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[lemonadecandy]

Meeting Zhongli [Part 12]

Game: Genshin Impact

About: Zhongli x fem!reader

Note : The premise is that 'you' get transported into the game and journey through Teyvat along with the traveler. This is a reinterpretation of the Liyue Archon Quests. Hope you enjoy~

Warning: Mentions of violence, slight profanity.

The sky had begun to darken as the waves crashing against the harbor slowly increased in intensity. Most of the area around me had already been evacuated due to the quick reflexes of the Qixing. While the stage was being prepared for the main act of the play, Osial, the overlord of the Vortex was rising from the tumultuous sea. And then, right on cue, the Jade Chamber flew over the dock and approached the ancient god. This was the final test. This was what everything had been leading up to. In the countless millenniums of my existence, I had faced and fought through countless dire events, but none had me as anxious as I was now. Perhaps because this time, it isn’t me who faces the calamity.  Will Liyue be able to pull through…?

But strangely, I also felt composed as  her  words once more appeared in my mind.  ‘Liyue will be able to handle it, maybe even prosper from it.’  I hadn’t entirely bought her excuses about otherworldly powers of foresight, but I couldn’t deny her credence when she spoke. It felt as if she believed in this city more than even I did. And there had been something strangely enchanting yet comforting about her words. I wanted to trust her, as though her words were the absolute truth. Perhaps it was precisely for this reason that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t view her with cynicism, I was ready to forgive her for the first plausible excuse she presented. 

That said, the facts she yielded, had all been completely accurate. I need to understand her more before I can truly put my mind to ease. But that is going to be near impossible to achieve. By her outburst outside Third-round Knockout, I doubt she ever wants to see my face again. For the little while we did spend together after that incident, she has built a stone wall between us that even I am not confident I can break. I have already terrified her enough, with our contract in place, the only right thing to do was to respect her wishes.

Heavy doubt had been gnawing at my mind for these past few days. Another  new  experience… I have been decisive all my life, so why was it that whenever the thought of Y/n came up, did I feel utterly lost and hesitant? What I did, was how I  always  dealt with my enemies.  Maybe that was it… deep down I didn’t even acknowledge her as my enemy.  I sighed in frustration at my thoughts.  What’s even the point of thinking about this… 

That said, Y/n is a clever one. Would another approach have even worked on her? It clearly seemed like she had been faced with a similar situation a few times prior. Is that why she was able to maintain her cool so well while I was confronting her? If so, I wonder how those other encounters had gone.

As a measure to not stand out to the Millelith I stepped back under some shelter. Osial had now started his onslaught of attacks, but the Qixing along with the Adepti had already posed their counters. By what I could manage to make out from the hazy sky, it seemed like they had decided to use a copy of the Guizhong Ballista. A clever strategy, but not one that can guarantee their victory. I started becoming increasingly anxious as the battle continued, it was a feeling that I hadn’t been well acquainted with. Every part of me wished that I could somehow contribute, but I tried to maintain my calm.

After having defeated the Harbinger, the traveler must have already hurried to the Jade Chamber.  I wonder if Y/n went along as well? 

And as if to answer my query, the woman I had been thinking about made her appearance. She seemed to be coming from the direction of the Golden House. On closer observation, it seemed like her right leg had been injured causing her to limp as she walked. There were a few other cuts and bruises on her body, but none as severe as the one on her leg. I looked around but her companions were nowhere to be found.  Did they insist she stay back because of her wounds?  It was plausible, the trio seemed to dote on each other a lot. I considered offering my assistance but quickly decided against it. She seemed to possess healing capabilities and I was probably the last person she wanted to see. 

Y/n’s attention had been captivated by the skirmish in the skies but soon noticed my presence. She instantly looked away and proceeded to walk past me, acknowledging her ignorance I looked away as well. But strangely, before she completely overtook me, she had paused. Fazed by her actions, I glanced at her with caution. Y/n was staring at my hands as she sighed with what seemed like pity, “It will be fine.” 

Following her line of sight, I looked down at my hands as well, they were shaking. Not just my hand, my entire body was trembling. I also came to the realization that I had been holding my breath, causing me to lightly pant. I raised my right hand to pop a few buttons on my collar and slightly undo my tie to help calm myself with a deep breath.  I hadn’t even noticed the state of my body!

Despite my attempts, I was unable to entirely regain my composure. I looked back at Y/n who was once again engrossed by the sky. Comfort identical to the one I felt when I’d had drinks with her reached out to me from her unmoving figure. Suddenly she looked back and tossed something toward me. I reflexively raised my hand and managed to catch the item.  

“It worked.”, she huffed with annoyance.  It's the feather…!  I had imbued it with some of my own power, providing protection to anyone who carried it on their person. Y/n had rather begrudgingly accepted it after some insistence. “Thanks”, she scoffed in an almost inaudible whisper. 

But I hardly felt pleasant about her gratitude.  And yet… her leg has been injured.

Contrary to my expectations, instead of swiftly making her exit after returning the artifact, Y/n opted to stay. We only stared at the sky with agitation. The Qixing’s plan had been interrupted by the appearance of the Fatui skirmishers. The traveler seemed to be running around, trying to fend them off. I nervously gasped for air as the ballista slowly started losing its form. Despite the realization, the Adepti pushed forward, trying to hold the line.

Suddenly, Y/n spoke up, “There are tall buildings… super tall ones. More than even 160 stories… but none that float in the sky. Though we do have vehicles that fly in the sky, pretty fast as well. Elemental powers and visions don’t exist there, nor do gods… But we can still be powerful…. Still, perhaps not as close to you archons… But we do have the internet!”, she rambled. I didn’t quite understand her statements, but it seemed like she was talking about  her  world…? She was even fondly chuckling at her own words. “You guys are still a long way from that…”

Tall buildings… and what is ‘the internet’?  I wondered as I remarked, “It sounds like a wonderful place.” Flying vehicles… wasn’t there some novel series that featured those?

“I don’t know… there are ugly parts… a lot of them. But still… it’s my  home …”, Y/n’s tone was solemn. I could make out great sorrow in her eyes as she uttered the last few words. The desolation on her face was similar to the one when she spoke about her family. I too know the loss of losing the ones beloved to you.  I wonder if there’s a way for her to go back home…? 

