#kaeya’s amethyst that’s right

[robroshaker9000]

Some au I had some time ago, might bring it back

Also yes, this is a Genshin Impact x SU au :D (roles are a bit confusing tho lmao)

[harukaprism]

Soulmate AU

Pairing: Cyno xGN!Reader

Warnings: Potential violence against reader, fighting, soulmate au, that is all.

Word Count: 1,534

Dawn's notes: Howl has been on my brain and this is the result. Have fun!

In all of Teyvat soulmates surrounded you, everyone had their soulmate, everyone had someone for them.You had yet to find yours in your beautiful home of Mondstadt, which was fine; you were happy actually happy yours wasn’t in your home country. You wanted to explore and travel the world to find them, even though you had no hints as to who it could be. 

You did have something of your soulmate, everyone gets something to wear from their beloved that way when you two met you knew who it would be.They had gifted you a very beautiful necklace, plated in gold was a eye made out of beautiful amethyst with the pupil as a gold dot in the middle. You gave a set of simple gold earrings; it wasn’t much like the gifts you had seen your friends get but they were a treasured possession of yours that you would be able to spot miles away. 

You wore the necklace everyday, taking very good care of it just in case they had come to visit to find you, but as the years had passed you gave up hope that you would find them in your home or even Liyue. With that you made a decision. 

“You really want to visit Sumeru?” Lisa asked as she went through her book in the library. 

“Yes, Inazuma is too far away right now so I figured I would visit Sumeru to see if I could find them there.” You were determined to do what it took to see the world to find them and the one person in Mond that knows the country was your favorite bookworm. “Come on Miss Lisa, you are the only one that I know that has been there and I want to know what to prepare for. I have always wanted to travel Teyvat and looking for my soulmate is the perfect excuse to do that!” 

With a sigh she stood up grabbing a book from behind her desk. “If you really are serious, make sure you are prepared.” Handing you a stack of books her eyes fell to the necklace that she had seen for many years now. “You have to be careful and don’t worry too much if you do not find them right away.” 

Excitement shot through your body as you held the books to your chest. “Thank you Miss Lisa, really, I appreciate it.” 

The look on her face did not escape you as you watched her sit down, a mix of joy and also sadness, though for why you weren’t sure. “Just doing my job. Those books are to be returned in 2 weeks, cutie, I mean it.” 

With that you ran out of the library and into your little apartment and cracked open the old books, they had everything you could ever know about the country of wisdom and all of its deserts. You had no idea how much time had passed before you had finished every book, writing notes of what not to do in situations and what you would want to see. 

After reading the books multiple times you returned the books and packed everything you would need. Lisa still had contacts in Sumeru City so she set up some lodging for your stay. With everything packed and someone to keep an eye on your house and mail you left Mondstadt and

started your travels. As you traveled on foot to Liyue you followed all the notes that Lisa and even Kaeya had put together for you, there was many things listed that you should go see and ways to travel, the second you crossed the border into Sumeru your felt the cool rush of the wind hit you as your eyes were met with the most beautiful sight that you had ever seen. 

The lush landscape of Sumeru City was beautiful but the most intriguing part was what laid behind that huge tree, the vast land of sand. Something was pulling you there so you decided to make that your final destination. 

Following Lisa’s advice you made your way to Gandharva Ville to rest for the night, as you laid down for the night in a hut you heard the distinct jingling of jewelry, something that you knew well. With your heart pounding you rushed to your window and looked out searching all over for the glimpse of gold reflecting in the moonlight but you were only able to see the forest. 

You were disappointed for sure but you had to move on, you would find them sooner or later. In the morning you were greeted by the lead forest ranger Tighnari. “Thank you for letting me stay the night, I hope it didn’t cause too much trouble.” 

The man shook his head with a pleasant smile on his face.”Oh no need to thank me, I was happy to let an adventure stay the night. Where is your destination for this trip?” 

“Ultimately the desert! Ever since I stepped foot into Sumeru it has been calling for me.” You could see his eyes drifting to your necklace. “Ah, this is from my soulmate so I was hoping that I would find them here, if not my next step is Fontaine.” 

The look he gave was one of recognition and solace. “I doubt that you would need to travel that far. Be careful in the desert and make sure to bring plenty of water and supplies.” With that interaction over with you made your way to the city and got your room secured and set up. 

Your next few days passed pleasantly. The connections that Lisa had in the city were wonderful and you got really good advice as to how best to get to the desert. After a two day trip you had finally made it to Caravan Ribat, the second you stepped into the city heat rushed from beyond the wall and basked you in the amazing feeling. 

After getting a room for the day you made your way to the gate that separated the city and the vast ocean of sand. The gusts of wind surrounded you like a warm hug, every aspect of life drew your attention and you deviated from your path to Aaru Village to look at the flora and fauna. 

You weren’t keeping track of the time but soon the sun had started to set and the cool breeze filled your ears. “Well well well, what do we have here?” The unknown voice brought you out of your studies of the flower in front of you to the group of mercenaries slowly surrounding you. “You’re not from the desert are you?”

You were no stranger to fighting, you were part of the Adventures Guild, you were experienced with defending yourself. You held your hands behind your back not wavering. “Just leave me alone, I have no interest in fighting some low life scum.” 

“Oh looks like you have quite the mouth. I can fix that.” The leader, you guessed, cracked his neck as he walked up to you. Just as your hand gripped the hilt of your sword the air cracked around you and stilled. In a flash of light the men were on the ground and a tan man stood before you enveloped in a purple glow. 

As he turned you heard the noise that you were very familiar with, the gold earrings that he wore upon his hat shone brightly in the setting desert sun. Stunning red eyes like rubies pulled you into his gaze as his white hair settled down and he came to a standstill. 

His eyes glanced down to your necklace as you kept your eyes trained on those earrings. “There you are sweetheart, sorry I’m late. I was looking everywhere for you.” 

With your heart fluttering you dropped your sword into the sand. “Not how I intended to meet you and I am impressed at how you have utilized the earrings. I see you have kept good care of them after all these years.” 

With that he approached you and took the pendant between his fingers. “I never thought I would meet you. Tighnari told me that he suspected you were my soulmate when you stayed in Gandharva Ville. He said you were coming to the desert.” 

With a huff you crossed your arms. “No wonder he made that comment. He knew I would run into you.” Your bottom lip jutted out just a bit in a pout, this seemed to cause him to lose focus on the jewelry he gave you and his calloused thumb came up and danced across your lip. 

“Call it divine intervention, he was looking out for the both of us.” Suddenly your vision was covered in darkness as you felt the hat that he wore was placed upon your head. “You have been out here too long, let’s go to Aaru Village for some rest and shade.” 

Lifting the hat with one hand you pushed the tuft of hair covering his eye out of the way. “You are more handsome than I thought you would be.” 

His chuckle was low as he laced his fingers with yours and started to guide you.

[actiniumwrites]

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑼𝑵𝑰𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑬, 𝑨𝑺 𝑺𝑬𝑻 𝑰𝑵 𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑵𝑬✩

𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒖𝒎'𝒔 2.5𝒌 𝑭𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕 !!

status: closed! ✩ event masterlist

note: thank you so much for 2.5k followers! i am very grateful for the love and support you guys have shown for my writing this past year, it means so so much to me. so thanks to everyone who’s new and those who have stuck around. i can’t wait to see how this blog continues to grow <3

interested in participating in the event? more details are below the cut!

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑵𝑻 ✩

for this event, i will be celebrating by writing pieces based on different au’s! we all love the canonverse for genshin, but it’s nice to see our favorite characters in different universes. so, by combining the meanings of crystals as prompts + different au’s, i’ll be writing short stories based on your submissions! note that for some of the crystals i used the opposite meaning so there would be angst and fluff prompts available!

𝑻𝑶 𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑰𝑪𝑰𝑷𝑨𝑻𝑬 ✩

send an ask (can be on anon!) with your selected character + au + crystal(s)

you can send choose up to 3 crystals, but only one au and only one character!

i will only be writing for the same character/au up to two or three times, so everything will be on a first come, first serve basis. if you’re unsure about your character or au being available, you can include a backup in your ask.

please be sure to check the rules before sending an ask! any asks sent pertaining to the event that do not follow the rules will not be written. i also have the right to refuse any request. if i get a lot of requests for this event, it’s likely i won’t be able to write all of them, but i’ll try to get through as many as i can.

sample ask: “hi, act! for your event, can i request wriothesley + actor au + selenite, garnet, and angelite?”

