#genshin impact fanficition

[lilac-5ky]

some kissing headcanons for your faves in genshin? some juicy slight nsfw would be much appreciated :)) Also, happy pride month! If you feel comfortable, could you also include beidou? Thank u so much love, hope you're having a wonderful day!

A/N: Happy belated pride month! Figuring out which ones to write about was a bit of a struggle because I have soooo many faves ;-; I ended up picking a couple of them according to random inspiration. This did turn out a bit messy because at first I thought I should make some sort of small scenario type of kissing headcanon involving them, but then I realized it wasn't quite what you asked for so I ended up adding another section that's more like it near the end. Sorry for the trouble and I hope it turned out good enough, especially since it's the first time I'm writing about some of the characters and about female characters in general too.

Characters (m): Xiao, Childe and Heizou

Characters(f): Beidou and Yae Miko

Xiao

The sun had just set behind Wanghsu Inn, yet the stars had already spread across the sky when the not-so-young adeptus caught you off guard. Xiao was an elusive being, hiding out of common view as if his goal was to avoid everything and everyone. Perhaps that was the case most of the time, with him only showing upon request. For him to be so casually standing before you, without you calling out to him was a first.

Without saying a thing other than "Follow me", Xiao led you to small hill by the Inn. An assortment of objects was sprawled there; a blanket, a basket and a couple of plates, the fragrance of which could easily be traced back to Smiley Yanxiao.

"What's this?" You asked, your eyes widening in wonder.

"Food. Eat it." Xiao said as he took a seat on the blanket, patting for you to sit by his side.

Even after you had gone through the first plate, you were having a hard time believing that he had prepared such a surprise for you, a picnic, on top of that. He was never the type to pull such tricks, lest for a mere mortal. Perhaps there was more to the adeptus than met the eye, you thought to yourself.

Unsurprisingly, Xiao didn't touch any of the other dishes, other than his beloved Almond Tofu, that was. His eyes were glued to the moon while he ate, his mind most likely traveling elsewhere. He was always quiet, though you couldn't help but note how excessively quiet he was being right now. First he had prepped this dinner and now he was keeping to himself.

At the end, curiosity got the better of you. As you were about to ask him what the meaning of all this was, Xiao finally turned towards you, his amber eyes glowing underneath the moonlight.

"You haven't called me in a while." His observation sounded more like an accusation in his icy tone.

"Well, nothing dangerous went down. I figured that saying your name for no reason would be unwise. Don't wanna hear another speech about how us mortals have no respect for the adepti."

"You can call my name even when you aren't in danger."

"Hm?" You tilted your head, unsure of what he hinted at with his words.

"What I'm trying to say is..." He paused, glancing at the grass, the stars and then back at you. "Just..." Shaking his head dismissively, he let out a low grunt. "Forget about it."

"What? Tell me!" You demanded, desperately searching for an answer, though Xiao, once again, chose to ignore you.

"Xiao, you can't say this and then-"

Erasing your words with his mouth, Xiao rolled on top of you, pressing your wrists with his hands and your lips with his. Your eyes widened, a soft gasp coming out. You used to think that Xiao's kisses were like butterflies, feathery light and tender, yet this time it was different. The way he pursed his lips against yours, was full of frustration, anger perhaps too. It was as if he meant for you to understand what his words failed to deliver and by the time he pulled away, you did.

"Xiao"

His lips briefly curved upwards to what you could have sworn was a smile, one that disappeared just as fast as it appeared. He looked away, seemingly oblivious to the fact that both his cheeks were tainted red.

"Xiao." You called out again, unable to hide your own smile.

Maybe adepti weren't as complex as humans made them out to be.

Childe:

I actually had a different idea for Childe, but then the Harbinger teaser dropped and I had to re-do it. In reality, I could probably write a dozen headcanons about kisses (and not only) involving this man.

It was a cold winter night in Snezhnaya. You traveled all the way there just to surprise your favorite Harbinger. It had been so long since you'd last seen him, that you could barely remember your final encounter. The call was abrupt and sudden, and so was his departure. In no time, he was on the first boat back to his homeland, while you were bidding him farewell from the docks, wishing him a safe journey. Soon, he was out of sight, but not out of mind. You missed him and you bet he'd miss you all the same. So why not hop upon the first ship and pay him a visit?

That sounded like a great idea, though soon enough you came to realize that you'd made a grave mistake. Snezhnaya wasn't the same as Liyue, for its frigid cold was enough to make Dragonspine look like Child(e)'s play. You'd barely remembered to bring a coat with you, not that it mattered much. Even the finest fur from Liyue was deemed useless and flimsy in this frozen land.

"Oh? But you are shivering!" Childe exclaimed when he finally wrapped his arms around you.

The frosty wind of the docks gusted through your skin, threatening to rip your body into shreds. Even with the warmth of his body, you couldn't stop shivering. It felt good to be with him at last, but you needed more than that not to turn into a popsicle.

"Here, let me show you the third best way to warm up."

Before you even knew it, Childe pressed his lips against yours, letting his hands hungrily claim your entire body. The way he touched you was frantic and greedy, his palms lapping over your neck, your waist and lastly, your thighs. You couldn't tell whether he intended to warm you up or seduce you, though you couldn't complain whether it was one or the other.

With the tip of his tongue poking at your bottom lip, Childe pried your mouth open, eager to get a taste. You hummed in delight, pressing your own body tighter against him. The combination of snowflakes and fire water was an add one, yet it remained intoxicating enough for you wish you could take a sip right out of him.

Even when the two of you still stood in the middle of the port, he didn't seem overly concerned over the prying eyes of the people around him. After all, who could deny a Harbinger what was rightfully his?

"What was the first and the second way?" You asked when he pulled away, the heat of his breath following him the second he took a step back.

Bringing a hand around his neck, Childe carefully undid his crimson scarf, the pale shade of his complexion standing out between the thick layers of his winter coat. With the scarf still in his hands, he moved closer to you, wrapping it securely around your own neck.

"Fighting of course. It gets your blood pumping nicely. As for the second one..." He chuckled, a gloved finger tugging a strand of hair behind your ear. "You'll get to see for yourself when we reach home."

Yae Miko

Still salty that I lost the 50-50 on her banner .-.

"Hm? What is my cutie reading?" Miko's voice caught you off guard, forcing your back to jolt against her. "My, my, did I startle you?" She cooed into your ear, entertained by your reaction.

"Miko! Quit sneaking up on me like that."

"As they say, old habits die hard." She smirked, taking a seat next to you.

It wasn't rare for the Guujji of the Grand Narukami Shrine to roam the streets of the city, neglecting her duties or rather assigning them to the unlucky shrine maiden of the day. Everyone revered her, admiring her ability to run a business as well as oversee the shrine, yet as her employee and partner, you knew better than that. She was as sly as she was lazy. Still, it was the duality of her nature that made her all the more exhilarating to you in the first place.

"Slacking again?" You sighed, glancing over at her.

"Guilty as charged. So what is it that you are reading?" Miko asked, peering at the book on your lap.

"It's one of the books from the new batch! The protagonist gets isekai'd to a land full of beautiful and omnipotent kitsune ladies."

"Is that so? Are you not satisfied with the beautiful and omnipotent kitsune lady before you?" She teased, her smirk remaining throughout the conversation.

"That's.... That's not it! Besides, you've never even showed me your tails, fake kitsune lady!" You pouted.

"In that case, how about we fix that?"

Miko moved closer to you, so close that her hair was now tingling your nose. She had that look in her eyes, the one that could only mean she was up to no good. Her purple orbs had narrowed into two perfect slits of amethyst, her eyelashes slowly batting upon her half closed eye lids. Even when you knew of her vile intentions, it was too late for you to resist her allure. At the end, all you could do was repeatedly done, utterly bewitched by her.

"Then... look closely."

Before you could realize what was happening, a pink cloud manifested out of thin air, engulfing the both of you in a welcoming warmth, one that faded into her touch. Having no choice, you closed your eyes, a delighted hum evading Miko as she nullified the distance between you.

Her kiss was as elusive as she was, her lips coming into contact with yours before she pulled away, over and over again until you could feel yourself shuddering with anticipation. Even when her tongue wet your bottom lip, Miko didn't do as much as to slide it in your mouth, merely toying with you as if you were her prey.

"So? What did you think?" She asked, her question sounding more as a taunt while she studied your frustrated form.

"Wh-What?" You were lost, unsure of what she was talking about until you remembered. The tails! "That's cheating! You tricked me, I didn't get to see anything!"

"I warned you, it's not my fault that you closed your eyes."

You kept on pouting, giving her the cold shoulder. She was incorrigible.

"Fine, fine. If you buy this and a couple of more novels, perhaps I wouldn't mind showing what these tails can do... in private."

Heizou

I've literally known him for one day and he's risen to become one of my favorites. He deserves the world and I deserve TO ROLL HIM.

"There you are!" You exclaimed, wiping the sweat off your palms.

At last, this game of hide and seek had come to an end, after more than two hours of scouting the wilderness of Chinju Forest. When you set out this morning, all you wanted to do was check up on Heizou, wondering where he'd disappeared to these days. It wasn't uncommon for him to wander off, chasing after a lead or one of his infamous 'intuitions'. Still, finding him quite literally in the middle of nowhere was not what you expected.

"Oh? If it isn't Y/N!" He grinned, moving past the bushes and the trees. "Have you come to see me? Did you perhaps miss me ?"

"...Yes." You sighed. "You have any idea how long it's been?"

"Four days three hours and fifteen minutes?"

That... was oddly accurate.

"Are you surprised that I kept count? You know I'm a true romantic at heart." Heizou said, his smile softening up once he stood before you.

A couple of twigs and leaves nested in his hair, though he didn't see to mind and truthfully, neither did you. If anything, the disheveled look quite suit him.

"So, what was it this time? Apprehending a wild tanuki?" You joked, earning a giggle from him.

"Something like that."

Unless he planned on revealing his intentions, no good would come out of you questioning him. Besides, he was always like that whenever he took on a new case.

"Are you coming home tonight?"

"Once I catch myself a tanuki, I will." He assured.

"Well then, I'd better get goi-"

"Wait." Placing his index across his lips, he took a thorough look at you as if he was inspecting you. "My intuition tells me that you have something for me."

I do?

"I'm afraid you're in the wrong this time. I came empty handed." You turned your pockets inside out for him to see.

His eyes momentarily darted at your coat, before he shifted his attention back to your eyes. Taking a step closer, he forced you to stumble upon the trunk of a tree, your hands grasping at the rough surface behind.

"Y/N, have you yet to understand that my intuition is never wrong?"

Without giving you the opportunity to protest, Heizou leaned forward, his lively chuckle getting caught between your lips. His hand fell onto your hips, pulling you against him while he bit down playfully, his rough grip contradicting his teasing. You sighed, your fingertips gnawing at the tree, relishing the feeling you'd been so depraved of. It had been so long, too long, you realized.

Heizou always kissed you as if he meant to prove a point and this time was no exception. He was right, you came to realize. There was always something for you to give him, whether that something was your heart, your body or even all you had to give.

Breaking off the kiss, you caught a glimpse of his green orbs glimmering with mischief.

"What else does your intuition say?"

"My intuition tells me that..." He crooked his finger, tapping it lightly against your nose. "I should charge you with obstruction of justice."

"What? Why?"

"Hm? You came here to seduce me, didn't you?"

"I did not!" You were unable to hide your surprise, your jaw nearly dropping at his accusation. He was unbelievable.

"I'm leaving, bye!"

"Damn, that's unfortunate. Very unfortunate." Heizou pouted. "I wouldn't mind turning a blind eye, but if you must go..."

Somehow when you returned home that night, you felt even more frustrated than before.

Beidou

"Has the woman of the hour decided to make her appearance?" You arched a brow, watching as the brunette made her way inside the storage room, a half finished bottle of wine rattling in her hands.