I was once more tempted to try and comfort the foreigner that stood beside me. It was only adequate for the amount she had unknowingly provided me. I raised my hand to pat her on her head but quickly pulled back as I recalled her words.  ‘We are not friends.’  At that moment I felt a strange surge of disappointment in myself.

Unfortunately, Y/n had caught my movements and glared at me through narrowed eyes, “Don’t be mistaken…. You’re the only one who knows…” She sighed in frustration. “…that’s why.”

I wasn’t sure, had she brought up the topic of her home to distract me or comfort herself…? Either way, it seemed like she really wanted to talk about it. And I felt the urgent need to let her know that her confidence in me wasn’t something unpleasant. “It isn’t pity, nor is it charity. You are one of the strongest mortals I have witnessed. If I were ever to entirely lose Liyue, ‘my’ home, I would lose my mind. Despite knowing the limits of your physical powers, you still persevere. Your desire to go home keeps you fighting, pushing forward. I can’t help but respect such show of fierce resolve.”, I recalled the foreigner’s bravery when I confronted her, it had been quite inspiring. “If you were from Teyvat, your ambition would have gained you a vision by now.”, I stated in hindsight.

“Is that why you  spared  me?”, I glanced at Y/n once more and she seemed a little shocked by my words, but it soon turned into skepticism. “I am flattered… but you overestimate me.”

“Oh? If you were that ‘weak-minded’, you wouldn’t be out here chatting with the one who tried to kill you.”, I remarked, a little taken aback by the lack of self-confidence in her own courage.

“Misery loves company, no?” I had not a clue of the troubles Y/n had faced before arriving in Liyue. But it seemed to have greatly broken spirit. Perhaps… even my  own  actions had played a great part in it. And this fact was truly disheartening to me.

“Y/n—“, I began, but was interrupted by her tapping my shoulder and directing me towards the battle ensuing in the skies. It seemed like Liyue was on the losing side. The Guizhong Ballista had been completely decimated and many of the soldiers had been gravely injured. Caught off guard by the outcome, I tried to take a step forward to perhaps take action before matters got much worse. But Y/n tugged at my elbow, signaling me to stay back.  That’s right, this is a ‘test’.  And all hope has not been lost yet. 

What followed thoroughly impressed me and put my mind at ease at the same time. Unexpectedly, Ningguang seemed to have taken the route of great sacrifice. The jade chamber crashed down onto the ancient god with a giant explosion, pinning him to the surface of the ocean’s floor forever. I felt myself smile with exasperation as the final realizations and implications dawned upon me.  Liyue… will be fine.  An overwhelming sense of melancholy rushed over me as I subsequently rejoiced in the success of my plans. 

“See? I told you, didn’t I?”, Y/n remarked from beside me.

I glanced at her and she too held an appreciative grin on her face. “Yes.”, I affirmed.

We observed the group as they safely descended back onto the ground with the help of the Adepti. “Off to La Signora, I suppose?”, Y/n asked taking a step back to probably go and check on her friends.

“Ah! You’re… right”, I was once more startled by the precision of the foreigner’s abilities. Maybe I should stop being so skeptical and just accept her explanations.  It’s almost frightening how accurate she is.

I sensed a strange heaviness in my heart as I watched Y/n turn around to take her leave. It felt as if a myriad of emotions were tugging at me. But the one which stood out the most right now… was  guilt . I felt a strange premonition, that I wasn’t going to get this chance again, a chance to apologize… a chance to meet  her  again. Right now, the only reason we were interacting was because of the traveler’s quest to meet the geo archon. But what after that? Judging by the state of things at present, she would instantly turn away even if we happen upon each other in a chance encounter. And I didn’t quite understand why, but immense despondency settled within me as I came to this revelation.

“I… I apologize… I sincerely apologize for what happened that day.”, I impulsively blurted out the words that had constantly been haunting my mind. “I could have taken a more peaceful approach.”

I knew that this was just the bare minimum, not even close enough to get back on good terms with her, but it was what I  needed  to do. It’s clear as day that she has had similar encounters before… I know it for a fact, and I also know that they didn’t go any better, it was so apparent from the way she behaved around me. 

Besides, everything was pointing to her innocence. The more I look into it, the clearer it is. I  owe  her an apology. She was just an unfortunate soul who had been given the burden of knowledge, a knowledge that was better not possessed. And I hadn’t even paused to understand her.  Even after all these years… I still can’t reach even a semblance of Guizhong’s gentleness.  She must be disappointed in me.  I  am disappointed in myself.

Y/n looked back, but the expression of solace from just a few moments ago had once again been replaced by cautious resentment. Unsurprisingly, I was only met with a scoff at my attempt at asking for forgiveness. “Well, in a sense you did do the right thing, if you hadn’t threatened me with death, I would never have come clean.”, she sighed as she replied. “Zhongli, you are a mortal now, try being a bit more  considerate  from now on. As for your apology… I will consider it.” 

That’s right… It’s the beginning of a new life, I must let go of my ways as an archon.  But at that moment, instead of her advice, what captivated my attention was the slight smile on her face as she said those words. It was a rather gloomy one. But even in the desolation of her expressions, I could make out an inkling of warmth, of kindliness… of  hope . Hope that it was not entirely over, that there was still some light at the end of this tunnel. And right then, I felt my heart skip a beat. A strange sensation built in my chest as a smile crept onto my face.  Wait, what—?!

“Alright, that’s it I suppose?”, Y/n cut in and interrupted my thoughts, she was once more readying to leave.

“Just one last thing!”, I hurriedly tried to hold her back. Opening the pocket dimension, I rummaged through to retrieve the feather Y/n had returned. Using the power of my gnosis for perhaps the final time, I successfully attempted to enhance the powers of the artifact before handing it back to her. “Keep it. Your journey will only get harder from here on out. I have imbued it with some more of my power, as long as you use it well, you shall be able to evade more injuries.”

This time Y/n accepted the item without any counter. She explained as she examined the feather, which now had a glowing sheen to it, “As much as I want to reject, adeptal magic is a little too good for me to consider passing on.” She smiled with what seemed like sincere gratitude, “Thank you.”

“I am only paying back what I owe.”, I smiled back.

[lemonadecandy]

Hello I was really excited to see that you are back. You were one of the first person that I followed and I really love the the "Meeting Zhongli" series hope to see more. Take care ❤️❤️.