𝑨𝑼'𝑺: choose one!

note: once an au is crossed out, it cannot be selected again. i will allow up to two or three uses of the same au before it cannot be picked again.

artist

actor

bookstore

coffee shop

college

florist

detectives

photographers

royalty

soulmate

time travel

tattoo artist

𝑪𝑹𝒀𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑳𝑺 : choose up to three!

amber - sickness

amethyst - betrayal

angelite - confessions

black diamond - mistrust

citrine - warmth and comfort

clear quartz - healing from hurt

emerald - loneliness

fluorite - clarity

garnet - self consciousness

hematite - protection

howlite - surrender

jade - gentleness

lapis lazuli - nobility

lepidolite - stress

moonstone - new beginnings

peridot - compassion

rose quartz - pure love

ruby - weakness

sapphire - clouded vision

selenite - hope

serpentine - mystery

sodalite - miscommunication

topaz - forgiveness

tourmaline - sadness

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺: choose one!

note: characters will be crossed off after being taken. the same character can only be written twice :)

men: albedo, diluc, kaeya, venti, xiao, zhongli, baizhu, scaramouche, ayato, heizou, kazuha, itto, thoma, alhaitham, cyno, tighnari, kaveh, dottore, neuvillette, lyney, wriothesley, childe, and dainsleif

women: mona, beidou, yelan, ningguang, hu tao, ayaka, kujou sara, kokomi, nilou, dehya, clorinde, and arlecchino

credits: genshin character art is all official art and belongs to hoyoverse (but i altered the coloring over them!). the moon/stars dividers and animated orange dividers are from @/cafekitsune !

[virtual-insanity28]

hi! i was wondering if you do NFSW?

if you do…would you mind writing about Childe and his female s/o having sex while he’s in his Delusion form :)

Timed by Delusion

Childe x Reader NFSW

requests: OPEN and gladly taken <3

don‘t worry, people of the internet! i do write NFSW, i’m just a tinsy bit sloppy at it, and i only will do it for the harbingers, Kaeya, and maybe Dainslief and Cyno(DKC in other words)…maybe.

——————

It all started out as a challenge. A simple spar between you and your blood-thirsty lover, Childe. He requested for one so you obliged, yet you didn’t expect it to turn into…what it had become.

“(Y/n)…” Childe groaned. He sat on the ground, his back to the wall, with his red mask covering his face. You managed to knock him down shortly after he had gotten lost in his psychotic rampage. The fear of his delusion sparking never ceased to spook you. Anytime you even glimpsed at his mask, the imagery of what the dark matter made of him caused you to shiver.

“Childe, please remove your mask,” you pleaded. The end of your sword lowered till it tapped the ground, and you crouched to your knee in front of the harbinger. “You know how much it hurts yourself.”

In spite of your concern, Childe moved his head away from your hand that advanced to his cheek. At that, you retracted your hand and held in a breath. He never attempted to stay back from your touch. It confused you greatly. You went to open your mouth to question his antics, but you stopped once you saw the familiar purple glow of his delusion. “Oh no…” You stand up and take a few steps back to avoid Childe’s oncoming form.

He let out a few strained coughs afore they turned into dark and menacing chuckles. His outfit matched the darkness of his laugh, and it all only made you more fearful of what was going to come.

You covered your face from the waves of water splashing around, shielding your partner from any sort of contact, and felt your feet dragged below you. His power was overwhelming the area around you. You knew that the moment you brought your eyes back to his, you’d only be met by that singular amethyst hue which reflected your own fear. You were right.

You gasped audibly at the proximity between you and what Childe had become. His delusioned form was nowhere near kind; not to you nor himself. It was a symbol of his revenge, his never-ending actions of pain and anger. Never had it not scared you.

“Tar-” Your voice was cut off as you froze by the spear that flew right beside you, coming dangerously close to cutting the skin of your cheek.

Childe spun his purple weapon over his shoulder, it flashing and growing with size, and peered down at your smaller frame. His entire body, everything about him, increased. His stature was taller, his body more detailed, and most notably, his strength was great enough to be able to stop an entire planet’s rotation. In a shorter summary, he was not himself. He was far more powerful, more than he could even imagine, and he failed to keep that strength contained.

His claw-gloved hand reached out to grace your cheek, the same one that almost got cut, but your flinched back out of shock. That had made your corrupted lover frustrated, furious even. He let out a low growl before grabbing your face with both of his hands harshly. You cried with a whimper, yet it was muffled by Childe squishing your cheeks to tighten your lips shut.

“You speak only when I tell you to speak.” His voice was louder and lower, spooking you once more; the venom in it didn’t dare to hide. Once you quit making noises, he scoffed to himself and forced you to look up at his face. “Don’t you try and look away from me. You love me, do you not?“

And love him you did.

“C-Childe..!” You inhaled deeply and exhaled that same breath as if you were slowly running out of oxygen. The way his galactic cape draped over both of your bodies, covering your bare appearance and his exposed lower-half, was soft yet kept the fear of yours maintained. Childe’s sheet of darkness was not as strong to scare you unlike his body guarded on top of you.

His elbows kept his balance while his knees locked your own to stay put. His head lowered to your ear, and he let a slow hum escape his throat. The feeling of your warm yet shaking body underneath him was more than enough to soothe his aching, but the suffering of his delusion did not go as easily as he wished it to.

His hand groped your breast without thought as his other roamed your body along with his mouth. His long purple tongue slithered down to your soaking region that spilt liquids on the cold ground below you; those liquids coming from previous ecstasies your lover had given you.

He was beyond proud of his actions. To be your significant other was an achievement for him already, but to know that he was allowed to make you feel the way you were at that moment made him even more content with his love life. The fact that he was able to make you feel pleasure while stuck in his delusion, the foul legacy itself, was a greater title he carried as well.

“I can only keep this up for so long, girlie. It’s now or never,” he warned. Not long after had you felt a stinging burn plunge into your sex.

You immediately opened your mouth and let a squeal leave your lips. It was a strange feeling but welcoming nonetheless. Previous times had you both enjoyed your many intercourses. Childe was rough and teasing, something you weren’t particularly used to, so it was an entire experience in itself.

In any way possible would he never forget to mock you which would soon be tagged along with a heavy slam of his member piercing you. At some point, you felt as though Childe was going to break you in half because of his pace and size.

In his regular humanly form, he was quite average in length, but as the foul legacy? Boy, had you wished you were more scared just to escape the situation…and size.

You were going to let out another loud moan until you were silenced by Childe’s hand covering your mouth. Your teary (e/c) eyes stared up at his sweaty and heated face hidden behind his strange red mask. The orb that acted as his eye glowed a bright purple that made it seem like a star for you to gaze at.

Childe groaned repeatedly, panting in between each of his thrusts. “Ugh…Since when have you been this weak, huh?” He ridiculed. “So submissive~…Why am I with you again?” He tilted your head up with his finger under your chin. Your eyebrows furrowed together while staring at the face of your crazed lover.

“Ah, right!” He lifted one of your legs up and over his shoulder. The soft violet fur of his cape comforted your skin while his words and cock violated you without hesitation. “It’s because you are so easy to manipulate~. You agreed to spar with me, you even agreed to this~! Such a dirty girl you are~.”

The precum coming out of his cock made you jolt every now and then; your body confusing it for his actual sperm and reacting to it instinctively. Whenever you did move upwards, arching your back so your stomach touched his armored abdomen, Childe huskily groaned. He let out few moans, yet they were always low-pitched and quiet when he did allow them to slip.

His hips began to stutter eventually, letting you know that he was nearing his climax. Many times before had you already cummed. It left your body sore and startled by every movement Childe had made. It especially made you cry out as he had done one final hit, the strongest one yet, and shoot his heavy load of cum inside of you. Your stomach felt hot and sticky while he kept his full length inside of you, but you had no clear mind to say anything aloud.

Childe pulled out after a few moments, and backed away from your dazed body. His delusion had gotten to him and forced him to shift back to his real-self. Once you saw his familiar ginger hair, you extended your arms to reach for him, but you were met with the cold air after he continued to inch further from you.

“Ajax?” You called him by his real name, causing him to widened his void eyes and stare at you. You managed to lift yourself up and over to crawl to your suffering partner.

“(Y/n)…It…It hurts so much.” Childe brought his hands to his hair and grabbed the strands violently. His mask was thrown to the ground after he had formed back, and you moved it away in order to comfort him.

You gave him a sympathetic look before wrapping your tired arms over his shoulders and bringing him into your naked embrace. “I know it does. I know. I’m here, Ajax. Don’t you worry.”

Your soft whispers kept Childe attentive to the situation, yet they eventually led him away from thinking about the pain cursing his strong yet fragile body. He leaned forward so his head rested on your chest, and silently watched the ground do nothing while listening to your voice. It calmed him. He didn’t understand why it did, but your voice alone was all he needed in order to feel better.

He lifted his arms under your own and had his hands grip onto your shoulders. His nails dug into your skin slightly but you paid no attention to it. Instead, you were there to make sure your lover, Childe, understand that he had gone too far for himself, for you, but that you were still there to keep him company. After all, you weren’t leaving him anytime soon, and he wasn’t leaving you either. The both of you had a great love that not even his foul legacy could tear apart.

Quietly, Childe murmured to himself as he slowly allowed himself to fall into a deep sleep. You overheard his words, and smiled once you heard him say ‘i love you’.

[sondepoch]

Genkart Recoil | 01 | “Sixteen”

Sixteen contestants, four circuits, ten sponsors, and a competition that's been going on for years. What can go wrong?

A lot, apparently. Ei and Thoma experience the worst heartache they've ever known. Scaramouche has to choose between what's right and what's love. Diluc accuses Kaeya of murder, Xiao and Venti fuck to escape reality, Albedo goes crazy trying to protect the only family he has left—and the entire time, the world is watching and laughing over the chaos as sixteen lives are ruined beyond repair.

