handle food, gourmet 5 star meals even, he is the one that will be the most obvious and open in his attending to you because of how much he cares for you, he even feels the need to remind you how much he loves you even when you’re sick

- lots of forehead kisses, his ideology is that if he gives enough cold snezhnayan kisses it’ll balance out the heat... idk where he’s getting cold snezhnayan kisses from though

- maybe his soul is that cold

- brr

- super warm for u tho <3

- if teyvat had nasal spray he’d shove it down those nostrils of yours instantly bcs i think he has childhood trauma of having the worst stuffed noses growing up (me too dw)

- he definitely has a lot of experience from taking care of his siblings when they’ve been sick before so it’s never a hard time with him, it’s super comforting if anything, knowing that you’re not alone

- “i’m still expecting you to make up for the date by the way. so get unsick faster” he teases you plenty while you’re sick, making fun of how badly stuck in bed you are

- he expects you to throw up on his shirt somewhere in the process i think he’s used to that too so he’s surprised at how smoothly it goes down with you LMAO

- “this isn’t a child why did i think i would get thrown up on anyway...”

— CYNO;

- cyno has probably never really had anyone to take care of him while he was sick so the entire experience is new to him, a lot of the time he unhealthily powered through his own fevers as if it was nothing, independence rocks ig poor cyno

- he realizes how bad it feels to see a loved one feeling super sick and not taking care of themselves through this experience

- he never really paid attention to the fact you had a fever until you brought it up to him, complaining about how bad you feel

- cyno seems like the type to have healthy smoothie recipes so he’ll offer up those but somehow warm them up so your throat isn’t dying but it ends up tasting BAD

- but at least cyno is TRYING, really hard at that, so you swallow down the drink without hesitation

- but he also definitely offers some medicine that he got after consulting tighnari lmao

- for the most part, it's a learning experience for the both of you, but especially cyno himself

- he learns a lot about what works and doesn't work when treating a fever or a cold, and he can recall at some point knowing these things, but during his time in the akademiya he realized he started not caring for it as much as he should've, being influenced by others speaking about health as if it were such a mundane thing in life

- mans definitely did not have his priorities set straight and neither does ANYONE in the akademiya i think they all need a break

- "cyno what do you mean you didn't know drinking hot tea helps you feel better? i thought that was like a first thing free from womb kind of knowledge... we have a lot of improvement to make..."

- "i may be bad at treating you right now but please y/n, i can see you holding back a cough, we can make the improvements after you feel better, don't act tough in your current suffering"

- after you get better, you make sure he won't let his own fevers go uncares for, you're here to give back and take care of him instead

this is my 4th time trying to format this post im miserable

im super sorry if cynos part seems super short and cut off it was like 2 am and i also find it hard to make heavy detail hc for cyno

this was written shortly after i was sick myself so this is my advice to everyone else to stay in good health <3 !

i know im supposed to be on hiatus. we are going to be hush hush about this and pretend like this post doesn't exist i just can't help writing and posting

#genshin #genshin impact #hoyoverse #fluff #genshin fluff #genshin comfort #comfort #xiao x reader #xiao #tighnari x reader #tighnari #childe #tartaglia #ajax #cyno x reader #cyno #genshin impact headcanons

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that-foul-legacy-lover · 8 months

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hiya Wifi, i saw your post and really hope you feel better soon!

reader with FL who always always always brings you little things and gifts. though childe will always present you with grand things like expensive dresses and silks, jewelry and crystals and snacks from abroad, FL is the one who'll go on a walk and come back with his arms full of things that remind him of you.

he brings you the most darling flowers - even if they're only weeds - and wraps them in delicate little ribbons: a small bouquet. (you press them and keep them right with all the other small bookmarks you've made with his help.) he picks seashells from along the shore and pretty pebbles from the riverside, tucking them in his palms and letting them roll onto the table in front of you once he gets back.

this one's the color of your eyes, he tries to tell you, tugging you towards a mirror and holding it up to your face. this one's your favorite color. these would be so pretty on the path leading up to your house. somehow, you always understand what he's trying to say. you have the first pebble, the color of your eyes, made as the pendant of a necklace and you wear it as often as you can. the second pebble (which isn't really your favorite color, but it's a close enough shade and honestly, you might as well just change your favorite color to it anyway) is kept in your nightstand. and when FL steps out the door on his next little stroll along the countryside, he finds that the path to your house has been lengthened and is now a few pebbles and bits of gravel longer than it was before.

wait hang on hold on give me a minute this made me cry-

the Adepti have long grown used to catching glimpses of a horned Abyss creature wandering the shoreline, his crimson-plated face glinting in the light of the setting sun. he's not hurting anyone at all- just the opposite, in fact, his arms full of trinkets and bits and bobs that he thinks you might like- it's endearing, in his own Abyssal way (Cloud Retainer refuses to confess to helping him find the shiniest rock or most vibrant seashell). everything that glints, everything that blooms, everything that catches his eye reminds Legacy of you and your kind, gentle heart, working too long and too hard every day to keep the both of you safe. so he brings you everything that makes him happy, in hopes that it will make you happy as well, that it will ease the exhaustion in your eyes just slightly. he comes home with a little bit of the world in his claws and waits for you to finish work, watching your pen move intently from a corner of the room, and once he hears that customary sigh and your chair being pushed back, he hops up and sweeps you into his arms, tugging you away to cuddle

it's here that he shows you all the items he gathered, curling around your body and nudging them into your hands. see? see? this rock is smooth and round, like the ones you skip into the sea. this flower is from one of your favorite tea blends, and this leaf is all alight with fiery colors and warmth, like the comforting embers of your voice. Legacy trills and coos to you, trying to explain each and every reason, and he purrs deeply when he sees how gently you handle each object, not wanting to tear or rip anything. there's a small smile on your face and a twinkle in your eyes as you thank him, coming up with some way to use every item he brought home. the gravel dotting the path to your house becomes infinitely more colorful, the occasional chunk of rough crystal or cor lapis poking through. the leaves and flowers are pressed and slipped into a large, leather-bound book filled with dried blossoms and greenery, or even made into bookmarks and decorations. you make jewelry out of the smaller bits of glittering stone Legacy somehow finds, playfully putting a bracelet onto one of his horns and watching him tilt and shake his head to get it off- you have a matching pair of bracelets, actually, one for him and one for you

Legacy knows he's done well when he sees you smile, relaxed and easy, and with a rumble he pulls you close and gives you a tight hug, holding the one he adores most

#genshin impact #childe #tartaglia #foul legacy #foul legacy childe #genshin tartagalia #genshin childe #genshin tartaglia #chit chat #anon #picking up interesting things aka the crow instinct!!#you also do it too by the way #you pick up pretty things to show him when you get home #his species of Abyss monster give each other courting gifts so he's always super pleased #short scenario #other's stuff #good evening #FAVE

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dreamerinthemoonlight · 1 year

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The Thread that Binds a Sinner and God

Summary: Zhongli awakens his soulmate bond, when he never thought he would. Of course, he didn't expect for his soulmate to be Dainsleif

Word Count: 2584

CW/TW: Mentions of Death, Spoilers for requiem of the echoing depths archon interlude quest, Angst with a happy ending

Zhongli x Dainsleif

Requests are OPEN

Zhongli makes his way along the lake that pools at the base of the Huaguang Stone forest.

In the late afternoon sun, the pillars and surrounding mountains cast long shadows across the valley.

Zhongli sighs as he raises his eyes to the cloudless sky.

Not for the first time, especially since giving up his gnosis, the weight of the past settles on his shoulder like stone. It’s like the river of time is a tangible thing, surrounding him, both leaving him behind and inexorably sweeping him along in its wake.

It feels like only yesterday that he stood next to Azhdaha, defending Liyue side by side. And yet only a few hours before they said a goodbye he never thought they’d get.

Zhongli’s gaze falls from the sky to the homes of his fellow adepti. His heart clenches. One day he’ll be saying goodbye to those age old friends too. Time and erosion slowly carrying them to an inevitable end.

The ancient adeptus shakes his head vigorously, clearing his mind with a reminder that this is the natural order of the world, that even he will fall one day.

A pinch in his pinky draws him out of his musings.

Zhongli raises his hand only to find a scarlet thread tied around it.

The tail of the string pulls taut, disappearing a few feet from him, though he’s well aware that someone else is on the other end.

He touches the thread, giving it a gentle tug, smiling when a faint presence in his mind gives a start.

After six millenia, he finally has a soulmate.

Perhaps the stars have some plan for him yet.

That night, Zhongli decides to leave the bond be. After all, there’s enough distance between the two of them that only the strongest of emotions and the worst possible pain filter down the bond created by the string.

Every now and then, Zhongli will be laying in bed at night and the faintest hint of sadness or apathy, but nothing strong.

The greatest change brought on by the soulmate bond is the teasing he receives from Hu Tao and others he interacts with.

One bright day, Zhongli sits outside the Third Round Knockout, listening to one of Iron-tongue Tian’s stories.

His right hand absentmindedly fiddles with the string hanging from his left.

Over the last few weeks its length has become far less taut, coinciding with a strengthening in the emotion that flows down it.

It’s been almost painful, the way his soulmate seems to alternate between emptiness, fierce determination, and hate. It’s been all he can do to keep projecting a sense of comfort down the bond, but so far it’s done little to ease his soulmate's pain.

Today is a bit of an exception. For once there is a sense of recognition and even fondness, though for some strange reason it’s paired with scorn.

Halfway through Iron-tongue Tian’s story, the constant flow of emotion shifts, flaring into something stronger. Desperation, grief, fear, and rage spill over in heavy waves. Before he can think about it, Zhongli stands, leaving the Third Round Knockout and racing through Liyue’s side streets.

Before he can leave Chihu Rock however, a wave of pain unlike any he’s ever felt brings him to his knees.

No. No. No. I haven’t even met them yet. Please let them be alright.

Zhongli forces himself to his feet, making sure he’s far out of the city before doing something he never thought he’d do again and shifts form.

Scales replace skin as the former archon takes on his draconic form and takes to the sky.

He keeps low to the ground, knowing that rumors of his “return” would certainly follow if he were to be seen, but urgency demands a faster mode of transportation than human feet.

Zhongli follows the string, which is somehow still visible in this form, crossing the southern regions of Liyue.

At this point the string has shifted, disappearing into the ground a few feet from him. How his soulmate ended up in the chasm underground is a question for later.

For now, Zhongli focuses on skirting the Millelith, fatui, and treasure hoarders.

By the time he slips into a back entrance to the chasm underground the pain and anger have eased, replaced by bone deep weariness and grief.

Despite knowing that his soulmate is probably safe, Zhongli continues on.

While Zhongli makes his way across the chasm underground, Dainsleif watches Aether and Paimon leave.

Paimon chatters to Aether, reassuring him that they’ll meet again. Why they’d want to after he threatened to kill Aether if he sided with his sister, he doesn’t quite know, but at the moment it doesn’t matter.

Waves of residual pain wash over him as he approaches Halfdan’s body. There’s no way he’s leaving him here, to rot where he fell.

He lifts his brother in arms and carries him out of the ruins, before placing him in a small cave and bringing the entrance down.

Dain sits by the collapsed cave entrance, letting waves of residual pain wash over him. The tears he refused to let Aether and Paimon see well up in his eyes.

Would that he had the ability to take Halfdan’s body back to their homeland, but that place is sealed off. Sealed off and far, far away.

“I’m sorry, brother. Thank you for doing what I could not.”

Dainsleif closes his eyes and falls into uneasy sleep, uncaring of the scarlet string that grows ever shorter.

Zhongli finds Dain leaving up against a pile of fallen rocks, face twisted in obvious pain.

For the first time, the scarlet thread attached to his pinky is fully visible, tied to the man in front of him.

Zhongli leaves the man be for a moment, finding a sheltered nook to set up a makeshift camp in. A wave of his hand grinds stone half a foot deep into soft sand, before starting a fire.

He returns to his soulmate, gently lifting him and moving him to the camp.

Once Dain is settled, Zhongli frowns. Running off after his soulmate without any preparation may not have been his best idea.

Then again, looking at his soulmate, he’d rather be here. That being said… there’s a way to get them out. It would be difficult, without the gnosis to aid him, but possible. Whether or not his soulmate would thank him is another issue entirely.

Dainsleif rolls over on his side, and another wave of pain overwhelms him.

No. As much as he’d rather wait for his soulmate’s permission, they're going to have to leave at some point and the blond needs a comfortable place to recover. Comfortable and safe.

With his decision made, Zhongli picks Dainsleif up again, muttering soft words of comfort when the man groans before facing the back wall.

A barked word creates a large jagged crack in the wall, through which he can see the western edge of the harbor, not far from the place where he makes his home.

He steps through and makes his way down the path to the small house.

He has to set Dain down for a moment to let them in, but within a few minutes, Zhongli has him settled in bed.

Zhongli looks over at his soulmate and sighs. All he can do now is wait.