Awwww I am so honored~! Thank you so much for all the love. I am back for good this time haha, and the new chapters are coming soon! <3

[lemonadecandy]

Oh! This also reminds me. What about Zhongli’s birthday? Will Y/N give him a gift? What about vice-versa?

Based on the game, apparently when it’s ur birthday, the people in Teyvat, send a letter to the person that’s a dear friend??? to them including a gift to that person as well???

Which makes no sense bc why would u want to give a gift to someone when it’s ur birthday.?!?! (Wander is asking the real questions here. 😂) Of course the traveler does give the vision users a gift for their birthday as well (in official art that is).

So what about Y/N? I’m pretty sure if it was her birthday she wouldn’t do letters and probably just play her birthday as any other day, maybe perhaps eat a small cake and buy something for herself but that would be pretty much it?

Or perhaps our trio girls would have a girls day and go shopping? Take the day off of commissions and just have fun.

I feel like Y/N would want to give a gift for Zhongli for his birthday but doesn’t know what to give. Maybe a self made creation (like the piano example)?

Such as . . . Y/N could create a glaze lily umbrella with an extension that could create a hydro barrier + shield, can also act as a patio umbrella (maybe Y/N dan make the umbrella float by itself somehow), for when it’s raining (I know that he can make a shield for himself {dur} but hey, it’s the thought that counts 🙂🫠) and have to fend off mobs in the rain.

Basically the umbrella is also a magic umbrella [that can act like a catalyst????] that acts as a weapon, fusing the hydro element & geo element together).

As long as there’s the elements hydro and geo in the surrounding environment then the umbrella will be useful, if there isn’t . . . Welp! It’s gonna act like a phone until elemental energy runs out and would need an elemental charger (hydro & geo slimes for example).

The umbrella would also need hydro + geo elemental energy, which would be easy bc Zhongli has geo energy himself.

The umbrella can be used with one element without the other, but to bring out the full strength of the weapon, the umbrella needs both elemental elements to work at its maximum power.

I got the inspiration from this post because of the design. And the attacks would be a bit similar towards how Eclipsa (from Star vs the Forces of Evil) would use her wand.

[LMAO! I JUST REALIZED THAT THIS WEAPON WOULD SUIT Y/N MORE THAN ZHONGLI!] 😂

Lol imagine if she gave him the artifact set Tenacity of the Millelith, all 5 pieces for his birthday and not a wallet. 😂 (That’s Hu Tao’s job.) 🥲

Y/n is definitely the quiet types, the one who never really reminds anyone that it's their birthday that day. I imagine she would take the time to herself, wandering around reminiscing about her life back home perhaps? Feeling all gloomy, while missing her family... That said I am sure the traveler and Paimon will make it a point to remember her birthday and plan a surprise event for her~ As for what Zhongli will gift our Y/n... I am guessing something along the lines of a masterfully crafted artifact. Zhongli certainly has a taste for the classy and antique, so I am sure he would spend a fortune on something like fancy hairpins for her. The umbrella weapon sounds like a fun idea lol, though it does seem to have a whole lot of functions to it. An umbrella that functions as a gun would be so cooool! But I do think Y/n will be giving him handmade gifts surely! Maybe a little musical box with all kinds of little mechanisms that can only be opened by Zhongli, as they relate to inside jokes and conversations that only the two of them know about...

[lemonadecandy]

I know that I’ve made some headcanons for, Meeting Zhongli, but what about you? So u have any personal head-cannons that u have in mind? Like “the people of Liyue knows that Zhongli fancies the traveler’s companion Y/N but Y/N herself doesn’t know it?” or “like one time Zhongli tried to flirt in a certain way but it goes south super bad?”

Hmmm, well I tend to put most of my head canons in the fic itself~~ But if I had to mention something, it would be Zhongli being a romantic goof. In the sense, he struggles with fully understanding his feelings and reacting to them. Which must be resulting in him over exaggerating and being dramatic about little things while taking way too long to understand certain hints haha~~

[lemonadecandy]

Hello 👋 hope you are doing well. I was wondering if Y/N is described as a descender by Fatui👀👀 like do they know that she is not from this world?? Just a shower thought 😜 good day

~Ps I love your writing 😍

Well Y/n is not exactly from another world in the sense the other descenders are, as to say Genshin Impact here in the real world, is a fictional story created by a human right?🤔

That said she is the biggest anomaly that teyvat is facing, so maybe they do detect her presence but don’t grasp the entire truth behind it. (Pretty abstract stuff lol~)

P.S: I am glad you like it~^^

[lemonadecandy]

I can already imagine that if Y/N & Zhongli were to date; I think the people around them would either be in awe, tired of their lovey dovy atmosphere, or find entertainment in their relationships *ahem* light romantic novel writers *cough* *Yae Miko is pleased 🌸*.

Would their relationship be known Teyvat wide since Y/N is a close companion with the travler?

(I guess at that point Y/N would be famous as her own individual as well, considering she would be known for her build’s & creation.)

Makes me wonder what the Mondstat cast reaction was towards Y/N being in a romantic relationship. 🤔

(Venti would be the Godfather [of Ginkgo] if Y/N & Zhongli were to have a daughter. Nahida would be the Godmother. 😌 And the Nana would be Cloud Retainer) (Lumine’s the aunt & Paimon’s . . . . . . . . . The elder cousin) 🤭

I also like to think that the Liyue cast would be interesting in their relationship and would ask questions about what it’s like to date Zhongli.

LMAO!!! 😂😂🤣🤣 I also just know that Zhongli’s old comrades (the adepti) would be teasing and asking him questions about his relationship with Y/N as well as being curious.

I really like Miko’s light novel idea haha… perhaps it would be named ‘That Time I Made the Retired Archon Fall in Love with Me!’ Of course people wouldn’t know it’s referring to Zhongli lol, just Yae doing Yae things~~

Yeah I am sure there will be a lot of gossip about Y/n and Lumine’s love lives. Perhaps even a dedicated column on the Steambird…?

The Mondstadt cast had largely forgiven Y/n after all things came into the light, so despite the linger animus feelings, they must be happy for her.

P.S: This sounds like the most chaotic family haha

[lemonadecandy]

AAAAAHHHHHKFIEHCUSKHCKSJCHEI OMG OMG OMG OMG!!! I have a TCG idea. So Y/N as a support/companion card that costs 4, and the skill is to make an elemental reaction from the 2 character cards that have the most health to the enemy.