(Or: A Mario Kart-inspired AU in which everything goes wrong)

01 | 02 | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ |

MASTERLIST

the beginning! thoma meets his competition, xiao finds a friend, and scaramouche is antsy.

It’s one of those luxury planes: the kind Thoma is used to seeing in movies.

The seats are a pristine beige—tinged golden with the warm sunlight that this cabin is so brilliantly bathed in—and everything else on this transport, from the amethyst-studded armrests to the marble table in the center of the room, is a rich purple that screams Wario Industries, the top luxury technology provider in all of Teyvat. 

Surrounded by extravagance, Thoma feels out of place in his worn sweatpants and faded crewneck. 

Especially in front of the two women in front of him. 

“Ajax,” Thoma whispers, nudging his older brother. “Ajax, look. It’s—”

“Yes. I know. Play it cool.”

Childe looks a little more relaxed than Thoma, but both of them sit tensed on their respective recliners. Perhaps it’s because of the opulence of this transport. The only Wario Industries item they own is a heavy, outdated refrigerator they got from a friend who was about to give it to a scrapyard. Or perhaps it’s the flight itself. Celestia is, after all, over fifteen thousand meters high, and this is Thoma’s first time being on an airplane, let alone a luxury private jet.

Or perhaps it’s the fact that in front of them sits a model Thoma’s known about for years: a world-class professional that he never thought he could dream about seeing, let alone sit on the same private plane as.

Nervous eyes flit from the woman’s feet to her hands, her hands to her collarbone, her collarbone to her face, and—crap she’s looking at him—Thoma glances away abruptly, all too aware of the furious flush that must paint his cheeks.

The sound of light laughter from the women sitting in front of him only worsens his humiliation, and Thoma suddenly hates the arrangement of this cabin: square-shaped with only four seats, perfectly arranged in two sets of two so that Thoma and Childe are seated directly across one of the world’s most renowned models and a girl next to her who’s equally pretty.

I’m in over my head, Thoma thinks, stomach beginning to turn. He hasn’t even reached Celestia, and he’s already seeing people this famous? Childe promised that the people attending this year’s races would be average, would be normal, but it’s now starting to seem like the man might have lied to him. 

“I’m going to. The bathroom. Um. Excuse me.”

Thoma stands, nodding his head awkwardly at everyone in the room as he walks towards the door he assumes is the bathroom. Only, the universe loves to play games, and the universe’s favorite game seems to be The Recurring Humiliation of Thoma, and so it’s utterly unsurprising when, right as he’s about to enter a door, it slides open on its own to reveal Lady Ningguang of Liyue, dressed impeccably with an unimpressed look on her face as she regards Thoma’s gaping mouth. 

“Is there a problem?” she asks in that swift, commanding voice of hers, and then Thoma’s even more caught off guard because wow, Lady Ningguang is addressing him personally, and—

“He was just looking around,” Childe is quick to say, and the man grabs Thoma’s hand and practically drags him back to his seat. 

Despite the force of Childe’s motions, Thoma is grateful. He doubts he would have been able to say anything half-coherent with Lady Ningguang, Chief Coordinator of the Celestial Races, staring at him so expectantly. Add in the fact that two of the prettiest girls he’s ever seen are sitting across from him, and it’s guaranteed that he would have embarrassed himself if not for his brother. 

“I see,” she hums, and both men look grateful to find that she’s already moved on, too important to concern herself with minor issues like The Recurring Humiliation of Thoma. 

“Well, I’m pleased to find that the four of you are enjoying your time here. I apologize for my brief leave. The pilot of this flight doesn’t like being left alone for long periods of time. She’s rather needy.”

An ethereal chuckle from across the room draws Thoma’s attention, and the model speaks:

“There’s no need to apologize. My sister is the exact same.”

“Ei!” the girl next to her gasps, a flush now creeping onto her cheeks. “I do not—”

“Thank you for your understanding,” Ningguang says, smiling gently at Ei. It seems that, of everyone in this room—Childe, the third-place racer from last year; Thoma, a student who passed the qualification races out of sheer luck; Ei, a top model who was invited to this year’s races without having to go through any qualifications; and what appears to be Ei’s sister, a girl with short hair and a sufficiently attractive face to indicate that she, too, might be a model—Ningguang only seems to care about the other famous person in this room: Ei.

Thoma relaxes a little when he realizes that.

It’s like an ant, he reasons to himself as his back presses deeper into the soft leather of his seat. I’m an ant and they’re elephants. It's not possible for me to embarrass myself in front of them because they’re too important to bother looking at someone as insignificant as me.

Then, Thoma remembers that elephants regularly step on and kill ants without a care in the world, and he decides to abandon that line of thinking. 

“We’re in the final stretch of our flight,” Ningguang says, breaking Thoma from his thoughts as she steps towards the marble table in the center of the cabin. A single tap from her manicured fingers is all it takes to light the table up with a hologram of the tower fortress in the sky that Thoma’s spent so many hours staring at. “Please, join me.”

Together, the four of them rise from their seats and move next to the table that Ningguang is operating. 

“We’ll be reaching Celestia within the next half hour. The docking station is here.” The tall towers of Celestia fade from the hologram as Ningguang zooms in on a landing port. “Your bags are a different transport, but they should arrive by evening. That’s when we’ll take you to your rooms here,” Ningguang gestures to four different wings, “Though until then, we encourage you to visit our commercial floor or the practice grounds.”

“You have a commercial floor?” 

“Of course they do,” Childe says, laughing. “Remember how I was always video chatting you from all those restaurants when I was in the races last year?” 

Thoma nods his head.

“The reason I could go to so many restaurants was because they were part of the commercial floor. You can get Celestia merch, racewear, food, and whatever you need to perform at your best all for free!”

For free, Thoma thinks, mouth suddenly watering. He remembers how, when Childe finally came home after placing third in last year’s Celestial Races, he brought home with him an entire suitcase full of luxury-brand clothes and house products. The cash payout wasn’t particularly large since the majority of Childe’s winnings went to paying for the car that he totaled to win the race, but the two of them were able to live comfortably for months because of how much Childe was able to bring back.

“Ah, that’s right,” Ningguang hums, finally turning to Childe and paying attention to someone other than Ei. “You’re a returning racer, aren’t you, Tartaglia? Do you still remember the layout of Celestia?” 

Thoma stifles a snort when Ningguang calls his brother by the dramatic racer name Childe selected when he first tried out to be a professional racer at the age of fourteen.

“Y-yes,” Childe says, elbowing Thoma. “I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything.”

A grateful smile spreads across Ningguang’s face.

“That’s perfect. My pilot and I actually have a press conference to attend right after we land, so I won’t be able to show the four of you around. Can I entrust this role to you, Tartaglia?”

“O-of course!” Childe blurts, chest puffing up like a proud bird. “You can trust me.”

Thoma tries not to roll his eyes. He remembers everything about Childe’s little crush on Ningguang from last year: how his idiot brother only worked so hard to win third place because he wanted to impress the Chief Coordinator, how the reason he’s returning this year isn’t to obtain a first prize victory, but instead Ningguang’s number.

“Wonderful. Just take them from the landing dock to the commercial floor. Skip the residential quarters. Show them the restaurant, racewear, shopping, and sponsor spots. Then take them down to the practice chambers. Feel free to try out some of our new features. Also, take them to the viewing room and the…”

As Ningguang continues to rattle off an effortless list of places, Childe’s smile grows increasingly forced. 

Thoma claps his older brother on the back as soon as she’s done.

“No problem. You remember all that, right, Ajax?”

“Of...of course,” Childe says, shooting a charming smile at Ningguang that turns stormy when he looks at Thoma. “I’ve got a good memory.”

And, to Childe’s merit, he really does remember most of it.

Nearly an hour later, after they’ve all landed in the technological tower paradise that is Celestia, Ningguang is long gone, but Childe is on his best behavior, giving his Thoma, Ei, and Ei’s sister (whose name Thoma now knows is Sara) a tour of this castle in the sky.

“This is where you can get clothes and stuff. We racers are basically walking advertisements for as long as we’re here, so as long as you wear something from your sponsor, it’s completely free.”

“Oh?” Ei asks, lifting a light red crop top and holding it to Thoma’s chest. The Toad & Toadette logo is small but clear in the top left corner. “So if I put together an outfit for Thoma here, he can just walk out with it?”

“Pretty much,” Childe says, a wry smirk crossing his face. 

“That’s a crop top,” Thoma chokes out, ears turning red when Sara lifts a checkered skirt to his waist. 

“And I’ve spent decades learning what looks good,” Ei says, smirking at Thoma. “Or are you saying you don’t trust my modeling experience?”

“N-no!” Thoma blurts, his mind flashing with the hundreds of pictures he’s obsessed over: pictures of Ei, either looking at the camera with her signature bored look or away in a candid shot, still ethereal and stunning. “I mean, yes? I—I trust you, but don’t you think that it’s a little weird for a guy to—”

“Not at all!” Ei says, and Thoma swears that his brain stops when her hands graze his shoulders to confirm that the shirt will fit him.

“Ah, actually…” Childe’s quiet murmur interrupts both of them, and Thoma isn’t sure if he’s grateful or annoyed that his brother interrupted him and Ei. “We each have our respective sponsors for the races, so whatever clothes you take need to be from that sponsor. That’s the only caveat of trying to get free apparel.”

