#xiao is guaranteed now

[lazylumine]

nevermind- with pity 79 came keqing. i'd be happy with tighnari or diluc but meh... it's fine, at least i'll have xiao guaranteed

i'm gonna fucking explode. i'm on pity 78 and still no god damm five star came home

[starshapedpetals]

anyone else play twst & genshin & also thinks that twst is nicer to them? like oh my god i’ve been pulling for kokomi for THREE fucking banners now & it’s gonna be four because i still didn’t pull her 😭 but i pull SSR’s on twst easy peasy. like literally last night i pulled riddle’s halloween. twst’s gacha is so much nicer istg

[fragmentedblade]

I'm honestly obsessed with Mr. Xiao. He may be my favourite (very) tertiary character ever. I love everything he adds just by being how he is in the context of the worldbuilding and sidequests of the Xianzhou. Arguably something similar happens with master Huaiyan

[seri-tonin]

WON MY 50/50 FOR ARLECCHINO. DID TWO MORE TEN PULLS. GOT KEQING. SO NOW IM GUARANTEED FOR WANDERER. I STAY WINNINGGGG

[purrfectlycontent]

kazuha banner in t-18 hours…

[mythvoiced]

@crue11 | ♥

The first thing the beautiful and ever-so-righteous Xiao XingChen hates himself for today is the way he trembles, ever so slightly, when Xue Yang touches him.

When Xue Yang touches him. Xue Yang. Xue Yang.

Xue Yang whom Xiao XingChen had vouched for, he'd looked at him once, and even despite the things he was already doing, a part of Xiao XingChen would always assume he would have made it out. Would have learned how to be better, would have recognized the error of his ways, how power means nothing if it's built on hills of corpses, quite literally it seems.

All at his own expense.

All because he didn't know better, all because he thought he knew better.

It's different now.

The voice he hears is both more and less familiar than the one he used to sit next to, entertained by stories and tentative touches, inching closer to a reality he didn't think he was allowed solely because it served no purpose other than indulging himself and whatever desire he'd managed to develop over the years.

Xue Yang.

He's still caring. He cares every day, there's food every day, even while his face continues to ache in pain at this point near-numbing, even if he bleeds through nearly every fabric wrapped around his eyes, Xue Yang, Xue Yang, will be there, and wipe it clean, the face he couldn't protect.

Every time Xue Yang comes back, Xiao XingChen is overcome with an intensity of emotions unbecoming to the moon he used to be equalled to. Where Song Lan was icy wind, he was the kinder breeze. He was praised for being gentle, soft-spoken but assertive, someone who'd do the right thing without ever stepping on others, unless terribly provoked, and even then solely to protect the innocent.

When Xue Yang doesn't show up... or when Xiao XingChen gets lost inside his own head and forgets to count the seconds, minutes, hours, when he can't hear him shift around outside, when it's too quiet... it's worse.

He's never been afraid of his disability. Even growing accustomed to it hadn't scared him. It wasn't easy, the jump. It was dreadful, but like a painful challenge, not a terrible reality he'd never learn to come to terms with.

Now, though, the idea of waking up one day and realizing Xue Yang had left, either because his passion project had come back wrong, or for some other reason, none good enough for Xiao XingChen to not think about stumbling out the coffin house and try to track him down.

It wouldn't be fair... if he left now. And yet... can he stomach having him around?

Who's who's property.

When Xiao XingChen used to move, back then, 'grace' and 'elegance' would be associated to him the way clouds were associated to the sky, and depths to lakes.

Now when he knocks the bowl of water over with an accidental swat like he doesn't seem to care for it, as uncaring of the way he sways before he rights himself and reaches for where he'd last heard Xue Yang, Xue Yang's voice, he resembles more all those men pitied for being once large and now small.

He doesn't want to go to him. He can't also not move away from him.

He gets stuck somewhere halfway. He just stops.

"Are you ever going to be honest with me," spat, choked. There's so much ache behind the words he can't make it sound like hate even if he wanted to, but it is. It's the kind of hate born from... well.

It's wet, and it means too much, it's almost swallowed back in a hitch of air, not one of surprise, but one caused by the struggle to not lose his breath under the onslaught of whatever he feels.

Never once does he think about killing Xue Yang. Never once does he think about hurting him. That's not what he wants. He doesn't want Xue Yang to pay. He doesn't want things to be this way.

He wouldn't have hated him.

Maybe.

Under different circumstances.

"I don't want your eyes," that's more like it. Angrier. Tighter jaw, but so aching, so yearning. It's not fair. And for the first time in forever, Xiao XingChen indulges. Allows himself to whine about it, even if only in his heart. Allows himself to selfishly wish it'd been someone else in his stead. Allows himself to hate the entire world, just for a moment.

He's exhausted.

"Why are you..." if only he could cry proper tears. His face contorts. He looks like he's watched a loved one die, without the tranquility of mind to realize what that means for him, for them, as they are. "What do you want from me...?"

[flutteringfable]

fuck

[welcometoteyvat]

ughhhh I should really learn my lesson about using guarantee preemptively

[amurotoorudesu]

just a sagau genshin abt the newest banner (geo & hydro dragon my love) (the creator is self insert) LOTS OF OOC

a/n : written in rush cuz i randomly think abt this after knewing next phase banner and i hope i got both of them, i was gonna added about how i forgot ayato & childe exist when i planning on which dps from each vision should i pull, but they make no sense so i didnt include it.

"I didnt mean to look down on your choice, Your Grace. But, didnt your cousin says itll be better just to pull me...?"

You look at Zhongli with the most unserious, more like silly face, thinking about hes actually jealous of your choice on pulling for Neuvillette.

While it's true you need his shield and he would be the first Geo 5 star you have, but who wouldnt want a hydro dragon pure water tester PLUS a water machine gun to pew pew those enemies!

And more better? You have an unbuild Furina too!

"But my cousin also says he would comeback to genshin to pull for Nupi!"

If Zhongli able to curse, he will.

when will you also gave him a cute, silly lil nickname to him too?

"But like, Your Grace—"

"Shhsshhh"

You quickly shut him, putting your own finger on his lips, making a small blush creep onto the Geo Archon.

Zhongli can feel the side eye Neuvillette gave him as the Hydro dragon sips on his pure water.

"But, Your—"

Seriously, you never saw this version of him thats cant control his own usual calm demeanor, but the version you see is the impatient and insists that his opinion is the best.

Not like he's wrong though.

You put your own finger on you lips now and did a mewing pose, kinda making those two old dragon sigh.

whats wrong with this generation...

"Zhongli, hear me out. Nupi is a nuke, or else should i say Nukelet? Thats suit you isnt it?"

Neuvillette sighed again, but he didnt hide his chuckle about his Creator giving him more silly nickname.

"Pardon me, Your Grace. While it doesn't matter to me that you call me that, but I'm a dragon, not a nuke. I dont boom myself"

"But youre a boomer."

"Was that supposed to be a joke?"

"No."

Back to Zhongli. Hes still thinking countless reason about why you should pull for him.

I mean, his material is easier to get (even if youre the Creator and couldve just easily get everything you want), his talent is useful (SHIELD??? BIG PILLARS???? THROWING BIG ROCKS TO THE ENEMIES?????), he got many fans (BUT ITLL BE USELESS IF HIS CREATOR DIDNT WANT TO PULL HIM), he got many fanfics (HE KNEW YOU LIKE TO READ THEM AND HE WILL HACK THE TUMBLR TO SHOWS UP MANY FANFICS ABOUT HIM ON YOUR DASHBOARD BUT EXCLUDING THE HURT/NO COMFORT BCS HE KNEW YOU DESPISE THEM)

But then he come to a conclusion, as he clapped his hand.

"Your Grace, if Sir Neuvillette have Furina on your team, what about Xiao?"

Fuck he was right. WHAT ABOUT YOUR XIAO????? HE NEED HIS FATHER FIGURE!!!!

"Youve got a point..." you pose like the trade offer meme.

"So, who should i choose now? is it you, Sir Zhongli, or is it you, Monsieur Neuvillette?"

"Uhm, pardon me but, why dont you just get us?" ask Neuvillette, putting his cup on the table.

"Dont you think itll be better, Your Grace? You get two dragons and you also have their companions on your team."

"Monsieur, i dont have that kind of money. Im still in high school, heck, a boarding school! Even if i have guaranteed now, i dont think i can."

"But our banner started on your holidays..."

"Ok now you got another point"

"So, what you gonna do?"

"I'll take two dragon, please"

Perhaps Zhongli should thank Neuvillette for his suggestion.

