#the way the traveler treats fatui is SO strange

[asexual-levia-tan]

went searching for a post that know MUST be on here somewhere but all i saw were a bunch of posts annoyed about people finding it weird that the traveler is cool with childe being fatui but not the orphan kids

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

I don't think I've ever seen this particular meet up around, and if you've written something like this please kindly point me to it, but...

I'm dying to know. How would Legacy react to the other Harbingers?

We kinda know Ajax's opinion on them from voice lines, but I really wanna know what Moth TM thinks

And, if you wanna go the sagau route too, how would he feel being in a Harbinger only team? (Aka Childe, Scara/Wanderer and Arlecchino, in the present moment, but let's pretend we have a fourth one of them already)

hoohoohoo i got you, this is going to be a long one so bear with me mothlings!!

Director: Pierro is suspicious to Foul Legacy, he smells like the Abyss, yet not. the stars in his eyes match the ones in Legacy's glittering wings, but their light is from Teyvat, not the otherworldly glow from beneath this land. Legacy doesn't like it, the feel of being so close to home but with something obviously wrong that he simply can't put his claw on

First: Capitano is a pillar of strength, someone both Childe and Foul Legacy admire wholeheartedly- but Legacy also sees his nobility, the way he treats even his lowest level agents with respect. he aspires to be like that one day, someone people can look up to and expect kindness in return, so even Foul Legacy will give the First Harbinger a small, polite bow

Second: Legacy detests Dottore with all of his heart. not only does Childe have younger siblings, but Dottore has also attempted to rope him into experiments on his Abyssal half. Foul Legacy hates being treated like a thing, like just a feral animal, and that's not even mentioning what he fears the Doctor could do to you. Childe has to hold him back from growling viciously whenever he passes Dottore in the hall

Third: Columbina is strange, but Legacy is also strange! she's unsettling, yes, but she never tries to harm him or Childe- unless the latter riles her up enough to fight. sometimes when Foul Legacy is particularly homesick for you, nations away from Snezhnaya, he'll listen to her eerie singing as she sits nearby, not paying him any mind at all

Fourth: Legacy regards Arlecchino with both fear and respect. she's cordial enough, keeping her operations quiet and training her children to be the next set of Fatui soldiers, much like how Ajax became Tartaglia. the Knave terrifies Foul Legacy with her calm ruthlessness, but as long as she doesn't raise a finger towards you, he won't do anything

Fifth: Pulcinella is a curious case, treating Childe like a grandson and regarding his Abyssal half with kindness as well. it's a welcome change, and yet... Legacy can't help but feel like he isn't completely sincere. there's the barest undertone of a lie when he tells Childe about the other Harbingers, and Legacy watches the information with a care, suspicious eye

Sixth: ERROR. DATA NOT FOUND.

Seventh: Childe doesn't get the chance to interact with Sandrone that often, so neither does Foul Legacy. but he's very curious about what she does, always tinkering away in her lab- it's less foreboding than Dottore's set of rooms, at least. once she begrudgingly allowed him to watch her work, and needless to say her robots consider Foul Legacy their friend now

Eighth: Signora wasn't Childe or Legacy's favorite coworker when she was alive- they're not happy that she's dead, but it is somewhat of a relief to not have Childe bite his tongue with a vengeance whenever some snide comment slipped from her mouth. still, Legacy almost wishes he knew a bit more, having seen her stare longingly out the window at the silent snow all too often- he knows that longing. it's the type he feels when he misses you

Ninth: Legacy doesn't know much about Pantalone, apart from his love of wealth. he's an elegant man, to be sure, someone who can simultaneously keep his composure while also being entirely condescending. but Childe has a habit of buying you trinkets and gifts during his travels, so he's still grateful for the funds the Regrator provides

Tenth: ???

Foul Legacy wouldn't mind being in a team with other Harbingers- he knows they can't hurt him, at least not directly, and it seems to make the Creator so happy. he basks in your warm words, your loving attention, purring happily whenever he hears your sweet voice praise him- but only when his teammates aren't watching. he just knows that the Wanderer, mysterious as he is, will mock him for it, and Arlecchino always seems to know what's going on even when she's not present. his fourth teammate always seems to switch; he likes it best when it's Sandrone or Capitano. Legacy knows how the rest of them feel, though, how the Wanderer lowers his hat or how Arlecchino's lips quirk when they hear your compliments- the Creator has the adoration of them all

[starkkawajiri]

FATUI MAGIC USERS AU TIME got some doodles done, guess whooo

in loving memory of supreme strange's good writing, i am starting with fatui harbinger strange (totally didnt sketch wanda and mordo before i found out about the catastrophe) ((they're next))

- The Second of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, Il Dottore / The Doctor

(og dottore for reference)

i love crazyasses!!! alr so clearly not colored but imagine it is, + un-altered outfit (since the one harbinger strange has is a bit different)

super! okay class question nr 1 was the artist attracted to men

alright now to talk about this freak of nature, things i kept from Il Dottore's backstory

(will refer to him as Stephen to differentiate between this AU and the regular Marvel Impact AU where his name is Sufian)

zoinks warning for some crazy shit, mentions of malpractice and totally legal ways of treating patients

☆ this dude wants to create a god and to elevate humans to the level of gods, and the people around him have given him constructive criticism on his ways and research, such as "thats not normal", "please cut it out", and "get that scalpel away from me"

☆ if there are clear lines that cannot be crossed as a researcher and doctor, Stephen does not see them! He has used gods' remains as treatment and he would do it again ((take his medical license away))

☆ harbinger strange is at least 400 years old; he IS human but he created segments or "clones" of himself like any normal person would to surpass the limits of his lifespan (which he later killed for two cool magical rocks, might've as well not made them🙄)

despite everything, he's far more tame and sane than Zandik/OG Dottore in this AU, just a little bit more of a jerk that, instead of starting off with negotiating with Lesser Lord Kusanali, went straight to throwing heretic hands with the traveler

small side note

- Loki takes the place of The Balladeer/Scaramouche, he's a puppet which means -> very bad if there's someone out there that wants to create a god. i dont need to say more, you can imagine how thats going

the more normal people are next, if u have any questions about this weirdo pls hand them over, i love questions

[rossithepixie]

WAIT I WANNA HEAR ABOUT SCARA TOO!!!!!

xD Scara and Rossi lore it is! As i said in the last post my genshin self is a dendro catalyst user and healer which is more relevant here (This got longer than intended and i may actually use it to write a fic at some point. also spoiler warning for his story for anyone not up to date)

Scara and I actually meet under less than ideal circumstances. I first truly meet him in the immediate aftermath of his failed ascension to godhood.

By all means I shouldn't want anything to do with him given all the chaos and hurt he's caused but seeing him broken even before Lesser lord Kusanali can ask it of me I volunteer to make sure he pulls through. I can't undo all the damage that's been done, nor would it be wise to do so. I'm left drained by the process given the extent of the damage and the unique effects of the failed ascension.

He... isn't particularly grateful for the help. He didn't ask to be saved and being alive means having to hide from the fatui with kusanali's protection. He's rude and bitter and much to his and my own dismay Kusanali decides that my new official job is to monitor him for the foreseeable future while his fate is worked out.

It's a bit rough at first. He constantly pushes my buttons trying to get a rise or make me just leave him be, but with the forced proximity and my determination to not have the situation be miserable we fall into a sort of understanding. I continue to treat him kindly and eventually we begin to grow fond of eachother even if neither of us say it out loud.

That is until he went into irminsul and attempted erase himself.

My distress lasts for such a brief time before it's as if he never existed.

Instead it's as if in all that time i should have been caring for him is an empty ache in my memory, my actions in the rewritten time line cast in a haze.

I don't know when the traveler finds him, stripped of his bad memories, i don't know when they go and restore everything to him. I don't even get to know about the memory that's shared from his recovery,showing both him and the traveler a night spent at his side when i thought he was unconscious that i'd decided to read to him quietly.

What i do know is that later when Lesser lord Kusanali calls me to the sanctuary of surasthana and i meet him for the "first time" something that feels like it's been missing slots into place. I don't fully understand it but i feel like i should know him. This strange wanderer.

For a while he avoids me. I have no way of knowing why. That it's because he thinks i'd be better off not making any connection to him. That he thinks he doesn't deserve it even if he finds himself wanting it. When Kusanali finds out she asks him if that's a choice he should be making for me. He had a right to his own memories don't I have a right to mine of him?

I'm more than a little surprised when that evening I find him on my doorstep.

[zorkaya-moved]

@caelune

Snezhnaya. The land of ice and snow. The beauty of silence and singing winds within the gorgeous forests when you travel outside villages and the main headquarters of the Fatui where the Zapolyarniy Palace remained and the Tsaritsa watched over their nation with her sharp gaze. It's strange to be followed by one of the Harbingers, especially after the meeting with Her Majesty in regard to the past fame and inquiries regarding future opportunities. Denial of working with Harbingers and Dottore remained very plain and specific. Not out of rudeness, but because it was better if she were distanced from the Fatui Harbingers for Tsaritsa's sake as well. By being aligned with one group, others will be lost. It wasn't beneficial for them all for her to be spending too much time close to those who Teyvat considers the 'villains.'

But then why...

"First and foremost, I am a hunter. Before I am a doctor and a scholar," Zarina notes as she walks forward, the snow cracks beneath her feet pleasantly. It's nostalgic how long it's been. With a wood-chopping axe resting on her shoulder. In another hand, she holds her menthol cigarette between her index and middle finger. As they go further into the deep forest, Sokolova glances over at the ginger Harbinger who decides to follow. Be it out of curiosity to learn more about her - the natural born hunter and the genius of Snezhnaya just like her twin brother, be it because this was an old Snezhnayan way to keep the houses warm (wood chopping and carrying), or be it because she was also going to do some fishing later on or even go hunt... or maybe because he had his own wishes and own reason that were not any of what she was deducting right now. "However, you have to have priorities. No one will approach me if I acted like this. Snezhnayans are already treated like villains, even if they aren't affiliated with the Fatui. Thus, to get what I want, it's natural to hide away your true nature. Такова жизнь, мой рыжий товарищ." That's how life is, my ginger comrade.

The cold wind is pleasant on her skin (it bites, but so does she). It feels good to be back home. A company that isn't boring her out is also fitting.

"Have you hunted on your own when you were younger, Tartaglia?" she refers to him by his title, not wishing to overstep the boundaries. She may not be a part of the Fatui, but within Snezhnaya, Harbingers still hold a higher title. Then again, Zarina wasn't saying his Harbinger title out of pure respect. It was more of a courtesy. If he wished to be called differently, it'd be fine. "All alone in a forest, the wind sings to you, the sound of the snow is the loudest sound you hear when walking. You have to learn to be quiet, quieter than silence. Good memories."

[frozenambiguity]

Mondstadt being the city of freedom has its advantages and disadvantages. It is a region marked by diplomacy, on one side, and veiled political maneuvers, on the other. The way matters are handled depends on the nature of the matters themselves — Mondstadt's representatives may resort to transparent strategies or... not so transparent strategies. Although regarded by most with admiration, this is where the cavalry captain shines the brightest. The ones closest to him recognize it, too. Sometimes, they even disapprove of his methods, although they congratulate him for achieving numerous goals and successfully completing tasks.