“Oh,” Thoma says, but then confusion hits him. “How am I supposed to know who my sponsor is?”

“They’ll tell you tonight, probably.” Childe crosses his arms. “I’m still sponsored by DK since they sponsored me for my race last year, and Ei…”

“I'm sponsored by Princess Peach Inc.,” she says, calm. “I asked Ningguang for me and Sara to have the same sponsor, but I’m not sure…”

Thoma turns abruptly to Ei, confused.

“How do you know your sponsor?” he asks. “Are we supposed to already know?”

“Probably...probably not. I think I constitute a special case. ” Ei says. “You how I didn’t have to pass any qualification races to get here?”

Thoma nods. “Most news outlets said that you’d been personally invited by Ningguang.”

“That’s correct. But when she first invited me, I refused her offer because...I mean, obvious reasons. The races were too boring, and I felt like it would only set my career back. Then, Ningguang said that if I joined, she’d have Princess Peach Inc. sponsor me, so…”

Thoma instantly understands.

For a model like Ei, a partnership with Princess Peach Inc. is easily the best thing for her career: it’s the stepping stone to becoming a brand ambassador, a prelude to a timeless career for a model that doubtlessly deserves it. 

But…

Thoma frowns.

“Weren’t you about to sign a deal with another company back then? Did you want a sponsorship from Princes Peach Inc. that bad?”

Ei hesitates at Thoma’s question, but then she smiles.

“The biggest reason why I didn’t want to come was because ever since Ningguang was made Chief Coordinator of the Celestial Races, they’ve become incredibly boring. And I told her that to her face.” Thoma’s eyes widen at the courage it must have taken for Ei to say that. “So she swore to me that this year would be different. And that the whole world would be watching this set of races. And that if I won...if I won, I would never need to worry about my career again.”

“Oh,” Thoma says, suddenly realizing the truth of the situation.

The four of them—Childe, Thoma, Sara, Ei—they’re all in Celestia right now because they’re here to win the Celestial Games. Siblings or not, Thoma knows that he’d still give it his all in a race against Childe, and he’s certain that the same holds true for the rest of them. They might be acting like friends, but this is ultimately a competition: one that, if Ei’s words were true, will be one of the most intense rounds of races in decades.

“That’s all good,” Childe says, “But you never even had to compete in a qualification race. Do you have what it takes to win?“

“You talk big for a guy who got third place,” Ei taunts, a smirk on her face. “You’ve never seen me drive. Do you have what it takes to win?”

The air around them grows tense, but it isn’t oppressive; it’s electric. Brazen confidence powers all of their minds, and in a room full of racers where none of them are willing to back down, there’s only one thing left to do. 

“Alright,” Childe says. “Let’s skip the rest of the tour. Go straight down to the practice room, and let’s see which of us can drive faster, eh?”

“Are you sure you want to go against me?” Ei taunts, and she steps closer to Childe. Thoma is almost jealous of his brother. 

“I’m certain.”

Seconds later, Childe is leading them to the practice circuit. It’s at the very bottom of the Celestial Tower, he says, trying to justify the long elevator ride down.

“Last year, our practice circuit was a three-mile course. Want to see who can do three laps the quickest?”

“Sure,” Ei says. “But I don’t trust your victory assessment. Thoma, Sara, can you guys judge?”

“Of course!” Thoma says in perfect unison with Sara, and he looks at the girl—really looks at her, finally seeing her not as the sister of Ei but an actual, independent racer that he’ll have to soon compete against—and then the elevator doors open.

All four of them step forward, expecting a stereotypical practice circuit for them to drive on.

The sight that greets them is anything but.

“What the fuck,” Childe blurts, and Thoma remembers how Ningguang promised Ei that this year’s races would be different, that this year’s races would be better—and now that he sees the practice circuit they’ve been given, he’s convinced that she was speaking the truth.

Celestia is the most intimidating place Xiao’s ever seen.

It looked impressive enough as the private jet was approaching the renowned Castle of the Sky, developed and made to float entirely by the high-end technology of Wario Industries, but now that Xiao is inside this sky fortress, it's even grander. Everything about this place is made to intimidate: the giant ceilings remind Xiao of how small he is; the glass walls that look over Teyvat, thousands of miles away, show him how isolated this place is from the rest of the world; the pristine cleanliness of everything he's visited thus far a reminder of how this place is technological perfection incarnate, something Xiao can never hope to rival.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he whispers as he steps out of an elevator and onto what Kazuha said would be the commercial floor of Celestia. 

“Holy fuck,” the kid next to him, Venti, agrees. 

The two of them stand shocked in the elevator for nearly ten seconds before it begins to close and they scramble to get outside. Once they’re no longer inside the elevator, the architecture of this place feels even more intimidating.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Kazuha asks in that light, airy voice of his. The nonchalance with which he regards the most epic tower Xiao has ever seen is scary.

“We spent the last year upgrading it. Though, I suppose this floor hasn't changed much.” Kazuha walks ahead of Xiao and Venti, motioning for them to follow. “Ah well. As much as I’d like to show you the specifics, we’re already late. Do you mind following me to the Compass Room?”

That wasn’t really a question, Xiao knows. Everything Kazuha does and says, no matter how gentle the smile on his face is, is a harsh and direct order. Xiao knows it. Venti knows it. Despite having only met each other on the jet ride here, they both share an identical look that communicates both their thoughts before following the white-haired Coordinator. 

“The Compass Room is the center of our residential wings. If memory serves, the two of you will be staying in the South Wing—”

“Alright!” Venti exclaims, his entire demeanor lightening as he throws an arm around Xiao’s shoulder. “That’s perfect, right, Xiao? Remember how you said you were afraid that you’d be alone? You don’t need to worry about that! We can bunk and everything, and—”

“Venti,” Xiao hisses, ears turning red. He confessed that sentimental bit about being afraid he wouldn’t make friends in privacy, without Kazuha’s condescending ears anywhere close. For Venti to repeat it…

“Oh, my bad,” Venti says, shrugging his shoulders. He looks genuinely apologetic. “I’ll make it up to you, though! We can get dinner. My treat.”

“You’re only saying that because all food in Celestia is free.”

“Ah, crap. You know about that?”

In front of them, Kazuha laughs as they enter another elevator and start moving towards the supposed “Compass Room.”

“Of course he does,” Kazuha says, that arrogant smile still on his face. He turns to them, placing his back against the elevator, and Xiao can’t help but suddenly feel like prey that’s been trapped when those red eyes skirt calmly over his figure. “We sent both our lottery winners an informative packet so that they know what to expect. If Xiao read the packet, then he should know more about this year’s races than anyone else.”

That casual comment—if Xiao read the packet—is unnerving for no reason. Xiao knows that Kazuha can’t possibly know that Xiao didn't read it, that he printed the packet out and then spilled sauce over a page so he threw the whole thing out and never thought about it again; but still, Xiao feels vulnerable. Exposed.

Trying to escape that feeling, he brings up a different topic.

“There’s another lottery winner?”

“Of course,” Kazuha says, and his smile widens for a fraction of a second before the intimidating aura dissipates. “This year, we chose one man and one woman. Though you should watch out, Xiao. The girl we happened to select ended up being one with racing experience.”

“Oh,” Xiao says, and when Venti shoots him a sympathetic look, he feels even worse.

The world went crazy when it found out that the Celestial Races, which had just begun to fade from the public eye after they'd grown boring, would be completely redesigned this year and would enact a lottery system to allow laymen to have a chance at joining in on the races. 

Xiao entered his name without any real desire to win. The system was charity-based, and a one-dollar-donation resulted in a person's name being entered once, so Xiao donated twenty dollars and never thought about it again...until three months ago, when he discovered that he’d beaten all odds and won the lottery, and that he was to race against the top fifteen racers in the world for a championship title.

The fact that he wasn’t the only lottery winner might have made his time here a little less difficult. At the very least, it would have meant that he had a chance of coming in fifteenth place instead of sixteenth—but based on what Kazuha just said, he really has no chance.

“It’s alright,” Venti says, winking as the elevator comes to a stop. “I’ll train you personally, Xiao! You’ll get second in this competition, no problem.”

“Second?” Kazuha asks, an eyebrow raised.

“Of course. I’m gonna win first place,” Venti says with a smirk on his face, but it’s not the malicious, I-know-something-you-don’t smirk that Kazuha wears and is instead one of complete honesty, excitement, and thrill, so Xiao can’t even care about the hubris of his words.

“I wish you both the best of luck in that,” Kazuha says, and then he turns around and leads them out of the elevator and into the circular Compass Room. 

The area they enter is filled with people. Immediately, Xiao’s eyes are drawn to the Chief Coordinator of the Races where Ningguang stands, her iconic white hair standing out against the ocean blue paint of these walls. Next to her stands Signora, another face popular in media, and Kazuha is quick to join them, not even bidding Xiao and Venti a farewell. 

Ten seconds pass where Xiao looks around and tries to figure out who the rest of these people are, and he’s confused until he sees the famous Alberich, the second-place winner from last year, and he realizes that everyone around him is his competition.

Sickness and excitement build in his stomach.