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

another a/n : i post this cuz im at my home, suffering from another sudden sickness (i keep getting nauseous and vomiting plus a bad fever & headache but idk what causes them can anyone tell me 😭) also i have a tooth extraction scheduled on Monday so yeah... wished my future self a good luck

[accio-victuuri]

my thoughts on xz’s spring festival debut and loch 📝

“Every role leaves something in me or takes something away from me. The character of Guo Jing is very powerful. His perseverance and persistence subtly gave me a lot of support and faith later on.” - xiao zhan

just a few disclaimers before i start:

1. i’m a cpf. this is a cpf blog but i also identify as xz and wyb’s career fan. meaning i care about the impact of their works to the general public. i’m tagging this post with xiao zhan on it cause it’s mainly about him, but if you already hate cpfs, then save yourself the trouble and scroll along. if you still read this and wanna say something, do it on your own blog.

2. this is not the place to compare xz and wyb’s spring festival bo debuts. nor is this a place for conspiracies.

3. i haven’t watched loch. i am not well versed in the whole lore behind it.

okay, now i can start 😅😅😅

As soon as XZ was announced to play the role of Guo Jing in Tsui Hark’s new movie — we all knew that it’s a great opportunity and at the same time, a huge responsibility. Legend of The Condor Heroes is a beloved story/franchise with multiple remakes so this movie had to bring something fresh to the audience. Tsui Hark is a celebrated director, but it’s not a guarantee of excellent results. I’m personally not familiar with his works ( yep, cause i’m uncultured lol ) so at the time i was okay, cool. However, i trusted the people both fans and the public who had mostly good things to say.

It was also pretty obvious that this movie will be screened during Spring Festival. It’s a no brainer. A big IP and movie like this should be released during the biggest box office day in China.

You also have Xiao Zhan. The god of wealth. A traffic star who brings in the money and is a talented Actor. He also has a solid and dedicated fanbase.

However, to those of us who are familiar with how the SF box-office works, fans alone cannot sustain it. The key is to capture the General public’s favor to grow the numbers and to get more cinemas to screen your Movie during the SF holiday. They call it “word of mouth” — when people give good reviews, more people will be encouraged to give it a try. If you are someone on SF holiday, you can probably watch 1-2 ( 3 at most possibly ) movies from the lineup. So it’s critical that LOCH will come up as something you would wanna watch based on what you read online ( or offline ) even if it’s not your 1st choice. I was hoping LOCH fans will come in, but i was also afraid cause they will be the most critical. They know the source material, they possibly watched all the iterations, so they will be the toughest to please.

The showing came later than we anticipated but it was fine. Editing and all the special effects always take up most of the time anyway. ✨

Weeks before the holiday, Nezha 2 announced it was gonna join the Spring Festival line up. This alone was a sure bet that this movie was gonna dominate the Box Office. no question. It’s a popular character and a family-friendly film. A first choice kind of movie if you will. There’s also Fengshen Part II with it’s own set of fans and considering how big the first movie earned, you would think they were gonna come back for Part II.

LOCH still prevailed tho, The pre-sale numbers dominated 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

in reality, these are mostly fans. which is not a bad thing at all. having LOCH at the top of the pre sales creates a good buzz around it. if you are someone thinking of what to watch, and don’t know much about the line up, it would be good to pick the most anticipated film 🫶🏼

(this photo does not represent the final numbers before opening)

I wanna add too that this year’s promotion for SF movies is next level. They have really done well in making sure that the public knows what movies are out there for them to watch.

The first day for a movie like LOCH with a big pre-sale will show a small rise because people who wanna see it on Day 1 mostly have bought it already. It was still steady tho, It broke 14 box office records which is mostly for the martial arts genre ✨

There are also mostly positive reviews about XZ’s performance like this one ( i will share more on my blog as they come ) and critics. Which is fine. we know it’s not gonna be all praises anyway. One review that went high up on HS was from Nanfeng daily, which is more of a discussion on the story’s flaws. I won’t share it here anymore, but the article was talking about the weak plot and how the two leads having basically no chemistry. I also looked into this other blogger ( who is pretty consistent with reviews and not just one who popped up lately ) one which I think fairly described the shortcomings —-

The film adapted the content of chapters 34-40 of the original novel. It is a story about the integration of the martial arts world into the post-war world, involving the love line of Guo Jing and Huang Rong + the national war line + the martial arts line. The main part of the martial arts line is the previous situation before the 34th chapter, which is the foreshadowing of love and war. It can't be less, nor more. The question that needs to be considered here is how to explain so many martial arts stories before, flashbacks? Arrange information in the lines? Connect events and insert back? Or is there a more clever method?

As a result, The Legend of the Condor Heroes didn't think so much, and just went straight to the "PPT". The first hour was a long, fragmented and incomplete account of the story, and the two leading actors took turns to read the narration to tell the previous story. This is not called The Legend of the Condor Heroes, but "Reading most of The Legend of the Condor Heroes in x minutes".

This is not enough. I don't know if Tsui Hark is taking revenge on someone. It's already a PPT, and the two protagonists are reading letters to each other in the air, with narration superimposed on narration. The audience is like a class in the first half.

AGAIN. I haven’t watched the movie but I think, i get where this going. It seems to me that the screenwriter should have done better. Xiao Zhan can only do so much hard work and bring in talent, but if the story is all over the place, it’s gonna be hard to market to a random viewer.

As of writing, LOCH is on HS and the topic is about the supposed deleted scenes. Getting rid of those didn’t help the flow of the story obviously. There is a post going around that talks about that I will partly share below:

In the original script, Guo Jing's expedition to the west and return to the south are closely integrated. The complete character arcs of all the main characters in the movie, the Western Expedition is also in the film.

The film has spent a lot of effort and resources to visualize Wu Mu's will, war, and animals. The essence of the play, this entire section was taken away for review, and a lot of the plot needs to be reviewed later. The dubbing of the previous part continues, and some memories and inserts of the previous part are added. The broadcast becomes even more fragmented, resulting in incoherent plots.

Guo Jing experienced the suffering of all living beings in the war, and Huang Rong's role of leading the Beggars' Gang is gone, and the early adaptations make it even more miserable.

Some of the character arcs are incomplete.

Then it goes to talk about the cuts ( censorship ) caused by sensitive subjects that may cause diplomacy issues.

We still have a few more days for things to take a turn and I will update this blog for that. LOCH can also run even beyond this season and get more Box Office numbers. I have to admit this post i’m making is premature cause we are only days in, but by experience, the early days will usually tell you what’s gonna happen moving forward.

( as of writing, nezha leads with 1.5 billion and loch at 500 million )

A few more points:

• The film was promoted heavily around Tsui Hark being the director. It didn’t live up to expectations and this is why some negative reviews are coming. This is such a big production with lots of moving parts and it seems like it didn’t all fit. Some antis are saying that XZ fans are “blaming” again but this time i guess it’s valid. i’m not saying XZ was perfect either, i’m sure there is room for improvement but he can’t fix the story.

• 🍤🍤🍤 were too confident. it’s not a secret that I have no love for these sea creatures but they were boasting a lot. AND NOW HERE WE ARE.

this has always been my frustration. the karma is getting them. but is also directly affecting XZ who worked hard on this film. who didn’t tell them to do these nasty things. i also see people who wouldn’t even consider LOCH cause at some point 🍤🍤🍤 were rude to their bias before.

it’s like, people wanna see the 🍤 fandom fail. not xz. just the nasty 🍤🍤🍤 who offended a lot of people online at some point.

my god. they really don’t deserve XZ 😭😭😭😭

• the issue of unfair screening times and slots are also being brought up by fans. all i have to say is, welcome to the spring festival clownery. welcome to the movie world, you all must be new here. it doesn’t mean people can’t complain and be frustrated. what i’m saying is LOCH isn’t the first movie to experience this. it happens every year. it happens every big film holiday. this is not the land of dramas where streaming and rating works. Movies are different. if there is anything I learned, it’s more vicious.

• some are also complaining about cinemas refunding their tickets saying there is technical issues. only to find out that they are replacing the showing for a different movie. this is so shady 💀 but again, it’s all about the money. T___T

• the theme of the movie is also not popular at the moment. TH was saying it’s time to bring back films & stories like this again. I found this article that explains my point:

Jin Yong is an idol of previous generations. In their eyes, he has gradually become a tall but distant statue. Tsui Hark's embrace of Jin Yong's IP again is an outlet for the film market to seek a breakthrough in the predicament. He tried to add mainstreaming, genre innovation, traffic stars and other means to revitalize Jin Yong's IP. There is a logical component, but there is also the possibility of success and risk.