Dainsleif wakes to complete and total darkness. Oddly enough, it’s not the confined darkness of the chasm underground, but the brighter darkness of the world above it.

Even odder, he’s tucked in a bed, covered in silk sheets. The soft scent of incense fills the room.

He groans as he sits up, pressing a gloved hand to his pounding head.

“You’re awake.”

The speaker is a tall, dark haired man.

“Where am I?” Dainsleif winces at the rough quality of his voice.

“My home. I wasn’t going to leave you to sleep in the chasm. It’s not safe.”

The response elicits a scowl. “I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t doubt that. You’ve been out for two days. We had no food or water and I was not going to leave your side long enough to find some. Speaking of food, are you hungry?”

Dainsleif is about to answer with a negative and insist on being shown the exit, but his stomach takes this opportunity to rubble at top volume.

The man chuckles. “I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll return shortly.”

As he leaves, Dainsleif finally notices the string that ties them together.

Fuck. I’m royally fucked.

Zhongli hurries back with two trays of food. He sets one on Dain’s lap before placing his own on the table he pulled over to the bedside a few days beforehand.

“Eat. You need it.”

Zhongli does his best to ignore the heavy negative emotions flowing down the bond, at least for now.

As soon as he had seen the star pupils in his soulmate’s eyes, he had known that this would need work, but the longer they are this close together, the more it seems like he’s going to be permanently rejected.

“What’s your name?” Zhongli asks, finally.

“Dainsleif.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dainsleif. I’m Zhongli.”

At least in this era I am.

Dainsleif furrows his brow. “You’re lying to me. I can feel it.”

“No I’m not. I have been known by many names. Zhongli is the one I have chosen in this era, for who I am now.”

“Will you give me your true name? I’d like to know that much about my soulmate.”

Zhongli nods. “I suppose my ‘true name’ if any really exists would be Morax. Though I would appreciate not being called by that. I keep wondering when my boss is going to connect the dots.”

“Morax is dead.”

“Most people would think so, wouldn’t they? It was simply best for all involved that I seem so.”

Dainsleif glares at Zhongli. “You….”

“I think I will take my leave. I understand that you will need time to process this. I simply ask that you spend enough time here to recover. It is safe here. On that you have my word.”

Zhongli leaves, leaving Dainsleif to his own devices.

What in the abyss is fate thinking? Partnering me with an archon? How am I supposed to be with an archon?

Dainsleif freezes. I wanted to be with my partner. That blasted traveler is really getting to me. What do I do now?

After a moment, Dainsleif registers the emotion crossing the bond. He wonders if Zhongli--Morax-- is aware that he’s sending unspoken comfort down the string tying them together, as if he cares.

He pauses. Perhaps the ancient man does care. He’s clearly tainted with abyssal energy and his eyes are clearly Khaenri’ahn.

All he knows is somewhere deep inside, something inside him is begging him to give the archon a chance.

“Khaenri’ah is gone. I am alone. Halfdan,” he speaks to his friend, unable to help the tears that spill over, “do I give our old enemy and one of the ones who cursed us all, a chance? Do either of us get a chance at redemption?”

He goes unanswered.

Several days pass and Zhongli continues to nurse Dain back to health.

When it seems like Dainsleif isn’t going to push him away, he begins speaking of everyday life. He tells stories of Hu Tao and his fellow employees, and speaks of his fellow adepti.

After Dain’s first sleepless night, Zhongli starts telling ancient bedtime stories. Somehow, the archon’s voice easily lulls him to sleep.

One night, a week after rescuing Dain, Zhongli sits outside his house, watching over Liyue harbor.

The door opens and shuts with a soft thump.

“Good evening, Dainsleif.”

“Do you do this often? Sit out here and watch?”

“Yes. My contract with my people is the most important I’ve ever made. I would do anything to protect them.”

“Even curse another nation?”

“Dainsleif… I cannot speak of it. I made a contract….”

“Even to someone who knows everything?”

“I---I don’t know. I made a contract to never speak of it, to reveal nothing.”

Dainsleif takes a moment to think. He touches the string tying them. After 500 years he’s well aware that the Lord of Geo is truly incapable of breaking a contract.

“Can you think of it? Let me feel how you felt?”

“Smart. You think well.”

Zhongli closes his eyes and the emotions being shared shift.

To Dainsleif’s surprise, there’s nothing cold or heartless about them. Instead, there’s pain, guilt, a sense of resistance, as if there was nothing he could do to stop, even though he might have wanted to.

“I…think I see. You really feel no malice towards us.”

“Only to the ones directly responsible for losing monsters on Liyue. If I could find a way to circumvent my contract, I would. In the time that we have been connected I have grown to care for you, I don’t wish for my silence to cause you any more pain.”

“The past is the past and in truth I do not blame the gods. The ones in power brought it upon themselves. My enemy is not the gods, but the Abyss Order that continues to endanger the world.”

“I understand. Thank you for understanding my limitations.”

“What do you want to do about us?”

“Us? I think it is up to you. I have lived a very, very long time. Perhaps as a young adeptus I might have hoped that I would have a soulmate. But after the Archon War, after Guizhong the God of Dust, died, it seemed too easy to lose a soulmate. Besides, I was more than 3000 years old at that point. It was easy to think I would never see the red string of fate on my own hand. Since giving up my gnosis I have resolved to live as much of a normal life as I can.”

“An archon can live a normal life?”

“We can try. I’ve heard that the Anemo archon also spends his days amongst his people.”

The emotions flowing between them hit a sour note.

“You don’t like him?”

“Barbatos is a lazy drunkard. His nation has long survived without his overt interference. For much of my time as an Archon it seemed very improper.”

“I see.”

“Will you give me a chance, Dainsleif? I am well aware that I have done much to earn your hatred and that Khaenri’ahns have never liked the gods. But fate tied us together anyway.”

“I---I am willing. I have spent a lot of time thinking. I will not give up until I’ve eliminated the abyss order, but if you want to join me, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to have a companion once again.”

“I would have to speak to Hu Tao, but I would not mind traveling with you. There is much I haven’t seen in this world. If you will have me, I will help you in your cause. The Abyss Order is a threat to all.”

Dainsleif takes a seat next to his soulmate, letting their knees brush together. “We don’t have to decide now, but I am willing to give you a chance. To give us a chance.”

“Thank you.”

The two men, once on either side of a line drawn in the sand, sit in silence. And when the Harbor finally sleeps, a god and a sinner walk side by side. The string between them vanishes, but the bond forever remains.

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steadybelieverpersona · 4 months

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Ch.13: Custodian of Clouds(3/4)

At the top of Mt.Aocang, the trio looked around for Cloud Retainer but didn't see her, only a stone table under a tree in the middle of the pond

Paimon: Hey, who put this table here? They've even set it ready for dinner. There's a wine jug and everything...

Paimon: Ooh, they even have the guests' names carved into the seats! "Here sits, Retainer..." "Here sits Guizhong..." "Here sits Rex..." Maybe "Rex" is short for "Rex Lapis"? But Paimon has no idea about "Guizhong."

Y/n: "Guizhong? That's my middle name, but from what Dad told me, this table is millenia old, so it's impossible for this seat to be reserved for me."

Paimon: As for "Retainer," hmm... That's it! When Moon Carver was going through the names of his adepti buddies, he said there was one called "Cloud Retainer." So, this must be where Cloud Retainer and the other adepti have their dinner parties! Hehe, how about we cook up some extra-special dishes for the adepti? We're sure to get Cloud Retainer's attention that way! But... What do adepti even eat, anyway? Paimon has no idea... Hmm, people must make offerings here all the time. Guess all we can do is look around the area for any leftovers, maybe that'll give us some ideas. Do you think maybe it's at all possible that the adepti might like to try some... Sticky Honey Roast?

Y/n: Well, Cloud Retainer really enjoyed eating with the other adepti, so I guess any food offerings will work, look, there's different areas with stoves, there could be recipes for food there, let's split up and make the food and then place the offerings here and then enter Cloud Retainer's domain

After looking around and making Mora meat, Matsutake Meat Rolls, and Jewelry Soup and offering them, they entered the domain, and soon, a voice could be heard

Cloud Retainer: One senses the presence of a Sigil of Permission... One knows not why you both have come, though the sincerity of your offering is clear... Hence, you both shall be granted an opportunity. Find your way through mine abode, and you both shall receive an audience with the adeptus whom you both seek.

After finding their way through the domain and solving the puzzles that Cloud Retainer set up

Cloud Retainer: One is most impressed. The path that leads through this abode defies those of ordinary abilities. The one before you both is the adeptus, Cloud Retainer. Now, speak of the matter which brings you both here.

Aether: Did you build this whole place?

Cloud Retainer: You surmise correctly. This place did oneself build, as did one design the mechanisms within. In fact, even Guizhong and Rex Lapis themselves found one's technological accomplishments to be worthy of commendation.

Y/n: Cloud Retainer's mechanisms also still surprise me after all this time

Cloud Retainer: One is glad to see and interact with Y/n as well after all this time

Paimon: This place is huge! And there are so many mechanisms... Do you really have this whole place to yourself? What's it even for? Did you build it as your private mechanism workshop or something? It's just like the stories say. The adepti leave the human world, find somewhere to go be a hermit, and then they research and invent all these amazing things...

Cloud Retainer: One is simply not partial to the tedium of social interaction and wishes to find some peace and quiet. Find it one did... Shortly after which, you both arrived bearing your Sigil of Permission, and one is familiar to the aura of the child of the archons... But enough! State the matter that brings you both here, at once! You both have disturbed the tranquility of this place for long enough.

Aether explains what happened in Liyue Harbor.

Cloud Retainer: Rex Lapis... Assassinated!? How can this be!? Such a heinous crime... Who would dare? The notion is so preposterous as to be unbelievable... one shall have to verify the truth of the matter independently......Perhaps one shall quash Liyue first, then convene with the other adepti–

Aether: ... Excuse me!?

Paimon: Wait, what!? Did you just say "squash Liyue Harbor"? Are you seriously gonna wipe out the whole city?

Cloud Retainer: Only a response of sufficient magnitude can negate the possibility of further incidents.

Aether: But the adepti are sworn to protect the city...

Cloud Retainer: It is as you say. We have protected Liyue Harbor under the leadership of Rex Lapis for 37 centuries. But in the face of this coup by nefarious actors... exceptional measures must be taken.

Paimon: Yikes! Quick, you guys gotta think of something! She wants to squash Liyue flat, and it doesn't seem like she's bluffing!

Y/n: Uh, Cloud Retainer, you accepted our offering, which makes this a contract. Correct?

Paimon: Exactly what Paimon was gonna say! We made all that delicious food and gave every last bit of it to you! We were hoping you might help Liyue out... not wipe Liyue out! ...Or at least let's... y'know, discuss it first? It can't hurt for you to get a second opinion.

Cloud Retainer: "Contract..." A cruel irony that you should appeal to the notion after the merciless murder of the God of Contracts himself. The people of Liyue seem quite content to dispense with their contracts. They are quite adept at taking that which is composed of black and white, and turning it gray... Nevertheless... Since you all come here in the name of contracts, far be it from one to abandon one's own contractual obligations. Least of all when you come bearing a Sigil of Permission... *sigh* Rex Lapis infused these sigils with adeptal power when he first cast them. That power once aided humans in battle. Most of the sigil's power has long since worn off... It is but a keepsake now. This keepsake can not be taken as proof of your trustworthiness, only the child of the archons can be trusted since we adepti have sworn to protect her since her birth. One must investigate the claims that you all make independently. This, no doubt, is Moon Carver's very reason for summoning us. Your audience with the adeptus before you is now concluded. Leave at once, and disturb me no further.

Skit:

Paimon: You know since the adepti have known Y/n since she was a baby, Paimon wonders how Y/n looked like and acted when she was a baby, Paimon bets Y/n looked adorable

Cloud Retainer: hah! One has great memories of Y/n, she was so cute and tiny, very curious and playful. One recalls making Y/n her toys and her crib and one especially remembered how one along with Rex Lapis caught kid Y/n eating a spoonful of honey.

Y/n: I remember the toys and crib part but I don't remember the honey part. I guess the sweet tooth went away

Paimon: Aww that sounds so cute

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sparrow-stunned · 3 years

Text

ii. to the enduring emperor: mercy, mercy. | yan zhongli x reader

part i: glory, glory! | part ii: mercy, mercy. | part iii: pity, pity��

content warning: yandere behaviour, unhealthy relationship, unequal power dynamic. reader discretion is advised.

notes: adeptus!reader. light hints of guizhong x reader and zhongli x guizhong, if you squint. good things come in threes, after all. not sure if I should write part 3, so feedback/ideas very much appreciated!

word count: 3.5k

When Guizhong dies, your world tilts.

Dear friend… I will be departing first. Those are the last words of your beloved Lord of Dust, before she dissolves into the finest particles. Before she’s dissipated by the grieving wind.

