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[sailor-sun-18]

HONKAI: STAR RAIL

Genre: Fluff/Humor

Character(s): SERVAL - GEPARD

Note: inspired by one of Serval's daily chats.

ANOTHER NORMAL DAY IN BELOBOG

"So... Serval..."

Your eyes trailed over the red and blue vehicle, its polished crimson and deep royal paint glistened under the morning rays.

Your friend hummed as she fixed the last cables. Electric blue irises widened when the radio turned on, a Belobog's traditional song coming from the speakers.

"Are you sure this will work?"

Serval moved her hand as if dismissing your worries. Her painted coral lips curled into a small smile.

"Don't worry." she said, twirling the keys between her fingers for a bit.

You eyed the sharp tips of the chainsaw installed on the front. Lingering doubts clouded your mind but you pushed them down, opting to show a small smile to your close friend.

The blonde entered the driver's door and locked eyes with you.

"You comin'?"

You eyed the machine one last time before settling on the passenger seat.

Without wasting another second, Serval turned the key. The engine started rattling as the car came to life. The older blonde smiled, happy cheers left her mouth when the vehicle started moving. But, just as she stepped on the accelerator, a worrying sharp sound came from the hood.

Then you saw it.

The chainsaw shot out and flew over Belobog in all its glory until it came in contact with Qlipoth Fort, shattering one of its windows.

Holy-

And your life flashed before your eyes.

Peering through the matt glass, you scrutinized the streets of Belobog. You gulped as another pair of Silvermane Guards filled your line of vision before joining the others on their all-out manhunt. You let out a breath of relief when they were headed to Eversummer Florist.

Turning around, you called your friend who was busy removing the nefarious chainsaw. With just one pull, she took the last row of teeth, their sharp tips shined menacingly under the soft glow of Neverwinter Workshop. She gave you a silly smile and thumbs up to which you reciprocated.

Meanwhile, her phone rang, displaying a message from the trailblazer -and may the Aeons bless them- saying they would keep your secret.

But then, a soft knock came from the door.

You neared the window closest to it -"Who is it?" asked the mechanic from the counter- trying to peek in the most natural way possible. And when your irises caught tuffs of soft blonde locks, you felt your soul leaving your body.

"Serval, it's Gepard."

You sweated nervously as you heard the scrambling of mechanical parts followed by a hushed 'what-'.

"It's Gepard." you repeated.

Serval, who was still holding the disassembled chainsaw, hurried to find an empty box.

"Huh... Stall for time?"

Another knock.

You rushed on your feet and opened the door, greeting the Silvermane Captain who looked surprised for a moment before a rosy tint painted his cheeks and his lips curled into a shy smile.

You tried to return with a smile of your own but it was so stretched and fake it was almost comical. And somehow, the Aeons above seemed to have finally heard you, as your sweet boyfriend -unaware of the previous chaos- greeted you shyly before asking for his sister.

You faked a cough and robotically turned around just in time to see your blonde friend emerging from the counter with an equally comically fake, enthusiastic smile.

"Hey, lil' bro.- she said, nearing the two of you and swinging an arm over your shoulders -How's work?"

The tall blond squared his shoulders.

"Someone has shattered one of Qlipoth Fort's windows, we've been searching for the culprit. Have you seen something or someone?"

Serval cleared her throath, "No, we've been busy, very busy... uh... you know... repairing machines here and there." she said following with a small awkward laugh as you furiously nodded.

Gepard stayed silent before nodding.

"I understand, please, let me know if you discover something."

"Sure sure- said Belobog's mechanic as she grabbed the handle -but we are very busy right now, so, see you later!"

As Serval pushed the door, you waved to the poor unsuspecting male.

But, just as the twin doors were almost closed, a couple of stubborn morning rays peeked through the hinges and landed straight to a box vibing near the counter.

And then he saw it.

The tip of the cursed automaton chainsaw shining under the light.

Ahah... ah.

Oh.

[sailor-sun-18]

HONKAI: STAR RAIL

Genre: Fluff/Humor

Character: Platonic!YANQING

SWORDS AND KNIGHTS

You didn't know how it came to this.

The general's pupil glued to your side, looking at you with big honey, sparkling eyes as he happily munched on rice buns.

You were a simple Cloud Knight, really, and you just happened to see him on your daily patrol. The kid, who had been practising his swordsmanship, had his cheeks puffed and nose red and you, just wanting to help, stopped to offer some stray sweet soft bread you often carried with you at work.

And after that incident -to which you dutifully swore secrecy- somehow, you had become his idol. The kid just became attached to you, following you like a lost duckling whenever he had the chance.

It was all to protect the Luofu, he would say as he was tagging along on your patrol.

You tried running away, hiding behind buildings, wearing a fake mustache and sunglasses but it was as if Yanqing had some kind of sixth sense. He was always behind you, scaring you out of your wits like some eldritch monster.

Much to your dismay, his most recent pastime was showing you his sword collection. One of them was cursed, you swore, possessed even. It glowed a dark ominous red every time your eyes settled on it, but when it was its owner looking at it, the sword just glowed the prettiest shade of blue before returning to that dark colour once Yanqing's focus was back to you.

That thing probably hated your guts and you gulped, shivers running down your spine. That wretched sword still plagued your dreams at night.

But still, he was the hotshot general's retainer and surely he would leave you in favour of his teaching. What a nice joke it was because he always seemed to have too much free time on his hands. You had tried looking at Jing Yuan, eyes desperately begging for mercy. But the general in question always smiled at you, seeming to enjoy watching you drown in your misery in the shape of an annoying fourteen year old.

Safe to say you did not enjoy being his babysitter.

And now, that he was happily munching on some rice buns, cheeks puffed adorably like that of a little chipmunk's as he told you about his new swords, you couldn't help but give a small worn out sigh and ruffle his long blond locks, a small smile tugging at your lips.

And oh, you were getting soft.

Damn it.

[sailor-sun-18]

HONKAI STAR RAIL

Genre: Fluff/Humor

Character: GEPARD

DRAWING SNOWFLAKES

Snowflakes fell gently from the grey tinted sky, covering the streets of Belobog with their soft and cold embrace.

The soft ‘clicks’ of your boots echoed in the long hallway marked with door upon door on either side. You stopped in front of a particular door, framed by two white and blue banners, bearing the emblem of the Silvermane Guards.

You knocked, twice, the sound of wood muffled by your gloved hands. You took a step back, waiting for a bit, before a gentle ‘come in’ came from the study behind the dark mahogany.

“Gepard, you called me?” you said, closing the door behind your frame.

The Silvermane captain looked up from his desk, a gentle smile on his lips.

“Yes,- he set aside his paperwork and rummaged in the first drawer -the Madam Guardian has issued the command to arrest the Outsiders.”

He then put four drawings on his desk, “But before I go back to the front lines, I drew some wanted posters. I wanted to hear your opinion about them.”

You neared his place, picking a wanted poster. Dark grey and vibrant yellow mashed into a single, horrible and unrecognizable figure and was that a baseball bat behind them?

“What do you think?”

Gloved fingers gently crumpled the edge of the yellowed paper. You sweated nervously under the heavy, dark blue coat as you felt frost tinted irises locked onto your frame.

His drawing was... well, his drawing was... it was-

...Uh

Gepard looked expectantly at you, with eyes seeming to sparkle almost adorably and, for a moment, you felt bad. You mentally weighed the pros and cons, stealing a small glance at the blond.

Silence fell, you awkwardly grazed your cheek with the tip of your fingers. Eyes switching from the wanted poster to his blue irises, intently watching your every movement.

Suddenly, your face was in your hands. Belobog and outsiders be damned. You couldn’t bear to see a frown on his pretty face.

“It’s...- your grimaced -...uhm... very artistic?”

A small smile blossomed on your sweet lover’s face, oblivious to your inner turmoil.

“Really?” he asked, his brightened voice betraying his usually composed persona.

“Y-yes,- you faked a cough behind your hand -you’ve improved.” you lied, mentally apologizing to the citizens of Belobog.

The young Silvermane captain gave you a small, timid smile. “Thank you, [y-n].” he said, small flowers dancing around his head. You stiffly handed back his masterpiece and watched as he sat again, finishing the last sketches of another unidentified figure, a bright pink pencil between gloved fingers.

The cold air of Belobog greeted you as you left the comforting warmth of the main headquarters. You fixed the rifle strapped to your back.

An exasperated sigh left your lips.

Now, where was Pela again?

[sailor-sun-18]

GENSHIN IMPACT

Genre: Fluff/Humor

Character: DOTTORE

OF WISHES AND EXPLOSIONS

Somebody was going to be killed.

You glared at the dead frog, which had been waiting for you all morning, chilling on your desk. You grimaced, frowning at the small red droplets staining the polished wood while the gears in your mind turned and turned, trying to identify the culprit. Suddenly, you felt your fingers twitching.

Needless to say, it didn’t take long to connect the dots.

So, there you were, angrily stomping in the halls, feet leading to the school laboratory. Its dull white walls greeted you with the scent of chemicals and powders along with the razor toothy smile of your (self-proclaimed) science partner. You never agreed to be his working companion, but somehow the other students decided you were the perfect sacrificial victim for the crazy prodigy. He didn’t mind the arrangement, you did.

You marched right in front of him, already blowing a fuse. Ruby eyes peered curiously at your menacing aura through the half mask.

“Why was there a dead frog on my desk?”