The younger generation of audiences who are not Jin Yong fans have not actually broken off their understanding of the martial arts spirit, but they have chosen new works as carriers. For example, the audio novel "Snow Sword" labeled as "martial arts novel" has been played 2.92 billion times on a certain platform, which is far more than the number of audio books of Jin Yong's works. To some extent, the "traditional chivalry" written by Jin Yong is quite different from the "cool martial arts" that the new audience likes, which combines magic, games, and VR.

In fact, from the pre-sale results to the current box office results, it can be seen that the market and the audience still have high expectations and sufficient space for martial arts themes. The altruistic spirit and noble character naturally carried by the martial arts spirit will still make young people curious and have a strong desire to follow and imitate. For the filmmakers, the difficulty of the creative challenge is far greater than the market opportunity-the care and empathy for individual growth, the assumption of social responsibility, etc., still need the work to provide a new interpretation.

After Jin Yong passed away, someone said, "It's not the end of an era, it's the beginning of an era." What this sentence means is that the spirit of martial arts will never become obsolete, but it needs to be updated from time to time. In addition to constantly exploring new forms of expression of martial arts, we must also strive to find new soil for the spirit of martial arts to land. Only in this way can the spirit of martial arts remain high and vigorous in the hearts of generations.

• the goal for xz ( and wyb ) is to be popular and liked by the general public. having a solid solo fandom definitely has it perks but situations like this — they should have a good reputation. the movie/drama must also be exceptional for it to “get out of the circle”. a movie they make should not be “a movie for fans” but for everyone to enjoy.

Let me wrap this up with some good news tho, because international fans can make a difference. To the countries that are going to have screenings, you can contribute by watching and sharing your reviews! 💕 it’s the essence of fandom, to enjoy the content and be happy with the experience. it’s too easy to get caught up with the competitive nature of the SF movie season cause it’s a favorite topic on weibo, but it’s better to celebrate Xiao Zhan’s Spring Festival Movie debut 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

I have absolute faith in XZ’s strength as an actor and that time will tell us the truth. right now, the black propaganda is strong cause they have to manipulate public opinion really quick ( i’m not saying all negative reviews are antis but you know what i mean & viewers are expected to be extra critical of XZ cause of how famous he is! ). His talent will shine through. He will have more movies/dramas that are gonna be better than this and we are here to support him. Box-office numbers is not the measure of XZ’s success in playing Guo Jing. I haven’t seen it but knowing XZ’s care for the characters he plays, seeing the training he went through — he did him justice.

-END.

[explicitred]

In streamer au male reader was self aware and teases some of the characters like when he doesn't come home they'll receive a message from him saying "better luck next time "insert reader emote""and maybe can come out of the game and many chaotic things

Genshin Impact Streamer AU (Self-Aware Reader)

letss gooo?? omg what a hot new character!!! woahh... and they're reading these words...???

You slyly smiled as you dodged those pesky pink and blue wishes. They looked more like meteorites the more you practically danced above the clouds, the little wishes becoming faster and... more desperate? ...Hah. They must be the one spawning these things, hm? How cute. Perhaps it'd be fun to tease them a bit. After all, now I know how needy you are for me <3 (im sorry)

"Better luck next time~!" They literally slam their desk, dramatically crying as they lose their pity to someone else. NOOO- PLEASE! THEY SKIPPED SO MANY OTHER CHARACTERS WAITING FOR YOU!! (And so many sacrificial rituals-) They just need to get you so they can stare at you for hours in the game! Their chat spams them with crying emojis and encouraging words, while others laugh at their misery, finding them amusing. Wait, wait wait. You winked? You spoke? ...Wait, was that a new feature? OH GOD THAT'S SO HOT- TEASE THEM MORE- Kaeya, Childe (only skipped other characters to stay loyal to you. he's a good wife! and only reason he's crying is because you keep purposely dodging his wishes even after he was guaranteed getting you! mans has enough money to keep at it anyway), Kaveh (prolly starved to get you lmfao. HE ATE CAT FOOD), Lyney, Venti, Heizou

Just stares at you as you tease them, saying to them "Better luck next time~!" Theories are going through their head... The math is mathing... The brain is braining... Hmm... 🤔 Albedo, Alhaitham, Heizou

Takes a billion screenshots of the textbox, repeating to themselves again and again "better luck next time" with a happy smile, taking this as you noticing them. They think nothing of this "new feature", thinking that Genshin just slid this in without telling anyone. I guess they're too happy to be properly teased...? Ayaka, Childe, Thoma

Not surprised but still crying their hearts out. RIP the sacrifice of their wallets. Mona, Bennett (platonic).

Now, when you literally get out of the screen...?

Oh, my! Who's this fine person? Wait, it's you? Sheesh, you look better up close! WAIT WHAT- (internally freaking out but very blushy blushy) Childe, Xiao, Diluc, Wanderer, Lyney, everyone.

Just straight up gets on one of their knees. They've had dreams about this moment. They've written fanfics about this moment. And who cares if this is an hallucination or dream? They're going to make the damn most of it! Taking out their carefully crafted and customized wedding ring, that they bought just for this fantasy, they propose to you. "Will you... marry me?!" Albedo, Yae (She's written and published actual fanfics of you), Childe, Itto

They pass out. That's it. I guess you're just that hot, huh? You might have to help them~ Ayaka, Itto, Kaveh

Literally so embarrassed. They're just in their pajamas, slightly messy hair and all. Regardless or not this is a dream, they have to look good for you 24/7! Ayaka, Cyno, Neuvillette, Xiao

You look around, seeing their room filled with merch of you. Blankets with your face on them, towels with your face on them, posters, figurines, shrines, etc. And... And... IS THAT A POSTER OF JUST YOUR ABS-!? And a f*cking CAT named after you!? Oh god. Get me out of here. some people...

A few days later...

They've adorned you with the softest, coziest pajamas! They're now currently trying to convince you to sleep with them in their bed. Maybe sneak in a few cuddles or two... "Let me love you and show you how special you are <3" Childe, Ayato, Alhaitham, Albedo, Diluc, Neuvillette, Wriothesley, Kazuha, etc...

Not afraid to show you to other people, even though they have a literal fictional character with them. "Hey! Here's my hot lover!" "Wha-? ...I might have to steal them from you. Ahem! Oh, do they like cosplaying or something?" Alhaitham (knows he can get away with just saying that you cosplay a lot), Albedo ("oh? they just like cosplaying."), Childe ("don't care, lol. anyway, look at my hot spouse-"), Ayato ("cosplaying."), Heizou ("just say that you're cosplaying!")

Constantly trying to hide you. After all, they have a literal fictional character who came out a game! Who knows what people will do if they know of this?! Sucrose, Wanderer (he just doesn't want people to look at what's his), Diluc, Ayaka

Panicking and blushing hardcore every time they see you. Oh, goodness... Do you even know how perfect you look everyday?! How perfect you are each and every second?! They blush so much just from looking at you... How are they going to survive with you living with them from now on?! Everyone.

INDIVIDUAL STORIES: CHILDE, XIAO

AGGHHH! STOP DODGING THEIR WISHES!! THEY LITERALLY SPENT THEIR LIFE SAVINGS FOR YOU 😭😭😭

Wait- Life savings? Pfft, nah. That's just some spare change. Childe sighs, dramatically slumping in his chair as he loses the 50/50. The chat was currently going wild on him, making fun of him for getting the wrong character.

"LLLLL" "💀💀💀" "can't believe he lost 😭" "wait, why is everyone reacting as if he doesn't have over 9999 wishes?" "lmfao"

The ginger man pouts, whining cutely. "Chaaattt~! Stop making fun of me! I'll get them this time! It's guaranteed anyway!"

"...Huh?"

Childe blinks, seeing your splash art... move? ...Huh. That's weird. Did Genshin add this new feature? Usually, the splash art doesn't move when on the initial summoning screen.

"Huh??? Is this a new feature?" "Damn, you really are Genshin's golden child..." "omfggg step on me this new chara so hot" "love this new character, i'll be yo baby mama trust"

Childe huffs, seeing a text on his screen, a bit confused, but slightly amused nonetheless.

"Better luck next time~! <3"

"Hmph, just you wait, darl- comrade! I'll get you!"

Xiao's face reddens on stream, clicking onto the wishing screen, seeing your splash art. God, he wants you so badly. Too bad he's not guaranteed you since he won his last 50/50. He just hopes he'll win this one too. ...My, you're still as hot as ever! His chat seemed to agree.

"AHHHH WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING IT" "I WANT THEM TOO" "marry meeeeee new chara"

Well, here goes his primogems... Down the drain it goes!

Click.

Please, please, please- He loves you so badly-

He'll get on his knees for you! Just come home!

His breath hitches, seeing a golden star appear on his screen.

He's all entirely yours! Just please-!