You kneel on wilted glaze lilies, clutching at her fragmenting pieces. Do not go, my lady, you weep. Not without me. But she does not answer. Morax stands beside you, eyes unblinking. He is so very still, inanimate rock to your wrecked sobs. Even when Guizhong had embraced him with her crumbling body, whispered in his ears for a last farewell, he had not said anything.

But beneath it, you know. He is also wavering. He is also dying. Morax remains unblinking, for fear of forgetting. He is memorizing. Memorializing.

As an immortal, you were not familiar with death. So rarely do the adepti die. But in this war, you learn different. You learn that the adepti are immortal until slain. You learn that the gods are powerful, but not powerful enough.

There is a limit to all.

Cursed with this knowledge, you can only watch, a helpless observer, as your lord fades into nothing. You watch as the Guili Assembly is halved—and your heart along with it. Cut into two. Half ground to dust.

The flooded plains are abandoned. The wild glaze lilies are no more. Your sovereigns, supposed eternal and forever under your protection, dwindles from two to one.

Even now, the world is still off-axis. Still tilted.

Millennia pass, but you never learned how to upright it. How to mend it.

In some ways, after Guizhong’s death, Morax is the same. Off-axis. Off-kilter. Broken marble warped into obsidian. One lord dead, the other descending into madness. The assembly disassembled, including Morax’s sanity.

Perhaps Guizhong took it with her when she died.

ꕥ

You do not notice the change wrought upon Morax until much, much later.

It starts small. So small you think nothing of it. After all, it is merely the compassion of a lord in caring for his people. That explains his growing reluctance in sending you into frontlines of the Archon War, as Liyue begins to find its footing again after the flood of Guili Plains.

So, in the beginning, you think nothing of his suffocating concern. Your lord becomes ever-present at your side, coiling dragon of stone wrapped around the clouds above you, as your gleaming blade dances and clashes against enemy gods. However, slowly but surely, stone spears are the first to pierce the heart of any who dare to intrude your vicinity. Your sword becomes dull. It no longer sings.

But when you bring this up to Cloud Retainer, she brushes you off. “You think too much. Rex Lapis is merely concerned for your safety.”

“Concerned to the point where my blade goes unneeded, when his spear follows my every footstep in the battlefield?” you ask dryly. “My combat skills are second to only him. I think his concerns unfounded.”

Cloud Retainer laughs, shaking her head. “You are most beloved by the lord. That is all. This adeptus thinks you should take pride in such a fact.”

“If you say so,” you mutter. This incessant protection—it is only him showing his care for his loyal subject, you tell yourself. Right?

But deep inside your chest, there is a sinking feeling. Morax does nothing lightly. Every action is deliberate.

True to your words, your fears are realized when you learn of his insistence in removing you from the battlefield altogether. You are assigned to the protection of Liyue Harbour rather than bloodying yourself in expeditions. That’s when you have had enough. You can fool yourself no longer.

You will not have him question your skills.

If he does not even have the courage to tell you face to face, you will go to him. Gathering the clouds at your fingertips and spinning it into concentrated air, you step onto the floating platform and take to the skies.

Morax’s abode is, like his nature, hidden in the mountain. Its doors yield to your push—he knows you’re here. You storm into his domain, rising righteous anger culminating with a slam of your hands on the stone table in front of him. Despite the force behind your rage, it does not budge; Morax does not either.

“So, you’ve heard,” he notes. The fire in you burns even hotter. He knew you would come to him in protest. Yet still he chose to do it.

“Surely there must be better use for my skills,” you hiss, so lost in your frustration that you forget your respect. “I am not second of the Adepti for nothing, Morax! You were the one to bestow the title upon me—was it for nothing?”

He does not comment on your insubordination, but merely intones, “It is for the best. I have made my decision.”

The human face he wears is blank. Unreadable. Everything open about him, after Guili Assembly, has been shuttered off.

You do not know what he’s thinking, but you know it is not right. “You would have me be called a coward?” you scoff. He would have you hiding behind the lives of your fellow adepti, not lifting a finger as they risk their lives for Liyue. For you.

It should be you defending them.

“You will be safeguarding the mortals,” Morax points out, as if were a reasonable request. “I would hardly call that cowardice. After all, Liyue Harbour cannot go unprotected.”

“You know as well as I that the Harbour is the furthest from the battlefield!” Your resist the urge to slam your hands on the table again. Taking a deep breath to calm yourself, you plead, “Unless the frontlines are breached, I will only be sitting around, twiddling my thumbs. Please. Anything else. I will take anything else.”

His face is carved in stone. “Liyue Harbour cannot go unprotected,” he repeats.

“I am not a child, Rex Lapis,” you snap. “I can take care of myself.”

“I never disagreed,” he says mildly. “But you have your orders.”

“My lord!”

“Enough.” Before you even have time to blink, his fingers are snaps around your wrist. Your eyes widen in surprise, body recoiling from his touch, but his hold only tightens. An increasing pressure. Enough to snap bones, if you kept resisting.

You heart stills—you are a bird fell by a thousand arrows, spiralling to your demise.

His amber eyes sharpen, glowing with power. With warning. “I will have no more of this. You will stay put in Liyue Harbour.”

When he says your name, it is a slow and deep. A command. Syllables reverberate with the intensity of an earthquake that threatens to tear apart everything if you do not cease. If you do not submit.

You grit your teeth, frustrated with your helplessness in the face of his dominance. Every muscle in your body is clenched, readying for a fight—though you are not so unwise as to raise a hand against Rex Lapis. But his foolishness… You cannot concede.

Lord Guizhong had not died for nothing. You refuse to cease in your search for vengeance. In this Archon War, Morax will be victor. Nothing more. Nothing less. To win a war, one must use every advantage; to leave his second-in-command in charge of babysitting is nothing short of idiocy—

But it seems this lord of yours will not listen to reason. Then you will not be reasonable.

“Fine,” you growl, daring to lift your chin in defiance against your sovereign. You snatch your hand back—and after an eternity of his staring, he lets you go. You scrub at the spot on your wrist where his fingers dug in, as if wiping away a stain. There are no bruises, but you feel like his touch has perforated your flesh. You feel breached.

The frown unfurling on Morax’s face only serves to vindicate your blatant rejection of his person—finally, you have affected your sovereign. The disarrayed thoughts whirling in your mind slowly shift into place. You will obey, but it will not be as he thinks.

When you step out, footsteps heavy in your displeasure, you look back. Rex Lapis—Morax—stares back, unblinking. “If you will see this adeptus gone,” you sneer, formality hiding daggers that you hope hurt him as much as he hurt you, “then this one will respect your wishes. Goodbye, my lord.”

“What are you planning—”

So swift was your retreat, the rest of his words echo in an empty room, reaching nothing but silence.

ꕥ

You wrap yourself in clouds. So thick was the mist around you, you’re sure that not even Cloud Retainer can find you. Not that she would have time to. Her war machine inventions keep her busy enough.

From the skies of Liyue Harbour, you watch emotionlessly as the war rages once more. The earth shakes. As a Warrior God, Morax is ruthless in his efficiency. But even he cannot claim full dominion over the entire battlefield. Every wound that your friends suffer, you feel it on yourself.

Some live. Some do not. In the distance you see antlers fall. You see Mt. Tianheng rise. Skybracer was ever so vain about his antlers. Morax’s gift was his pride and joy—and now he has given them up to protect Liyue. To protect you. Skybracer dies, and he leaves behind a river of blood.

You make to move, to rush to his side, but. You can’t. No one will watch the harbour in your absence, and the sea is crafty. It has been pushed back once, but any sign of weakness will bring it roaring back.

So you watch. Pain dots your heart, stippling ever-widening holes until you’re sure that you must be bleeding—

You look at your palms. Oh. So tight was your clenched fist, your nails have drawn blood. Even if kept out the fight, you still managed to bloody yourself. A sardonic smile creeps onto your face. Ou if Rex Lapis would find it amusing if you told him this. Most likely not.

Just as well, you suppose. It’s not as if you plan on seeing him.

When the combat begins dying down and the adepti begins returning—a short-lived peace, won with Skybracer’s blood and flesh—still you stay hidden. You wait.

Rex Lapis may be stubborn, but he is not slow. Your absence continues, even during Skybracer’s Rite of Parting. You cannot attend, half out of guilt, the other half fear. You fear you will cry if you do.

And so it goes. For weeks, you avoid your sovereign. When he invokes your name, you do not answer his call. You remain out of sight.

Oh, he knows you’re there. The traces of yourself left behind in the harbour make sure of it. A feather here, a hairpin there. Everything so neatly placed for him to discover. Your scent permeates the cobbled streets, leading him in a futile pursuit. Even as he morphs into his dragon body, coiling serpent chasing clouds in the sky, he cannot find you. He does not have enough time to. A god is busy, after all, and the God of Contracts even more so.

But even hidden, you are still protecting Liyue Harbour—not that it is in any danger, in this hard-won peace. A few mortal troublemakers, sent on their way with a few strict words from you, but nothing of true harm. But he had told you to safeguard it, so guard it you will. A contract is a contract is a contract. It is rule and law. You cannot break it, but you can transmute his order into something displeasing.

“What a willful lord I have,” you mutter. He could end this with but a simple command: come back. He is clearly refusing to rescind his words.

But you forget one thing. In trying to outwait stone, there is one advice: you cannot.

Eventually, one day, you slip. In the mountains near Liyue Harbour, you spot a flash of blue petal. Defenseless against its call, you descend to find it.

It is as you hoped, and yet it is not. A glaze lily, swaying in the wind. But already wilted.

You should have expected nothing less. The songs sang to them are not joyous enough for them to bloom. There is a reason they have disappeared. A desolate sigh escapes your lips, as your fingers caress the lifeless petals of the dead flower.

“Here you are.”

You whirl around, one hand to the sword by your hip—

Your eyes meet diamond pupils engraved in irises the colour of cor lapis. It’s Morax. In this one moment of weakness, he has defeated you. His face is, as ever, blank. But in his eyes… It seems he knows his victory.

“Somehow, I knew you would be here,” he mentions nonchalantly.

There is no anger in his voice. However, in his eyes, you find a glimmer of something hard. Something uncompromising. The air between you is silent and tense.

“…Glory to Rex Lapis, and may his reign surpass millennia,” you greet, voice hollow. The words are dust on your tongue. “It has been a long time, my lord. I saw news of your victory.”

A light nod of acknowledgement. “It is but my duty. As yours is to guard Liyue Harbour…” he says, a humourless curl to the corner of his mouth. “Which you have done so diligently, even unseen.”

You look at him with innocence. Best to play it safe. “I keep my contracts sacred, my lord.”

“That you do,” he agrees easily, as if your insubordination were nothing to him. And then his soft voice hardens into the harsh edges of unpolished rock. Rough. Forceful. “Do not,” he says, “hide away from me again.”

You can’t help your sharp intake, frozen under his cold gaze. You didn’t expect him to be so blunt.

“That was never my intention, my lord,” you murmur, each word slow and careful. Bile rises in your throat, but you swallow it down. “I was merely following orders—as you have command. I safeguarded Liyue Harbour.”

I did not disobey, is what goes unsaid.

Morax raises an eyebrow. “I commend you on your sense of duty.”

You sigh. Enough of this farce. “My lord, let me return to the battlefield. Liyue Harbour has no urgent need for my skills. Let someone else guard it in my place—”

“No.”

You bite your tongue to stem a curse from bursting out of your mouth. “…Why?”

He does not answer.

“At least tell me why!” The words explode from your mouth, your filter forgotten in frustration. You shudder from rage. You are stuck between a rock and a hard place—in the palm of his hand. “You would have me watch as my comrades die? You would have me do nothing?”

Your hand flies to your sword, and with a practiced motion, you unsheathe it.

He flares his nostrils, eyes narrowed. “What I would have you do," he warns, “is watch yourself.”

You do not hold your blade against your lord. You know your contracts. The Lord of Geo is first of the adepti. You are merely Secunde to his Prime. But you will not take his senseless orders. Glaring back, you toss your cherished blade to the ground between you. The metal sinks into soft earth with nary a sound.

“If you are so determined to keep me out of the foray, what use is my sword?! How am I to protect Liyue Harbour with a dull blade?”

“It is for your safety—” he begins, but you will have none of it.

“You would have me declawed!”

“I would have you safe!” he snarls, and the ground shakes.

You would never associate Morax with such intensity. Dispassionate anger perhaps, but not something so vehement. You had thought Geo impassive, but you are proven wrong. You forget that dragons roar.

Somewhere in the distance, a mountain splits. Its thundering crack reverberates tears through the silent air. The hair on the back of your neck prickles in warning. Do not tempt the gods, it says. You shudder—and then forcibly freeze yourself. He cannot know your fear. You cannot show weakness.

Rex Lapis gazes at you with glittering eyes. Slitted pupils. He takes a stride toward you, and your heart stops.

Your foot unconsciously staggers back. Away from him.

“My lord—"

You are cut off when he kicks your sword off to the side, careless and cruel.

He steps forward again.

You step back.