This is going to be hell. Compared to these pros, Xiao will humiliate himself on a global stage.

This is going to be epic. Surrounded by pros, Xiao is going to meet people he never could have before.

A single glance into Venti’s eyes confirms that Venti is feeling something similar, and the buzz of chatter grows louder around them before it suddenly drops, and XIao looks up to see that Ningguang is standing on a platform, her hand raised in a gesture for everyone to quiet down.

“Thank you,” she says, and chills run up Xiao’s spine now that he’s hearing the world’s most powerful woman speak with his own ears. “At this point, all racers should be gathered in this room. Most of you have had long flights to get here, so we won’t bore you with too many details. Tomorrow, we’ll go over all the details about this year’s races, how to operate the practice circuit, your respective sponsors, and everything else. Tonight, we want you to spend the evening settling into your residential wings.”

Ningguang takes a step back, and Kazuha begins speaking.

“Scaramouche and Signora are handing out the rooming assignments. All four residential wings can be entered from here, and you can pick up your luggage after you activate your room card.”

Instantly, contestants begin to whisper, but it's a sound of disquiet.  Xiao is confused until he sees the list.

Forty-Eighth Session of Celestial Races

Rooming Assignments

North Wing

Albedo

Beidou

Childe

Chongyun

East Wing

Diluc

Ei

Eula

Kaeya 

West Wing

Keqing

Klee

Rosaria

Sara

South Wing

Thoma

Venti

Xiao

Zhongli

Relief hits Xiao when he realizes that Kazuha was right, that he’ll be in the same wing as Venti, but the people around him don’t seem to feel the same way.

“I’m her guardian,” someone seems to be arguing, and Xiao cranes his head to see a blonde man holding the hand of what appears to be a nine-year-old girl. “You can’t separate us! How am I supposed to trust everyone else in her wing without being there myself? She’s my—”

“Albedo, please calm down,” Ningguang says, and for the first time, she looks caught off guard. “The rooming assignments were done in alphabetical order. It was to ensure maximum fairness.”

“What’s fair,” Albedo growls, “about forcing a literal child to be alone?”

Silence descends upon the room, and Xiao finally begins to understand the situation. Then, another person speaks:

“Actually, I’m also uncomfortable with my room assignment.” Xiao’s jaw goes slack when he turns his head and sees Ei, one of the world’s top models, frowning and crossing her arms. “I’d prefer a room with my sister.”

“There will be no sharing of rooms with unfamiliar people,” Ningguang tries to explain. “Everyone will receive their own quarters. Albedo, Klee will have total privacy. And Ei, you and your sister can easily—”

“Ah, I’d also prefer it if my brother could be with me,” a voice calls, and Xiao is even more shaken when he sees Tartaglia (or should he say Childe?), last year’s third-place champion, standing casually by the wall. “I feel safer knowing that he’s closer by. Plus, we’ll be here a while, so it’s more convenient to have family close to you, especially since we’re not sharing rooms.”

“Can we trade rooms?” another voice calls, and Xiao turns to see Kaeya Alberich joining in on the complaints. “I’m not very comfortable with the people in my wing,” Kaeya says, throwing a particularly stormy look at a redhead Xiao has never seen. 

“I—this wasn’t—we specifically planned—”

Ningguang seems to be at a total loss for words as the contestants around Xiao continue to break out into unsupportive murmurs and start criticizing the rooming assignments. It seems that Xiao and Venti are the only people content with the list, and they flash nervous looks at each other, unsure of how things will proceed from here. 

Finally, a voice breaks through the rest.

“Lady Ningguang, would it be possible for us to select our own rooms?”

Xiao cranes his neck and catches a glimpse of another top racer: the defending champion of the past eight Celestial Races, the man who turned these annual races boring because of his unquestionable victory in every single race: Morax.

His voice is deep, authoritarian. He speaks with the confidence of a winner, and as he stands in the center of the room, an automatic bubble of respect forms around him as people give him space as a sign of respect.

“Well, your luggage hasn’t been moved in yet, so it’s technically possible…” Ningguang says, hesitant.

“Then why not let us select our rooms? There seem to be many family members participating this year, and there are…” Morax looks around the room. “Fifteen of us, so we won't be over capacity."

Ningguang sighs.

“Sixteen, Zhongli.” Xiao lifts his eyebrows. He’s only ever known Morax by his racer name; Zhongli sounds oddly human compared to it. “There are sixteen of you here. Would you all really rather select your room assignments?”

“Yes,” the blond-haired man from before snaps, and a chorus of agreement follows.

Seconds later, Ningguang is sighing, letting Kazuha take control.

“Alright,” he says, his voice filling up the small, circular Compass Room. “Please split up into groups of four, then. Apart from the elevator, you should see four doors. Those are the entrances to the four wings. Stand outside your wing once your group of four is ready.”

Immediately, discussion breaks out among the racers.

Xiao is quick to lock eyes with Venti. The very first thing they talked about, after boarding that plane on the border of Liyue and Mondstadt, was how neither of them had ever done anything like this before and how they had no clue what the other racers would be like.

“You want to stay in the same wing?” Venti asks quickly, and Xiao is grateful because he’s not sure he would have had the courage to ask.

“Yes.”

Then, they’re looking for two other people to wing with. 

Already, Xiao can see groups forming. With only fifteen seconds having gone by, one group of four is already completed, and Xiao recognizes the distinct faces of Tartaglia and Ei, and what appears to be the two siblings that they were complaining about earlier: a redhead with dead green eyes and a girl with chopped purple hair. The four of them stand outside the west wing, chatting and laughing in a way that makes Xiao wonder if the four of them were friends before coming here.

At the north wing stand the blond-haired man and the young girl he was trying to be with. Xiao hears a girl with an eyepatch ask if she can stay in their wing, but the man shakes his head when he sees the flask at her hip, saying that he doesn’t want alcohol around someone so young. 

At the east wing, another group seems to be forming: it’s Kaeya Alberich and two women who seem to be his friends, and Xiao almost thinks about asking to join them before he realizes that all groups need to be capped at four people.

That only leaves one place left: the south wing.

Venti seems to realize it at the exact same time as Xiao, and the two of them rush there, pleased to find that there are already two people here. 

“Hey!” Venti calls, breaking the ice with the effortless cheer he seems to always carry. “Do you guys mind if we guys join up in your wing?”

“I—I don’t,” the younger boy, with light blue hair, says. “Um. Do you?”

The redhead standing next to him shakes his head. “I don’t care. As long as we have four people and none of them are him,” the man says, glaring—at Kaeya? Kaeya Alberich? Is that who this man is annoyed with?—across the room. Then, Xiao remembers how Kaeya, too, had made an underhanded comment about not wanting to room with someone, and it starts to make sense. Could there already be bad blood between contestants?

“O-okay,” Venti says, and he’s just as caught off-guard as Xiao is. “Well, I’m Venti! Nice to meet you.”

“Diluc.”

“Chongyun!”

“I’m Xiao.”

The four of them look at each other, and Xiao realizes that just like their group has finally formed, the other wings, too, are growing clearer. 

“So for the east wing we have Thoma, Childe, Ei, and Sara, correct?” a grumpy-looking man with short, purple hair asks, writing their names down on a notebook. “Fine. South wing is Venti, Chongyun, Diluc, and…” The man stops and stares at their group quizzically.

“Xiao,” Xiao says, ears turning red when he realizes that he’s the only person this man didn’t know.

“Oh right. Lottery boy. Okay fine, then the west wing is Beidou, Kaeya, Eula, and Rosaria…” The man with the clipboard walks away quickly, and Xiao has to crane his neck to hear him list off the names of the people in the north wing: Albedo, Klee, Zhongli, and Keqing.

The three winners from last year split up, is the first thing Xiao realizes. That thought sends a thrill to his heart because if Morax, Alberich, and Tartaglia worked together to win this, they’d doubtlessly dominate, so having them separate is better for everyone else.

Cliques are forming, is the second thing Xiao thinks. He can already see it: the people in the east and west wings all seem comfortable with one another, and he can hear them making plans to start practicing their technique tomorrow. 

Shit, Xiao thinks, fear starting to build. Did he make a mistake? Should he have tried to befriend one of last year’s winners to improve his chances? Should he have tried to team up with someone strong, regardless of whether or not he liked them?

His palms, clenched in fists, begin to feel clammy. His hoodie feels like it’s choking him. The fear of humiliating himself and having the whole world watch returns, and—

“Hey.”

Xiao spins his head to look at Venti, his eyes wide and unfocused and terrified.

“I shouldn’t be here,” Xiao whispers, starting to echo the same sentiments he was muttering to himself when he was about to board the private jet that took them here. “I’m not a racer. I got in on dumb luck. I doubt I’d even be able to pass the first qualification race, so—”

“Relax, Xiao,” Venti says, smiling. It’s the same smile he wore when they were about to board the jet and Xiao was going through his last-minute panic, the smile he wore as he told Xiao to breathe with him and that everything would be okay, the smile he wore as he talked Xiao out of his fear, and—

Oh.

“We’re in this together, okay? I’ve got your back, and I’m going to make sure that you get your second-place spot in this competition.”

“Only second?” Xiao asks jokingly, doing his best to ignore the way his voice cracked in the middle.