Example: So let’s say you’re playing with Yelan, Yanfei, & Shenhe.

Currently Shenhe has 9 health, Yelan has 7 health, & Yanfei has also 9.

When playing Y/N’s card you would then deal a melt reaction from Yanfei & Shenhe’s elements.

If your deck has non elemental reactions. A.k.a: Anemo, Geo, & Dendro, then only one elemental reaction will be casted.

Example for this would be (team archon; Venti, Zhongli, & Nahida) play the Y/N card on ur current active card. (I’m choosing Venti for this.)

The anemo element would then be placed on the opponent NOT SWIRL, if you wish to swirl u have to use a element that reacts (pyro, electro, hydro, cryo).

Basically if you have the non-elemental reaction team the Y/N card isn’t gonna help u much. (Lol the irony of the fact that the Y/N card can’t help her closest archon’s companions if they were all in a team.)

Hopefully this makes sense. But if it doesn’t plz let me know.

This makes perfect sense lol~

If anything it really fits her character, her usefulness in battle is equivalent to that of an NPC lol.

This has got me thinking, maybe she can have a punishment skill? Like the Guardian Shadows in Honkai Star Rail (basically if the enemy uses a normal attack after using this support they will lose a set amount of hp)…

It could work into the ‘there is a set path for the story to go but if it strays then there’s consequences’ aspect of her story…

[lemonadecandy]

Meeting Zhongli [Part 11]

Game: Genshin Impact

About: Zhongli x fem!reader

Note : The premise is that 'you' get transported into the game and journey through Teyvat along with the traveler. This is a reinterpretation of the Liyue Archon Quests. Hope you enjoy~

Warning: Mentions of violence, slight profanity.

I had failed to come up with any conclusions on the geo archon’s behavior. The quests had caused us to relentlessly run around Liyue, then in the off-time, my mind would wander elsewhere, trying to enjoy the semblance of peace I had attained in the last few days. 

And now, I find myself facing him once more. But he had ended up keeping to my  request  of ignorance. I suppose I wasn’t too surprised, he was still being  courteous  to me. Maybe it was because of all the time that had gone by, but the awkward tension between us had subsided to a large degree. I didn’t feel like I was hyperventilating with fear every second he was close to me. 

“La lala la~!”, the traveler concluded her song. It hadn’t been much, but I was surprised to find out that Lumine’s voice was unexpectedly melodious. Perhaps because of her status as a warrior, she tends to speak in a stern tone. Now that she had softened it into a gentler one, it was strangely soothing to listen to.

But just as I had anticipated, instead of a beautifully blooming Glaze Lily, what we found were whopper-flowers. I had already taken a step back with caution and hence was spared from the sudden burst of icicles that jutted out of the ground. My companions quickly dodged the assault as well. “What happened? These flowers are jumping!”, Paimon screeched as she frantically flew around. “Is it because we sang a song from Mondstadt, and they don’t understand because they are from Liyue? Quick, traveler!”

At her command, Lumine jumped in front of one of it and impaled it with her geo construct. 

Just as she managed to finish one off, the other popped out right next to her, shrouding her in an icy mist. But with a few slick maneuvers, the second one was down as well. I silently let out a sigh of relief as the enemy slowly withered to dust. Even though I have gotten used to the constant violence that I encounter in this world, I still can’t stop myself from palpitating in shock. I really need to learn how to maintain my cool, especially in front of such ‘measly’ enemies. 

And just as I had loosened up my tense nerves I was suddenly pulled to the side.  That’s right! There were supposed to be three! Two whopper-flowers are too easy of a challenge. 

“Y/n!” The geo archon called out to me as he pushed me to stand behind him. Reacting to Zhongli’s movements, Lumine swiftly swooped to finish the job. 

“Eek!”, Paimon yelped, pulling onto my hair as she too sought protection behind the shield created by the archon.

After checking for any other whopper-flowers in our vicinity, the traveler rushed towards me. “Haven’t I told you to  always  stay by my side?”, she frowned.

I let out a guilty laugh as I looked away from the gaze of the trio. Their worry made me a little uncomfortable. “That  always  ends with  me  getting in your way and  you  getting injured.”

“Me better than you.”, she huffed as she glanced at my forearm. Following her gaze, I realized that it was bleeding. The wound wasn’t severe in any regard, it seemed like one of the icicles had ended up grazing me.  I suppose it isn’t that bad because of… him.

Peeking a glance at Zhongli, I begrudgingly mumbled, “Thank you.”

“No need…”, he indecisively stared at me with a long pause but ultimately ended up saying nothing.

Feeling awkward and confused by his actions I cleared my throat as I tried to get back on track, “So… what about the glaze lilies?”

And just as those words came out, Ganyu made her entrance. 

══════════════════

Having finally completed all the preparations for the Rite of Parting, we started making our way back to Liyue Harbour. I glanced at the setting sun whose heat was slowly waning in intensity. I wanted to feel relief that this arduous quest was finally coming to an end, but I knew what was yet to come.  A dragon versus a harbinger, heck even a god.  I sighed in mellow.  I suppose I have already fought a ‘god’ once. 

I timidly glanced at Zhongli who was walking behind us, only to catch him looking at me as well. He had constantly been peering at me.  Did he find something to be suspicious about…?  But just like every other time I fought him, he only looked away, avoiding any deliberation.

And right as I turned my head forward, he called out to me. “Y/n, wait.”

I skeptically turned around and noticed his hand that hovered in the air, uncertain if he should grab my shoulder. But he quickly put it away as I had already responded to him. “Just say it… You are freaking me out with your hesitation. Did you change your mind?”, I cocked my head sideways in annoyance. At this point battling Childe beats staying around his confusing moods. “Want to kill me now?”

“No. I am not a mindless killer Y/n. As we agreed, as long as you don’t take action against this nation, I will not do ‘anything’.  Despite  what your status regarding that possible danger, maybe.”, he spoke with a certain intensity. I couldn’t quite place the expression on his face.

“I see… Then what is it?”, I looked back towards Lumine and Paimon, who were not too far away, but still out of hearing range. They were too busy talking about food to realize that the two of us had hung back. “And hurry up.”