So the dance goes, until there is only the cool stone of the cliffside greeting your back. The wilted glaze lily next to your feet. Morax looms over you, shadow blocking out the sun. It is cold. Stifling.

You mouth tastes of blood.

“I could have locked you away instead,” he says lightly, peering at your frozen body with a frigid golden gaze. As if it were mere musing, and not a threat. “I could have moved mountains and seas, sealed you under them as I did to the gods slaughtered with my spear. Perhaps then you will stay put. Perhaps then you will understand.”

He trails the back of his hand on your cheek as you stare wordless at him. The sensation of his rough skin is too much—however light the force, it is still rock scraping flesh. You want to throw up.

“I could have you in an abode the size of a teapot,” he murmurs, gently caressing your cheekbone. “Or better yet, a teacup. Small enough to fit in the palm of my hand.”

You close your eyes. You would rather he kill you. Better a swift death than this slow torture. Under his cold, stony touch, you feel numb. Violated. So this how a god desecrates.

“I could have done so many things. But I didn’t. Do you know why?” He does not wait for answer. “Because I did not want your misery. Out of harm’s way, true, but free. I wanted you to be free to fly. But you have forced this upon yourself.”

A bird in the palm of your hand. That is not freedom, my lord. You would laugh at his naiveté if you could. But your lips do not move. Cannot move. This god in front of you—you do not know him. Morax carried himself as emotionless, but he was never malicious.

This god is anything but. This god is a threat.

“I will not have you suffer Guizhong’s fate,” he says, holding half of your face in his hand. Fingers sprawl over skin, and he sweeps his thumb over your lips. You resist the urge to bare your teeth in defiance. The urge to bite. “I cannot have your death.”

Against all odds, you find your voice. “But you can have Skybracer’s?” you whisper. “I saw it. If I had been there, he would have lived.”

“Or he would have died anyway. Or, perhaps you would have perished along with him.”

“You don’t know that.” Your hands reach up to clutch at the white collar of his robe, desperate voice breaking off on a crack. You cannot help but blame Rex Lapis; when you look at him, all you see is the waters of the Bishui river. All you see is blood. If you had been there…

“I was not strong enough,” he says, as your fingers twist around the fabric. As your vision blurs. “I am sorry. To you and him both.”

“If you’re sorry, why do you keep me like this?” you ask wetly, releasing him from your grasp, only for him to lean in closer; you wish he wouldn’t. He is pressing you in. Entrapping you. “Why do you keep me in the palm of your hand? Am I so weak to you? Am I a bird without wings, to do with as you will?”

His hand falls from you face, but it is a small relief. “I only wish that were the case,” he says, eyes still so hardened. So unblinking. You wonder how you seem in his vision. “But no.”

“So then what? What is my role in this war, Lord of Geo?” His title feels a mockery on your lips.

“Alive and free. By my side,” he says, and it sounds so simple from his lips. But they are not his true thoughts—they are pretty words, meant to soothe.

Free, as I am now, encaged by your shadow? Liar. “You can try. But you cannot have both, Morax.”

“Perhaps not now…” he says quietly. “But I am still your lord, and you my beloved subject. We shall see.”

His words only bring dread. He is right. But you cannot stand aside and watch your friends die, without fighting next to them. “If I were to disobey your command?”

“The Adepti have signed their contract. If you break it…” He trails off, a dark implication hidden in his stare. “Then you will re-learn why I am God of Contract.”

You flinch at the thought. His titles were not for nothing.

“And if I were to run?”

“Breaking a contract will not go unpunished. Make no mistake about that, beloved subject. If you run, I will find you. A year, a century, a millennium. Eventually, you will fly home.” He chuckles at a joke you do not understand until his eyes shift to the wilted flower at your feet. “After all, who do you think planted the glaze lily that led you here?”

Later, were someone to ask you when it begins, you would point at this. Right now. This is it—the moment you were caught.

#yandere zhongli x reader #zhongli x reader #genshin impact x reader #yandere genshin impact #yandere genshin x reader #yandere zhongli #zhongli #genshin impact #genshin #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere genshin impact x reader #to the enduring emperor #psyche.writes

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tellerluna-stories · 3 years

Text

a long, long time.

PAIRING: zhongli x adeptus! reader

GENRE: hopelessly sappy, oxygen-fighting air boxing kinda fluff!! happy reunions <3

OTHER NOTES: it isn't required but I recommend reading living treasure first! this fic is set in the same timeline after the epilogue of living treasure... or is it

TW/CW: n/a.

A/N: eyOOO it’s the first fic of the year and zhongli rerun banner numero tres, meaning it’s time to go beat a dead horse and write some more stuff with adeptus reader x zhongli!! i wrote this for my friends who (still) haven’t gotten geo grandpa yet, so hopefully this third zhongli fic helps bring the senior citizen home.

on another note, i’d like to announce that i now have a ko-fi! if you enjoy my stories and would like to support the author, please consider leaving a tip~~

Longing.

It was a strange, almost incomprehensible feeling; sometimes one could almost forget it was there, if you distracted yourself from it enough. But that would be only a temporary solution, for as soon as you let your guard down, if you let your composure slip for even just a moment- it would return ten times stronger, feeding on your heart like a ravenous butterfly.

You sit under a large tree, its peach-blossoms drifting in the air about you like large snowflakes. In your lap was a porcelain tea-cup, now empty of its contents, and your hands fidgeted restlessly at a ring that you were wearing. The sun had fulfilled its duties for the day and was now in the middle of bidding good-night to the world, its golden rays painting the sky in soft hues of pink, orange and purple.

Days, months, years, centuries— you had lost count of how long you had been waiting. You were no longer sure if the time that had passed was long or short, for adepti did not keep track of time the way mortals did; but at the very least, you knew who you were waiting for.

He promised to return, you tell yourself silently. He was many things— old-fashioned, sometimes a bit dense, clueless when budgeting mora… but he was a man of his word.

Longing fluttered its iridescent wings, perching on the flowering cusp of your heart to take a sip of sweet nectar; you winced, your heart aching viciously as it drank deep of love. One might say that such a beautiful creature should not bring pain, but as with everything in creation, there is a reason for things being the way they are. For blossoms and butterflies depend on the other in order to exist, and it only makes sense that love and longing would do the same. Temporary partings make reunions only sweeter, and just as the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Standing up, you brushed off your clothes with a sigh and peer toward the horizon, though you already knew that it was futile. Everyday you would wait outside, searching for a familiar silhouette to appear once more, and everyday you would see nothing. Today would be no different…

Your heart leapt into your throat suddenly, excitement and panic taking rein over your instincts. In the distance, you could make out a faint smudge of a silhouette— it was too far away to tell, but…

“Zhongli!” You cupped your hands around your mouth and shouted, the wind carrying your voice away. The figure straightened up at the sound of his name, his tall stature and upright carriage giving his identity away. Your lips curve upwards into a breathless smile— you could still recognize him every single time.

Dropping the tea-cup into a soft cushion of flowers, your legs start running before you even realise it. He also begins to run to you, striding and bounding across the ground like a nimble deer.

All sorts of questions crop up in your frenzied mind as you run— what took him so long? Where had he gone? Did he eat well and sleep early? Did he miss you? But there was no time to answer all of that now; those questions could wait.

With one mighty push, you abandon your fear and doubt, leaping into his outspread arms instead.

His hands catching you by your waist, Zhongli whisks you close to him and spins around till sunset hues and pink peach-blossoms blend into one ethereal, abstract painting that any mortal would stop to stare at. But you were no mortal, and there was only one masterpiece that you could focus on in this moment; the warm amber of Zhongli’s eyes that gazed at you with such adoration, the rosy cheeks and lips that flushed with a joy that could only come from seeing you once again. In your long, long lifetime together with him, you had never seen a work of art that had ever moved you to the point of falling to your knees and weeping— till today, that is.

A seat in Celestia is nothing compared to this, you think. As long as this world had him in it, there was no better place to be than here.

“Why do you weep, dearest?”

His voice is soothing, although you’d have been an idiot not to hear the faintest trace of laughter in it. Zhongli lowers you to the ground and gently cups your face in his hands, brushing away any stray tears with his thumb.

“I can hear you holding in your laughter, you know.”

“I know full well that you can. But…” He catches a falling peach-blossom and tucks it behind your ear, a soft smile on his face. “I would much prefer not to sleep outside tonight, so therefore I will try to hold it in till you’re in a better mood.”

You snorted, shaking your head at his craftiness. “So it seems that six thousand years of living has given you some sense after all, Zhongli.”

“To be precise, it was six thousand years of living with you.”

“Remember your dignity, my love.”

“I always do, dearest.”

The two of you share a giddy smile at the nicknames, knowing full well that you’d probably be too embarassed to use them later. But for now, shame and embarassment had no hold over you— sometimes it was better to take the leap and cringe at your mistakes later, rather than to hold back and regret that you never did it at all.

“I missed you,” You buried your face into his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of glaze lilies on his coat.

A slight chuckle rumbles through his entire frame as his hands tighten their hold around your waist; though Zhongli doesn’t say anything aloud, you already know that he missed you, too. You linger for just a little while longer, basking in the joy of finally being reunited with him once more.

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lupically · 4 years

Text

#FFF8EA | XIAO.

genre | fluff

word count | 2233

warning | mention of falling off a moutain

note | i just have some ideas for xiao...

"the yaksha is fond of you."

madame ping was no stranger to you. the kind old lady roaming around yujing terrace, often seen admiring flowers or brewing a cup of hot tea, was someone you come across every afternoon after school when you head to the censor to make a wish to rex lapis.

the conversation you two have had always been brief, mainly because you were always in a hurry to get to work. she never minded your urgency, blissfully talking about how fast-paced and active young people these days are, and simply being happy that you even stopped to let her hand you some glazed lilies from time to time.

interestingly, though, she stopped giving you glazed lilies after a while and began handing you some pretty qingxin instead.

you never questioned it. it was just flowers. you could live without being gifted only one kind of them for the rest of your life. but after today's incident—after the burning down of your school located just outside the city, as well as what madame ping told you with hearty laughter laced in her voice, you were starting to think the switch to qingxin meant something.

"the yaksha is fond of you."

you tightened your hands around the weak strap of your school bag, made out of bamboo after lots of trials and errors, and you tilted your head with increasingly furrowing brows.

"pardon me, the what is fond of me?"

"the yaksha, my dear."

you stared at her. the corner of your lips was quirking up in confused twitches, and she could see that you were fiddling uncomfortably on your spot because you truly have no idea what she was talking about. it was not because of the history of the yaksha that might have made you feel jittery and out of place, you simply had no idea!

madame ping smiled even harder at your innocent oblivion then. how could you have such ample knowledge of rex lapis and the adepti, but nothing about the yaksha? especially the one with his mark, a jade green glow surrounding you like fireflies, all over your aura?

maybe that was why xiao chose you.

or, at least, it was one of the reasons why he liked you.

it was because you knew nothing of him. you never think about him, you never talk about him, and you would never suspect the string of random good luck and trails of safe travels that have been following you around.

while it must be tearing him down on the inside; the fact that he wasn't being able to approach the one person who made his good deeds a choice rather than an order. it must be plaguing his mind and patience every day.

but, even then, your surprising lack of information about his identity does save him the pressure of being chased down by you.

it saves him the problem of being even further attached to you. it was already pressing on his breaking point when he went out of his way to watch over you, leaving trails of his magic over your mortal soul to keep you safe when he was busy. any further interaction would be disastrous.

logically, he knew he would fall for you, so he was doing preventive measures. he has to keep his chest sealed so his heart wouldn't jump toward you involuntarily; he has to keep his chest sealed so you couldn't see all the mess inside.

"oh, sweet child," madame ping cooed as she walked toward you. she whispered to herself, "you're being protected by an adeptus and you don't even know."

she brought up a qingxin from her pocket, the petals slightly wrinkled from the confined space. she tucked it carefully in the pocket of your shirt before patting the bloomed flower, almost as if she was reminiscing.

"this is his flower," she said.

you hummed, looking down at it. "this is his favorite flower?"

"i'm not sure about his favorite flower, but this is his flower," she replied casually.

you pursed your lips together. well, at least now you knew the qingxin did have something to do with the... yaksha... or whatever.

"madame ping... may i ask–"

"you can find him at qingyun peak," she cut you off calmly. "during the lantern festival. he is always there during the festival. it was for the quiet, he said, that old man."

you shut your mouth, surprised that she knew what you wanted to ask. "uh... qingyun peak... is kind of... a big place..."

"you will find him if he wants to see you," she said. "you can speak his name–xiao. he might not show himself to you, but if you have something to say, he's likely there to listen."

qingyun peak. the lantern festival. the yaksha.

right.

that was how you found yourself bearing the freezing night cold with just a thin shirt and a ragged fabric wrapped and tied around your torso, your hands hurting from grabbing sharp edges and rough rocks, and your anxiety increasing with every jump that not only would the almond tofu in your bag fall, but you would as well.

as opposed to watching xinyan play for the lantern festival, being warm and cozy from the warm city lights and the tasty street food, and maybe even letting go of a lantern yourself after making a wish, you were here. you were alone, climbing mountains for a chance.

all for a random boy madame ping told you about! someone who was supposedly fond of you—if this xiao guy was so fond of you, he would have shown himself the first three times you called his name at the bottom of the mountain!