Though you were unsure what the occasion was, the whole crew seemed to be in a great mood. Even when you were in the lowest part of the ship, you were still able to hear the hearty laughter and the rowdy noise from above. With our without her, the party seemed to be going strong.

"Mhm, aren't you glad that you can have me all to yourself?" Beidou exclaimed, closing the door behind her.

" I'd be more glad if you took better care of yourself. You reek of booze!" You frowned, nodding towards the bottle. Even if she could hold her liquor, such great amount could do more harm than good.

"That's just my natural odor! Besides, why shouldn't we celebrate our successes? Come on, Y/N, don't be such a buzzkill. Here, this should help you loosen up." She swung the bottle, ushering for you to take it.

With a sigh, you ended up complying. If the price of getting her to stop drinking for the night was you taking a sip, then perhaps you'd be able to live with that.

Throwing your head back, you felt the sweet taste of dandelion wine along with its welcoming warmth flowing through your body. She was right, it was quite good.

"So what are we celebrating here?" You asked, holding the bottle outside her reach.

Momentarily, you caught sight of Beidou's eyes darting between the bottle and a couple of crates in the far back. Come to think of it, you did inventory every day, yet this was the first time you spotted these ones. That's odd, you thought to yourself as you approached them.

"Is it behind these crates?" You placed a hand on one of the lids.

"No, Y/N, wait!"

Before she had the time to pull your fingers off the box, you were able to take a peak at its contents; more unregistered Inazuman merchandise.

Making the most out of your stunned expression, Beidou snatched the bottle back from your hands, pursing it tight against her pursed lips. A dark red shade dripped onto her chin and clothes, with the majority of the liquor failing to find its target.

"Now what should we do to silence you?" Though a silly smile trembled across her face, her scarlet orbs gleamed with a certain determination, one that had you wondering what her true intentions were.

Freeing her hands of the bottle, Beidou soon had you trapped between the crates and her body, her knee pressing right between your thighs. You gasped, a grave mistake considering how easily you gave her access to your parted lips, her tongue sliding right between.

With one hand wrapped around your waist, she kept you in place, making sure you got to taste the foul taste of the alcohol you detested. However, coming from her lips, you had to admit; it tasted rather sweet. You closed your eyes, forgetting all about the cargo and her illegal activities, merely focusing on how good her tongue felt upon yours.

It didn't take long for her to get carried away. Soon, her other hand had joined the knee between your legs, her fingers kneading at the soft skin of your thighs, crawling higher and higher, until she had your mind spiraling.

"B-Beidou, that's the opposite of silencing." You complained, sighing to her touch.

The sound of her chuckle forced your eyes to open up, peering at her pleased expression.

"I'll let you be as loud as you want to, if you can keep this our little secret."

Bonus? Kinda! Like I said, I'm not sure if I misread your request by doing it in a small scenario kind of way, so I'll include some headcanons here ;-;

Xiao:

He is usually hesitant to kiss you. Doesn't take initiative most of the time, allowing his fears of tainting you to take the better of him. On the rare occasion he does, it's full of frustration, directed at the world, the gods, himself and yes, even his feelings for you. Mostly that.

Also, most definitely all of his kisses have a romantic backdrop, considering they mostly happen underneath the moonlight or generally out in the open.

Xiao is especially fond of kissing your back and shoulders. He is shy and kind of inexperienced, so when you have your back on him, it gives him the freedom to do as he pleases.

Childe:

He can be pretty cheeky with his kisses, demanding that you pay attention to him wherever you are. The world doesn't matter to him as long as you keep your eyes at him and your lips against his. Though he can be very generous with his teasing, he is also plenty affectionate, especially when returning from one of his trips. Possessive and playful, it's not surprising that he can be like an actual child.

One of his favorite spots to kiss, is your collarbones and neck. He loves decorating you with pretty hickeys that are sure to stay, and if you complain about it, he won't mind wrapping his scarf around you. The idea of you wearing his clothes is exhilarating to him.

Yae Miko:

Speaking of cheekiness, Yae probably invented that. She uses her kisses both to reward, bribe, and also to tease you. She loves seeing your flustered expressions, seriously, the more you blush, the cuter you appear to her. Enjoys being the one who takes the lead, although if you try mixing things up, she won't say not to that. If anything, she might praise you too.

Absolutely loves kissing you between your thighs and breasts. She tries many things on you to see what induces the best reaction. Sometimes it can be ticklish, as she might chuckle against your skin, or let a couple of her tails loose in the heat of the moment. She only does such things for you though.

Heizou:

He is the kind of guy who acts as if he is going to kiss you, builds up an entire mood around it and then just leaves you hanging. Loves his mind games and as long as you can keep up with him, he'll be glued to you. Sometimes he can be teasing and overly flirty, even in public, but if you are the one to kiss him, he'll melt. Even if it doesn't show, Heizou can be emotionally attached and will almost always greet you with a kiss.

Okay yes, his hangout event got to me but, neck / ear kisses. Doesn't mind moving slow and taking his time, considering he finds entertainment in making you guess what he'll do next. With his face buried in your nape, you can't see what he is doing. You can only feel his hot breath against your skin, his teeth gently grazing your lobe as they nibble against it and of course, his lighthearted chuckle. After all, he is quite giddy.

Beidou:

She is quite assertive and it shows. The majority of the time she kisses you, she does so with her entire body. Beidou likes to keep you close, cupping your face with her palms or wrapping her arms around your waist and shoulders. She doesn't shy off physical contact and that's why sometimes her kisses don't seem too innocent to the ones around. Not that she cares, after all, you are her most prized possession on board.

When away from prying eyes, Beidou loves to kiss your stomach and your thighs. Your skin is particularly soft there and your taste is better than the finest alcohol she could get her hands on. She is someone who'd prioritize making you feel good and would probably try her best to do so.

[staar5384]

Miscalculation

kavetham angst; mentions and brief descriptions of torture; strays slightly from canon. barely proof read

Alhaitham's plan was perfect.. so how did Kaveh end up in Azar's office?

When Alhaitham had made his plan to overthrow the Sages and free Lesser Lord Kusenali, he had thought of everything. It was almost as if he predicted exactly how each event would played out. Well, until he was in the Grand Sage’s office, and lying on the ground before him was his roommate, or more accurately the man he had fallen in love with, Kaveh.

The blond’s clothes were completely torn from head to toe, blood staining whatever was left of the shredded cloth. His once beautiful face was caked in dried blood, cuts and bruises. He looked almost unrecognizable. The damage didn’t stop there though, many of those same gashes and bruises were scattered on his body.

The boy was barely conscious, his eyes half-lidded as he stared thoughtlessly out at the office. His skin was much paler than usual, from blood loss one could only assume.

“Kaveh,” Alhaitham breathed out, staring at his roommate.

“Ahh I see you two are well acquainted,” Grand Sage Azar said in a mocking tone. “I knew I was right for plucking him up.”

“What does he have to do with this?” He glared at the Sage. “Why are you dragging innocent people into this problem?”

“Well, Alhaitham, since you decided to run away, to betray me, I decided I needed something as.. leverage.”

“I didn’t betray you. I brought the damn Traveler and her floating friend with me. I did exactly as you instructed, so what’s the point of bringing Kaveh into this?”

“Because I knew you had some ploy brewing up. You were going to ‘betray’ the Traveler here, right?” Azar crossed his arms, his eyes piercing into Alhaitham’s shaking gaze. “After all, I got eye witness reports of you and the Traverler in the Caravan Ribat. Instead of bringing her here, you escaped into the desert. If you were really working with me, you would have brought her immediately. I’m assuming you also met up with General Cyno, did you not? Anyone would assume you would have betrayed us with a little persuasion?” Alhaitham, a man who could always quip back instantly was stuck.

His whole plan had fallen apart the moment he saw Kaveh’s disheveled body. He forced himself to regain his composure, “Regardless, this is always baseless guesses and not facts. I brought you the Traveler and gave you my report. Bringing Kaveh into this was nothing, but a way for you to vent out your frustrations.”

Azar laughed, “My my you are hopeless, Alhaitham. You are so upset over this, aren’t you?”

Alhaitham’s hands began to shake, the more Azar spoke the more he was ready to betray their plan. By the amount of blood leaking from Kaveh’s body, the man could die at any moment, “It doesn’t matter what I say, you’ll see me as a traitor regardless,” He scoffed.

“Whether you impugned me, it would have little affect on you. There was no need to go to such lengths to get me back.”

“Ahh, but you’re mistaken. See, losing our Scribe would be a big loss to us. It would effect the entirety of the way the Akademiya functions. Though.. compared to our current project, things like this are trivial at best.”

Alhaitham had enough of Azar’s rambling and his lack of care for human life, “You say I betrayed the Akademiya, but that was all you Azar! You betrayed Sumeru and its archon.”

“So fight has turned to flight at long last,” He glanced around at the men surrounding the area. “Guards! Seize Alhaitham!”

Alhaitham knew what he needed to do, what the next step was, but if he just let himself get arrested without helping Kaveh, he was going to die, “Wait!” He slowly stepped forward, guess it was time for him to improvise.

“What is it Alhaitham?” “Take Kaveh to the infirmary and get him treatment, then I will go with you peacefully,” The plan would almost work perfectly, but he still needed to swap the knowledge capsules.

“Fine. It’ll make this quicker,” He snapped at two of the guards. “Carry the architect to the infirmary for treatment.”

The two guards swiftly picked the blond up, carrying him out of Azar’s office.

Alhaitham watched them intensely as the three disappeared. As long as Kaveh was safe… He reached for the Divine Knowledge Capsule and activated it, allowing the intense knowledge to flood his mind. It was all consuming, but luckily, he knew how to not let it affect it.

His breathing suddenly became erratic as his Akasha flickered between red and blue, eventually landing on the deep red color. He stared up at the Grand Sage, a great hatred flooding over him. Not just for what happened with Lesser Lord Kusenali, but for him having the courage to touch the man most precious to him.

He stumbled forward, his head throbbing and vision blurring. Still, he pressed forward, he had a job to do, "Azar…" The capsule fell to the ground below him.

Azar's eyes moved from the seething man before him and to the object that landed on the ground, "So you were the one that stole that Divine Knowledge Capsule…" He flicked his eyes back to Alhaitham, who was slowly inching closer. "I should have known you wouldn't go out so easily. All you cared about was saving that architect."

"Traitor… You traitor!" Alhaitham yelled at him, pushing past the terrified guards to charge the sage. A guard pushed Azar out of the way, a moment later and Alhaitham most certainly would have caught the man, and from there, who knows what would have happened.

Alhaitham collided with the desk on impact. Perfect. He carefully switched the Knowledge Capsules, his plan now finally coming together. He spun back around to chase Azar once more, but the guards finally acted. They blocked him from moving any further. "He's gone completely insane," Azar scoffed as he adjusted his monocle.

A guard came up behind Alhaitham, using his spear to knock him out with a good whack to the back of his head.

The man fell to the ground, unable to focus on anything but the spinning feeling clouding his mind. "Take him to the matra and have him exiled to Aaru Village."

Everything was going perfectly to plan now. Alhaitham was tugged onto his feet and dragged out of Azar's office. However, he still couldn't help, but worry for Kaveh.

That idiot better be alive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Kaveh awoke, he didn't expect to find Cyno standing over him with a clear look of concern. If anything, he expected himself to be dead.

"Kaveh, you're awake," Cyno said, letting out a loud sigh of relief.

He sat up quickly. Bad idea. "C-Cyno?" As soon as the blond spoke, he began to cough violently and blood spewed from his lips. He wiped the liquid from his mouth, the red staining his bruised arm.

"Careful there. You look like shit," Cyno eased him.

Kaveh laid back down, staring up at the ceiling. How did any of this happen?

"Kaveh, what happened to you?" Cyno asked, though it was clear he already knew exactly what happened, just based on inference. He took a deep breath, a burn piercing his lungs as he did so. It was going to be almost impossible to speak in this condition. Cyno took note of it, "Alright new approach. I'll ask yes or no questions and you use your head. Sound good?"