Working in the shadows, with all his intelligence networks and knowledge of political intrigue, is what Kaeya excels at. Even if said endeavors are done in broad daylight, for everyone to regard, Kaeya has long established a liking towards investigation, deceit, and cunningness. Scheming, if one ought to be succinct. And as long as his efforts are fruitful, the ones who may at times disapprove of his methods simply turn a blind eye to his ways.

Howbeit, the fact that Mondstadt welcomes all still stands. One's upbringing, political affiliation, and idiosyncrasies matter little. Kaeya would know. The most recent of rumors has it that a certain Harbinger has been spotted in the city's premises as of late. The youngest of the Harbingers, in fact. Known for his enjoyment of violence and chaos. Hm. How interesting it is that a single person was capable of putting Liyue in the middle of a political crisis, having little remorse towards its damnation. An intriguing fellow, by Kaeya's observations. One to be wary of, though.

This... Tartaglia's intentions remain unclear. Not a novelty — such is commonly the case with any Fatui representative, regardless of their rankings. Some may be easier enough to prey on; to convince to share their knowledge with the captain, over a few drinks and false camaraderie. Others seem more astute, careful of what they reveal. As one would expect from anybody who operates within a group such as the Fatui. One thing is crystal clear, however. Nothing good usually comes from dealing with them. This does not discourage Kaeya.

The captain's back is leaning against the wall near Timaeus' crafting bench, arms crossed as an index finger slowly taps on his antecubital region. Softly. The movements are meticulous, as if guided by the sound of a metronome. He has indulged Timaeus by offering some small talk here and there, but his attention has been on the Harbinger since the beginning. Kaeya is surprised that he seems to... fit right in. Of course, it is noticeable that he is not from around these parts, but he seems... unbothered, truly. As if this is just another day in his life. Mundane.

Now that Sara has been kind enough to bring Tartaglia his meal, the time for Kaeya to traverse the plaza has arrived. He bids his goodbyes to Timaeus, wishes him well on his alchemical endeavors, and makes his way to the ginger. Before Tartaglia can say a word, a chair is already being pulled by the captain, placed so that they may directly face each other. Kaeya sits, leg lazily crossing on top of the other before he eventually leans closer, his cheek resting on his hand — an indication that he is looking forward to their conversation.

«Welcome to Mondstadt, strange yet respectable traveler». Etiquette must take place, regardless of this guy's true nature. «How has Mondstadt been treating you so far? Nicely, I hope?»

Starter for @frozenambiguity

Childe couldn't remember the last time he'd been sent to Mondstat and he knew he have to tread lightly after the former Eighth Harbinger walked in to the city, attacked the anemo Archon, and walked right back out. But orders from the Tsaritsa were orders and she knew Tartaglia was good at talking and getting a job done.

He just didn't think it would come in the form of overseeing some newer Fatui agents and making sure they did their job. Babysitting was pretty boring most of the time, but it was better than sitting around at headquarters not having much to do.

Childe had already been briefed on the names and faces of the higher ranking Knights of Favonius that he would likely come into contact while he was in Mondstat. The Acting Grand Master wasn't seen out as often, but Childe knew the other high ranking officers could be seen around the city at any time during the day.

Civilians were still talking about a festival that had concluded not even a week ago that seemed to be a big deal for the city, and now Childe was half-wishing the Tsaritsa had sent him a week earlier so the start of his latest mission could've been a bit more interesting to start off. But at least for now Childe was sitting and enjoying some of the local cuisine while he waited for one of his agents to bring him a status report on the new recruits.

[yandere-daydreams]

Scaramouche is, in some ways, incomplete.

It's subtle, and he does his best to hide it, using his rank and his reputation and his rashness to draw attention away from his missing parts, to distract from what he so obviously lacks. You think it's a matter of pride, for him, an effort to prove he's in no way lesser than the soldiers he commands or the civilians he takes so much joy in lording over, and he's divulged to you, quietly, in hushed whispers and murmured confessions, that he's afraid his deficiencies make him something more than incomplete - an inferior being, a pet project his creator lost interest in, a doll that'd never had its final details painted on.

He's afraid that he's less-than, and it's not difficult to see why.

He doesn't have fingerprints. There are lines on his palms, folds where there absolutely need to be, but he doesn't have scars, or time-worn creases, or sunspots, despite all the traveling he claims to have done before he was brought in to the Fatui. His skin is smooth and soft and pale, but you can't see his veins when you kiss the apex of his wrist or run your hands over his chest, and for all the sleep he doesn't get, the many hours he spends pacing the length of your chambers in the dead of night, mulling over something he refuses to disclose to you, you've never seen bags under his eyes, dark circles, any visible evidence of the exhaustion he carries in his stance and posture. He's missing parts, physical components that some higher, objective being deemed a waste of time. He has everything he needs, but not everything any proper person would.

He doesn't bruise. He's been injured, before, battered and broken down, but you've never seen him discolored, damaged in any way visible to the naked eye. He can be cut, though, punctured by arrows and blade and nails, when his grip tightens beyond your point of tolerance and you're forced to scratch at his hands and wrists and chest until you draw blood, and he heals quickly, without the help of medics or vision-users, even if he still often calls on you to treat his shallow wounds and bandage over what he'd rather not acknowledge. His hair doesn't grow, and for as many months as you've been by his side, you've never seen him sick or bedridden, brought down by anything less than another person's will. He's not indestructible, but he's not fragile, either. He can't be hurt by anything that wouldn't affect a statue, or a doll.

He's prone to fits of emotion, passion and anger and joy in equal measures. It may just be his disposition, but he lacks stoicism, restraint, not so much patience, but the ability to be turned away, to be rejected and to accept it with any kind of grace. When he feels he's been wronged, he holds on to his anger, feeds it and nurses it and devotes himself to its fruition like he doesn't know he can let it go, and he doesn't seem to understand love, small love, the meaning behind shows of affection that aren't for your comfort or his entertainment. He doesn't understand that fondness is rarely born of violence, or that there might be a difference between the intimacy held between two lovers and the strange, warped relationship you and him have, that strangled bond, the connection that you've time and time again to break, the connection that he won't allow you to sever. He doesn't understand how deep his cruelty cuts, how much it hurts to be with someone as bitter and possessive as him. He doesn't understand that your anger can burn, too, if left unsatisfied.

Of course, your interest in the finer points of his anatomy hasn't gone unnoticed. You think he finds it amusing, to watch puzzle over what's there and what isn't, to let you keep yourself occupied with fingertips and temperaments while he strokes your hair and coos sardonic encouragements to his beloved partner, his lover, his pet. He doesn't understand it, but that's alright. It's good. You know what you're doing it, and you know why you're doing it, too.

You know that you have to understand how a doll was put together, before you can begin to plan how you're going to tear it apart.

[stellartales]

tartaglia▪︎ in his silence

pairing: childe/tartaglia x f!traveller (tbh, i'm kinda confused which to use)

summary: an unfortunate encounter with a fatui agent on her way back to Liyue left a gash on her cheek. accustomed to receiving wounds in battles, she wasn't too concerned about it. however, the last person she had expected to bump into upon reaching the city had an entirely different opinion regarding the bloodied cut on her face. | m.list

genre/theme(s): tension + silence, concerned tartaglia, wound-dressing, angry tartaglia

a/n: okay so, I tried my best. this is my first time writing for this handsome bad boy so forgive me if this isn't up to your expectation OTL

please do me a favor and REBLOG this! thank you so much hehe

Tartaglia and silence did not sit well together — she concluded as her eyes shifted awkwardly, failing miserably at trying to find a spot to fix her gaze on, with him right up in her face.

the long, callused fingers holding onto her chin weren't making it easy either. for a man who lives for danger and the thrills of battles, his touch was surprisingly gentle.

"it's fine, really." the silence was getting to her. "just a scratch." the bloodied gash throbbing on her left cheek was a huge contradiction to her words.

but he said nothing. not a word, not even a flicker of change in the dead serious look on his face.

she really didn't think the gash on her face was a big deal after her victory over a random fatui agent she was unfortunate enough to come across.

battles were part of her life; getting cuts on her was nothing to fuss over. they were bound to heal if they were treated properly anyway.

—that was what she thought walking into Liyue Harbor, enough of the wilderness after four nights, and headed right for the inn she had intended to stay in.

the last person she'd expected to bump into at the reception was the fatui harbinger; she saw how his raised brows fell flat and the way the cheerful light in his blue eyes vanished completely the second his gaze reached her face.

the drastic change of his expression from then still puzzled her.

even now as she searched his face to figure him out, she still couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. even without her looking directly at them, she could feel an intensity reflecting off them at her like the cold blade of a dagger.

the silence he held was unnerving.

he always had something to say, so this was weird, really weird.

"...Tartaglia?" her voice barely over a whisper, shaky and uncertain in the presence of his unreadable, tense demeanour.

still, he said nothing, only tilting her chin up as if to get a better look at her face.

"what's with you? hahaha." she forced a laugh, "it's really no big deal."

her mind was running all over the place, trying to find the reason for this strange situation.

ever since the sudden visit by his little brother, they had grown a lot closer. while their friendly rivalry remained, genuine friendship had sparked between them.

at times, she found herself having random, impromptu meals with the harbinger. sometimes, was even accompanied on her commissions.

could their friendship be the reason why he was acting like this now?

sensing a movement, she pulled herself out of her thoughts to find him rummaging through the medical kit he borrowed from the reception before ushering her into his room.

"this is gonna sting a little." he finally broke his silence, his voice uncharacteristically quiet and soft. the tension in his eyes remained as they returned to her face.

a hiss escaped her the moment the alcohol-soaked cotton touched her wound.

"bear with me." his eyes softened for a second as they flickered to hers before falling back onto her left cheek.

her fingers curled into the soft mattress underneath them, gripping hard as she tried not to react to the continuous stings.

it took only a few quiet minutes for him to clean her wound and dress it up, but it was an agonizing few minutes for her so she couldn't help the exhale of relief the moment he closed the medical kit.

"...thanks." she murmured, making a move to get up from the bed, but his hand was back to her chin before she could.

her eyes widened and blinked. "what's wrong?"

Tartaglia merely tilted her face from one side to another. the intensity previously in his eyes was back and stronger. she noticed how his jaw was clenched and his lips were held in a grim line.

she felt her heart skip a nervous beat when his gaze suddenly flew to hers, looking at her dead in the eyes.

his voice was quiet and tense, the underlying cold blade in his gaze was now in his tone. An anger barely restrained.

"—who did this to you?"

—published 04.08.2021

[merakiui]

Half-Off Love

yandere!scaramouche x (gender neutral) reader art credit - kentasha1236 on twt cw: yandere, nsfw, unhealthy behaviors/relationship, gold-digging, implied yandere!childe note - thank you so much for 600 followers! o(≧∇≦o) I’ll work hard!

It’s strange. There’s no other adjective to describe the situation you’ve found yourself in. 