"fond of me–what a joke," you said through gritted teeth as you hoisted yourself up on a small ledge. "i'm going to kick his ass so hard when i find him."

you let yourself pant for a minute, regaining your stamina as you groggily accessed the higher peaks above you. your eyes squinted in dismay, but something inside you—the curiosity for the truth, as well as the longing for a friend, also the anger for playful revenge—urged you to keep going.

"he better eats the almond tofu i made," you muttered to yourself as you moved closer to the mountain. "i even picked some flowers... for him."

jump after jump, you were close to making it to the second ledge when suddenly, a slime jumped and appeared above you. it looked surprised, mirroring your expression, and as it prepared itself to attack you after seeing your hands move, it stopped when it saw you fumble about in the air before you began to fall further away from itself.

you had let yourself go. out of surprise, and an instinct to grab a weapon, your hands moved away from the edge and you fell.

your mind raced as the wind hit your face, your falling body heavy against the current that desperately tried to take you up from the ledge you just climbed up from. you would surely die from the impact if you drop. even without dropping down to the bottom, you would still suffer from a painful death.

was there something to do? how did this happen, you were doing fine! what should you do, what could you do? you were falling already—what was there to do now? anything, something?

"i–archons–" you heaved with the cold air, your lungs squeezing inside you with fear as tears began to drip out of your eyes.

anything? anybody?

xiao?

"you can speak his name. he might not show himself to you, but if you have something to say, he's likely there to listen."

"xi–" your voice broke for a millisecond when you could see the green grass approaching quickly. you squeezed your eyes shut, and your voice was louder than you have ever allowed it to be.

you called his name, loud and clear.

the first thing you felt was a lightning strike. you opened your eyes at the electric feeling to find a flash of green. it was bright, close and bright, in a way that was blinding. but then the tail broke into gentle fragments as a pair of arms circled your body to catch you from the fall.

one arm went around your waist, the other hand securely tightened itself around the back of your neck to keep it from breaking from the impact of his fast landing.

xiao growled under his breath when his feet struck the ground in a heavy blow. he pushed your head to his shoulder, shielding your face away from the soil that bounced upward as a result.

quietness ensued after a moment of calm. you took the moment to access the situation—you were fine. someone, likely xiao, saved you from the fall. you were fine.

he dropped onto the ground, sitting on the cold grass with your body pressed close to his, when he heard that you began to sob from the accident.

despite feeling awkward and unsure, he kept quiet and let you vent out the post-accident fear so you could slowly bring in the relief that you were still alive. but his quietness was unwelcomed when you suddenly curled your fist and hit him across the shoulder.

"screw you! why didn't you just answer me when i–when i was at the bottom of the moun–mountain! screw you!"

you blamed him and you hit his shoulder repeatedly. your weak fist was nothing compared to the pain he has endured in the past, but your cries cut through him like glass in the most seamless pattern when he realized he was part of the reason why you had to go through that traumatic experience.

if he had just jumped down from the peak when he heard you the first time, this would not have happened.

xiao looked at the empty spot before him. his golden eyes glowed with a softness that has long fallen into the abyss, forever gone and forever abandoned. but he brought it back out now because he cares about you, and he is, ultimately, attached to you, and he loves you.

"you're right," he said, holding you close to him. "i'm sorry."

ever since you discreetly left the almond tofu on the roof of the wangshu inn, your shy figure hunched over in an apologizing manner because you were told that you were giving food to an important, albeit weird, guest, and your blissfully ignorant words of encouragement as you told him to go out and explore the world, to give it a chance so he could find people he would like.

ever since then, he has loved you, in fragile and discreet ways, in unwavering and patient ways, in protective and caring ways.

"i love you, i'm sorry."

you stopped sobbing almost immediately, and he was afraid he might have said the wrong thing.

wasn't it what he was supposed to do? verr told him to speak his mind once. just be truthful with his feelings and nothing could go wrong. was he not supposed to show his affection blatantly, as he would his complaints and opinions?

"that... that is going a little too fast for me, xiao," you joked. "let's settle with appreciating each other for now."

he heard you laugh, causing the weight of his heart to drop, like finding lights in a fog, like seeing the lanterns in the night sky and realizing that there are more people alive with you than you think.

"thank you, for saving me," you said kindly then, your fist long stopped hitting him and was now patting his shoulder.

"always."

“but burning my school down is not the best approach for... whatever it was you were trying to help me with.”

xiao blinked in confusion, then realization hit him. he almost forgot about that! he was, shockingly, dwelling in the prideful fact that because he literally destroyed the building, you would be free of school for the day, and therefore not having to face all the hardships inside the walls he could not venture past. he thought it was the best thing to do, second to beating up everyone, which he politely opposed to.

“i am not sorry about that,” he muttered. “it was what i thought was best.”

he could feel you grin in his embrace. your laughter reverberated in the air, making his magic glow around you both. it was like nothing he has felt before. he wanted to stay like this—in this position where you were engulfed by him, where he could surround you with himself instead of the fireflies of green he has left behind, where he was with you in a way it was entire, in a way he could feel your beating heart against his own.

you are pressing onto his breaking point.

you are going to open him up, see him whole, and renovate his insides to your will. you are going to take his heart from his chest, breaking through his ribcage made feeble from his sheer affection for you, and claim it as your own. you are going to make him love, like sharp knives, like soft breaths, like tragic past, like warm blood, you are going to make him love.

you are pressing onto his breaking point.

and xiao lets you.

because you will be worth the tragedy, you will be worth everything.

#genshin x reader #genshin imagines #xiao x reader #genshin impact xiao #genshin impact imagines #genshin x you #genshin impact x reader #genshin xiao #genshin xiao x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin impact #xiao imagines #xiao x you #xiao scenarios #genshin scenarios #genshin impact scenarios

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genshinology · 3 years

Text

LOVE & HATRED. xiao

pairing; xiao x reader

genre; a tad bit of fluff and pure angst (i'm sorry)

word count; 2.8k

summary; xiao hated you, but why did he find himself remembering you everyday, even way after you were long gone?

warnings; major character death, mentioning of injuries, blood and yes, angst, angst and angst.

notes; this is my first ever work here on my new sideblog for genshin impact! i'm sorry if i did no justice with this, i am new to genshin and the fandom overall, feedbacks are very much appreciated!

xiao hated you, he'd always been.

hated the very moment you set your foot inside wangshu inn, hated the way you smiled and kindly accepted the requests of people here with no objections, from repairing the wooden stairway of the inn to helping snatching some ingredients for smiley yanxiao, he hated how you were so patient with everything, even up until the moment you first reached out to him.

mortals were always so naïve.

of course he saw you venturing throughout liyue almost everyday, he saw you selfishly doing your daily commissions, and even though you barely survived in many occasions, he could see you were determined to finish whatever you were tasked to do, and he hated that.

the moment you found him at the balcony, you were trying so hard to communicate with him. you willingly went to such length, seeking verr's help to know more about him, and he wondered how you knew there was an adeptus here and why you wanted to talk to him.

he hated seeing your efforts, after all, he despised mortals for years, there was no need for you to waste your time in trying to talking out with him.

upon hearing rex lapis' death, he knew you were nowhere near to an ordinary mortal. a sigil of permission was even in your hold and how could he resist when you brought almond tofu, just to explain all the things that were happening during the rite and how you'd met other adepti before him, which ultimately led him to figure out that you met him to bring those news.

he thought that was it, the interactions between both of you was just a mere, small encounter. he'd mentioned countless times that you shouldn't indulge yourself in his world, and yet again, mortals were so stubborn, and so were you.

every single time you came across the inn, the wide smile on your face appeared as you met his eyes on top of the balcony, saying hello and asking how his days were, and sometimes, if you had more time in your sleeves, you would rant about how your day went by to him. he often shrugged you off, shamelessly hinting that he wasn't enjoying your presence in his lonely life.

but still, you managed to ignore his remarks perfectly, chatting with him like he didn't even call you a stupid mortal in the first place, and he hated that.

hated how you avoided his snarky comments every time you joined him stargazing or watching the moon, hated how you looked so proud when he finally accepted your almond tofu and he hated how you accidentally slept beside him on one night, he woke you up regardless and ignored the warm sensation he felt for the very first time in him.

"xiao," you called out, he was deep in his thoughts that he barely registered your action of ruffling his hair during one of the nights you decided to spend your time with him, and he eyed you with a grumpy frown, "what do you think you're doing?" he asked, smacked your hand off him harshly before you quietly flinched and sighed, used to this side of him whilst ignoring the slight tugging of your heart.

"the lantern rite festival should be around the corner soon enough," you mumbled, and you knew xiao definitely heard the words that he definitely didn't like to hear, "let's go and see the lanterns together?" you faced him, fully aware that indeed, his answer would always be no, no matter how many times you pursued him few days prior.

"no," was all he could say and you continued to add up on reasons why it would be worth it, especially for the adeptus in front of you.

and he hated how you were still stubborn as ever, somehow finding your way to tag him along and ended up in liyue harbor, you made him watched the lantern from afar anyway, and he hated how that night was so beautiful, it also pained him to see you smiling brightly under the light, easily fascinated with the gorgeous view that was laid upon everyone to see.

such a weird and fragile mortal.

he hated you even more, but this time, he hated himself.

hated how that particular night, when you walked him back to the inn together after partaking in the festival, brought himself to an epiphany. hated how he realised that you looked ethereal in his eyes that night as you enjoyed the cold, chilly wind. your cheeks flushed in slight pink, and he swore he never saw you in the same way ever again, how you tucked your dress to engulf yourself in heat, or to cover yourself, with cold breeze against your skin and, truly, he hated himself for allowing something foreign inside him, something he never felt, something akin to always having you by his side.

he'd always thought it was weird how mortals were attached to each other, yet here he was, found himself longing for your presence whenever you were far too caught up with your adventures. sometimes, you would hang out with him once or twice a week, sometimes you would only see him and greeted him from outside while you crossed path with the inn and sometimes, you were totally preoccupied with everything that was happening back in the city of liyue or, even worse for him, mondstat.

he hated how he was looking forward for you to be back, although you practically didn't live here from the start, hated how he desperately longing for you to call out his name. he vividly remembered once you called out his name just for fun before he warmed up to you—which was still the most hated action he'd ever done in his life so far—and ended up being furious at you because calling his name was solely for protection and for urgent matters.

but then why did he want you to call his name whenever you were away?

why did he feel heavy or why did his heart drop, whenever you were back in his sight with injuries? he hated how he cared for you, something he never knew he would feel and that this would affect his life greatly.

"where did you go?" the voice behind startling you from cleaning your wounds, you stopped by at wangshu inn, purely because it was the closest to seek a medical help from where you stumbled upon some ruin hunters, you barely lived yet again, but you did what your mind told you; run away.

xiao crouched in front of where you were seated, as you dealing with your cuts and dried up wounds, or blue bruises scattered across your arms and legs yourself, "this is nothing," you inhaled a sharp breath when the piece of cloth in your hand came in contact with one of your heavier injuries, "i'm fine," you looked up at him intently watching you did the bandaging, and you sent him a gentle smile at his way, noticing how he looked as if he was pondering over something.

"mortals are so weak."

"come again?" you asked with that stupid smile on your face, you didn't want to overthink, but the way he looked at you right now, was with something that made your heart melted. it wasn't that bad to think that he cared for you, even the slightest, right?

"nevermind," he turned away from you, his mask dangling by his side as he held his spear, leaning against the wall as he gazed directly into your orbs, "didn't i say that you should call my name if you ever need me?"

at this point, you might as well knew xiao more than everyone else, minus verr and some people here, and you knew exactly that he actually cared for you.

"it's alright," you couldn't stop from widening your smile, because deep down, you were insanely happy at him asking you that significant question, but of course, you didn't want to burden him with saving your life, a ruin hunter was what you'd always fought, but several ruin hunters were definitely not what you expected when you came across a ruin that evening.

"i don't want to burden you anyway," you trailed off, "you have something more important to take care of than me, xiao. people in liyue need you more than an outlander like me," you spoke the harsh truth out loud, you knew about his life, his karmic debt, what he had to go through as the final yaksha and you definitely didn't want for him to think that you were another burden in his life.

you were so stubborn, xiao knew this.

