#sent: ainescribe

[cynicalmusings]

:)))))

oH MY GODDDDD

i don’t know what to say. like i just made some strangled noises when i saw this and i don’t know how else to reply

it’s so?? perfect? i love how fluffy you made the reader’s tail adjdkkserwbwocba and their whole design is so pretty — and jing yuan with all the sparkles around him is hilarious because he’s just a bit extra like that

thank you so so so much. i will treasure this gift for eternity and everyone who is reading hmc needs to see this /hj

[localplaguenurse]

I’m making this post early and scheduling it to go up for the 14th because I won’t be available that day (aunt’s getting married!!!) just to say

Happy birthday, Ginkgo Trees :)

It still blows my mind how we went from this

To this

To THIS

To ALL OF THIS????

Like y’all WHAT

I could shout praise and appreciation until my dying breath and I don’t think it’d be enough to actually convey how shocked and happy I am??? I literally. I can’t. I love every single person who has read this fic and commented or drawn fanart or done anything. I love every iteration of wifey from all the drawings sent my way to @crimson-ashes’ different AUs and headcanons. I literally cannot thank all of you enough.

Art credits

Ao3 comment’s art @probably-doesnt-exist @ainescribe @maybeincolours @scales-of-stardust @ethve @lostsunlight @euniveve @memory-mortis

[hismourningflower]

"special day" ft kaeya + gorou x gn!reader literature content. fluff, maybe ooc, established relationships alexi’s notes. happy birthday to my dearest @yaminohimeyume ! thank you for being such a close friend to me, this is actually also your request you sent in - you have enough angst ma’am, you should have known i’d write you fluff instead !

I was scrolling and saw you asked for requests so, I went searching for two phrases so that I could decide what to ask... In the end I got two... either angst or fluff for Gorou, and if you feel like, for Kaeya <3

library waiting list. @soleillunne @lovingluxury @dumbificat @starryshinyskies @ryuryuryuyurboat @ainescribe @sangoqueenkoko

your lover is known for casually slacking off his work sometimes but regardless, KAEYA is a hardworking man. from taking up commissions from the other knights and running errands, or even training knights-to-be, the cavalry captain without his cavalry always has an excuse to be busy - or rather, appear busy. whether or not it be genuine work or an attempt at kicking his feet up during work hours, you're supportive and always there to ensure he's caring for himself.

this includes roping him home from the angel's share with the help of master diluc, the stench of wine heavy on his breath as he stumbles alongside the pair of you, his hands trying to shove your helping touch away as he urges "i'm married!" into the cool night air of mondstadt, much to both the amusement of yourself and diluc as you exchange glances.

it always includes you bringing his lunch to him, fresh from the good hunter - sara is quite fond of you, honestly - and all the times you've taken klee off his hands. that's the only time you can excuse him slacking off, in your eyes since by the archons, klee is a handful.

kaeya may or may not see your birthday and take it as a chance to squeeze himself out of the suffocating, stuffy air that is the knights of favonius headquarters. the empty vase on the kitchen table is filled with an array of your favourite flowers, colourful and basking in the golden light of the early morning sunrise that's casting its beauty onto the nation of freedom. they smell divine, sweet and floral accompanied with the breakfast that kaeya worked hard on; honestly a surprise that he knew how to navigate your shared kitchen enough to cook something.

the two of you spend the majority of the day wandering the bustling streets of mondstadt shopping, accompanied by the breeze so beautifully blessed by barbatos himself. one of kaeya's love languages may be acts of affirmation but his more commonly acted on love language is gifts. even if you try to shrug off his efforts throughout the day, kaeya is insistent on buying every little trinket and other that your eyes even so much as glitter at the sight of.

with the sunset as your witness, perched at the top of starsnatch cliff on a plaid picnic blanket, kaeya gives you your true gift - the one that had been purchased months in advance after he sought the help of jean. in his hands sits a small, plush velvet box that holds a necklace with a shivada jade gemstone cut so refined and glittering in the light of the sun dipping below the distant horizon. smiles adorn your faces as you make wishes on dandelion seeds, blowing them to be carried in the wind.

—

in hindsight, you had probably expected little to nothing from your workaholic partner as your birthday wrapped around. GOROU was hardworking, sure but sometimes you couldn't help but worry for his overall health. as his partner, it was your own hard work that kept the canine male on his feet during the trying times of the resistance.

little did you know, your hindsight would be incredibly wrong. gorou may focus solely on the resistance, his work as a general and the comrades around him however he is devoted to you, loyal to the one he recognises as his forever. with pointed ears and a wagging tail, gorou had already made plans months in advance with her excellency for your birthday - the hardest part was keeping it under wraps.

what can i say? the general of the watatsumi resistance is full of surprises, if people weren't already shocked from his prominent animalistic features and happy-go-lucky demeanour in a time of history being changed right before your very eyes, that is. the morning of your birthday, he'd already started your day before you had. gorou follows a strict regime daily and the man virtually exists only to follow schedules; he'll combust if he doesn't.

since gorou is always too busy to maintain his own health, you've always been the standing pillar at his side, ensuring he's fed and that he takes routine breaks out of his work to just breathe in the fresh air. this morning he wants to return all your kind acts, all the steaming plates of breakfast and packed bento boxes; always wrapped and made with the utmost of love.

the smell of food is the first thing you're greeted with when your eyes pry open, blinded by the spring inazuman sunshine that casts into the room through the open window, the curtains tied back and yet blowing gently in the warm breeze. gorou's humming is faint from the kitchen but you can make it out just enough to recognise that it's a song the soldiers take to singing around the campfire some nights.

after breakfast, gorou hands over his gift to you - one that albeit caused him a lot of pain that bared just for you, - a woven bracelet made of the fur of his tail. there's a sheepish smile on his face, cheeks dusted a light hue of pink as he rubs the back of his neck with a hand and admits just how painful it was to pluck fur from his own poor tail but despite the pain, the sentiment is there. he wants you to have a piece of him - literally - with you, especially when he goes to the battlefield with the chance of never returning to your side.

then the day takes its turn into the plans gorou has pre-emptively worked on to perfection, using this day as his chance to thank you for everything you have ever done for him as his lover. the beaches of yashiori island are plenty, your toes dipped in the sand and cool waves lapping at your ankles as you walk along the coast, hand in hand with your lover boy, so head over heels in love with you every time his eyes glance over to you and trail to that ginger bracelet clasped around your wrist.