Kaveh nodded.

"Perfect," Cyno adjusted himself, sitting on the chair he had placed beside the bed moments prior to Kaveh waking up. "I'll be blunt, you look like you were tortured. Was this Azar and or his men?"

Another nod.

"I figured as much. Did this have to do with Alhaitham?" Kaveh nodded once more. He could recall everything that had happened, down to the pain he felt as they tore his skin apart each time he said something they didn't like.

"Can you do your best to tell me what happened? I'll need it for my investigation."

"I-I can try," His voice was still hoarse, but at the very least he was speaking well enough. "I guess I can start when I returned home from the desert…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kaveh had finally made it home a few days early after spending days stuck in the desert for a project. He wasn't complaining one bit, the project tired him out and he was ready to sleep in his own bed for once.

When he opened the door, it was noticably silent, though Kaveh wasn't complaining. He assumed Alhaitham was away from home, it was common for the Scribe to be incredibly busy.

Before he could even reach his room, there was a knock on the door. Immediately, his head went to the worst. Someone saw him come inside. The last thing he wanted was for someone to know he lived here. He groaned loudly, hesitantly making his way back towards the door.

As he opened it, he was ready to throw himself deeper into debt and beg this person not to tell a soul about this, but to his surprise it was the matra at his door, "Uhh, can I help you?"

"We need you to come with us, Kaveh."

"What? Why?" He asked, confused. He had only just returned, what could he have possibly done to set off the matra?

"Grand Sage Azar wishes to speak with you. He requires your presence right this instance."

Kaveh went from confused to anxious as soon as Azar's name left the man's mouth. He was definitely screwed, "Alright… Did he tell you why?"

"He will answer your questions," The matra guard shook his head. "I'm afraid this is all I can say."

Kaveh hesitated, but followed the matra out the door and to the Sage's office. His heart was racing, trying to figure out what he could have possible done to piss off the Grand Sage.

As they entered the room, there was a sudden shift in energy. All at once, Kaveh was terrified.

And terrified he should be. He didn't even get a chance to make it to the desk before he was pinned down and tied up. "What is going on!?" Kaveh cried out, trying to shake the guards off of him.

"Kaveh, wonderful to see you. I have a few questions regarding your.. roommate? Is that what I would call it, or should I address you two as something more?"

"What about Alhaitham?" He ignored the uncomfortable question regarding their status as "friends". "If you wanna know something why don't you ask him yourself?"

"You see I would," Azar stepped closer, each stepping becoming heavier than the last. "But I cannot seem to find him. He's gone completely off the radar. I was hoping maybe you knew?"

Kaveh shook his head, "I just got back from the desert. I don't know a damn thing about where Alhaitham could have crawled off to."

Clearly, the answer was unsatisfactory. A blade was pressed against Kaveh's throat. He gasped, staring at the sharp knife, "I-I swear I don't know where he is!" He was shaking, fear overwhelming him.

Azar let out a sigh, "How unfortunate I have to resort to this," He turned his back to the blond. "Torture the answer out of him. Don't stop until you get what we need."

That was exactly what those guards did. Every "no" Kaveh uttered resulted in a punch, a kick, a snap to one of his bones, and if he was incredibly unlucky, a blade tearing into his skin.

This torture lasted for what felt like hours. Constant paining coursing through his body and he almost wished they would just kill him. It was clear this went from a brutal questioning to the men getting some sick satisfaction from seeing the blond writhing in pain.

By the time they had concluded this torture, Kaveh was barely conscious and his body had gone entirely numb. The last thing he remembered was Alhaitham's voice uttering his name. After that, it was all blurry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Azar is a despicible man," Cyno growled and his fists trembled in anger.

"I genuienly didn't know," Tears filled Kaveh's eyes. "I don't understand why this happened."

"I can explain everything later, okay? You should get some rest," Cyno rose from his chair. "I will come check on you later, okay?"

Kaveh nodded in response. He didn't want Cyno to leave, however. All he wanted was context, reasoning. Why did he have to suffer like this? And where the hell did Alhaitham disappear to?

His eyes closed, his body having spent all of its remaining energy on the conversation with Cyno. As soon as they closed, he was fast asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The wait in Aaru Village felt like an eternity to Alhaitham. He had no way to confirm Kaveh's condition, or if he was even still alive, and it was eating at him.

When he was finally able to head back to Sumeru City, he moved as fast as he could. The desert sand collected in his shoes as he ran, but the feeling barely affected him. His mind was focused on one thing and one thing only: Kaveh.

After hours of running, he made it to Sumeru City, and just as quickly he was at Kaveh's bedside.

The blond was breathing normally luckily, but he wasn't conscious. Alhaitham slumped down in the chair, pulling off his sand filled boots. He tried to catch his breath, his lungs burning and throat coarse. All of that running tired him out more than he wished.

He focused his attention back on Kaveh, tears forming in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away. He had no intentions of crying, not now. Alhaitham extended his hand out to carefully grasp onto Kaveh's hand. It was cold and pale, the skin damaged from whatever torture he had to undergo on Alhaitham's behalf.

As he caressed his thumb on the top of his hand, tears finally fell. This was his fault. It was a complete oversight, a miscalculation in his plan. Though, he couldn't have forseen the architect returning so soon, or that Azar knew anything about Alhaitham's feelings.

Kaveh began to stir, his eyes fluttering open. They quickly made contact with Alhaitham's and his eyes widened, "Haitham..?"

Kaveh's broken voice twisted Alhaitham's heart, and he continued to remind himself this was his fault, "Kaveh you're alive…" He spoke, trying to hide his emotions.

"Shockingly," The blond took notice of their hands. "What the hell happened..?"

"I can explain later. It's a lot of information to take in right now."

Kaveh let out a deep sigh, "I don't understand why this had to happen, Alhaitham." Guess the nickname wasn't staying long. "What did you do that made them torture me?"

"They were using you to get to me," Alhaitham tilted his head toward the floor. "They knew it would arise a reaction out of me."

"Why? What in Teyvat could they possibly get out of you from torturing me?"

"Because I…" Alhaitham hesitated. Now wasn't the right time, but it was the only way to explain why this happened. "I love you, Kaveh. Azar knew this somehow and he dragged you into this to provoke me."

"You love me?" Kaveh stared at him, letting out a hollow laugh. "Don't say that, Alhaitham. I can handle the physical torture, but I don't need this kind of mental pain."

Alhaitham leaned down, connecting his lips with Kaveh's. It wasn't the best kiss, not by a long shot, but the two yearned for this closeness, this warmth. Even with Kaveh's bruised and swollen lips, the kiss was perfect to them both.

When Alhaitham pulled away, he stared intently into Kaveh's eyes.

The blond's face was flushed red, his eyes glossed over, "Do you mean it, Haitham?"

The silver-haired man nodded, "I do."

"Then I love you too."

Alhaitham squeezed Kaveh's hand gently, "I swear I'll protect you. This won't ever happen again."

Kaveh smiled slightly, "I trust you."

"I'm glad you do."

[angelspigeon]

A returned soldier

Ship: Zhongchi

Rating: T

Word count: 4k

Summary: He was everything for her, her Weapon of War, the armed left hand of her biggest plans, the apple of her eyes.

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Tartaglia is Tsaritsa's favourite Harbinger, but she didn't expect him to look away from her, to find the love with another God. She feels betrayed when he choose someone else. Letting him go to snuggle in Morax's arms can only come with a price...

It was inspired by Noru’s awesome comic!! You can read my fic here!!

I may write a follow up because I'd love to write more disabled rep around blindness tbh... Tell me what!!

[scaracoochies]

Cyno Tells Xiao a Joke

A/N: Hii ^^ Since this is my first piece on this blog (yay) I chose to repost this little idea from my IG! Enjoy! 🕺✨

(I secretly headcanon them as besties)

∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘

“Xiao?”

“Yes?” Xiao said raising his eyes to meet Cyno’s.

“Would you like to hear a joke?” Cyno asked.

Xiao thought for a moment. He hesitated to give an answer, unsure of what Cyno’s joke would have in store. Nonetheless, the small adeptus surrendered.

“Fine. If you must.” he sighed.

Cyno then cleared his throat.

“What do snowmen call their offspring?”

Cyno watched as Xiao pondered his question. Confused at how that was a joke, Xiao responded.

“I do not understand-“

“Chill-dren.”

The two sat there in silence, quietly blinking at one another. Though it was only a brief moment as Cyno was the first to break the silence.

“Did you get it? It’s a play on words. The term 'children' is synonymous to the term 'offspring' however, I substituted in the word 'chill’- referring simply to the cold temperature of the snowman.”

Xiao crossed his arms and placed his hand over his mouth. He stood there, contemplating this so-called joke.

“I see.” he hummed.

Cyno’s amber eyes watched Xiao with anticipation. He hasn’t always had the best judge of humor when it came to others.

“Pretty funny, isn’t it?”

Xiao, who was once deep in thought, looked up.

“Yes, actually. I found it quite humorous.”

Cyno froze in place.

What.

“Wait…really?” he said a little louder than expected. Cyno quickly cleared his throat in attempt to hide his initial shock.

“Hm. Well in that case,” he whipped out a small book seemingly from nowhere and had flipped open to a page.

“Would you like to hear another?”

∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘

[beea-idiot56]

Chapter 3 - Here lies the hope of being bashful, RIP

What happens when a person who has been diagnosed with extreme anxiety and had "retired" from volleyball finds themselves coaching a team full of guys who are a little too loud for their comfort(especially the ginger)?

Slow burn? ✔️ smut?❌ they/them pronouns?✔️ forced?❌

Childe x Reader Volleyball AU Wattpad Link Prologue link(Tumblr)

Disclaimer: at some point in this chapter Childe calls you 'Dearie' in a pet name sort of way, ya get me? If you do not feel comfortable with that name, I have an alternative, Mustard! Mustard is a great pet name because it encompasses many features of the human body. The hips, the chest, and the slutty little man waist (these are jokes please I beg).

Y/n laughed a little, shaking their head in the process. "I couldn't do that, I haven't set in so long id probably make a fool of myself more than anything else" they laughed nervously, their brain going into overdrive as venti pushed y/n into the court and dragged kaeya back off by the ponytail. "w-wait! Venti!" they yelped, but Childe, who was apparently being pushed up by Y/N, was already dragging their hand to have them stand behind him. 

"It'll be alright, Dearie, I won't let you get hurt." Childe smiled wide, his hands already up in the blocking position, Y/N laughed a little, but it was strained and stressed. Y/n watched as across from the net Venti, Kaeya, and a few of the managers and other backup players lined up in a makeshift sort of lineup. Obviously, this was not going to be a fair matchup, but they could try. 

"Now! We have a lovely new member on this team so make sure to give excellent passes, and if you don't, I'm sure they could make them excellent." Venti spoke loudly, grabbing a ball from the nearby cart. Y/n laughed nervously, knowing well enough that they could make a trash pass 'excellent'.

Venti tossed the ball in the air before making contact with it above his head, just as his reputation perceived, it cut through the air as if it was one with it. This serve was well known to Y/n, having always wished they could achieve a serve to such a level. They almost achieved it at some point as well, but alas, they almost forgot to move as they watched the serve come over, but they soon came back to their senses, and y/n shot to their position on the court. just in time for the ball to be shanked off in the distance, already in motion Y/n sprinted towards the ball. 

"IVE GOT IT" they screamed, the other team members watched as they basically threw themself to the ground, and yet, the ball rose from their arm and to the front row. It wasn't a "perfect" set, but it was in the ballpark. 

Y/n used their momentum to push themself off the ground and towards the court, just as venti had received the ball on the other side of the court, being there when childe had hit it as well as he could with the offset. Kaeya pushed the ball back into the air and venti had done an approach. However, he did not hit the ball hard, after all with Childe in his face with two large arms it would be near impossible to get a well-made hit. so he just barely brushed past the ball with his fingertips, tipping the ball right over Childe's fingertips. 