He smiled wider, you tried to keep calm.

“Why? You didn’t like it?”

You huffed, before shaking your head.

°

The teacher’s voice was drowned by the shuffling of fabric and the clinking of glass. Your partner grabbed some slime concentrate and an energy nectar.

“Wait- these aren’t the right materials-” he shushed you with a wave of his hand.

“Who said we are doing the assignment.”

“But-”

Your words were interrupted by his sigh, wordlessly, he passed you a small vial with blue liquid. “Take it, I’ve already done it.”

You stared at him, baffled.

“When?”

“An hour ago- he said disinterested before grabbing a red powder from one of the shelves -now, watch, we’re going to blow something up”

You widened your eyes, watching him calmly mixing the two ingredients as if he didn’t just say he would create an explosion on school grounds.

“No, you aren’t going to do anything dangerous. We could be expelled.”

He dismissed your worries with a shake of his head. Your nerves twitched at his audacity. 

It wasn’t the first time that Dottore (it wasn’t his real name, but he always insisted on being called that) completed the assignment beforehand and decided to do whatever he wanted. And though you always wanted no part in his shenanigans you couldn’t help but watch every time. Your blue-haired (again, self-proclaimed) friend tinkered with the sticky substance. Feeling your gaze on him, he gave you a sharp grin and proceeded to mix the nefarious liquid with some unidentified ingredient you didn’t even know existed.

He then poured the deadly mix into a bubble shaped glass he had pulled out of his bag just five minutes before. He let it rest for a few seconds before turning on the small stove at the base, creating a small and joyful flame.

The liquid stirred and before you could even blink, small fireworks exploded in the top part of the glass bowl. Their colourful sparks melding into a bright “Happy Birthday” sign.

Dottore smirked, arms crossed on his chest and chin proudly in the air at the sight of your widened irises, reflecting the small fires.

[e-c] met with ruby. 

You smiled.

°

°

°

“Can I blow up something, now?”

“No-”

[sailor-sun-18]

GENSHIN IMPACT - Ballad of Melting Ice

Chapter I - Index

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*

*

*

SOFT TEARS gently fell from the weeping clouds above, covering the land in a heavy blanket of silence and unwavering beauty.

You sighed, as you watched how the previous snowstorm slowly turned into a gentle snowfall. The soft clouds hiding behind the horizon dyed a pale pink, hiding the first morning hours behind a curtain of warm orange.

Your eyes darted from the stained window to the small clock above the closed door. Its hands sometimes twitched. One of the two was slightly damaged, broken by the small pebbles the children had thrown it during lunch break.

You rested your head in your arms, wanting to sleep away those ten minutes left before the morning call, you would have been asleep right now, if only your newly developed insomnia hadn't decided to make your already messy sleeping habits hell. So there you were, stuck on the most uncomfortable chair of the orphanage right under the windowsill, its pillow knotted at the back was more for beauty than comfort and its old wood creaked under your weight, screeching like a chalk on a blackboard everytime you moved

You thought about lying down on the bed, counting all the creaks of the ceiling, but had to scratch that idea, seeing that your mattress was occupied by a little gremlin with pigtails who had decided that yours was better than hers.

Tiredly gazing around the small packed bedroom, your eyes stopped at the sight of one of your little sisters. The poor blanket was haphazardly thrown between her limbs. Droll escaped from her small lips like a flowing river. You lightly chuckled at her sight, before tearing your gaze to another bed, where one of the older boys lay with his head hidden under his pillow.

But your fun didn't last long, a nefarious clanking sound echoed in the hallways.

The poor door was thrown open by a bunch of kids dressed like vikings adorning fake beards and bad crafted, horned metal hats. They were shouting loud 'good morning!' violently banging heavy sticks on silver shields that most likely came from old, rusty pots.

Soon the House was filled with screams and laughter.

You sighed once again as you buried your head in your arms.

A tiny child looked at you with glossy grey-blue eyes. Her arms open, displaying the pristine white unbuttoned blouse. She stared at you with a doe-like gaze, a small pout on her rosy lips.

Your face was blank as you crossed your arms.

"What? Get dressed."

The child puffed out her cheeks.

"I can't" she said.

You raised your left hand "How many?" you asked, as you waved four fingers in front of her doll-like face.

"Four!"

"See?- you said, patting her head -You're a big and strong girl, get dressed."

You smiled, satisfied, before going towards the bedroom's door.

The child looked at you with an incredulous and betrayed gaze.

Little Freya screamed, stomping angrily on the wooden pavement, before charging at you, tiny teeth biting your leg.

A yelp escaped your lips.

Opening the faucet of the shower, you let the cold droplets ease the numb aching of your right leg.

Slowly massaging the biting-mark, you sent the stink eye to the seemingly harmless child, who was watching you with feigned innocence.

"Will you button up my shirt, now?" she swung from side to side, the knee-length dark green dress flowing adorably behind her.

A tight smile was plastered on your lips as you mercilessly pulled her cheeks, seeking revenge.

*

Screams and laughs bounced along the dining room walls, creating an astounding echo of noises and words.

Children ran and infants crawled around your legs, their hands covered by snot.

Sometimes you wondered why you were still there.

Little Freya (who was swinging left and right, hanging from your arm like a monkey) watched with curious interest, huffing with pride as she found herself being taller than all of the kids. But her prideful moment was soon interrupted by one of the older children. Her pink rose lips turned into a pout at the sight of his height.

Your eyes twinkled with bored curiosity, stomach growling, wanting to see the long awaited breakfast, but just one look at the abomination meant to be porridge had your stomach churn uncomfortably, all hunger gone.

In the middle of the room, your caretaker gently cradled a blonde toddler in her arms as she happily chatted to the headmaster of the orphanage. Your mother chirped, small sounds of joy leaving her lips every time she told the white haired woman one of the youngest children’s silly successes.

Your headmaster mustered a small smile, dark grey eyes glinting with feigned curiosity.

You snickered at her predicament.

The red cross in her eyes glared at you as you feigned an innocent whistle.

On the left side, from the kitchen’s door, a small child no older than nine was pushing a tray holding a large, dark grey pot filled with the nefarious soup, its small wheels creaking on the floor. 

Your mind blanked, thoughts filling with flashes of the spilled liquid, but disappearing as soon as they came.

Without thinking, your legs moved on their own and only when you heard the loud 'clank' of an old raised plank returning to its place, did your mind focus on the scene happening in front of you.

The black haired boy gazed at you with confusion, he shrugged his shoulders before resuming his work.

The child who was settled comfortably on your back, looked at you with twinkling curiosity as you stared intently at the wooden floor under your feet.

The morning prayer echoed in your mind as your hands hurt from the usual rhythmic clap.

The cold spoon in your hand felt heavy as your mind kept focusing on the previous event.

The small bits of oath, you had seen fall on the ground, floated around the milk broth without a care in the world. Their aimless wandering seemed to make fun of you.

Little Freya finished her meal in less than five minutes, her hungry metal blue eyes stared at the plate in front of you.

Wordlessly, you pushed the bowl towards her.

The little girl brightened as she hugged your arm, before resuming her ravenous eating.

*

Snow crunched under your boots.

You swept away the snow from the wooden bench and sat down, curling up in your jacket as white as the snow falling over the horizon. White puffs of air escaped your lips as you buried your nose, underneath the thick layers of the poorly handmade scarf you had decided to knit out of boredom.

The kids played with snowballs. You muffled a laugh when one of them hit a little boy on the face. Its puffy red face erupting into sobs as his companions panicked around him.

You stretched your limbs, sighing contently at the absence of Little Freya who had decided to make a snowman with the other girls.

Your shoulders hurt from the constant stress the little monkey had put on them. You mentally cursed the little girl's older brother who had been adopted two weeks ago and had dumped her on you, saying he didn’t want her to feel lonely.

You closed your eyes for a quick nap, a snowball landed on your face.

The small culprits’ snickers soon turned into screams as you slowly walked towards them, a wicked smile on your snow-stained face.

Dull grey eyes watched the scenery through lattice stained windows.

Arlecchino's bright red cross-shaped pupils looked at the scared children running for their lives, before focusing on you. As you pretended to be a fierce beast, with long fangs and sharp pointed canines, the words from your caretaker echoed in her mind.

"Ah,- she said as your heavy gaze focused on the wooden pavement, worry coated her voice -[y-n] is spacing out again, I wonder what goes through that child's mind, it's been happening more in the past few days."

An old document was violently thrown on the long desk, its content spilled on the polished wood.

A pristine white paper was illuminated by an old desk-lamp, its soft glow reflected by the faded colours of a detailed photograph, hiding the [h/c] locks beneath.

*

The young fatui recruits stood with their chin held high.

Big, proud smiles adorned their faces as their gloved hands held a small suitcase with all their belongings.

Some were hugging the younger children, whose faces were red and puffy, stained with tears. Others were laughing, sharing their last memories before the start of a new life.

From the corners of the stairway, you watched between the shadows of the sidelines. Your eyes narrowed at the new shining crest glaring on their chest.

You went away, your frame melting in the darkness of the candle lit hallway, leaving behind those young children you used to call brothers and sisters.

The yellowed pages of an old novel were illuminated by the dim light of a candle.

Your bored eyes sluggishly looked at the scribbled ink.

Finding the frivolous romance to the point of being almost ridiculous, you closed the book, before the second-hand embarrassment of the protagonist's actions could get to you.