"yes, but what if your life was taken away?" he let out the one thing he concerned the most without thinking thoroughly, and before he realised what the hell did he say, you were up on your limping legs, went straight to him with calculating gaze and hugged him, "xiao," he was taken aback, what he was supposed to do when he actually enjoyed the warmth and the comfort you mentally provided to him, "i'm fine and alive," you patted his arm as you pulled away, xiao was flustered, he was stiff with your bold actions, "are you perhaps, worried about me, xiao?" you teased, and he hated how he loved the way you looked so proud looking at him in that state.

he hated you as much as he hated himself.

hated how he thought that you were his only source of happiness in this cruel world.

he'd suffering only from existing, and he hated how you made his life felt less lonely, felt as if there was finally a star that brightened up his sky, the sun that lightened up his days, the relaxing wind that comforted his nights, the presence that felt like home and the half that completed his heart.

he never wanted to admit it out loud, how he was so sure that this welcoming feeling was love, but in every way, no matter how many times his mind denied, he knew that he let himself indulging into the feeling more.

he should had stopped you from entering his life a long time ago, he should have been warned that the pain followed after was even more twisted and suffocating than the darkness inside him.

and your stubbornness that he was so familiar with, he ultimately hated that trait of yours.

"xiao!"

he stopped in his track.

"xiao!"

you were screaming, he didn't know why, but you were screaming, and you never screamed his name before.

the uneasy feeling settled in him as he straight up went to you in seconds, wearing his mask and bringing his spear along with him.

he hoped you were okay.

he could hear you chanted his name again and again, but the more you called out his name, the more heavier you sounded, and he hated the sinking feeling inside his stomach.

the moment he saw something red reflected on the grass under the bright moonlight, xiao was enraged, something was hurting you, and they weren't going to get away with this.

the darkness in him multiplied, and it pained him simultaneously, so much to the point that the thoughts of saving you and keeping you alive was eating him alive from the inside, and he hated how despite him losing control onto his strength, you clouded his mind.

he couldn't contain the madness within, the despair that he'd been fighting so hard resurfacing once again, his golden eyes flickering between you and the ruin hunters, you were bleeding, your breath unsteady and you felt cold, you could hear you frantic heartbeat against your ears loud and clear, felt like succumbing into the drowsiness that started to overwhelm, but you didn't, because xiao was right there in front of you, and your eyes met.

the world was slowing down, you didn't know what had gotten into you but you were itching to feel his arms around you, desperate to feel the warmth of his skin against you and you definitely wanted to ruffle and play his hair like you always did, despite him looking at you with such worry, before another ruin guard taking an obvious disliking towards you, charging itself and you turned your whole body away with none to little energy that you managed to grasp onto, and you screamed when something pierced your thigh, your blood kept on dripping, and dripping.

the sinister aura engulfed him when he saw you crying in pain, and he snapped.

before he even barely knew what he'd done, he plunged himself from the air, attacking all the ruin guards in his sight, a voice inside told him to keep attacking, and attacking, because they all deserved to die for hurting you, for hurting the mortal he never knew he would cherish and adore.

"xiao," your voice was barely above a whisper, and he dropped his spear, quickly dashing himself towards you who watched him fighting with such eagerness, you never saw him like this, he looked so broken and you were sobbing when his soft gaze met you, his hands gently taking your face in them, something that you never thought he would do to you as his first move.

even in your state, you still watched him in awe, and he hated that.

"let's go," xiao panicked when he saw you shuddered, your blood seeping through your once white dress. his voice sounded so broken, and he looked vulnerable for the very first time in front of you.

he didn't want to admit it out loud, but the way you looked so pale but still beautiful in his arms, the way you still trying to tug his hair, he couldn't believe that you were in your final moments, because he had seen countless deaths from the past generations, and he knew that you weren't going to last long.

"let's go, please," he murmured, the fear of losing you was too much to bear, and maybe, just maybe, he would bring you to dr. baizhu without any hesitation although he hated crowded places and that city.

he shivered, his arms desperately tightening around your waist, as if his life depended on you.

"i like you, do you know that?" you chuckled lightly, your smile, was still the perfect thing to exist in his eyes, but your eyes, your eyes held different kind of emotions, as if you knew that this would be your last time seeing him, and you were more than glad, heck, you loved the feeling of him holding you dearly.

"don't make a stupid joke, you're bleeding," xiao was still trying to get you up but you were so light-headed that you couldn't feel your legs anymore.

"i'm fine," you lied, "and maybe a little bit sleepy though," you mumbled and grinned, clutched yourself onto his arms and he never knew that the simple sentence could hit him right in his chest, something stung and he was at the edge of keeping his emotions in check, "i just want to shut my eyes, xiao," you trailed off, before xiao carried you in his arms, "stay awake," he said sternly, but his eyes were sad.

you lolled your head backwards when you felt that you were lifted, you had always enjoyed the night, because you found yourself with his company at nights more than during the day, you felt heavy, and the sleepiness was tempting more than ever.

xiao had always been that someone who didn't sway easily, but the way you were slowly shutting your eyes in his arms, made his breath hitched, his words no longer held formality in them, "i'll find dr. baizhu, please, please, stay awake, for my sake," if your focus wasn't on him, you wouldn't notice the single tear that landed onto your cheek.

your line of view was no longer clear, and he hated how your head fell backwards yet again, "i'm sorry," you couldn't croak a word anymore, you felt so heavy that your body started to relax against his, you were crying, crying because you didn't want to leave him, crying because you inevitably knew that your moment had finally came, and xiao would wander off alone again.

he deserved to be loved, but why was the world was so cruel on him?

xiao didn't know why you were apologising, all he knew that you shut your eyes as you said the words, "i love you," before he broke into tears and your hands dropped and you were no longer smiling.

you were no longer ruffling his hair like what you did before, he would never feel your sudden hug anymore, never hear your annoying voice again, never seeing you playing with his mask whenever you were with him, no longer tasting your almond tofu, no longer enjoying your affections and he would no longer see you in his life anymore.

you were gone, away from his life. away from the mortal realm.

even until the last moment, you said that you loved him, and he hated how he didn't say it back to you.

#xiao x reader #xiao imagines #xiao scenarios #xiao angst #xiao fluff #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact scenarios #genshin impact fluff #genshin impact angst #genshin x reader #genshin scenarios #genshin imagines #genshin angst #genshin fluff #.writings

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reilliane · 3 years

Text

✤ — Universe: Mischief ✤ — Concept: Daily dose of flirting ✤ — Characters: Alatus (Beta!Xiao), Xiao

Teasing brushes against the arm, lingering lips on the jaw, wandering fingers around the waist—ah, and not to mention the sweet murmurs by the ear?

Those have become the norm in the eccentric relationship.

Or, well, the norm to all but one, who feels like wilting away in a domain whenever he’s in their midst as he’s entertaining a conversation with the Traveler.

Xiao is unable to hide the embarrassment on his face as Aether and his tiny companion stares at him smugly, not bothering to say anything.

Their eyes are loud as they are, deafening in the whisper and giggle-filled atmosphere in the background.

Like a split world, he is standing on a completely different side—away, in an endeavor to withdraw and distinguish himself from the pair.

“They’re a disgrace to the Adepti name,” grumbles the snarky man with a twitch of his eye, “I implore you to ignore them, Traveler. State your business.”

Aether begins to snicker, “I don’t know, Xiao, it seems like I came at a wrong time..”

Grasping onto the last shred of his sanity, the Adeptus shakes his head, reasoning that he cares little over what those two are doing behind him and that his duty takes priority.

His voice, however, is easily weak compared to those in the background.

“I just discovered one of the sealed domains a while ago, should we check it out?”

“This is just another one of your plans to get me alone, Alatus, when are you not satisfied?”

“Tell me you don’t like it, then, darling~"

The Traveler bites down his lip to prevent his snickers from escalating, but Paimon is a lost cause, already bursting into laughter after recoiling from the sappy implications.

Something clearly unexpected of someone in their ranks.

It does not help that Xiao is the only one appearing to be rational regardless of the flirting—it’s like he’s already used to it.

Emerald and [c] cross with amber, a message passing through eye contact alone. Quick to catch the drift of the pair, the blond nods, smile growing.

“We’re bringing Xiao.”

“Why not? He’s so uptight, perhaps you can relieve—"

Crimson floods Xiao’s face at the implication and he turns towards the two swiftly, voice rough with evident fluster, “Will you refrain from saying indecent things in public!?”

He’s only met with large grins and Alatus drawling a sound of mischief.

“Oh, you little shy man. That’s fine, [Name] loves you either way. Though I didn’t know that it’s because you’re such a botto—”

“Shut up!”

A polearm flies through the air, cutting the red alter off who erupts into mad chuckles, ignoring the equally flustered slaps on his chest by the [c]nette.

Aether jumps at the turn of conversations, tugging a still-laughing Paimon away by her scarf and dashing before he can be called back. He’s laughing, however.

“I’m off to go do my commissions now, I’ll visit some other time again!” He doesn’t mind leaving, he only ever decided to visit, after all.

Besides, he’s kind of certain that his presence is long forgotten now.

Jogging down the stairs with his companion that sways to and fro, fussing about how she didn’t expect a certain pair to be that playful, the Traveler stops when Verr asks about the sudden ruckus.

Aether fails to see how the woman isn’t the least bit used to it—but then again, she’s probably only worried. The crimson alter ego is a wildcard.

The blond hums, answering,

“Just touch-starved Adepti.”

a/n: i'm feeling writing these two today. xiao is always in danger when alatus and mc are together lmao- the blatant flirting is to be expected.

@cherryflushz @e7t3 @scarlet-halos @lordbugs @nebulaera @annoying-and-upset @hanniejji @applepi1415 @tjjjrsj @azirajane @hey-comrade-hold-stil @koi-chairowo @uwu-dreams @hanniejji @01-407 @yvechu

#m-mischief #xiao x reader #alatus x reader #genshin impact x reader #reader insert #genshin fluff #genshin imagines #female reader #xiao fluff #genshin x reader

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trashcanwithsprinkles · 1 year

Note

So, lemme give some context on why I'm bringing this theory today. I was rereading Cyanide and noticed something during chapter 10...

This line said by Morax :

"No, it would seem you instead utilize your own innate energy - this would imply your pool of innate energy is... much larger than the average Adeptus. We cannot rule out this being a human trait, but given there are no Vision bearers at the point in time... Well, regardless. It is with this innate energy that you gather the elemental imprint of the energies around you, and, likely by utilizing your Vision, parce the Hydro from the non-Hydro."(ok the many lines- I realized that more and more of his dialogue would work to support the little theory I'm about to dump here so I kept adding on lolol)

With the information received in the past chapters, some pieces started to form in my mind... We know that Ajax has some Volchiy and Zvezdochoty blood, but other then his hair and eye color along with what Rex Lapis told him, we didn't have much to show that he was a descendant of both and while his control over hydro was pretty good, it came from his tedious training. But now, now that I'm rereading... this "innate energy" that is apparently "much larger than the average Adeptus" feels very suspicious. What if it came from his Volchiy lineage? I mean, they are amphibious right? So for them and their descendants to have a natural affinity to Hydro would make sense. It would also explain why he would go deep in the waters of Luhua Pool to gather his thoughts during chapter 5 or when he went into the tank that was in the Hydro chambers in chapter 38, the water brought him comfort, it might've felt natural to go there. The fact that he could use Hydro the way he did towards the begining was probably also thanks to his Volchiy and Zvezdochoty blood, seeing how both are definitely not human, and could thus probably use the elements in a way that is more similar to that of the Adepti. So, because of that, Ajax likely has a lot less restrictions when it comes to how he uses Hydro, unlike normal Vision holders from future Teyvat. Sprinkles(it feels rude to call you Trashcan so Sprinkles it is), did you plan this from the begining? If so, then massive Kudos to you for having this much foresight on what you intend to do!

WOW, ok, uuuh I was pretty hyperfocused there haha, anyways... I can't think of anything more to add so... yeah! That's my little theory :)

i feel so seen rn,, i did in fact (more or less) plan this tysm for pointing it out;;; my efforts have been validated

(i say more or less bc some details were indeed added along the way bc they just fit, but for the most part it was all planned)

the gigantic pool of innate energy is a mix of both actually. it's bigger than the average Adeptus' because it's a combination of a human's (which is bigger than they would think they'd be, not as large as ajax', but still larger than they'd expect) and the mixed non-human heritage. they sort of- add together, which resulted in ajax having a comically large pool of innate energy. so you're correct in that it relates to his heritage, but not in that- like- he pool being huge is *just* bc of his heritage. still!

everything else is right on the money. like yeah ajax is really good at elemental manipulation but his familiarity w hydro does indeed come from his ancestry. but since he's the only human to have had control over it in who knows how long (in his world) it never really registered as odd to him that he found so much comfort in water. like- he just said 'oh well i guess im just a child of the ocean' and left it at that.

another detail to add to your theory that you might notice once you get there but i'm putting it here anyway bc now you've enabled me- ah, in the tsaritsa's monologue when ajax n co swoop in to the rescue (i believe) she mentions how it must've been his connection to the abyss what enabled her to send him back in time without completely exhausting all her energies (which would've required her to go to the brink of death to acomplish. what she doesn't know, of course, is that what made it easier for ajax to go from his world to teyvat was that the roots of his lineage were- well, in teyvat. it's not the abyss (it don't work like that), as she thought, but his ancestry. she might not have been able to send him back and then survive if he hadn't had non-human blood from teyvat in him hahah

anyway uh- thank you!! this comment made me smile like an idiot <3

#love you <3 #also new chapter soon (tm)

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that-foul-legacy-lover · 3 years

Text

The Day the Ocean Erupted

Foul Legacy Childe x Reader Gender Neutral (no pronouns mentioned) Angst, Hurt/Comfort Warnings: Allusions to death, drowning, pain, storms, thunder, rain

~ * ~

You remember the day the ocean erupted.