Nodding at my words he suddenly started rummaging around his pocket dimension with determination. Finding what he was looking for, Zhongli pulled out what seemed like a feather. It was a regal yellow, almost golden, but the ends were deep brown. The tip of the shaft had been inserted onto what looked like a traditional Liyue ornament. If I wasn’t wrong, it looked similar to the badge that the Millelith wore, only that this specimen looked a bit old-fashioned. Zhongli extended his hand towards me, motioning me to take it.

“This is an old artifact crafted by the adepti. It is imbued with some of my own power, letting anyone who correctly activated it, receive its protection. The feather is only one part of a set of five that have already been lost to time.”  Wait a minute— I know where I have seen this!  “I am afraid it isn’t as powerful without its counterparts, but it should still help. I may not have your gift of foresight, but I am an adequate judge of my actions to realize that you this can be of help…, especially in the  near  future.”

I slightly gasped with realization as I understood the connotations of his words.  Is he talking about Childe…?  Eyeing the ‘artifact’ in his hand, a sudden recollection hit my mind.  Tenacity of the Millelith , that’s what the set was called, right?  That  will certainly be helpful.

But instead of taking the help, I was offered I took a step back as I glanced at Zhongli cautiously.  Why is he doing this? I don’t understand. I don’t understand him.

Reacting to my response, Zhongli quickly tried to explain, “I understand that you don’t want anything to do with me. But perhaps  I  know better than anyone how vulnerable  you  can be during combat.”

“I don’t see how that’s supposed to make me  want  that feather.”, I scoffed in offense.

“I do not mean to belittle you. I… Please… take this.”, he took a step toward me. “We shall probably never cross paths again. Consider this a sign to commemorate the goodwill found through our contract.”

Goodwill? Seriously?  I let out a sigh of frustration as his words sunk in. I don’t think I am ever going to get used to his behavior, I suppose that’s expected…  he isn’t human.   Despite my pride desperately revolting, I accepted the artifact. I had promised myself a long time ago that to protect myself, I would do anything, it was a  contract  I had made with myself. Back when I was in the deepest pits of despair, when I was on the brink of death.  That’s right… anything goes.  But surprisingly as I accepted Morax’s gift I didn’t feel as bad as I thought I would.

Zhongli’s eyes seemed kind, just like when we had drinks at the dock, or when he comforted me near the statue of the seven. I didn’t understand him or his actions, but he felt  reassuring . As if truly  believed  me and didn’t think I was some freak of nature. Maybe that’s because  he isn’t human.  Supernatural must be the norm. I sighed as memories of similar kindness flittered through my mind.

“Psst! Hey! Whatever you are thinking— don’t do it!”, an energetic voice called out to me from somewhere beyond the iron bars of the prison.

Broken out of my daze of hopelessness, I weakly looked around, terrified that the flame user was back already. “Here! In front of you.”, the voice called out to me once more.

I squinted my eyes trying to make out the figure in the darkness, and sure enough there stood a boy in his teens right outside the prison bars. “Who are you..?”, I asked cautiously. ‘What are the knights pulling this time?!’ I couldn’t make out any details other than his height and form.

“I happened to hear what you have been claiming about Dvalin, I want to know more~!”, he spoke, entirely ignoring my question. ‘Don’t tell me…’

“Listen, boy, you shouldn’t be here, if the knights find you… it won’t be pretty. Whatever you heard were just silly rumors…”, I sighed realizing the situation. “…just some ‘crazy’ ramblings of a ‘crazy’ woman—”

“They aren’t crazy… I believe you.”, the boy instantly replied. I squinted once more, feeling an overwhelming sense of familiarity in his voice. And as if to quench my growing curiosity, he stepped forward into the dim light of the lone lamp near my cell. “If I set you free~, will you answer my plea~?”

“You—“, my eyes widened in recognition. “Venti?!”

“Oh~? We have never met, and yet… you know my name?”

“What are you doing here?”, I questioned the anemo archon, still trying to process the appearance of yet another familiar persona.

“I am here to break you out, only if you allow me the bout~”, he nonchalantly rhymed as he pulled out some keys from his pockets, keys that most likely matched the lock on my cage.

Dazed by the sudden occurrence of ‘good luck', I questioned the boy in a mumble, “W-why?”

“Like I said, I believe you. And I also want to help Dvalin, I trust that you understand the correlation?”, the archon held out the keys towards me from between the rods, as if beckoning me to a challenge. “So? Do you want to help me… and ‘yourself’?”, his eyes glinted with strange curiosity.

And the god had ended up staying true to his words, he not only freed me from that prison but also from my mind’s crestfallen melancholy. It had been the first time I realized that I didn’t have to just die. I could fight back, I could push through, I could go back home, no, I will go back home. Never had I expected the archons of Teyvat to sympathize with me more than the humans. A slight smile crept onto my lips as I sharply inhaled to ready myself. The commotion and panic that had struck Liyue Harbour was already apparent, the Millelith were scurrying about in agitation. The main show of the archon quest had only yet begun. 

Banner art by Qing on Twitter.

[lemonadecandy]

What are the sub-stats on the feather that Zhongli gave to Y/N? Is it a 5 star or a 4 star artifact? If it’s a 4 star then imma jump off the Dragon-spine’s floating nail with Kermit the frog. How dare he give us a 4-star. 😤

Haha, a five star definitely but one that has rolled max defense and hp~! He needs to protect our Y/n!

[lemonadecandy]

Now that I think about it if Zhongli were to marry Y/N that would make him Zhongli (L/N). Since basically in the Genshin world only nobles have last names and not commoners such as Yun Jin, Kamisato Ayaka, Barbara Pegg, Eula Lawrence, etc. But since in our world all of us have last names. . . . Do you think other NPCs people think we’re a fallen/lost noble?

Oh, this sounds like a very intriguing concept. I wonder what they will make of a surname that doesn't really sound like it is from any region of Teyvat... thus giving a clue of her otherworldly origins. Or perhaps, our dear main character hasn't revealed her true name~?

[lemonadecandy]

Hi, how are you? <33 I really like "Meeting Zhongli", so I was wondering when's your next update? No pressure ofc!!💕

Soon~!