The candles hanging above the stairs flickered.

You rested your forehead on a cold window, your tired irises overlooking the wooden stairs that stretched beneath you.

Outside, a soft, warm light ran on the snow, its movements reminding you of the small cute fireflies floating around the woods during the warmer summer nights, when you used to run outside, over the white fence.

The small fairy dropped what appeared to be a doll. As if realising the missing item from her small hands, she turned back.

When she picked up the little doll dressed in the shades of light blue, the fairy's small face was illuminated by the lantern she held in her small frail hands.

Your eyes widened.

Your chest burned with heaving breaths as your heart beat, running miles.

The cold white snow sank underneath your boots, mercilessly caging your legs in knee-high holes, you wondered how did the little girl managed to traverse alone so effortlessly.

Darkness draped a black veil over your eyes.

The stillness of the night would have lulled you to sleep had it not been so suffocating.

Alone, with only the guidance of the timid moonlight, you trudged through the snow, exhaling a relieved breath only when your boots touched the hard stone ground of the main road.

Your legs ached, the snow on your aching limbs froze all over the fabric of your clothes, attaching itself on your skin like stubborn glue.

The streets were silent as soft pearly tears fell from the weeping clouds.

A warm glow illuminated the cobblestone path where a lone little girl stood.

You picked up your pace once again, before stopping a few meters from her. You mustered a small relieved smile, mouth ready to call her name.

But that same name was stolen by winter's frigid wind.

Little Freya's cries were lost in the silence, small hands trying to grab the young male's sleeves in front of her.

You could see her rosy pink lips moving, but nothing could reach your hearing, drowned by the ringing of your mind.

The boy looked at the small child with lifeless gunmetal irises, sunset golden, ruffled locks framed perfectly his face, casting a doll-like glow.

You gritted your teeth, biting your tongue as you picked up Little Freya, hiding her small face in the crook of your neck, under the protective wings of your cloak.

You wanted to move but you stood there, frozen, as your eyes were solely focused on the puppet-like joints of his long fingers.

The freckled boy raised his hands and gently pushed your shoulders.

The ringing became overbearing.

The soft dreamy snowflakes turned black, like the monster of a child's nightmare.

"I'm sorry"

Your last words were quiet.

"Who were they?"

A small smile graced the boy's lips.

Mechanical sounds echoed in the night. A giant, finely dressed machine carried a young beautiful lady in its hands. Her dull topaz eyes focusing on the cloaked young adult running across the stone path.

The boy gave no answer, not that she had expected one.

She sighed.

"No matter.- her voice was soft -Come, we must go." she said, turning to the opposite direction.

The boy stood still for a moment, before following the young lady whose mantel was as white as the soft snowflakes of the weeping clouds

The little lantern lay forgotten.

The candle inside flickered one last time before the darkness devoured its light.

You didn't know how long you had been running.

The scenery around your figures became more and more unfamiliar as time passed.

You slowed to a walk.

Little Freya's grip tightened and you felt your shoulder become wet with tears.

Your hold tightened, cradling her small frame in a protective embrace. You bit your cheeks, trying to muffle your own trembling breath and quivering lips.

You had to be strong if not for you, for the small innocent naïve child in your arms.

But your legs trembled. You tried to walk to the nearest bench until your limbs gave up.

The hard stone floor was cold, ice nipped at your legs seeping through the fabric, burning the skin with frozen hungry kisses.

"Need a hand?"

You flinched, scared by the unknown voice.

The shades of ruffled ginger locks invaded your vision as your mind filled with gunmetal.

A young male extended a hand as dull blue irises watched you expectantly.

The same shade of the snow you found sitting on the windowsill every morning filled your line of sight.

You slapped his hand away.

The ginger didn't seem fazed as a small chuckle escaped from his lips.

He raised both his hands.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to-"

"I don't need help from a Fatuus." you cut.

The bundle in your arms moved. Tired grey-blue eyes gazed at your [e/c] irises.

Little Freya yawned, "Where are we?"

You shushed her gently, placing her head in a comfortable position.

The young Fatui crouched down, handing the small child the little doll you had lost during your fall.

"Thanks, Mister..." she said, her tiny voice soft and tired.

Mustering all your remaining strength, you resumed your walk.

The youngest Harbinger trailed a few steps behind.

"Why are you following us?" your voice was cold.

You gritted your teeth at his unresponsive stare.

"I don't need your help." you repeated, words uttered to convince yourself.

Your limbs trembled again. A pair of arms circled your shoulders, stabilising your body.

"Are you sure?"

Your gaze settled to the small shivering child in your arms. You closed your eyes.

"... I... please"

Something heavy fell on your shoulders. The sleeves of a long scarf as red as blood fell gently to your hips. You draped it around the child's body, her shivering stopped.

"Where to?"

"...the orphanage"

On the way back, you kept silent, quietly observing the male walking in front of you. His steeps never making a single noise.

The small snowflakes hidden in his locks made his hair appear almost as white as his long coat, whose feathers as black as night tickled his cheeks.

Little Freya was softly snoring, her small hand still gripping a handful of your cloak.

Old tiles came into view. Little by little, the building where you had spent all your childhood appeared in front of you.

As you stood in front of the wooden and heavy front door, you spoke.

"So, why did you help us?" your words were coated by a thin layer of mistrust.

“No reason.”

The young Harbinger smiled, dull eyes filled with mirth as he watched you close the door.

"Let's just say- he breathed -I don't want to anger a colleague of mine" he said, walking towards the stone path.

A cold gust of wind breathed, the white coat disappeared, hiding in the shadow of a frozen whisper.

Carefully, you tucked Little Freya under the heavy blanket of her bed. Slowly, you left her side, but were soon stopped by a small hand grabbing the end of your cloak.

"[y/n]- she whispered your name -what... happened to... big brother?"

Your hands balled up into fists.

You kept your gaze fixated on the floor, unable to look at her big tired eyes.

Words of truth wished to leave your lips.

You bit them back.

"I..." you began.

Your throat seemed to restrict and for a moment you couldn't breathe.

"I don't know."

Your nails created dents in your palms.

*

*

*

CHAPTER I

WEEPING CLOUDS

-----◇-----

GENSHIN IMPACT - Ballad of Melting Ice

Happy New Year!!

[sailor-sun-18]

GENSHIN IMPACT - Ballad of Melting Ice

Prologue - index

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*

*

*

The first time you had seen the Tsaritsa was ten years ago.

On the night of Krsnik Noc.

As the newest addition to the orphanage, you had been chosen as the carrier of the perpetual ice, symbol of the Land of Cryo.

When the news from the headmaster had reached your ears, all children had erupted with joy, celebrating the fact that their house was going to represent the entire region.

Amidst all the chaos and cheers, you had stood there, unmoving, not really understanding all the hype for that uninteresting cube of ice.

Citizens and visitors from all over Teyvat competed for the best spot, the most rowdy sometimes with punches and raised voices.

The moon irradiated Zapolyarny Palace under an ethereal glow as the building towered over the crowded main square obscured by its shadow.

A heavy coat as pure as snow was unceremoniously thrown over your already aching shoulders for the strict posture you had to keep.

But soon your pain faded into the background and, as snow began to fall, your breath was stolen, carried by the playful snowflakes running over the whispers of the freezing breeze.

Your eyes widened when the Cryo Archon walked in front of you, her white dress flowed behind her, following her movements like a soft snowflake gently guided by the wind.

Her most trusted knights, the Harbingers followed just one step behind, their chin high and proud. Their coats glistened pure white under the moon, reminding you of the fresh snow you found every morning atop the windowsill.

The small cube in your hands felt suddenly heavy.

A ticklish feeling crawled up your spine.

Your face surely wore a strange expression for the girl next to you nudged your arm with her elbow, mouthing a quiet "relax."

You sighed.

Yeah, as if you could do that.

You wished you still had all those white powders your caretakers had put on your face that same morning but were then scrubbed off by order of your older sisters.

Puffs of white escaped your trembling lips as you slowly began to walk towards her.

Your trembling body felt unusually stiff, the tedious lessons of posture you had endured that same morning were finally taking their toll.

You bit the inside of your cheeks, anxious.

Your trembling arms hidden by the large regal blue sleeves.

You took a deep breath as you began to walk once again. Your steps marked by a veil of uncertainty.

Your eyes scanned the long dark blue carpet.

Suddenly, images of yourself slipping on ice flashed in your mind, you halted, you tightened the hold on the pristine white plate.

You took another breath.

Your shoulders relaxed.

You were fine.

Maybe you should stop that little annoying habit of yours. Stop thinking about all the worst possibilities.

But then you made a larger step.

Ah, you slipped.

The ancient relic fell.

Ice met ice.

You had never got up so fast in your life, hands already going towards that little (and probably cursed) cube, whose smooth surface was already reflecting your flustered figure.

In the midst of your panic you failed to notice the tall figure approaching your small self.

A cold hand gently touched your right cheek, frigid fingers grazed upon the skin.

Your eyes widened and when [e-c] met light crystal, your movements halted and you stood there, lips slightly parted, mesmerised.

Your irises were solely focused on the woman in front of you and only when you heard a small quiet chuckle did you realize you were probably looking like a fool.

Your cheeks felt hot as you panicked, hands gripping the ice in front of you with an unsteady hold.

The small cube trembled in your hands, threatening to fall once again until bigger and colder hands gripped yours in a firm hold.