After a few clicks, hurriedly rushing through the three-star weapons, Xiao's eyes land on Keqing.

Xiao frowns, returning back to the initial summoning screen after a couple more clicks, wistfully staring at your splash art. Great. He didn't have anymore primogems for you.

He suddenly chokes, jolting slightly in his chair as he sees you winking at him, mouthing the words "Better luck next time~! 😘" as a textbox appears with the same exact words.

Damn. Now even his love a fictional character was teasing him!

Bonus: (aka my drafts)

"Aggghh... I spent so much money!!" Childe huffed as he kept clicking the 10-pull button repeatedly, staring at his screen as if in a trance. "...Oh, right. I'm rich!" His chat exploded with comments such as:

"Bruh you FORGOT that you're rich??" "rich people problems" "dude lost the 50/50 LMFAO HELP" "MY GUY YOU HAVE A BILLION INTERTWINED FAINTS WHAT YOU ON ABOUT 💀💀💀"

Childe thought out loud, thinking to himself. "Oh, but maybe my darling will appreciate it if I do another ritual and sacrifice-"

"What, you're going to push another fictional cat off of Liyue's dock-?"

bonus bonus: (another scrapped draft!)

merch. merch. merch. Your face on a hoodie? Wallet out. A rip-off figurine version of you when you're doing the fisheye meme? Bank account out. Doesn't matter. If your face is on it, give. Their fans think that they're too obsessed with you, but they don't see your true beauty!! Literally browses and buys merch of you on stream. "Hey, chat, which item do you think looks better? I think this potted plant version of them looks nice, but maybe we should buy them as a smegsy raccoon-" Wha...? We don't have anymore money...? JUST SELL THE HOUSE-

me when my partner doesnt do his part and its worth 50 percent of our grade

[cheshireliam]

Kagari Amagase 1st Birthday Campaign: Story

Chapters 1 — 3

"The Dangerous Wildcat's Clumsy Attempt At Affection"

This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection; expect mistakes, grammatical errors, and some creative liberties. All original content and media used belongs to Cybird. Please support the game by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.

Read this before interacting

Some time had passed since coming to Kogyoku with the Owner. 

The town was livelier than usual today, bustling with energetic crowds.

Emma: Prince Kagari’s birthday? 

Townswoman: Yes, it’s a tradition to celebrate it all around town. 

Emma: So that’s why it’s especially lively today. 

(I didn't know it was Prince Kagari’s birthday.) 

The townspeople were in high spirits, and the scent of dorayaki wafted through the air from all directions.

Townswoman: You should join in the celebrations too. 

Townswoman: I’m sure he’ll be delighted if his favourite person celebrated his birthday. 

A lady I became acquainted with ever since coming to Kogyoku gave me a gentle push forward with an innocent smile. 

Townswoman: Come onnn, I’ll help you think of a gift if you’re unsure of what to get. 

Emma: Thank you. But because this is a special occasion, I’d like to come up with something on my own.

(Why do I feel oddly pressured…? Maybe it’s just my imagination.) 

Looking satisfied with my response, she dropped some words of encouragement before leaving.

(Regardless of whether I’m his “favourite person” or not… it's undeniable that Prince Kagari has helped me a lot during my time in Kogyoku so far.)

(Since I’m now aware it’s his birthday, I must celebrate it.)

(Alright then…)

…

(... What’s with this ridiculously long line!?)

I made my way to the castle with my gift packed in my bag, only to find the plaza filled with people who were also there to celebrate Prince Kagari’s birthday.

(Swordsmen, nobles… even commoners. That's a lot of people.)

I almost immediately caught sight of the striking red hair at the front of the line. 

Looking at him from a distance, Prince Kagari wore a neutral expression as he continually accepted birthday greetings and gifts without pause. 

(He’s completely detached from everything going on and doesn't look happy at all.)

As I stood on my tiptoes to get a better view, his jade-green eyes met mine. 

(... Prince Kagari’s sensitive to being watched, so he probably noticed me.)

(My staring might've bothered him.) 

I averted my eyes and hid behind a nearby cherry blossom tree.

(Still, what should I do? It’s going to be hard to have a proper celebration with this many people around.)

(As much as I want to celebrate on the actual day of his birthday, I guess I’ll have to come back another day— huh?)

When I absentmindedly glanced back at the castle, Prince Kagari was nowhere in sight.

Standing in his place was his attendant, receiving the greetings and gifts from the people on behalf of the now missing yasha¹. 

¹ Kagari’s nickname is 紅玉夜叉 (kōgyoku yasha), which directly translates to “Kogyoku’s Yasha”. If you happen to play Genshin Impact, Yasha and Yaksha are the same thing; so like how Liyue has Xiao, Kogyoku has Kagari. For those who don’t play GI, think of Yasha/Yaksha as something like a… guardian deity? 

It was a strange sight to see. 

???: You’re wide open, Princess.

(!?)

I turned around in response to the unexpected voice whispering into my ear, only to have my mouth covered by someone’s hand. 

I was pulled into the shade and my back hit the rough surface of a tree trunk.

Emma: Mmph…! 

(When did Prince Kagari get behind me…?) 

Despite my struggling, he easily pinned me against the tree trunk and brought his face dangerously close to mine. 

I thought my heart was going to stop.

Kagari: Do you promise to behave? 

He finally took his hand off my mouth when I nodded. 

However, our distance remained the same, I was still trapped by his hands pressed against the tree.

(I need to calm down.) 

(He’s probably just staying close so other people won’t notice us.)

I naturally lowered my voice to barely a whisper, careful not to let my breath touch him.

Emma: … What are you doing here, Prince Kagari?

Kagari: I saw you. 

Emma: You came to see me?

Kagari: You called me here. 

(Is that what it looked like to him?)

While I felt guilty, my heart tingled too. 

Kagari: If you were planning to join the line, don’t bother. 

Kagari: It won’t end till nightfall.

Emma: That long…?

Kagari: There’s a banquet tonight. That’ll go on till dawn. 

(They really go all out to celebrate this day. That’s Kogyoku’s yasha for you.) 

I was impressed, but Prince Kagari’s expression remained as stoic as ever.

He watched the seemingly endless line of people as though it had nothing to do with him. It was shockingly cold for someone whose birthday was being celebrated. 

(Perhaps Prince Kagari isn’t interested in birthday celebrations.)

(... What if he finds me a nuisance?)

Kagari: So, why are you here? 

I instinctively looked away.

Emma: … Um… there are so many people gathered, and I got curious…

(I can’t mention that I came to celebrate his birthday too.)

I hid the bag containing his gift behind my back.

Prince Kagari remained silent for a while.

The awkward silence made even the noise from the crowd at the plaza  sound distant. 

(Did he notice I’m hiding something?) 

However, instead of saying it outright, he grabbed my arm.

Kagari: Come with me, Princess.

Emma: W-wh—whoa…! Prince Kagari?

Before I could react, he silently yet forcefully led me toward the castle, while making sure to stay away from any prying eyes…

…

Prince Kagari shoved me inside a room and left a brief moment before coming back with a large basket from who knows where.

Kagari: First, put this on.

Emma: Is this… a hakama²

² 袴 (hakama) is a type of traditional Japanese pants. Initially, only the upper class wore it. But it was eventually also worn by warriors (e.g. samurai) in the Kamakura era. In modern day, it's being worn as a part of the Aikido uniform and also as a fashion piece (hakama inspired trousers). 

Kagari: Next, wrap this around your face.

Emma: A scarf?

Kagari: Lastly, wear this on your waist.

Emma: A sword…!? 

Kagari: Bun your hair up.

Emma: Umm… 

(Why are we suddenly doing dress-up time?)

When I tilted my head in confusion at the items handed to me one after another, Prince Kagari picked up the hakama and reached for my clothes. 

Kagari: If you don’t know how to put on a hakama, I’ll teach you. 

Emma: … It’s fine, I’ll manage it myself as much as possible! 

(I don’t really get what’s going on, but surely it won’t lead to anything bad—) 

…

(— Or so I thought. How did it come to this…) 

Ruffian: Who’s this?

Emma: I… I won’t take a single step beyond this point!

In a back alley away from crowds, I found myself face-to-face with a gang of intimidating men.

Pushing aside the suffocating feeling of fear I felt at the sight of the weapons hanging from their waists, I unsheathed the sword Prince Kagari had given me.

Ruffian: I don't know what's goin’ on, but looks like ya know who we are.

(... No. I have no idea who you people are at all.) 

Ruffian: Get her. 

With a vulgar laugh, the men drew their swords.

Unlike the imitation sword I was wielding, theirs were real — the blades gleaming menacingly.

Before one of their swords could hit me, the man at the front was suddenly knocked down by a shadow descending from above. 

