#I changed it from her to him since I wrote this with Lumine as traveler but it could also apply to Aether if roles were switched

[astrophelstella]

Worthy

Genre: One shot, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

"Defeat me, command me to step aside, show me that you are worthier than I to rescue him."

There was a pause. A great silence between them stretched on as the words sunk in to her head. She needed to process them again as something brewed in her chest. It's as if time had stopped.

A snap.

"How dare you."

It was spoken like a whisper, but it could still be heard. There was incredulous belief as she spoke.

Star pupil eyes stared back at her. Slightly taken aback by her words.

"How dare you." In a flash of electro, she moved as lighting, and grabbed his neck.

A loud crack! could be heard as she slammed him into the closest wall. The force of which caused massive damage, leaving cracks behind where his body was thrown into. She kept his deathgrip on his neck, no doubt leaving bruises. Thunder was heard in the distance, reflecting her feelings.

He began choking for air as he looked at her face.

Golden eyes glowed inhumanly at him but the major notice was the unmistakable, unrelenting rage burning in them. As if they were windows to the pits of hell. They no longer looked human. Lumine no longer looked like the righteous Traveler. But something far less human. Less good.

"What gives you the right to say that to me? Bough keeper." She said the last word like a curse. "What gives your the right to judge me? You. Are. A. Blink. In our lives."

Dainsleif had never expected someone like Lumine to regard him with such a look. Or to even have this outburst. There was geo energy trapping his limbs and anemo stealing the breath from his lungs, electro energy sending dangerous sparks close to his face.

“I am his other half! His sword! His sister! The last of kin and the only one who has his safety in mind!" Somehow, she pushes him even further into the wall. Almost histerical in speaking. The pain made him claw at her hand. "He's been by my side since the day I was born. Our bond forged through centuries of traveling through worlds. We've faced wars, gods, extinction- FATE. What makes your measly 500 years of being travel buddies in anyway equal?! You couldn't even save him from the Abyss! Yet you have the audacity, the DELUSION that you could even come between us!?!"

Her companion, Paimon's shrill voice could barely be heard, as she shouted at Lumine to get a hold of herself. But to the blondes, it barely registered. Too caught up in the altercation. They didn't even notice she flew off to get help.

She turned and threw him onto the ground where he gasped air into his burning lungs. The pain on his back stung as he tried to get up but was left hacking for air.

"I understand your-"

She kicked him in the face, sending him back. "YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!"

His collar was grabbed before he could recover and he was brought face to face with those burning eyes once again. He had the faintest feeling he had crossed a line that no one in Teyvat had managed with the kind hearted Traveler.

"I have the only right. Hear me, Twilight Sword?" Said like an insult again. "I had hoped my brother was only wrong about you, blinded by emotions and circumstance to see you as an enemy. But if this is how you see things... Then I see his point."

She looked like she wanted to kill him.

Fortunately, an interruption.

"Traveler, that's enough." Tighnari, with a scared and horrified Paimon peeking over his shoulder, spoke. He sounded like he was approaching a wounded animal. "Please let him go. I dont know what's going on but you need to calm down."

At the presence of one of her friends, her grip tightened, glancing furiously at him and glaring at Dain, before slacking. Releasing his hold he fell back.

"Leave. Don't show up again."

Another twin had come to hate him.

With Dain gone Tighnari led her back to the camp, as gentle and soothing as he could. With plenty of experience to mitigate the leftover rage she felt. Paimon was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Are you okay to tell me what happened back there?" He asked, carefully, and setting down some incense pots. The scent smelled refreshing. "I've never seen you lose it like that."

She didn't want to at first. But this entire ordeal had left her mind in a mess. She never spoke about her brother’s situation openly and especially her feelings, but she felt like an explosive barrel about to explode. So she told him. What Dainsleif said, her brother’s situation, her history, her reaction.

"He doesn't get to say that." She pressed. There was less anger and more pain. "He doesn't. I was the closest thing to him. I'm the one who's going to bring him home and everything will go back."

Tighnari doesn't say anything as he listens to her. That's when Paimon inevitably speaks up.

"Traveler... you've never lost control before. You can't let what Dain says affect you so much."

Lumine turned away, staring out into the horizon.

"Why did it affect you so much?"

"What? Because he-"

"You have incredible discipline over your emotions. I've seen it during fights, as you battle gods, face atrocities, even during your mission to overthrow the Akademiya. You never had an outburst. Your principles and beliefs are almost unshakable, clearly. If what he said was so wrong, you simply would have told him so." He stared at her back, refusing to see his gaze. "Why lose it over a simple statement. Unless some part of you believes it."

Did I fail him? Should I have woken up sooner? Was I distracted by everything?

What if we both disagree in the end?

"Traveler." A comforting hand on ber shoulder. "You are worthy. You have every right to find your brother again. Whatever doubts you have, they are unfounded."

Are they?

"Tighnari's right. But what made you start thinking you couldn't save your brother..." Paimon trailed off. "Was it what Lesser Lord Kusanali said?"

"Lesser Lord..."

You're brother hails from Teyvat.

Have our fates changed, brother?

She walked away, sword appearing in a flash if light. She needed fight something.

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

Note: I changed the original line from the trailer from 'her' to 'him' since this refers to Lumine as Traveler.

Just a short snippet I made. I wished we saw the traveler get more personal like this. The closest thing we got was during the Sumeru quest. Sorry if this is OOC btw, still new to writing for Tighnari and Lumine. I just wanted Traveler to snap for once.

Also, I know there's a possibility that Dain wasn't talking about the abyss sibling when he said that line in the Travail trailer. But I wrote this wondering what the Traveler's reaction would be if it was. Bc the AUDACITY OF THIS TWINK-

[m1d-45]

renewed

summary: many things have changed in aether's life since he met you...

word count: 2.7k

-> warnings: n/a

-> gn reader (you/yours) + aether as traveller!

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me || @chaoticfivesworld || @raaawwwr || @ryuryuryuyurboat || @undrxtxd || @rainswept || @wanderersqt || @rozz-eokkk

< masterlist >

aether isn’t quite human. at least not entirely, not anymore.

it could be argued that even prior to coming to teyvat, he and his sister weren’t entirely human. they were nearly always stronger than the native life wherever they traveled, never lingering long enough for an accurate portrait to be drawn. between their glittering wings and the razor sharp swords at their hips, it could be easily argued that from the perspective of the people they visited they could be called angels.

a few wrote legends about them. the gilded warriors with shimmering swords that blinded as they slashed, so in step with each other that it was as if they were one being. the saviors, the adventurers, the peaceful giants, twin faces atop four wings apiece. lumine always managed to sneak away a copy of these legends, and they privately laughed over the artwork at their camp that night.

“we don’t look that intimidating, do we?”

“i’m fairly certain-… hang on, is that a tail?”

“that’s supposed to my hair, i think.”

“no no, look. it connects lower, here.”

“…by the stars-”

they didn’t see themselves that way, though. they were simply twins, defined by the other in every sense. never apart for long, always stood side by side, trading swords before a dangerous fight as a promise to return them.

‘draw me with courage.’

‘wield me with valor.’

lumine and aether and aether and lumine. they never fussed about the order, so long as they were together. call them whatever you’d like, insults or praise or a simple, tired request to leave, as long as it was both of them. they were all they had left. the other half of their life. to try and pry apart the seam would only result in bleeding hearts, limbs tangling together to at least die by the other’s side. even ‘twin’ was too simple a word to fit the entirety of their lives into. ‘twin’ implied a degree of separation, an impossible gap between them where wind would blow and the world would dig into, pushing them away like waves in a boat’s wake. ‘twin’ was too shallow a word, to bitter, too small to encompass everything they felt.

such fervent devotion could never be considered ‘human,’ for no human would ever live long enough to know the fear that came with knowing everything that swelled would eventually fall. no human would clutch so desperately to the twin pillars in their life—would ever consider basing their world upon two things. they’d call it foolish, even, for what would you do if one collapsed?

aether never liked that question. he didn’t like it when he and lumine first heard it, he didn’t like it when he and lumine heard it a second time, he didn’t like it anytime he and lumine heard it after that. he didn’t like it now, her sword slipping from his hands as he reached, his fingers barely brushing hers.

the unknown god laughed, and he barely had time to feel rage before the world closed in on him and his memory faded away.

aether and lumine. lumine and aether. she was always insistent upon his safety, but just this once he wished she wasn’t. living in whatever stasis she was in within that cube would certainly hurt less than this, bile rising in his throat at his failure.

somewhere in his mind, he knew that it logically wasn’t his fault. he remembered the layer of warmth that had surrounded him mid-battle, saw the reflection of understanding in lumine’s eyes. it wasn’t technically his fault, he didn’t ask to be saved, ignoring that it was his own actions that led to his god’s blessing. perhaps if he wasn’t so strict about the time of his prayer he wouldn’t have to be alone on this beach, though there was no way to find out. the sand stretched on either side, and though it wasn’t infinite, he had not left the immediate area around where he’d first woken up. to move was to move on, to leave, to accept that his world had shattered into a thousand little fragments and to give up on picking them off the floor. he couldn’t leave. to leave was to surrender to this new fate. to leave was to forget about his sister, to forget about his self, to forget about the half of his life he never imagined he could lose.

family and faith. to lose his gods favor was a threat he could live with, as there would only be himself to blame. but his sister?

if he hadn’t fished up paimon, he’s not certain he would have eaten the fish that came up instead.

she was bright, bubbly, at least after coughing up an impossible amount of seawater. she thanked him profusely while wringing out her hair, insisting on helping him in return because “it’s only fair!” as if he wasn’t three times her weight (save her magic) and and ten times as strong.

and he let her. he’s not sure why, but he did. he watched her fumble to catch crabs, ending up covered in sand, and managed a weak smile. it was for her, he told himself, spearing three with a sword that wasn’t his, helping her arrange driftwood into a measly campfire. he hardly felt hungry despite being on the beach for what had to be a few months in local time, but she was so insistent that he have some.. it was for her benefit. he just had to get her somewhere safe, then… then…

“so, where are you from?”

aether looked up from his barely-touched meal, meeting her eyes. they were so wide and earnest, too trusting for someone that just met him.

not that he had any ill intentions. no, lumine would always joke that the day he was willingly rude to another would be the day the sky turned red—something that had been the case on one of the planets they’d visited, much to her delight.

aether turned back to the fire, pushing aside the memory. “another planet.” his voice was hoarse and his throat scratched with salt from attempting to drink the seawater earlier, which was not as potable as he’d hoped. “i flew here with my sister.”

“you have a sister?” paimon looked around, though they both knew she wouldn’t find anything. “where is she?”

aether swallowed salt and bile, taking another bite of his crab just to stall. “how about we talk in the morning?”

she let the topic drop.

he didn’t sleep that night, lending her his scarf as a pillow and keeping watch. she didn’t wake when the moon erased the shadows in the sand, or when the sun first crested the sea, or when the sky fully lightened to a pale blue, birdsong filling the air. one of the remnants from the fire found its way into his hand, reaching out to gently shake her awake. her eyes were heavy and she covered her mouth as she yawned, aether looking away before his own could water.

he drew nothing in the sand as she asked her questions—who are you, where’d you come from, who are you missing, what happened to her, why didn’t you do anything?—sketching out mountains and seas he wiped away as soon as they took form. he spoke for much longer than he meant to, his words pulled out as if they were tied to some invisible string.

when was the last time he was alone for this long?

paimon listened intently, brows drawn and frowning deeply, watching as he carved twin—twin, separated by time and space—stars into the sand. “so… what you’re trying to say is that you fell here… from another world? but when you wanted to leave, to go on to the next world, your path was blocked by some unknown god?”

wow, he wanted to snark, i didn’t know there was an echo out here! but the chance never came. magic gripped him by the throat and his eyes went wide in panic, his mouth shaping words he didn’t choose to say by force. he didn’t want to say what someone else told him to. he didn’t know what was going on. he was being pulled at some ghost’s whims, walking stiffly across the sand. it did not skid from beneath his feet, nor pull his balance one way or another. it was solid as stone, leading him up the beach without warning, without knowledge of why or when it would stop.

when was the last time he was this helpless?

(lumine.)

he stumbled across the shore on uncoordinated limbs, fighting fruitlessly. ahead, slime bubbled up from where the sand met the sea, but the ghost did not stop. mist coagulated into a pale blue blob with hazy spots for eyes, and only then was he allowed to stop. paimon yelped and ducked behind him, a familiar weight sinking into his hand. the slime had barely the chance to turn and see him, jerking up as if surprised, when his arm slashed forward.

a sword. not his sword, not lumine’s sword, but a sword, pulled from nowhere, the dull blade hacking at the blob of its own will until the sludge dispersed and sunk back into the sand. a soft mist lingered above the sand, but he was pulled forward without care or remorse. he didn’t even know if it would have hurt him.

weight hit him between the shoulders, cold spreading over his skin and absorbing into his skin. energy buzzed beside his ear, his earring humming with neither outlet nor conduit. were he anyone else, he would have been afraid, but he recognized the buzz. all at once, he understood. all at once, the weak puppetry was vindicated, his muscles relaxing and letting it happen. your energy sank into him, and he let himself stop worrying.

if you were here, he’d be okay. if you were here, you could fix this.

if you were here, he could find his sister, and everything would be okay again.

aether was not human. not entirely, not anymore, and he knew the people of mondstat could tell. you had stayed to guide his body for a week, alternating between helping the knights with dvalin and exploring the plains of mondstat. he was weak and your grip was frail, his attacks uncoordinated and clumsy, but you were there. you understood. the cavalry captain gave him a long stare as they exited his domain, a mix of curiosity and disbelief swirling in his one eye.

when you finally left, you did so in the middle of mondstat square. a physical weight lifted from his shoulders, the anemo he’d absorbed turning from calm and controlled to pushing at the edges of his form, trying to make him give. the anemo archon approached, soothing the wind with a wave of his hand, pulling him along for a drink and a chat. his knees did not want to bend without your command, his mind fraying a bit from continued exposure.