A gentle smile adorned her gaze.

***

A long orange scarf was thrown over your head, one of your older brothers ruffled mercilessly your hair.

He laughed, bright lemon eyes filled with mirth.

"Can't believe you dropped that!"

Cheeks puffed and arms crossed, you turned your head the other way, watching the colourful stands of food and toys.

"I didn't do it on purpose."

He ruffled your hair again, ignoring your protests.

"I know, I know" he laughed.

As you tried to contain your annoyance at his boisterous laughs, you saw a glimpse of white streaks.

You slapped his arms away before sticking out your tongue and hiding behind the long coat of one of your older sisters, who sighed as soon as she looked at the pouting and offended male. Her short white hair swayed gently, as she shook her head at your antics.

As you stuffed your face in the dark feathers of her hood, you unknowingly touched your right cheek.

When the tip of your fingers grazed the skin, you flinched at the coldness. On reflex, you immediately touched the other.

You looked at your hands, before squishing your cheeks.

The two children watched with curious gazes wondering why you were so obsessed with the plush skin.

The ginger snorted, "What 're you doin'?"

You said nothing as you continued to touch the plush skin with a serious expression.

Your eyes lit up.

"My right cheek is colder than the other!" you proudly exclaimed like a proud detective who had resolved an impossible mystery.

The two watched you with dumbfounded expressions.

The male burst out laughing, you stomped your foot on the snow before focusing on the girl at his side who was trying to hide her giggles.

You felt betrayed. So you stomped away to your caretaker who was busy talking with one of the store owners.

When you pulled her long skirt to catch her attention, a small brown stuffed toy at one of the stands caught yours.

Your foster mother smiled at your cute little figure and pinched affectionately your left cheek with her warm hand.

"Love is warm"

Suddenly, a phrase that one of your sisters had told you a long time ago filled your thoughts.

You remembered how her dull round glasses had shone when she had told you that phrase she had found in one of her favourite novels.

But the so called Archon of Love's touch was as cold as the ice that every morning took over the stained glass of your old window.

You frowned.

Your cheek was still cold.

*

*

*

PROLOGUE

ICE HOLDS NO WARMTH

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Krsnik Noc is an original festival of Snezhnaya, as told by Ivanovich during Lantern Rite. It is said that, in Snezhnaya, it's as famous as Lantern Rite in Liyue.

Everything that will be told in this fanfiction will be a mix between Snezhnaya lore and my imagination.

The images taken by A Winter Night's Lazzo belong to Hoyoverse, I just edited them for the story.

Happy Halloween 🎃

GENSHIN IMPACT - Ballad of Melting Ice

[sailor-sun-18]

-----◇-----

*

*

*

"Whispers hidden by a blizzard"

*

*

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BALLAD OF MELTING ICE

GENSHIN IMPACT

*

PROLOGUE

*

CHAPTER I 

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CHAPTER II

*

...

----- ◇ -----

[sailor-sun-18]

GENSHIN IMPACT

Genre: Fluff/Comfort

Character: BEIDOU

SEA AND SALT

Waves softly hit the black wood, gently flowing on its curves and forming small drops in its imperfections. 

Sun rays beat the calm sea that stretched beyond the horizons, where the line between sky and water was indistinguishable.

With your head resting on the palm of your hand, you sighed, your legs slowly swayed over the blue that seemed to take the shape of a floor, fixed on the surface but always moving inside. If you had leaned a little more, perhaps you could have touched it with the tip of your shoes, but the numerous wooden planks, stacked under you, reminded you of the actual distance between you and the sea. It stretched for meters and meters. But the water seemed so close.

The big white clouds behaved like a mirror. Your imagination projected on them all the events of the morning. The images were clear, like the ones belonging to the liquid crystals of a phone. A small pout formed itself on your lips. Morning had already come to an end and you had done nothing. You huffed, your annoyed gaze settled on the plaster that held your arm hostage, the cause of your unproductive morning. The sailors of the tall sailing ship had forbidden you any kind of task you had wanted to do. 

“You’ll help us when you recover, now you should get a good rest” they said. Their intentions were good, but you hated sitting around.

You had tried to cook, but the cook herself had thrown you out before you could hold a knife. You had even tried bribing Kazuha to let you help him with his chores, but he had only smiled. It goes without saying that all your attempts had proved to be futile.

So there you were, bored to death and without anything to do. Maybe you could appreciate the newfound tranquility and moment of rest... you snorted, you didn’t want to. You sighed once again, you felt like a burden, maybe you should have just stayed in your small house in Liyue. You shook your head, you would have come anyway, with or without your captain’s permission, not that she could have done anything about it. She knew how stubborn you could be.

The wind, that full of pride inflated the sails, tickled your cheeks as a comforting caress or as a mocking pinch. Which one was of the two, you didn’t want to know, if it was the latter, you doubted you could win a fight against air.

A loud boisterous laugh caught your attention. Your shoulders were suddenly held in a strong half embrace. The voice of your captain echoed in your ears.

“Admiring the sea, yeah?” her bright pink eye was filled with mirth, “Today the sea is calm, wish the winds would blow a little more!”

A bored look adorned your visage. A lethargic, unenthusiastic ‘yes’ left your lips. Beidou looked at your slightly bent figure, a small smile rested on her lips.

A loud slap hit your back almost making you lose balance. “Chin! up!” she exclaimed while you were massaging your poor aching back.

“Today, you can’t do anything, but tomorrow! You can do anything you want.”

A silent grumble was your only response.

“C’mon, c’mon, sometimes, rest is necessary to regain strength, yeah?”

You looked at her from the corner of your eye. 

“If you say so” came your response.

The brunette crossed her arms and sighed, “Wait here- she said -I’ll be right back.”

As the wood creaked under her footsteps, your hands itched, ready to do something. Your bored [e-c] irises returned their gaze towards the vast blue. Fishes jumped out of the slightly rippled waves. Their scales reflected the rays of the sun for a few seconds, before returning to the water embrace. Your lungs swelled, salt tickled your breath. 

The wood creaked once again under heavy footsteps. A rice dumpling was placed in front of you, you looked at the captain standing by your side. Beidou smiled, gesturing you to take it with a nod of her head.

You took it, your hand lightly squeezed the soft rice.

“Now eat- she said, eating her own dumpling -if you do, you’ll recover in no time.”

And for the first time, that day, a small smile took shape on your lips

[sailor-sun-18]

Do you like the Chasm? I think it's one of my favourite places.

GENSHIN IMPACT

Genre: Fluff

Character: KAZUHA

Sorry for the long wait! This can be considered both the second part of Snow White Rain or just another story.

SNOW WHITE CLOUDS

The clouds were a healthy shade of pure white. The sun stood tall and proud, shining bright. Birds were flying, soaring across the clear blue sky. The warm season soon would have arrived.

You sighed as your bus was late once again. The small bus station was crowded as it had always been, forcing you to stay under the warm weather. It wasn't unpleasant, but you would have preferred to stay under the cool shade.

You fixed your black tie and flattened the creases of your blouse. You watched the second-hand running fast, above the numbers of your small wristwatch.

Eager chatter caught your attention. To your left, two girls were discussing a novel they had recently read. The title was long and difficult, nonetheless you were able to discern some words. You knew that novel for it was popular among girls and boys alike.

It had been years since you read a novel, deciding to stop in favour of a more pragmatic approach to your work. Your mind wasn't clouded with such hopeless romantic thoughts anymore, you had decided to grow up from your childish fantasies drowned in dreams.

You sighed once again. You supposed that every age had its own phase.

Tilting your head upwards, you watched the big fluffy clouds moving slowly across the babyblue sky, tinted with orange hues. To pass some time, you tried to understand their shapes. Some were funny, some were cute and others were difficult to comprehend.

They were coloured with familiar shades. A nice pure white reflecting light hues of the red and orange setting sun.

They reminded you of the stranger you had encountered under freezing cold crystal droplets.

Kazuha was his name. You still remembered it well.

He was who your once younger self thought of as true love. (The thought still made you flustered)

You wondered how he was doing. But soon shaked your head with the intent of removing your thoughts about him.

You had met him once. He was nothing but a stranger to you. He had probably forgotten about you. You pouted, your cheeks puffed out, showing the remaining childlike shards.

Huffing, feeling irritaded, you kicked the small puddle at your feet. Droplets emerged, splashing the trousers of the boy next to you.

Murmuring a small embarrassed "Sorry" you heard a soft silent laugh.

"This reminds me of that day. Don't you think so?"

You swore you had never turned so fast in your life. Eyes open and wide, you watched silently the stranger next to you, mouth agape.

Had he always been so unfairly beautiful?

"Seems like we meet again, [y-n]. I hope you haven't forgotten about me" he greeted.

"Kazuha..." you breathed.

"Yes, it's me" he nodded, happy with your response.

You admired him silently. He was slightly taller than the last time you had seen him. His young chubby cheeks gave way to sharper features. His crimson ruby eyes were as soft as you remembered, but had a newfound mature sparkle in them.

"You have changed" you said.

"So did you" he responded.

Silence fell between you. You stole small glances at him.

Melancholy gently pulled the strings of your beating heart. You couldn't remember his young image anymore, the memory turning into fading specks of colours.

"What have you been up to?" he asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"I've been working as [job], and you?"

"Travelling"

He had been... travelling?

"Where?" you couldn't help but ask.