The ring slides itself onto your steady finger and it’s a miracle your discomfort doesn’t show. Your eyes struggle to meet his, but when they do you’re searching for a reason—for a meaning behind such a generous gift. You’ve witnessed this scene plenty of times before, having scoffed at the couples who decide to take their relationship to the next level. Whether it be in Mondstadt or Liyue, you’ve watched your fair share of angelic proposals. Although this is far from a proposal—at least, you hope it’s not a proposal. You’d feel powerless to decline if Scaramouche put you in such a position, and you’re almost certain he’s aware of this. 

But the main thing—you now realize—that’s holding him back is your status and his relationship with you. It’s nothing special, just mere physical attraction rather than the emotional hindrances that come with real, heart-racing love. There’s nothing wholesome in the way you regard one another; it’s just sex. 

“Do you like it? I made sure to find only the highest quality gemstone for you.”

And yet when he performs this caring charade, it doesn’t feel like loveless copulation. 

Ew, you think, plastering a smile to your face. Since when was Scaramouche so concerned with materialistic signs of affection? He’s far from loving; he’s just pent-up, frustrated from his rigorous job as a Harbinger and so he decides to use you as a means of coping. He almost sounds like Childe with his ineffective flirting methods. You’ve received your fair share of spoils from him as well, and you’ve done everything you could to cull that relationship before it grew out of hand. But now you’re stuck with the lesser side of the coin: another troublesome Fatui Harbinger. 

If you didn’t know any better, you might think to chase after Signora or Dottore next. Maybe you’ll aim for the Tsaritsa Herself if you’re especially daring. After all, your life has been nothing but deceit and faux pleasures; there’s little value to a liar’s life. If the Archons wish for your swift end, you’re positive it’ll be a result of your insatiable greed.

“It’s lovely. The color matches my eyes.”

It doesn’t, but you lie about it anyways. And he looks pleased to hear your approval. 

“Then perhaps I should get you a bracelet as well? Or would you prefer something with a little more use, such as a pocket watch?”

Why don’t you just lock me up with a collar instead? you think bitterly, already keen on pawning the ring off once the initial luster fades. Since you’re so eager to buy these things for me in hopes that I’ll return. It’s annoying.

“This is more than enough. I don’t want you to spend a fortune on me.” There’s a sweet lilt in your voice as your hand cups his cheek, and he leans into your warm touch, starved of the affection like a stray mutt. ”I only need you per our agreement. You do remember what that is, right?”

He’d be caught dead bending to the desires of someone so insignificant, but he just can’t stay away. Not when your every word is intoxicating poison he’ll readily ingest. 

“I’m aware." There’s a sigh in his tone as he pulls away, almost as if he wants to simply sit there and indulge in playful conversation. As if he actually wants to familiarize himself with the real you. But that emotion doesn’t last for long and an irritated expression crawls onto his handsome face as he silently recalls something. 

You’re slipping your silks off with grace, curiously tracking his movements. “You look upset. Was it because of what I said?”

“Of course not. You could never upset me.”

Until you get bored of me.

When you cast your robes aside, reaching for Scaramouche’s elaborate outfit, you murmur, “Let me guess. It was that traveler again, wasn’t it? I’m not sure why you’re so hung up on them.” A whimper leaks into your voice and you fix him with a pout. “I’m sad you’d think of others when I’m right here. Aren’t I the only one you need?”

It’s ironic how quickly that line hooks him, dragging him up from the murkiest depths of love that has skewed into obsession. When you tried it out on Childe, he wasn’t so easily swayed. You find their differences to be invigorating. If the arrangement with Childe was still ongoing, you might’ve considered a threesome, if only to wring more glittering treasures out of the both of them. Mora and jewelry galore, it all goes towards your stockpiled savings. And it’s times like these when you’re lucky to have avoided economic business with the Fatui. Being free of Fatui debt has its perks, a bright miracle in your dark relationships. That’s one less tether to Scaramouche and one less reason to cling to him after you’ve had enough. 

He smirks at your forced envy, easily pushing you backwards onto the plush mattress once he’s fully undressed. For a brief moment, he pictures your pliant body sprawled across an office desk while he pounds into you from behind, putting on a lewd show for his leering underlings. There’s something arousing about your secret relationship that has strange ideas formulating within his head. He entertains a simple scheme, one in which he’d shed light on your connection; however, the other side of him wants to keep your existence for himself, where no one will disturb the two of you in your pleasurable endeavors.

Perhaps you would truly belong to him if he were to expose you for the fraud you really are. Oh, the joy of trapping an unsuspecting rat in a corner, with no way out but into his open arms. You’ll hardly have any semblance of a choice, but he knows you’ll choose the option that guarantees another chance at life.

Scaramouche thinks about that as he revels in soft, tantalizing foreplay. He knows you aren’t as dedicated to this relationship as he is and he’s almost certain you’ve got others waiting for you in different parts of Teyvat. He’s just another plaything you’ve picked up for the fun of it. And in these moments where you surrender to his touch, your back arching with avaricious thoughts, you seem to forget about the power he truly wields. The thought that he could suffocate you in this very bed with his love alone should have you taking precautions to cover your vulnerability, but you only have your eyes set on one thing—not exactly minding the outcome so long as it’s monetarily favorable.

And if playing into your covetous hands ensures your weekly arrival, he’ll gladly empty his pockets of spare change.

You don’t like this new side of him. Lately he’s been treating this as if the two of you are lovers: slow, sensual thrusts accompanied with the sweetest of promises. You’ve never really minded the filth he’d moan in your ear and now you wish he’d resort to that instead. Loveless words spoken through the veil of lust—that’s what you want to hear.  

He envelops you like a smothering fog, fitting himself snugly inside of your tight hole in an embrace that’s oh so familiar. You aren’t used to such gentle treatment and as he kisses along your collarbone you feel yourself going under, having fallen victim to a Harbinger who is normally so cold-hearted. Perhaps he’s more sensitive than you originally thought. Months ago, you wouldn’t have imagined your relationship would grow into something so uncertain, where emotionless love becomes packaged and bogged down with so much feeling.

His lips ghost over yours and there’s a slight pause in his actions. You turn your head to the side, denying his choking affection before it can drag you further into a spiraling abyss of regret. Annoyance swells in his hazy gaze, but he uses your new position to his advantage.

“It’s cute,” he says in a hushed voice, breath tickling your ear, “how you seem to rid yourself of my gifts as soon as they fall into your hands. I wonder where they’ve gone. Into the harbor? Traded off for food and shelter? Do tell me.”

When his grip on your hip tightens to a threatening degree, you resign yourself, opting to hold your tongue as his pace remains brutally slow. Rather than speaking out of line, you raise your hand to his face, and he clasps your wrist in a forceful hold. 

The look in his eyes is far from loving—it’s that same obsessed expression Childe wore. And even if he still searches for you for reasons other than sex, you’re aware there’s no luck where Scaramouche is concerned. You can run from Childe because he’ll allow it—because he adores the chase—but Scaramouche hardly finds delight in a game of cat and mouse. You should’ve expected this. After all, he is just as conniving as the rest, always inventing new ways to track down and eradicate that peculiar traveler. Of course he would know about how you handle his presents when he isn’t looking because there’s no denying the stern gazes that would pierce through your backside whenever you went to the market.

"I’d never throw them out like that...” you mumble through another soft moan, hoping he’ll just pick up the pace and be done with you. “Your gifts are priceless.”

And yet the price for your own love is so hefty. If he weren’t Fatui, it might be enough to throw him into lifelong debt.

“Is that so? You seem to put a price on them whenever you visit the marketplace.” His fingers grip your chin, forcing you into an inescapable eye contact. “If you enjoy putting prices on items that you claim are priceless, you won’t mind if I collect a refund for your dishonesty.”

“A...refund?” 

Your lustful thoughts evaporate once you realize his pace has become horribly slow, his dick stilling and creating an itch of barely noticeable ecstasy. You wiggle your hips to increase the friction, wanting to get yourself off before his words can sour the mood. Though it’s already spoiled when you recognize the carnal victory shining in his twisted smirk. Your unfortunate fate was sealed the moment you welcomed his company with foolish openness, and you’ve been indebted ever since he decided to spoil you with lavish foods and accessories. 

For love that is far from cheap, interest must be paid and your very being makes for the perfect bargain.

It’s weird when he kisses you on your lips rather than on the parts of your body that are normally obscured with delicate cloth. And it’s even weirder when that metaphorical collar binds your throat in a vice. It’s more harrowing than any sort of debt you might’ve garnered and it’s just as inconvenient as his boyish adoration.

Scaramouche doesn’t have to purchase your flimsy, half-off love when it’s already prepackaged and ready for the taking. 

“You heard me. A refund is hardly enough punishment for a lying brat, but it will have to suffice for now.”

For now.

Spurred on by his own insinuating threats, he seeks to bruise your very insides with thrusts that are filled with physical vexation rather than the emotional ministrations from before. And since you’re so accustomed to him, your greedy hole eagerly welcomes him. 

[lunaekalenda]

☽ ᴏᴄᴇᴀɴ ᴡᴀᴠᴇꜱ - ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀɪʟɪɴɢ, ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏɴᴇ

chapter index: here

Lumine recognized that voice, followed by a giggle, without even looking at him. They're not friends, that's for sure, but they aren't enemies as well. They were mates during an expedition, some strange feeling knotting on Lumine's chest every time the boy smiled at her. She looks up, blue eyes colliding with her brown ones. Childe smiles again when she looks at him, secretly enjoying how the blonde has to look up to be able to see his face, making Childe fall even more in proud and self-esteem. In comparison to Kazuha's calm smile, Childe's is all superiority and cockiness, though Lumine is sure that it's just a façade. The boy puts an arm around Lumine's shoulders, getting her closer to his body while he starts to walk, taking her with him. Paimon protests, but Childe puts her aside with a hand movement, as if she was an annoying insect flying around his head. Of course, that leads to even more complains from the little girl, but Childe's voice covers them.

"What brings you to Liyue, my dear traveler?" he asks, looking to the port and making his own bets on his head. Negotiations. Shopping. Treats with that damned Yaksha. Maybe a visit to the Archon.

"An expedition..." she sighs. She likes going on trips and help the villagers, of course she does, but it's been less than a week since she arrived from making nocturnal guards with Xiao. She slept the full day after the last guard, only waking up to eat the almond toffee he sent her for the bothering. "To Inazuma." Childe raises a brow in confusion. Inazuma is the most dangerous place out there, with electric storms everywhere. Tons of Fatui have died on their trips to Inazuma, just from electric reactions or samurai hits. Childe looks at Lumine from above, trying to not be seen by her. How is she going to survive there?

He knows Lumine is strong. He saw her fighting, evaluating the enemy and getting advantage of her size and speed. He even trained against her. She has a good technique, but what more impressed him, was the fact that she fought without vision.

Because Lumine doesn't have a Vision.