⊹˚₊‧───────────────‧₊˚⊹

© thexianzhoujade 2024. | reblogs appreciated | do not re-upload, copy, translate, etc. my works on any form of media. | divider by @/cafekitsune.

[zhongrin]

ー and that's a wrap!!!

note: this is a thank-you post and i’ll be posting an ‘explanation’ post after this, just give me some time to compile all the information <3

so. obviously i just have to do this because man. that was a whole ride hahahah thank you so so so so so SO MUCH to people who participated actively in the ebg???? i am????? not worthy??????? lsjdkfjskldf

special mentions to: (ps. please check them out; these are all wonderful, talented writers. be sure to read their rules first, though!!!)

@kurikurikurisu / @risustravelogue thank you for putting up with my insanity throughout this event…. and for being the first to bring in their hubby to sneak around the teahouse! lol smart move!! i’m guessing you’ll bring your other hubby next time for the fun of it and i am. looking forward to it already hahahah also that morse code → vigenere cipher will haunt my nightmares now thanks- /silly

@crystalflygeo you precious precious gem. i am still wheezing at that meme you sent me. here’s to hoping the next time crys visits the teahouse it doesn’t smell like sea salt and frost anymore heh ;)) also fontaine tea time double date when? <3

@floraldresvi thank you for being the source of romance this ebg lol tartarin is a sinking ship so everyone better hop in to covivi!! all jokes aside, i love writing your interactions with coviello so much (and based on the comments everyone else seems to enjoy it too hahahah) i 🚢!!!!!

@silentmoths MOTH!!! YOUR WINGS 😭 will drinking tea make it grow back??? i offer the finest silk for you to munch on after this hsdlfjskdf anyway, be it the last ebg or this one, i love seeing the little moth flying about in the teahouse hehe <3

@ainescribe / @lychniis i hate (read: love) you. why did you have to bring back the nightmarish cipher into this smh /j anyway…. another event to be recorded in the record keeper’s books, eh? i hope you enjoyed this ebg too <3

@queen-belial you madlad /pos. the way you write ousldjflshdjflksd i feel a little bad i can only respond with small snippets because man. those are. yummy yummy meals you were dishing out there!!! capitano is coming for childe’s ass atp that ginger better watch out lmaoooo

@abyssmal-skies tysm for granting me the opportunities to up the creepy factor lol i’m glad you managed to piece together what happened!! looking forward if you ever decide on joining an ebg next time :3

@the-travelling-witch HOLLYYYYYY. thank you for letting me 'borrow' your husband and allowing me to make him a little... uhh... #deranged lol. honestly you’re one of the reasons why i went “ok so…. only my blog needs to simp for childe. i don’t…. time to make someone else ‘run’ the blog…. >:)” because for lord’s sake i am very much not attracted to him and i just. can’t. do. it. #chilly4ever #chillyno1

@leftdestiny-posts / @intothegenshinworld that letter almost took me out ngl i am. i am still crying and sobbing over it hsldfjskldjflksdf PLEASE. also shiro protection squad &lt;;3 *silently wipes bloodied hand on a tea towel*

@kopidense / @ask-court-genshin heyyyy fellow murder accomplice (for legal reasons, disclaimer: this does not involve any real human bodies whatsoever) 🙌🏻 thanks for dropping by!! also pls tell your two friends i said hi winkwink #truezhonglimainsstickstogether /silly

@navxry actually yk what no. no thanks for you, you gremlin /silly but thanks for the trauma i guess- /j

@i23kazu YING!!! thank you so so so so much for hosting this ebg! it has been super fun and i (and i’m sure everyone else thinks the same) really appreciate your effort in putting things together!!

and of course all of the other people who sent in asks, be in anon or non-anon, be it a silly ask or a sabotage attempt or a rp attempt — please know that i really really really appreciate each and every single one of you!!!

your participation means a lot and it’s the literal driving force behind my passion in constantly drawing and writing stuff whenever i have time these past 7 days. i haven’t written or drawn any content whatsoever in weeks. do you see the power you hold over us writers by sending in fics & silly stuff now?? i hope you do.

also, even if you didn’t participate at all, i appreciate you for still sticking with me despite having to deal with my silliness for past week 😌

sending you all my kithes /p and hugs and a cup of your preferred tea! <3

[silentmoths]

Fragile as a brick wall

Masterlist || Next

welp, I was originally going to start posting this one on Ao3 but seems they're doing some maintneance, so the tumblr crowd is the first to get chapter 1.

I havent felt this...energized about a story in a while, and while I doubt it's updates are going to be daily like my first batches of longform, here's hoping I can keep the energy up.

Zhongli x Afab (fem pronoun) Reader

NSFW elements in later chapters

Multi-chapter, Royal AU, angst, mentions of death, eventual fluff, eventual smut, idk more tags when they happen ig?

(Beautiful header made by the lovely @ainescribe ;w; i am not worthy)

Ch:1

The night is quiet, peaceful.

Unassuming.

A small group of travellers pass through the gates, silent save for the echo of hooves against cobble as their horses ascend the path towards the castle. It’s been many years since any of them have returned, and for some, they had never once set foot into the kingdom; now only following their leader, hopes of a better life for themselves and all these unassuming villagers.

They expect resistance from the guards, but as their leader removes their hood, any and all step aside, staring with wide eyes, as if they’d seen a ghost, some of them even bowing in reverence; they remembered.

They all remembered.

They all know why he’s here. 

They say nothing. Turning a blind eye to the newcomers' approach, hushing any of the younger guards who had never laid eyes upon the man at the head of the party as they pass, for this, he is glad, he didn’t want to hurt any of his old friends.

“M’lord…this is almost too easy.” Xiao mutters, eyeing off the guards from beneath the safety of his hood. “This must be a trap.”