And so, he told you about his voyage, his journey across land and sea, known and unknown. About the cultures he had seen and the friendships he had made. He also recited Haiku with honeyed words. The same honeyed words the 'young' you tried to understand unsuccessfully. The same honeyed words the 'mature' you could finally understand because you managed the courage to simply ask for their meaning.

You found out for the second time that the city's noises blurred in the background.

A loud noise resounded, the same violet blue bus from years ago arrived at the small busy station. It wasn't yours but, strangely, you weren't annoyed.

You didn't want your pleasant conversation to come to an end.

"Seems like I have to go, hopefully I will be able to meet you again" began the stranger, calmly walking to the vehicle. Suddenly he stopped, your own voice echoing.

"Wait!- you shouted before quieting down- I...I...! Will I meet you again?"

Quiet steps lightly touched the ground.

His smile was soft, softer than the snow white clouds.

His warm hand cupped your right cheek.

A beautiful cherry blossom stood tall and proud behind your ear. A folded note neatly tied at its stem.

The bus started moving. You waved your hand. A small happy smile decorating your features.

A number was carved into the note with elegant and swift handwriting. An unspoken question carried within. You smiled.

[sailor-sun-18]

Venti and Carnival of Venice!

[sailor-sun-18]

GENSHIN IMPACT - CARNIVAL SPECIAL

Genre: Fluff

Character: VENTI

CORIANDOLI DI CARNEVALE

Bells rang, their music echoed between the streets. Colourful confetti fell, slowly dancing with each other, sharing their joy with playful whispers of wind. 

[e-c] eyes marvelled at the sight of beautiful masks and gowns, finely decorated with threads of silver and gold. Delicate masks were carved in solemn and joyous expressions.

Small confetti fell on your nose, you sneezed and gently rubbed it.

Women whose body was adorned by fine dresses walked in front of you, soft words and laugh escaping from their lips, covered by their feathery fans. You straightened your back and fixed all the creases of your old clothes. When you made sure you were out of their line of sight, you curved you shoulders, mind wishing you had those kinds of robes. It wasn’t as if you had none fitted for special occasions, but your family had never been so rich. Carnival garments were expensive and the pay given by the cultivation of wheat could only get to a certain point and that was daily needs. So, a white blouse and a long decorated gown/pair of trousers (which unfortunately were already stained) were the most you had. 

A gondola rode the docile waters belonging to one of the canals that bathed the city. Atop the painted wood, flower crowns shined under the sun, their petals open, showing their beauty to all passer-by. Drops and small bubbles formed in the calm ripples created by its movements. 

You face reflected on the water in a distorted funny image. With your hands, you pulled up the corners of you mouth in a wobbly smile, before giving soft taps to your cheeks. Eager for the parade, you smiled and headed towards the main Plaza, a light skip in your steps.

“Thank you” you said, giving a small squeeze to the new gold mask in your hands. You dark brown pouch of mora was light, you sighed, it was already so empty... well, at least you had enough money for a caramel apple. An exasperated sigh caught your attention, the blue haired girl at your side shook her wallet, but her beloved clinking sound was silent. You smiled sympathetically at her dejected look.

The Plaza was so crowded that you had almost lost your balance twice. Masks adorned the faces of those near you, keeping their identity unknown in bright and dark colours. You tightened the lace around yours. You couldn’t afford to lose it, if you did, you would have to leave the main square, the rules said so. During Carnival, identities were meant to be a secret, of course, there were always those who travelled in groups or couples. Nonetheless traditions were traditions.

Sweetness melted on your tongue, a smile found its way on you lips at the taste of the freshly baked caramel apple. The thought of your little adopted sister invaded your mind, you wondered where she was, for when you had entered the main tallest gates she had left you hand, in favour of searching for the boy who held her affections. You smiled amused, already knowing she wouldn’t say a word to him, her shy nature had never let her after all. Who knows, maybe she would surprise you, but you hoped not, as you liked pestering her and seeing her red face. 

A small yelp escaped your lips as someone collided with your back “Sorry!” and quickly got away, words formed on your tongue but stopped as soon as you realised your sight was clearer than before. You touched the area around your eyes, your mask was missing. Using your hands, you covered your face. Your gaze shifted from place to place, scrutinizing all the small copper coloured tiles, saying a quick ‘sorry’ everytime you bumped into someone.

The broken pieces of your ex-mask sat comfortably on your palms. The small fountain droplets behind you were loud. You watched the small pieces, hoping that somehow magic would fix them back into their place. You raised your hands, trying to observe them from all the possible prospectives. Angry steps moved from left to right, your feet carried you impatiently above the sun kissed stone.

You stopped, an idea in your head.

You just had to find a glue...

You plan was... more difficult than you had thought. The glue, lent by a shoemaker, barely held the golden pieces together. You mask had become a mosaic, at least it was artistic (in reality it was quite depressing). Incomprehensible noises left your vocal chords in broken angry monologues. Chin in the palm of your hand, you sat on the border of the small fountain, listening to the sound of water running quickly towards the ground, clouding the joy and cheer inside the Plaza. 

Small golden bells sang, jingling together with white pure pearls. A shadow was cast above you. You yelped as a white mask appeared in front of you. It was decorated with a dark green motive similar to that of a butterfly, a small teal gem was embedded between a pair of stylised wings at the top. 

“A ghost!”

The stranger moved their index finger from left to right and crossed their arms, light blue braids adorned with chains of pearls and bells bounced with the lateral movement of their head. They looked at your hand-made mosaic before pointing it and tilting the head to the side.

“I lost it and now it’s broken” you said. They hummed, understanding your words. You wondered why they didn’t speak, maybe they just didn’t want to, but their clothes were finely decorated with threads of silver and gold, the short jacket was opened in a long cloak that flew along with their movements. Perhaps they were a performer, during the festival a small group of people was chosen to perform above the highest stages of the floats, they were called performers, they weren’t allowed to speak so they wouldn’t reveal their identity nor show themselves in public, as their beautiful dresses would give their role away. In other words they were meant to wait in the shadows, until the light of the show would rain on them.

Strange hurried noises escaped behind the porcelain mask, the stranger suddenly dragged you behind a tall bush “Hey! Wha-” and put their finger in front of the green tinted lips. Hasty steps reached the small square, a girl with sand-coloured pigtails looked around, a small pout on her blue lips. Her blue and silver mask framed the bright cobalt of her eyes, veiled by a speck of worry. She sighed, her white gloved hands curved in loose fists over her heart. She circled around the fountain born from stone, her maid-like skirt followed her steps. She sighed once again, before going towards a narrow street. 

A silent breath of relief found its way on the stranger jade-tinted lips, they took you hand and wrote with the tip of their fingers, invisible ink created words and letters on your palm. 

‘Name’s V, what’s yours?’

“[y-n]”

‘Come- they wrote -let’s go inside’ and pointed towards a large street decorated with banners and confetti, feathers and pinwheels. You shook your head, “I can’t my mask is broken.” The skip in their steps stopped, the vacant eyes of the mask looked at your face, then at your mask. They repeated the action several times.

An emerald coloured mask proudly sat in your hands, reflecting the sunrays in small rainbows through small silver glitters. Hands on their hips, the stranger took a satisfied and proud pose, you swore that sparkling stars were dancing around them. 

Following V was difficult, they leaped from one stall to another like a dendro slime in the mood of bullying poor travelers, they reminded you of your little sister, when she was only a four-year-old child. V had told you (or more like had written you) that they had never been to the festival in broad daylight. You smiled, chest puffed out, filled with pride, you would be the best festival-guide in the world. After all, you knew Carnival like the back of you hand. Oh, it seemed like you had lost them, fortunately the jingling bells guided you towards them once more. 

Streamers exploded in long intertwined threads, carried by puffs of laughter. Colourful pinwheels petals, that hanged from the long wires between houses, followed the winds currents, slowly and fast, first on one side and then on the other. The winds of freedom breathed happily through the feathers of high headdresses.

You took a deep breath, sugary aromas filled your lungs, creating clouds of sweetness. You hummed, you could recognise the sweet scent of crostoli from miles away. You couldn't wait to eat one. The sound of bells distracted you from your sugary dream.

“Here you go, youngster!”

V bowed their head as a sign of thanks at the happy laughing bearded man, who shook him in a half embrace, beating their chest with a fist.

You smiled at the sight and was that beer-

A dejected braided stranger walked lethargically at your side, their head down in probably fake depression. Soft grumbling was heard beside you, who didn't believe them when they wrote how old they were. Maybe they should have wrote twenty instead of over two thousand.

V stiffened, a biting cold shiver ran down their spine. Playful winds whispered the coming of a certain red-head dressed by an aura of calm rage.

Trying to seem eager, they pulled your sleeves and pointed at a random point in the colourful crowd before running in that direction, leaving you in the dust, a dumb expression on your visage. “Hey- wait!”

White doves soared from the black cylinder, painting the sky in soft clouds of white. A round of applause surrounded the bowing magician, who moved his wand, flowers blossomed from its white tip. You smiled, even though you had seen those tricks several times, they never ceased to amaze you, the young stranger must had felt the same way as they continued to clap.

The golden bells of the cathedral sang, their melody echoing through the streets and canals, bringing hidden reminders concealed by strong notes. A bright teal firework blossomed in the azure sky, its flames following each other in intertwined dances. Excited words fell from porcelain masks "The performance will start soon." "Mum! The performance!" "How pretty..."