“how interesting, that you’re still standing after a week without rest,” the bartender remarked, the glass in his hands obviously an excuse to keep them above the bar. “what’s your name, outlander?”

he did not think of his own name. no, when he went to answer, he thought of the name you had given him, the one you whispered as you sheltered him from the unknown god’s wrath. it was not his, but it was yours, and wasn’t that what he was asking for?

it took too long for him to answer. red eyes narrowed but eventually chalked it up to exhaustion, giving him directions he couldn’t hear. the captain led him to a room in the back, but he didn’t sleep that night, sitting at the window and searching for the thin sliver of stars.

he didn’t need to eat anymore. he could, certainly, and it tasted fine enough, but he didn’t exactly need to. he’d thought it odd, at first, that barbatos was healed strictly by the wind, but he understood now. he spent his free time sitting under vanessa’s tree, half-asleep as he waited for your return.

you were his source of energy, of will. you knew answers to problems he’d have given up on, and if you didn’t then you tried and tried and tried again until you got it right. you were the power that purified dvalin’s tears, you swept the wind to fix the holy lyre, you cleared the seals around decarabian’s tower. he was a medium, and he was happy with that. your presence waxed and waned, the lapses without you seeming to pass by in a blink.

a few of the knights worried for him, but he knew your vessels understood. none held as much of your power as him, none were as reliant on you, but they understood. they excused his oddities with a kind smile, paimon always at his side to make sure he didn’t waste away the day simply sitting in one spot. prior to coming to teyvat, the concept of elemental sight was something he was only vaguely familiar with. a few planets had some talented witches that could feel the flow of energy through the ground and grass, who could watch the mist in the air and predict the weather. he’d never experienced it himself before. now, the world lit up as his eyes took on a teal sheen, your power mixing with the anemo within him to grant him insight. the world was so vibrant, even the most mundane sights capturing his attention. how could he not stare? if he had it his way he’d always view your creations like this.. but whenever paimon snapped him out of it he’d come out of it with a headache, not to mention his staring tended to be off-putting to those around.

a lot of his new behaviors were. when within your control, he moved stiffly, with repetitive motions forecast well in advance. you chose what he said, when and how he moved, you controlled the very flow of elements through his body. it was harder and harder to think for himself without you there and though paimon handled most of the conversation, there was only so much she could say.

“who are you looking for?” lumine. his sister. himself. the knowledge was there but his throat was closed, unwilling to move without your order.

“thank you for your help.” you’re welcome. don’t worry about it. it was nothing. all he could manage was a stiff nod, eyes flicking to the sky, counting the days until your return. he’d gotten a good grasp of your routine by now.

“who are you?” yours. a traveller. lumine’s. he could not blame those they ran across for their suspicion, even though he wanted to. could they not feel the remains of your presence lingering around him?

they had to go to the rite of decension soon. liyue was holding off, though, waiting for your arrival. they’d never dare to make you miss it, so aether felt no hurry to leave. he laid in the middle of windrise, staring up at the stars. he used to sit atop the knights’ headquarters, but it took too long for the lights of the city to turn out and he liked picking out the various constellations.

his was up there, somewhere. he didn’t have a vision like your other vessels, but he could feel it. it was written right beside your decision to save him and not lumine, alongside your actions in mondstat and everything you’d do in liyue. fate, you’d called it, well-acquainted and intertwined.

aether fell asleep on wet grass among cold wind. he did not get sick, nor was he attacked or otherwise hurt. why would he have been, anyway? your blood was in his veins; he had nothing at all to fear.

[chickenparm]

A Draw - ChiLumi

you guys like jazz? and by jazz i mean me finally writing something. i wrote this for my buddy that deserves 1000 of these nastyass fics.

---

AO3 LINK

ChiLumi / ChildexLumine 2892 Words - NSFW (Size kink, thigh riding, foul legacy form)

---

Time, distance, circumstance; All keep Childe from truly reaching out with both hands to sink his fingers into Lumine. It’s not as if she’s uninterested - Childe sometimes plays the role of an oblivious nice guy, but he’s not a moron. The trailing of her eyes against the flash of skin revealed by his uniform, the way her cheeks flush when they’re nearly nose-to-nose in one of their occasional bouts, the reluctance to part ways when they have no further business with each other. 

No, Childe is convinced Lumine wants him, nearly as much as he wants her. 

But there’s a time and place for ruminating on his unwise feelings for the woman that is slowly but surely becoming a thorn in the Tsaritsa’s side that is too sharp to ignore. For now, she stands across from him in the secluded copse of trees that they’ve claimed for their spar, sword brandished and the silence surrounding them comfortably. 

Truthfully, they don’t need to exchange words. The typical rules of combat between Childe and Lumine never really change, but something itches beneath his skin and he calls out a greeting, followed with, “Girlie, I need a favor from you!”

“A favor?” Lumine responds, voice a bit flat and less musical than he remembers. From this distance, he can just make out the sight of dark circles beneath her eyes - she must be tired. 

But an advantage is an advantage, and it’s been a few too many fights since he last claimed victory. Especially with what he asks of her this time, a smile on his face like that would convince her. “I’d like to use my Foul Legacy transformation, if you’re up for it.”

“If you’re up for it.” Lumine responds, and Childe doesn’t miss the way her shoulders stiffen, her hand grips her sword a little tighter, and the shadows of her collarbone growing a little more prominent as she blushes. Huh… that’s new. 

But he waves a hand with a smile, “And that’s the favor - a kind Traveler helping me back to civilization so I don’t have to lay in the dirt out here recovering.” And maybe he gets to savor the feeling of leaning on her, his arm hitched around Lumine’s shoulders for support as he hobbles back to town. That’s a perk she doesn’t need to know about, though.

Lumine’s cheek shifts with how she chews on it, and it takes a little too long for her to finally nod, then add on, “Just don’t go too far. Don’t hurt yourself.”

As if they both wouldn’t be leaving the area without injuries from one another. Nothing lethal, of course, but bruises, sprains, maybe a gash or two. And this time, his debilitating exhaustion whether he won or not. 

So, it begins. With the knowledge he’ll be growing even more powerful, Lumine doesn’t dare go all out. The casual nature of each fight’s beginning gives her time to be a little distracted, and Childe wouldn’t dare deny her something so simple as shifting just right, widening that window of skin until it’s from hip bone to belly button. 

Lumine’s pupils expand, Childe’s blood sings and it can’t be attributed to the battle. 

It would be so easy, he thinks, to just take her. Or to let her take him. Before Lumine, the total sum of people he’d ever thought about willingly debasing himself for was a resounding zero. Either lack of respect, lack of trust, lack of power. She has two out of three, but he’s sure with enough time the trust would happen. 

One, two, three heartbeats before the familiar stinging floods his muscle fibers, his veins, every strand of nerves. The world doesn’t change, but it feels different at such a new vantage point as he looks down at Lumine. And she looks up at him with those same exact eyes, wide open and filled with hunger that is no longer as subtle. 

Things in his mind change a little when he lets the Abyss co-pilot his body. Nothing so overt, but certain inhibitions are lowered, specific emotions are amplified to the point of being impossible to resist. Temptation lingers in front of Childe, and he’s a little rougher than necessary when he pins her to the ground with clawed hands. 

The sound of her grunt of pain sounds warbled and is nearly lost against the rushing of blood in his ears. Lumine is so small now, growing fragile in the few moments it took him to shed one form and slip into another. There’s no fear in her eyes as she stares at the single-eyed mask that hides the twisted visage beneath, her legs shifting together in an unmistakable sign of his victory. 

“Submit.” 

Words don’t come easy. Childe resolves to only spout the ones that matter; phrases meant to direct and demand. His palms press to her shoulders, sharp-tipped fingers digging into the dirt to avoid the easy slicing of skin and sinew. Lumine’s throat bobs, the movement painfully obvious before she nods mutely. 

Demureness doesn’t feel right when she wears it like this, but Childe supposes it comes with the territory of this kind of victory. The pressure of his hold lessens, a silent invitation for her to make some sort of move to leave if she wasn’t exactly where she wanted to be. 

And Lumine doesn’t move from beneath him, only spreads her thighs a little wider as if to invite him exactly where he wants to be. 

Hands like these can’t necessarily touch her how he wants to, and he’s forced to make do with what he can. A little shift of his knee, careful of sharp bits and pointy things, until she’s pressed against the thin fabric covering Childe’s thigh. And he can feel the heat; the warmth seeping through the layers from her to him. 

After a moment of stillness - because he’s exercising impossible levels of restraint and every moment is met with the instinct to hurt, harm, leave lasting marks that might never go away - Lumine’s wariness slips just enough for her to roll her hips a single time. That’s all she needs to realize that if Childe won’t be a little more swift with providing what she needs, then at the very least she can take it for herself. 

A thousand words want to escape, but with his jaw clamped tightly shut, all he can do is purr through grit teeth, “Good.” 

It could be that it feels good for him. Or that he’s impressed with her willingness to use him for what she wants. It could even be some sort of reassurance that despite the last time she saw him in this way, things are so very different this time around. 

Truthfully, it’s all of the above. 

Lumine freezes, golden eyelashes fluttering at the sensation she gives herself using Childe so easily. Her breath shakes with arousal, Childe’s rumbles quietly with anticipation - he doesn’t have to wait long. Palms pressed flat against the ground below, Lumine uses it as leverage to rock against his thigh once, twice, three more times until her trepidation has all but vanished. The sounds that leave the back of her throat are shameless in their volume. 

If he were more like himself - or less like himself, sometimes he isn’t sure anymore - he’d be grinning wildly and prodding her for answers to questions like, “Does that feel good?” or, “Are you enjoying yourself?”

Instead, Childe watches with a single blue, gem-like eye as Lumine’s cheeks run pink and her eyelids fall halfway with each languid grind of her cunt against him. And each press put it in stark relief that the warmth through the layers is accompanied by a wetness telling of Lumine’s arousal, the depravity she’s indulging in by showing attraction rather than fear. 

Little puffs of air leave her parted lips, and he leans closer and examines the exact shade of pink, wondering if she’s just as pink elsewhere. Lifting one hand, relieving enough pressure that she could escape if she truly wanted to, Childe tugs and tugs at the straps of her halter top until she grows irritated enough to pull it open herself,  her chest spilling free and confirming the sick little suspicions in Childe’s head.

What he wouldn’t give to reach out and squeeze, pinch, roll until she’s breathless and whining beneath him, begging for more or pleading him to quit teasing. The best he can do to sate himself is press the heel of his palm to her breast and zero in on the sensation of her nipple hardening from just his touch alone. 

Lumine, suddenly so receptive and willing, arches into him and stammers out the single-syllable of his name in some form of elation before it melts into a quiet moan signaling her release. It’s nothing groundbreaking or earth-shattering, not with how dull the stimulation must have been through so many layers, but Childe could give her so much more if she wanted it. 

Surely she must - that can’t have been enough for her. The lack of exertion makes it so that he can stay like this longer, and if Lumine were willing enough to continue just… using him…

Childe pushes off of her, falling onto his backside and giving her a pleading expression that he knows full well she can’t see under the mask of his transformation. Perhaps it’s better that she can’t - it would likely only serve to scare her away, if the prominent bulge of his cock straining beneath the fabric of his belt wasn’t intimidating enough. 

Lumine props on her elbows. She watches him, bare chest rising and falling as she looks first at his mask, then his chest, then to his lap which he has made so very inviting. Sitting up more, she hesitates as if to make sure she isn’t misreading a situation that is so very obvious, then crawls closer. Childe thinks she looks rather pretty on her hands and knees, dirt staining her dress, her boots, the palms of her hands and pads of her fingers that reach beneath her skirt to pull away shorts and underwear that have been soaked through. 

Childe can be merciful, when he wants to be. And he desperately wants, right now. Hooking clawed thumbs into hidden fastenings, he tugs himself free of constraining fabric until Lumine pauses, eyes widening with a sudden hesitation at what she was so sure she could handle. 

“Come here.” The two words grate from his throat as he reaches out for her, part encouragement and part impatience. Bravery has always been a hallmark of hers, so what use is it for her to balk now when this battle is far easier than any she’s taken on so far? 

Lumine ignores his hand, swallowing hard before crawling forward further. Her dirtied hands curl around his shins, then hook around the sharp protrusions of his boots as she crawls into his lap. Those same small hands lay against his chest as she steadies herself, hovering over his cock but not quite touching. As before, it would be so easy to just grab her and pull her down, to impale her on his length and take what he’s been unable to stop yearning for. 

But he doesn’t. Transformed or not, Childe isn’t nearly so callous as to go faster than Lumine can handle. Though, she certainly can handle him when he’s this way, it simply needs to be at her pace - or he’ll never find himself in this sort of situation ever again. 

With one hand - it’s shaking - Lumine reaches down to wrap her fingers around him, giving a single experimental stroke as if to remind her of the inhuman size. As if she needed some sort of refresher when she needs to crane her neck to look up at his masked face. Then, holding him steady at the base, she lines up and lowers just a little, just enough to take his tip inside of a cunt not quite meant to take someone of his size. 

Lumine pauses, a whimper falling from her lips that mingles with the quiet relieved groan of his own. Even if this is all she could handle, it would be something he’d be appreciative of - she’s so warm, impossibly tight around him as she works a little more inside, bit by bit. 

Childe’s head cocks to the side, a silent question, and Lumine answers with fervent enthusiasm, “I’m taking it all. Be patient.”

As if he were the one starting to move faster, be louder, breathe so quickly that it borders on hysteria. Childe is as a statue, not even trembling despite the monumental effort it takes to keep from just gripping her hips and pulling her the rest of the way. It’s her own determination that keeps him in check - one way or another, she’ll get there. 

And she does. It’s agonizingly slow, but Lumine settles firm in his lap, forehead pressed against his chest. If she were to simply stay like this - stuffed full of his cock and keeping it warm - Childe would chalk that up to a victory and be able to die a happy man. But then she moves, leaning back a little, the walls of her pussy shifting against his length with a vice-like tension, and Childe greedily wants more. 

But his voice won’t form words - only a low rumble and a wheezing sigh. Careful of sharp-tipped fingers, he lifts his hand to rest his palm against one of her bare thighs, so small beneath his hand as he curls sharp fingers around it. Lumine makes her first real movement; a lift up before a tentative lowering. Childe’s vision swims, and the only coherent thought he can grasp in that split-second is the sensation of her thigh muscles trembling in his hand. 

He thought her stillness would have been enough, but the line has been pushed back a little more. Surely this would be enough, this tentative motion of riding his cock in centimeter segments that grow longer and longer in distance. 

Through a single blue eye, Lumine looks beautiful as she falls apart. 

Any poise she’s held in the light of day is long gone in the murky dim light as she braces her hands on his knees that help hold her upright, fingertips bleeding bone-white as she grasps at him in a mixture of pleasure and pain with unclear ratios. But if it’s not enough for her to want to stop, then who is he to decide which amounts are best? 