Ruffian: What!?

Kagari: Poor thing. 

In the blink of an eye, the men were blown away along with their swords. 

They were slammed against the wall, their eyes rolling back as they fell unconscious.

Prince Kagari finished them off in seconds without even drawing his sword.

(No matter how many times I witness it, his strength is beyond ordinary.)

Kagari: That was easy. I hoped they’d at least be good enough for me to draw my sword.

(... I wonder how many people in Kogyoku are even capable of standing up to Prince Kagari.) 

When I snapped back to reality and attempted to sheath the imitation sword, Prince Kagari suddenly turned around and grabbed my hand. 

Kagari: Princess, you need to adjust the angle of your stance. 

Emma: I see… 

Kagari: Also, never hunch your back on a battlefield.

Emma: I never noticed I was doing that.

Kagari: Exactly. Even though you’re dressed like one of my subordinates, you’re weak.

Emma: … I’m sorry. 

(I wish you’d  cut this amateur some slack.)

(It’s not like I asked to help with a capture mission.) 

While still holding my hand, he placed a hand on my back. 

He applied force to straighten my posture, and despite his expressionless face, he seemed rather satisfied.

Cat: Nyaa…

Kagari: Ah, wait a minute.

(A cat?)

A cat appeared out of nowhere and started rubbing its face affectionately against Prince Kagari’s leg. 

He knelt down to gently stroke the cat before handing it a neatly folded piece of paper. 

The cat took the paper in its mouth and scurried off.

Emma: What was that…?

Kagari: Calico³ No.1

³ He calls the cat ミケ (mi-ke). I don’t know how exactly to call it in english, but there's a type of cat called 三毛猫 (mi-ke-ne-ko) which is what we know as a calico cat. I’m assuming that's the cat species here…? 

(What a peculiar name.)

Kagari: It often roams the streets. So if you ever need to contact me, you can count on it for that.

Emma: So instead of a carrier pigeon… you have a carrier cat.

Kagari: Yeah.

(What an impressive cat. I’ll be sure to remember it.)

Emma: About the paper you gave it earlier on…

Kagari: I summoned my subordinates. It’s a hassle to clean up this mess. 

Prince Kagari stood up while answering my question matter-of-factly and looked down at one of the men laying unconscious nearby. 

Kagari: This is a “gift” I receive on my birthday every year, amidst the celebrations. 

Kagari: I was looking forward to a more challenging opponent, but I got disappointed this year too.

(People send assassins after him on his birthday too?)

Prince Kagari was Kogyoku’s main warrior and the country’s trump card.

As long as the yasha exists, Kogyoku’s security is guaranteed. 

It wasn’t a surprise to know there were people who sought to demolish this iron wall of defense. 

(But I can’t believe they’d try something even on a day of celebration.)

Kagari: Princess.

Prince Kagari pressed his thumb against the space between my eyebrows.

(... I must’ve been frowning.)

Kagari: You’re still my subordinate.

Emma: Even though I’m weak?

Kagari: That makes it easier for them to attack.

Kagari: There’s no better bait than you. 

(If being with Prince Kagari can help him out…)

Emma: I’ll do my best as bait.

…

Townsman: Happy birthday, Prince Kagari! 

Townswoman: Every store in town is baking dorayaki today. In fact, there’s hardly any store that isn’t…! 

As soon as we stepped out onto the main street, Prince Kagari was immediately surrounded by the townspeople.

Kagari: … Oh. 

Despite the influx of greetings and gifts, his reaction was as indifferent as it was back at the castle.

(Everyone’s smiling so brightly and their words sound genuine. What’s with the contradicting attitude?) 

I strained my ears to pick up on what they were saying. 

Townsman: We have Prince Kagari to thank for our peaceful lives.

Townswoman: Please continue protecting us for a long time. We’ll do anything in exchange for that…!

(...)

(Ah, I get it now.)

(All of this is solely about pleasing Prince Kagari.)

(The peace in this country depends entirely on him, and so everyone celebrates him.)

(This kind of celebration is nothing unusual, but…)

Townswoman: Oh, right, Prince Kagari, did you receive any celebratory greetings and gifts from Emma?

I got startled by the sudden mention of my name.

Kagari: I haven't.

Townswoman: In that case, I’ll have to remind her again when I see her.

Townswoman: After all, having Emma celebrate your birthday would likely make you the happiest. 

As I came to know what the people were thinking, I finally understood the strange pressure I had been feeling — they wanted me to celebrate their yasha too. 

(... But I don’t think celebrations should be forced on people.) 

The emotion that swelled up within me was beyond frustration, it was heartbreaking.

(Earlier on, Prince Kagari showed no interest in his birthday, which made me hesitant to celebrate it…) 

(But now, I’ve decided that I want to give him a proper celebration… not one that's only meant to appease him.)

Emma: … Prince Kagari. 

I discreetly grabbed his hand to lead him away from the crowd as soon as possible. 

Townsman: By the way, Prince Kagari, I see you’re someone unfamiliar today.

Kagari: He’s a new subordinate of mine and a master swordsman. You all should be careful of him.

Kagari: Your heads will be easily sent flying off your shoulders if he draws his sword. 

The lie he told with a straight face worked perfectly.

Taking advantage of the people’s fear, I tugged at Prince Kagari’s hand and hurriedly pulled him away. 

…

After receiving a few more “gifts”, Prince Kagari finally went for the banquet as the sky grew dark. 

…

Kagari: I had some prior engagements today. 

As the day approached its end, the hustle and bustle gradually settled down. 

The night deepened. Under the light of the lanterns illuminating the street, I sat beneath a cherry blossom tree. 

I heard footsteps approaching me.

(... He really came.)

Prince Kagari sat close by in a spot next to me beneath the cherry blossom tree like it was the most natural thing to do.

Emma: Has the banquet ended?

Kagari: Not yet.

Emma: You managed to slip away.

Kagari: Your summon is more important. 

Cat: Nyaa

The approving meow came from Calico No.1, the cat Prince Kagari introduced to me earlier in the day.

It playfully brushed against his feet before wandering off after receiving gentle pets.

(I entrusted that little one with my letter. Looks like it was properly delivered to Prince Kagari.)

Kagari: You changed your clothes.

Emma: Yes, I wanted to meet you as my usual self. 

Emma: If I’m going to celebrate your birthday, I want to do it as the version of me you met in Kogyoku.  

Kagari: …

Emma: Happy birthday, Prince Kagari. 

Swallowing my slight nervousness, I held out the cherry blossom-patterned package I had hidden behind my back. 

His facial expression didn’t change as he accepted it.

However, he didn't refuse it either. 

Prince Kagari deftly unwrapped the package and quickly took out its contents.

Kagari: A book?

Emma: It’s a storybook from Rhodolite.

Emma: You’ve taught me many wonderful things about Kogyoku. 

Emma: It’s thrilling to discover new things about the world that I’ve never known before, so…

Emma: I chose this book because I want you to experience that thrill too. It’s one of my favourites. 

Emma: … And, if possible, I thought it might help convey Rhodolite’s charm too…

Kagari: The book is set in Rhodolite?

Emma: That’s right! It’s a collection of heartwarming short stories.

Emma: It’s the perfect remedy when you’re feeling worn out.

(Especially when peaceful moments are rare for Prince Kagari…)

(I want him to feel at ease, even if it’s only for a brief moment.)

Kagari: I almost forgot you’re a book merchant.

Kagari: You’re probably the only one who’d think of giving me a book. 

Prince Kagari took a curious look at the book’s cover and started flipping through the pages. 

He seemed interested as his eyes followed the text. 

(There was a chance he’d be uninterested in it, so I’m glad he didn't refuse the gift.)

Emma: … I’m relieved I could properly celebrate your birthday.

I let my guard down, and those words slipped my tongue before I could stop myself.

Kagari: You’re overthinking it. I’d never find it bothersome to be celebrated. 

(As expected, Prince Kagari saw right through my thoughts.)

Emma: But your detached reaction to all the greetings and gifts made me rather worried that you would. 

Kagari: … Did I come off that way?

He closed the book and lowered his jade-green eyes in a rare gesture. 

Kagari: It’s not that I dislike being celebrated, or that I’m uninterested in birthdays.

Kagari: It’s just… I still don’t know what I should be feeling when I’m being celebrated.

Kagari: It’s been a recent problem for me. 

(That’s surprising… I didn’t think his indifferent attitude was simply because he’s not used to being celebrated.)

Besides now knowing of this unexpectedly adorable side of the Yasha, there was another thing I realised.

(... “A recent problem”?