You smiled but soon became confused at the sight of V, who didn't seem to share your enthusiasm. Brown loafers tapped on sun-kissed tiles. 'Watch me?' they wrote on your hand, you nodded, confused. V raised their hands in a funny military salut. A skip marked their steps, the golden bells sound became distant.

Another firework bloomed, its pink colour reflected in your eyes. As all the pieces fell into their place you huffed, amused.

Colourful flames exploded in the sky, by uniting and by separating they blossomed in petals crowned by sunrays. Wisps of wind played in the air, running together in a messy game of tag. Trumpets and drums sang in the opening ceremony, where acrobats flew, carried by long ribbons, singers reached the highest notes and dances were led by swift steps. Confetti shined in the vibrant blue, candies and streamers were gifted to smiling children. Your eyes twinkled in amazement, [e-c] irises stopped at the sight of your little sister holding hands with Tom, a mischievous smile found its way on your lips. 

Playful whispers of wind tickled your ears. Golden bells jingled. Sparkling teal soared with emerald wind currents. The long forest cloak shined under the sun, gold threads glistened in small rainbows. Words of a carefully crafted story were accompanied by teal irises playfully half-closed. The porcelain white mask kissed by a butterfly was tied to a hat made of lace, feathers and cecilias. Notes flew free from the strings of a treasured lyre. Venti moved across the white stage, giving life to the characters’ gestures and voices. Deep blue searched through the crowd, looking for someone. Jade tinted lips tempted to form a pout as from the start of the ceremony he had yet to find you. His fingers brushed against the wrong note, which was soon covered by another one. Turning his head to the right, he masked a sigh of relief.

His chest filled with pride, as gazes watched filled with admiration. Confetti and streamers rained on him, bathing him in colourful specks, candies fell near his polished loafers and oh! They were apple flavoured. A shame that they weren’t wine flavoured, maybe he could ask Diluc for nice bottle of dandelion wine later.

“And then. The hero...” he sang, his story was already coming to an end and, soon, he would have to re-tell it from the start, but it was starting to bore him, perhaps he should tell another one. A new sets of notes emerged from his instrument, he turned his head around, but he couldn’t find you. Red, purple, pink and blue. Gold, silver, orange and grey, but no emerald. Maybe he should have told you to watch his show atop the walls, however, even those were crowded. 

As the winds carried the last words of his poem, he began preparing the chord for his next song. His throat was already becoming sore. Just one more... he thought, as his mind was already thinking about wine. A bright gleam of light blinded temporarily his sight, he rubbed his slightly irritated eyes. Curious, he searched for its source. 

Small rainbows reflected on silver glitter.

His eyes widened, as rich deep blue clashed with [e-c], his lips gave way to a smile.

Fireworks bloomed in the sky, freeing confetti above the wings of freedom.

*Gondola: a boat characteristic of Venice, led by a single oar.

*Crostoli: a typical carnival sweet.

[sailor-sun-18]

GENSHIN IMPACT

Genre: Fluff/Humor

Character: CHONGYUN

Featuring: Hu Tao the Master Matchmaker and Mona Megistus the Shady Astrologer

Part: 4/4

How to make Chongyun fall in ♡ with you

Hu Tao's personal guidebook!

RULE N°4: THERE IS NO NUMBER 4

Small cold droplets fell from the grey angry clouds. You stood under the roof of your school entrance, watching students giving each other quick hugs or chatting about assignments for tomorrow. Crystal tears fell on your hand, jumping at the contact of your palm. You thought about running under it, but it was too cold and with your luck, a cold was guaranteed. Already knowing that your mother would make you go to school even with a high fever, under layers and layers of scarves to keep you warm, you decided to wait for a couple of minutes.

Surely water would have mercy.

Yeah... no.

It had other plans and one of those was pouring down harder than before.

Unbelievable, were clouds mocking you?

You buttoned up the last buttons of your blazer, the end of the medical tape was caught between the threads, tearing a little bit. A small hiss escaped from you lips.

A certain blue haired lad stopped next to you, an unhappy expression moving his soft features into a frown at the sight of your nefarious enemy.

Oh...

Ooh...

Oooh...

So clouds weren't mocking you.

(You didn't need to know but Hu Tao and a forced Mona had set it all up and were watching you two, one proud of their work, the other annoyed.)

"No umbrella?" you found yourself saying before realising the stupidity of your question.

Chongyun hinted a small smile, "It seems so."

Silence fell. You wanted to say something to break it, but soon decided not to as it wasn't uncomfortable. It was okay if no words were exchanged, being in each other presence was enough for you (you hoped it was the same for him too).

With the corner of his eyes he watched you clumsily fumbling with your blazer. Suddenly his expression turned into one of worry. He raised his hands and when they neared yours, he hesitated, before clenching his hands into fists and taking yours with gentleness. Touching slightly your fingers (his cheeks were already becoming a pale pink), he carefully and firmly enveloped the colourful band-aids and short tapes.

"You must be more careful, if they come loose, your wounds will get infected."

You... well you... short-circuited.

Not hearing any answers, the young exorcist stopped. He raised his head and, after seeing you blank unresponsive stare, he realised he had grabbed your hands without your consent. He pulled back a few steps. The rosy colour became more prominent.

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, embarrassed.

"I-I-No! Y-you... it's okay!" you were officially broken. His previous shame turned into worry.

"Are you okay?" your mind was screaming 'No' but you coughed into your hand, trying to avoid further embarrassment.

"Yes... uh- words stopped in your throat -thank you!" The volume of your own voice scared both you and Chongyun. Ashamed by your burst, apologies began to form on the tip of your tongue, but the sound of soft laughter paused them.

"You're welcome" a small cute smile adorned his lips, as a baby pink blush decorated his cheeks.

Cold droplets fell, their jumps echoing in a puddle.

"I'm sorry" you said as memories of the previous events replayed in your mind.

The ice eyed student looked at you, confused, a small 'why' escaping his mouth. You averted your eyes with a squeaky 'nevermind'.

"Pay, Loser." Hu Tao bent her fingers towards the palm of her hands. A small pouch of mora was placed on her right one.

"Here I thought I was going to win this time." grumbled an annoyed Xingqiu.

The brunette opened the small bag, marveling at the sight of shiny gold mora. The Guhua disciple sighed before walking towards his friend.

"Chongyun! Here, catch." A blue umbrella was caught by a startled exorcist, Xingqiu went to his side, an amused smile adorning his lips.

"I found it in the classroom, near my desk."

"Ah... thanks."

"No problem." he said, a hand over the gates. Cold tears jumping on his umbrella. The young student at your side clumsily opened his, revealing small white wisps painted on the canopy.

"See you tomorrow, [l-n]" and, with a nod of his head, he joined his friend.

"See you... tomorrow..."

Your slouched, a little sigh escaping from your lips, releasing all the previous tension. You smiled. A happy "Yes!"

Hu Tao gave herself a pat on the shoulder. Finally her hard efforts had born fruit.

Shifting her gaze to the old white clock on the wall, she remembered she had a job to do, but feeling a good person, she let you celebrate for a few minutes, until, with a humanly impossible speed, she ran under the rain, dragging by their arms both you and an annoyed Mona, who was complaining about her wet hat. A contagious laugh enveloped her happiness. Mona's fake disappointment broke.

You laughed like crazy, not caring if the next day, a cold would take your health in its grasp.

RULE N°4: THERE IS NO NUMBER 4

EPIC VICTORY!

[sailor-sun-18]

Hello! Good luck on your pulls!

GENSHIN IMPACT

Genre: Fluff/Humor

Character: CHONGYUN

Featuring: Hu Tao the Master Matchmaker, Mona Megistus the Shady Astrologer and Xiangling Chef Terrorist

Part: 3/4

How to make Chongyun fall in ♡ with you

Hu Tao's personal guidebook!

RULE N°3: Third Time's a Charm

Attempt 1: get the Shady Astrologer on the dark side.

-> Note: use food

"No, I won't help you" began the astrologer fixing her wide-brimmed hat. "The last time I helped someone with their love life, they blamed my Hydro arts for their unsuccessful future. So, no." she said crossing her arms, her face showing bored eyes.

Hu Tao faked a gasp, emphasising it with raised hands, before settling her left hand on your shoulder and showing the girl in front of her your sad puppy face. Mona's eyebrows twitched, she sighed and declined your request once again. Giving up, you pulled gently your best friend sleeve. But she didn't budge, not one bit. With feet firmly planted on the ground and crossed arms, she engaged in a deadly stare match against the crystal-eyed student.

Red met jade.

You could feel lightning exchanged by their glares, even though none of them had an Electro Vision. Unbeknownst to you, the brunette smirked mischievously and when she showed her opponent a photo of food, Mona's eyes sparkled. Realising her mistake, the latter suddenly coughed into her hand embarrassed, making her expression return comically serious. The astrologer shook hands with a victorious Hu Tao and together sealed a silent pact.

"Now- she began laying her chin on her intertwined hands -what were you saying before?"

Images were reflected on the glass sphere.

"Mhm... I see..." softly murmured Mona, unreadeable eyes.

You swayed from left to right, shifting anxiously. The young director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor approached her side.

"Is it bad?"

"No- started Hu Tao stretching the vowel as if she wanted to gain time -"It's neither good nor bad, I would say it's normal- continued Mona -however, I recommend bringing some kind of lucky charm."