Even when she hit him softly with blushed cheeks, calling him a pervert for looking to her body that shamelessly, to her clothes and her hair, he was just trying to discover if she was hiding her vision. To learn that she doesn't have one. He tried to ask her how she can use Anemo, but she didn't say a word about it. It awakened Childe's curiosity. Well, she awakened his curiosity. She's usually so timid and shy, blushes for everything and tries to be silent. But, at the same time, she never doubts to scold whoever is making things in a bad way, or even to fight if they're hurting her loved ones. Childe kinda admires that, but he's never gonna admit it. Lumine keeps following the boy and, without even noticing it, they have arrived to the port. Kazuha looks at them from the higher mast, the smell on the wind telling him what he most feared. That Childe isn't who he claims to be. Though, while they come closer, Kazuha debates with himself about telling Lumine or not. In one hand, telling her will maybe put Lumine against him, but, on the other, not telling her could be dangerous for his friend. With a sigh, he decides to let things go. After all, she's boarding in less than an hour and leaving Liyue behind, with that red-haired guy on the port. He keeps his work at watching and waiting for the soldiers that confirmed their union. Even when the captain is still in negotiations - Kazuha knows perfectly that negotiations don't take this long.-, she managed to left a little list of confirmed guests that is now on Kazuha's hands. He looks down to the purple haired girl that searched someone around, exaggerate movement of her ponytails. The Yuhen is entering the boat with her habitual rush. It's probable that, between the Seven Stars, they decided to send the fastest soldier out of them. Kazuha sighs, because he knows he's getting a sermon about why the Crux shouldn't be in port for that long and that they have to leave as soon as possible, so they will arrive even faster. He goes down to find her.

"Kaedehara Kazuha, where's your Captain?" she asks as soon as she sees the guy. Kazuha sighs. He has something long to explain to the most exigent of the Seven Stars. Glad he has patience.

On the other side, Childe, still with his arm around the tiny traveler, looks to the sea. She sighs in front of the ship, turning a little. "Well, nice to see you, Childe, but it's my time to go. I have to search some more soldiers to accompany us to the expedition...." had he heard well? Are they in need of more people? He shouldn't take it. He has his business to do here, meetings and works, but the innegable attraction the red-haired feels for danger is trying to convince him to take that boat direction to Inazuma. Maybe Signora gets angry at him but, what will she do to avoid it? He's also one of the Eleven. He doesn't receive orders, and less if he can come back with information and treasures. "What was the main target in the expedition?" he asks, trying to sound casual. "A Fatui" she answers. Childe feels a shiver, it is almost a suicidal mission. But that ones are the most enjoyable of them all. "Your lucky day, because a handsome and niceboy is gonna join you on your adventures." Childe smiles and walks direction to the boat. Lumine realizes and tries to stop him.

"Where are you going?" she asks. "Captain Beidou didn't give you her approval to get on the Crux." Childe looks to Lumine with a brigth smile before leaning towards her, his face getting closer to hers. "Traveler.... do you think someone as strong as me, who can manage two different type of weapons and can easily pay for a ship ticket, needs approval?" The boy laughs and enters the Crux, arm still around her while both get into the board. Kazuha sighs while he listens at Keqing. Sneakily, he sees Childe looking around, and, furrowing his brows, he asks Keqing for a second, getting closer to his friend.

"Welcome back, Lumine. You bought all we need?" She nods and gives Kazuha the bag. "Also, can we talk....?" he whispers, but the smile on Childe's face says he heard him.

"Oh, is there a secret? Why don't you share it with us two? I promise I won't say anything." Lumine is conscious of how they're holding their gazes, until Kazuha sighs. "I cleaned the board, if you wanna throw up, to the sea, please." Lumine blushes. She knows Kazuha say that also for her. She gets easily dizzy. Childe's arm puts Lumine even closer.

"No worry, I know a couple ways to get us distracted." Kazuha closes his fist but inhales softly. While he had that small talk, the other guests arrived: Xiangling, who offered herself to help due to her reputation as Liyue's best chef; Albedo, the alchemist; Chongyun, who calmly eats an ice cream sitting on the rail; and, surprisingly, Zhongli, followed by the Yaksha. Kazuha welcomes all of them, one by one, and assigns the dorms for the days they'll be sailing. Keqing smiles when she discovers she'll share with Lumine and Xiangling. Kazuha puts himself with Childe and Zhongli. Xiao offers to make guards since sleeping is something he doesn't need. The captains voice is clear when she arrives.

"Sorry for the waiting, friends." she says, getting to the top board of the ship. "I see we're all here, and also some unexpected adds." Beidou's uncovered eye finds Childe, who turns around, body resting against the railing while he listens. "Let me read real quick the mission, so we all refresh our memory." She takes a paper out of her pocket. "We'll arrive to Inazuma and, first of all, we'll clean the surrenders of the Great Temple, since there are a lot of monsters and samurais. And then, our main target is one of the Eleven. Presumably, Signora, but we're not sure yet. Maybe Ayaka has a couple things for us as well. During the trip, I hope you all feel comfortable. We're parting in ten minutes." When Beidou finishes, the talk and laugh comes back to the ship. Zhongli gets closer to Childe. "Surprised to se you here." he says. He also bows to Lumine. "Traveler. Always a pleasure to work with you." She smiles at the man and bows quietly. "We will be sharing a room, so find me there if you need anything." he says. Childe nods and Zhongli disappears to the rooms.

"I had the wild fantasy of sharing with you." the red-haired says to the traveler, winning a little hit from her. He laughs. "Joking, joking." They remain silent, but looking at the sea. "Why you're always in expeditions?" he asks, true curiosity on his words. The ship starts to move, Lumine's hair being messed by the wind. "I want to find my brother." she whispers. Childe looks at her. "He's missing" The boy clears his throat. "S-sorry, I..."

Childe has siblings, and the single thought of losing one of them scares him to death. "Wow, I left Childe speechless?" she asks, a quiet laugh escaping from her lips. He looks at her, even when her eyes are fixed on the sea. He moves his body, giving her shoulder a sweet hit with his. "You're gonna find him." he says. She smiles. "Thanks. Means a lot." Lumine misses her brother, and that's why she won't give up until she finds him.

Even when they setted an informal conversation, Childe's head is full of thoughts about her, as his heart flutters whenever Lumine looks at him.

[theodora3022]

Selfish Deeds (Yandere! Gojou Satoru)

Summary: Satoru just wants you to be free of danger. If you are so knowledgeable why can’t you understand that he only wish the best for you?

A/N: This is just one snippet of many out of a collection(haven't decide the name just yet)...Since I have not read the manga(anime-only for now) so I just got a vague impression of what Gojou has been through, but that does not stop me from writing him like the cocky bastard he is. Hopefully it is not too OOC(as if yandere variant itself is not OOC enough pfttt) The reader is a stubborn psycho because that is what I am :) Will there be some future pieces that involves nsfw elements? I got a few ideas but no promises.

I blame @popi-the-fatui for my Gojou brainrots. You got your revenge on me by making me attracted to this dubious man. Word count: 1.6k

Banner credit

Warnings: Female pronouns, Possessive behaviour, DELUSIONAL behaviour, non-consensual touching, power inbalance, general yandere content, slight mention of confinement and violence(This is not a healthy relationship dynamic!!!), reader is not a soft UWU girl, kthis is so self indulgent *buries myself into the bottomless pit of shame

It has been nearly fifteen minutes since the headquarter disconnected the call, yet you are still staring at your phone screen with disbelief.

You were supposed to travel to another city for a mission tomorrow, they had notified you of this mission a week ago.

You already got your luggage packed, and your theoretical research on the objective is thoroughly done. Then they dare to inform you: they have found a more suitable candidate! Right on the day before your departure too.

Your curse techniques have already limited you to more of a supporting role for most situations. There are not plenty of missions available for you to begin with. While you are content with educating the fresh blood of the community in classrooms the majority of the time, you still long for field actions every once in a while. It is an essential part of being a Jujutsu sorcerer after all.

Both you and the soft-spoken secretary who made the call know this is nonsense. The higher-ups recognize that you are one of, if not the best sorcerers available when it comes to reconnaissance and espionage.

Letting out a sigh of immeasurable frustration, you swore to yourself that you will find out who is the conductor of this humiliating turn of events. This is going to be difficult since you do not recall having any issues with any of the administration staff recently.

There is no reversing this misfortune, but at least you can be aware of who is responsible for such violation of conduct.

He is only doing this to protect you.

Gojou Satoru tells himself as such, at least.

He is aware of how unfair it is, to make someone less capable to take on the job. But he cannot risk your safety. The man has already got used to your company, and he is not willing to just let you disappear from his field of view for more than a week. Sure, you might have not admitted how much you like him yet, but it is just too endearing to see you flustered at his flirtatious words.

Although there have been some difficulties with rescheduling, he managed to use his connections to exclude you from that first-grade mission at last minute. On the bright side, the sorcerer cannot wait to lend you an ear to vent about how conservative and unfair the higher-ups can be. Maybe you will even say yes to a trip to the newest local bakery! You need some sweet treats to cheer yourself up, don’t you?

But Satoru has never thought about how you specialize in putting two and two together. (understandable since he never saw you in action before).

------------------

Strange, you are not near the usual area in the library.

Sensing his footsteps, you opened your office door before Satoru had a chance to knock.

“We need to talk, Gojou-san.” That expression is new. This is the first time he sees you genuinely angry, which is to be expected.

But somehow he got a bad feeling about this.

You did not even invite him to sit down, instead just standing next to the floor window, arm crossed, with your back turned to him.

“Why would you do such a thing?” You have to use up all of your self-control to prevent yourself from having a full blow-up right at Gojou Satoru. Maintain composure. But it is easier said then done.

Does he think this is funny? To sabotage someone else's sorcerer career like this? You knew you should have kept him out of your daily life, as he is nothing but trouble to you. But you made the mistake of choosing to tolerate him, and some superficial part of you might even enjoy his dallying words a bit too much.

To the extent, you overlooked some red flags. This is a grievous error indeed.

Shit, now that he vaguely remembers what role you play on missions.“(y/n)-chan, what are you saying-” He knows you always act in supporting positions, however, he has overlooked your actual abilities and curse techniques. You collect intel and spy on enemies, how could he forget that? “Don’t play dumb with me. You got your ways, I got mine. There is no use denying what you have done. I thought you out of all people would understand what it means to be a sorcerer.”

This is a violation of protocol, changing mission assignments at the last minute. However, you know this man would not be receiving any solid punishment should you decide to report this. They would say there is “no harm done” and you would just receive a pitiful apology. Suppose you cannot blame them though.

They need Gojou Satoru, the Jujutsu community needs his prowess to keep innocent people safe. He will remain in the system no matter what.

Why are you questioning his motives? Does he have to spell it out for you? Letter by letter?

“You are not a skilled combatant, (y/n)-chan. What if you got yourself hurt?” Or even worse, killed. It scares him to think that you could be gone one day, how he would walk by this office corridor and never sees you sitting behind the desk ever again.

Not much in this world could send Gojou Satoru a chill down his spine, yet the thought of you dying is now on the list. He knows how petty this is, you wouldn’t be the one doing the actual exorcising after all. But the if, the slight possibilty.

He cannot allow that to happen, not ever. Even that means angering you and getting yelled at.

“What am I, some normal lawful citizen? I am a sorcerer just like you, Gojou-san. Putting ourselves on the line for innocents is part of the deal.” You let out a few short, sarcastic giggles, narrowing your eyes at him with fury. “It’s funny that you, out of all people, fail to understand that. If I am needed I will do what I must. If this is some sort of sick joke, stop it already, not funny. ”

Blunt, unrelenting stubbornness. Not like that’s news for him, Satoru has lots of experience with that since the day your path crossed. Although he finds this quality to be adorable most of the time, it can pose major problems like the present.