[lemonadecandy]

Meeting Zhongli [Part 10]

Game: Genshin Impact

About: Zhongli x fem!reader

Note : The premise is that 'you' get transported into the game and journey through Teyvat along with the traveler. This is a reinterpretation of the Liyue Archon Quests. Hope you enjoy~

Warning: Mentions of violence, slight profanity.

The storm raging inside my head just won’t stop. Everything was a mess and the harder I tried to navigate through it, the more futile my attempts seemed. I was breathing heavy gasps for air, and everything I saw through my eyes was blurry. Everything except the figure that lay on the bed. My eyes were hyper-focused on his body. Lacerations and contusions had mauled the man’s abdomen, still bleeding despite all of the treatment.

I slowly stumbled towards him, agony and shock had taken over my body.  Why was this happening?  “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”, I mumbled in my daze. But before I could reach the man, I had been shoved back into one of the other beds in the infirmary. My head hit squarely against the metal rods of the frames. “Get back!”, the red-haired man hollered as he drew his mighty great sword against me. 

Looking up at him, I noticed the look of unadulterated spite in his expression. Tears slowly started welling up in my eyes, “D-Diluc! I am sorry! I didn’t think this would happen.”

“Didn’t  think  this would happen?”, provoked by my words, he raised his weapon to strike me, only to be stopped by the Acting Grandmaster. 

“Sir! You have to calm down!”, she pulled him back with her forearms. 

“Calm down?! It’s been three days! Kaeya hasn’t woken up for  three days  now!”, snatching away from the blonde’s arms Diluc dropped his claymore and walked back towards me. Bending down, he grabbed my face with his right hand and pulled me up. “It was a  trap , wasn’t it?”

His fingers that were digging into my lower jaw were searing like the coals of a glowing fire. My legs were helplessly dangling in the air as I raised my hands to claw at his forearm trying to speak through his iron grip. “N-No! Pl-eas-e t-ru-st me!”

“Diluc! You have to let her go! This is against the regulation of the knights!”, Jean tried to persuade the raging brother.

“I am NOT a knight!”, he shouted. “Tell me,  everything  foreigner .  Otherwise, I will not hesitate to end your life.”

══════════════════

How had it come to this? I only wanted to repay the favor. That’s all. I just wanted to help out. Was this happening because a small part of me was selfishly hoping that I could go home? Perhaps, I wasn’t as selfless as I thought. 

For the past countless hours I had been sinking in and out of consciousness, but I was neither fully awake nor completely knocked out. My body was tired from the beating but I couldn’t sleep.  I just want to die.  I no longer even wished to go home, I just wanted the pain to end. Diluc was going to be back soon, he and Jean had only left to deal with Stormterror’s attack.  I was right…  The abyss was actually the one behind the attack, after that hellish interrogation, my mind is crystal clear. The game had explicitly stated their involvement.  But then what happened with Kaeya?

I leaned further back onto the cold metal walls of the prison as the incidents from the past few hours kept replaying in my mind. I had unwittingly rambled on about the truth. But instead of faith, all I had received were faces of disgust and alarm. 

  A crazy woman…  I suppose they are right. At this point, I am starting to wonder if it is all truly a delusion. Maybe this ‘home’ is just something I dreamed up. But when I spoke of their pasts… it seemed like I was speaking the truth. Then where did I even obtain such information, was I truly some sort of spy? I don’t have a single memory of that sort…

I am sure Diluc is going to scorch me to death this time , the only reason he had been even mildly lenient is that Kaeya had finally gained consciousness. I looked out through the metal bars of the window, the sun had already set. After being saved from that cave, I thought everything was going to be fine, but it seems like I was too naive.  Why did I even try to meddle…?  Now that I think about it, the main character hasn’t even arrived yet. I wonder if it will be the brother…? He was always the poster boy. Perhaps I should have gone with the original plan to wait for them to complete the story and then ask for their help, but Dvalin’s attacks had seemed too terrifying… I couldn’t keep to myself.  Well, it’s not like I will even be getting the chance to see them anymore. 

I closed my eyes with an overwhelming sense of defeat hanging over my mind,  I guess it’s better to just die peacefully now.

As if to break me out of my daze of despondency I heard someone call out to me. A strange premonition hit me as I slowly came to consciousness,  the anemo archon!  I was convinced that I had recognized the person correctly as if I had already lived through these events.  I am going to be saved once more!  But I had been utterly incorrect. The one to walk through the iron bars of the jail was none other than the  geo  archon. He had his spear drawn, and his eyes and hair were glowing as well. 

When he spoke, it felt like the whole room resonated with his voice. But I couldn’t make his words out, they had been overlaid with everyone else’s. All of them threatened to kill me. It felt like molten lead was being poured into my head, trying to melt my mind. I raised my hands to my ears trying to make it all subside but the intensity only kept increasing. So I started screaming as well, trying to drown out their whispers of malice.

Unable to take any more of it, I pried my eyes open. But instead of the ceiling of the dark and dingy prison cell, I saw an ornate one, presumably made out of wood. I wasn’t sleeping on any cold metal either, it was a soft bed…  the hotel bed.  I raised my hands in front of my face as I tried to calm myself.  Another one of those dreams.  But it had been a while since I had revisited my memories from the city of wind. Shivering from even the thought of an incident that had long gone by I sat up and glanced at my companions who were sleeping soundly on the bed next to mine.  Thank god… it doesn’t seem like I woke them up.  Carefully getting up, I tiptoed out of the room and into the balcony to get some fresh air.

 Ever since  that  incident, I had been having these hellish nightmares even more frequently. So much so that I was hardly getting any sleep. Still, despite my apprehensions, the archon quests had proceeded to continue as they were supposed to. In fact, they had carried on even more smoothly than before. Perhaps it was because this time, I had truly dissolved into the background.  I hope everything continues this way, I can let what happen to Kaeya, happen again.  We had come back a bit late tonight since the geo archon had treated us to a meal at Third-round Knockout.

That’s right, ‘today’ was when Zhongli was supposed to ask us out to dinner.  I wonder if I had noticed that discrepancy earlier and managed to decline his invitation for drinks… would I not have ended up in that  situation ?   I sighed as I tried to dismiss that topic from my mind for the hundredth time today.  No, that exchange by the sea might just have been what saved me. There is no need to worry anymore, ‘he’ will not hurt me.  We hadn’t really interacted after that confrontation .  It was too awkward to even share greetings. But then again, how could I  not  feel awkward around a man who had tried to kill me? It wasn’t the first time someone had to tried to take my life, it wasn’t even the first time that it had been a prominent ‘character’. At one point, all of Mondstadt had tried to assassinate me. Perhaps this exactly was why I had freaked out when I first saw him, maybe I was actually right to be afraid. The geo archon’s merciless brutality was too unnerving for me to bear.