“This is no trap, Xiao.” Zhongli responds easily, turning his head to give one of his strongest and most loyal a reassuring smile. “These are old friends who are tired, just as I was.”

“Things truly are worse than I thought.” Ganyu mumbles, eyeing off the village down the hill, rundown and falling apart “Are you sure we can save this?”

“I am.” He responds with confidence “I cannot do this alone, but as you can see, the guards are on board, the villagers will be swayed easily…with all your help…this can be turned around.” 

He does not mention the one other person he can think of that could truly turn the tides, she isn’t even here right now, sent on a goodwill mission to the kingdom she had been promised to, no matter, any political promises from the king would be dissolved before dawn.

He sends Xiao and Ganyu to the prince's chambers first. Despite their glaringly cruel outlook on their subjects, he needed those two alive, and he knew Xiao and Ganyu could do that. Finally, at the screaming of one of the princes, the alarm is finally raised that there was indeed something wrong in the castle, guards mobilise, yet all seem to actively avoid where the actual problem is, vanishing to other wings of the castle, dragging confused new recruits with them as Zhongli waits.

The twin’s are deposited at his feet, bound and gagged as he sits upon the throne that will soon be his, hood pulled back up to conceal his identity as he waits. The king was a proud man, and he loved this horrible gilded throne more than anything else. His mind turned feeble, greedy and tyrannical after the death of his wife, if there was anywhere he would go first, it was here.

What bothers him more are the smaller thrones, set either side. Two…one for each prince, completely disregarding their older, far more capable sister.

No matter, Zhongli would see to fixing that soon enough.

But before then, the drunken, thunderous shouting from down the hall signalled the approach of the one man he absolutely had to see.

The king shouts obscenities and profanity at him, demanding his sons be let go, that he would have Zhongli hung for his crimes. Zhongli listens silently, letting the oaf bluster himself out before rising. 

“You have forgotten me…” He sighs with a shrug of his shoulders as he unclips his cloak, allowing it to fall away. “Quite a shame.” 

There is a burning satisfaction Zhongli feels well in his chest when the tyrannical king he had once served so loyally, realises who it is standing before him. Despite the many years, Zhongli still looked very much the same; well kept, fit and strong despite his thin physique, and his eyes, to the king, it was the eyes.

The molten amber-gold was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and had not seen since the death of the captain of his Royal guard some five years ago.

“You-” For all his thunderous bellowing earlier, the sight of a ghost had the horrid man stunned to silence, unable to move, unable to speak, as Zhongli draws his sword, face hardened to stone.

“Me.” 

–

Blood stained the throne room floor that morning as dawn breaks and the villagers slowly meander to the gatehouse. The guards, once sullen and imposing, step aside, welcoming the common folk into the castle grounds proper for the first time in over a decade.

The people begin to talk, to flock and to question as they approach the castle, once cut off, once a place of fear; anyone who had been summoned to the castle prior had never been seen alive again.

And yet the sight they are met with at the main gates is of a pyre, of the king’s body, cremating and the two princes bound, forced to watch their father’s corpse burn in the morning light.

They see Zhongli, standing tall and proud, a man none had seen since he and his battalion had been sent into battle five years prior, the only man to not return. A good, and honourable man who, despite his loyalty to the throne, oft rebelled against the king’s order, who tried his best to help the village, to sneak any excess food from the kitchens before it went to waste, to help farmers in their fields on his off days.

The people point, and the people shout. They cheer and they cry tears of joy.

After over a decade of fear and uncertainty, a new king had come in the night and usurped the throne with such vigilance and grace, that no one had even known what had happened until morning.

It was heartbreaking to him in a way, to see how absolutely no one, save for his two remaining sons, grieved the death of the previous king. When Zhongli had first joined the guard, he had been a firm but kind man, and to watch him slowly fall to the clutches of insanity was painful.

But what’s done, is done.

He is not officially crowned until the next day, but he has his small resistance group already beginning to set up and settle in, he tells the castle staff to take time off, to go home with their wages for the week and be with their families. Some do, most refuse, citing that there was much work to be done, and that the small handful of people he had would not a castle make. 

It takes a week of hard labour, on both the staff and his own parts, to finally clean the dreary, grey walls and floors, to re-light the torches and to bring a touch of finery back to the neglected palace. 

The king’s chambers in particular, were a testament to just how horrific the times had become. Filthy and strewn with empty bottles and papers. The staff tell him that they had not been allowed into this wing of the castle for years, and they insist on attempting to push him out so they may clean it themselves.

He doesn’t allow it. It’s his chambers now, he should have a hand in clearing out the old mess. Just because he was king now does not excuse him from dirtying his own hands.

(That and he just…couldn’t watch these poor men and women clean all this on their own)

As things settle into an easier rhythm, his attention turns to proper, administrative duties.

With Ganyu on the case, everything is already lined up, ready for him to read over and sign, she has already sent correspondence to neighbouring kingdoms that they, under new ruling, are no longer a threat; Zhongli’s ultimate goal is nothing but peace and prosperity for his home. He listens to the requests of his new tentative allies, and he allocates funds to fix parts of his new kingdom broken down under the old reign. He does his best to have everything kept fair, but this is where he falters; fierce in battle he could be, but paperwork was always taxing.

And then the villagers come again one morning. Almost all of them present to the throne room, hardened looks upon their faces, and at first, he think’s he’s done something to wrong them.

They ask first about the fate of the twins, citing that they had still been alive at the burning of the old king. At first, he’s surprised, having not expected any of them to care about the pair of delinquent royals who had caused them nothing but pain, but he tells them anyway.

“They are currently being held in the dungeons, they are still being cared for.” 

“Then what of the princess? What do you intend to do with her upon her return?”

At the merest mention of the princess, the crowd begins to shout, to beg and to plead for her life to be spared, multiple different villagers of different status’ all coming forward offering to take her into their homes should he choose to banish her from the castle.

Zhongli finds himself proud of his new people, and glad that they too, held such fondness for the princess. Far more like her gentle queen mother than she ever was her father. He recalls his days before war broke out, of the fondness he’d held of her.