All Childe can do is watch as Lumine grows feverish and desperate, moving faster, fucking herself with his cock until she cries out in a way that’s eerily similar to what she sounds like when she’s in a short burst of agony. As she tenses to the point of shivering around him, Childe digs through his memories for any time he’s heard that sound in battle, then files them away to be repurposed in the event that Lumine has no further interest in taking him again. 

The line moves again. It’s enough that she cums, that she soaks his lap with her arousal as she gets what she swore she wanted. Childe stares and stares, committing it to memory even as the world shifts, as Lumine isn’t quite as small as she’d been moments before. His vision goes double before he realizes that one eye has become two, that Lumine’s breathless whines sound relieved as he gets a little smaller in turn. 

It’s easier to slide his arms around her, to cradle her in his lap as he kisses her with little care for the dazed expression she gives him. Lumine’s passivity lasts for but a moment, before she shows surprising strength in the grip she establishes on his sweaty hair. 

In the span of that single kiss, Childe almost forgets entirely that his entire body is screaming in agony. Lumine is like a balm, and only when she pulls away do his hands start to tremble and he struggles to extend an arm behind himself to simply stay upright. 

“I could kill you right now.” Lumine teases, and to most that would have horrifying connotations, but Childe thinks it’s the most romantic thing he’s ever heard. 

His head lazily rolls to the side in a mockery of curious expression, “What’s stopping you?”

“Sore.” Lumine says shortly, but amends it with a clarification of why she bothered to establish such a power dynamic after nearly fucking herself to pieces with his body. Is it some kind of sacrilege to have sex when he’s more abyss than man? Maybe something to bring up when he sees Skirk next, he thinks. His thoughts are interrupted by Lumine asking, “Technically that means I win. Because I could kill you. Checkmate and all that.”

“I could have killed you while you were busy-”

“But you didn’t say it, you didn’t claim it, so that can’t be counted.”

“That’s not-” Childe pauses for a moment. His cock is still inside her, her hair is matted with sweat, her cheeks flushed. Somewhere behind her, her underwear lays forgotten in the grass. There’s dirt under her nails. “Fine. You can have this one.”

Despite her victorious smile, the squeeze of her hands on his knees, Childe’s pretty sure this is, at best, a draw.

[mari-on-dragonspine]

~Happy Valentine's Day~

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! 💖 Hope all of you know that you're cherished and loved, even if you're single. There's many different kinds of love, and the love given by friends is not inferior to any other. If you're seing this, take it as a sign to tell your friends / moots how much you love them 😌

This fic is for my lovely friend @thelost-in-time!

I love you so much and hope you will enjoy this. It might not be the best piece, but I wrote it with the best intentions and love for you 💚

Inspos

🎵 What if we rewrite the stars?

🎶 And I last I see the light

and it's like the fog has lifted

🎵 We're bound to break and my hands are tied

Now that I see you

} Genshin Impact

} Traveler Lost (Lumine) x Xiao

} mostly fluff, slightly angsty, nothing too serious

} ⚠️CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR 2024 LANTERN RITE EVENT

} ❗characters might differ from the original game!

Lantern Rite was approaching. The streets of the cloud city are bursting with even more people than usual and everyone is excited for the beginning of the new year. Even though this event is quite successful both among humans and adepti, Xiao never really cared for such an event. As in Teyvat everything comes in a circle, good times are bound to end, as so do bad times. Praying the heavens for happiness was futile. Also because this merciless rule was set up by those very same heavens. Having experienced this truth directly, Xiao knew better than anyone else.. However, ever since that Traveler showed up, Xiao found himself changing his mind. He wasn't sure about what exactly or why at first, however, as time went by, he couldn't deny it anymore. Her name was Lost. She had eyes sparkling more than core lapis and golden hair more glistening than sunshine. With her kindness, strength and undying resolution, Xiao really thought that, if it was her, nothing could be impossible. Every time they met, Xiao felt that his burden wasn't as heavy to carry anymore. After some more, he found himself remembering the happy days together with his friends more than the sad ones and he would share those sweet memories with her, telling stories from a long gone past. There was pain, but also joy and laughter. And he wasn't alone. But in all honesty, was he still alone? Couldn't it be that the traveler, whose name was Lost, had found him?

Just like a moth by the light in the darkest night, Xiao was attracted to her, to the point that he would watch over Lost every time he sensed trouble. Although he knew better than anyone that she wouldn't need his help, he still couldn't hold himself from being there, watching from afar, just in case.

Just in case she was in danger.

Just in case she couldn't call his name.

Just in case she forgot about their promise.

Wait, she wouldn't forget it, would she?

But the more he was thinking about that, the more he was unable to shake that worry away. Just when was it the last time she called for him? And how much time has passed since she left Liyue? Of course, she was a traveler, bound to never stop wandering… But his destiny was to forever protect the land of Geo, to never forget and never leave.

What if she.. had found someone else?

That thought alone made his sight go red with anger, but also sent his heart plunging deeply in despair. Xiao sprinted into the night, vanquishing evil after evil while pondering every single possibility. He could only get going, since every single time he slept, he dreamt of her and every time he rested his eyes, they would immediately shoot up, for it seemed to him that Lost called his name.

Then, yet another night missing her, he suddenly saw it. A single lantern, floating into the starry sky. Following its direction, Xiao saw the harbor light up with colorful lights and kites of every shape and kind. A timid smile then appeared from his lips. It was that time of the year again..

She should be home soon.

“Useless”

A small mountain of scraps on fire was burning at Xiao’s feet, its foul smell spreading into the air. This was the 10th attempt of him making his own Xiao lantern. How come that those hands were so skilled in killing, but absolutely awful for crafting? And Lost even invited him to build a kite together with all these people…

The thought of him being humiliated in front of both mortals and a fellow adeptus sent a chill down his spine! Of course he wanted to join the traveler but… How could he, with that embarrassing skills of him?!

He simply could not face it!

That was why he invited her over Pervase’s temple after the rite.

Xiao sighted once more, swiftly subduing the fire to start over again. All the lanterns were already sold out for the celebration, but at least the lady had been kind enough to let him have some materials and a booklet of instructions…

If only he could manage to make at least one before dark…

The rite of lanterns was about to end. A simple and slightly crooked lantern stood motionless at his feet. Xiao had invited her over just like in the past. At that time, she happily accepted to light a lantern with him… BuBut what if she had better plans this year? Just as he was letting himself down again, he finally perceived something. The glistening aura of the stars and the scent of a thousand adventures. Lost stood behind him, slowly approaching with a steady pace. Xiao could feel her warning gaze upon his back, her soft lips parting to address him. She was alone.

Before he could hear her call his name, he turned to greet her.

“Lost. “

The Traveler shook her head, her hands resting on her hips.

“It's just as I thought! You stopped short of stepping into the city again.. “

She wasn't really scolding him, but she looked kind of disappointed. He couldn't know that she was secretly looking for him in the crowd…

“Being in the city is not the only way for me to appreciate the lights and beauty of lantern rite. “

He said in a low voice, pointing into the direction of the harbor.

“Look… Liyue Harbor lies beyond this mountain. As long as I stand at this vantage point, I may freely behold the sight of all Kites slowly ascending into the sky. “

As he was speaking, Lost quietly approached him, as if she could look better from the same position he was standing.

“For me… That is enough. “

His head turned slightly, in time to see her nod at his explanation. She looked somewhat satisfied with that answer.

“Alright. “

Xiao lowered his arm and didn't say anything for a while. Then, just before she could say something, he gathered his courage to ask her.

“I invited you here because there's something I would like to do. “

Lost’s face lit up in curiosity as he continued

“I want to release a Xiao Lantern… And I'd like you to be there for it. “

With a small gesture, a gust of wind pulled the lantern from the ground and elegantly placed it into Lost’s hands.

“Did you make it yourself?! “

She noticed. Xiao blushed vividly, turning away from her in embarrassment.

“Yes. I apologize for its crude appearance… II have little skill in that regard. “

Lost laughed a little and shook her head happily

“No! No.. It's amazing! “

As she seemed to admire the little lantern in her palms, Xiao couldn't help but let out a little sigh.

“...You are very kind, as usual. “

The moon shone brightly in the sky, as thousand of lanterns seemed ready to reach it.

Xiao made a few steps closer, then reached for the lantern. While doing so, he gently stroked Lost’s hands with his.

“Alright, it's time. “

He whispered into her ear, waiting for her to get ready. As if they were one body, they both raised their arms, letting the lantern float away in the wind. As it disappeared into the tranquil night sky, Xiao’s expression softened.

A swirling sea of lights reached for the clouds, conveying its people's hopes and desires to the heavens. It was known for a fact that gods could acknowledge one's ambitions with a blessing, but could it work for other feelings too? If that frail lantern of his could really make it up there, would the heavens finally hear him? Could it be that simple to rewrite his stars? And if that was the case.. Would he finally be free?

This thoughts made his heart flutter a little, just like the lights at the mercy of the wind. Slowly, he shifted his gaze from the sky into her golden eyes, only to meet hers. When it happened in the past, during the very same occasion, she would slowly look away, a slight veil of red covering her pale skin. However, this time she kept her eyes on him, smiling softly.

Their wishes might not have been the same, but what about their feelings? He could never ask her. The heavens might even hear him, but his karma could never disappear into thin air.

As he was about to turn away, Lost caught his attention again.

“Xiao? ”

She called in a slight whisper, her body getting closer. Their hands were still holding each other. She smiled again and gently pulled him towards her.

“Xiao. ”

She mumbled again, her face now only a whisper away from his own. Xiao wanted to say something, however he couldn't do it. Before he knew it, Lost covered his lips with hers and his own responded by tracing the borders of her mouth with a gentle kiss. Although it was their first, it felt natural as breathing air.

A long time passed before they pulled away, the warmth of their kiss still persisting as they reluctantly moved apart to stare into the beauty of the lantern rite’s sky once more.

“Lost..”

Xiao really wanted to tell her. He wanted her to know how much he loved her and admired her and thought of her, he wanted to sink into her embrace and to kiss the rest of the night away.. But he knew it could not last as of now.

They both still had a destiny to fulfill.

That warm, bright feeling of love that they kindled into their hearts could still not resist outside of it.

He took a deep breath before finishing the sentence that was left unfinished for too long already.

“... Thank you. “

Lost nodded, still smiling at him with her signature gentle smile, the one that Xiao grew to love so much. She knew that the time would come for them to convey their feelings out loud. But today, heads resting one on the other, being together was all they needed.

This is enough...

Xiao thought, his eyes finally closing peacefully beside her.

...after all… I'm bound to break and my wings are tied.

[herrscherrofyatta]

Let you break my heart again

Tighnari x reader

angst, no gender/pronouns are used to describe reader

summary: after lashing out on you, Tighnari can't help but feel the distance between you two and you find someone interesting in Mondstadt

part 1 part 3

The blonde traveler who's name is Lumine, sat with you in Sumeru city, she had seen you in the village and was a bit confused on why you were in the city now, did Tighnari send you here for something??

"um, I'm not speaking terms with him anymore so I moved back to the city with my parents." You explain, it been weeks since Tighnari said those things about you. "I also left my position as a forest watcher..."

Lumine frowned at this, "but Collei said you loved working there."

You pursed your lips, looking to the side, "I'm just...not suited to work there." You say in a quiet tone, rubbing your arm. "I dunno if he even knows I'm gone, probably not." Letting out a forced laugh, "maybe too much with work again."

Lumine watched your expressions, something must have happened between you two. It must have been bad since your self confidence has gone down tremendously.

She begins to think, maybe you just need a change of scenery? Yeah that's it!

"...how about I bring you to Mondstadt?"

Raising your head to look at her, you give her a confused look, "Mondstadt?"

She nods, a smile on her lips, "mm! I have a friend there, he mentioned something about needing someone to help him."

"Help him? With what? I don't see how this involves me." You lean your chin onto of your palm as you stare at her with confusion.

She begins to tell you everything she knows.

—

"Tighnari, where's Y/n?" Collei asks, peeking her head inside the hut he was in and he continues to work, scribbling on the paper.

"they must be in the forest, probably being careless again." He answers rather harsh, this makes the girl a bit confused.

"Hm? But they're not there?" She says with a confused tone in her voice.

He stops writing to look pick up the next price of papers he needs to read over. But upon seeing them, he recognizes your neat handwriting and he begins to read what you wrote.

Maybe it was an apology letter or a report on the areas you patrol often.

But his heart drops, "Collei."

She tilts her head, "when was the last time you talked with Y/n?"

She thinks, "I think...maybe three weeks ago? They said they was going to spend a month trying cleansing a few areas. Why? Did something happen?"

He lets out a shaky breathe, eyes glued on the words written on the paper he was holding.

You had quit your position and left the village.

—

Your cheeks are bright red due of the cold air hitting your face as you clutch the cloak closer to you to provide warmth to shivering body.

Your eyes widen at the sight of the snowy mountain in front of you, completely memorized at the sight of it since you were never allowed to travel far.

"It's beautiful." You huff out, smiling as Lumine pats her back at a good job before you begin walking up the mountain while her walking beside you.

Halfway up the mountain, you look at Lumine, "this Albedo person...what's he like?"

She just smiles at you, "just wait and see, you won't be disappointed." You feel even more excited to meet him.

Once arriving at a cave, you let out a sigh of relief at the sight of fire as you quickly tried to warm yourself up. The potion Lumine had given you had wore off an some time ago.

It seems like the fire wasn't help as you kept trembling, you frown as tried to make yourself warm.

A white coat was draped over your shoulders, an unfamiliar scent filled your nose as you look back to see a young man around your age smiling at you.

"Albedo." Lumine greets, "this is Y/n."

You turn around as he holds out his hand, "it's a pleasure to meet you, I heard many great things about you from the traveler." Your eyes shine at this as you shake his hand.

"Is it true you can cleanse things?" He asked and you quickly nod your head.

"Yes! My family has been doing it for decades but it seemed to die out at some point." You explain, holding the coat closer to you, "I tried mastering my ancestors technics but....so far I only caused trouble back ho—where I worked at." You fix your words, the village no longer felt like home to you.

Albedo lets out a hum, placing a hand under his chin as he starts to check you out.

You blink at this, suddenly feeling self conscious at how this attractive guy was staring at you so intensely.

He shakes his head, "yes, you'll do just fine. Come, we have things to do. Traveler, if you'll excuse us."

You don't register the fact that he grabbed you by the hand, tugging you deeper within his lab.

Lumine just watches, waving at you two before leaving.

—

"What you mean they quit!?" Collei yells as soon as Tighnari returned fron Sumeru city, he went to go see if you were staying with your parents but turned out you left without a word almost a week and half ago.