Oh, he is not angry at you. Satoru is more outraged at himself, don’t you worry. On the contrary, he is rather intrigued by your sarcastic remarks! However…

Instead of walking towards where you stood near the window, the man decides to take a turn towards the door.

That flashing panic within your eyes did not escape his sight.

The illusion figure you were projecting near the window dissipated instantly once he got your left wrist in his hand. Concealing yourself and projecting illusions, a rare techique indeed.

“Clever tactic. Making yourself invisible, projecting a faux illusion to distract me, leaving the door open and staying close to the exit. Your curse techniques are impressive. I almost got fooled, job well-done (y/n)-chan.”

The grip on your wrist suddenly tightens, you have to bite your lip to hold back a hiss of pain. How can he still flash that casual, playful smile when committing such atrocity? Those damned cerulean blue eyes too, you are ashamed of how you tremble and (internally) swoon at it at the same time.

Efforts to get away would most likely be futile, but you have to try. “See, you underestimated your opponent. I do see why you are good with lurking in the shadows now. Do you have any idea what I am capable of though?” Such delicate hands, it would be a shame if they were to bruise.

It’s unnerving how easy it looks for him to maintain a solid grip on your wrist while you pull back with all of your might. You know Gojou Satoru is strong and all, but this simple demonstration of strength is devastatingly effective. “Let go of me, you bastard!”

To your surprise, he softens his grip and you finally distanced yourself from him, panting and guarded. “Who are you to decide what I should and what I should not do? I made it crystal clear on the first day that I do not like you for the slightest.”

You know the walls are thin and coworkers might heard you, but you will have to worry about it later. It is, sadly, a matter of fact that you are somehow attracted to him, but that does not give him the right to use it against you. You must not give in to the temptation.

“You are pretty slow on the uptake for someone so smart. I was thinking of doing this naturally, we can go on normal dates to coffee shops, amusement parks, or even the museum if that is what you wish for. But now I see you do not know how much you mean to me.” Do you think Gojou-san is only flirting with you for the fun of it? It might have been the case in the beginning, but that is not the case since...recently.

He did not stop you again when you turned away, giving him one last menacing look and disappeared from his sight, even if he could see the faint trace of your curse energy. You will return to him and apologize after you calm down, he is confident about that. You value your job way too much to quit.

Then he could finally pull you into his arms, saying he does not mind and forgive your childish tantrums. Satoru does not plan to lock you up in a cage or anything(yet)! The students adore you and they need your guidance. Your clan is insignificant compared to his, your influence? Does he even need to consider that?

Gojou Satoru would always achieve his goals by whatever means possible. You are no exception to this.

[teyvattherapist]

Twin Swords - Act ii - Mors Altaris

“It’s Dainsleif!” You inform your companion whose eyes widen as she also connects the dots. Paimon begins to nod in agreement with your conclusion on the Medical Captain’s peculiar contact. Your floating companion rubs her head as she processes the information.

“Why would Dainsleif even be close enough to Captain Ohm to contact him about that? He didn’t react to you telling him you’re the honorary knight.” Paimon pointed out and you furrowed your brows. Yes, indeed, it was odd. How or why were they close enough that Dainsleif sent a possible distress message to the captain?

Before you could open your mouth to respond though, somebody ran into you, sending you to the ground. “Oh? Apologies!” A voice chuckled from above you, Paimon putting her fists on her hips and glaring at the tall man. He held out a hand, and you reached out to take it, eyes narrowing momentarily at the white mask filled with gold cracks that covered his face. “I didn’t see you there, my bad.” He bowed his head politely as he helped you stand straight once more.

“You better be sorry!” Paimon huffed, you waved her off though and she circled the man in question, despite the mask covering his face, his head curiously followed her, looking over one shoulder, then the other to follow her movements. Once more she floated beside you, fists on her hips. Sassy today.

The man rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand, head tilting to the left. “Where are my manners? My name is Sulien. Please, allow me to treat you to lunch for my hindrance.” He placed his hand against his chest and Paimon immediately lit up, nodding her head with the sort of enthusiasm only she could muster.

~You Join the Strange Man at Wanwen Bookhouse~

“Whoa look at all these books!” Paimon left your side to go examine one of the many bookshelves. Sulien hummed in agreement as he raised his hand, nodding to the shopkeeper who returned the nod with a smile. The masked man made a beeline for one of the bookshelves, apparently already aware of what he needed. “So when do we get lunch?” Paimon inquired as she floated over to the man, floating beside his shoulder.

Sulien seemed momentarily distracted as he scanned the shelf in front of him. “Hm? Oh. Sorry.” His stoic voice trailed off for a few moments before he grabbed a book off of the shelf. “My roommate says I need to cut down on books. I only need to stop by the smithy after this, then we can go get food, promise.” Sulien tilted his head in apology before he hurried off to the shopkeeper.

(He seems to know a lot about Liyue despite definitely not being from here..)

“Why do you need to see the blacksmith?” Paimon inquired as she followed him, you continued to stand by the railing as you watched them interact with one another. Sulien handed mora over to the shopkeeper, the woman happily taking it with a chipper ‘Thank You!’.

“Oh, my claymore is being repaired.” You couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at his relatively stoic statement. How does one even break a claymore? Sulien turned for the stairs, his book tucked under his arm. “Come along, I’ll show you where it is. If you are who I think you are, I’m positive you will need his services.” Noticing your hesitant expression at his words he hummed. “The clothing. It is a little obvious.” (Ah that explains that..)

~You Follow Sulien to the Blacksmith~

Sulien gestured with his arm, the playful action almost made you wonder if he was smiling under the cracked mask. “This is Hanfeng’s Ironmongers!” His voice however fell flat, remaining monotone as he spoke. “And this,” Sulien turned towards the blacksmith, “is Master Zhang.” You watch the blacksmith in question stop his work to speak with the masked man.

“I’m sure you’ve been too busy to really look around Liyue Harbour, he’d make a good guide.” Master Zhang nodded to your masked companion who merely put a hand to his chest and bowed his head politely. “Or just Liyue in general, have you brought more ore locations?” The two exchanged a piece of paper. “And your weapon, be careful with it next time. I still don’t know how you managed.”

“Yeah how do you break a sword that big?”

Sulien hummed at Paimon’s question, the claymore dematerialising once he touched it. “I threw it too hard. Thank you.” Sulien once more nodded to the man before he took a step away, arms crossing over his chest as he surveyed the street ahead of him. “Very well, I promised you lunch. Let us go.” Sulien nodded and Paimon giggled in glee, clapping her hands. (How does he plan on eating with the mask on? Will he take it off?) He turned away and you snapped from your thoughts to follow him.

~Head to Xinyue Kiosk~

You very quickly learned he was not going to take off the mask, instead opting to sit aside and read the book he bought from Wanwen. He was quiet, allowing Paimon to make idle chatter with you instead. A small hum escaped him as he flipped the page and you considered your conversational options.

>Doesn’t the mask get annoying?

>Do you ever take the mask off?

Sulien looked up from his book, the soulless eyes of the mask boring into you, but his shoulders remained relaxed. “No.” He responded simply, turning his head back to his book. (Seems like the mask is a sensitive topic.) Sulien flipped to the next page and you looked down at your plate of food.

You cleared your throat and judging by the slight tilt of his head, he was listening to you. As if sensing your intention it was Paimon who spoke up for you. “You don’t look like you’re from Liyue, where are you from?” She questioned, eyes gleaming as she watched the relatively expressionless man ponder the question quietly.

Sulien’s head tilted to the other side and he hummed. (Paimon wonders why he does that so often..) “With how long I have been in Liyue for work, it has become a home to me. It is why Master Zhang recommends me for sightseeing.” Sulien’s chuckle was slight as he answered quietly. “I am afraid I am far less interesting than I seem. Tell me, Traveler, why is it you travel?”

“He/She is looking for his/her sibling!”

“Oh? Is that so?”

“Yeah! We’re looking for this unknown-” You shushed Paimon with a look and she let out a small ‘eek!’ Sulien was once more staring at you, at least, you think so. The mask makes it hard to tell and his body language almost never changes. The entire day spent with him, you were beginning to realise, he’s not once changed his tone of voice or his relaxed stance.

Sulien tilted his head to the side, the action almost robotic with how he went about doing it. You quickly looked back down to your food. Was he judging you? Was he- “I hope you find him/her. To lose one’s kin must be tragic and to lose one’s only kin? Hm.. Devastating.” He closed his book and stood from the chair.

“Are you leaving, Lien?”

Sulien paused, looking away from the two of you for a moment. “Yes, unfortunately I have other matters to attend to. Your meal is already paid for, please enjoy it. I apologise for my abrupt departure.” Sulien looked back to the two of you, pressing his free hand to his chest and bowing his head respectfully. Paimon flailed her arm good bye and he nodded, straightening out and leaving the room.

~Connect with Paimon just outside of Liyue Harbour~

You settled down on one of the rocks overlooking the harbour, the setting sun added to the atmosphere. With everything happening after Mondstadt and the Rite of Descension, the peaceful day you had was welcomed, perhaps even needed. The harbour was gorgeous with the orange and pink sky above, reflecting off of the crystal waters below. But something felt off, something felt wrong.

Paimon seemed to feel it too as she floated around you in a circle, stopping on your left. Before she could say anything though a net flew by, successfully trapping your traveling companion despite her shriek and desperate flailing attempts. Quickly you summoned your sword, moving to push yourself off of the rock and face your attackers. Before you could do so however the familiar sound of a bow string being pulled back graced your ears.

And pain flourished in your sword arm as the arrow found purchase in your shoulder. The force sent you off the rock, sword falling out of your grip. “Capture them!” A voice called and you struggled to crawl for your sword with your good arm. Your fingers brushed the hilt of your sword before your world went dark, a bag pulled over your head.

And then nothing...

~An Undetermined Amount of Time Has Passed~

You struggle against the binds around your wrists despite your injured shoulder, the rope not budging despite your best attempts. You glare when the bag is pulled off of your head, revealing none other than Treasure Hoarders. Of course they’d be behind this, it was them or the Fatui anyway. The one dressed slightly different from the rest bent down, making a point to look you over.

“This is the famed hero of Mondstadt? Really?” The treasure hoarder that seemed to be the leader taunted. You narrowed your eyes up at him, struggling despite the pain. “Oh you won’t be getting out of those any time soon, we made sure of that.” The man stood up, raising his arms above his head to stretch. Nearby you heard Paimon shout from the net she was still trapped in. “We only want one thing, hero. Mora. And a buttload of it.”

“No way!” Paimon cried out from where she was. The treasure hoarder’s snort turned into a full blown laugh as he looked down at you. His laughter quickly died and his eyes narrowed dangerously. (This isn’t good.) A feeling of dread quickly washed over you.

The treasure hoarder crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh I wasn’t asking-”

“Boss!” A panicked shout interrupted their leader and the treasure hoarder in question growled, turning to address the woman who called for him. You followed his gaze and were met with a confusing sight.