But that was not what had been causing my distress. No matter how you look at it,  Zhongli has gone easy on me.  While his attacks did truly wound me, none of them were fatal injuries. In fact, other than the lacerations on my hands, which were mostly self-inflicted, none of the hits were severe enough to even cause me to bleed. The pain from my body had subsided merely a day after the incident, all that was left was soreness, so I am sure there weren’t any internal injuries either. I am glad that was the case,  but why?!  Not only did he  not  kill me, but he also let me off the hook pretty easily. I did do my best, but was he truly so easily convinced by my excuses? I have been pretty vigilant and unless he’s using some sort of archon magic, I am not being investigated in the off time either. The final nail in the coffin for my suspicions is the fact that he tried to instantly eliminate me. Without even attempting to interrogate me, he had skipped to directly killing me. It was as if he were trying to spare me from the pain of torture.  ‘This is the most gracious I can be, Y/n.’,  that’s what he had said.

 But once again,  why?! Why was he being gracious?  No matter how hard I tried to rack my brain, there just came no plausible reason for his leniency. There had to be something I am missing. “What the hell are you scheming?”, I unwittingly mumbled under my breath.

“Who?”, the traveler asked from behind me, causing me to flinch in fear. 

“Lumine! I thought you were asleep…?”, I nervously chuckled.

“I heard you getting up.”, she moved beside me and leaned on the railing of the balcony as she spoke. “So, what’s the matter?”

“Huh?”, I asked in confusion.

She had a perturbed look on her face, “Don’t think that I haven’t noticed the changes in your behavior Y/n.”

Realizing the connotations of her words I looked away, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You keep waking up in the middle of the night in a frenzied mess for the past few days… like  right now.  Ever since we parted ways to make that potion you haven’t spoken to Mr. Zhongli even once, in fact, you flinch every time he even looks at you. The awkward tension between the two of you is  literally  palpable. You keep saying that nothing happened but I am having a hard time believing you Y/n.”, Lumine’s eyes were unwavering as she tried to confront me.

Jeez, she’s reminding me of Zhongli.  “You are being delusional. There is nothing going on… I was just reminded of Mondstadt with all of the archon talks these days.”, I sighed as I tried to make plausible excuses.

The traveler’s expressions immediately softened as she moved closer to me. She didn’t say anything for a while, but soon spoke up as the silence got increasingly uncomfortable, “I saw the two of you… outside Third-round knockout. Y/n, it didn’t seem like the conversation that you were having was very  pleasant.”

Shocked at her confession I turned to look at her, but by the look on her face, it didn’t seem like she had overheard us.  That forsaken man is going to be the death of me… even if he isn’t the one to do it.  Incomprehensible frustration rose within me as I remembered our exchange. “It’s not a big deal… we were at odds about a  historical fact . You know how stubborn I can be.”

Lumine narrowed her eyes in skepticism as she huffed. “Again.”

“Hmm?” I carefully observed her, trying to determine if she had bought my words.

“You are avoiding me again. I thought we had become much closer than last time. I know— I understand, that what happen in Mondstadt is very hard for you to talk about. You were lucky to have the anemo archon’s favor, but I wish you could depend on me a little more. Just like you said when you first met me, our journey is not going to be easy, that’s exactly why we should  trust  each other.” The distress on the girl’s face was intelligible. 

I felt guilt and sympathy well up inside of me…  Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything to her.  Despite all the perils I faced in the city of wind, things had somehow managed to work out. All of the knights even tried to appease me when the situation was resolved and my innocence was apparent, though it was clear they still held some reservations against me. At the time, I had wanted nothing more than to get out of that place. Barbatos had been kind to me and had promised me safety but I didn’t manage to let go of my agitation.  If things could go wrong in Mondstadt, then what about the rest of the story?  After defeating Dvalin, I could have cut off my ties to the traveler but instead, I played with her feelings.  She knows that I have a clue about her brother… that’s why she wants me to trust her.  Unfortunately, I never planned on telling Lumine more than what was necessary to let me accompany her. I took her hands into mine as I tried my best to apologize, “I am sorry Lumine, I can’t tell you what you want to hear from me.”

It’s not like I didn’t want to put the lonely traveler out of her misery, but I knew better than to interrupt fate.  I really do want to tell you, but how could I? If you ask me where your brother is, I am afraid I won’t be able to answer, forgive me.  Perhaps noticing the sincerity in my expression Lumine suddenly embraced me. “I will find him… right?”

The traveler’s voice was clearly faltering as if she was about to burst into tears. “Yes. No matter what… at the end of this journey, you  will be reunited. ”

“Then, stay alive… and when I find him, don’t forget to ask for  that  favor.” I raised my arms to pat her back in an attempt to calm her down. She didn’t show it very often, but the traveler truly only had one thing on her mind, and the more time that went by, the more strung up she got. 

I chuckled, “I wouldn’t dare to forget.”

“You know… whenever  you  say something  will  happen, it feels like the ultimate truth, as if it was written in stone.”, she sniffled as she pulled back. 

This was perhaps the first time the traveler had broken down before me, I can’t imagine how much harder it will get as she starts learning the truth. I ruffled her hair as melancholy for my strange friend took over me. Startled by my touch she pushed my hands away, “Hey! I am much older than you think.”

I giggled, “I know.”

Smiling at my response she stretched her hands wearily, “Come on let’s get some sleep. We won’t be seeing Mr. Zhongli tomorrow, so there’s no need to get more worked up.”

I huffed at Lumine’s words, “That’s right, we’ll be meeting someone far more important…”

“Paimon seems very excited about the visit.”

“Well, she  is  the Tianquin.”

“I must say that I too look forward to seeing the Jade chamber.”

“ Me as well.”, I affirmed. “Though I think I need a few more minutes out here, I‘ll come in soon.”