He would never bring her harm.

The crowd’s shouting dims at his statement of that very fact; their princess would not be harmed, she had no choice in any of her fathers matters, she would not be banished, or married off for gain. The villagers rejoice, their giddy excitement only growing.

Faintly, he hears whispers from some of them, wondering just how she would react to the new king upon her return, if she hadn’t been told already.

And faintly, Zhongli wonders if she would even return…a thought that hadn’t crossed his mind, despite knowingly waiting until he was sure she was not within the kingdom before he took control.

He hopes, of course, that she does return. If anyone deserved a hand in shaping this kingdom, it was her…and Zhongli, while keeping his intentions quiet from all but his closest confidants, wanted her to become queen.

His queen.

Once the crowd is calmed and sent on their way, he retires once more to his chambers, and finds himself, void of things to be doing, staring out the window as he remembers. A young girl, clinging to the hem of the queen's gown as her mother introduces him to her. He remembers how small and fragile she looked, remembered placing a kiss to her knuckles with a quiet murmur of ‘your majesty’ and how it turned her cheeks pink.

Remembers standing beside her on the day of her mothers funeral, watching as her face remained radiant and smiling as she spoke fondly of the queen mother. Watches as the king slowly crumbled before them all, unable to speak, unable to do anything. His sons, her twin brothers were no aid, too coddled to truly cope with such tragedy.

Despite it all, it was her who picked up the pieces of a kingdom left in mourning, and yet it was her father who took those pieces and ground it all to dust. 

Taglist: @stygianoir @meimeimeirin @ainescribe @dustofthedailylife @theheartshaker @alice4wonderland2812 @bel0vedcup1d @rjssierjrie Want to be added to the list? shoot me an ask~

[chiyoso]

am i the only one who finds dms in tumblr buggy?????????1!2!#!$(2?

IVE BEEN TYPING LONG ASS MESSAGES AND THEY APPEAR SENT BUT THE MOMENT I COME BACK TO THE DM MY SPEECH BUBBLE VANISHES ??1?1!?2?3?32?!!!??!!

iM BEING GASLIGHTED JUST LIKE MY EX OMG

anyways @peachdues @ainescribe at you i promise im not ignoring ive been typing essays but NO!!!! TUMBLR IS FUCKING ME UP TOXICLY

[cherry-colored-petals]

UPDATE 2:

On day 4 of EBG, 'Albedo' makes another update and blocks @.abyssmal-skies. The word 'you' had y glitched out, and in the tags, 'he's' is glitched. As usual, he neglected showing the star on his neck.

(The update from Rin confirms this happening.)

@.astranne sent an ask which is a letter from Zhongli, but Rin was unable to hear it and ends up gushing about 'Albedo' instead.

On the fifth letter, he and Rin wrote it back to Capitano and on the P.S. section, 'Albedo' mentions that he will keep what he said in mind. Interestingly, the signature had his star back.

@.mixed-kester seem to have the same glitch affect them for their asks as well and mentioned Rin to it.

On @.ainescribe's ask, they wrote something in binary, but it doesn't form cohesive sentences or words.

At the bottom, however, 'Albedo' mentions about their 'troublesome' friends. Interesting enough, the word o was glitched out.

(If anyone is curious, 'rhm zfnmdkhs wghthmd cnr ynu egoj gt fnlbpkbgsb ynu mbba tn wgjb up' was translated. Maybe its a cypher?)

The sixth letter came as 'Albedo' took a photo of sleeping Rin, writing the simple words, 'I would never harm her'. It is signed the same way as the fifth letter had.

And finally, on the 5th day of EBG (RECENT UPDATE), 'Albedo' checks Rin's laptop again and seem to find something unpleasant. the dots at the end of both paragraphs were glitched, and his words were, 'how dare you try and break her...?'.

The letters 'w' and 'b' are glitched, and 'k' had a different font and color from his usual response.

on the tags, the word 'going' is now glitched.

As of right now, that is our current update on the situation. It's still ongoing as we speak, but there's already a plan in motion.

... what plan is it?

...

You'll see.

Now that I've written like 2 drabbles of the EBG week (thanks to @.zhongrin's post abt it because it is FUELING my lore hungry brain) I have... A sort of theory to put it here.

Mostly to compose my own thoughts because after EBG I will most likely just compose it all in a neat little master list for future reading purposes + to hopefully continue on this little AU in my own pleasure. Yes I am very well aware it's just a game and no one has seen this little side blog (thank the Gods) so don't mind me just having this little thing running around wwwww)

That aside, I've been taking notes so far and it seems I can gather a few thoughts... One being that:

'Albedo' (Dorian) is sentient. He seems to be well aware of what's going on and on one of the posts, he has tampered with the system enough so that it would censor any sort of incriminating evidence that can crack his reality with Rin. It's a very interesting concept because he is also aware that the other anons (and mutuals) are growing concerned and are most likely trying to get Rin out of the situation.

As of February 19, 2023 (Day 2 of EBG), Albedo has tampered the system of Tumblr. He has also shown signs of doing it via blank asks and is actually smug about it on @.ainescribe's ask at exactly February 18, 2023. Upon looking closer on the photo, he has also neglected showing the star on his neck.

In one of the asks, @.mixed-kester seem to ask on how long they've been together, and it is implied that it has been forever. Alongside that, there was something interesting in a sense that the following words, "I barely remember what my life was like before meeting him". This can be taken by face value as an exaggeration, but now that we know he's sentient, it is possible that he has tampered with Rin's own memories.

On one of the answers from Rin, there was one brief moment where they wrote, "a cry for help? Comrade no one's crying for help" wherein the word 'help' has been glitched out. This came from @.annoyinglyboredpoet as they brought up another point wherein the words, "all is good :)" was in bold.

There's more to dig up but as of right now, this is the current leading points of evidence. If Albedo (Dorian) is a smart individual, he must've done a lot of preparation to get Rin and maybe even dug deep into the research of locking a person's memories... Or erasing them.