(Birthdays come every year, right? He wouldn’t call it a “recent problem” if it’s always bothered him every year…)

(Come to think of it, it’s indeed strange. As the Prince of Kogyoku, Prince Kagari should’ve had plenty of opportunities to be celebrated.)

(And yet, he’s not used to it…)

I hesitated to probe further, as I didn't want to disrespect his boundaries — and so I decided to keep my thoughts to myself. 

(... I’m still having some uncertain feelings about the way the townspeople celebrate him, but…) 

(As long as Prince Kagari doesn’t dislike it, I suppose there’s nothing for me to say.)

As our conversation came to an end, a gentle breeze blew, sending cherry blossom petals dancing in the air as they fell. 

(Wow…)

Emma: It’s beautiful.

Turning away from Prince Kagari, I reached out toward the falling petals— 

Emma: Prince Kagari?

I blinked in surprise when he suddenly gripped my skirt tightly. 

Kagari: You’ve been thinking about my birthday all day long, and now you’re completely mesmerised by cherry blossoms? 

His tone sounded slightly sulky. 

Emma: Of course I’m still thinking about your birthday.

Emma: I just think that it looks as though the cherry blossoms are celebrating too… 

Kagari: Just you celebrating it is enough. Don’t look away.

(... He’s acting kind of like a spoiled child.)

Realising that this might be Prince Kagari’s way of trying his very best to express his desire, given his unfamiliarity with being celebrated, I couldn't help but smile.

Kagari: … What are you smiling about?

Emma: It’s nothing. 

While I tried to keep my expression composed, Prince Kagari’s puzzled expression softened.

(Whoa…)

It was the first smile I’d seen from him all day. 

(... He finally smiled.)

(Even if it’s only for this one moment, as long as good memories were made on his birthday, my efforts were worthwhile.)

Not wanting him to notice my racing heart, I turned my gaze back onto the cherry blossoms, but the wrinkles in the fabric of my skirt deepened as he tightened his grip.

Silence fell between us as the wind carried the sounds of ongoing festivities in the background.

Emma: … I planned to only give you your gift, but we ended up talking for quite a while.

Emma: Shouldn’t you return to the banquet soon, Prince Kagari?

Kagari: …

Kagari: Princess, don’t you want to keep the yasha all to yourself?

Emma: I think I’ve already monopolised you enough. 

Although I said that feeling remorseful, he didn't release his grip on my skirt.��

Kagari: … I’m staying right here.

Emma: Then… I’ll take you up on the offer. 

When I nodded, Prince Kagari shifted himself to sit closer next to me. 

Our bodies touched, and the warmth seeped into my heart.

(He chose to stay by my side on such a special day.)

From the restless atmosphere, I somewhat got a sense of what he was expecting.

Emma: Can I continue celebrating your birthday for a little while longer? 

Kagari: Yeah. 

With the book in hand, Prince Kagari leaned against me. 

Kagari: If you want to celebrate, do it. I can’t guarantee I’ll safely make it to my next birthday.

Emma: … I don’t like such jokes.

Kagari: I’m not joking. But rest assured that I want you to celebrate my birthday over and over again.

(If this is how he feels, I’ll have to make sure all of my celebrations leave a lasting impression on him.)

Like a cat seeking affection, I accepted his act of affection while disregarding my rapidly beating heart. 

…

— A few days later.

When I stepped out of the inn, a cat rubbed up against me.

(It’s Calico No.1.)

Today, the cat wore a tiny rucksack and looked up at me as though to say “open it”.

I opened up the rucksack to find a small, palm sized letter.

Upon unsealing it, a short slip of paper and a cherry blossom petal fell into my hand. 

“Thanks to the book you gave me, I won’t be bored for a while. Full marks for you, Princess.”

(He likes the book I gave him.)

(If I have the chance to celebrate his birthday again next year, maybe he’ll be a little more joyful when accepting the celebration.) 

(... I really hope that'll happen.)

[dangermousie]

Now that I’ve checked out enough of all three newly-ish cdramas: Fangs of Fortune, Love Game in Eastern Fantasy and The Story of Pearl Girl, the results are kinda surprising.

I am, as you can tell, OBSESSED with Fangs. That is unexpected because while the trailer was gorgeous I couldn’t really figure out much that would make me obsessed from the summary and all the actors except TJR were either ones I am indifferent to or downright dislike normally. And now I love them all. I don’t know what’s the biggest surprise for me - Cheng Xiao, until now literally my least favorite actress from any country’s dramas, giving a good performance that makes me invested or HMH who I remember thinking of as so handsome but so bland but is now just utterly on fire and has entered Dylan in CLJ “you had THAT in you? How?” territory. And the story and the themes and the visuals! I haven’t seen a drama catering this hard to my personal narrative and character preferences since Novoland Eagle Flag.

Eastern Fantasy is even more of a surprise tbh. At least I was interested in peeking at Fangs for the visuals. I almost didn’t even check out Eastern Fantasy at all. I enjoyed the novel but that is never a guarantee of anything with adaptations (and it was never a major love of a book anyway), I like Esther a lot but not enough to watch stuff just for her. DYX is someone I have a soft spot for but not a single drama of his worked for me in years to the extent I kept joking he’s cursed. I hated all the trailers and posters - they looked kooky and not in a good way. Plus my track record of liking it when shows try to go for funny is abysmal and the whole thing seemed targeted to an audience that is so young they are still in middle school.

Only checked out because I had some time and omg it’s funny and clever and darling and the performances and characters and dynamics and the vibe are all on point (and so is potential for angst.) Soooooo good!

And now Pearl. It was by far my most anticipated of the three - trailer was cool, love the leads (and the fact that they reunited!) etc etc. But now? It’s a solid enough drama and enjoyable but it’s my least favorite of the three. A lot of it is genre viewer mismatch - I don’t really like “woman makes her name in trade with a side of hot scary man who eventually helps her” (see 2022 A Dream of Splendor - a well acted big hit that left me utterly cold.)

I just don’t care about the mechanics of trade or Horatio Alger stories even if Horatio in this case is a beautiful young woman. ZLS starts talking about cuts of profit for selling jewel waste products and my brain shuts down. It doesn’t help that while I find LYN character realistic for who he’s supposed to be, their dynamics so far do not make me ship them in the least and in fact I want her to lightly stab him (I genuinely don’t see how it will switch to her liking him.) It’s the same issue I had with Dream as well - just as here the chemistry was great but it was not a shippy dynamic that does it for me.

Oh well, that’s why it’s fun to watch new things, you never know…

[simonisferal]

BED CHEM! (1)

chapter one: the over-dick-around thing

“i swear another bug just went under my sock.” hu tao grumbles as she bends over and reaches to her legs, pulling up her thin white socks. they were already dirty due to the mud and leaves that had stuck themselves to her while walking on the plain’s trail.

xiangling, although having the same problem, laughs. ”sucks to suck.” she retorts right before tripping on a twig, stumbling and almost knocking the random flowers xiao was picking out with his hands. both you and hu tao clasp your hands over your mouths to stop your guaranteed laughter.

he stops abruptly and frowned, looking back. ”hey, quit it before i start beating you three with a stick.”

your jaw drops. with outreached arms, you yell, ”what did i do?!”

xiao, with a small smile on his face, looks back at his flowers. “you’re an idiot.” he tied them with a small blade of grass and places them in his coat pocket. “you’re also not following the dress code. it’s casual, not the Met Gala.”

both hu tao and xiangling looked at you. you were dressed for an interview—which you had later—rather than a hangout. “i’m not gonna have time to go home and change, dude.”

”not my problem. you’re still an idiot.” he shrugs. he and the other two girls continue trenching through the vines and forest’s path, ignoring your face of disbelief.

you growl and mutter underneath your breath, slowly following them. “end yourself.”

- ☆

the plains were a beautiful color of blue and white; the glaze lilies still had dew from the early morning and shone through the tall blades of orange. the mountains were rigid and the invisible snow above the summit made the noonish atmosphere angelic. the wooden bridge that led you to the plains was a bit… terrifying to say the least.

“‘tao..!” your hands were latched to the bridge’s roped rail and your knees buckled underneath you. “i swear on everything i love, if you don’t stop rocking this bitch back and forth, i will throw you off the bridge like in Squid Game!” xiangling and xiao, alongside zhongli who was waiting for a while, were already on the other side of the bridge.

hu tao had her hands on the railing, rocking the bridge’s deck with her feet in an unsteady momentum. the brown haired girl had a mischievous grin on her face as she taunted. “come and get me then!” she chimed and you groaned.

finally, someone sighed. “stop it, hu tao.”

xiao—your lord and savior!

like a switch being flipped, hu tao stopped her psychological assault on you with her frown present like a sad dog’s ears pressed down. her hands undid themselves on the rope and she pouted, “aw man.” she turned to walk away and you let out a sigh of relief.