“Shall I take care of them, comrade?”

Childe. And.. Sulien? Before Childe could pull out his weapon, Sulien’s claymore appeared in his hand, the man flipping the weapon casually as he stepped forwards. “No, I need to ensure the repairs were done right.” Sulien tilted his head, making a point to look the leader up and down. “Unless, of course, you give us the Traveler.”

Sulien pivoted to the side, one of the potion bottles the treasure hoarders often used flying by him. The leader pulled his own weapon and Sulien merely sighed, adjusting his one handed grip on the large blue and black weapon. “Yes, I didn’t think it would be that easy. Unfortunate.” He brought the claymore up, pointing it directly at the treasure hoarder. “Fruit Tart, please go untie the Traveler, thank you.”

(Why was he so friendly with the Fatui?)

~Sandrone Trial~

The enemies fell with very little effort on the masked man's part. The man's claymore dug into the ground as the last enemy poofed away from the fight. He let out a sigh as he turned back to look at you.

Childe untied the rope around your wrists, freeing you from the binding. The harbinger returned to the masked man's side, his claymore disappearing into light blue crystals. "What are you doing here?!" Paimon questioned, fists on her hips as she floated beside you, focus pointed at Childe who gave her a lazy smile.

The other man adjusted his gloves wordlessly, face directed away from you and your companion. Childe laughed as he looked between you three, hand on his stomach as he let out a couple of laughs much to Paimon's chagrin at being ignored. The man beside him sighed, turning his attention back to you. The soulless eyes of his mask bore into you as you looked him over. (He had seemed so friendly earlier.. But now.. Was that..?)

The harbinger straightened out, clearing his throat. He gestured a gloved hand to his companion beside him. "This is Sandrone, codename Marionette. Number ten of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. He prefers the first name." Childe patted Sandrone's back, earning a soft huff from the man in question. Paimon gasped as he quickly looked to you, as if trying to gauge your reaction to the news. Your eyes focused on the gem on the back of his left glove.

(I should have known.)

"You lied to us!" Paimon accused him to which Childe chuckled as if he were enjoying a show. Sandrone hummed in response, one arm crossing over his chest, the other hand pressing to his chest. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, you.. you.. uhm, puppet!" You looked at Paimon, that was her best nasty nickname in the moment?

Sandrone sighed, bowing his head. "That I did. My intent was not to manipulate, however, when an opportunity arises." He stood straight. Just as before his voice remained stoic. Perhaps his manner of speaking and lack of expressive actions made sense now. "And, while I may have lied. Had we not come, you would still be held up by those Treasure Hoarders." The masked man pointed out. He wasn't wrong.

Before either you or Paimon could respond, Childe turned away. "Remember, Traveler. Not everybody is on your side in this battle of yours. No hard feelings, of course." He gave a small wave over his shoulder. Sandrone once more bowed but hesitated before he turned, looking back at Childe and then to you. Childe stopped, looking back at Sandrone.

"It is merely a business transaction. I do hope you find your sibling. That much was honesty." And with that the harbingers left you and Paimon alone in the darkened clearing. His words stuck with you as you watched them disappear.

(Why did he seem so familiar there? As if I've met him before?)

~Quest Complete~

[definitelynotsuzumi]

Zapped to Another World [Chapter 2]

Genshin x fem! reader

I was able to write this up during my New Year break, though I cannot promise fast updates in future with school. TwT;;;

Hope you enjoy!

[Masterlist]

“Wanna grab a drink?”

Venti was all too happy to receive an unexpected treat. You were pretty excited too. A drink with Mondstadt’s Archon? It was a dream come true!

“Are you really who they say that you are?” You asked as Venti chugged back half a mug of dandelion wine.

“That I’m Barbatos? Yes, yes, that is very much hic true.”

It has been his tenth cup of dandelion wine and he seems all set to drain you of your Mora.

“First off, could you chill on the wine? You’re drinking way too fast…” You were feeling a tinge of regret now as his face was turning a bright crimson red.

“Can we get a glass of water? Thanks!” You whispered to Diluc, who gave you a stoic nod. You bit back your smile. So handsome…

“Hear ye! Hear ye! I hereby declare that every son and daughter of Monstadt hic should taste this! Finest of wines for the finest of people!” Venti was definitely drunk. You huffed in bemusement. Taking the mug of water Diluc had offered to you, you aimed your finger above the cup. Closing your eyes, you imagined 4 ice cubes forming and dropping into the cup.

With the sound of water splashing, you opened your eyes to see 4 cubes of ice in the cup. You grinned with glee.

“Now, drink this.” You offered it to Venti, who laughed and took a swig from that cursed mug. In exasperation, you grabbed the mug from him and willed for the liquid inside to freeze over.

“Wha-hey!” Venti complained, pouting so adorably as he snatched it back to drink more but found it completely frozen.

“Enough, drink your water!” Venti reluctantly took it from you and drank it down.

“You really should take care of yourself.” You sighed as he laid his head down on the wooden table. You and Venti sat in comfortable silence.

“Are you not going to drink?” Diluc asked as he swiftly polished a wine glass.

“I’m not really one for alcohol, they can be a tad too bitter for me. Perhaps some…Grape juice?” You hummed to yourself. You noticed the slight surprise in his eyes as you ordered his favourite drink from the menu.

“...Please wait a moment.”

“You really do have strange clothes. Anyways, you have not introduced yourself to me even after all these hic drinks.” Venti balanced his head on his hand, detaching himself from lying on the table.

“I’m (F/N) (L/N). You could say that I kinda came…A long long way from home.” You nervously laughed as Diluc raised an eyebrow.

“Aha! No wonder I liked you! That sense of freedom to go exploring and adventuring!” Venti grinned. His flushed face was an indicator that he had too much to drink, even with the iced water you made for him.

“Ah…Aha, I didn’t have a choice to. It’s more of Fate’s Decision for me.” You pressed your hand against your chest self-consciously. You could feel the thrum of the Gnosis against your chest and hand.

“Fate or not, you have a choice in everything you do and you chose the one you believed was right. Isn’t that good enough?” Venti giggled.

“That’s…That’s about right.”

You were surprised. Even though he was not there, he seemed to know what you have been through and speak into your heart. You did have a choice and you picked what you thought was best.

“You shouldn’t be afraid of the path you chose. Just enjoy learning and walking on it.” Venti’s eyes looked into yours and it felt as though he knew you for years.

“..Wow…Thanks. I really needed that.” You felt a weight lifted off your chest.

Diluc came with your drink in hand, pushing it onto the wooden table. You took a sip, reveling in the taste of grapes.

“You may be a young Archon right now, but it will be okay. You’ll grow as it comes along, no sweat.” You blinked in surprise as he murmured softly. You had never mentioned your form to Venti.

“How did you- We Archons can recognize when there is a new one among our ranks. But don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” Venti winked, stage-whispering to you.

“But…Will everything be okay?” You wondered. You distinctly remembered that the Fatui were actively hunting for Archons and their Gnosises.

“There is no sense in worrying on things you cannot control. Just do what you can.” Venti remarked, watching as the last customer staggered out of the door. Before you knew it, the moon was high in the sky.

“W…What about the Traveller?” Venti tilted his head in curiosity as you asked. He reminded you very much of a cat.

“Uhh…Aether?” You tried guessing.

“Ah, he went off to Liyue days back. He’s probably still there since the Lantern Rites are in a week’s time.” Venti managed to defrost the last of his dandelion wine and casually sipped on it.

“Are you looking for them?” Diluc asked, his eyes studying you closely. While you had strange clothing, he could not sense any malicious intent. You tugged at your sailor school uniform self-consciously as he seemed to check you out.

“Well, maybe, kinda? They helped me out when I was in a pickle so I really wanted to thank them for it.” You inwardly gulped. You could feel Diluc’s eyes pierce you. Could he tell that you were lying?

“Ah, maybe you should set off tomorrow. You might be able...to catch them there...” Venti finished off his wine before he slumped over the table, his eyes fluttering shut.

“Hey! Don’t sleep there!” You huffed as he seemed to black out. You heard the door open. The amicable spark in Diluc’s eyes vanished instantly and his shoulders stiffened. You knew one of the few people who could cause such a reaction.

Kaeya.

“Aether mentioned that he would be visiting the different lands and Archons, perhaps you might be of assistance.” The blue-haired man sat himself beside you. The way he jumped into conversation…Had he been listening in this entire time?

You couldn’t help but feel that something was off as Diluc stared at you. What is he planning?

“Oh…I guess I need to get going for Liyue tomorrow, I suppose. Don’t suppose you know of a good inn to stay in?” You stretched, trying to play off your nerves.

“You can stay with me for the night.” Diluc interrupted Kaeya as he poised to open his mouth. Diluc wiped his hands with a towel before donning his gloves, barely concealing his contempt for his stepbrother.

You could feel your gulp echo in the room. The air had became so heavy.

“Uh, you sure? I wouldn’t want to impose…” He was unusually…kind. It was strange as he reminded you of the typical cold characters in your manga.

“I insist. Also, that will be 1000 mora.”

“Ah.”

You handed up the payment for the drinks you had ordered for both Venti and yourself. As you stood to help Venti, Diluc pressed his hand against yours, stopping you from waking Venti from his wine-induced slumber. You felt your cheeks flush as you jerked back your hand.

“Leave him. He will be alright.” Diluc adjusted his gloves and coat. With a sharp jerk of his head, the bartender who was switching shifts hoisted the young boy up to the room above.

“…If you say so…” You nervously followed Diluc out to Dawn Winery.

Walking out of the walls of Monstadt, the questioning began.

“What will you do once you meet Aether?”

“Thank him, maybe follow him if he allows for it? Since he is visiting the other Archons and lands, I’d like to tag along to learn about them too.” You hummed.

“…Is that really all?” Diluc frowned.

“Yes. Besides, I have absolutely nothing to gain if I try to hurt him. If you are still that suspicious, you could always tail or follow me. Though, that means you have to…abandon your responsibilities here.” You said as you massaged your neck.

“That will not be a problem. You will find that my servants are well equipped to handle-“

“Oh Mr Hero, I was not talking about your Winery, though that is a fair point.” You stole a glance at him.

Diluc was silent as you both saw the Winery in a distance.

“…How did you know?” Diluc asked.

With a soft smile, you booped his nose, “That’s classified.”

As you settled in, Diluc took a moment to take a breather while his maids handled everything. Despite his suspicions, you were right. He had responsibilities to take care of. He could not rely on the Knights to do his job.

“Well, looks like I need to call in a favour…” Fetching a quill and some paper, he sealed the letter with wax.

“Head for the Umbrella Apothecary in Liyue and give this to the Healer who resides there.” As his servant bowed his head and disappeared into the shadows, Diluc sighed as he looked back towards your room.  

While it was a relief to find out that you mean no harm to Mondstadt or Aether, he could not help his curiosity.

“Classified information, huh?”