You’d been in your office, at 2 PM exactly, pen in hand and ink spotting your fingers, the culprits a stack of papers in the upper corner. The sun had filtered through your window and casted shining streamers on your desk as you wrote, typical of Liyue’s golden summers. You tapped your pen against your chin- how to phrase this next sentence? Should you focus on one or two types of silk? You hummed contemplatively, then scribbled a few more words. Sturdiness- that was important to mention in a report, especially one about something elegant like silk. The room filled with a comforting silence as you wrote word after word on the paper in the delicate warmth of the sun.

The first drop came and went without attention. But it was soon followed by another. And another. And another, until the sky was shedding all its tears into the streets and ocean of the city. Your pen had fallen from your grasp with a resounding clatter as you stood to peer outside the window, your eyes narrowed. Rain? In Liyue? Now? It was ridiculous.

Then something burst out of the ocean and you fell backwards in shock, pushing yourself away from the window despite being on one of the upper levels of the harbor. You rushed downstairs and pushed your door open, catching glimpses of an enormous serpentine creature rising from the waters as people rushed up and down the streets in a panic. The rain poured down in buckets, drenching everything and everyone, and all around there’s a frenzy of screaming, shouting, yelling, the same phrase reworded a thousand times, The Fatui did this, it’s the Fatui’s fault, the Fatui are to blame, and you could only think of one thing- your associate, your acquaintance, your companion.

Your friend.

Childe. Where was he? Vanished to the Golden House, they told you, but not as Childe, as Tartaglia, the Harbinger. For business, he said.

But soon you were swept up with the waves of screaming, and the thought had been lost.

That was weeks ago, when the Traveler had harnessed the power of the Adepti and defeated the old god Osial, with a final blow from Lady Ningguang’s Jade Chamber to seal him in the sea. The entire nation held its breath as Fatui activity wavered, dropped, then fizzled out completely. Life returned to normal, the seasons rolling by like a sigh of relief as reassuring whispers spread the news that the Fatui were finally, finally stopping their irritating interferences with the harbor.

You finish your final words and set your pen down, a thoughtful frown prominent on your face. You’ve never really been affected by the Fatui. For the most part they simply existed, a rumored plague on the Liyue Qixing with their endless meddling, but to you they were simple guards standing near doors and on the docks. On occasion when you had to wait there you would make conversation, to which most of them would respond to either in earnest or slightly tense surprise. For all their supposed horrid tendencies and practices and nosiness, you had found that many of the Fatui were, quite simply, people; people from a different nation and far away from home. People who had their own interests and likes and dislikes. People who had their own reasons and dreams and realities.

People who had all vanished when the last ripple in the ocean had stilled. And among them, your friend Childe, the Eleventh Harbinger Tartaglia. He was the only Fatui you would really consider a friend, the others being mere acquaintances. He was always teasingly kind to you, offering to get you a meal or asking to spend some offtime together. You, ever-suspicious, had often refused, but he was persistent and determined to chip down your walls one by one. And when they shook and crumbled your friendship had blossomed, despite the odd melancholy in his eyes whenever he looked at you, a question you never knew the answers to.

All this he was. But he was gone now, you suppose, following the tall, elegant woman you had seen exiting the Northland Bank to the mysterious depths of Inazuma. He looked so exhausted, outwardly appearing as tired as you sometimes felt inside, and your brow pinches.

You sigh and set your pen to the side before rising from your chair, cursing yourself for contemplating old memories. You don’t expect Childe to return anytime soon, if ever, so perhaps some thoughts are best left packaged in their pretty boxes scattered around the attic of your mind. The door swings open as you slip on your coat- it’s chilly outside, and you walk to the teashop for a new blend and distraction from the conflicting turmoil in your head.

The rain begins just as you hurry back home, having forgotten your umbrella in a moment of carelessness. Liyue’s winters, while cold and biting, never froze the storms that encroached almost every other day, instead letting icy droplets of slush fall on people’s backs and clothes. The clouds shield the few stars in the sky from view, blocking out the moon and turning the raindrops an inky black. You shove your door open and immediately shut and lock it again with a sigh of relief, shaking out your clothes and rubbing your chilled hands together. Your breathing is the only sound in the house, and your bones soon settle with a deep chill as the pressing quiet seems more and more foreboding. You cock your head to the side and hear an ever-so-faint rustling sound, and you pick up your weapon before making your way down the hall.

When you reach the living room you blink in surprise. Unlike what you expected, nothing is broken, not a dish is out of place, no drawers are flung open and riffled through. Nothing is wrong, nothing is out of order, your limited vision tells you, but a cold breeze sends goosebumps down your arms and you make your way over to the ajar window, very nearly bumping into furniture several times. You fumble with the latch and pull the window shut, dragging the curtain closed as if to cover the rain with elegant patterns and cloth, and for a few moments, you listen to the steady pour outside as it creates a chiming melody on the roof and glass.

Something breathes next to you. You whirl away in shock, clutching your weapon tightly. Something is here with you, watching you across the room, observing your every move as you hurry to light a match for some semblance of sight, the lamps in your house completely useless right now. The match strikes and connects, a yellow flame bursting to life, flickering like a firefly. You hold it up and come face-to-face with a single eye. Enormous and pearly, it gleams softly in the darkness, although whether it is blue or purple you cannot say. Sharp, plated red armor surrounds it, mask-like and curling into twin horns. The creature’s skin is also armored and bony, shades of purple and black with occasional splashes of red or silver, covered by a pair of translucent, sparkling wings like the deepest sea. It towers over you, claws and teeth razor sharp even in the persisting gloom, and you gasp and stumble away in terror. The starry wings and deep, rich colors, and the feeling it emanates, of being crushed and drowned by shining waves…

An Abyssal creature, some sort of monstrous beast from the depths of your world. It must be.

You back away from it, your chest tight with fear and the thought of death, of dying at the hands of this monster, holding your weapon so tightly you fear it might crack in your grip.

You’ve never been a fighter, only practical enough to keep a weapon you could use nearby. Between you and the creature, the creature would win with a simple swipe of its claws, and you would bleed out on the floor until you didn’t exist anymore, just another body lost to the infinite ocean.

But there is no attack, no clashing, no burning, searing pain, only a soft, sad whimper. You open your eyes and see the creature reaching out to you, crawling across the floor like standing causes it agony, as it lets out a broken and desperate wail. You take a step back again, then a step forward, your fear seeping out of you. Holding the match higher, you lean forward and squint, dots of color bleeding into the environment.

Ginger. Wondrously fluffy ginger hair, although it's wet with rainwater, and a single streak of white like snow.

You know who, and you say who before you even think who, uttering out it’s, his, name in a hushed whisper.

Childe.

Your weapon forgotten, you stand shellshocked in a corner of the room, so still and frozen that Childe himself attempts to rise to his feet, only to fall back to the ground with a pained cry, a sound that snaps your thoughts like shattering ice as you rush to support him. He scratches his claws on the ground, hiccupping, sobbing, whining tearfully at a pain you can’t see. You place a hand on the side of his face and he leans into it, almost slumping to the ground as he brings his hand up to cover your own. He stares at you, pained and suffering, with the same melancholy as before, a melancholy you now understand means I cannot love you, even though I so wish to, it is forbidden by fate and stars, and your heart breaks.

You pick up a distant rumble of thunder, and Childe yelps in fear, wrapping his claws around you and pressing his face into your side, trembling. Your fingers stroke through his hair, running down the sides of his face and horns, and his sobs die to labored breathing as exhaustion finally overtakes him and lets his body relax.

You remember the day the ocean poured down from the sky. It was now, in a dark room with a pinprick flame of light, holding the consequences of the Abyss.

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theshiftanlibrary · 2 years

Text

Oh, it's dark...

Looking over Liyue never failed to bring a smile to your face. It was a nation built by an archon that had been known as the Warrior God. He fought his battles and built the very terrain you walk on now. The God of Contracts built a strong nation that continues to thrive even after his supposed death.

And the reason for this still blooming future, had been due to the Liyue Qixing. Tianquan Ningguang, and Yuheng Keqing had diligently prepared Liyue and defended it with their bare hands. Of course, the rest of the Qixing also fulfilled their duties and brought prosperity to the Harbor.

And... Here you are, leaning on a railing of a balcony, overlooking the many successes of your ancestors. Not even contributing to the economy of Liyue. You weren't an artisan or a business man.

Yes, you worked two jobs, both of which were administration and accounting duties. You worked at Bubu Pharmacy on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. And then worked at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

But... You weren't doing anything.

You didn't defeat an ancient God with a certain traveler, you had to overlook a business exchange due to the fact of being the witness to an ancient contract signing.

You didn't ready your gifts for the Rite of Descension to ask Rex Lapis for his blessing, you were organizing the methods and mechanics of the Prime of the Adepti's corpse and how to make it seem like it had walked on into the afterlife.

You... don't do anything.

"Love? Why are you up this late?" a familiar baritone asked from behind you.

You couldn't bear looking at him. His piercing golden eyes would look straight through you. He'd see all the nasty voices screaming hatred. He'd see your pathetic fears clawing at you from within. He'd see everything you'd bottled up for thousands of years. The regret. The self-loathing. The ever present helplessness.

You only realize now that you were shaking when his hands rested on yours. Still avoiding his gaze, you glanced at your feet. A hand found its way on your cheek, the thumb wiping the tears away. You collapsed then, allowing him to turn your head to look up.

You almost laughed at his bed head, his hair pointing in different directions and his ponytail that had loosened into a bubble. He was dressed in his silk shirt and cotton pants, both of which had been hanging off and twisted around him.

But you only cried more.

You let him pull you into his chest, grabbing onto his shirt as you let go. You were vaguely aware that you were saying something, lamenting and sobbing over how you don't do anything for anyone and that you're useless. Trying to materialize everything that hurt you and angered you.

He held you tighter, rubbing circles into your back and kissing your hair. He listened to all your woes without judgement. He swayed you a little to calm you down.

Your grip loosened and the tears gradually stopped. After a bit, you looked up at him with red eyes and a small frown. His eyes held the patience of the world and all the love in the universe. Zhongli, the former Geo Archon, was your lover who will never judge you for your problems.

Why didn't you come to him in the first place? He may have been your employer in an ancient contract but after he gave away his Gnosis to live a mortal life, just as you have given your duties to others, you knew that you had peace. You should have come to him.

"Are you feeling better, my Lapis?" he asked as he cupped your cheeks and thumbed away the drying tears.

"Yes, much better. Thank you, my love," you sigh, resting your head on his chest.

"Shall we head to bed?"

"Yes, I tuckered myself out."

With that you turned to head back inside the house, holding your lover's hand and dragging him along.

My Kofi

My Masterlist

(A/N: This is my comfort story and no I will not apologize for it. I've been in a bad headspace recently and I just needed to write some fluff. Technically this isn't reader x zhongli but more of a OC x zhongli. Or an adeptus!reader. But interpret it how you wish ;p.)

#writing #genshin x reader #genshin fanfic #genshin zhongli #zhongli x reader #reader x zhongli #genshin imagines #genshin oc #genshin impact #writeblr #fanfic #reader x genshin #adeptus reader #genshin fluff

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ddarker-dreams · 3 years

Text

Yan Zhongli with a God Darling HCs.

Warnings: Yandere themes, unhealthy relationships and forced marriages. Note: people have been sending in asks wondering more about zhongli and reader’s relationship from this fic, and as i’m a huge sucker for their dynamic, i’m obligated to oblige.

Zhongli:

There is nothing in the world that could convince Zhongli that he is in the wrong. As far as he sees it, you willingly submitted yourself to him, the little details surrounding why you don’t mean much to him. As such, any attempts to convince him to annul the contract between you both will be useless. He might entertain your first couple attempts, but as time goes on, grows firmer and less gentle in deterring you. The only thing you’ll ultimately accomplish from this is making the Geo Archon grumpy.

The details of your contract with Rex Lapis include: eternal devotion by way of marriage, never leaving Liyue without his permission, and in no manner can you undermine him. These conditions may be strict, but you’re still granted some freedom to roam about as you please. The God of War can’t always be expected to always look after you and you have your people to care for.

After you sign the contract, Zhongli keeps your people under his care, yet their lifestyle remains left alone (upon your urging). This almost hurts even more. They have no idea the full extent of your suffering and sacrifice — though to no fault of their own — now praising both you and Rex Lapis for your protection. Luckily, your husband is not the type to rub this in. Unless you start acting unruly.