Collei had found your letter when Tighnari left earlier. She felt confused, sad, so many emotions she was feeling this very moment.

Tighnari drops his head, "I....I think this is my fault—"

Collei snaps her head at him, "what did you do?"

He does respond, covering his face with his hand, "I need to find them."

Masterlist

[ashsirens]

All the evidence that shows Lumine is indeed a canon protagonist.

Like these old times, with Sumeru's promotions, Lumine's players have again been put aside and again we had to face antipathy and mockery from some Aether's players.

As I saw that a lot of Lumine's players started to feel insecure about their own games, I wrote this article to prove that contrary to popular belief, Lumine is indeed a canon protagonist and that if ever others toxic Aether's stans come bother you, you can get them this post.

1. The trailers and the concept art

Many people have said that Lumine can’t be the canon protagonist because according to them, Lumine was not an option in the beta.

After some research I can tell you that this argument is false. Lumine was in early development concepts arts of the game as an MC with paimon. She is 100% intended to be an MC/protag by the devs. Heres the early devs concept art :

As surprising as it may seem, official trailers prove it too. In the beginning of the game the trailers show Lumine with the title traveler right next to her. And for those who are going out "Yeah but it was only at the beginning of the game it has since changed". There is a third trailer where she shown as a traveler in Liyue with Paimon during the lantern festival.

2. The manga

Yes. You read correctly. And then you say to yourself : "But how the favorite argument of annoying Aether’s stans is a proof that Lumine is a mc ?" Well this is where we will see that some do not pay attention to the dialogues of the game. (Arguments found on @Genshin_Kineli on Twitter, who makes very good Genshin Impact character theories and analysis content.)

Aether in the manga isn't the Aether at the start of the game because:

1) Paimon is not here to prove to us that we see the traveler. As the game cutscenes go through, it is displayed that Paimon appears in most of them when it comes to the main story.

2) In the manga, Venti use his old Lyre "der Himmel", it’s the same lyre which as been preserved in the church during the Dvalin's arc in the game. While in the game, he use his other Lyre "der Frühling".

3. Aether’s outfit.

The tones of his outfit show that he does not resonate with any elements. And no it’s not geo.

Geo is yellow. Here it’s orange. His outfit in the manga is the same as his outfit by default on his anemo card. Which it’s not logical because like we can see in the game when he resonates with anemo, his outfit takes on turquoise tones.

4. The quest "We will be reunited" let us know that it was MC's sibling who travelled trough Teyvat before.

Plus, Venti's speech at the end of the prologue of the manga :

He wonders if the world became a little bit stronger thanks to Vennessa's perseverance and actions that gave more freedom to Mondstadt but justice as well.

This gives an insight that the Mondstadt within the manga is peaceful instead of seeing the archons being target of the Fatui noor seing the Abyss Order doing their revendous to attack the cities or so.

So it’s possible that the Abyss twin has awakened first, has travelled Teyvat, has acquired all the knowledge to have (for the future abyss order), then comes Khaenri'ah destruction, he/she wake up the Traveler Twin then when the latest gets captured, trying to save him/her, the Abyss Twin becomes mad.

In conclusion, unlike everyone's believe, the manga implies it’s Aether the leader of the abyss and not Lumine.

After, like I said it’s open to interpretation.

3. The Web Events

Yes, the web events is also canon, there is even one with Lumine and Venti who was released before the game comes out, which shows that Lumine was well designed for being the protagonists from the starts.

[stellartales]

zhongli ▪︎ glazed moon

pairing: zhongli x traveler!reader

genre(s): comfort + mild angst + fluff

summary: liyue harbor is once again preparing for another festival — the mid-autumn festival. but somehow she simply couldn't bring herself to join the others in the celebration. definitely not when her heart is aching in melancholy for her missing twin. — | m.list

background: this scenario takes place during the mid-autumn festival - as quoted from wikipedia - it is the second-most important holiday after Chinese New Year with a history dating back 3,000 years, when China's emperors worshipped the moon for bountiful harvests.[2] The celebration is called Chuseok (autumn eve) in Korea, Tsukimi (moon-viewing) in Japan and Tết Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) in Vietnam

this event celebrated by the chinese is usually spent eating mooncakes and drinking teas. lanterns are also an important aspect of this festival. unlike the yuanxiao fesitval or mingxiao festival (which is the fictional festival featuring best boy Xiao in GI) where lanterns are released into the sky, lanterns are hand-held. this is a festival i celebrate every year hence i'm familiar with it — feel free to read up about this on wiki!

a/n: don't mind me, this is just a random idea that popped in my head. i'm in the mood for some angsty stuff these days so just had to get it out. Flute version of 无羁 (Wu Ji) from the drama 'Untamed' was the song which inspired my angsty mood while typing this. pardon my errors (I may have missed them and i kinda wrote this on a spur sooooo yea)

Please do me a favor and reblog this. Thank youuuu ❤

the vitality of liyue harbor has always been astounding; an envy of the seven nations.

bright, bustling streets even in the darkness of nights was enough to show the nature of the city.

though, today it was a different kind of bustle. stores were already closed; even the nocturnal businesses that one would only see at night.

the moon had been bright and round the past few nights while the people busied themselves for another festival to come.

— the mid-autumn festival, an annual festival celebrated by the people of liyue or at least that was what zhongli explained yesterday when he extended an invitation to her to join him and others in moon-gazing today.

tonight, the moon shone bright and full in the clear dark sky, seemingly more so than the previous nights.

strategically rooted to the ground of a spacious balcony overlooking the gentle waves below, the stone tables were in a perfect spot beneath the brilliant moon.

colorful mooncakes of various flavors and teacups filled with steaming tea laid before her.

she sat at one of the round stone tables with some funeral parlor staff and of course, zhongli himself who has been rather busy ever since she arrived—

the cheerful chatters and laughter drew her eyes away from the empty seat beside her and to the tables across theirs.

his archon days were over, he said.

he was simply trying to experience a mundane life as 'zhongli' now, as the geo archon had put it when she expressed her surprise at his involvement with a festival fabricated by the mortals' minds.

and indeed—

her gaze idled on him.

— he was doing it too well.

illuminated by the golden glow the table lanterns emanated, the cordial and relaxed atmosphere was warmed by attentive eyes and smiling lips.

all on him.

apparently, some things never changed. whether he was rex lapis or zhongli, he carried an alluring elegance and charisma. clinging to every word and his occasional hand gestures, they were like moths drawn to a flame.

she could understand why; she liked hearing him talk. she would have gone over too, if not...if not for this weight on her heart.

it has been nearly a year since she was in teyvat looking for her twin. these few days in the harbor, the full moon was a constant reminder of how time has passed, and yet...

a heavy sigh escaped her. a longing gleam waned in her eyes as she lifted her gaze to the sky.

they used to talk and eat under a full moon just like this, a bitter ache clenched her heart.

her teeth sank into her lower lip as it trembled.

please...not now. her hands curled into shaking fists as she tried to hold back the tears threatening to leave her eyes.

not now. not at this party. she silently pleaded with herself, her squared shoulders shaking. it took all her willpower to not let the dam break.

but one managed to escape her anyway.

—shit.

she was up on her feet fast and slipped away from the party as subtly as she could.

stumbling out of the party half-blind with tears wasn't exactly the best situation to remember about the cloak meant to keep her warm on an autumn night.

luckily, she didn't end up falling off the stairs she currently sat on.

autumn in liyue was typically not cold, but tonight seemed especially so.

she shivered to the chilly breeze brushing against her back. goosebumps crawled across her skin, particularly on the areas her dress failed to protect against the cold.

she couldn't quite bring herself to go back for the cloak. not with the mess she was now.

the sight of the round moon above wavered in her vision as tears quietly trailed down her cheeks.

under the vast, seemingly endless night sky, she felt small...

— her knees were drawn closer to her chest, curled fingers digging into her dress.

...and extremely powerless.

where is he? why can't she find him? is he even in teyvat? Is he even...still alive? does he even exist anymore?

—a dreading sense of hopelessness echoed in her heart and summoned another wave of tears wavering her vision.

under this wide, endless sky and its luminous moon, she felt alone, truly alone in the presence of the joyous cacophony of laughter and playful yells coming from the festival she left behind.

a nasty voice prompted by the noise taunted her — of how no one would notice, even if she were to walk right out of liyue harbor right now.

drowning in harsh, relentless thoughts, she failed to notice the gaze of a pair of wise, golden eyes on her back, soft with concern.

long legs covered the distance between them in a quiet, graceful stride; the gentle clacks of his loafers whenever their heels hit the ground slipped past her notice too.

not even when he climbed down the steps to settle himself next to her, a step above hers.

not even the inevitable proximity between their bodies caused by the short stairs spacious for one but narrow for two.

only until his coat was off his shoulders and wrapped around hers—

"why the tears on the mid-autumn festival?"

—she jolted with a sharp gasp, her widening eyes snapping over to him.

the calm and prodding gaze that met hers was accompanied by the tender brush of his thumb across her left cheek, right under her tearing eye before switching over to her other.

"zh-zhongli?"

she stayed stunned, unsure she was feeling so because someone noticed she had left or was it because of this simple gesture.

zhongli has always been a mentor-like figure to her. his words, his wise gazes, the comforting pets he occasionally gave on her head and back had always reminded her of how she was a mere child in his eyes.

but tonight...this, nothing about the gentleness his hand or his eyes emanate felt normal. or was she just delirious?

the strange stutter of her heart caused by the hand on her face, the blush heating up her cheeks made her tear her gaze away from his, flustered.

zhongli let his hand drop back onto his knee, but his eyes stayed.

crossing her arms to hold onto his coat sitting on her shoulders, she thought hard to recall his question.

"i can't help thinking about my brother, that's all." she looked back at him, smiling.

a smile he thought reminded him of the moon when it was not yet full — a quiet light melancholic with vague sadness.

"don't worry about me, i'll be fine." she slipped a glance over her shoulder in the direction of the festival. "you should go back there, zhongli, they need you. what's mid-autumn festival for liyue without you?"

she moved to remove the coat from her shoulders, but a hand wrapped around her wrist stopped her.

"but what's mid-autumn festival without you, my dear friend?"

zhongli regarded her intently, his eyes boring into hers for a second before shifting to focus on his coat.

there was something else in his eyes when they return to hers; it came and went in a flicker. "...keep this on, it's chilly today."

"thanks..." she murmured, her shoulders sinking as she yet again returned her thoughts to her brother.

"aether..." the pain she guarded showed on her face. "will i ever be able to see him again?"

tears started to well up in her eyes once again.

"i'm sorry, zhongli, i'm so sorry..." a quiet sob broke through, "today is supposed to be about the mid-autumn festival, and yet...here you are, listening to me."

zhongli's mouth opened then snapped close.

he always knew what to say whenever she was in a pinch. however, it was tears this time, and he wasn't exactly sure about what he should do about his body's urge to extend his arms out to her.

he was already more than a thousand years old.

as the former geo archon, he was the immovable rock. emotions and impulses he used to hold within himself in his younger days were buried deep under the sands of time...or at least they should be.

so where did this come from? was this strange stir an inevitable part of being a mortal?

"you know what?"

her movement to rise from the spot beside him turned his head back to her.

resolute hardened the glint in her tearing eyes, "i don't want to hold you back any longer,"

her fingers curled into a shaky fist, nails digging into her palm.

"....the people need you. i-i think i should just go bac—"

his hand flew out before he could think any further; his body was faster than his thoughts this time.

her next breath puffed out of her, in surprise and bewilderment as her body was tugged and cocooned by a breathing warmth before she could understand what happened.

and when she did, her eyes flew wide.

cheek pressed against his neck, she found herself held to his chest. she could feel his chin atop her head and his arms around her.

he was beside her a moment ago, and now he was behind sharing the same step as her, broad enough to accommodate them. was she the one who moved? or did he?

she didn't know how but she couldn't find the energy to care —the scent of musk and lingering tea engulfing her was an alluring comfort that made her want to stop trying.

so warm. really, really warm.

and so was his voice. "...but you need me." a hand caressed the back of her head.

there was a pause before a feigned cough ensued. "i meant, this."

[genshin-obsessed]

u are opened your request! yeey! can I get xiao x reader hc or anything, when xiao feels regret-and mad-because he is ignoring the reader since he meet traveler/lumine & now the reader never appear in front of him again, instead she/them spend their time with other character (the reader whose know lumine have liking xiao be like "oh, i'm bothering your time with her? kay then, i know u two like each other, this weak mortal will dissappear as your wish, hope u will happy with her, tehee~) but can you make the ending with fluff? it's true that I wanna see suffering xiao, but my heart can't let that cat boy have the sad ending! #pleasehelpmyweirdheart #gaaah

sorry if what I say doesn't make sense at all.

I sincerely really love your work

- 🕊️

I hope you liked this! Not gonna lie this concept makes me wanna write something similar for more of the characters.

Venti Version

Diluc Version

Length: 919

Something New

You had met Xiao by accident. You were walking to Wangshu inn and you had gotten attacked by some slimes. Xiao had saved you and, at first, he was pretty rude.

But after that first meeting, he found himself missing you. He was surprised, he’d only seen you once, heard you speak once, and now he longed to do it again.

So he found you again. He found you and made up some stupid excuse to always be nearby. He had no idea what all of that entailed. He fell in love and he didn’t hate it. He cherished you and everything about you. Your background didn’t matter, nothing but your love for him did.

Everything was great.

So when did it change? When did Xiao start becoming so busy for you? Usually, he would go find you if you’d been apart for too long. Now… now he would just cancel plans to spend time with her.

Lumine. The Hero of Mondstat. Who didn’t know her? How many times had Xiao cancelled plans with you only to spend time with her?

It hurt. It hurt so much but at the same time, it made sense. Of course he’d want someone of his caliber. Someone who could fight, someone who was great… like him. You couldn’t even protect yourself from some slimes.

So after Xiao ditched your two year anniversary to spend with Lumine, you decided to end it. It was clear Xiao wanted Lumine more and you wouldn’t stand in the way. They were clearly meant for each other. So, you decided to talk to him. To end it properly, but of course, when you got to Wangshu Inn… he was with Lumine… laughing.

That’s when it must’ve really sunk in. The tears started flowing without stopping. You had to steal some paper and wrote Xiao a note, saying you understood that he loved Lumine more and that you were fine with ending the relationship. She was clearly the better option.

After that, you left. You cried as you decided you'd leave Liyue with your friend, Beidou. She insisted on a new start, one that might help these awful memories. You agreed and had everything packed and all you needed to do was meet her at the docks.