[zlebooks]

love fool | zhongli smau — ch. 07

ch. 07 — [ prev / masterlist / next ]

zhongli, the student body president has been out of everyone's league since the beginning. yet you still let yourself crush on the golden-darling-pretty-boy. so, like a fool in love, you end up chasing zhongli who is part of the track team as well and somehow, he manages to avoid every single one of your attempts! (gee, i wonder why) good thing there's no app that lets you talk to him anonymously and accidentally creates a love square-ish between you two. or in which zhongli thinks he fell for someone through the internet but it ends up just being the pest (affectionately, you) crushing on him the whole time.

FEATURING: student council!zhongli x she/her!reader, other genshin impact characters.

TAGLIST: send an ask to be added! (bold means cannot be tagged) @imtoodumbforaname @stationery-store @catsrkool @nejibot @eufrsr @nerdy-simp-7120 @ping-pongmach1ne @pathosprit @ainescribe @local-mr-frog @irisxiel @patata-52 @nebulaera @zhonglis-wifey @zephestia @potatoewolfie @estelwrld @deimmortales99 @kyomihann @msvalkitty @beef-stew @zannivrs @starryeyedkoko @floffytofu @layvesenrose @one-offmind

fun facts ★

this is the ppt y/n made that she sent zhongli by accident ... rip 2 you i guess

the powerpoint template is just a template i chose half asleep in canva

zhongli probably thinks you're rlly creepy now! and childe thinks he shouldn't have attempted to matchmake the two of you

you might have disappointed your research teacher but at least in this smau you know how to cite references!

[cynicalmusings]

sometimes the thoughts of how long lived species on the xianzhou view the passage of time keeps me up at night all for the purpose of feeding my thoughts for jing yuan x short life species reader's doomed romance no clickbait.

i am unwell.

thank you.

it just goes by so quickly… xianzhou locals don’t experience time at a different rate to short-life species, but there’s simply so much more of it that the older you get, the faster everything blurs together…

i remember we had a bit of a ramble in the notes section(?) of one of your posts, in that xianzhou locals (and jing yuan especially, considering both his age and general (haha) disposition) only really realise they’ve caught feelings for a short-life species once it’s too late, because they’re by default used to having decades if not centuries for those feelings to fully develop and blossom; slow-burn is a much more natural route for romantic feelings than the relatively common quick, snap-judgement attractions of short-life species.

so while you’re spending years on end pining and doubting any requited feelings, the inkling of deeper attraction is only just beginning to take route on jing yuan’s part—and it’s not that he doesn’t care about you, it’s just that to care about you in that way and to be certain of it is simply a process which takes more time than you have available. and by the time he is finally certain and potentially willing to pursue a deeper relationship, you’ve grown old while he barely even noticed the time pass, and he’s forced to wonder whether all the time he spent pondering would have been better spent simply appreciating you for what you are, and your relationship for what it is, instead of mistakenly assuming you’d somehow live for long enough to hear his conclusion.

he just forgot how short some lives are, is all, and that’s somehow the worst thing of all. it wasn’t a conscious choice to overlook it. he just forgot.

[cynicalmusings]

NONO BECAUSE YOUR RECENT BRAINROT WITH PAIRING THE READER WITH MEG'S SONG JDJEJFKCJRKR. I can imagine fu xuan looking so done in the back XD.

oh, definitely — take a shot each time she rolls her eyes and you’ll be out cold by the end of it.

(even funnier if the finches acting as the muses are a mara-induced hallucination, so the reader’s just waltzing around the ship responding to the finches as if they’re saying something, but in reality there’s just silence… cue a very concerned yanqing and a fu xuan who has entirely given up on them.)

OH! and instead of the rose mel’s holding, they’ve got the comb >:))))))

—and mimi is sitting on the sidelines watching this whole thing, looking far more amused than any normal lion should……

[cynicalmusings]

would it...perhaps be okay...if i draw fanart for the general's flying ship, my liege-

you don’t even need to ask omhgdhejsnwoaebrv

the stage (ship?) is yours!

[cynicalmusings]

*lights candle* want to summon a demon with me and get you a heizou through a demonic contract-

[pulls out a stash of blood-red candles i’ve been storing in the basement for this very occasion]

you needn’t even ask.

[silentmoths]

As Fragile as a brick wall

Masterlist||First||Previous||Next

Ch3:

Despite her claiming to no longer be a royal under his rule, sometimes old habits die hard.

Zhongli x Afab (fem pronoun) Reader

little death/gore in this one? just a wee bit.

NSFW elements in later chapters

Multi-chapter, Royal AU, angst, mentions of death, eventual fluff, eventual smut, idk more tags when they happen ig? (Wonderful header image made by the wonderful @ainescribe)

This was your own damn castle, and now you were tip toeing through it like you did when you were a child, sneaking off to the kitchens for an extra sweetroll…how annoying. But if it’s what you needed to do to keep out of his way? So be it.

The moment you got the news of your fathers death? Of course you were going to return, not like you could stay with your fiance any longer…considering you were technically no longer the princess, meaning there was nothing to gain from marrying you.

But when you finally arrived in the throne room to find him of all people, standing there? Something snaps. 

Zhongli.

Zhongli who used to play chess with your mother, who helped her teach you.

Zhongli who had introduced you to who would later become your most loyal steed, Azhdaha. ‘Old’ he claimed when he had left the stallion in your hands, more like too large to escape on without being seen.

Zhongli, who you had wept over in the privacy of your room when he was the only one not to return from battle, dead, they had told you. Died protecting the rest of his troops, an honourable death.

And then there he was, standing before you, trying to worm your hand in marriage for the lives of your ‘brothers’. Bastards the pair of them, you’re sure they, and your father, were the reason your mother met such an early end, their obnoxious demands causing nothing but stress and misery…and when your father had finally snapped? They followed along with everything like dutiful little dogs. Hounding you, sneering about how you were going to be married off as soon as your birthday rolled around so they didn’t have to deal with you anymore.