[guiltycorp]

Playing Genshin for a couple of weeks now and I have some thoughts about Mondstadt, its seeming prosperity, and criminal elements!! Also dunking on Diluc a little bit lol. I'm not even going to touch hilichurls, they're probably the one issue I expect the game to come back to in time! They seem to be an intelligent race that was cursed and so we might get some sad backstory and realize that we've been assholes to them, not 100% sure but hopefully. Other than hilichurls and the Fatui (and yeahhh so fun to make russians into villains, im guessing it's for attracting the american audience or something... at least the characters are interesting enough), there are also Treasure Hoarders, who in the archive are mainly described as workers who lost their jobs or some other manner of poor people who turned to looting and crime out of desperation. And yet the angle is that 'thieving is always morally wrong'. Somebody didn't read Les Mis, I guess! Another note, there seems to be a weird gameplay and story segregation where we as the Traveler do lots of looting and treasure hunting ourselves only to be commended for it. But I digress. My actual point is that interestingly enough those elements of worldbuilding come together pretty well when you look at the city itself!   In Mondstadt it is most difficult to become a small business owner, made all the more obvious when compared to Liyue's wealth of shops, services, and traveling traders (Liyue has its own baggage of problems which tbh seem more serious to me but that's another topic). It's just not the most profitable occupation! Almost everyone we see out on the streets does their own resource supply, production, and service. Naturally, this means that those people don't earn enough to hire their own workers. In turn, that means that there are no jobs to be found in those places. So, where are all the jobs? For that we have the Dawn Winery, the Knights of Favonius, and the option to leave for Springvale to become a hunter or go to a different country altogether. The winery is described as the city's most powerful industry both for local consumption and export, but how does it actually treat its workers? Well, for example there's Patton who accidentally broke a bottle of expensive wine and is now basically an indentured servant to Diluc. He says that even if he worked without any breaks he still would need 48 years to pay off his debt. We can meet his daughter near Venti's statue who has to play by herself because her father is always working. Does that really seem like freedom to you? There's also Guy's father who works at the winery itself and can't afford to rest even when he is heavily sick and old. These are the worst examples for sure but others also have their own smaller problems like Charles who confides in us that he often feels tired and only takes nights off when Diluc is in a mood to tend the bar himself etc.  It is kind of telling that we don't have the option of engaging with their problems and we can't really talk to Diluc about it either. For all that he defends the city each night, he shows no interest in defending his own workers from his business's predatory tactics. To say nothing of the great damage he does to the adult populace of the city, always supplying alcohol and tempting people with deals and sales when there are already too many drunkards even among the named characters. When the opposing tavern (which also only has Diona for a bartender even when her own father has alcohol dependence) chose to present a non-alcoholic beverage during the holiday Angel’s Share doubled down on alcohol. And it doesn't even have snacks? This one bit was probably just for joke purposes, but tbh it's pretty dangerous to drink without any snacks at all, it makes sense why people get so heavily drunk in the first place. Note that Diluc himself doesn’t drink, showing good judgment when it comes to himself. Meanwhile the only person Diluc seemingly has no problem cutting off is Kaeya and it’s not obvious whether that’s out of concern or pettiness. Nobody is cutting off Nimrod who is ruined by his addiction! Now this is probably the core reason why Nimrod turned to crime, and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he and his wife are dependant on Kaeya who at the very least knows to appreciate his informants. Kaeya himself is also a gleeful enabler, by the way, which makes sense considering his uh.. everything. And his upbringing at the Dawn Winery didn’t hurt, no surprise why he’s so keen on wine himself. He might be shrewd and oh so clever when it comes to getting information in taverns, but his story details and voice lines confirm that there actually is a problem even if we don’t know the full scope of it.  Now, the Knights of Favonius? Aside from being corrupt in the past they happen to hire minors (we can read that in their handbook) whom they don't even pay. What's that, free labor for the simplest of tasks? Makes sense why some of the adult knights laze about if all the work gets done by minors or the more focused and accomplished senior knights with Visions. That's a wonky structure for sure. Guy tells us that he became a squire at 16 and still has the boring job of guarding the back gates despite repeatedly showing signs of great dissatisfaction. I wouldn't be surprised if he betrays us later or something, honestly. Maybe Kaeya is preparing him for double agent work, who knows. Right now he has no opportunities for climbing the career ladder to take better care of his sick father, stuck in a pointless job for months. And that's a talented and focused young man! what about regular folk? Well. In the end, regular people have several options. They can give up and overwork themselves while spending nights looking for coins in the wishing fountain to try and scrape enough for their sister’s medicine. They can go to the Adventurers' Guild which has highly dangerous commissions with the most profitable ones taken on by Fischl and other professionals, hardly a dependant job for a regular person. There’s also Church which we know very little about. Likely it's dependant on taxes and donations and it’s the one organization that cares about the orphans of the city (no, keeping Klee in solitary doesn’t count as caring, Knights of Favonius!). There’s Springvale for hunters, farmers and chefs, a difficult lifestyle to maintain when the hunting grounds are in one of the Four Winds’ domains with strangely intelligent wolves.  And then there’s the other more accessible and obvious option! You guessed it, it’s crime!!  And there it is, the reason why there's such a big problem with bandits and overworked people in Mondstadt :)  Honestly after writing all that down, if I were to RP a normal person in Mondstadt I’d try to get into the Treasure Hoarders guild at like 5 years old I think. Better than standing around watching random people kill my pigeons anyway. Tbh this is less of a 'makes you think huh!!' take and more of a commendation towards the writers of the game. They obviously have a more conservative outlook if they're so keen on condemning the thieves who have to steal in order to survive, but the world itself makes a lot of sense. It makes the game a lot of fun to explore.

[duphyduphy]

"Angel"

Summary: Childe's usually outgoing and bright persona was oddly muted that day, enough for Lumine to notice. Maybe that's why he got so recklessly injured while he was helping with her with her commissions. Lumine takes him to her teapot to nurse him back to health, but the two realized something during a peculiar conversation they had after Childe regained consciousness.

This chilumi fic was inspired by the recent housing system update in 1.5! Enjoy!

//

Childe was feeling a bit hazed. His usually outgoing and bright persona was oddly a little muted that day, enough for Lumine and Paimon to notice. He was less talkative and seemed tired for some reason. He didn't even pry her about having their usual sparing matches like he usually does, which she found to be out of character for him. Maybe that's why he got so recklessly injured while he was helping with her with her commissions.

"Argh!", the traveller and her flying companion heard from a distance.

Lumine turned around to see Childe getting struck by one of the Mitachurl from the back as he was fighting off another Hilichurl.

"What's wrong with him today? That was just a Mitachurl. Those guys are big but we fight them with ease all the time. Is he injured or something? Is he distracted?", Lumine thought to herself as she ran towards his direction to help him. Her pace sped up when she saw him fell to the ground.

"CHILDE!"

His vision went black.

***

"Ow... my head hurts"

Childe slowly opened his eyes to find himself in what seems to be a bedroom.

"Where-where am I? Was I knocked out?"

"Hey... you're awake" a soft, almost melodic voice spoke to him.

Still half awake, Childe blinked a few times and turned his head toward the source of the sound to find out that it was coming from Lumine. She was sitting on a chair beside the bed he was laying on. Her hand rested on top of his own, gently stroking his bruised knuckles. Her face worried yet relieved. Her expression was accompanied by a small smile. He would never say it out loud, but he always did found her to be very beautiful. He's sure many men thought about the same thing when they saw the infamous Honorary Knight. What most men didn't see though, was his comrade in action, in the battle field. He still remembers their time in the Golden House, how almost marvelous she looked as she showed him her capabilities. She was definitely powerful, astonishing nonetheless. He also feels some sense of guilt whenever he thinks about that time. She was just a pawn to him then, but now, she was becoming someone more. Even Childe himself has yet to understand this strange feeling. Sometimes he thinks it's distracting. Sometimes he wonders if she thought the same way. In other time, he wonders if she still wants to trust him after what happened.

"Childe? Is your head still hurting?", Lumine asked as she leaned in to place her hand on his head, which he later realized, was wrapped in bandaged.

Snapping back to reality, Childe's face gleamed a dim sheen of pink to the sudden close proximity of the two. Still collecting his consciousness, he looked around and realized that his chest and stomach area was bandaged. He wasn't wearing his shirt either.

"Did- did you take of my shirt?"

"I- WE- WE HAD TO PATCH YOU UP SOMEHOW!! YOU- YOU WERE BLEEDING OUT! I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WERE SO DISTRACTED TODAY!!!", Lumine said in a slight panic.

"Calm down! Haha! You're always so easy to fluster", Childe said with a coy smile.

"Ugh. I was really worried when you collapsed like that you know... You did seem really tired and you didn't talk much today either but I didn't expect you to get knocked out like that."

"Aw... did you really think I would be so easily defeated by a mere Mitachurl. I'm a Fatui Harbinger, girlie", Childe smirked with cocky tone.

"And yet, here you are. Well, YOUR WELCOME for caring and patching you up, Mr. Fatui", Lumine said, rolling her eyes while letting go of his hand.

"Wait~"

Before Lumine's hand could move further away, he gently took hers in his.

"I'm sorry I worried you. I guess work got a little tiring and I didn't get enough sleep for the past couple of nights so, I guess I was a little drained. Regardless, thank you for patching me up, Lumine"

Childe has a plentiful amount of nicknames he gave Lumine. Whether it be girlie, traveller, Honorary Knight, comrade, or princess, but rarely does he ever call her by her real name. She blushed to the sudden change in how he addressed her. She found it to be almost sincere and genuine. It made her blush, but she turned her head around so that Childe wouldn't notice. Unfortunately for her, he did notice and took pride in how he's able to form that reaction out of his dear traveller. He always found teasing her quite enjoyable and entertaining.

"Hmph. You're lucky me and Paimon were there with you when you collapsed. Who knows what would have happened if we weren't. Paimon litterally had to drag your body to safety while I dealt with the remaining Hilichurls and Mitachurls"

Lumine always did possess a caring and nurturing personality. Why else would she go out of her way to bring him to her home to treat and care for his wounds personally instead of taking him to Bubu Pharmacy.

"She's just caring. If anyone were in my place, she would do the same thing. There shouldn't be any other reason to this", at least, that was what Childe thought.

"Yes, yes. I'm the luckiest man in the world. I like what you did to the place by the way. Last time I was here, there was nothing but a bed. Not to mention it not matching the interior of the house at all"

"Childe. Are you trying to kick yourself out?"

Her reaction made him laugh out loud with such satisfaction which eventually made her laugh as well.

"Anyways, that Mitachurl beat you up pretty badly. I suggest you stay here for the night to rest. I don't mind really. Plus, you said you haven't been getting enough sleep so... actually why are you loosing sleep anyway? Is work hectic at the moment? I don't know what goes on in the Fatui so uh-"

"About that, uh... work is fine, I guess. I've just been thinking about some things"

"Is... everything okay? What's been on your mind?"

"What ever may I be thinking about that made loose sleep, hm~? Who knows? Maybe it's because of someone I've been thinking a lot about. Maybe it's not~" Childe said as he gave her a smirk.

Childe expected Lumine to get annoyed, maybe even a little curios at his statement. Admittedly, that was his way of hinting his attraction towards her, but he just wanted to play safe and see her reaction. And indeed it was unexpected.