The walk there was painful. Your legs felt like lead and all you could think of was Xiao coming to stop you. Every turn, every look back, every sound… you hoped it was him. But it wasn’t.

You finally made it to Liyue harbor and down to the docks, where you saw Beidou waiting for you. She frowned, knowing the only thing you wanted was for Xiao to stop you. But it clearly hadn’t happened and from the look on your face, you two didn’t even get to talk.

“Are you ready?” You only managed a nod as she helped you onto the boat.

***

“Hey, what’s that?” Lumine asked, pointing to the letter under the rock. Xiao moved forward and picked it up and looked at the front. His name was neatly written in the corner and he immediately recognized your handwriting.

Xiao’s golden eyes moved across the paper, widening in horror with every word he read. Slowly the words started to blur and became harder to read. It took him a moment to realize he was crying.

A weak mortal like me will never get in your way. I’ll disappear from your life completely, Xiao.

Where did you go? Where were you? The note only mentioned that you were leaving but where could you have gone?

“I… I have to go.” Xiao said before disappearing, without waiting for Lumine to respond.

***

You stared out into the open sea, tears still sliding down your cheeks. You knew this pain would last a while… but how long? Xiao was incredible. He was an amazing man, one that changed your life in so many ways. One that you couldn’t ever forget.

You had to forget. You could hold onto the memories, all those happy memories, but you had to let go of Xiao.

Just that thought caused a sob to escape your lips. You lowered your head as sobs wracked your body, feeling the salty breeze cool your arms and cheeks. Cold… you were cold.

It only lasted a moment though, before you felt warmth envelope you. A very familiar scent surrounded you, making you look up and head at the sea. No…

Slowly you turned your head and saw the one man you almost didn’t want to.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry… forgive me.” He said, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you closer. “I’m so sorry… please don’t leave me.”

“Y-you love L-Lumine. It’s f-fine.”

“No. No I’m not. Lumine… isn’t you. I want you and only you.”

“It’s our-”

“2 year anniversary. I’m sorry. I’ll do anything to make it up to you. Just don’t leave me.”

“I already told Beidou I’d go with her.”

“Then I’ll stay here with you. As long as you want to be here.”

“I… I don’t…”

“I love you so much, (f/n). So please… don’t leave me.” Your tears didn’t stop, but you leaned into Xiao’s arms. He held you tightly, swearing over and over again he’d make it up to you. He swore no matter what, he would never make you feel like this again.

“I love you too…” you whispered as your lips met. You loved Xiao more than anything and you were willing to trust him one more time.

[aspiringauthorintraining]

Stuck with You

The light breeze and clear skies in Liyue were a stark contrast to Childe’s mood as he trailed behind you. Sulking lower with each step, he frowned when he realized you were continuing to ignore him.

Earlier in the day, while heading to the Wanmin Restaurant for lunch, the two of you were stopped by a familiar traveling duo- who had asked if either of you had seen Zhongli.

Childe had a knack for knowing where everyone was at all times, a special gift he said- calling it “keeping tabs” on the people closest to him. (But in your dictionary, the word was, “stalking”. And you had been sure to let him know you didn’t approve of his methods, when you found him not-so-discreetly following you on a commission. You made him promise not to secretly follow you around anymore, and threatened that the Snezhnayan nursery rhyme Teucer taught you about pinky promises would come true, if he were to go back on his word.)

It seemed Lumine and her emergency food companion had already looked in the aforementioned spots Childe suggested, and so you urged him to go actually help them look. It was perfect, seeing that you had some business to take care of down by the docks anyways.

At your suggestion however, Childe gave you a betrayed look, a deep frown settling on his face. He reluctantly led the two foreigners on the hunt to find the Geo Archon, after Paimon kept bugging him that time was of the essence. And it didn’t take long for Childe to come back, finding you, at the docks wrapping up your business as well.

When you noticed he was back, you had asked him if Zhongli had been found, only to be responded with a scoff. Confused, but still rolling your eyes at his childishness, you walked away to resume the trek to the restaurant. Childe, who didn’t get the response back he had wanted, chose to follow behind quietly.

It was a good minute of silence between the two of you, before he suddenly spoke.

“I can’t believe you would so willingly let me go with another girl.”

“It’s not like I gave you my blessing to go elope with her.” You replied, exasperatedly. “Besides, I don’t think you’re Paimon’s type.”

Seeing your amused expression, he gave you a deadpan look. And shaking his head, he dramatically breathed out a loud sigh. “Where’s the fight? The battle for my attention?”

You shrugged nonchalantly at his question. “Listen, I’m not going fight Lumine, or anyone else for your attention.”

“I would fight for your attention.” He whined.

You tried to fight off a smile, able to vividly imagine him with droopy dog ears that paired well with his pout. Although, you weren’t sure whether his statement came from his love for you or from his love of violence. 

Perhaps both, you thought.

Regardless, you responded with a shake of your head.

“No, it’s okay.”

He huffed at your rejection, looking at you with incredulous eyes. “Why won’t you let me fight for you?” 

He was one foot stomp away from reminding you of his brother, Teucer.

“Because-” you started, grabbing his pouty face into your hands. You gave him a quick peck, before explaining. “-there’s no need to. I’m already yours.”

And unsurprisingly, It only took him a second for his habitual smirk to make a reappearance, replacing the previous pout.

“You’re right. You’re mine.” He smiles, responding with a peck of his own. “And I’m yours.”

In a much happier mood than before, he confidently took the lead, entertwining your hand with his to resume the walk to your lunch spot. The blush on your cheeks blossomed even more, at the feeling of his hand gently squeezing yours.

________

While you were eating your Adeptus Temptation, which Childe kept sneaking bites of throughout the meal, a thought occurred to you.

“You know what,” you said, tapping your finger on your chin in thought, as Childe sneaked another spoonful of your food into his mouth. “I would fight if the other girl was Signora, though.”

“Really?” He smiled gleefully at your words.

“Yeah, she’s a bitch. And I would love a good reason to let my fist hit her face.”

“So violent...I love it.” Childe responded, looking at you in adoration.

“But I would also fight you too, to knock some sense into you for leaving me for her.”

“Fair enough.” He agreed.

____

As the both of you walked out of the restaurant after finishing the meal, Childe seemed to want to ask you something, looking in your direction every other second. You gave him a questioning glance, wondering what he was wanting to ask so badly.

“Since we’re not fighting anyone, can we fight each other then?” He pleaded to you, with round, hopeful eyes.

You rolled your eyes at his thirst for violence. “Unless you want a smack down, I’d rather save you the embarrassment.

“Oh, you think I’d lose- to you?”

His haughty voice, as if he had forgotten who had won the previous fight between the two of you, made you change your mind on the matter.

“You know what? On second thought, let’s. If you win, you can stalk me again.”

He nodded readily at your statement, ignoring your choice of words for his special skill. Smiling blindingly, purely ecstatic at your agreement, the smile falls into a frown at your next words.

“But if I win- you can’t see or talk to me for a whole week.” 

Would you really not interact with him for a whole week? Probably not. But he didn’t need to know that.

“How dare you.” He said, a hand to his chest with an offended tone. “We promised Teucer we’d be together forever!” 

At his words, you couldn’t stop a smile from breaking out. 

You were surprised he still remembered the little promise his brother ordered the two of you to make, during his visit to Liyue as a stowaway. The younger boy, who really took a liking to you, was worried that you wouldn’t come visit him in Snezhnaya, if the two of you ever broke up. So, to the joy of his older brother, he forced you and Childe to promise each other to “stay together forever”, refusing to get on the boat to go back home, otherwise.

“You’re right.” You relented, nodding your head with a smile. “I guess I’m stuck with you then.” 

Childe, proud of his quick thinking, made a mental note, remembering to thank his little brother in the next letter he wrote home. 

But you couldn’t help but tease your boyfriend just a little bit more.

“But then again, do I really need my pinky and tongue?”

“(Y/N)!!”

_______

*(A/N): hehe. Reading back, I realized I made Childe such a simp for you lol. Anyways, thanks for reading and hope you guys enjoyed it! Also, first time I heard Teucer sing the pinky promise song, I was like wtf lol. If you haven’t done the story quest for Childe yet, the song is basically saying that if you break a promise you’ll lose your pinky and tongue. Like, comment, or do whatever! Also stay safe out there and wear a mask if you go out! Childe would want you to. ^^

[liliesinrequiem]

Poem

A/N: I’m back! With another Kaeya fic. This is technically set during the Windblume Festival with certain changes. I hope you all enjoy <3.

This could also be read as a sequel to: Forfeit (Kaeya x AFAB!Reader). It doesn’t have to be read before this one really since you aren’t really missing much. You can if you want. 

Pairing: Kaeya x Reader

Summary: Kaeya convinces you to write a poem during the Windblume Festival. You refuse to show it to him after hearing his ‘poem’ and avoid him for the rest of the day until you were unable to. 

CW: Mentions of alcohol

“Why don’t you try and write a love poem then?” he asked. A teasing smile on his face. 

“My way with words is incomparable to yours,” you said. He was the most convincing person that you knew. There was a reason that he was so loved. Just from speaking with him for a little while, a person would totally be enraptured by him. A charming man, truly. 

“Didn’t you write that one riddle when I had to arrest those treasure hoarders? The one that could’ve been out of a romantic novel,” he said. 

“I was inspired,” you mumbled. That whole setup had been some of your finest work. The maps and the riddles were something that you had dedicated some time to. Of course, he’d given a lot of guidelines as to how they should be. You’d just done a lot of the creative work. Everything just fell into place so well for him in the end. The dinner you earned was nice as well. 

“Then be inspired again. I’ll show you mine if you write one and show me,” he said. 

A fair trade you supposed as you took a piece of paper. The poem came easier to you than you expected. Maybe your own heart did have some inspiration that you did not desire to admit. 

“That’s what you were writing this entire time?” you asked after his poem was read out loud by Venti. You were tightly holding onto your own poem, wrinkling its prior smoothness. Whatever thoughts you had in mind of sharing your own poem had vanished into thin air. 

“Poetic, no?” he asked. You glared at him. Poetic? Sure. A love poem? No. Beyond that, when did he even have time to learn the language of the Hilichurl? 

“I feel like I have to fail you for this,” said Venti, confused by what he had read.

“Please do,” you said. 

“Did you write a poem, (Y/N)?” asked Paimon, pointing at the piece of paper in your hand. Everyone’s eyes turned to you and you could see how the Captain was smiling. Embarrassment filled your body as you folded it quickly and shook your head. He would not manage to win.

“Nope! This is just a list of things I have to do at the moment. Now, if you’ll excuse me!” You stored the poem in your dress as you left the room and the building. You’d rather be outside and help out there than remain within the same room as Kaeya. 

---

“Lumine!” you said as you saw her a while later. You’d been helping out Noelle with carrying around some materials that were needed for the festival. But your friend was much faster and stronger than you were so she was probably at the destination. 

“(Y/N)! Captain Kaeya asked us to search for you! He wants to talk to you,” said Paimon. 

“Oh? He couldn’t search for me himself?” you asked. A question that probably sounded meaner than you intended it to. 

“He said he was too busy finishing up some paperwork for Jean,” answered Lumine, “So we came looking for you. 

“You’re too kind. No wonder you’re an Honorary Knight. But I can’t go right now.” You continued, “Tell him that I can speak with him later.” You really did not want to see him. You felt...slightly hurt. You weren’t even sure why you were. Actually, you did know why you were upset. You just didn’t want to admit it. In truth, you had hoped that his poem would actually have meaning. Unrealistically and stupidly, you had hoped that his poem might’ve been a confession. 

But that was the thing about your relationship with him. It was more of something that you were walking in the dark, with no real designation of whether or not you were going in the right direction, and hoping that you end up at the right place. For all you knew, Kaeya was probably waiting for the day that he’d drop you and move onto the next one. Even with that possibility, you continued giving your heart to him. Whether that was stupid or not, you were still not fully sure. Some days it was worth it and others, not so much. 

“We could help you so that you can talk with him. He said it was urgent,” explained Lumine. You didn’t doubt that he had told her that. He probably believed that if you were told that it was urgent, you’d drop everything and run to see what he wanted to see. You usually did but you felt that you had to hold your ground for a while longer. 

“Don’t worry about me, okay? I’ll talk to him when I can. He’ll understand,” you said. You bid them farewell and continued carrying the crate.

---

You’d managed to avoid him for most of the day. That was until you were called to Angel’s Share and asked to take him home. When you asked why they couldn’t, excuses came flying at you. Sister Rosaria said that she couldn’t as she had business to take care of and Diluc couldn’t either since he had to close up the place. Convenient that they both chose to do that now. 

“Thank you, (Y/N).” You only mumbled a ‘no problem’ in response to Diluc’s gratitude as you pulled Kaeya to lean on your shoulder. The promise of free drinks motivated you to get the job done quickly. 

“(Y/N)-” “Captain, be quiet. I would prefer if you didn’t get sick on me,” you cut him off. The walk back to his apartment was a hassle. It was either that he continued trying to ramble to you or that he was leaning too much on you and you had to take small breaks. You truly were exhausted from those crates earlier.

“Where’s your key?” you asked when the two of you stopped in front of his door. A fruitless question as his mind was somewhere else you would soon realize.

“How come you didn’t come to me when I asked earlier?” he asked. You didn’t answer as you checked both his pockets and fished out the key from the left one. To ask the question again would probably cause him to start talking about something else and you most definitely did not want to talk about anything. 

“(Y/N),” he said.

“What?” Your voice sounded more angry than you meant. You pushed the door open and kicked it to close when the both of you got through. You sat him on his bed and started to look around the cabinets for a glass to fill it with water. 

“Have you been ignoring me?” He sounded hurt. A rare sight to ever behold when he was constantly brushing everything off. Kaeya was rarely a vulnerable person. Years of having built up the walls around him to keep people out led him to being closed off from everyone. The fewest times that he was vulnerable was in the dead of night or when he was drunk. Every single thing that he ever expressed during those times had been stored into your heart. 

“I’ve been busy today,” you answered as you handed him the glass of water. You turned to start looking for some clothes for the night. You doubted that he’d appreciate sleeping in his work outfit.

“That’s never stopped you before,” he countered as he drank the water. No response came from you since you knew him to be right. There was one time where you had to finish up something for Lisa and stopped doing it because he’d bothered you enough to do something for him. The librarian was upset and you only barely learned your lesson.

“Was it because of my poem?” You wondered how he even managed to figure that out. 