“Only second,” Venti responds, smiling.

Then, Ningguang has stepped up to the podium and she’s back to talking to them about the procedure for the night, how they’re not supposed to take any clothing from the commercial section until they know their sponsors, how they can eat whatever they want but the restaurants will close by eleven, how they should get a full night’s rest tonight because the practice circuit opens for use tomorrow.

Xiao is only half-paying attention.

As the four Celestial Coordinators leave via the elevator they came here with, his thoughts are focused on Venti, how this ball of energy whom he's only known for four hours might actually be his ticket to victory in these races, and how maybe, just maybe, he can start to put his fears away in the back of his mind. 

The area beneath the Compass Room is where the Coordinators stay.

It’s an arrangement Ningguang set up so that the four of them will constantly be near the rest of the contestants, always available if there’s an emergency and ready to break up any fights.

Still, Scaramouche feels out of place as Kazuha uses a master key to bring the elevator one floor lower, allowing them all to enter their own, much more luxurious version of the upstairs dormitories. 

“Kazu,” Scaramouche says, pulling his boyfriend back when Ningguang and Signora go forward. “Kazu, are you sure it’s okay for me to be here? I...I’m starting to think…”

“Scara,” Kazuha says, his usually-condescending smile falling off as the sincere look of love washes over. “Scara, don’t doubt yourself. It’ll be okay.”

“But Ei didn’t even look at me, not even when I was giving out—”

“Shh. This is the first day. Ei was probably overwhelmed with everything else that was going on. We don’t even know if she saw you.”

“But she heard me, Kazu! She heard my voice and she still didn’t—”

“Scaramouche.”

Ningguang has returned to their living room, her dress stripped off and her hair hanging loose as she stares at Scaramouche with a disapproving look on her face. Her loud, clear voice interrupts the tantrum Scaramouche was about to throw, and he’s grateful for it, despite her stormy glare. 

“Ningguang, go away,” Kazuha says, stepping in front of Scaramouche protectively. “He doesn’t need to hear—”

“He does need to hear it, apparently.” Ningguang sits on their leather couch, looking ethereal as she lifts her legs to rest them against the coffee table. Scaramouche can’t help but think that her slow, languid movements make her look like a goddess—and if she’s a goddess in the room, he’s the atheist she despises who never looked twice at her up until now. 

“Scaramouche, you cannot interfere with Ei. We brought her in here as a—”

“Way to expand our audience—” Kazuha interjects, nervous, but Ningguang ignores him:

“As a thirst trap,” Ningguang spits, “And the better she performs here, the more people will be watching this year’s races to support her. And the more people watch this year, the more people will watch in future years, so—”

“You don’t need to use her to craft your legacy,” Scaramouche spits. Fury builds in his heart at hearing someone in his family be reduced to a thirst trap, and even if he knows that there are people on the internet who’ve said much worse things about Ei, Ningguang having the audacity to say it to his face is what angers him. “Just because this is your last year as Chief Coordinator and you’ve failed every year before this doesn’t mean that you can manipulate my sister—”

“Your step-sister,” Ningguang snaps, equally angry now that Scaramouche has brought up her failures as a Chief Coordinator. “She’s not your family, she’s not your—”

“Guys.”

As usual, Signora is the one to break up their arguments.

She stands at the door frame of her bedroom, clad in nothing more than a T-shirt and spandex shorts, an exhausted look in her eye. Despite being made up perfectly just ten minutes ago, her hair is a mess, and her utter apathy for both Ningguang and Scaramouche makes her the perfect, neutral party to tell them both to shut up.

“Ning. There’s no way your races will flop this year after the new sponsor you landed. Scara. If you want to make things better with your sister, you have to talk to her and not get angry. Kazu. Stop stirring shit up.”

“Don’t call me that,” both Ningguang and Scaramouche mutter under their breath, but the anger from before is gone. 

From there on, they split up. Signora closes the door, and Ningguang returns to her own room, and Scaramouche and Kazuha are left alone on the couch with no fellow coordinators to eavesdrop on their conversation. Legs entangled, Scaramouche begins tracing patterns on his boyfriend’s thigh, looking up at the man with soft, hopeful eyes.

“She’ll change her mind about me, right, Kazu?”

“Of course she will,” Kazuha says, leaning forward to capture his boyfriend’s lips in a kiss. 

Scaramouche then tries to pull back to ask another question—she’ll last long enough in the competition for that, right, Kazu?—but the coordinator refuses to let him, almost as if Kazuha knows the question and doesn’t want to answer, almost as if Ei is just as doomed as the rest of the racers will be when they see what Ningguang has done to this year's Celestial Races. 

MASTERLIST

01 | 02 | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ | ✎ |

Word Count: 6.4k

Notes: OMG im so excited for chapter 9

Comment & Leave Kudos

Next Update: im going to try for for weekly updates bc i have lots of Thoughts and want to get them out but dont hold me to that

[baalsvision]

hello sorry if you’ve already done something like this but can you do a venti x reader platonic picnic date, he/they pronouns

hello!! don’t apologise, i haven’t actually!! tysm for requesting, i had a lot of fun with this :D i hope this is all right aaa

warnings: mentions of death, (jokingly) mentions of murder, mentions of alcohol.

genre: platonic, comfort/fluff

gender/pronouns: gender not specified (he/they pronouns used)

in which venti surprises his friend with a picnic date

“WHAT EXACTLY ARE you up to?” you questioned out loud, tripping over what you assumed was another rock. venti’s grip on your hand tightened. he giggled, “that’s a surprise! one which you will soon see with your own eyes~” you rolled your eyes at his poetic verse and continued to let venti blindly lead you. “if you aren’t more careful with leading me, i may not have eyes by the time we get there.”

currently, a blindfold masked your face. you could not see a single thing — the only thing guiding you was venti, who merrily pulled you along, often causing you to stumble or trip over your own feet. venti, of course, only laughed at your surprised responses every time you felt your feet leave the ground, however he made sure not to let you get hurt.

suddenly, you felt the terrain change. the flat surface you walked upon had became an uphill. “venti?” you called out, “yes (name)?”

“you aren’t going to throw me off a cliff, are you?” venti let out a laugh, “ehe~ nope! bold of you to assume i’d murder you in broad daylight!” your eyebrows furrowed, a teasing frown making its way onto your face. “what are you implying, john keats ripoff?” you could hear the pout making its way onto his face. “what are you implying, john keats ripoff?!” he echoed, mocking your tone. you raised your eyebrows, amused. “well that wasn’t childish at all.” venti snorted.

he continued to pull you along and up whatever hill you were on, entertaining you with his banter all along the way. “do you think diluc sleeps with the lights on?” he’d speak out, not even waiting for you to answer before he continued speaking — answering his own questions.

eventually, you felt the uphill ease into a more gentle slope. venti stopped. “are we at my pre-murder crime scene yet?” venti playfully hit your shoulder. you chuckled. “yes, we are here, my dear~!” he cheered out, reaching for your blindfold. “call me that again and i’ll tell diluc about the wine you stole.” venti paused dramatically, “maybe i will push you off the-“ “i was kidding!”

with a final chuckle, venti removed your blindfold. the sudden light caused you to wince, shutting your eyes. you slowly blinked, easing the world around you back into your vision. you gasped, surprised by the scene around you.

you were on starsnatch cliff — a picnic blanket was sprawled across the grass, a small picnic basket and some wine (which venti stole most likely) accompanying it. venti spun around before striking a small pose, “tada~! wha’dya think?” you looked over at him surprised, “this is… for me?” venti stared at you. “no. it’s for the hilichurls.” you snorted at his sarcasm. “of course it’s for you! c’mon, sit down! i spent so long getting these snacks.. don’t even get me started on the wine.”

you both sat down; overlooking the land below the cliff, staring off into the ocean. the sun was slowly dropping below the horizon — radiating a pinker shine. the both of you sat and joked, talking about how things had been. “can you pass me a sandwich?” you spoke, interrupting venti’s humorous speech of how he believes kaeya to be some secret agent from a foreign land — which of course, made zero sense. he passed you a sandwich, poured himself some wine and went right back to laughing at his own jokes, occasionally pausing to listen to you whenever you wanted to speak.

after a while, a comfortable silence engulfed the both of you as you watched the sun disappear over the horizon, the sky starting to swirl with amethysts and violets — being lit up by the stars.

“venti.. why did you do this?” you questioned, looking over at him. he continued to stare at where the sun had set, a look in his eyes you could not decipher.

“well, a certain friend of mine was seemingly overworking himself, so i only decided i’d treat them to a picnic is all!” he smiled, looking back over at you. there was a look in his eyes. you knew there was more to it than that.

“that’s all..? i mean, i’m grateful. thank you, really,” you turned to stare up at the stars. “but you know i’m here if you need to talk, right?”

a silence once again overtook the both of you. you heard venti shuffle in his space — fidgeting with the edges of his corset. you did not push him to continue and instead waited. you knew he would speak if he felt comfortable.

“..you remind me of him,” venti started.

your eyes widened. venti had spoken to you about his past friend before, but not once had he ever spoken about the two of you being similar. “maybe when i saw you stressed.. i just felt that i could help. i couldn’t help him then, but i could help you now.” a sad smile engulfed his face.