"Yes!" interjected your friend "You know... uh... those pretty little trinkets!"

Confusion was written on your face.

"So... can I see?"

"Ah! No, we don't have time to waste! Come on- she said, pushing you towards the dark room exit -Chongyun might be stolen behind our backs!"

"W-wait! I still haven't seen my luck!"

"Nah, you don't need to see it."

Yeah... you didn't need to see how awful your luck (if it could be called like that) was...

"Hello, Mona. Why are you here?"

"Paym-" she started answering, but soon her mouth was muffled with Hu Tao's hand.

"She said she's going to help you."

Your eyes twinkled, a smile of gratitude crossed your features. (The other two felt bad for lying to you.)

"So, what are we going to do?" whispered the blue-nette while she was munching on her payment sandwich. A look of disbelief settled on her visage as soon as she saw your friend's solemn look.

"Emotional support."

After a deep breath, your eyes focused on the boy a few meters in front of you. You took small baby steps. Sweat dampening your neck. Eyes anxiously fluttering open and closed. Gaze everywhere but in front of you. Hu tao smirked before pushing your back. You stumbled directy right in front of the exorcist, who watched you with a curious gaze as you fumbled nervously with the sleeves of your poor jacket. Your mouth opened and closed, a small chat was all you needed, but words seemed to miss. From the corner of your eyes you could see Hu Tao and a reluctant Mona giving you a thumbs up. Courage suddenly hit you.

"Chongyun-"

"Chongyun! The teacher is calling for you!"

"Please, tell Mr Zhongli I’m coming, thanks- his vision shifted your way -sorry, [l-n]. What were you saying?" but you weren’t there anymore.

Attempt 2: the question is violence cooking and the answer is yes!

Expressionless.

Expressionless was your face and blank was your mind. Your school's best cook, Xiangling, stood before you. A strange looking dish in her hands. It had a strange texture, the blue jelly blob swayed from left to right.

"What’s this?" you asked even though you were afraid of her answer. She smiled, "My new dish, can you give it a try?" To be honest you wanted to say ‘No’ and run away. However, the sight of an enthusiastic Hu Tao, who was making signs of encouragement mouthing "She’s an ally", made you stop. You gulped, already saying goodbye to your dignity.

A hand was patting your back, trying to give you some solace together with the hope of making you forget what had recently happened. It didn't work.

Your friend displayed a painfully tight smile, mentally relieved to have escaped death. Xiangling murmured a small sorry, a hand rubbing nervously her neck.

After some minutes you rolled up your sleeves, a determined glint in your eyes replaced the previous depressed one in no time. The young cook smiled at your energy, while Hu Tao and Mona were wondering why you still didn't have a Pyro Vision, for they could clearly see the fiery red aura around you.

Extravagant dishes proudly sat on the cooking class tables, showing their ghastly features in the shape of unsettling bubbles, purplish colours and disturbing mould.

"How is it?"

Xiangling took her chin between her fingers, "Something is missing."

The poor excuse of a dish in your hands was... not okay. Dark green bubbles popped after coming into contact with air.

"I don't think this is edible."

Depression soon overcame your slouched sad appearance as Hu Tao and Mona were watching your creation with pale, horrified faces.

"Now it's good!" excitedly exclaimed the blue haired girl. A proud grin blossomed on your visage, giving a small peek at the new fresh white bandages around your poor fingers, you raised your fists, claiming victory.

A small wrapped package sat comfortably on Chongyun's desk. You and your best friend were hiding under your desks watching intently the young exorcist's movements. His confused and curious expression turned into a flushed one as soon as Xingqiu whispered something in his ear.

"Did you write a small note?" asked the flower eyed maiden.

No response. Her forehead met the palm of her hand with a violent smack. Your face dumbly blank.

"I might have forgotten."

From the jade green wrapping, emerged a rice bun. Its texture soft and cool to the touch, a nice scent in the air.

Taking a small bite, soft rice amalgamated with other light flavours. Occasionally there was an uncooked rice bean, nonetheless it was still a good snack.

Seconds passed, you waited patiently for the slightest hint of disgust or bliss.

His eyes widened a little bit and his cheeks slowly began to turn a dark red colour. The culprits showed themselves: small red pieces which probably belonged to Jueyun Chili. With a hand in front of his tomato face, Chongyun exited quickly the classroom, the door creaked loudly.

Useless to say you were the saddest person on Earth.

For the second time, Hu Tao could only pat your back and give you words of comfort, which stopped in her throat as soon as you screamed.

"Kaedehara!- you clasped your hands, the male turned to you-Lend me your sword! It's over...- a hand over your eyes, a dramatic sigh -it's over... I'm going to commit seppuku."

Alarmed, the brunette grabbed your shoulders, shaking them back and forth. "When I said I wanted more business, this isn't what I meant" but soon she understood the uselessness of her words since your soul was already leaving for the afterlife.

"No, Hu Tao... it's over... this is the end."

Dejected, you went to the edgy sad corner of your classroom. A dark teal-haired male was already there "Xiao... can I?" Xiao didn't give you an answer and only moved to the right. Sitting in front of the wall, your forehead decided to become one with it. An unsettling series of "Why?" escaped your lips like a broken video on repeat.

RULE N°3: Third Time's NOT a Charm

[sailor-sun-18]

Theo and Sedona!

I started reading a manga called Magus of the Library and I love it.☺

It's a nice story, if you like magic and books, I recommend it.

[sailor-sun-18]

🎉Happy New Year!!🎉

Genshin Impact

Genre: Fluff/Angst (a little)

Character: SARA KUJOU

GOLDEN AMBITION

Inazuma City's noises filled your ears, from merchants trying to sell their goods to children happily laughing.

You watched the small Geo Vision in your palm. Its previous shine now reduced to a shallow light, signaling the dimming ambition.

You could only sigh, before resuming your work. The grand statue of your Archon stood high, her figure poised, hands delicately on her lap, her eyes hollow, menacingly beautiful. You smiled, proud of your hard work. Of course it was beautiful, you were one of the best sculptors known in all of Inazuma.

Raising your hands, you tried to frame the possible place where you could have placed the new sparkling gem. The right wing seemed like a good option, but there were already so many of them, you didn't want to insert too much gold. So, nodding satisfied, you settled for the left one, as it didn't have any Geo Vision unlike the other.

Climbing up the ladder, you strengthened your hold at every step you took, you didn't have a fear for heights, but you didn't particularly like them either. However you couldn't show your weakness, lest you became a laughing stock for the Tenryou's soldiers.

"Be sure to do a good job, wouldn't want you facing the wrath of our Archon". Speak of the devil.

You mentally rolled your eyes. You bit back a venomous response. Always loudmouth but always inefficient. You were sure you could beat them in a match, even if you didn’t even know how to wield a sword. The only one who had a little grain of salt in her head was Kujou Sara, she tended to be scary, but at least her presence was tolerable. She made others quiet, that's why you liked her.

Thinking about her, you haven't seen the black haired woman in a long time. Technically it had been only one week, but in your head it had been an Eternity. Was that the Eternity your goddess was searching for? If it was, you didn't like it, not one bit. Too long for your standards.

A red Tengu mask caught the corner of your left eye. Sara was giving orders to the obnxious soldier, who picked up on you earlier. Great, you wouldn't have to deal with him anymore.

A small victory for me. Yay. You cheered in your head.

After he went away, you took the opportunity to talk to her for a while. Making sure your legs were firmly holding on the ladder, you let your body fall backwards. Chisel and Vision in both hands.

"Yo, Tengu."

The Tengu in question only spared you a glance.

"Hello."

You snorted, arched [e-c] eyes filled with mirth.

"You're no fun. When will I ever be able to scare ya?"

No response.

"How have ya been?"

No response. Was she giving you the silent treatment? That wasn't fair. You should have been the one to do that for she hadn't shown herself for an entire week.

You dramatically sighed and put the hand with the chisel on your forehead to amplify your drama.

"Ya know... sculpting was getting kind of boring without your presence. While I don't dislike immortalising our Archon, I would have liked this job more if the muse were you"

Sara turned away from your smug gaze, "Keep that position and blood will get into your head".

"Aww, ya care about me!"

She glared in response. You raised your hands in surrender "Okay, okay, Tengu", before smirking at the sight of her light pink ears.

You cheered internally.

Freeing your legs, you pushed yourself and fell downwards before doing a flip and landing perfectly on the ground.

You made sure to pat your shoulder for your awesome skills.

With a light skip in your steps, you rested your back on the silver ladder.

"This was a child's" you said showing her the small Geo vision, its shine now completely dull. She sighed "How do you know?" You averted your gaze, you had seen it happen in front of your own very eyes.

You didn't want to think about it. So you let the cherry pale pink petals bring a comfortable silence between the two of you.

"How long do we have to keep this up?"

"Until our Archon will be satisfied."

You stayed silent, intently watching, no, glaring at the small golden gem. Unconsciously strengthening your hold.

Mustering a new resolve, you pushed yourself away from the ladder.

"Anyway!- you exclaimed smiling- Lady Foxy wanted to talk to ya! I don't know the details. But- you stressed the vowel- I'm comin' as your escort, aren't ya happy about it?" You pushed her shoulders "C'mon, c'mon, time won't wait for us."

The golden eyed general sighed at your energy. She opened her mouth to say something, but soon shook her head gently (your hyperactive self was a lost cause anyway) and began heading towards the Grand Narukami Shrine.