"TIP TIP" he had screamed, already falling back from the air, and in a moment Xiao was crashing to the center and pulling the ball back up, Y/N flung themself to 2.5 and got ready for the set. Just like Venti had expected of his team, Xiao put the ball right where Y/N needed it and she easily performed a back set to Diluc who was to the right of her. 

A loud bam was heard through the air as the feeling of wind brushed past Y/Ns hair and they looked over to see the ball landing in a wide open hole. Y/N turned around to cheer for Diluc just to realize he was already surrounded by the rest of the team. Y/N smiled and clapped a little, they remembered this feeling. The feeling of a long rally that the longer it went along the more anxiety you could feel building in your chest. Heck, even now as Y/N reflected on this phenomenon, they found their heart to be beating fast and hard. They took a deep breath and smiled as Diluc walked over, "How do you do that?!?" he asked, his voice loud and excited.

"What do you mean?" they asked, their interest peaking. Was diluc angry? they had believed they performed a well-made backset, after all, Dilcu had a wonderful kill.  "It was like it teleported into my hands! I didn't even think I was going to be set but suddenly I was smashing the ball through the air!" He smiled, and for once Y/N felt a sense of pride well in them. They stared in awe, not even knowing what to say, but soon kaeya was at the net, his hands holding onto the wide strings.  "That was incredible! and that save! I don't even think Xiao could do that!" "watch it, rat tail." Xiao hissed but still patted Y/N on the back. Y/n just smiled and shook it off. They heard a sinister giggle from the other side of the net and looked over. 

"Have you all no shame? This is the amazing Y/N, of course, they can bounce back into setting as though it was their native language because it IS their native language. Why do you think I chose them to train kaeya. This man is helpless- HEY!- and the only person who could've possibly saved such a basket case was to find the greatest possible setter."

Y/n waved off Venti and his words but the rest of the team stared at them, they looked down in the bashful pride that was bestowed on their shoulders. "I'm nothing special, I just, I don't know, I don't think that a pass should determine a set. so I worked really hard. now it's just, what I know most." they shook their hand to dismiss the group of sweaty men.

"That's incredible!" Childe spoke, loudly and gripped y/ns shoulders, slightly shaking them. they laughed but Childe didn't stop, instead, he dropped one of their arms over his shoulder, this kid really doesn't know personal space huh? they laughed a little. 

So the night continued the same, with Y/N helping the team scrimmage and continuing to set. while there wasn't any other "epic" save, it still left the team speechless how y/n was almost always right after the second ball before the first was even passed up. They all were in complete awe, and yet, Y/N always dismissed them easily, hating the attention that was rested on their shoulders. The hitters were the cool ones, Y/n liked thinking of themselves as a "catalyst", not a person to be credited. A Hammer may help build the house but one still congratulates the construction worker on their work after all. Why celebrate the hammer? It would be useless without a nail, or the hand to hammer in the said nail. They'd simply be a piece of wood and metal without it. 

Y/N, however, soon found themselves in the locker room after all the men had left and been well done. they changed out of their sweaty clothes and into fresh pairs. Reapplying deodorant and body spray they closed the lock they were allowed to put their bags beforehand. Y/N stared at the room after they had finished, sure, it was different colors and the benches were different, but they could swear they could see their team in front of them. laughing and joking after a long practice. 

Y/N sat down even though they had to leave. they let themself soak in the presence of the non-existent team of K'haneria. This was their old life. simply soaking in their teammates even though they knew their team members hated Y/N, they had known that since they first joined, however. it was obvious from the very first time their outside hitter had yelled at them for not giving a perfect set that they would never be happy. Y/N had put their entire being into setting, and yet it was not enough. Y/n still was released to the locker room where they had been given lectures from the captain of the tea and the multiple hitters. and Archons only knew the lectures they'd get if they let a shanked ball drop, or let someone else get a ball. 

Their previous team was weird like that, they hated their sets, and yet if someone else dared try to take their job they'd jump at Y/n for letting it happen. It left Y/N walking on eggshells and wondering if they were going to be destined to a team that hated them,,, was this team going to be different?

That was a question Y/N would have to find out the hard way, not by simple guesswork.

A/N: look, i know a lot of this chapter is "woah! the reader is so awesome!!!" but honestly thats the point, i want iot to be well established in the reader(like you)s mind that the character youre betrayed as is awesome. partially bc you guys ARE awesome, but partially bc i feel like thats whats gonna lead into the whole thing later on with the conflict andf why we can do what we do

without spoiling, you ahve to be pretty good to do this thing lols

[eversleepyriver]

Quarter-Year-To-Death Birthday Event!

Hello, wonderful human beings of the internet!

I've you've never met me before, hi! I'm Riv, they/them, and on the 20th of July I will be turning 25... and with my health declining, I wanted to do something that's still fun but doesn't require copious amounts of planning and/or moving. I'm also hoping to hit maybe 50-100 followers by said date, but obviously no pressure.

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I have decided that to make this a happier lead up than those of previous years, I would like to open up a request event to get me back into something I adore, which is writing.

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Please check my pinned post (linked here) for the list of fandoms I write for, as well as boundaries in regards to the contents of what I write before sending in a request. Anything not respecting these guidelines will simply be deleted.

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ONTO THE ACTUAL IMPORTANT PART!! I have always l o v e d the idea of handwritten letters as gifts, as they feel so personal and make me warm and fuzzy inside.

SO!! Here's how requesting will work! Send the character/ship of your choice with one of the following scenarios, and I will post the handwritten letter as a response! Do note that my calligraphy style is messy, I'm still learning but that can be handled later.

PROMPTS: (if it's a ship (platonic or romantice, specify who is writing

On Your Birthday, Missing You Is... I Just Remembered... Why Do I Love You? Well, Three Words I Want the Courage to Say Aloud You Have Made Me Better... My Companion, I Must Ask You... My Princess/Prince/Royal... If I Could Tell You... Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder... A Poem for You, May I Tell You a Secret?

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Thank you so much for the love on my current wips and already finished works! I promise there will be more soon! I hope you enjoy this event as much as I will!

Blessed Be

~Riv xx

[wnygwaffels]

I’m not sure what to call this but I’m going to make a better one later haha ᡣ𐭩

…I was born in 2004!

…my name is jiwoo but you can call me whatever you want

…this is a fanficition recommendation account! If I spam like please forgive me!

…if you would like me to remove any of your works from my account, please dm me!

…I do repost 18+ fics! If you are uncomfortable with that, please block me!

…I currently repost fics for p1harmony, jujitsu kaisen, bungo stray dogs, genshin impact, stardew valley, riize, and lovebrush chronicles (there’s not many but I try!!!)

…I don’t repost for obey me or nijisanji en anymore but still have fics on my account for them (please tell me if I forgot any!)

…i also repost fics for kpop girl groups (rarely)

[primofate]

The Ruthless Prince (Part 7) Scaramouche x fem!reader [Genshin Royal AU]

Note: This will be my last update for a bit, I’ll be focusing on some events for work next week so I’ll be off tumblr. Not to worry, I still am working on everyone’s requests, and I see all your lovely comments and asks! Just need some time to sort them out <3

Summary: When Prince Scaramouche picks you out of a random group of commoners to marry, your life is turned upside down. He’s mean, snarky, condescending and he doesn’t act like a proper husband or prince at all. However, when Prince Tartaglia from the neighbouring kingdom takes an interest in you, Prince Scaramouche finds himself even more annoyed than usual. This is the story of him and you navigating this roller coaster of a relationship.

Warnings: slow burn, does not exactly follow the genshin lore, AU, tw: blood, injury

Word Count: 2.2k words

Summary and a recap on the Royal AU plots are here.

Read other parts: (Ruthless Prince Masterlist)

A silent week.

If you thought that life had been miserable ever since you came here, it doesn’t compare to this week. You haven’t seen Scaramouche. Not before you sleep, not when you wake up, not even during your meals: breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

The only time you saw him was when you woke up in the middle of the night, groggy with sleep and eyes blurred with drowsiness. All you could see of him was his back, the gentle rise and fall of it. When you woke the next morning, he wouldn’t be there anymore, and wouldn’t show up for breakfast, Kuni would say that he was in his study, busy with papers first thing in the morning.

That was a lie, and you knew it. 

You spent the week painting and drawing in the art room. Not only did you have no events this week, but you even declined Duchess Kokomi’s invitation to have tea with her. Somehow, last week’s events at the ball just left a sour taste in your mouth, you weren’t in the mood to see anyone. 

As you settle in front of the easel on a Friday morning, your hand on the brush making big, upward strokes on the painting you were working on, your mind wanders yet again, causing your hand to stop and stall. 

“What I did back there had nothing to do with you, in fact you can go right ahead and kiss him in private.”

Scaramouche was out of line, or so you thought. It hit you all over again, as you blankly stare forward. 

He.didn’t.care. 

Not one smidgen of understanding and love for you. You never asked for his heart, you knew you couldn’t have it. But, at the very least, some type of companionship, even something less than friendship, just civility towards each other and yet…it was so hard to obtain.

A week ago you were still grasping at hope. You were going to spend the rest of your life with him, there must have been some way to see eye to eye, to understand him a bit better. You thought that all you needed was time and perseverance, and at some point, you’d felt as if you were finally able to reach a little bit of him, finally able to see a part of him that wasn’t callous or self-centred. 

But now, where there was once hope, there was nothing but despair. 

You were wrong. Time or perseverance was not going to change anything. He made it very clear that night, scowling at you, ordering you to play your part, using you as an accessory. 

You sigh, setting your paintbrush down when you notice that you’ve stopped painting altogether. Your head turns towards the large lattice windows, the light streaming through it drawing criss-cross patterns on your canvas. It was such a nice day out, and yet you sat in here on the inside gathering dust just as all the books on the shelves have. 

The door clicking open nearly scared you to death. There was no knock, no announcements whatsoever, and Scaramouche just walks into the art room, arms crossed as your mouth falls agape. You hadn’t seen him in a whole week, and he decides to show up just like that. 

The Ruthless Prince walks over to the armchair that he usually occupied on Fridays, and realizes that the tea you usually brew for him was not ready. 

He doesn’t say anything for a moment, and you feel as if you’ve held your breath, wondering if you’re in trouble for not getting it out earlier. You just didn’t think he was going to show up, after all of that. 

“...Where’s the tea?” He doesn’t look at you as he asks this, as if his eyes could only be glued to the table and were allergic to you. You let silence curtain the two of you, your body relaxes, yet it relaxes in a way that shows defeat. Your eyes linger on him, before you finally exclaim. “I didn’t prepare any.”

Quiet, and timid. 

There’s a thin veil of uneasiness between the two of you, an awkwardness that was new. You hadn’t realized that those four weeks of him enjoying tea in the art room was already a glimpse of comfort with him. Now it was back to that painful and glaring silence.

“...You better go and make some then,” he huffs to himself, sinking into the armchair as if it was any Friday beforehand. You stand, with your feet heavy, you drag them all the way to the middle of the room, facing him, a few steps away from the armchair he sat on. “...I’m not preparing it for you,” you started, seeing him tense up a little, and his head finally moves the slightest bit, turning towards your voice, yet not daring to look at you fully. 

“...I don’t feel like preparing it for you…It’s my free and private time so…I’ll do what I want with it,” was it petty? You immediately ask yourself. To take the words he threw at you and throw it back at him? The only difference was the eerie calmness in your tone. Scaramouche recognizes it, and when he turns his head to finally look at you, you can’t read his expression.

There’s no scowl, no glare, no smirk nor a grin. Just him, looking at you and waiting for what else you have to say.

“...I’ll teach Kuni and the maids how to brew it, you can ask them to prepare it for you,” Then, like a mechanical being, you stroll out of the art room quietly, but you walk out with a realization in mind:

I liked brewing it for you, I liked watching you drink it.