“i know you aren’t him,” he breathed, “but i find solace in knowing that you have my back the same way he did — and this time, i’m strong enough to do the same.”

you sat, processing what venti had just shared with you. you could tell he was hesitant to hear your answer — that he was afraid that he didn’t see you as a separate person from his deceased friend. “thank you for sharing with me,” you breathed out, reaching your arm out and hooking it around his shoulder. “you’re my best friend. it means a lot that you shared that with me.” venti looked at you, a bit shocked by your sudden sincerity.

“i’m not going anywhere, okay? — i’ll never leave you.” you spoke, holding a gentle gaze. venti processed, then nodded. “okay. me too.” you grinned, “plus, you still have to execute that spectacular murder plot!” you teased. venti elbowed you gently, smugly grinning. “if you keep bringing that up, maybe i will execute it.”

“i am trying to lighten the mood here, rupi kaur.” venti chuckled. “i still have no idea who these people you’re referencing are — and i’ve lived longer than hundred times your lifespan!”

“i bet you’re still a baby in archon years!” you teased, sending venti into a descriptive humorous rant about his age. he stopped though, once he saw the softened look on your face as you gazed at him. you looked back towards the sky.

“hey ven?”

“yeah?”

“thanks.”

© baalsvision — all rights reserved ; do not upload my writing anywhere else.

notes ; i loved writing this !! it was super fun.. i hope this lived up to ur expectations anon.. i’m not sure if i characterised venti okay but i hope i did !!

[genshinimpact-fanfic1]

Chapter 2 : The Moving City of Memphis

He then pinned both of my arms on top of my head while trapping both of my legs in between his. Being unable to move, I glared at him and asked “What is your problem?! LET ME G-” He pressed his mouth roughly onto mine. I tried to tell him to stop, only for him to use that opportunity to slide his tongue inside of mine.

After he was done abusing my lips and mouth. I was left a mess, now trying to catch my breath. “Try to escape one more time, and it won’t end with just this.” Shocked with what he said, my eyes grew wide.

Knowing that there are guards all over the place, I had followed them obediently. The exotic maid, along with others, began to usher me into the finest bathroom I had ever laid my eyes on. The place was very huge, and the water was covered with rose petals.

I don’t have a way out. Well not right now. I should roam around the place first to find a way to escape.

As I was lost in my thoughts, I had not realized that they had already finished dressing me up.

Then I was led to an extravagant room, filled with golds, jewelries, ornaments, and other riches and a bed in the center of it all. I was told to wait inside. Bored out of my wits, not really knowing what to do and what exactly was happening, I decided to roam around the room.

There was a balcony. I ran towards it. A breath of fresh air, I could only see pillars below and what seemed to be an endless terrain of sand. I lifted both of my arms, to feel the breeze completely. However, that was soon interrupted as a pair of strong arms lifted me off the ground like a sack.

Noticing who it was, I tried to break free. But I was thrown on the bed and angry eyes were looking at me.

He is scary.

He then pinned both of my arms on top of my head while trapping both of my legs in between his. Being unable to move, I glared at him and asked “What is your problem?! LET ME G-” He pressed his mouth roughly onto mine. I tried to tell him to stop, only for him to use that opportunity to slide his tongue inside of mine.

After he was done abusing my lips and mouth. I was left a mess, now trying to catch my breath. “Try to escape one more time, and it won’t end with just this.” Shocked with what he said, my eyes grew wide.

He thought that I was trying to escape?

This made me laugh. The guy was looking at me like I was now crazy, while thinking maybe he overdid it. Then I told him “I wasn’t trying to escape. I was just feeling the breeze. And looking outside.” Although it wasn’t noticeable immediately, the guy’s ear had turned red, embarrassed about what he had assumed.  

Now we were sitting beside each other on the bed. Awkward silence filling the room. I  was still clueless as to what was happening and where I was exactly so despite the tension clearly still present, I decided to ask him. “Where am I?” The guy told her “I am Kaeya Alberich, the great ruler of Memphis. You are currently travelling with me in the city of Memphis.”

I wondered what he meant by travelling in the city of Memphis? As if knowing what I was thinking, he led me out to the balcony once more, whilst holding me close to him, afraid that I would run away. Then I realized the pyramids that were distances away from us were moving. I showed extreme surprise on my face while looking at everything in awe. I asked him “H-how? What?” He could not contain a smirk from appearing on his face.

He was amused how the girl who had shivered, cowered, glared and fought back is now letting her guard down around him. He then proceeded to explain to me that the city was a walking machine and they could travel anywhere. My eyes now seemed to contain stars in them with how amazed I was about what he was telling me.

He was now telling me stories on how the city came to be and how he was the ‘god’ that ruled it. I got so comfortable and even decided to tell him my name. “My name is Lumine.” and then he looked at me as if telling me that he knows but just nodded. He then told me “It’s a great name. Being named after the greatest goddess of all time. That represents not only beauty but fertility as well.” As he said that, his amethyst colored eyes that seemed to suck me in like an abyss were now darkened and lust could be seen in his gaze.

This made me once again stiff and uncomfortable with how he seemed like he wanted to ravage me. But I could not do anything about it, I was trapped in his arms on the balcony of his domain. He leaned down on me. Kissing me passionately and smoother compared to earlier. Then he started slowly nibbling on my ear, earning him a moan.

He continued his ministrations on me. Kissing my neck, then collarbone and going lower. He then began to massage my rather massive breasts while grinding on the lower part of my body. I began to whimper, arousal continuing to grow as I unconsciously started to answer to his actions. I rubbed my legs, trying to create friction to satisfy my needs but to no avail. I wanted, no, I needed something more. Something long, thick, and --- hard.

Just as I was getting into it. An explosion and screaming could be heard in the city. Smoke started appearing in the skies then a hurried knock was on the door. Kaeya knew what had to be done so he told me to wait for him on his bed and to stay inside.

I did not want to admit it but I was disappointed. I still felt hot all over, so I had started to touch where he had. But it did not feel the same. I was about to go further when one of the rather expensive looking vases in the room had fallen to the ground in pieces.

That’s when I realized I was not alone. The mysterious guy approached me slowly. His eyes hooded. Although the sight before him was a major turn on, he knew they had no time to waste. He quickly told me how we needed to leave if I did not want to be trapped in this place.

Even though I was reluctant to go with a stranger, I remembered the moment Kaeya had told me that he was the one that had ordered for me to be killed. I was face palming myself at the moment, wondering what had gone through my head to let my guard down on that man. Despite not being able to forget the things he made me feel and his looks that were most certainly captivating and alluring.

Stop! Forget about him! My consciousness told me.

I decided to take the outstretched hand that was offered to me by the man. Then he immediately lifted me up in his strong arms, carrying me in bridal style. I was caught off guard by the sudden action and the guy was heading towards the balcony. Scared that I was going to fall, I closed my eyes, raised my arms and wrapped it around the guy’s neck. As the guy jumped off the balcony, wings suddenly sprouted from his back.

I slowly opened one of my eyes wondering what was happening and I was pleasantly surprised to know that they were flying. I could see the town below us and the view was just so fascinating.

[lasignoramain]

Tempus Fugit

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warning: Major Character Death

Relationship: Jean/Lisa

Summary: "Before demanding too many miracles from the gods, first consider if you are willing to pay the price they ask."

Sometimes, the sand of one's hourglass moves too quickly. What happens when Lisa's time runs out?

Word Count: 3088

Read under the bar, and/or on AO3!

Who knew that helping Barbara convince Jean to go on vacation would lead to Lisa Minci, the simple librarian of the Knights of Favonius, taking on the role of Acting Grand Master? Kaeya could have asked anyone— Amber, for instance. The young girl would be more than willing to take on the role and perform amicably. Even Eula would gladly take on the role of Acting Grand Master, and would most likely view it as a challenge. A test, to see if she's one the same level as Jean when it comes to taking on the tasks of Grand Master.

Even with those candidates, both of which would be ready and raring to assist while Kaeya shirks his duties, he chose Lisa.

Lisa, who chose the measly tasks of a librarian for a reason. Her job is rarely stressful, though she still takes it just as seriously. Jean entrusted the library to her, after all, so she wouldn't disappoint the woman she's severely indebted to.

Jean, as well as Grand Master Varka. Although Varka was adamant on Lisa being the Captain of the 8th Company. Absentmindedly, Lisa grasps at the Vision resting on her chest. The Knights of Favonius— they're all flawed people with ideals and goals independent of their occupations. They don't always act as one would expect.

Protect those who cannot protect themselves, even if it means that you might sacrifice yourself in the process.

Why?

A protector, a guardian, both a shield and a sword, dandelions floating in the Anemo-blessed breeze. A warm smile, gloved hands resting over Lisa's. Determination to work hard to fill the shoes that Grand Master Varka left her, stress building when one too many stacks of paper rest on her desk. Still, she presses on, a storm of productivity. Sacrificing herself for—

For what, exactly, does Jean sacrifice herself for? Or maybe the correct question is who?