You probably should have felt something…anything but satisfaction over finally being able to put them down…but alas, the gods laughed at you, a murderer in your own right, cutting down your own siblings no less. At the time you were angry- no. Furious. All that time, all those years spent alone, with no one else to reach out to for company…and then he has the gall to return and try to bargain your hand in marriage? Absolutely not, the look of shock on his face was satisfying at least, those stupid pretty eyes wide with horror. Perhaps if he had returned home like he’d promised, you would not have taken up the sword to at least try and protect yourself somewhat, perhaps if he had returned home you might have remained the ‘fragile orchid’ as most had an unfortunate habit of calling you.

Fragile as a brick wall perhaps, but no orchids to be found here. 

The first night, he’d sent an attendant to your room, a pretty lady with a kind smile and tired eyes. She'd introduced herself as Ganyu, and had asked if you would like to join the king for dinner.

“Not on his life.” You huff at the poor woman, you know it’s not her fault, and you don’t like the way she recoils as your response, but first trying to bargain marriage, and then sending an attendant to do his dirty work? This wasn’t the Zhongli you knew.

At least not the one you thought you knew.

You expected that to be that, you’d already made peace with sneaking to the kitchens at odd hours to feed yourself, at least until you could figure out exactly what the plan was, yet not half an hour later is there another knock at your door, and an extravagant spread of food left for you.

In a way, it made you happy. The castle cooks had been so dreary when you left, a roast and a stew was all you would usually find upon the dinner table, but now, under a new reign, it seemed they had been allowed to enjoy their craft once more.

How long had it been since you’d actually had fresh bread, made right there in the kitchens? The food your now ex-fiance offered had been exquisite, but being a kingdom of snow, very monotonous in its fare. 

He never made an attempt to force you from your chambers, nor did he make any attempts at removing you from the castle, or well…anything really. Good, hopefully your little display with your brothers had shocked him enough into just leaving you alone.

But cooping up in your room for several days straight was beginning to grow old, Azhdaha had a tendency to get cranky when you didn’t take him for a good gallop every few days.. Perhaps you could quietly sneak out for a few hours?

All’s quiet when you eventually poke your head out the door, save for a few guards that you already knew well, everyone had their stations, and those stationed around your rooms were relaxed, they knew you well enough that all they do when you pass them by is smile and wave.

However, as you pass through a particular corridor, intent on sneaking out through the kitchens to swipe a few apples for your steed, you hear a commotion. Several people all clamouring and talking over one another trying to be heard in the throne room.

You shouldn't.

But seeing him get his newly royaled rear handed to him by the villagers?

You had to.

Silently you stalk down the hall to the throne room, stopping to lean against one of the large, velvet curtains, out of sight of all, but able to watch the festivities.

“Silence, all of you!” Zhongli’s smaller attendant, xiao you think his name was? Shouts, but the villagers heed him no mind. It was great, seeing the people of the kingdom so fired up again, even greater to watch the new king flounder.

“My lord, please! The grazing fields have been in disrepair for so long, they should be tended to first so we can fatten the cattle for the winter!” one farmer cries.

“Nonsense! The rice fields should be seen first, sure meat is nice, but we can survive the winter with a plentiful enough rice harvest!” another spits back.

“What about repairs to the fishing boats?” the fishmonger hollers over the others “it’s been far too long since the market has had any decent fish!”

All fair points, you think to yourself, gaze slowly sliding to Zhongli.

He really hasn't changed much…at least not in the face…perhaps a little slimmer…more sharp and refined than you remember, you find yourself watching as he speaks, loud and clear over the din of bickering farmers. Seem’s he must have been listening during the times your mother, bless her soul, had been teaching you how to project and annunciate your voice. Learning to speak clearly over a crowd was an art in itself. 

And then there were his eyes. Expressive, captivating…

As beautiful as the day he’d left.

Between the swirling magma of amber and gold of his pupils, and the defining red flicks beneath his waterline, he really made for a handsome image.

Once, you’d thought he spent his mornings tirelessly and meticulously applying those little red flicks with eyeliner, come to discover that they were actually a permanent mark upon his face, somehow passed down through the generations of his family like a stubborn birthmark.

How strange.

However, for all the picturesque image of a king that he made, it becomes startlingly obvious to you that he’d been away for too long. While each farmer had a point, you could see it clearly, like a game of chess. If he wanted the kingdom not only to survive, but to thrive through the winter.

“Repair the fishing boats.” you announce, acting before thinking, it was an unfortunate trait, but in this case, if he wasn’t going to make a decision on who and what needed attention first, you would have to do it.

All at once, the moment you step out from your hiding place, eyes are on you, the villagers gasp and wave; zhongli’s eyebrows raise and you can see the smallest hint of a smile pulling to his lips as you approach, snatching the ledger out of his hand, as well as the quill as you look over the funding available and the allocations, shaking your head and scribbling a few out.

“Repair the fishing boats first.” you repeat, quietly scribbling new numbers onto the parchment “there is usually a large migration of bass that pass by our docks towards the end of fall, not only would catching them provide us with meat for the winter, but if we circumvent the funds allocated to fix the bakery, we can also repair the damage to the rice fields and double our stock…not to mention any extra fish we catch, we can easily sell to neighbouring kingdoms without the need to herd cattle.” 

“But if we do not repair the bakery, we will have no bread!” a villager cries from somewhere in the back.

“It’s just the chimney, yes? If I recall it was damaged in the last monsoon and my father never bothered to have it fixed…but if I also remember correctly, the smithy currently has a stock of brick behind his workshop from when the new forge was built and my father ordered extra…is that still correct?” you call out into the crowd of people.

“It is!” comes a response after a moment, you nod, making a few more scribbles. 

“In which case, in these trying times as we get back on our feet, look to one another as well as to your king.” you state “Everything can and will be fixed in time, but with winter fast approaching, we need to think of what is both going to keep all of us fed, with the potential of bringing in extra income. I know we have plenty of extra building supplies strewn about everywhere, if we can pool all of them into one inventory, we might be able to get good headway into repairing what needs it most before the cold sets in.” 

With a final scribble you hand the ledger back to the king. You don’t look at him, in the back of your head, you’re absolutely kicking yourself for even getting involved. You weren’t a royal anymore, this wasn’t your job, no matter how much study and training you’d put into all of it, but you’d sooner die than watch your already tattered kingdom fall to ruin when the fixes were easy enough.