“Maybe,” you said, “I just expected a bit more from you.” The poem that you had written for him was still in one of your dress pockets and felt like a stone that weighed on you. You’d poured a bit of your heart into it and the courage to give it to him withered away when Venti read his poem.  

“I wrote an actual one,” he said. You placed some clothes on the nightstand and turned to look at him.

“Is that so?” you asked. You steadied him from falling over after you made your question. Just how much alcohol did he consume? The tab he had must be astronomical. Maybe not as bad as Venti’s or what yours had been at one point, but it had to be huge. Though you were jealous of his ability to remain coherent enough with everything in his system.

“Yes,” he said, “It’s here.” He pulled out a folded sheet of paper from his shirt. “Read it,” he said as he pushed the paper into your hands. 

You shook your head. For all you knew, it could be another joke and you weren’t sure that you could handle it. At least not with him looking at you while you read it. “Let’s get you to bed, Kaeya.” 

“But I want you to read it,” he whined. 

“And I want you to sleep because you’re drunk,” you said. 

After you’d spent some time convincing him to change and to get ready for bed, you sat down at the edge of the bed and opened up the paper. He’d fallen asleep rather quickly and you breathed a sigh of relief as your eyes traveled to the first words on the paper. 

“(Y/N),” began the poem. 

---

In the early morning, Kaeya woke up with a mild headache. Memories of the day before were hazy as the hangover hit him hard. He looked at his nightstand and saw a glass of water and a small bottle of medicine. 

Beside the nightstand was a small piece of paper. On it, there were three words: To My Captain. 

[yostresswritinggirl]

I simp for Zhongli real hard but Diluc will always have a special place in my heart and I couldn't write a birthday fic for him when his birthday came around cause I was busy. Here's something I wrote on short notice. It's a female reader insert but it has elements of an unfinished Genshin OC of mine and a dash of self-insert. kek. -🍺

--------

"I must thank you again Traveler for helping me, if it weren't for you I wouldn't be able to come out of there unscathed", the lady hums as Lumine could nod along. Paimon eyed the lady they, more like Lumine, had saved and took note of her clothing. It wasn't close to anything they have seen in Mondstandt and Liyue and they doubt she could have been from Inazuma. A past elbow length blouse with sleeves made out of thin material draped by a pañuelo of the same thin material. Her flowy skirt only reached her knees and what wasn't covered by her skirt was covered by her knee length brown boots.

"I must say, Mondstandt is such a wonderful place to spend the summer, much cooler than Natlan", she hummed Lumine and Paimon were jovial to meet someone from another nation. Paimon really was just excited to find out about the food.

"Oh! I remember, how can I repay you?", The lady asks and Lumine was about to decline the offer until Paimon spoke up, "How about you treat us to dinner with food from Natlan?", Lumine sent an exasperated look towards Paimon. " I don't mind cooking but how about we seek a place to rest, I know somewhere we can rest just a bith farther now", the lady encouraged and quickened her steps with the Traveler and Paimon following after.

As they near the said place, Lumine noticed it was the Dawn Winery the lady was talking about. "Oh you know someone here?", Paimon asked and the lady hummed. "Yes indeed, though it hasn't changed much since I was last here", she giggled.

Now if the lady was already mysterious to Lumine, she became moreso with the workers greeting her and calling her 'Madame'. Maybe it was just the way the lady carried herself, like an aristocrat. The small group neared the mansion which made Lumine and Paimon even more curious about her.

The doors to the winery slammed opened and all of them couldn't help but jump back a bit. Diluc was the one who came out followed by Adelinde, "I must go to her, keep the mansion in tact and make sure her injured escorts see to their recovery", rather than his composed resting face it has a tinge of worry but as he turned around it was soon melted away when he saw the Honorary Knight and a familiar person behind her.

"Actually continue preparations for dinner Adelinde", Diluc spoke and the head maid nodded and went back inside. "Traveler, it seems I must give my thanks to you for saving her" Diluc spoke calmly once he managed to gather himself, the Traveler and Paimon looked behind them to see the lady and noticed how she had a soft look in her eyes when she saw Diluc.

"But it alsk seems we need a bit of introduction aswell, it seemed to slip past your mind my dear", Diluc clearly intended the last part for the lady and as she walked passed by Lumine and Paimon. She stood next to Diluc and laid her head against his shoulder and the Uncrown King of Mond couldn't help but wrap a gentle yet firm arm around her waist.

"This is my fiancee, (Name), a writer from Natlan whom I met long ago. Thank you once more for saving her", Diluc gave a short squeeze at her waist, "It seems it did slip my mind about that, as repayment for saving me and apologies how about dinner and a rest to stay here for the night, hm?", (Name) offered and Lumine nodded. As they entered the Dawn Winery after the couple, Paimon spoke up as realization struck upon the fairy.

"I guess Diluc doesn't hold the title of Mondstandt's Most Eligible Bachelor anymore",

-------

It was short but it was kinda sweet.

[ship-ambrosia]

Chilumi Week Day 1 - Angel Wings (Family)

I’m so excited to participate in a ship week again, you guys!! I have sooo many ideas for this ship it was really difficult choosing just one prompt for each day lol

Summary: Tonia admires the angel her brother brought home with him.

   It was the first thing Teucer had mentioned after being escorted home.

   No apologies, no hugs for his parents or other siblings. Not even seeing their brother, Ajax, was the first thing out of his mouth. No, it was-

   “I met the nice lady that big brother wrote about in his letters, Tonia!” Teucer exclaimed excitedly, nearly jumping out of his skin. “She was so pretty, and she watched over me while he was away selling his toys! She took me all around Liyue!”

   Her first thought was Wow, Ajax pawned off Teucer to some poor girl he’d only recently met. Of course, Tonia’s interest was still piqued by this - her older brother had never really liked anyone before, never been a people person, while they were growing up. On top of that, she knew the truth about his job; he was a Harbinger for the Tsaritsa, and while he spared her much of the details, she heard stories. She knew what they did. She really wanted to know what this girl was like, to have caught her brother’s attention while he was fulfilling his job for the Archon.

   Once Teucer had been scolded by their mother, Tonia was back to watch duty. They had all been worried sick when he disappeared, relieved only when her oldest brother’s letter arrived and explained that Teucer had somehow made his way to Liyue, and that he would make sure Teucer got back safely. She had him seated in the kitchen with her while she cooked. On and on, Teucer continued to babble about the girl, Lumine.

   “And then, she showed me the courtyard at the top of Liyue! She told me that was where she and big brother met! She said she was in a lot of trouble, but big brother saved her! My big brother is amazing!” Teucer excitedly threw his hands in the air, which made Tonia giggle. She thought she’d like to hear the story from Ajax, himself, when he returned home.

   “I made the nice lady promise to come visit when she gets to Snezhnaya,” Teucer continued. “She’s a traveler! But she made me a pinkie promise, so she has to come!”

   “Oh, then she will definitely be here,” Tonia agreed. “You told her what happens when you break a pinkie promise, right?”

   “Mhm!” He nodded enthusiastically, then began to recite the rhyme. Tonia wished she could have seen the look on the traveler’s face, because she knew the rhyme was a little much for people not from Snezhnaya.

   “...the frost will freeze your tongue off, so you never lie again!” He finished, a proud look on his face.

   “Very good, Teucer,” Tonia turned to him, smiling. “Now, why don’t you tell me about what big brother got you?”

   Her younger brother’s eyes widened comically. “I almost forgot! Big brother took me to his Toy Research factory, where he makes all the Mr. Cyclops! And then he gave me my own Mr Cyclops! Oh, and the nice lady was there too...”

   She continued to listen to him, giggling all the while, wondering what the real story behind Ajax and Lumine taking Teucer through the “Toy Research factory” was.

   There was a restlessness that stirred among the entire family throughout the day, and settled as dusk fell. The Tsaritsa’s Winter Festival was upon them, and Ajax had sent ahead that not only would he be returning to Snezhnaya on the Holy Day, but that he had a guest to bring with him.

   Tonia knew it was Lumine - it had to be. The only other person she could ever see him actually wanting to bring home to them was the Tsaritsa, and even then he’d made it clear he was trying to keep his family away from his business as a Harbinger. She was sure the rest of her family knew it too; Teucer, however, excitable as he was, was the only one to voice their collective thought.

   “Mama and papa are going to meet the nice lady!” He exclaimed. “Tonia and Anthon too!”

   Most of their replies were laughter and encouraging Teucer, but for the rest of it they stayed relatively silent, like they were collectively holding their breath. Even now, as their mother was watching Teucer, Tonia sat with her other brother and the two of them remained quiet. She wasn’t nervous, in fact she was bursting with curiosity. There was just something about it that made no one want to speak.

   The door to their home opened suddenly with no warning, though it swung open agonizingly slow. Both she and Anthon were on their feet in an instant, sharing a glance of bewilderment. Neither of them were truly prepared, and they would be the first to see their brother and his guest.

   Ajax appeared through the door first, and despite her burning lungs, Tonia couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face upon seeing him. It had been so long since she last saw her brother, and yet he looked like he hadn’t changed a day. If it had only been him stepping through the door, this would have been a wonderful day. But it wasn’t; once he had fully crossed the threshold, she saw that there was a white-gloved hand in his own, guiding this girl he had written so much about into their home. She noticed Ajax turn his head to look toward his guest before she saw the Traveler herself.

   Lumine, this girl she had read so much about, how what a strong-willed and skilled warrior she was, looked surprisingly bashful as she followed Ajax inside. Tonia was struck immediately by how pretty she was. Blonde hair and eyes the color of amber honey. She wore a knee-length coat that was also feather white, adorned by white fur that gave her the silhouette of angel wings. Truly, Tonia didn’t think she’d be any more surprised had the girl walked into their home with wings spreading out from her back. She was so ethereal, they would only make sense.

   “Lumine, this is Tonia and Anthon, my other siblings,” Her older brother was the first to speak, probably because both she and Anthon were stunned. “Of course you already know Teucer, wherever he is.”

   The Traveler bowed her head politely toward them. “A pleasure it is to meet you,” her voice was gentle, sweet. Tonia thought it sounded like how she imagined spring, growing up in a land of eternal winter. “Both of your brothers told me so much about the two of you.”

   “Likewise,” it seemed like Anthon had gathered his senses before her, walking over to shake her hand. Tonia was snapped out herself by seeing the look in her younger brother’s eyes. He was starstruck.

   She followed him quickly, instead collecting the other young woman in a warm embrace. She was smiling again when she pulled away. “Jaxy has told us so much about you.”

   Lumine giggled, a sound just as predictably pretty as it could be. “Jaxy?” She looked up toward him, and Tonia watched as her brother suddenly became very interested in the floor. 

   He rubbed the back of his head. “I suppose I forgot to mention what everyone likes to call me.”

   Tonia was so dumbfounded by the blush she saw appearing across his face, that she nearly missed what Lumine said next.

   “Understandably, since all you ever think about is fighting with me!”

   Before either Tonia or Anthon could comment on that statement, she watched as his face rose back to meet her gaze. Ajax put an arm around Lumine, resting his hand on her back. “Come on, let’s go find Teucer. He’s going to lose it if he thinks you didn’t come find him immediately.”

   “You’re probably right, he hasn’t stopped talking about her since he returned from Liyue,” Tonia agreed after she had recovered, indicating them toward the back of the house. “He’s in the den with mother.”

   “Well then, if you’ll follow me, my lady,” her brother flashed his guest a brilliant smile, leading her toward the den. Tonia noticed his hand slide down to her lower back as he guided her.

   She jumped a little, hitting him lightly on the arm, trying to escape his grip. “Ajax!” Her brother simply chuckled, and pulled her closer. But just the sound of his name on her lips made her brother visibly swoon, as though she had never said it before.

   His gaze hadn’t once left Lumine’s face since he looked back to her in the doorway, except for when she had teased him over his nickname. It was even better than Tonia could have imagined. 

   She thought Ajax hadn’t changed a bit from the last time she had seen him, but she saw now that she had been wrong. He was so much softer, his expression, his eyes, his body language. They were quite the sight together, her brother a mix of ginger hair, black and gray and red, while the girl beside him contrasted his appearance with white and gold, like she came down from Celestia itself. Tonia didn’t think it could be more like something straight out of a fairy tale. She had barely known the Traveler for a few minutes, and she knew immediately that her brother was in love.

[singing-till-the-end]

lonely nights

pairing: childe x lumine (chilumi)(genshin impact)

word count: 1319

in which lumine spends the lantern rite alone and childe comes to join her

It was a lonely night.

The city below her was filled with jubilant laughter and endless celebration, yet —

It was a lonely night.

It had been months, months, since Lumine had started her travels in Teyvat (in addition to the god-knows how long she spent in slumber), and still she was no closer than before in finding her brother. What if he was alone? What if he was in danger? What if...he’s dead?

She quickly shook her head, cursing her head for coming up with such absurd thoughts. Thinking like this wouldn’t help her; time wondering about what-ifs was time wasted.

But she couldn’t help but worry. Aether was all she had; it had always been just the two of them, jumping from world to world. Sometimes she allowed herself the fantasy of having parents who were out there somewhere, desperately awaiting for their return. But it was just that: a fantasy. And reality spent no effort humoring her.

She didn’t know what she would do if she never found him. Sure, Lumine always put up a confident front, but when she was alone, these awful thoughts always came back to plague her mind. Before, whenever there was ever some sort of trouble, she had always confided in Aether. Paimon was a more-than-competent traveling companion, but she wasn’t Aether; no one was Aether.

Looking up at the sky, its inky blackness glittering with bright stars, Lumine was reminded yet again of how they had once flown across those very stars. What she wouldn’t give in order to go back to those simpler times, where the only worries they had were finding a pleasant world to settle down in.

Under the darkness of the night, the traveler allowed herself a moment of vulnerability. Just a few minutes with a few tears, then she would be back to the festival. That’s what she had in mind, at least; she should have realized at this point that not everything went according to her plans. Actually, most things didn’t.

What was supposed to be a few drops of tears soon turned into a cascade of emotions. She buried her face in her knees and wept, wept for Aether and herself and the unfairness of this all. She hated this, resented this so much. She was so sick and tired of feeling powerless every night when the nightmares came to haunt her, of being forced to relive her brother’s horror-struck face and that outstretched hand, desperately grasping for something, yet meeting nothing but air.

Sometimes, she would wonder to herself if she could even save Aether even if she found him. If the two of them combined hadn’t been enough to defeat the Unknown God with the entirety of their powers, then how would she alone take down this damned deity?