And he sits at the armchair, unmoving as the door clicks close, having a thought that he had already known for weeks on end:

I liked it when you brewed it for me.

The following day of Saturday had the two of you struggling to even look at each other during the ball you attended, and still, in front of all the others, you were the stellar conversationalist and everything seemed as it was. 

Play the part, as he said. 

Kokomi had been there, and it was your one saving grace during that ball, having her to really converse and catch up with. You’d left Scaramouche’s side to greet her, and stayed to talk to her for the most part.

Scaramouche didn’t stop you, but he did watch you from one of the various drinks table. You looked so…animated. So different from when you stood next to him. What did he expect, after that tirade last week? Why was it affecting him so much? How did it change your attitude towards him so drastically? Why was he only seeing it now? Was this the cold shoulder? And he thought it was bad before, now it was just…

Unbearable…

He downs the drink he has in his hand, just in time for the arrival of Prince Tartaglia to be announced. He half grunts and half growls under his breath, as if things weren’t bad enough already. He picks up another drink and starts on it, not even bothering to clap or turn around when the Snezhnayan Prince arrives.

Come to think of it, Tartaglia was supposed to be here for a few weeks. It wasn’t often he came around, but when he did, it was usually to check on the trading agreements and to make sure his imports and exports were in order. And of course, Scaramouche had an impression that Tartaglia just loved to annoy him, so, instead of the actual king coming to check, it’d always been Tartaglia. 

When the applause settles down and when a few minutes pass, Scaramouche yet again opts to scan the room for you. As he suspected, Tartaglia now joins your group of two with Kokomi. Nevermind that Kokomi looks just as amused as you at whatever story Tartaglia’s performing, but you looked as if new life had just been breathed on to you, listening to and laughing at the Snezhnayan prince’s comedies. 

Scaramouche catches his own frustrated sigh, holding it in and just…trying to let everything go. 

When did it become like this?

He wonders. 

Not the fact that you had gone cold and wary of him–he knew exactly when that started–but when did he start feeling a sense of unease whenever you weren’t by his side? When did he start wanting for you to look at him like that too? He’s inclined to believe that his outburst last week…was not all that it seemed to be. He felt ridiculed, he felt that his sense of authority was threatened, but…could there be any other reason he felt angered like he did?

It takes seconds for him to realize that you’re back at his side. He blinks, and raises his eyes to look around, seeing Kokomi and Tartaglia still engaged in their small talk, then his eyes drop to you. You looked…absolutely miserable next to him, forced smile and tense shoulders and all. 

How can I make this bearable again?

He suddenly asks himself, then instinctively passes a drink to you. You casually receive it with a small thank you, but other than that, there were no other words from you. 

The night goes on as such, more small talk with the nobles, more of you conversing with people he didn’t even want to look at, up until it was time for the two of you to leave. 

Briefly, just before the two of you depart, you find yourself seeking out Kokomi and Tartaglia again, saying a brief goodbye to the two people who have made the night the slightest bit enjoyable. Scaramouche observes as you do so, but doesn’t say anything about it.

He doesn’t say anything at all, as usual, on the carriage back. You, on the other hand, perhaps because your mood was a little better than it was after talking to Kokomi and Tartaglia, and maybe because you thought that this cold war had been going on for too long, a casual “Are you having dinner with me today?” slipped past your lips. 

Though, there was no expectation laced with it at all. Just a question, no desire whatsoever for him to join you, nor a trace of hope for him to reply nicely. Merely to ask if he was going to leave you alone for the rest of the night. 

His head jerks towards you at the sudden question…the first thing you had uttered to him in a week. Well, the first semi-nice thing, after that incident with the tea. He’s confused as to how to answer. Does he ignore the question, and continue with this strange atmosphere or does he say–

“Yes,” he says it before thinking about it fully, as if it was the only sensible answer. From his peripheral vision, he sees you nod, and that was the only conversation you had with him in the vicinity of the carriage. 

Scaramouche doesn’t offer his hand when you step down the carriage at arrival. He hasn’t done that in a while. However, a strange feeling overcomes you as you step down, a prickling at the back of your neck urging you to turn around, just as the carriage leaves, giving you a clear view of the deep forest surrounding the castle edges. 

What possessed you or told you to turn around, you’d never know. Instinct, you might call it. A gut feeling. You thought that your eyes were playing tricks on you, when you see a slight billow of black among the trees. It’s dark, but there was movement and there was enough moonlight for you to catch it. 

“Scara–” a cloak, that’s what it was. A glint and the sound of something snapping through the air had you clumsily tackling Scaramouche down to the pavement leading up to the castle. He falls on all fours, shocked at the action and finally thinking to himself ‘Are you that mad at me?’ 

He’s had enough. He turns toward you with the same snarl as last week, looking like a lion devouring his prey. “What the hell do you think you’re–”

Blood. 

Soaking through the dress from your left chest, an arrow sticking out from your front. You, just kneeling there and looking at it, startled and unable to grasp the severity of the situation. Everything is so hazy now.

“Y/N–” Scaramouche’s voice mixed into one of confusion and horror, his eyes tacked on to the way the arrow pierces through your dress, sinks into your flesh and blooms red dangerously close to your left breast. 

Scaramouche snaps out of it when you start to fall backwards onto the pavement, he jolts forward and catches you. His eyes dart up towards the trees, purple veins of electricity on his free arm, a loud, thunderous crash of lightning decimating a whole portion of trees, painting the area purple for a split second before the trees caught fire with a raging orange, hoping to catch the perpetrator off guard.

The knights were alerted by now, and Scaramouche doesn’t quite remember what orders he barks at them. 

All he can remember was the trembling of his breath as he hoists you up into his arms.

All he remembers is the unfamiliar feeling of dread introducing itself to him for the first time. 

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MASTERLIST

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[loveluc]

 ► I’ll be waiting for you, my dear

❍ theme: fluff, missing gorou, crying, love, hugs, cute stuff yk ❍ character: gorou ❍ they/them a/n: this is kinda shit sorryyyyy, i just needed to write since ive been v inactive lately

A few months back, Gorou had told you that he would be infiltrating Inazuma City, sneaking in along with Kazuha, his dear friend. You had nodded, smiling as you waved him goodbye, and packed a small snack for him - Soba Noodles, his favorite. 

“I’ll be gone for a while.” Gorou mentioned, looking at you concerned. 

“I’ll be fine! Bourou Village is as safe as it can be!” You declared, eyes shining. You haven’t been to Inazuma City in a while, as being a nurse in the resistance. 

“Alright then, I love you.” Gorou pulled you in a hug, murmuring these sweet words of affection. 

“I love you too! Be safe.” Kissing his cheek softly, you waved him off once more along with Kazuha. 

At that time, you hadn’t expected how long he would actually be gone for. A month had passed. Your dear boyfriend had sent letters every now and then, but one hadn’t came in a while. You began to wonder maybe he would have been captured, or worse. 

Currently, you were having tea with none other than Sangonomiya Kokomi, at the front of Sangonomiya Shrine. The two of you were chatting, when Kokomi suddenly spoke up. 

“Y/N, I recently heard from Kazuha. He and Gorou will be help up in Inazuma for a bit more time. “ Your face fell, a small frown sketched onto your face, 

“Do you know when they’ll be coming back?” Kokomi gave you a sad smile, shaking her head. 

“Gorou sends his love, he hasn’t been able to send a letter in a while due to his lack of free time. “ You smiled softly, knowing he still thought of you. You stood up, saying a farewell to Kokomi, planning to go home and make some food for him. 

Five months had passed since his departure. You had begun to doubt if he would come back for you or not, since he hadn’t sent a letter since. You shook off your worries, since he was probably busy collecting information for the resistance, and continued putting up the laundry. As you folded and hung up the clothes, your mind began to wander places. Maybe he found a new woman, and wanted to spend some time with her? Maybe, he forgot about you… No! You frowned, since your silly imagination got the better of you. Gorou, was probably just extremely busy. Then why did Kazuha send you letters every once in a while, but not him? You groaned, tossing the laundry aside and heading inside your home. 

Missing Gorou, your eyes started to water, thinking of all the possibilities that he could have been kept up in Inazuma City for. Dropping down onto your shared bed, you pulled up the covers and teared up. 

Unbeknownst to you, Kokomi was busy welcoming Gorou and Kazuha back from their lengthy trip. 

“Welcome back Gorou, Kazuha. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Kokomi smiled, pulling both into a hug. 

“It really has.” Gorou’s ears twitched in happiness, tail wagging. From the looks of it, he was certainly excited to see you, “Do you know where Y/N is?” 

Kokomi giggled, teasing Gorou. “You’re so excited to see the lovely Y/N, aren’t you? At least buy them a gift first before seeing them. They certainly were sad when you told us that you wouldn’t be coming back for a while.” Ears drooping in disappointment, Gorou thought of you missing him while he was in Inazuma City, and hurried off quickly to pick some flowers for you.

A few hours later, Gorou stepped onto the doorstep, holding a bundle of sakuras for you. Nervously, he unlocked the door, calling out your name. 

“Y/N?” Only silence greeted him, and your cat that Gorou had gave you on your anniversary, Ichigo. Stepping into the bedroom, the sight of you sleeping put a smile on Gorou’s face. 

“Hey, love.” Gorou softly shook you awake, as you yawned tiredly. 

“Gorou, mm hey..” Your eyes widened as you realised that your boyfriend, Gorou was finally here, after so much waiting. 

“Gorou!” You sniffled, wrapping your arms around him. 

“Hey.” Gorou kissed your hair gently, placing the flowers on your nightstand. “I brought you some flowers?” 

You pulled away, eyes watering as you punched him in the arm. 

“You left me for five months, and the only thing you bring is flowers! I can’t believe you.” You turned away in mock anger, pouting. 

“Sorry for leaving you for five months, I love you.” Gorou pulled you in a hug again, murmuring an apology, “Don’t cry, love.” 

The two of you spent a bit enveloped in each other’s warmth before Gorou nuzzled against your hair. “Forgive me?” You smiled softly, scratching his ears, before pecking his cheeks and pulling back. 

“Hey, no, love? Love? Forgive me? Hey, no, wait-” Gorou whined softly, following you as you walked out of the bedroom, taking your flowers with you. “You took my flowers, does that mean you forgive me? Love?” You only giggled before spinning around and hugging him again. 

“Maybe.” 

“What does that mean? Yes? No? Love, I'll buy you more flowers?” 

request masterlist

[dark-mnjiro]

towards [the sun] .04.

Author’s Note: Head’s up. Smutty part ahead. All consensual. Female and male receiving oral, slight degradation (if you like squint), power struggles, name calling (brat, idiot, etc), begging, and well... intercourse. I think that’s everything? Hopefully. It’s not too bad considering things I’ve written in the past. LOL

Part Four

Desperate pants echoed in the room as Diluc guided Shuishe back toward the bed. A small whine escaped her lips as she slipped her tongue back into his mouth before the back of her legs touched the bed. Her mind clouded with desire, she managed to sit down before moving to lay back onto the bed pulling Diluc on top of her. Her hands slid down his chest to the bottom of his shirt, desperately trying to free him from it. A small cry of his name fell from her lips as his lips curled into a smirk.

“That desperate already?” he teased, pulling away from her.

Her cheeks heated up in embarrassment. “Shut up.”

Diluc chose to remain silent before sliding off his jacket, tossing it onto the floor before his hands were roaming her body again. Her body squirmed at his touch before he managed to reach the bottom of her nightgown. His eyes flickered up to catch her gaze before his smirk grew.

“Not fair,” she complained.

“Why’s that?” he asked, tilting his head at her.

“You have tons more clothing on!”

He chuckled at her before raising again and slipping off his white top. “Feel better?”

Her gaze moved down to his pale chest as her cheeks heated up more. She quickly pulled her eyes away from him, choosing not to embarrass herself further. Hands came to wrists slowly guiding her touch to move up his legs and then to his bare chest. She swallowed hard, nervousness creeping up in the back of her head. 