Zhongli scans over the amended ledger with a pleased hum.

“M’lady, where should we bring excess building supplies?” A villager calls from the crowd, really that should be a question for the king.

“The main gatehouse, there is enough empty space in the courtyard there to keep any and all supplies, we can take stock of what we have and use the leftover allocations to order more materials…” you sigh. Sometimes you really did just like to stick your thumb where it doesn't belong…

And yet, the approving murmur of the villagers gathered fills you with a sense of pride. These people had always been good, despite the hand dealt to them, and while you couldn’t take back the atrocities your family had committed unto them, you could at last try and get things back on track, running like the prosperous kingdom your mother had told you stories of when you were small. 

“But M’lady, our relationships with the neighbouring kingdoms are…rocky at best.” A villager points out “how are we going to sell to them, if they do not like us?”

“Ah, I’ve already seen to making amends with our direct neighbours.” Zhongli cuts in for the first time since you had stepped in. “What the princess proposes could also work in our favour…depending on how much we catch and what we can repair, we may even be able to offer a little excess stock to them as a show of good faith.”

This, you weren’t too sure of. Sure you could talk a big game, but all you did was alter some numbers using what you knew…if the fishing boats failed to bring in a decent enough catch, there might not even be enough to go around amongst the people, let alone give away to others…

But the looks on the villagers' faces…the spark and the hope, was something you’d not seen in so long, that you simply nod; you would not shoot down their excitement, archons know they’d had enough of that.

“If there are no more questions or requests, I suggest we all get to work!” At his announcement, the villagers cheer and quickly turn, making for their homes to gather what materials they could. You watch as Zhongli hands off the ledger to Ganyu, that poor woman already looked so tired and overwhelmed.

You don’t stay when he turns to address you, spinning on your heel and venturing back down the corridor, ignoring the call of your name. Turning your back on the king was never a smart move, but he wasn’t your father, he wasn’t a cruel man.

Honestly? He was entirely too soft. 

A soft traitor. 

Clenching your teeth, you march to the kitchens; your horse needed his apples.

Taglist: @stygianoir @meimeimeirin @ainescribe @dustofthedailylife @theheartshaker @alice4wonderland2812 @bel0vedcup1d @rjssierjrie Want to be added to the list? shoot me an ask~

[silentmoths]

Not a prompt but I saw your...as you put it 'tiny sneznhayan punching bag'

Can we have more info about her? she looks kinda like a genderbent childe no offence It was just the first thought that came into my head!!

LMAO no thats ok friend she's related to Childe so I understand the comparison!

OC gushing below

This is Milica, Mil for short.

She was just a general face I had in mind when I wrote the Yandere!Zhongli fic Dragons Treasure The Reader in that story was Childes cousin, and after chatting a ton about yandere AU's w @ainescribe, I decided to doodle her because I'm hopless, cant help myself.

For a really long time she was just 'MC' because i was lazy, but as time went on she needed a name, looking through some general russian names I came across Milica, and it stuck.

She's about a year younger than childe, her parents put a ton of pressure on her because they were super competative w childes parents about who's family was doing better, and the moment childe made harbinger, poor mil never heard the end of it, so she joined the fatui both as an attempt to make her overbearing folks proud (it didnt work) and to get away from them; even going as far as to accept a transfer to the Liyue branch of northland bank at her cousins behest.

Originally she started out visionless, but after a bit I decided to drop a cryo vision on her because it fit themeatically.

Girlie really doesn't have a great time honest to god. Between her conception as the poor bitch targeted by a posessive dragon man (actually...that's pretty much every scenario I've put her in oops) to an AU where she ends up falling into the exact same godforsaken abyss hole as her cousin like 6 years after he did and came out worse for wear.

Overall her existance is pain, even if there is a particular Archon who doesn't want it to be pain he just wants her to settle down and accept her fate as his precious treasure but damn these Shneznhayans are so feisty >:(

Her one saving grace through all of it so far has been the main character from Setsunai! the amount of bullshit these two have gotten up to has left mil with the title of the MC's 'unofficial wife' (these things happen when you both get stuck as the apple of a posessive dragons eyes ig)

Personality wise shes pretty reserved and submissive, would rather keep to the background and clams up a bit when people address/notice her. She does however have a bit of a chaotic streak, especially when her harbinger of a cousin is involved. Childe blames himself for her plight quite a bit; Mil is an only child and Ajax is closest to her in age so they hung out alot before everything, and when he found out she'd joined the fatui ranks as an administrator, he personally put in for her transfer to Liyue because he thought she'd enjoy the sights, not expecting Zhongli to take such an avid interest in her, especially right as he's sent back to the motherland for a decent clip.

So thats her! my bitch! my poor little punching bag. I love her alot, like, probably the most out of the genshin characters ive created, especially ones that got their start as a faceless fic MC lmao.

if theres anything specific you want to know about her or heck, any other characters you wanna know about hmu, I love gushing about my kids!

[cherry-colored-petals]

UPDATE 4:

When it was translated, Rin seem to show their confusion on the message and says that they're awake. They also mentioned that the place they're in was their home, followed by them doubting their statement.

In the tags, the word t was glitched out.

When day 6 came, 'Albedo' seem to express his frustration on why the message wasn't censored, followed by someone else who spoke up (perhaps the ACTUAL Albedo? Or Zhongli?) who mentioned that it didn't violate the guidelines.

The update continues as the two began to speak about the development, with the mention of a specific trigger word that can wake her.

(perhaps its their vision?)

'Albedo' mentions about the friend (@.silkjade), the letter (dead fox), and even that from @.ainescribe. They mentioned on how they now know how to deal with that method to be able to fixed the flawed algorithm, alongside dealing the same method as usual to other threats.

Interestingly, the word focus was highlighted, indicating the post about the pills that Dainsleif mentioned in his letter.

The conversation seem to end when they both noticed that things were starting to escalate, with them pausing when they realized they (us) were listening and 'Albedo' promptly left.

In the word 'they', he was glitched out. And in the tags, o was glitched out.