It’s a never-ending loop of despair and regret, one which Lumine can’t ever seem to find the exit. Yet there’s still hope, buried somewhere deep inside, that drives her forward. It’s the promise that everything will be okay after this was all over.

Hope, she bitterly chuckled, is a dangerous thing.

The still silence surrounding her was effectively ended with the arrival of sudden footsteps that were most definitely heading toward her. Lumine instantly tensed, slowly turning around, readying her hand to summon her sword at a moment’s notice.

The enemy would have the cover of the dark while she was exposed in the open, but she would defeat it, like she did for all her other challenges. For all she had was herself, because no one would be there, defending her, not anymore; if she couldn’t even fend for herself —

She paused. Standing in front of her was none other than Childe, gazing at her with an uncharacteristically soft look in his otherwise dull eyes.

Lumine whirled around, suddenly aware of the tears still staining her face.

Yes, she and Childe were...friends, but he was a Harbinger first and foremost, someone who could and would betray her in a heartbeat if need be, just like what happened at the Golden House. In the end, he would only be an enemy, an obstacle in her path, and Lumine wasn’t exactly keen to show a foe how vulnerable and weak she really was.

Anything and everything could be used against me, she reminded herself, wiping away the tears.

Her walls were ready to emerge again, both protecting and isolating herself from the world. As much as it was painful, she knew better than anyone else just how necessary they were.

But in that moment, when Childe sets his coat upon her shoulders and lightly scolds her for being out here when it’s so cold, her walls crumble away to nothing but dust. It’s a little funny, really, how easily they manage to collapse compared to how desperate Lumine has been to keep them up. She was the one to blame, of course; it was her heart that fluttered and it was she who secretly welcomed the sensation.

Taking a seat on the ground beside her, Childe asked, “What are you doing here, ojou-chan? They’re releasing the Mingxiao Lantern tonight down in the harbor, you know.”

“I could say the same for you,” she replied, grimacing briefly when her voice cracked. Maybe he noticed, maybe he didn’t, but she was grateful all the same when he didn’t mention anything about it.

He smiled. “Couldn’t let my favorite traveler spend the night out here all by herself, now could I?”

Lumine found herself staring a little. Childe’s smiles were usually wide and mirthful yet painfully empty, just cheerful enough to fool the next person, but not Lumine; she doesn’t know when it started, but she found herself being able to differentiate between his fake and genuine smiles with relative ease. Even with all the time she’s been spending with the man lately, a genuine smile was incredibly rare. It was the type of smile that exuded warmth, one where his eyes shone with a light that made him look alive. The type of smile that she silently vowed to protect. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

“Ojou-chan, if you keep staring at me like that, I might be convinced you’ve fallen for me,” Childe lightly teased.

As a blush slowly crept onto her cheeks, Lumine hastily turned away, clearing her throat. Attempting to change the subject, she said, “Did you release a Xiao Lantern yet?”

It worked, thankfully. “No, not yet.”

“Why not?”

“Well, for one, I don’t know how to make the lanterns, and I don’t think anyone down in the harbor would be exactly thrilled to teach me, seeing I did almost destroy their entire city.” He laughed it off, nonchalant about the whole situation. The traveler just rolled her eyes, feeling exasperated, yet fond all the same.

When had she become so relaxed around Childe? She tried to remind herself to stay more wary, but as she laughed and joked around with him, the warnings inside her head disappeared without a trace. It was stupid, so awfully stupid, to want to trust someone who, in the end, would only end up hurting her, yet with Childe, all sense of reason was thrown away in the wind.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

Perhaps she was a little greedy, Lumine thought, cradling her lantern delicately, but it was fine.

Beside her, Childe held his own lantern, messily built but still viable. “What did you write?”

“Something a little ambitious. The gods out there probably won’t be able to grant it, but then again, even if they could, where’s the fun in that?” She smiled. “I’ll just make it happen myself.”

He laughed. A genuine laugh.

“Sounds just like you, ojou-chan. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

They released the lanterns together, watching as they slowly rose, illuminating the night.

Perhaps it wasn’t so lonely, after all.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

I wish to find my brother.

I wish to stay with Childe.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

Plot? We have no plot.

Sort of just wrote this on a whim. Would have loved to publish it on the last day of the Lantern Rite in-game, but alas, my writing skills said no <3

yeah I also sort of gave up near the end

[darkmindsthinktwistedthoughts]

His Songbird

Hey guys! I am alive... kinda.... mostly. Well, I'm present enough to have written this little short for you all. I started writing in the fandom for IkeSen with my Moblords and Devil’s Own Luck. I had no idea how much it would be liked and I was over the moon when I wrote the sequel and had even more people enjoy it. I am lucky enough to share my birthday month with the Devil King so decided to create this tale. I hope you like it - Aerion x

A new layer has been added to the mob lord world and The Devil King of the Upper East Side himself will be showing it to us. What kind of relationship does our arrogant and always enigmatic Nobu have to an Italian performer in a "reputable" cabaret?

Warnings: Strong language, suggestive/leading romance (prelude to smut), 1 Devil King and 1 Songbird.

Masterlist

---

His Songbird

There was a lingering fresh smell in the air. The cleansing effect of the recent shower of rain that washed over the area was still hampering the toxic fumes of the city traffic. Street vendors selling mouth-wateringly tempting snacks had temporarily closed during the downpour and were now busying themselves with the returning crowds as they clamoured around looking to fill their stomachs.

A familiar and comforting weight at his side reminded him of his firearm, sitting in its holster, as he removed himself from his car and took to the streets. It had been a hellish week that had taken him to the different quarters of the city travelling for meetings with the minor factions within his empire. The crisis with Esshu Industries had left more than a few of his loyal followers with a bitter taste in their mouths. Questions still dogged him as he moved from location to location wondering if what had happened would repeat again.

He had given them all that cocky, self-assured smile and arrogant flamboyance he was known for as he sweet talked his way around the issue. The offending company had yet to dissolve or collapse after the fall of its CEO. Would this happen again? Honestly, he had no idea what the future held. In the world he lived in, not knowing the future variables would render most men virtually useless, as they stumbled in the dark grasping at straws. He was not most men.

The rhythmic clack of his highly polished custom-made shoes moving over the smooth paving stones in the street felt like they were grounding him to the present, mercifully preventing his mind from wandering along the avenues that threatened to derail his cool and collected facade.

---

“Dammit, Mitsuhide I’m asking you where he is!” Hideyoshi’s voice growled out in Mitsuhide’s office as he became increasingly more frustrated with the man and bashed a clenched fist on the desk.

“And I have already told you I couldn’t possibly say.” Mitsuhide replied without even glancing at his angry visitor. His fingers working their way over the keyboard of his computer as if playing a concerto on a piano, even as the coffee cup he had placed next to him rattled on his disturbed desk.

“Can’t or won’t?” Hideyoshi was far from calm, whenever anything happened to Nobunaga he was always first to jump into action on the boss’s behalf. And right now, Hideyoshi could feel that tell-tale panicked feeling creeping up his back like ice water.

“You’ve become very good at phrasing.” Chuckling Mitsuhide stopped typing finally looking Hideyoshi in the eye and grinning. “The answer is both.”

Mitsuhide’s face was a perfect mask of amusement whilst also giving nothing away of his own thoughts. He looked just as impertinent as he always did and that was just as irritating as it was impressive given that Hideyoshi seemed to be in full “mummy bear” mode.

“Excuse me?”

“I can’t tell you and I also won’t be. He has just as much right as everyone else to go and seek enjoyment without being mothered to death.” Mitsuhide picked up his coffee smiling into his drink as he took a sip. Those sharp almost luminous yellow eyes never once leaving the soft brown ones of Hideyoshi. If someone was going the break this staring competition and the battle of wills with the worrywart it would not be him.

Mitsuhide’s answer gave Hideyoshi more questions than it really answered, but he bit his lip and didn’t ask any of them. Mitsuhide clearly knew something he didn’t. That annoyed him but it was also such a common thing that it was as much a part of his life as breathing at this point. Hideyoshi just had to trust that although the boss was unreachable that he was safe. After all, Mitsuhide wouldn’t ignore a dangerous situation when it came to the boss’s safety right?

---

The side streets were less crowded as he took a hard-right turn through the swirling tide of pedestrians and made his way to a familiar building. The ground beneath his feet had changed to a combination of smooth tarmac and smaller more uneven cobblestones. This was where the older parts of the city began to merge with the newer ones, the pathways were well maintained but not suited to high levels of commuters travelling to and from work.

It was a pick and mix of small shops that almost seemed to spring out of the walls in this area. They all catered for a time when modernisation never happened. The storefronts were clad in wooden skins, with fabric and paper decorations adorning the outside of them in places making it look like a festival had just finished.

The faded colours and ink were advertising items for sale and blessings from the heavens. Nobunaga smiled wryly to himself as he looked at them in passing. To think someone believed in such things to get jobs done? Luck was not something bestowed on you from the heavens it was something you made for yourself. That was what he believed and he had not once seen anything that made him believe otherwise. The brickwork was darker here, it was less pristine looking and felt like it carried the weight of history in it as he continued on to the building he was looking for.

A heavy wooden door that had thick cast iron stud work on it and scarlet paint called to him like a beacon in the darkness. There was no sign here, only a single slightly rusted ornate birdcage hanging on a hook next to the door with a large electric light bulb inside it. He raised his hand and gave three firm knocks to the sliding panel. The faint sound of someone coughing drawing nearer on the other side announced the arrival of the doorman before the panel even moved.

“Yes?” The low gruff voice called out as two eyes full of suspicion leered at him from behind the door.

“Lovely night for a song.”

There was a weighted metallic clunk and the door creaked on its hinges creating a large enough gap for him to enter. The light inside the entryway was dim. Frosted glass shell shaped sconce lights cast only enough illumination to allow the guests to avoid injury as they moved without announcing to the world their identities.

The air smelt of a comforting combination of a lightly spiced incense and something familiar but intangible. The doorman moved back to his small desk taking a seat, ignoring the world around him again as he picked up a tabloid and began reading whatever article he had started before the door interrupted him. Nobunaga smiled at the sight. Here he was treated exactly like everyone else. It didn’t matter who or what you were when you stepped foot inside the door of The Birdcage you were all given the same greeting.

Walking confidently past the desk Nobunaga paced his hand on the heavy draped fabric covering a section of wall, dragging back a curtain of thick crushed velvet to access the door hidden behind it. The heart of the building was much larger than you might expect given the rather modest entrance. Several of the joining buildings on either side and directly behind the establishment had been combined to create this magical venue.

It was a bolt hole for the rich, wealthy and impossibly famous. Whether you operated in the light or the dark, you came here to escape and relax. It was in a way a protected environment that gave the illusion of being open and free. There had never been what you might call a prohibition on much in the city. Anything was fair game if you could handle the price. Still, places like this tucked away from direct view existed. A little entertainment and safe neutral ground to talk, trade and conduct business awaited you just the other side of the curtain in The Birdcage.

Soft melodies carried in the air through the room as he made his way towards the crescent moon shaped bar to place his drink order. Soft backlighting lit up the impressive array of bar optics and other bottles of fine liqueurs sitting neatly on the glass shelves.

“Dry Martini”

“Sure thing.” The young bartender gave a friendly smile and elegantly began blending the vermouth and gin together in a shaker.

A few minutes later, perfectly prepared chilled drink in hand. Nobunaga had located the private booth he usually frequented and was settling in to enjoy his small moment of escapism. It had been far too long since he had visited here of late and he could feel the anticipation building within him as he sipped on the cocktail and glanced around.

There were open tables dotted around the floor with flickering candles placed at their centres. Deep burgundy coloured booths lined the walls with uninterrupted views of the stage. The soft leather seating sighed faintly under his weight as he adjusted himself awaiting the main act of the night.

Tempo shifted from the grand piano on stage along with the lighting as a single spotlight was cast down to the vintage microphone silently announcing the singer. There was a swish of emerald green fabric as the exotic olive-skinned woman stepped into the light and seductively gripped the cold metal in front of her, tilting it to an optimum position with her impeccably manicured hand.

When she opened her cherry red lips the sound of her voice ran through him like an electrical current. It jolting through his very bones and he allowed the world to melt away around him as he watched the performer. She had always had this effect on him. The sultry lilt of her voice carried him in raptures, filling his mind with nothing but a pleasant numbness that otherwise was a maniacal hum of chaotic thoughts.

Her warm honey coloured eyes seemed to be staring right at him. The smokey eyeshadow she had chosen for tonight made her gaze look more intense than usual. Nobunaga drained his glass and caught a passing waitress’s attention for a refill.

Song after song flowed from the lips of the enchantress on stage. The piano accompaniment next to her combined its notes with her voice effortlessly. Some songs were sad, some were happy but each one held a spell of its own and chased out the thoughts from his mind as if she were shining a light directly into his soul. As the last note faded the singer bowed slightly and left the stage, her waist-length brown hair that was cascading down her back like a waterfall danced behind her. Nobunaga’s eyes followed the sensual sway of her body as she vanished from sight backstage and gathered himself to follow.

---

Her dressing room was the same as ever. Elegant and expensive gowns on hangers decorating the walls as if they were silk prints. Her dressing table was a neat arrangement with stage make up on one side and lighter everyday make up to the other side in front of a large white rococo mirror. A jewellery stand in the shape of a tree glittered at the corner of the table dripping with the elegant pieces she used to bring more glamour to her already polished performances.

A black lacquered screen decorated in gold and pink flowers stood proudly in the corner of the space and provided a little modesty to allow her to change. Silk stockings were draped over the top of the screen and the back of an ornate sofa like discarded snake skins. After gaining access to the room he tried to ignore that little stab he felt in his chest as he looked at the newer items in the room.

Basic furniture had been supplied when she started working here but a lot of what was in the room including the dresses were items gifted to her from happy customers, all too willing to support such beguiling talent. Was it jealousy? Of course it was. He knew that all too well and had spent many years at this point frustrated with how weak it made him feel. But he was damned if he was going to admit that.

Nobunaga took a seat on the sofa without invitation. A sight that made the woman smile as she looked at his reflected image in the mirror and removed some of the foundation from her face. The appearance of the faint lines on her skin reminded him of the years that had passed sending a warmth trickling through his chest warming him.

Her rich chocolate brown hair seemed to have more blonde highlights in it than the last time he saw her. He knew it was her subtle way of masking the growing numbers of grey hairs that had begun to streak her head like tails of falling comets in the night sky. Nobunaga couldn’t help but think that some women age terribly and then there are others like the one sitting in front of him that just seem to improve like a fine wine.