I took a deep breath of the cold midnight air. Even though we were considerably far away from the docks the salty fragrance of the sea was still lingering. Lumine’s words ran through my head as I closed my eyes to try and enjoy the calm. Soon the events from outside the restaurant took front place in my mind. I still hadn’t managed to come up with a reason for Zhongli’s action. His behavior  now  was far more puzzling than when he was trying to end my life.

“Y/n?”, I was enjoying the ‘otherworldly’ delicacies laid out in front of me as I flinched at the familiarly terrifying voice that questioned me. I turned to my side and just as I thought, it had been Zhongli.

He had a curious expression on his face as he took a seat next to me. Flinching at the proximity I moved to the furthest end of the bench. I truly had come back to square one. Noticing my uneasiness, the geo archon shifted away as well. “I am hoping that everything is going well…”, he whispered so as to not catch the attention of Lumine and Paimon who were busy listening to the storyteller give exposition about the Tianquin, Ningguang. 

Sighing at my seemingly never-ending misery I asked, “Do you know what my most powerful weapon is?”

“Your ability…?”, he inquired in confusion.

“That’s right. You see, my ability can only work once. And the outcome where your plans succeed is the best possible one I could hope for.”

“I don’t understand.”

“If I mess with what is going perfectly well… I will lose my only advantage in this world.”, I looked towards the geo archon with conviction. Measly fear shall not become the cause of my downfall. “Rest assured that I will not ‘renege’ on my words.”

“I realize that…”, Zhongli started cautiously. “But I was merely curious about your recovery…”, he looked down at my hands with worry.

Sudden vexation welled inside of me. I was furious, but it was hard to comprehend its impetus. This! This is exactly what has been irritating me these past few days! Zhongli has been incredulously courteous towards me. As if we were friends! As if he hadn’t tried to kill me! In fact, the only one being awkward was me, this man had continued with his considerate facade. “You did this to me.”, my voice was raspy with resentment.

Getting frustrated by his callous nonchalance I got up from my seat and made my way out to get some air. Unfortunately, the geo archon had followed me. “I was of the understanding that our differences had been settled?”, he politely questioned.

“Settling our differences you say?”, I scoffed at his almost innocent ignorance. “You threatened my life and then spared me at your whim, and I only complied. All because I didn’t want to die, mind you.”

“Exactly—“, the naive confusion on Zhongli’s face only served to fuel the fire of my rage.

“We are not friends. I am not going to merrily greet you nor am I going to indulge you in your fancies of companionship. So stop behaving like we are!”, I sternly cut him off. “The only relation we have is the one enlisted in our contract.”

Taken aback by my outburst Zhongli stayed silent for a moment. “I seem to have deeply offended you with my show of courtesy. I hadn’t realized your great dissatisfaction with our situation.” He took a step back as he spoke, “I understand now, and will keep your words in my mind.”

Perplexed by his reaction I fell back, burying my face in my palms as I sighed. “Just like you don’t intend to apologize for your actions, I don’t intend to forgive you.”

The confusion on the geo archon's face had been replaced by a remote calm. “I… understand.”

“If you wanted to kill me, at least act as if you meant it out of malice. I am not a charity box for your pity.”, my voice was wavering. The way Zhongli behaved like a robot with the only 'setting' of being ‘polite’ made me realize how utterly meaningless I must seem to him. “There’s no need for you to heed your hostility.” 

But the geo archon only remained silent. 

Frowning at his austere response which still seemed to be filled with unwelcome consideration, I walked back into the restaurant since Ganyu would be arriving at any moment.

I didn’t have the will to spare even a single glance towards the archon for the rest of the night, and he hadn’t bothered me either.  I hope by the time we have to face him again, I will have figured him out a bit.  Cursing at my fucked up life for the millionth time I retired to the room as well.

Banner art by Maria Rose on Twitter.

[lemonadecandy]

How do you think old people like Zhongli flirt? Do you think he knows how the current (In Teyvat) generation flirt? I know that he’s going to be in for a surprise if Y/N show some of our worldly culture ways of flirting~ 😏.

I bet that his love language is that if Y/N explains the ENTIRETY of Liyue history, from start to finish, to him he’ll just look at her with love eyes with a dreamy look to him like a love struck student having a girl-crush on their teacher that they find very attractive.

Lmaoo~~~ That sounds pretty accurate~!

That said, I feel like he’d ‘know’ what’s in with the younger generation (because of his obsession with understanding and living like mortals), but not quite grasp it the way a normal human would. Which would lead to some pretty hilarious shenanigans imo~~~

[lemonadecandy]

Hey I wanna check up on you~. How are you doing with IRL also I just found out how to make Tumblr go to dark mode~!

That is very sweet of you, haha. Well, all I know is that I”m not dead yet., just swampedddd with work! Kinda miss being on vacation lol~

It’s been a bit hard trying to find time for Tumblr and the whole fanfic thing, infact to even play Genshin, tho I guess once I get into a proper routine, things should get easier!

That said, how have you been mystery internet stranger~?

P.S.: Damn, I didn’t know tumblr had any modes lol~

[lemonadecandy]

So does Lumine know that y/n is from another world as well?

Not explicitly, no. Y/n hasn’t revealed the information after all that she went through with the Knights of Favonious. But Lumine definitely has her doubts, she isn’t able to make Y/n say out the exact words, but whenever she hints at the possibility, Y/n doesn’t deny it.

You know while typing this I was suddenly reminded of that scene from Twilight where Edward and Bella are in the forest, and he’s like “Say it, Bella!” And she dramatically gasps as she speaks, “A vampire✨”.

[lemonadecandy]

I have a funny head cannon where Lumine makes the wishes for *said character* (Ex: Thomas~~~). And she runs out of primos. So what does she do? Goes to y/n for emergency expense for *said character*.

Lmaoooo~~~ Bold of you to assume that MC will share them precious ✨primogems✨. Lumine will prolly have to win them off her~! I imagine them making bets over exceedingly stupid stuff, and unbeknownst to them, Paimon has a whole stash worth more than both of their amounts combined just hidden somewhere~

[lemonadecandy]

When our girl trio get the teapot are they gonna have separate rooms? (Like Lumine and Paimon share a room meanwhile y/n gets her own?)

Well, I don’t really know if they will share rooms… kinda depends on how much each reader is tolerable towards Paimon screeching into their ears, no?

P.S.: No hate to our little flying friend, I personally love her xD~