@.vermillionbun sent an ask to update about their ventures with Xiao and how it went, but underneath the letter was them grabbing Zhongli's earring to attach it inside the letter. They hoped that it can help jog her memory at the very least.

However, when it was received, Rin asked if that was all of it and 'Albedo' confirmed for it to be the case. He asked if they were expecting more, and she mentioned that the enveloped was too big for such a letter. After shaking it upside down, she brings up about continuing his investigation after killing the fox, and he mentioned that whoever did it would pose no threat to them.

He did mentioned about using its body parts for alchemy, to which she mentioned offhandedly that he was lucky that he was handsome, as it sounded creepy. She wrote a response back which mentioned having an influx of letters, with some being misaddressed and missing packages.

She wrote that she wanted to hang out when they reach Mondstadt and to be more careful when travelling.

🐠 anon sent an ask to the two if 'Albedo' or Rin wanted a knife as they make some, and they can even make it as a sword. As a response, Rin mentioned that they never received one before, pausing to ask 'Albedo' if he used knives in alchemy and stating they had no idea about it.

@.silkjade's third ask was to continue on their previous discussion, with them speaking up about caffeine withdrawals and them saying what was stopping her to come by.

(they mentioned about how 'Albedo' is keeping Rin from her friends and said that that was toxic behavior).

However, when Rin received it, it was blocked and Rin wished them well on their travels to home safely.

In a letter by Aiko, they sent one to explain about leaving Snezhnaya on short notice and that they had a greenhouse built on their estate to help their flower shop. They mentioned about sending some for Klee, Rin, and 'Albedo', with the words 'no funny business with my mother, chalk. I know what you're doing' crossed out.

They finally mentioned in their letter to not push themselves and how would they recover from their own memory loss without rest.

Rin replied to the letter in kind as they attached the photo of Klee and 'Albedo' with a flower crown on his head. He also said that he'll take good care of Rin.

On Dainsleif's third message (or fourth? I don't have much time to check, please correct me if I'm wrong :" /gen), he gave an update on Aziel's sickness and had specific words highlighted. Forming them together, it reads, "I wouldn't take those pills if I was you."

As usual, the message has the colored text removed when Rin received it to conceal what they were warned, and Rin responds to it by mentioning about seeing doctor Baizhu, muttering if he's the real deal or an impersonator.

In @.nohrenvia's ask, they mentioned that their letters were blocked off by something and tried to say what was happening in case they found their letter via their secret methods. However, before they can say what was going on, it cuts short, and the bottom reads: "the letter ends here, with splotches of blood near the last sentences, a trace of golden yellow is found on the bottom page."

To Rin, they got a blank ask and asked if everything was alright from their end. Underneath was a conversation between Rin and 'Albedo', where she brings up about the feathers he has and he agrees, speaking about it having a fine sheen to them.

(I'm betting my entire life that he killed those ravens)

Rin asked what he'll use it for but stopped themselves as they figured out to be alchemy, and 'Albedo' agrees before thinking of pounding them to be used as paint. On a morbid note, he mentions that it would make a beautiful color when paired with red.

HE KILLED THEM IM TELLING YOU-

An anon sent a letter, which seems more like a rhyme of sorts. When Rin received it, the pills were erased and dragon was blocked off.

'Albedo' seem to mention that he wasn't well-versed in poetry and the like, adding that it could be chain mails or spam. Rin, though, said that it seem more like a code and wondered what it meant, with 'Albedo' saying it doesnt mean anything and they ended up apologizing as they were probably overthinking it.

@.barbatoskisser had sent an ask, which was them commenting on @.nohrenvia's where 'Albedo' said about using it and being paired with red. They said that it seem like a threat and added to not kill their partner's friend as it isn't ungentlemanly.

Rin seem to notice this but they were more concerned as it was another blank ask.

@.queen-belial sent a snow fox to deliver a letter to the two (which was named Antares), and they mentioned their deal with Capitano being a slow burn of sorts. They also asked how they are with 'Albedo', and mentioned that they couldn't... Remember (with a smile at the end).

The fox seem to be tense at the sight of 'Albedo' but refrained itself from trying to pounce on the latter, with the words 'if you harm her you will suffer' being written below.

Now that I've written like 2 drabbles of the EBG week (thanks to @.zhongrin's post abt it because it is FUELING my lore hungry brain) I have... A sort of theory to put it here.

Mostly to compose my own thoughts because after EBG I will most likely just compose it all in a neat little master list for future reading purposes + to hopefully continue on this little AU in my own pleasure. Yes I am very well aware it's just a game and no one has seen this little side blog (thank the Gods) so don't mind me just having this little thing running around wwwww)

That aside, I've been taking notes so far and it seems I can gather a few thoughts... One being that:

'Albedo' (Dorian) is sentient. He seems to be well aware of what's going on and on one of the posts, he has tampered with the system enough so that it would censor any sort of incriminating evidence that can crack his reality with Rin. It's a very interesting concept because he is also aware that the other anons (and mutuals) are growing concerned and are most likely trying to get Rin out of the situation.

As of February 19, 2023 (Day 2 of EBG), Albedo has tampered the system of Tumblr. He has also shown signs of doing it via blank asks and is actually smug about it on @.ainescribe's ask at exactly February 18, 2023. Upon looking closer on the photo, he has also neglected showing the star on his neck.

In one of the asks, @.mixed-kester seem to ask on how long they've been together, and it is implied that it has been forever. Alongside that, there was something interesting in a sense that the following words, "I barely remember what my life was like before meeting him". This can be taken by face value as an exaggeration, but now that we know he's sentient, it is possible that he has tampered with Rin's own memories.

On one of the answers from Rin, there was one brief moment where they wrote, "a cry for help? Comrade no one's crying for help" wherein the word 'help' has been glitched out. This came from @.annoyinglyboredpoet as they brought up another point wherein the words, "all is good :)" was in bold.

There's more to dig up but as of right now, this is the current leading points of evidence. If Albedo (Dorian) is a smart individual, he must've done a lot of preparation to get Rin and maybe even dug deep into the research of locking a person's memories... Or erasing them.