How did she end up here?

Shuishe could not understand just how she ended up in this situation. Her very core was now aching for his touch, and she hated it. But, Archons… She wished it would just continue. His touch alone was fire to her skin and she felt she could no longer think straight despite wanting to wipe the pleased smirk off his smug face. She looked back toward him once he had relinquished his grip as she flashed him a smirk before dragging her nails down his bare chest.

“Aren’t you full of tricks…” he mused.

Shuishe’s eyes flashed playfully. “Sometimes.”

Diluc leaned over before capturing her lips with his own before his tongue darted into her mouth earning a small, desperate moan to escape her throat. Her hands moved up his well-toned back, before tangling in his crimson locks. Archons, this was so wrong, but it felt…

“Diluc,” she whined as he broke the kiss to trail his lips down her neck, nipping her skin along the way. Her body shuddered as pleasure began to build up in her very core wishing he would stop teasing her. “Please…”

“Mmm,” he moaned against her skin. “I love to hear such a brat begging for me.”

“Brat?” Shuishe hissed.

He chuckled again as his lips moved up her throat and back to her lips. He bit her lower lip, tugging it toward him before finally releasing it. “Yes…” he teased again. “A brat.”

Shuishe pushed him back as her eyebrows lowered in anger at his comment. “Ass.”

This only seemed to amuse him further as his hands moved down the silk fabric of her nightgown before reaching the hem. His eyes flickered up to meet hers as his lips curled in a playful smile. His touch was like fire, leaving goosebumps in its wake as his hands pushed up under her nightgown and up the length of her legs. Stopping at her thighs, he gave her legs a light squeeze making her squirm at his touch.

“Like that?” he asked, softly.

Blushing again, Shuishe looked away from him. “Shut up.”

Diluc hummed in response as his hands pressed further up her legs and to her waist. His thumbs slipped under the elastic of her panties, causing her legs to tighten together in protest.

“...D-Diluc…” she uttered.

“Yes?”

Her body shuddered again as another whine escaped her throat. His teasing was nothing short of a nightmare. She could feel the wetness pooling between her legs and she hated it. “S-stop teasing!” she cried out.

Tilting his head, Diluc retracted his hands from her body. “Oh? You want me to stop?”

“No!”

“...Then speak correctly.”

Shuishe shot a glare up at him only earning a laugh in response. “You know what I want!”

“I don’t think I do… You’re confusing me.”

“I-” Shuishe stopped midsentence unsure how to word what she wanted without sounding desperate… despite that truly was desperate for his touch. 

“Use your words…” he tutted.

She wanted nothing more than to smack him for constantly correcting her. Swallowing hard, she glanced up at him with her lashes fluttering over her eyes. “Please touch me,” she whined.

His crimson eyes flashed dangerously before his hands slipped further back up her nightgown. His thumbs brushed against her panties at her hips before settling between her legs. He managed to push the bottom of her nightgown to her waist before he tugged off her underwear, tossing it to the floor. Propping her legs over his shoulders, he glanced up at her before biting her inner thigh.

A small whine fell from her lips before she gave him a timid nod. His head dipped between her legs, running his tongue against her clit. Her body shuddered again as her hand darted out to the top of his head, gripping his hair. His tongue flicked against her again before using his teeth to nibble lightly on the bundle of nerves. A small gasp escaped her lips once she felt him insert a finger into her, moving it gently.

Shuishe gripped his hair tighter once he had increased his pace before inserting a second digit into her. She felt his finger curl inside of her, causing her hips to buck into his mouth. He chuckled against her, using his grip on her thighs to keep her body still.

His mouth pulled away, glancing up at her with a sly look plastered on his face. “Enjoy that?” he asked, moving his fingers faster. She tried to open her mouth to respond but only a moan moved past her lips. Diluc only hummed before dipping his head between her legs again and removing his fingers. His thumb brushed against her clit, earning another gasp from her as his tongue pushed into her.

“D-Diluc!”

His only response was to move his thumb faster against her clit. His grip on her hips tightened as he felt her hips buck against his mouth as her juices began to coat his tongue. Her hand tangled in his hair before his name rolled off her tongue over and over like a mantra. She felt as though the coil in her abdomen was winding tighter by the moment until the feeling of ecstasy was too much for her to handle and her orgasm washed over her body, tightening every muscle in her body until she finally relaxed after crying out his name one final time.

Panting, Shuishe removed her hand from his head to move her fair locks out of her eyes as she glanced down at him. Exhaustion was already evident on her face as she watched him pull away, wearing a smirk on his face. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but her mind was still cloudy from her orgasm.

“That good?” he asked, playfully. “Speechless even?”

Her eyes narrowed at him as she finally caught her breath. “Shut up.”

“Not as mouthy now, are you?”

Shuishe’s expression darkened before flipping their position, straddling him at the waist as she rested her hands on his bare chest. His hands came up to her hips, gripping her before rocking her against his growing erection. Biting her lower lip, she leaned over biting his neck earning a moan from the normally stoic man. Her lips trailed along the pulse point on his neck as her fingertips traced down his chest before reaching his pants. 

“Funny how the role’s reversed now,” Shuishe whispered against his throat as she started tugging down his pants and underwear. 

Diluc merely chuckled in response, bucking his hips in hers earning a squeak to escape her lips. “Don’t be so sure…”

“Please…” she mumbled as she tossed his pants and underwear to the floor. Her hand came to excircle around his erection, stroking him lightly at first earning another groan to rumble from his chest. “You like that?”

“...shut up.”

She slipped her body between his legs before dipping her head just enough so she could run her tongue along his length before reaching the tip of his cock. A giggle bubbled from Shuishe before taking him into her mouth, bobbing her head against his length. A low groan erupted from Diluc before his hands came to the top of her head, pushing her further down his cock. She pulled away, almost gagging as she wiped the corner of her mouth.

“Watch it…” she mumbled to him.

Diluc smirked. “Sorry.”

“I can tell you’re not actually sorry at all.”

He shrugged in response.

Rolling her eyes, she dipped her head back down before taking his length back into her mouth, making sure to hollow her cheeks. A low rumble of pleasure reverberated from Diluc before his hand rested on the top of her head as his fingers tangled in her blonde locks. Her eyes flickered up to watch his changing expressions. She squeezed her thighs together feeling her own desire growing more as she bobbed her head faster.

How did she end up in this situation again?

The question kept bouncing around her mind before she heard him groaned and force her further down his cock, earning a gag from the back of her throat. Tears beaded in the corner of her eyes as she looked up at him, catching his crimson eyes staring back before she felt him releasing onto her tongue. She quickly pulled back, covering her mouth as she forced herself to swallow the salty, white substance before she coughed. Once again, she wiped the corners of her mouth before wiping the tears away from her eyes.

“...are you okay?”

His voice held concern as she turned back to face him. “...I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “If I went too far-”

Shuishe gave him a nod as she managed to catch her breath. “Nothing that I haven’t done before.”

Diluc sat up, his hand reaching out to touch one of the straps of her nightgown. Her face heated up as his thumb slipped under the strap before tugging it off of her shoulder and repeating the action on the other strap. The blush on her cheeks darkened as she quickly grabbed her nightgown, trying to stop it from falling off of her body.

“What’s wrong?”

Shuishe looked away still clutching the fabric to her body. “...it’s nothing,” she mumbled.

A look of disbelief flashed over Diluc’s expression as his hand reached out and touched her cheek. “Tell me what’s wrong?” he asked, leaning into her.

A frustrated sigh fell from her lips. “My arm.”

“Your arm?”

“...my prosthetic arm.”

“I’m confused?” Diluc asked.

“It makes me ugly…” she managed to say before another sigh moved past her lips. “It makes me feel ugly when I’m naked in front of someone.”

Shuishe looked up and caught Diluc staring at her in the same stoic stare he often gave most people in the city. His hand moved from her cheek to slip underneath her chin forcing her to keep eye contact with him. His free hand moved along her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake before grabbing her wrist gently before tugging her arm away from her body. The rosy blush that dusted her cheeks darkened again as the nightgown slipped from her grasp, pooling at her waist. 

Archons, she thought, how did I get here?

His eyes dipped down, taking in her exposed, nude form. Every scar. Every bruise. Every mark from some battle that littered her skin in the past, including the rough skin along her right shoulder, led to the metal, prosthetic arm the Fatui had fitted for her so long ago. Shuishe swallowed hard, embarrassed by her body and all the marks, knowing not many people would ever find a war-torn body attractive. 

“Why would you ever think you’re ugly?”

Diluc’s voice tore through her thoughts as she felt tears beading again in the corner of her eyes, unknowing just how much she had needed to hear these words. Her lashes fluttered, trying to force back the urge to cry as she looked away from him.

“Shuishe?”

“I’m sorry… I just-”

“We can stop.”

Shuishe shook her head before looking up at him quickly and holding his face in her hands. “No, no!” she interjected. “Please, I don’t want to stop. I just-”

His hands moved up to grasp her wrists again, silencing her. A small smile formed over his lips before leaning in and his lips pressing against hers. A desperate whine fell from Shuishe’s lips as she fell back onto the bed again, bringing Diluc on top of her. His tongue slipped into her mouth, earning another moan from Shuishe as her hands slipped down his bare chest. He pulled away from her lips before trailing his lips along her neck. 

His hands moved up her body, stopping at her breasts, groping her before pinching her nipple between his fingers. Electricity sparked down her spine at his touch as she moaned louder. Diluc began rutting his hips against hers as he began to harden against her thigh. 

“...hurry,” she panted.

Diluc pulled away, smirking. “Mm? Should I?”

“Diluc,” she hissed. “Stop messing around!”

He merely chuckled before grinding his hips against hers again, earning a desperate moan to pass Shuishe’s lips as she tangled her fingers in his crimson locks. “I never want to hear you talk badly about yourself again,” he practically ordered before biting her neck and leaving a red mark in its wake. “Or I’ll make sure to deny you even more.” He smacked her thigh to make sure she was paying attention. “Understand?”

Panting, she nodded, her eyes half-lidded as she stared up at him. “O-okay.”

Diluc raised up, stroking himself a few times before settling between her legs. A strangled gasp fell from her lips as she felt the head of his cock press against her before she tried to force her hips forward to urge him inside of her. Slowly, she felt his length push into her forcing another gasp to move past her lips. His hands moved up to her thighs before wrapping her legs around his waist. 

He pulled back just enough to where Shuishe was convinced he was about to pull out before thrusting his hips forward, earning another whine from her throat. His pace quickened as his fingers dug bruises into her thighs. His name fell from her lips in a strangled cry trying to reach out to him to be closer to her body. His lips curled into a smirk as he watched her expression change through his half-lidded eyes. He let go of one of her legs and leaning over her as he managed to press her opposite leg against her body and rest on his shoulder.

“D-Diluc,” she whined as the new angle sent shivers down her spine. Her mind was becoming hazy as she tried to recall just how she ended up in this position. She couldn’t bring herself to focus with each thrust moving deeper into her before she felt tears beading at the corners of her eyes. It was so strange as if he had always known her body. 

He nipped at her pulse point again before chuckling against her delicate skin. It seemed he purposely slowed down to aggravate her as she whined in protest. “Hm?” he said against her skin. 

“Diluc…” she managed out. 

“Use your words,” he replied with a stern voice. 

Her face flushed again. She hated how he knew exactly how to render her powerless against his demands. “P-please.”

“Please what?”

“Please!” she cried out. “Faster! Don't slow down!”

Chuckling, Diluc quickly picked up his pace, forcing her moans to grow in volume before he pressed his lips to her, biting at her lower lip. Desperate to be closer, Shuishe’s arms snaked around his neck as her nails dug into his shoulders 

Pressure began building in the pit of her stomach, winding tighter and tighter with each thrust. She knew her orgasm was edging closer… and she knew he could feel it. 