Mentally dreading the infinite amount of stairs, you took comfort in the presence of your childhood friend.

Turning one last time towards the statue you put the chisel and Vision on a wooden box glaring at all the soldiers around you, warning them not to touch any of the two objects.

Before following the golden eyed general, you directed your unreadable gaze to the Tenshukaku stand proud, despite all its broken cracks.

"Are you going to come or are you planning to stay there? I won't wait for you."

You snorted, before gently laughing at her biting question while taking her arm-in-arm.

"Comin', comin'."

[sailor-sun-18]

Happy Holidays! I hope you're having a good time.

GENSHIN IMPACT

Genre:Fluff/Humor

Character: XINGQIU

TAKE ME THERE

The white room was silent. The ticking clock was the only sound.

"Your grades are falling. You should pay more attention in class"

You stayed silent. You had nothing to say.

Your teacher sighed for probably the ninth time.

"You are a bright student. I don't want your future to be ruined"

You didn't want to say anything, so you shifted your attention to the small ceramic pot on the windowsill. Its monstera was a poor shade of dark green. Leaves withered. Crumpled up because of the lack of water. You scrunched up your nose. Its image was pitiful.

"Are you listening, [surname]?"

You blinked, turning your head towards your tired teacher, violet-grey bags under his wrinkled eyes signed by age.

He sighed again. He took his face in his hands, massaging his cheeks, maybe with the intent of smoothing annoying wrinkles.

"For now, I'll let you go. But remember to pay attention or we will call your parents."

"Do what you want" you responded.

He said nothing. Taking it as the clue to go, you exited the small room, which smelt like cigarette.

You didn't say any goodbye.

Your wheelchair's old rusty wheels scraped against the broken cracks of the marble pavement.

You pushed them, trying to gain speed.

Small snowflakes were falling across the dark blue skies, entwining themselves in soft silent dances. They would have made a pretty scenery if it wasn't for your daily sour mood.

Some of them stained the already clouded dirty glass. Raising your hand, you drew an angry face on it, before continuing on your way.

The strong scent of old and new pages welcomed you. You inhaled a deep breath, letting the scent of books fill your lungs.

You grimaced. You didn't like libraries and hated reading with a burning passion. But if you wanted to raise your grades once again and avoid your mother's eternal lectures, you supposed you would have to cast aside that hatred. Ha, as if. The dim lights flickered rapidly, as if they were laughing at your poor excuse of a resolution.

You disliked all subjects, so you decided to let fate decide by throwing a coin several times. After some attempts, it landed on your palm for the last time. You grumbled at the result.

Blindly going around all the sections, you finally found the one you were looking for: History.

Unfortunately the book you wanted was on one of the highest shelves. Well... it wasn't really so high, but your sitting height wasn't so tall either.

You stretched your left arm while firmly keeping the other on the slim armrest. You stretched again and again. Finally you touched your desired object, but your smiling face soon turned annoyed, you couldn't pull it out. Letting your arm fall on your side, you glared at it.

Sounds of footsteps echoed in the silent room. A young boy, kissed by the blue of the sea and the gold of the sand, took it out and handed it to you. His bearing was that of a knight.

"This is the book you wanted, isn't it?"

You glared at him "No one has asked for your help" and snatched it out of his grasp.

"Go away" you said, turning around.

He didn't and watched you with a polite smile. It was irritating. People were usually intimidated by your glares, but he wasn't.

And for that, you decided that you disliked him.

"My name is Xingqiu, pleased to meet you. May I have the pleasure to know your name, my lady/liege?" he asked politely.

"None of your business and the pleasure is all yours. What's with this strange way of speaking, are you from the Middle Ages? It's stupid".

You tried to be as unfriendly as possible, he had the face of a snobby noble. His uniform was neat, the white cascade was impeccable, the only flaw was his slightly wrinkled shirt.

"Do you need another book? I can help you".

"No" you said, pushing your wheels towards a free table.

The student only smiled, and sat in front of you with a big philosophical biography. It was about a man called Socrates? Was that his name? You didn't care, you hated Philosophy anyway.

"Do you really have to stay here?"

"Actually, I was here first" said the 'snobby noble' pointing at the stacks of books at his side.

You looked away. Xingqiu smiled amused.

You opened your book, page 154, paragraph 3, Magna Carta. After what seemed like an hour (it was only ten seconds), you closed it and began playing on your phone. The little trinket attached to it, jingled softly.

"Shouldn't you study?"

A glare was sent his way.

"Shouldn't you study instead of reading martial arts novels disguised as Philosophy?"

Xingqiu cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Wait... don't tell me... are they..."

He almost choked, before denying your assumption "Of course not".

"How boring".

After concealing an amused smile at some funny videos (your pride would never let you show it), you doodled on your notebook.

"What are you drawing?"

"Your horrible pretty face" you said pointing at a round circle with dots as eyes and the body of a stick. "Here, look, I have even drawn your earring. I'm pretty talented, I know" you said, patting your shoulder for compliment. The earring in question was even bigger than the head, it was scary. Well, in your defense, it was the first time, you had drawn a curtain of an earring.

"I think drawing is not your forte". Xingqiu didn't know if he should have laughed at your poor artistic skills or felt annoyed as the man-stick was him.

You didn't give him an answer and stared at his face, searching for any possible flaw you could empathise in your art. But soon realised something.

"Who cut your hair?"

"Pardon?"

"It looks hideous. Have you angered a child?"

A blank face stared at you, who stared back with the same gaze.

.

.

.

"It isn't hideous"

"Sure"

"Can you tell me something about your novels?" You swore he had the widest smile you had ever seen, you pondered discarding your question, but it was already too late.

Xingqiu told you of his stories, narrating his favourites, highlighting the most epic and unexpected parts.

You listened with your head resting on your arms. Sometimes nodding to signal your attention.

"Take me there"

Xingqiu halted in his story, confused.

"Take. Me. There." You repeated.

"Where?"

"To your Dojo, take me there, I want to see what it's like. Self-proclaimed Guhua disciple" you answered.

"Are you sure?" He questioned, disregarding his new nickname.

"Yes", anything was better than History.

"And show me some cool moves while you're at it" you added.

"You know... I'm not some kind of acrobat"

You huffed, "You shouldn't have said it, now my hope of seeing you fail miserably is crushed"

The bluenette smiled, before putting all the books in their place. He took hold of the handles and carefully guided you towards the exit.

"Why are you interested?"

"I want to see if it's horrible like your haircut"

Xingqiu snorted, amused, softly laughing at your statement.

"You are quite funny"

"And you are not"

[sailor-sun-18]

GENSHIN IMPACT

Genre: Fluff/Humor

Character: CHONGYUN

Featuring: Hu Tao the Master Matchmaker

Part: 2/4

How to make Chongyun fall ♡ in with you

Hu Tao’s personal guidebook!

Rule N°2: the cliché everybody loves

“Can you repeat what you said?”

“Come on!- said an exasperated Hu Tao -This is the fifth time! I’m going to say it for the last time. Now, listen carefully...” listening to all the plan’s steps, your brows furrowed. 

Was this really a good idea?

Even if you didn’t have a clue of what she was rambling about, for you had lost interest blocking her voice at “step 2″, you nodded as if you were listening.

Through [e-c] irises, you gazed at the crowded hallways, listening to chatter about recent exams and assignments, complaints about strict teachers and laughter at funny jokes.

Those laughter made you grimace, reminding you of your new nickname given by the incident of three days ago. “Bread Girl/Boy” they had called you. As if that embarrassing name wasn’t enough, some students, after noticing your presence, were sniggering your way. 

Fortunately, you had Hu Tao at your side, as she was shooing away all rude comments, her cheeks puffed, smiling proudly, listing all your good qualities they didn’t have. You smiled, she was really your best friend, she even went as far as throwing hands at those rude students... wait-

After ending the fight, you gently scolded the brunette, who had a new bandaid on her red nose. She was smiling smugly at you with a “I know you are secretly proud of me” look and, as a matter of fact, you secretly were.

Resting your backs on the vending machine, you two, trying to imitate dangerous gangsters, watched the teenagers passing by.

To be honest, you looked more like two fools instead of dangerous fellows.

The blue exorcist was coming, you could see him in the distance talking with Sucrose. The young alchemist was asking questions probably about his unsuccessful ghost meetings.

How you would have liked to have the courage to speak to him normally. 

Tightening your fists, wanting to give yourself some courage, you walked through the corridor. Low head, eyes hidden by your hair.

Approaching the young exorcist, you put both hands on the wall, caging him. Slowly rising menacingly your head, you showed a smile ready to murder someone instead of a flirty one like Hu Tao had shown you, but soon paled at the sight of terrified amber irises. 

“Ehm... d-do you need s-something?” asked poor Sucrose, tightening her hold around her chemistry book, scared out of her mind. 

Your mind was blank, refusing to process the situation.

When all the gears found their place, you rigidly and slowly distanced yourself from the wall, almost like a robot. 

No words escaped from your lips, only gibberish nonsense.

Vigorously taking the wrist of a wheezing Hu Tao, you dashed through the corridor faster than the famous blue hedgehog.

From the corner of your eye, you could see laughing students, but no signs of soft icy blue hair.

RULE N°2: the cliché everybody loves

HU TAO'S FAVOURITE EPIC FAIL