‘thank god…’

you took slow steps on the bridge. you made sure to maintain eye contact with the girl, observing her and making sure she wouldn’t suddenly go back on the bridge and start toying with you again. she would’ve if zhongli didn’t have a killer grip on her shoulder; sometimes you forget he’s almost twice your age and somehow retired. weird.

xiangling patted your back when you took a step on the grass rather than the wooden deck. “yo, you didn’t die! glassmaker who?” she joked. you would’ve laughed if your heart wasn’t beating so fast.

zhongli let go of hu tao, a simple smile on his face, before turning around and beginning to walk away—probably to the location of the picnic. hu tao eyed him, still, before following him with a skip every now and then. xiangling soon left after and xiao and you treaded on their heels, silent.

“so,” xiao starts. he was fiddling with his hands in his left pant pocket, a habit he has when he’s thinking of something personal. “are you serious about that job?” he sounded authoritative but in reality, he was probably just concerned.

you hum. “yeah!” continuing to walk by him, away from the others (even though they’re like… three meters away from you) and just surrounded by nature, it felt nice. “i need something in my schedule; it’s sad waking up and just seeing nothing on the paper but birthdays.”

“you could just freeload off of me, you know.” he emphasized the ‘could’, like if you could reject him for decades and he’d still let you with a simple ‘please’. both of his hands sink further into his pockets. xiao had a frown plastered on his lips, a thin line that tilted down. “i can…” he shrugs, looking away and a faint color on his ears, “support the both of us.”

you look at him.

huh?

“i’m trying to pay you back too, you know.” you frown.

you definitely didn’t say what he’d think you would—xiao didn’t even think you’d respond. maybe you said the wrong thing because he deflated a bit.

”…great. thanks.”

- ☆

it was already 4:05p.m. when zhongli called it a day, wanting to relax at home with his bearded dragon; xiangling needed xiao to drive her back to work and hu tao… had ‘hu-tao’ things to do.

you five skipped the bridge going back and away from the plains, concerned that a silly prankster would spark up a new (or reoccurring) trick and make someone late. the path was clear but rocky and someone tripped on a pebble every now and then.

you and xaingling played soccer with a blob-looking rock before something dawned on you.

”hey,” you called out to xiao who was on his phone. “what time is it?”

he looks back at you, then his phone, then back at you. “4:07.”

ah shit. you pause in your tracks, your feet ignoring the pass xaingling gave you with the makeshift soccer-rock. you did the math in your head; ‘the bus comes at 4:10, which means you’d have to be at the stop in less than three minutes—you can make it in 136 seconds if you run…’

”it’s 4:08 now.”

yeah, you’re cooked.

- 𓆟

childe, for a moment, almost wanted to go to work. he had a weird sense of exhilaration thinking about it. maybe keqing finally refilled the cereal bar!

he paused, in the middle of the shreet, his finger on his chin as he continued to think. maybe shenhe had put a curse on him. seems more likely.

actually—now that tartaglia thinks about it, ganyu told him that a new model was coming soon.

huh. weird.

he feels… funny.

You're broke. Like really broke. So what better way to earn money at the only place that accepted you in all of Liyue? The interview can't be that bad, even if you bump into some guy on your way there. A modelling agency shouldn't be too hard with your looks. The pay's good and the other staff are lovely (and attractive)--only one teensy, tiny, little problem. So is your manager, Tartaglia.

taglist: @trulyylee, @wateredfay, @sl-vega, @035814, @certaindreampost, @pwushizz, @wraithisd3adinside, @lulumallow, @keikole, @boxdisappeared, @thegalaxyisunfolding, @bunnychiffon

i was trying to make y/n lowkey…. extra! i think i did it idk

the bridge scene is like the one in shrek 😣 hu tao and y/n play around like children but they’re always cool with each other at the end

the hangout wasn’t that important…. so i skipped over it. uhm.

childe lore coming soon 😍

masterlist / prev / next

[odoraful]

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌

you set up a surprise for xiao's birthday which feels, strangely, just like one of his dreams

content: xiao x gn!reader; inspired by his birthday letter; reader can be interpreted as the traveller or as a character on their own; reader and xiao are friends but there are some romantic undertones; soft/reflective xiao; bubbly reader; minor angst but mostly fluff/comfort ;~2k

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Xiao never liked having his senses incapacitated. A deafening roar from a lawachurl that caused his ears to ring, or a crushing blow from a geovishap that made him loosen his grip on his spear. It left him defenceless, and gave more than enough time for an enemy to strike him. 

That was why when you asked him to ‘close your eyes’ and promised that ‘nothing bad would happen’, he was understandably a little sceptical. 

Arms folded tight against his chest, Xiao had his eyes wide open. “I won’t be able to see anything,” he frowned. 

You placed your hands on your hips and sighed. “That’s the whole point, Xiao. It’s meant to be a surprise.” 

 Xiao had received express permission from Zhongli to accompany you to Chenyu Vale for ‘immediate funeral parlour business.’ Only now did he realise that the smile on Zhongli’s face was far too wide and doting to just be relaying simple business affairs. 

His frown deepened, eyes sweeping around the surroundings. Following a short bamboo boat ride, you and him were now standing at the dock on the base of Teatree Slope. Even though the area was closeby to the village, monsters did not rest simply because it was a sunny afternoon. 

He could think of a thousand different ways he and you could be ambushed. A millisecond was all it took for an arrow or blade to pierce your flesh and he’d open his eyes to find you lying on the ground. This nightmarish thought made his skin crawl. He knew you were a capable fighter (he’d even seen you fend off creatures quadruple your size), but his mind and instinct were always at odds with each other. 

“Gaming and I already cleared this place out early this morning.” Your reassuring voice coaxed Xiao from his thought spiral. He focused on your face, lit up by the sun. The glow of your skin only added to your palpable excitement. 

“With his knowledge of the area plus my fighting skills,” you mockingly flexed your arms, “I can guarantee you it’s safe.” The corners of Xiao’s lips faintly twitched in amusement. 

Once you noticed this slight break in his demeanour, you jumped at your chance. 

“Please?” Clasping your hands, you stepped closer to him, not breaking eye contact. “It’ll only be for a minute or so!” 

He tried his best to hold his gaze on yours in defiance. It only lasted a few seconds, however, as he quickly darted his eyes away and down at the ground. He fought the urge to teleport to the opposite side of Liyue as his face grew warmer.  Archons, do you always have to look so enthusiastic about such small matters? Exhaling deeply, he relaxed his arms to his sides. 

“These mortal customs…” he mumbled under his breath. At last, he closed his eyes. “Alright. Lead me to wherever you choose.” 

Attuning his hearing to the light trickle of water from the river, Xiao inhaled the crisp air. He almost jumped when he felt fingers intertwine with his hand. You moved to his side, gently bumping your shoulder against his.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.” You said. Xiao could easily make out the giddiness in your voice. Your hand squeezed him to emphasise your point.  

His hand briefly stiffened, uncertain how to respond to your casual affection. The naturally stoic expression on his face thankfully did not reveal the millisecond of indecisive chaos that raced through his mind. He decided to reciprocate. Squeezing your hand in return, he hoped it somehow conveyed his trust in you. 

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The weight of your hand in his felt all too comfortable as you guided him across the grassy hillside. As you promised, the walk was short and free of monsters. 

“We’re nearly there.” You assured, swinging his hand. 

Xiao hummed affirmatively. Briefly, he completely lost himself to your touch, almost in a trance. 

In his observations of humans during his patrols, he’d seen couples hold hands, never letting go of each other even when they would disagree on where to go or when bustling crowds would jostle them. How foolish, he once thought. Wouldn’t it be more convenient to simply walk side by side? Or even split up so each could each get their respective tasks done? Now, as he sensed the warmth of your hand that radiated through his glove, and every twitch of your fingers when you readjusted your grip, he understood. 

Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to imagine himself as one of them too. Strolling down the paths leading to Liyue Harbour with you, quietly talking about anything that came to mind. A closeness that meant you’d never leave each other’s side. He indulged himself. These were just imaginations, after all. 

He heard the sound of your footsteps against grass, and felt a sudden emptiness in his hand. 

“I’m still here!” Those three words you whispered were an immediate relief for his worries. “I just needed to get in the right position!” You called out, your voice coming from a little further than before. 

“Okay, you can open your eyes now.” 

Xiao’s eyes adjusted to the brightness as he opened them. His overexposed vision quickly corrected itself, revealing the surprise you had prepared for him.