Once the Archon War is over and Rex Lapis is the definitive Geo Archon, he grants you a Geo Vision for show. It’s more convenient that way, he explained, for when you’d both traverse Liyue in mortal bodies. You consider it anything but. The insulting gemstone attached to your hip is a constant reminder of him, even when he’s not around. You’ve attempted to get rid of it in creative ways. Only for the Vision to be there the next time you wake, sometimes with a note in Zhongli’s handwriting, asking you to be more careful next time. What a bastard.

He consulted you on how different parts of Liyue should be formed. This instance would be one of the few times you eagerly spoke to him, offering your input on what architecture you thought would best compliment the land. You still love Liyue at the end of the day. Zhongli doesn’t ask just for show either, he’ll follow through with many of your requests, working with utmost precision to please you.

Due to Zhongli’s urging, the Adepti regard you with the same reverence as they would him. As you have an extended lifespan like they do, you’ll find yourself bonding with them more than you do your own husband, much to his displeasure. He still can’t bring it within himself to stop you from speaking to them as it’s one of the few times you look happy. That doesn’t mean he can’t have a few talks with the Adepti on the side. They still operate underneath him, and as such, will fill him in on anything you might have shared.

Zhongli has always adored the mortal’s rendition of your story. Not that you’ll ever be privy to the information, but he influenced history a touch by omitting details or overexaggerating others when speaking with historians. This would lead to a resurgence in interest towards Rex Lapis and his eternal lover, aka you. Zhongli acts indifferent about it around you, but in truth, he finds the recounting of events in his favor amusing. He also thinks it’s endearing how upset you get over it.

He views every single ballad, poem, painting, and play that involves your “love story” with great interest. You’ve tried (and failed) to destroy these false manuscripts. Zhongli’s favorite is a long, thousand-page collection of various poetry detailing your relationship. He commissioned it himself in anonymity. (Once again, what a bastard).

When he fakes his death and surrenders his Gnosis, your life honestly doesn’t change much. The terms of your contract must still be adhered to. The few hours in which you thought him dead, however, were probably some of the best hours you’ve ever experienced. You knew it was too good to be true in the back of your mind. Still, you allowed yourself this one little victory. Zhongli shattered your happiness by making an appearance later on that day, greeting you with the same composure you’ve come to expect. You momentarily considered fighting him.

Zhongli hates it when the Anemo Archon strolls unceremoniously into Liyue. You rarely see your husband perturbed, but whenever Venti is around, he’s always on edge. Venti knows to tread lightly when interacting with you. That doesn’t he mean he completely abides by the unspoken rules, he’ll make a comment here and there that has Zhongli sighing. This is made worse when you confess you’d prefer Venti’s company over Zhongli’s any day.

#zhongli #zhongli x reader #yandere zhongli x reader #yandere zhongli #zhongli genshin impact #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #yandere genshin impact #genshin impact imagine #yandere #yandere x reader #my stuff #first contract

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nemeseos-noctua · 4 years

Note

Here's the other: How'd they react to their S/O who cherishes their gift given by their beloved so much, that one day the gift was destroyed by a hilichurl and they went so livid they practically fought the creatures to death and threw them to a lake somewhere, and sulked the whole how they don't deserve them anymore cuz of how careless they were. For Razor, Albedo and Xiao 👉👈

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: razor, albedo, xiao (separate) x gn!reader

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: not proofread, mc is referenced as an alchemist/adventurer in albedo’s, one swear word in xiao’s

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: im EMBARRASSED at how long this is and how MEANINGLESS THE WRITING IS IM SO SORRY

he made you a paw-shaped clay sculpture!

it was cute and small, fitting right into the palm of your hands

to others—it may look like some worn-down toy, but to you, it was a good luck charm from the ever-cute razor

but perhaps, it wasn’t quite the clay-shape that you held close to your heart... no, it was the strenuous effort razor put into sculpting the paw

you remember it vividly. how the boy would dig his hands into mud and sit under the burning sun, carving the dirt with his bare fingers as he hid the gift from your sight

so when a good-for-nothing hilichurl decides razor’s paw-shape charm was a nice pebble for hot potato... boy were you livid

Patting the ground beside you, [e/c] eyes widened upon the feeling of nothing but grass.

What...? Peering over, you stared blankly at the empty space, comical arrows pointing at the now-gone charm you had received from Razor. Just where was it? You swore it was right beside you...

And as if Barbatos were laughing at you, the wind blew, burning your eyes as the sight of mitachurls and hilichurls danced around the fire in the distance, tossing what looked like a rock into the air.

Ah.

You blinked.

That was the charm Razor made.

first of all... how did the hilichurl get it? the charm was literally right beside you!

agh, whatever.

you’ll just retrieve it. easy, right?

no.

first of all, your power would literally turn the lush grass into a desolate canyon (not really). second of all, you’d probably end up destroying the paw in your rampage

hah...

—if the hilichurl didn’t destroy it first

Materializing your weapon, you couldn’t help but hope that the paw had miraculously survived the impact of a hilichurl throwing it against the floor.

Hah, what were you thinking? Of course it didn’t... physics just didn’t allow it.

But you know what physics did allow? Why, beating these enemies to a pulp, of course!

once you floored the hilichurls, you quickly scrambled as to look for signs of the paw anywhere

berating yourself as to how utterly foolish you were for letting it go and leaving it unguarded in the first place, you stared in defeat at the sight of crumbled clay and hardened dirt in the grass of the hilichurl camp

why? why were you so careless? seriously, how did this happen? if you had just kept it in your backpack like a regular person, razor’s hard-earned hours and craft would still be as grand as ever-

“[y/n]?”

Blinking, you hadn’t realized you had been sulking in the midst of this hilichurl camp. [E/C] eyes lifted up, widening once they had landed on none other than Razor, his crimson eyes like the agates that littered Dragonspine, his hair as grey as stormclouds.

“Ah... Razor...” You smiled in exasperation, staring at anywhere but said boy. How could you face him after watching his clay paw get destroyed by some measly hilichurls?

“Are you okay?” He asked, glancing around at the scene before him. The grass wilted, the camp that he remembered being obnoxiously loud and disturbing was silent and empty.

“Yeah, no biggie,” Waving off his concern, you began to walk away, your heart sinking with each step.

First, you let his gift get destroyed. Second, you walk away from him.

You were such a terrible partn—

“[Y/N]?” Razor’s voice cut through the air, a tension you had created solely on the thoughts of your own mind. Gripping your wrist with a tender touch, you didn’t fail to notice the way his eyes drooped down ever so slightly.

“Did I... make lupical mad?”

Gulping, you quickly waved your hands in front of your face, eyes widened as you tried to carefully explain the series of events that had just led down to this very moment.

“I—well, you see, your uh, paw-clay-thingy... I was careless and I—“

“Break it while hunting?” Razor answered, tilting his head as his hold merely stayed still, not wavering for a second, as if you were a boar in his hands.

“Ah...”

Razor was much better at observation than you had thought.

“It’s okay. I make more for lupical,” Razor nodded, already beginning to pace over to a pond as he dipped his gloved hands into the water, wafting around for dirt as you rushed up behind him.

“Wait! But I was careless... you don’t need to make ano—“

“It’s for lupical. Lupical close, I give lupical gift that never break.”

Everlasting—that was what he wanted to make.

And a part of you couldn’t help but agree.

albedo, in all of his alchemy prowess, made you an artificial flower

how? don’t ask him. he’ll spew some lengthy thesis and paragraph about the fundamentals, the research, the prototype, the testing, the—

ahem, anyways!

you had never intended to bring it outside. but one day, you had left your camp under the supervision of barbatos (wow go barbatos) and ventured off to fetch some materials

and when you came back? you were met with the sight of hilichurls and slimes raving around your tent

what the—

“I...I’m hallucinating,” You deadpanned, slapping your wrist at the sight of pyro slimes and masked hilichurls dancing around your tent, the inside of your humble abode moving around as if it were possessed.

And the cherry on top? A pyro abyss mage emerged, the flower floating besides it. But oh boy, it was no flower anymore... it was a flaming flower.

At that moment, you were left to ponder. Maybe, just maybe, you kinned a whopperflower at that point. Because oh boy did your temper and sanity explode on those little enemies, the way your blade sunk into their forms—

you were already planning your apology to albedo. he trusted you and loved you enough to make an artificial flower for you... and yet, it so pitifully crumbled at your touch

okay, not quite your touch. but it crumbled at the ugly pyro abyss mage’s touch

so, as any good s/o would do, you sulked while rebuilding your camp. it’s okay. as long as albedo didn’t know his creation was charred, all would be well. besides! he was quite a busy man! chances were low that he’d discover!

busy, he was, observant, he is

perhaps, you should’ve known

“Ah... hi Albedo,” You winced, opening your tent to smile at the alchemist who merely stared at you.

“You were gone for a while. Is everything okay?” He noted, remembering your absence from visiting his own camp at Dragonspine. As an alchemist, he knew what it was like being holed up in a camp. But for two weeks? Even he needed breaks.

“Well, you see... I was out... gathering materials! Yes!” You gave him a weak thumbs-up, wailing internally once his piercing azure eyes trailed around your camp, noting that nothing looked new.

“You don’t need to lie to me, [Y/N]. Is something the matter?”

“I’m sorry!” You cut off, clapping your hands together in a prayer-like position, guilt welling up in the pit of your stomach.

“...Why?”

“Your flower—I left it unsupervised and it was set aflame and I’m so so so sor—“

“Don’t be.”

Mouth dropping, you stared up at the male, an amused expression painting his face like the canvases he dedicated to you.

“At least you were not hurt while it was set aflame. Come, I’ll show you how to make some more,” Opening your tent for you all the way, Albedo held a hand out to you, eyes flickering in mirth.

“And next time, don’t try to run away from your problems.”

“You cheeky littl—“ A blush of both embarrassment and fluster formed on your face, shocked at his sudden remark.

he made you an adepti amulet

enhanced with super-cool-adepti-no-mortal-can-have power, xiao had informed you that all you needed to do was hold up the amulet and it’d scare any kind of enemies away!

cool, right? too bad you left it unattended while fighting the irritable anemo cube! now it’s at the bottom of the sea <3

how did this happen, exactly? well... you see... when wind picks up and becomes strong... light-weight objects will fly up into the air!

and sometimes, those light weight objects will fall into the sea, and sometimes, those objects would be gifts from your adeptus boyfriend who was waiting for you back at wangshu inn—

ahem. anyways. you beat the crap out of the anemo cube (aka, beth. aka, tornado cube. aka, cube waifu)

I should just... not go back to Wangshu Inn today. Haha... I’ll go ask Katheryne for a commission... You nodded, stuffing the turquoise shards of wind into your pockets, your bags filled with mora and enhancement ores being thrown off the side of the cliff.

—Along with the adepti amulet Xiao had made for you.

Seriously... you still had to wonder just how that happened! One second, you were avoiding getting sucked up by the vent of the anemo cube... and the next, your bag was traveling the world!

Can’t have shit in Teyva—

Trekking back to Mondstadt in defeat, you were innocently oblivious to the worry of the Yaksha back in Liyue.

are they okay? do they need help? did they go to dragonspine? all these questions spun around xiao’s head as he watched the moon rise, his mask dissipating into the wind

you told him you’d return tonight... yet you hadn’t. and a part of him had wished you hadn’t left liyue, so he had at least some control over whatever dangers dared to attack you

but, he knew you were strong. why else would he love you, anyway? he does not find appeal in being the savior 24/7

so, he waits. atop the balcony of wangshu inn, across the stars and moon, he prays to his archon, wishing—no, hoping you arrive safely

And—you did. You arrived back at Wangshu Inn.

... Three weeks later.

“You’re late. Very late,” Xiao’s voice blared in your ears, a blessing and a curse all at the same time. You didn’t know how to tell him the amulet was thrown off a cliff—but at the same time, you really wanted to run your fingers through his hair.

“Haha... sorry about that,” You laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of your head as Xiao merely grumbled, appearing before you with a piercing stare.

“Where were you? You did not even send me a letter.”

“I’m sorry... it’s just... eh... well...” You looked away, your heart churning against your ribs as Xiao extended his index finger out, tilting your chin to face him.

“What?” He asked, his tone harsh yet soft, longing yet logical.

“I uh... kind of... lost your adepti amulet... I’m sorry.”

He blinked.

“You waited three weeks to tell me that?” He asked in disbelief, almost in disappointment. Seriously, he was an adeptus! A Yaksha, at that! He could’ve just made another one for you... But nooo... you decided to wait three weeks in the land of the free (America?) and then worry him to death.

“Mortals...” Xiao muttered under his breath, crossing his arms with a huff as he turned his head away, the wind picking up.

“Hey, wait! Aren’t you going to say anything? Like a disappointed lecture or something?”

“No.”

Disappearing, you facepalmed, already pulling out some sweetflowers and milk to whip up some almond tofu.

Damn that adeptus. Who was he to tug your heartstrings like that?

You sighed, sitting beside a cooking pot as lingering yellow eyes watched your form, their irises softening at the sight.

— constellations! 💫

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