“It’s been a while. I was not expecting to see you today.” She gave him a happy smile, the excitement in her voice appearing unhidden as those almond shaped eyes looked at him with soft warmth through the mirror.

“I found myself with some free time.” He unbuttoned his jacket and removed it, tossing it in the direction of a chair by the wall. Revealing his pinstriped waistcoat and dress shirt. His tie had long been forgotten and balled up into one of his jacket pockets. His holster was the next to be removed but he made sure to keep the weapon close at hand. You could never be too cautious.  

“Is that so? Well, I am at least glad to see il mio uomo preferito. [1]” Her slip into her native language always made him smile. She knew just how to remove the small doubts and fears he never spoke of and draw him closer to her. That’s right. You are mine and no one else can have you as I do. No one else shall ever make you feel the way I can.

“Come here Songbird.” Nobunaga patted his thigh an alluring smirk spreading across his face. Carana stood from her dressing table and was moving to join him when there was a knock at the door. Irritation surged through him barely masked in his face as the smile on his lips vanished and the warmth he felt was replaced with a cold hard weight in his stomach. “You were expecting someone else?” He had meant it as a simple question but it had escaped his mouth in something more akin to an accusation.

“I ordered some drinks. I saw you in the audience and thought you might pay me a visit.” Her scent enveloped him as she changed her trajectory and went to answer her door. A member of the club’s bar staff was standing there a small tray balanced in their hands. So, she really was looking at me.

“And if I hadn’t?”

“Then I would have had two drinks to myself.” Carana shrugged her shoulders the chain of her necklace glimmered in the light it caught around her swan-like neck as it flexed on her bare skin with the motion.

This relationship was little more than a silent agreement without definition. Still, it remained a mutual understanding that he wished never to see the end of. Battling his own inner demons which seemed to be more active since the last attack on his company he tried to ignore a desire to risk it all and do something stupid. She returned from the door after a brief exchange carrying two glasses, a dry martini for him and a bright yellow concoction in a small tumbler. A ball of ice that almost filled the container with a spiral of lemon peel rested in the yellow liquid. Gold Rush? She remembered. Carana took a perch at his side which made the small frown to his face deepen slightly.

“Something wrong?” He didn’t miss the teasing tone she had. Only She would dare do this to him right now.

“You know exactly what is wrong. Are you trying to torment me?” Nobunaga took the glasses from her hands a little forcefully. Placing them on the table nearest them and dragged her body onto his lap. “There much better.”

“You are a terrible man.” Carana giggled and playfully slapped his arm.

“You love it.” He tightened his grip around her waist drawing her closer to him, a knowing smile creeping over his face as he watched her willingly submit to him and bury her head in his shoulder.

“Perhaps…” Her breath on his collar was reigniting that feeling he had as he watched her on stage. “So, what did you want? I have no information to sell.” Carana asked. Her smokey grey French tipped nails were drawing circles on his chest through his shirt, tracing the line of his waistcoat seductively. She knows what I am here for. The woman is just a damn tease. God’s help me if I haven’t already succumbed to her siren song long ago.

“Sing for me.” Nobunaga commanded brushing his lips to her temple allowing her the ability to move in his arms.

“What song?” Carana inclined her head. Nobunaga only usually asked for her to sing when he was feeling particularly pressured. She had learnt that small fact over the years and sometimes wondered if it was a piece of information only she knew. Something shared just between the two of them, joining them in some way. Secretly hoping that to be the case she allowed herself to cherish that small flutter in her chest knowing she could not speak a word of how she truly felt.

“Anything, just sing for me and only me for a time.” Nobunaga brushed some of her loose hair behind her ear. His red eyes looking at her, pleading with her.

At his insistence, Carana started to sing. The melody began softly, just slightly above a hum. As the lyrics began, he could feel her diaphragm expand and contract against the arm he still had around her waist as she balanced her breathing with vocalisation in the song. He was not focusing on the words as he melted into the sensuous rhythm of her voice.

Unlike when she was performing on the stage she was now within his reach. The emotions she was stirring in him, the sense of time he felt evaporating in those beautifully crisp notes. All of that was literally within his arms right now. He had everything he wanted in this one small fraction of time. Something completely selfish, that was of no benefit to anyone but himself. This was the dream woven in melody he allowed her to cast on him. The delicious poison of her voice seeping into his body that he willingly accepted. Who would have thought the Devil King’s weakness would be held in a single song?

Nobunaga leant forward gently teasing his teeth against her ear lobe. Small nips into that soft tanned skin, trailing his lips to the pulse point in her neck taking an exaggerated breath to fill his lungs with the smell of her. That Rose scented shampoo she always used reminding him of that garden he wanted to take her back to but had somehow never found the time. The more she sang the more things it stirred inside him. His hands were moving, his palms were brushing along the contours of her body as he felt the warmth of her against him.

“I can’t sing if you do that Nobunaga.” Carana half-heartedly protested eliciting a deep raspy chuckle from him.

“Oh? I think I can still hear a song.” Nobunaga’s eyes flashed with mischief as he pulled on the shoulder strap of her green silk dress drawing the edge of his tongue alone her exposed collar bone, nipping the very edge of it near the pendant on her neck.

“Il Diavolo! [2]” She cried out swivelling on his lap to face him. Her hands planted on his shoulders giving just enough force to push him back slightly but providing such little resistance against him that he couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m not hearing any objections il mio uccellino. [3]” Nobunaga walked his fingers up her back tracing each of her vertebrae, relishing the twitch of her body against his hand. You know you want this as much as I do Carana. All you have to do is feel me. Be mine.

“And you never will. At least not from me.”

---

[1] My Favourite Man [2] You Devil! [3] My Little Bird

Artwork by me. Please don’t copy without permission. 

[fromthedeskofelizabeththird]

Hello~ can I request Vanderwood casually proposing to the mc in a life or death situation? Thank you! (Sending you a tomato 🍅 because they’re healthy and good for you ❤️ )

I decided to use Daisy for this, since I wanted to write more of her and this scenario was perfect! Daisy is the former partner of Vanderwood that I wrote about here. This is set before the flashbacks, while Seven is a rookie agent (I really wanted scenes with them together). Also I LOVE tomatoes. Especially from the vine.

The Proposal

“One of these days, he’s going to get us killed.”

Daisy frowned into her earpiece as she picked up a plate.

“You’re just grumpy,” she said, turning to take it to its designated table.

The pair of them were on an undercover assignment in the city, tailing a crime lord who had gone there for dinner. As it was a relatively minor assignment, the agency had assigned a rookie agent to travel with them as part of his training.

Daisy couldn’t help but smile at the kid’s luminously bright hair and grin as he scribbled down orders. 

“You spoil him,” Vanderwood sighed, taking a bite of his meal. “He’s gotta learn to think for himself.”

“You have enough cynicism for all of us,” she muttered before serving up a plate of filet mignon.

The objective was simple; take advantage of the target’s divided attentions and slip a bug under his table. Originally Daisy had been the only one posing as serving staff, leaving the bug as her responsibility, but upon agent 707′s arrival the dynamics of their mission had changed quite a bit. Now it was his job to place the bug without being seen.

Daisy headed back towards the kitchens, catching the kid’s eye as she passed. She watched him even as she picked up the next order and waded through the busy restaurant, watching as he greeted the target and his guests and prepared to pour them glasses of wine.

This was the moment they had all been waiting for; Vanderwood too tense to even speak. They both noticed when he rolled the bug out of his sleeve and both froze when instead of skillfully placing it under the table, dropped it into the nearest glass of Bordeaux. In a matter of seconds, the target would notice and their entire operation would be compromised. They had to act, had to intervene, but how? Daisy chewed at her bottom lip, abandoning her current plan to serve up the food in her hand and practically sprinting towards the target. If she spilled food on him, 707 would have an opening to retrieve the bug.

Vanderwood had had the same idea, however, and Daisy wondered if she was dreaming when his voiced boomed across the restaurant floor.

“My love!” He yelled, jumping up from his table and rushing towards her. “My love, there’s something I have to ask you.”

“What are you doing?” She asked, the concern in her voice quite real.

Vanderwood dropped to one knee and grabbed her by the hand, completely nonplussed by the weight of everyone’s stares.

“My love,” he said. “Will you marry me?”

Daisy flushed a bright red, finally realising his plan.

“Oh!” She cried out, setting aside the plate in her hands. “I thought you’d never ask!”

The room around them was silent, every other guest on the edge of their seats as they watched the scene unfold. Everyone in the restaurant had stopped talking, every waitress had frozen in place.

“Of COURSE I’ll marry you,” she cried, throwing her arms around Vanderwood’s neck as the entire restaurant exploded into applause.

“I had a plan, you know,” she pouted, tightening the hug and peering over his shoulder at the target’s table. 

“Mine was better.”

He set her down and took her hand to walk back to his table, every table wishing them congratulations as they passed. They did not spot the target until it was too late, raising a toast to them and downing the nearest glass of bordeaux in one gulp. 

The same glass of bordeaux that, as a result of unfortunate mishaps, happened to contain a bug.

“Do you think it’ll cause him any long term damage?”

Vanderwood took a puff of his cigarette, leaning the weight of his body against the van.

“I’m more concerned about how we’re going to explain this to intel. They’re going to have to listen when…you know.”

Daisy pushed the van doors all of the way open, disguise finally abandoned even if the food smell still lingered in her hair. 

“Of course,” said Vanderwood, chancing a look at agent 707, “we’re lucky to still be alive.”

707 had apologised almost constantly since their departure from the restaurant. He had been so nervous of his first mission that his hands were sweatier than normal. He still wore his waiter disguise as Daisy hopped to the ground, staring off into space and looking for all the world like a broken doll.

“Say,” said Daisy, “707.”

His head shot up at the sound of his name.

“Yes!”

“Is it a good idea to drop bugs in people’s drinks?”

“No!”

“See,” said Daisy, motioning for the kid to go take a seat. “He learned something here today.”

Vanderwood stubbed out his cigarette as 707 closed the doors behind him.

“He’s a liability,” he said, following Daisy to the driver’s seat. “One of these days-”

Daisy had already called shotgun and checked her hair in the rear view mirror.

“One of these days he’ll be an excellent agent.”

“You say that like you know for sure.”

“I do!”

She grinned, thumping him on the shoulder as he lit the ignition.

“He reminds me a little of you.”

“You take that back!”

She couldn’t, though, the memory of a certain scrawny brunette forever ingrained in her imagination.

“You should take it as a compliment,” she said. “It’s the only time in your life you’ve ever been cute.”

The ride back to headquarters was one of steady banter, Daisy rolling open the passenger side window and peering out at the city skyline. In that moment, hair smelling of meats and charcoal, Vanderwood increasingly annoyed by the rookie on the back seat, she did not feel like an agent.

She lit a cigarette before the moment was over, closing her eyes and trying her hardest to absorb everything around her. She wanted to remember that night even after twenty years had passed; wanted to remember the kid before the humanity died from his eyes.

More than anything, she wanted to remember the skip of her own heartbeat as Vanderwood fell to one knee and how he had felt when he lifted her into his arms. The proposal was little more than a last ditch attempt to save the mission, though it left her feeling hollow. 

Everything about it had been a lie except for her answer.

[freunwol]

trainzelda replied to your post

“hey who wants to hear my theory that freud is chronica that actually...”

I do

ok im basically copying all of this from the google doc that ive just started compiling which is at the moment kind of a mess and sorted into anecdotal evidence and concrete maybe-pointers, which is starting to become very very long so bear with me

Actual potential leads:

His connection to dragons, given that Nova is, largely, dragon people.

His disdain for transcendants not barring him from using time magic to seal off travelling prior to that point, which would require him to call upon Rhinne….u n l e s s.

Btw that has gotta be a massive ass spell to do smthn like that

Also hold up would this make regaining euns existence prior to then next to impossible since u cant change anything prior to then now………… is that why they made it a curse bc they were afraid they wrote themselves into a corner GOD WOULDNT THAT BE SMTHN

Unless ive forgotten if it was explicitly stated that he got rhinnes help from either freud himself or rhinne herself

Some transcendants reincarnate. *some.* And none of the ones we know of now do that, to our knowledge. So why would they just throw that tidbit in if it’s not relevant?

It’s been said time and time again how damn similar Evan and Freud are, and like. C’mon. There’s NO FUCKING WAY theres not a connection beyond just Evan being The Chosen Dragon Master. And WAIT A FUCKIN

Mir is directly Afrien’s child if what tvtropes is reminding me of is correct, which would mean that the previous soul bond that Freud and Afrien had could still have some influence over him, or at least make a similar bond easier, or at least have influenced him towards Evan, which would explain why he was chosen because this is Freud 2.0 and Afrien’s Child OH MY GOD THATS SAD

BOTH ARE MISSING

Freud was able to regain a memory that there was a sixth hero. Luminous, the one who is part transcendant, did not. BM remembers Eunwol because, in his words, he is a transcendant. It’s possible that it is in fact because he made up the plan, but you think you’d remember almost giving up your entire existence for a spell, Lumi? And then suddenly not having to?

Lumi cited Freud as his intellectual/magical match/superior, and the only person ever to be such.

Anecdotal evidence (maybe idk):

His spell erased eun from existence *entirely*. Not just erased him, but erased him from the *past*, too, from the evidence of the pictures, and also everyones memories.

Chronica is a guy. He is a guy man. Yes we know this.

HOW CAN HE JUST BUILD A TOWER. WHAT. THAT WAS A MASSIVE ASS BEAM OF LIGHT FROM THE TOWER TOO.

Freud was very conveniently passed out when the player character came back to the past in the Arkarium/Silent Crusade thing. Would he have said something when he went back? Would he have known??? Hm??????????

This brings the seeing the future of all world aside from your own into question (detail from zero storyline that Rhinne can see the future of all worlds aside from her own). Did he have some idea of the future? Anything pointing to anything like that?

Would the Freud’s journal quest count, almost…?

Ill have to go through zero’s storyline more to see if any other details abt Rhine pop up than can guide me here

SPEAKING OF, why was Freud in mirror world if he’s dead? And of all people that we know of? Sure, Phantom and Evan are there, but both of them are connected to those places in some way- Evan grew up in Henesys, and Phantom probably grew up in Ariant. And both are alive. As is everyone else we see in mirror world, younger or older or whatever (I THINK?). So why the fuck is Freud there? I remember I thought of something related to this earlier that I can’t remember anymore and now I’m mad but I might remember later…

Was it related to dragons???? Damn it I can’t remember anymore AAAAAAGH