Laid out on the grass and flowers was a white blanket, weighted down at the corners by cushions. The unopened picnic basket in the centre was neatly surrounded by a few plates which held food. Xiao recognised servings of almond tofu, buns and rice pudding.  A small clay teapot had faint wisps of steam coming from its spout, and was accompanied by two cups of matching colour. The picnic was perfectly situated just beside the river to have a clear view of Jademouth.

“Ta-da!” You exclaimed, gesturing towards the picnic. “Happy birthday, Xiao!”

His mouth was slightly agape. “Y-you prepared all this on your own?” He approached the spread before him. 

“Well, Xiangling helped with the buns and pudding,” you rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly before quickly adding, “but everything else was me.” 

He stood there stunned. 

For so long he viewed this day as insignificant. The same duty to perform, with the same people and places to protect as any other day of the year. Celebrations were unnecessary for a guardian who preferred to remain in the shadows. Liyue’s safety was his only priority, and nothing else. However, as you tugged on his hand to follow you to sit, and piled cushions around him to ensure his comfort, longing flared in his heart. If it was just with you then perhaps celebrating would not be so bad. 

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“How’s the food?” You asked, taking the last bite of your rice bun.

“Good.” Xiao lifted a spoonful of silky tofu and fragrant syrup to his mouth. “You’re an accomplished chef.” 

“Not really.” You said, shaking your head. From the stories you had told him when you just sat down, he suspected you were reminiscing about your… bold attempts to follow Xiangling’s recipes. 

“The only dish I can make well is almond tofu.” You continued, chuckling to yourself. “I think I perfected it thanks to you.” 

He was glad for only the gentle sounds of nature that surrounded you, otherwise he would not have heard the lilting sound of your laugh that rang clear in his ears. 

The first time you made it for him, the scent of almond and osmanthus provoked a dizzying sense of nostalgia. Whilst Yanxiao’s version was textbook — perfectly balanced in flavour, and decorated precisely, Xiao preferred yours. You always made the syrup a little sweeter, and added your own touches. He was greeted with different coloured toppings of small spheres and cubes of jelly every time you served a plate. Though trivial, he quietly looked forward to how you were going to decorate the dish each time. 

The conversation lulled to a comfortable silence as he finished his last spoonful. He tried to savour the last bite — a taste so simple but pleasing to his palate. It reminded him of something. The sweetness must have loosened his tongue because before he could think, the words spilled out of him. 

“I have been having dreams recently where we sit together just like this.” 

Your eyes widened as you took a sip of warm tea. “Really? With me?” 

Uncrossing his legs, he stretched them out in front of him on the blanket and leaned back on his hands. 

“Yes, though they are not fantastical.” 

A breeze picked up, cooling his skin and tousling his hair. Gazing in the distance, the landscape before him looked like a painting hung in one of the rooms of Wangshu Inn. The jade monument in the distance shimmered in the sunlight. Even being here right now felt like a dream. 

“In each of them, we go on idle strolls or outings.”  

“Like having a picnic?” You remarked, playfully nudging his shoulder. Much to Xiao’s hopes, you remained there, your shoulder lightly touching his own. A small smile you were only privy to graced his lips as he nodded. 

“They are oddly comforting to me.” His voice grew wistful. “Although, I don’t know how worthy I am to have such sweet dreams.” 

Xiao curled his fingertips into the picnic blanket, nails digging into the fabric. He wanted to savour everything he could sense in this moment. The soft fabric of the blanket, the warmth of the sun against his face, the lingering scent of tea leaves in the air. For perhaps this would be as fleeting as those in his dreams.

“I couldn’t think of someone more deserving of them.” You responded. Placing a hand on his shoulder, you finally drew his attention, pulling him away from the unease bubbling within him. He turned to find your brows scrunched slightly, a determined look on your face. 

“You know, it’s okay for you to be selfish when it comes to joy.” You were always quick to defend Xiao, even from comments coming from himself. 

He couldn’t even recall the last time he had allowed himself leisure. If not for your insistence at wanting to take him on outings since your meeting, Xiao envisioned a dim future for himself. Confined to the Inn, too afraid to mingle with the people that he gazed upon from his balcony, filled with unanswered questions about mortal life. 

His gaze unconsciously trailed from your eyes to your lips. They were slightly reddened and glossy from whatever cosmetic you had applied.  As desperately as he wanted to be, he wasn’t quite ready for that kind of selfishness just yet. 

“That does not come as easy to me as it does for you.” He replied with a gruff, heart thundering in his chest.

“Well then, I guess that means I’m the perfect person to help you.” You grinned.

“And how would you help me?” He asked, a brow raised. 

You paused, resting a hand on your chin in thought. “To start, if you’d like, you can tell me what kinds of nice dreams you have so we can bring them into reality.” Head tilted towards Xiao, you regarded him for his reaction.

Xiao certainly could not hide his surprise. The offer sounded too good to be true. “Y-you would do that?” He spluttered out.

You fidgeted with your fingers. “If it means being able to spend more time with you, I’d gladly do it.” The subtleties of human interaction were often lost upon Xiao, but he swore there was a bashfulness in your tone as you spoke.

His expression softened. Shaking his head, Xiao wondered if he could ever fathom your kindness. “Your plans are always… unique.” 

With the comfort of your shoulder pressed against him, the worries he previously had slipped away for the moment. He peacefully focused on the drone of insects in the background and the occasional rippling of water from a swimming fish. His mind began to drift, considering whether a stroll on the harbour or an outing collecting crystalflies should be first on the agenda.

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a/n: thank you for making it to the end of my INCREDIBLY belated xiao birthday fic! :') it was a little hard for me to write this because nothing i wrote felt right, but i hope it turned out okay! his birthday letters are always so romantic, it fills my heart with such warmth seeing how his character has grown to become more soft and trusting TT the idea of xiao slowly allowing himself to enjoy the little joys of life just makes me </3

[cosmichorrorsarestillnicerthanme]

Multi series request: How about a reverse on the Snu Snu request with Kyoko (RCG), Elphelt (GG), and Yang (RWBY) wearing their own T-Shirts that say something like "I want my S/O to pin me down"?

This turned out to be quite a bit more Explicit than I planned. Not in the way of Sex but... you'll see when you start reading. I did have fun writing this though.

You expected many things upon arriving home.

Kyoko, walking out and into the hall while stretching her arms above her head and wearing a sleeveless shirt that was more than a few sizes too large on her, giving you a generous view of her sideboob while not revealing too much. Not to mention, the way she was stretching made the shirt ride up far enough for you to be able to see what she was wearing underneath.

Or lack thereof.

Kyoko finished her stretch and turned to you with a smirk as she saw your reaction to what was written on her shirt.

“I Want My Boyfriend To Pin Me Down”

“I… am going to need a lot of water, aren’t I?” you asked, your mouth dry.

“Yes you are. Luckily, I bought a new case of it today. Now, are you going to keep asking stupid questions or are you going to get to the main event?” Kyoko asked you with a taunting grin.

After that, you had no other option but to give her exactly what she wanted.

You were not prepared when Elphelt came into the bedroom wearing a pair of very short pajama shorts and a shirt that seemed to be strategically a few sizes too small around the waist and chest, tightly hugging her every curve and contour and just barely obscuring her toned abs from your view.

And if that sight alone didn’t pop your eyes out, the words written on the shirt would.

“I Want My Boyfriend To Pin Me Down BREED ME!”

The last part had seemingly been added on by Elphelt herself if the lettering being her frenzied handwriting was anything to go by.

Her eyes were glossed over, her breath was ragged, she was blushing heavily, and she was strutting over to you with an obvious sway in her hips.

Before you, there were two options.

The first one was to give Elphelt exactly what she wanted.

Pinning her to the bed, and going down on her until she ran out of steam.

The second option was to run.

The second option was extremely hazardous to your health seeing as, one Elphelt could fly, two she had more stamina than the average human, and three, you have seen her crush melons between her thighs.

Either way, your pelvis was in for a beating.

The first option, however, was the only one that didn’t have a guarantee of breaking your pelvis, only a very high chance.

And so, you decided to see what was behind Door Number One.

Very few things in the world could’ve prepared you for what you were seeing right now.

Yang Xiao Long, wearing a VERY short tank top that just barely hid her breasts from view while also proudly showing off every inch of her powerful muscles and with the natural framing her hair gave her and the loose shorts she was wearing… she looked ethereal in the most sinful of ways.

The writing on the tank top that said “I Want My Boyfriend To Try And Pin Me Down” only added to that.

You gawked at her for several minutes, your mind completely failing at the sight before you.

Yang, did little to hide the ego boost that your staring gave her.

“See something you like?” Yang teased with a smile as she put her hand on her hip.

In response, you answered her with a very intelligent “Uh huh.”

Yang’s smirk grew at this.

She was going to drain you dry.