“Close are we?” he teased. 

Pouting, Shuishe attempted to protest by shaking her head. 

“You’re clenching around me,” he countered. “I thought Fatui was a lot stronger than this… look at you. Crying out for my cock. Pathetic.”

His insults only sent her further over the edge and she wasn’t sure why. Her eyes squeezed shut as she felt the tightness in her abdomen become almost unbearable before sweet release. Shuishe cried out his name before her orgasm washed over her body. 

Diluc’s thrusts became irregular as he attempted to ride out her high before he finally pulled out of her and released onto her stomach. Panting, he looked down at her still shuddering from her orgasm. 

“Are you okay?” he asked softly. 

Her eyes barely opened. “Y-yes…” she stammered. 

Diluc pulled away, searching for a towel and gently cleaning her up. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Shuishe replied as her body finally began to relax.

His lips cracked into a gentle smile before peeling back the sheets of the bed before helping to tuck her in. “You need to get some sleep,” he told her, pulling the sheet over her. 

Her hand encircled around his wrist. “Stay?”

She didn’t know why she wanted him to stay but knew she would regret it if she allowed him to leave. Sure, it was risky to allow him to stay in her hotel room.

Diluc stared at her for a moment before slipping into the sheets next to her. “I’ll stay…”

A gentle smile curled over her lips before she relaxed against the bed. She felt his arms snake around her waist, pulling her into his chest. “…Goodnight,” she mumbled. 

“Goodnight.”

Her eyes slowly shut as she fell into a deep slumber. 

===

Shooting up in bed in a cold sweat, Shuishe panicked as her head darted around the room. She couldn’t catch her breath as the nightmare replayed in her mind of the Fatui soldier invading Mondstadt. Her fingers moved through her hair as she glanced at Diluc’s sleeping body next to her. The corners of her lips fell into a frown as he continued to sleep so peacefully. How could she be so easily changing her mind? Sure, she had a suspicion that the Delusion was in Diluc’s possession but she quite frankly had no proof. She had never come across it in the many times she had been through the manner unless it was hidden in one of the locked rooms she was never allowed to venture into…

And then her thoughts turned to Nora and how easily the two of them formed a small bond… but a bond nonetheless. Nora had easily thrown around the word friend with Shuishe, but Shuishe could not. But she had to admit, it was nice having someone to just speak to even about silly things. It was nice to have someone she could spare with that wasn’t a Fatui soldier terrified of her strikes.

She had to admit she had grown accustomed to her life here as much as she had complained about it in the past. Something was comforting about finding a routine, something she had never had in the past. Everything in her life was constantly on the go from one target to another with her troops, but this. It was refreshing.

“...Am I wrong?” she asked herself as she brought her knees up to her chest. She hugged her legs as her mind began to wander. Her eyes fell back on Diluc sleeping soundly next to her. Why had she begged him to stay? She couldn’t possibly have feelings for a total stranger already… “No…” she mumbled, looking away.

Shuishe knew the answer.

She was sick of being alone. She was sick of always being in the background. Despite their arguments and constant head-butting with one another, he saw her. He noticed her. He recognized her abilities when no one else had. Her mind replayed the events in his office back at the manor where he had accused the Fatui of using her and brainwashing her. He had complimented her abilities as a soldier and was disgusted with the manipulative tactics the Fatui had used against her to keep her in compliance with their wants and needs.

“Was he right?”

Had Pulcinella used her?

Shuishe slowly slipped out of bed before grabbing her nightgown and slipping it back onto her body. She noticed bruises littered her skin, causing her face to heat up as she forced herself to sit down at her desk. Perhaps she could buy more time if she wrote a letter to Pulcinella now? That was she would have enough time to gather her thoughts and figure out what to do. Nausea built up in her stomach as she had never gone against her superior in the past… and the thought of it, she felt as though she would vomit. 

She quickly scribbled a letter down to her superior before stuffing it into an envelope. She opened her window and called for a Fatui messenger bird. She instructed the bird to deliver the letter to Pulcinella before she sat back down in the chair. A sigh fell from her lips as she glanced at a letter from her dear friend, Irina, who was stationed in Liyue on important business.

Both were plucked from an orphanage and one was sent to military school while the other was sent to train to become a high-ranking diplomat in the Fatui. So much so, she worked almost directly under La Signora. It was odd just how similar their stories were but also… how different.

Shuishe grabbed another blank piece of paper before scribbling a long-winded letter to her dear friend, venting about what had happened throughout the last few weeks. And at the very end, Shuishe frowned before scribbling the words: I screwed up.

Stuffing the letter into another envelope, she wrote Irina’s code name “Aster” on it before sealing it with wax. She walked back to the window before summoning her personal, messenger bird, knowing that Irina would know immediately who this message was from. She tied the message to the bird’s ankle before instructing it to fly to Liyue.

“Hopefully she had some sage advice for me. She always knows what to do in these situations.”

The bird flew away as Shuishe watched it disappear into the night sky. She prayed she wasn’t too late with her letter begging her superior for more time to figure this out. Her mind slipped back to Dr. Ivan and his family who had practically adopted her as one of their own. The constant threat against their lives was ever-present in the back of her mind. Another sigh escaped her lips as she brought her fingers to rub her tired eyes. 

“But is it fair that I ruin the lives of people here?” she questioned, softly. “Just to save me and my own family.” Frustrated, Shuishe rose from her chair and began pacing the room, trying to remain quiet as the early morning hours passed. Her mind continued to replay her decisions and her choices over and over again and playing the possible outcome of each decision. No matter what she picked, someone would end up hurt.

“Shuishe?”

Freezing in place, she glanced at the bed and saw Diluc slowly sitting up and staring at her. She watched as he used the heel of his hands to wipe the sleep from his eyes before running a hand through his red hair. He flashed her a lazy grin, clearly still proud of himself for his accomplishment earlier that night.

“Y-yes?” she mumbled, turning away from him.

“What’s wrong?”

Quickly, she shook her head as her arms hugged herself around the waist. “Nothing,” she tried to assure him. “I’m fine.”

“You’re pacing…” he said flatly. “Tell me what’s going on.”

It wasn’t a request. His voice was fairly demanding at this point before she sighed, still frustrated with herself as she turned to face him. “What the hell is going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“This!” she hissed at him, throwing her arms up as the frustration in her mind mounted. “Us! All of this!”

A thoughtful look crossed his face before his lips broke into a smile. “Does it have to be anything?” he asked, tilting his head. “Why can’t we just enjoy-”

“Do you have any idea what you’re saying? I’m Fatui, Diluc!”

“I’m aware…” he said as annoyance dripped from his voice. “I guess I just thought…”

“You’re all complicating everything,” Shuishe countered, frowning at him.

Confused, Diluc stood up from bed, slipping his underwear back on as he approached her. He reached out and grabbed her hands, before pulling her into him. His hand came up to her head before hugging her tightly. Shuishe eventually gave into the tender touch before burying her face into his chest, trying to settle her nerves. 

“You’re stupid.”

Diluc merely chuckled. “So you say.”

Taking a deep breath, Shuishe barely pulled away from him before looking up at him. “This is all confusing is all,” she mumbled. “My superiors will be furious. I don’t know what to do.”

“Do you enjoy it here? With Nora? She raves about how nice you are to her, especially when you spare with her…” Diluc replied, his hands moving through her blonde locks. “What about me?”

Her face flushed again. She couldn’t pinpoint her own feelings and being caught off guard at this moment really caused her brain to nearly short circuit. “I barely know you,” she grumbled, trying to hide the embarrassment on her face. “...but I’m happy here.”

“Then stay.”

It was the same words she had spoken to him just hours before as she felt her breath caught in her chest. She looked up at him with wide eyes before chewing nervously on her lower lip. Should she give up everything? Everything she had been given just for a small amount of happiness in a town she barely knew…? What would happen to Dr. Ivan and his family if she made such a selfish decision? 

“Shuishe,” Diluc said, tearing her away from her thoughts. “Stay here, with us, with me.”

“Diluc… I-” she paused for a moment before frowning, knowing it was best to tell him everything that she had done before giving him the answer he was searching for. “I-”

Screams began to echo in the street before she heard a commotion in the hallways of the hotel. Frowning, Shuishe pulled away from Diluc as she rushed toward the window. Her stomach practically dropped to her feet as she saw Fatui troops inching closer to Mondstadt...with Pulcinella leading them. 

“Oh no…” she whispered before whipping around to face Diluc. 

“What did you do?” he hissed at her as his eyes fixated at the army coming closer. “What did you do, Shuishe!”

Tears beaded in the corner of her eyes. “Diluc… I tried to stop it!” she cried. “I didn’t think they would come this quickly. I tried to stop it!”

“An invasion!?”

“They-” she panted as the anxiety in her chest began to tighten. “They’re looking for the delusion. I thought it was here! I tried to convince them it wasn’t! I send another letter to call off the raid!”

His crimson eyes were furious as he scrambled to get dressed. “Don’t bother,” he snapped at her. “Stay here and rot.”

“Diluc-”

“Stay here and rot. Just like the rest of the Fatui.”

He stormed out of her hotel room, knowing the commotion would conceal his identity as he left Shuishe alone, shaking in her room. His demeanor was so quick to change, but he was right. She was nothing but a monster for causing this. It was all her fault. This was all her fault. The pain in her chest was becoming too much and she had to blink back tears trying to force their way to fall down her face. She couldn’t cry right now. She had to focus. She had to fight back. She forced herself back to her feet as she dressed into her battle gear, hopeful that she could possibly reason with her superior, explain this was just a mistake. She slipped her rapier into its place on her belt before rushing out of her room, knocking over a few Fatui diplomats in the process.

“Don’t let me be too late.”

[xenia-cenia]

Albedo x Fem!Reader - Love

A/N- HUGE thank you to @yukiilu​ for helping me figure out what to do for this one - check out their blog, it’s super good!

Liyue time babey!!!! Also stan proper lab safety

Trigger/Content Warnings: abusive dad/absent mom, near death experience 

Word Count: 2,483

Request: No

Summary: You learn what love truly means.

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Love.

You were not cut out for love. That had been drilled into your head since you were a child - you were dangerous. You needed to stay under lock and key. You needed to obey. You needed to stay put.

Your mother danced with electricity between her fingertips and fear in her step. Your father who had fallen in love was quick to run when he found her true identity.

By the age of 4, anyone could see you were different. Lightning always seem to strike around you, yet the shocks had no effect. 

Love.

You could not love, nor could anyone love you. 

You could easily end cities if your frustration flashed, you needed to be hidden. 

It took 15 years for your father to pass and you to be found. The world had changed in your absence, children ran with kites and merry. Sunlight beamed onto your skin and burned your irises. 

Citizens of the place you learned was called Mondstadt expressed their disgust for your father. They all told the same story; that when you were a child you got attacked by a group of hilichurls who stole your life. They mourned with him for years and none could explain the surplus of storms that followed your ‘death’.

 A woman with blonde hair which she wore into a ponytail was the first to greet you to current Mondstadt. She called herself Jean and apologized for your suffering. How, she questioned, were you held in a basement under their noses for all of those years?

Out of pity or fear, you weren’t quite sure, she assigned the Knights resident alchemist to teach you everything you missed. 

The boy never held expression in his teal eyes; nothing more than analysis. He didn’t sigh or apologize for your past like many other citizens of Mondstadt, instead, he asked you a question that you yourself had never considered.

“Why were you locked away?”

After a few moments of careful thought, you responded, “Love.”

He almost looked surprised at your answer, “Interesting.”

For weeks, you shadowed the boy as he completed various experiments. For weeks, you watched as he slowly began to open up to you.

“Come here.” He instructed, holding a vial with his gloved hand. You walked up to him and looked at his experiment, “Careful now, pour this into this.” He pointed at a cylinder.

You opened your mouth to question why, but simply shook your head and poured the vial. A burst of red and pink exploded into the air, the colors swirling and forming a flower.