"Is- is that so? We-Well...", Lumine said quietly with a very noticeable red tint on her face.

There was a long silence for a good seven seconds. You could almost here the crickets.

"Shit. Why did things become awkward. I was just teasing her. Does she maybe like me back or is she just flustered-"

"ANYWAY! I'LL-I'll get you some fo-food! Stay here. I'll be back haha... Don't move around too much!", Lumine said frantically as she quickly stood up from her chair and left the room.

Childe gave out a big sigh.

"This is not good. Whatever! I'm pretty sure it's nothing. Ugh, I feel like a school boy having his first crush. Pathetic"

Childe tried to forget the awkward moment they had just a few minutes ago by looking around the room. She really did do a lot to the place. It was nicely furnished. He looked at his side and noticed something at the bedside table. It was an Aster flower placed inside a vase. It was the flower he gave to her during the Windblume festival out of coincidence. Some memories flashed back to his head that made his face softened.

"What an angel", Childe softly said to himself.

Lumine accidentally heard him from outside the room just as she was about to bring him his food.

//

Just something in my head that I could not bother to illustrate with art so here's a fic instead. i hope you enjoyed my chilumi offering for the day. Smirks and blushes. I think you can tell I like those quite a lot. Teasing. Teasing galore.

[moonprlsm]

like waves, you pulled me in.

also on ao3

_

"Eat up, lovely."

This had to be a dream. With how her head was throbbing or the way every corner of the room looked a tad bit blurry, there was a huge probability that Lumine was either dreaming or completely losing it. Yes, perhaps it was just the latter, which was why she was having hallucinations of Childe, eleventh harbinger of the fatui, wearing an apron in her room.

She blinked at him twice.

"Still sleepy, huh? Should I give you a kiss to wake you up?"

Great. The Childe in her hallucination was as punchable as the real one.

Her eyes dropped to the bowl of Adeptus Temptation he placed on her bed, the savory aroma of fresh seafood and spices hitting her nose, making her mouth water. It looked as if it belonged to Xiangling's best dishes and if Lumine's mind wasn't such in a haze, she would've gulped the whole thing in one go.

There was just no way the man sitting in front of her, firstly, was really here and secondly, was the one who made the appetizing stew just as he claimed.

She gave her legs under the blanket a pinch.

The sting made her bite her lip.

Archons, this was real. She wasn't sure if that was to her liking or not.

"If you stare at that for too long it might get shy and run off."

"What exactly are you doing here, Childe?" She almost didn't recognize her own voice from how dry it sounded.

"Way to treat your awesome nurse for today, lovely." He said teasingly as he moved to the near table to pour some water. "Here."

She took the glass in his hand. Ignoring the beat her heart skipped as her hands brushed with his warm ones, she finished the whole glass in a couple of gulps. Lukewarm water slid through her throat with ease. Never in her life had she thought of missing the non existent taste of water.

"Good?" He sat by her again, closer this time.

"Yes, thank you. But you didn't answer my question."

He let out a chuckle, grabbing back the glass in her hands. "I'm here to take care of you, obviously."

"What do you mean? I'm perfectly fine." A throb in her head went a little harder than normal, almost making her wince.

"Oh? So why did you pass out near a waypoint earlier then?"

"I–"

So that was what happened. Just moments ago, she woke up to the warmth of her bed in the Inn she was staying at in Liyue. She was supposed to meet Childe for their weekly sparring sessions after her long... mission. Lumine couldn't really remember traveling to said Inn.

The last thing she could call to mind was an image of blue eyes filled with worry, accompanied by an alarmed voice calling out her name and the feeling of strong, lean arms lifting her from the ground with ease.

Lucky for her she was already burning up or else he would've noticed the tint of pink growing on her cheeks.

"Don't worry, lovely–" The nickname didn't help her either. "I called a doctor to check on you earlier, said you just have a common cold. The fainting was probably caused by stress or lack of sleep– Hey, what are you doing?"

Lumine tried to move the bed table so she could free her feet from the blanket. "Going to do my mission." She shivered once a leg was out. It was peak noon.

The bastard cleared his throat after accidentally letting out a snort. "You're not going anywhere in that condition. Paimon's already talking to Katheryne, she'll cover your commissions for today." His hand went to put the covers back on her.

"I'm not talking about Adventurers' Guild."

"Hmm? Then which mission is it?"

Curious eyes landed on her tired ones. She hesitated. It wasn't like she didn't trust Childe, she'd let him hold his hydro sword by her neck for all she cared. He was a friend first and foremost before a harbinger. Putting more of her baggage on him was the last thing she wanted to do. He had accompanied her in a lot of commissions, thrown enough mora, beat up enough hilichurls for her. It was about time for her to stop relying on him for she didn't really need most of his help in the first place.

Although, having him around was refreshing in a way. She didn't mind his company. Not one bit.

"It's... Nothing important."

"Then it could wait until you're better, yeah?"

A defeated sigh. "Right. Why do you have to be my pseudo nurse, though? Don't you have work?"

"I got nothing to do today, lovely. I'm all yours. Besides, Paimon asked me to stay with you specifically. She was really excited about it too for some reason."

Lumine suddenly had the urge to put the little guide in a burning pot. She knew she should've kept the strange feelings Childe was giving her to herself until she exploded. One moment he was the most annoying person to ever exist, the next he was giving her stomach fluttering sensations she hadn't experienced before. Asking Paimon of all people about what these feelings could possibly mean was her first mistake.

"Paimon thinks you have a crush!" She squealed.

"I have a what now?"

Childe's voice interrupted the Paimon recipe she was planning in her head. "All you have to do today is rest, alright? I think your fever has gone down a little bit after your nap but–"

The spaces between them were already so small, it would be easy for his hands to reach her forehead, which she assumed what he was about to do. Until he moved closer and closer. He cupped her cheeks gently and she stiffened.

It was softer than she thought, his hand. She almost indulged to his touch. Childe leaned forward, their faces were then close enough to the point where she could feel his breath on her lips.

She could only hope he couldn't hear how hard her heart was beating right then.

Were his eyelashes always this long? Were his eyes always this blue? At that moment, she wanted nothing more but to explore those ocean eyes of his, wanting to know what the world was like in his point of view.

Archons, help her. The strange feeling in her stomach was back.

His forehead rested on hers and she shut her eyes. He let out a knowing hum. "You're still burning up, a little warmer than earlier too." The man finally pulled away. She wasn't sure why disappointment weighed in her chest at the lost of his touch. "This fever of yours is intense."

Oh, it was definitely not the fever.

"I'll go get your medicine. Have some spoonful of this stew first. I didn't put poison in that, I promise." He gave her a reassuring smile before getting to his feet. She watched him walk out of the room as her heart continued to thump on her chest loudly as if it was about to break out.

It was rare for Paimon to be right.

Lumine was convinced this was one of those occasions.

-

Her brother was walking away.

"Aether!" She tried calling him, but the sound might've got lost in the pitch black void they were in for his feet didn't stop moving.

She was running then yet she still couldn't seem to catch up to him. No matter how fast or slow she moved, he remained out of reach. The distance just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

No, please. Don't leave.

"Aether, come back!" Her voice trembled, tears stinging her eyes.

Aether's voice echoed in the void. "You've come too late, Lumine."

The moonlight by the window welcomed Lumine's eyes fluttering open. She blinked away the tears blurring her vision, giving her a clear sight of the ceiling and the rest of the room.

A dream. A realistic, horrendous dream that was.

She took a second to take a couple of deep breaths, steadying herself. She was fine, everything was fine. Her brother was still out there, he was alive, she still hadn't found him but there was already a lead.

A lead that took her nowhere even after searching non stop for more clues these past few weeks.

Her chest tightened. A sob came out of her as tears started flooding her eyes again.

"Lumine?" She was so lost in her own world that she didn't even notice the person lifting his head up from the edge of the bed. The moment he saw her in that state, Childe was immediately by her side. "What's wrong? Are you hurting somewhere?"

The genuine concern in his voice would've made her heart feel warm if it weren't being torn to pieces by her own thoughts.

"N- No." She managed to say while sitting up. He guided her back, worried her trembling arms couldn't support herself. A damp towel fell from her forehead and he caught it before it even landed on the bed.

Memories of someone wiping her neck and face with said towel while she was sleeping, relieving the heat her body was radiating suddenly flashed through her mind.

"Then what's the matter?" The warmth of his hand enveloped hers, rubbing his thumb against her knuckles delicately. "Tell me. Please."

There were bags under his eyes. They've always been there, but tonight they seemed more prominent than usual. What time was it? She couldn't tell, but Lumine had been seeing herself in the mirror for the past few weeks, she knew what someone who haven't had a blink of sleep looked like.

She probably interrupted him from his nap just moments ago too. Being a pseudo nurse shouldn't be taken seriously, but she should've expected nothing less from someone who committed to the act of being a regular toy seller just so he wouldn't ruin his brother's innocence.

Putting others, especially his family, before himself. Perhaps they weren't too different.

With that, she found her voice again. "I had a nightmare. My brother, he– I couldn't catch up to him. He told me I've come too late." She said in between sobs.

Holding her cheeks gently, Childe wiped the tears running down her face. "It's okay, lovely. A dream doesn't reflect what's happening in reality."

"But what if it does? Paimon and I received information that could help our search just a few weeks ago. I've been traveling to all these different places, just looking and looking for more leads but I've been met with nothing but dead ends. What if it's because Aether's not here anymore? What if he's–"

She was pulled into a tight embrace before she could even finish the horrifying implication.

The seaside had always been so calming. Waves creating harmonious splashes, the sand hugging her feet, and that fresh scent. Childe provided that same comfort, like an ocean wave washing all her bad thoughts away. Lumine buried her face on his chest, letting herself drown in him.

His hand soothed her hair. "So you've just been looking without a hint of rest these past few weeks?"

She gave a weak nod.

This side of Childe wasn't unfamiliar, of course. Though, she wondered if holding people when they were feeling down was a habit of his.

And if it was possible for him to hold her closer.

A chuckle. "You were really planning to face your brother all restless and sick? I don't think he'd be too happy to see you faint once you find him." He held her tighter as if hearing her wish. "And I know you will."

He said those words so sincerely, so confidently that it made the tension in her body disappear slowly.

They stayed close like that for a while. Just the hero of Teyvat and her savior for the night in comforting silence by the moonlight.

It was incredible how easy it was for her to break down her walls when it came to him, how it felt like the weight of the world wasn't on her shoulders whenever he was there, how his laugh and random stories alone could erase all her worries, how she could just be a lost girl missing her brother instead of a powerful traveler in his arms.

"You're a strange pseudo nurse." She broke the silence first. "But thank you. I'll continue my search tomorrow. Though, we could still have our sparring session, how does afternoon sound?"

Pulling away, he beamed at her hopeful smile. "I'd like that. Only if your fever is fully gone tomorrow."

"I don't think I have it anymore right now."

"I'll be the judge of that." Once again, he pressed his forehead onto hers, closing his eyes.

Moments passed and he still haven't said a word. She debated whether she should tell him or ask if she was still burning up.

Lumine just ended up getting lost in his touch, letting the waves crash against the shore, fresh water hitting her skin as it washed away the burning sand.