“Alchemy,” he spoke, looking at the wonder in your eyes, “is magnificent. Isn’t it?” With an unclothed hand, you reached up to touch the symbol but Albedo quickly grabbed your wrist, “You’ll burn yourself.”

“Ah,” you set your hand down. “Can I... can we do more?”

He smiled to himself, “You’ll need gloves.”

The next day, as you sat around his lab in the Knights of Favonius headquarters, he showed up carrying a large box. You quirked an eyebrow up but he ignored it, setting the day and hastily rifling through it. Your curiosity got the better of you, you walked over and peered in.

It was filled with various lab safety precautions. He paused with his hands deep inside the box and pulled out see-through goggles with a thin black strap around the back. 

“Try these on.” He handed them to you. You squeezed the goggles on and were surprised at how clearly you could see everything. “Do they fit?” He asked, not looking up.

“I think so.” You adjusted them, “They don’t hurt or anything.”

“Okay, good.” He sucked the inside of his cheek, “Hmm... try these gloves on.” He pulled out a pair of black gloves with a bright yellow diamond pattern sewn into the cuff. 

You picked them up and slid them on. The warm interior made your chest swell, to conceal the blush that crept onto your face you turned around and covered your cheeks with your hands.

When was the last time someone went out of their way to make your clothes were warm and fit right? Had it ever happened?

“(Y/N)?” Albedo asked, confused at your sudden reaction.

“They’re... they’re really good. Can I keep them?”

“I don’t see why not.” The boy waited for you to turn around before he continued his plans for today's experiment. As you did, he couldn’t help but smile. In one quick step, he was mere inches from your face, his hands adjusting the goggles you had shoddily put on. “This part needs to go on your nose.” He tapped the plastic. “Make sure you don’t get any flyaway hairs stuck in here.”

You nodded blankly, trying to keep yourself from collapsing to the floor with shaking legs. And for the first time in your life, you began to wonder.

Perhaps your father lied about love. Perhaps it was another trick to keep you under his control; to scare you about kindness that existed just outside of the darkness. Perhaps even you could love

But you knew better than to let thoughts like that clear your mind. Your father just wanted to protect you. You were dangerous. It was for the best. You deserved to be locked away.

...right?

Right. You shook the thoughts away and listened as Albedo began to explain the lab he’d be doing today. 

When he was finished, you chatted happily with him the entire time and hoped he wouldn’t notice you shoving the gloves to the bottom of the box and your sadness.

At your home, you couldn’t help but feel fear. The house where you were locked in for years, your world contained to a small basement, now in your possession. You could tear down walls or seal the basement off once and for all.

But you didn’t. Instead, you pretended you grew up normally. His half of each imaginary conversation was filled by creaking and soft footfalls.

“Father!” You called into the empty house, “I had a lovely day today.”

“It was so much fun.” You smiled as you walked into the kitchen, “I- oh! Father. We’ve talked about you leaving dishes in the sink.” You shook your head disapprovingly and laughed softly as you began to wash them.

“I know you’re old, Father! But I’m not your live at home maid.” 

“Fa...” your smile fell as you turned around. In your heart, you could pretend he was standing there with a lopsided grin and wise eyes. But you knew he only ever looked upon you when you began to cry or shriek. You exhaled deeply and gripped your arms, your eyes locked on the floor, “I love you, Father.”

Some things never change.

You still found yourself sleeping in the basement and singing songs you created as a child to soothe the loneliness. On the cold basement floor, you couldn’t get the blond-haired alchemist out of your head.

Love was wrong. You were wrong for Loving anyone. You knew this still... would it be alright to like? Would it be fine to pretend he would spin you on the dancefloor with a large grin and soft blush? Would it be okay to imagine your hands in his hair as he lies on your lap, murmuring of alchemy and his hypothesis as he slips off into sleep?

Maybe that was alright. You smiled to yourself and let sleep overtake you.

“Dragonspine.” Albedo walked into his lab, smiling happily at you, “I’m going to Dragonspine.”

“Dra...” your eyebrows furrowed as you tried to remember what that was, “The... the mountain?”

He nodded and sat on a chair, “I’ll be gone for quite some time but I’ll try to see you every-”

“I want to come with.”

“What?” He looked at you with wide eyes.

“I want to go with you.” You repeated, your resolve burning in your chest.

“Why? It’s dangerous.”

“But it’s real. I want to see as much of this world as I can.”

He inhaled softly, “I... suppose... you can come with me. But you need to stay close to me. Don’t run off or get yourself hurt.”

You beamed at the boy, “Yes! Thank you, Albedo.”

Albedo and you gathered supplies instead of your daily experiment. Warming bottles, blankets, and every spare bit of medical supplies you could get your hands on. After some careful consideration, Albedo bought a basic polearm for you to use.

“Just in case. I don’t think you’ll need it, but if I’m away and something goes wrong... well, it’s better to be prepared, isn’t it?”

5 weeks after you found out about your trip to Dragonspine, you set off. It was a cold and uncomfortable hike to Albedos lab in the mountains. He assured you that he’s had this lab for years, that it should be safe. When you arrived, you collapsed next to a fire and took deep breaths.

Albedo frowned as he began to set up his next experiment, “I won’t be angry if you want to leave.”

“What? We just got here!” 

“I know it’s just...”

“Look, I... if I need to leave, I’ll tell you. So stop worrying about it!” You tried to stifle a yawn as you lied next to the fire.

He sighed, “Fine. Do you want...” he looked over his shoulder and let his voice fizzle out as he saw you sleeping. Albedo went through his supplies, pulled out the blanket, and put it over you. “Oh.” He spoke to himself, a memory coming back. 

One more trip into his supplies, he pulled out a small item and lied it next to your head. He hoped you’d be happy when you saw it. Albedo smiled to himself and continued working.

When you woke up, you were drenched in a mixture of sweat and melted snow. You pulled yourself up, tried to shake some water off of you, and sighed. “Alb...” you turned to the alchemist, but he was fast asleep. You thought over what to do and came to a conclusion.

With soft steps and careful placement, you left the lab and began to explore the depths of Dragonspine. You walked for only a few minutes, growing increasingly more confident in your abilities, but a loose twig decided to ruin your day.

Quickly, you stumbled and rolled down the cliff and into a pillow of snow. You sat for a second in the snow, laughing softly at how stupid that looked. “Well, up and at em.” You stood, looked around for a path, and happily followed it hoping it’d lead you back to Albedos lab.

An hour had passed since you decided to walk away from Albedos lab, why was it that you even left? Did you think a walk would dry you off? Were you simply tired of lying there? You couldn’t remember. The path led you to a dark cavern, with smoke billowing out of the mouth.

Heat. Fire.

The only two thoughts in your head clouded your judgment as you walked deeper into the cavern, hoping to get warm. 

Albedo woke up with a nagging feeling that something was wrong. He sat up, looked around his lab, and immediately felt bile rise in his throat.

You were gone. You had left - he gave you one instruction and now you were gone. Albedo quickly pulled himself up, grabbed the gift he left for you and took off.

It didn’t take long for him to find your footsteps and follow them into Starglow Cavern. Despite his swiftness, he had the feeling that he was too late. Too slow. He drew his sword and charged in, still following your footsteps. Unsurprisingly, they led to a flame nearby. He saw Hilichurls warming themselves with the flame and felt his heart drop.

Albedo rushed towards the flame, quickly knocking out the hilichurls and looking over the edge. There, at the very bottom, he saw you crawling towards the top and leaving a trail of red behind you.

“(Y/N)!” He yelled, your head snapped up. He could almost see the relief on your face as you saw him. He ran through the cavern and when he arrived in front of you, gingerly picked you up. “What... what happened?” He put his hands on the frozen tears on your cheeks.

“I’m sorry.” You responded with a raspy voice, “I...” 

“Ssh, save your strength. I shouldn’t of asked ju-just stay awake. Can you do that?”

“It’s so cold.”

“I know, I know.” He went up the cavern as quickly as he could, occasionally making comments so you stayed awake.

When he arrived back at his lab, he lied you out on the blanket and thought about the best course of action. Not even a second later, he was tearing through his supplies and forcing Warming Bottles into your arms. 

“Al... Albedo.” You called weakly. He froze, trying to contain his panic. “Come... come over here.”

He shook the fear away and kneeled next to you, grabbing your hands tightly. “What is it?”

“My Father... told me I can’t love. But,” you smiled with tears in your eyes, “I think I love you.”

His fear broke through his walls. Albedos eyes flooded with tears as he held you, “D-Don’t say it like that! Don’t say it like it’s goodbye!”

“Albedo...” you tried to laugh, “You always make me feel so... happy...”

“No... no!” He shook your body, “Wake up! Wake up, dammit!” He pressed his fingers against your palm and felt his entire body jolt as your weak, but still existent, pulse throbbed against his fingers. 

The Alchemist quickly set to work, every healing potion he had was used. It didn’t matter if he could save a million lives with one; he’d use a million potions just to save you. He trekked back down to Mondstadt with you on his back, completely abandoning the lab, and screamed for help until you were taken to safety.

But it wasn’t until your eyes opened again could he relax. It wasn’t until he could wrap his arms around you and feel your arms tighten around his waist that he knew it’d be okay.

Shakily, he grabbed the gift he had so desperately wanted to give to you, and felt his eyes well up with tears as you hugged him tighter.

You slipped the gloves on and tried to contain your happiness, “You saw?”

He nodded, “You weren’t wearing them when you left I...” Albedo cut himself off. He didn’t want to say the truth which was he spent hours tearing the box apart and trying to get the gloves back to you, “I wanted you to have them.”

Love.

Love is what you felt when Albedo grabbed your hands, or when he blushed with a shy smile. 

Love is his drawings of you that filled his every sketchbook. 

To love, you decided, was to be alive.

[olderthannetfic]

I know patreon and ko-fi links are banned on AO3 but how will / will the archive be updating at all to accommodate for fandoms like Genshin Impact that allow profiting off of fanficition?

--

Why would it change for Genshin Impact? Jane Austen's work is out of copyright, and you still can't post your ko-fi links on your Jane Austen fic.

The issue isn't that profiting off of fic is illegal. That wasn't always true when AO3 was founded either.

The issue is that AO3 was built to protect a type of fandom that is a gift economy.

If my friend shows up to my dinner party expecting me to let them turn it into a sales pitch for their multilevel marketing garbage, I will be annoyed. They have violated the social contract. They have taken a space I did the lion's share of the work to build and attempted to monetize it in a gross way. Let them host their own dinner party if they want to do that!

Similarly, those of us who gave years of unpaid labor to build an archive where our style of fandom—a not-for-profit kind—could be safe are not interested in that space being warped into etsy or a dealers' room at a convention. If other fans have other styles of fandom, that's fine: they can build other archives for them.

Personally, I find that the introduction of a profit motive turns fic spaces from a place of peers sharing into a place of Audience vs. Content Creators, and I get enough of that hustle culture on every other site, thank you.

AO3's popularity is likely partly due to how much it isn't full of desperate shilling and begging. The fact that there's no incentive to post chapter 1 and paywall the rest is incentive for readers to trust and like AO3.

The legality of Genshin Impact fic is irrelevant. AO3 bans commercial spam because it wants to.

[staar5384]

Staar's Masterlist

welcome to my page! i'm staar. i like to write a lot of fanfiction and i have an unhealthy obsession with levi ackerman. i mostly write for genshin and aot, but i dabble in other things from time to time.

genshin

diluc stolen hearts

thoma the vision hunt decree

kaveh when all he had was you

kavetham/haikaveh miscalculation

neuvillette champagne problems 1 - champagne problems 2 - champagne problems 3

attack on titan

levi ackerman our secret moments a death too soon 1 - a death too soon 2 oc drabble

bungou stray dogs

dazai dancing in the rain

persona 5

akechi saying goodbye

baldur’s gate 3

gale

forgive me

persona 3

ryomina

in a room all too familiar