The obvious answer would be the people of Mondstadt. They're all grateful for Acting Grand Master Jean— grateful to the point where they're too reliant on her. A lost cat that will inevitably return when it's hungry, advertising papers lost in the breeze that could easily be remade in a day or less. Freedom shackled by a doting Acting Grand Master who can't say no to the people she's meant to protect.

Lisa clears her throat, shaking the dizziness away. Just a few more papers to review and sign, then she'll return to the library to ensure that things are running smoothly.

Is Jean thinking of her while she's away with Barbara and Klee? With Kaeya, Diluc, Albedo, Razer, and Lumine? Hopefully, she's enjoying her vacation thoroughly, reconnecting with that relaxed, fun side that she once had when she was younger. Not that Lisa knows personally what Jean was like before she began shouldering the burdens of a Favonius Knight; she's only heard stories from Barbara, who's always more than willing to share the memories she holds so near and dear to her heart.

Her... heart. When did Lisa's chest start aching? Dull, but uncomfortable nonetheless. Nothing to worry about, it should go away in a few minutes.

Perhaps Kaeya and Diluc will have a small moment of bonding while they're on those islands together. While they're brothers, they've been so distant for so long. Not that Lisa knows why— the reasons of their tense relationship is a mystery even to her. Such a fragile thing the two of them have. Lisa hopes they eventually reconcile.

As for Klee, she's most likely ecstatic to have so many friends with her. Hopefully she'll be even more overjoyed when she realizes who's behind her summer getaway. Lisa played along for the young girl's sake, though she would know that handwriting anywhere, even if Alice tried to change it up. She still dotted her I's the same, and her A's had that exact flourish to them that made it obvious to Lisa.

The omnipotent mage. How much knowledge has she acquired in her travels, compared to what Lisa knows? Does Alice know the truth of why the Archons bestow Visions on mere mortals? Is Lisa paranoid for good reason, or is a fool to be terrified by whatever grand scheme the gods have in store for those "blessed" with obtaining a Vision?

"Before demanding too many miracles from the gods, first consider if you are willing to pay the price they ask."

Blessings will always hide their curses in the depths of the shadows, only rearing their heads when given the best opportunity to cause the most damage.

The dull ache in Lisa's chest turns into a sharp, stabbing pain. Gasping, she keels over, resting her forehead on the cool, polished wood of her desk. Her hat flops unceremoniously off of her head and onto the desk, knocking over a jar of ink and a few stacks of papers.

Always... they always come with a cost.

It wasn't even her Vision that did this to Lisa. Still, she's lived her life, hasn't she? Her hourglass just has less sand than most, and she accepted that a long time ago.

Still, why now? Of all the times, when she's alone. No one to be by her side when she goes. Can't she have this one thing? To have someone hold her close to them while her time finally runs out? Or will she be alone as she always has been, holding everyone at an arm's length, too afraid to grow attached and lose someone, grieve over a lost life?

"Jean..."

Help. She needs help. Her blood is rushing so loudly in her ears, but if she can just manage to get up and find someone, call for help, and she might be able to extend her life just for a little while longer, at least until she can see Jean—

A cough rises up Lisa's throat, and, through her delirious vision, she sees the blood more than tastes it. Is her sense of taste the first thing to go? What about her other senses? Can she still feel her hands, the wooden desk her forehead is resting on, the thrum of her Vision on her chest?

Numb. Numb is all she feels. Is that a feeling, or a lack thereof?

Fuck, she needs to move. If she can just find Eula, or- or Amber. Hell, if she can just get the attention of the guards stationed outside the door.

Power through it, Lisa. This is what you've been saving your energy for— to fight your fate for just one more day. Curse the Archons, curse this Vision, and curse that stupid. Magic. Book—

Lisa groans, slowly pushing herself up from her desk. The entire room is spinning— how is she going to get anywhere like this? It's laughable, really. How many people have referred to Lisa as elegant, refined, composed? This— her, right now— is the complete opposite of how many view her.

Oh, how embarrassed she would feel if she wasn't on the precipice of death, desperate for someone to save her. Where is her knight in shining armor? Any moment now, she should be bursting through that door, always prepared to play hero for everyone.

So, where is her hero?

Lisa's hand slips on the edge of her desk. She barely has the strength to catch herself, so she falls with a loud crash. She needs to get her act together— it would be so embarrassing for Jean to see her like this, wouldn't it? A sweating, shaking mess.

But Jean won't say anything about the state Lisa's in. She'll just give Lisa that warm smile before gathering her up in her strong arms, and then they could go to Windrise for a picnic, or— or even Starsnatch Cliff, so they could pick Cecilia flowers together. Then they could have some tea before they have to go back to work.

Jean. Jean, Jean, Jean.

The floor is so cold, Jean. It's dark, Jean. It was light outside just a moment ago, Jean, where did the sun go? Goodness, how the time flies. To think that you and I only met a short while ago, Jean. I'm so happy that I met you, and— and the rest of the Knights of Favonius, Jean.

A door slams open. Footsteps, but it all sounds so far away. So far, Jean, you're so far away. Can't you come back? Can't you come home, just for me?

"Her... is grave. We need... to the Church, and, while you're at it... the bard. He can send for Jean— don't ask questions, just do as you're told!"

Ah, Lisa can't feel a thing. Is this what death feels like? Nothingness? Her hearing is all she has left. What happens after she loses that, too?

They mentioned Jean. By the time they get a hold of her, it'll be much too late, and not even Barbatos can save Lisa. Perhaps he can keep her spirit here, just for a little longer? She wants to see everyone one more time.

Please. Just once more.

But that would be a bother— Jean is on vacation. Lisa can't be selfish, can't take her away, can't be selfish.

"Come on, Lisa... stay with us."

Who is that? Eu...la. Eula.

Eula.

Lisa wishes she could apologize.

"Until I enact my vengeance on all of the Knights of Favonius, no harm can come upon any of them! Including you, Lisa. I'll make sure that nothing happens to you, or Jean, or Amber—"

Eula's a good person. Strange, but she fits in perfectly with the rest of the Knights. Caring in her own way. She doesn't know about why Lisa has the condition that she does, and she has never asked a single question about it. Lisa's always appreciated that about Eula.

Eula, whose voice she can't hear anymore.

Has she finally died?

Lisa.

Aha, that's a familiar voice.

She opens her eyes to find that, yes, she is dead. How morbid— her soul is outside of her body, and thus she can see her deathly pale corpse resting on one of the cots in the church's infirmary. Her Vision is without its usual amethyst glow. Venti is by her side, though not looking at her physical body. He's looking right at her spirit.

"Well, this is a shame," Lisa sighs, crossing her arms. "Here to take me away with the winds before I can even see my friends, Barbatos? I'm hurt."

Venti shakes his head. "The least I can do is allow you to see them one last time, Lisa. Though it would be faster to take you to the archipelagos where they are now, I've sent Dvalin to gather them, per Eula's request." He smiles sympathetically, eyes full of mirth. "How do you feel?"

Lisa hums, tilting her head to the side. "Must I answer that, I wonder? Although I no longer feel the pain that I did while I was alive, which, I suppose, is a blessing. I expected death to give me much more time to do what I initially planned on doing before I ran out of time, but alas," she sighs, though it's not as if she's actually breathing. How strange. "How long until Jean arrives?"

"It shouldn't be long, now. Dvalin is a fast flier, after all," Venti chuckles, though that sad look never leaves his emerald eyes. "I see that your carefree nature has followed you even in death. If you'd received a Vision from me, you would fit in perfectly."

"Your Vision wouldn't match my outfit," Lisa retorts with a shrug. "I'm the Witch of Purple Rose, not Green. Though, thank you for the offer. Perhaps in my next life, I'll be granted an Anemo Vision."

Venti laughs loudly at that. "Perhaps you will," he agrees lightheartedly. He opens his mouth to add something else, but pauses when they both hear loud footsteps heading toward them. Just as quickly as the mourning left Venti's eyes, it returns. "The winds bring your companions to us quickly, it seems."

Jean bursts into the room, greedily gulping in whatever air she can into her lungs. Barbara, Lumine, and everyone else who had gone to the Golden Apple Archipelago are here.

"Barbatos—"

"Jean. Everyone," Venti solemnly greets the group with a nod. "Lisa asked me to hold her spirit here for a little while longer, at least until she could see the rest of you one last time." He turns toward Lisa's ghost, who stands there with crossed arms. The Anemo Archon summons his lyre, plucking at its strings to play a mellow tune.

A breeze flows through the room, and everyone's gaze moves to where Lisa is standing, next to her physical body. She watches them all intently— Diluc tries to keep his expression unreadable, but his knitted eyebrows, his tightly pressed together lips. Barbara is holding back her tears, to no avail. They all look so... sad.

"Now! Why are we all so mopey?" Lisa chides, shaking her head. She steps forward, placing her hands on her hips. "I certainly wouldn't want to remember my last moments with you lot having such sad faces, now, would I? So smile! It's the least you can do for me, isn't it?"

Klee whimpers next to Albedo, and Lisa's facade cracks. She kneels to Klee's height, smiling at the young girl. "Come now, Klee. You're a strong girl, aren't you? I know it might be hard right now, but you'll be alright."

"But... but I won't get anymore treats from Miss Lisa, will I?" Klee whines, shaking her head. "I don't want that! I want Miss Lisa to keep giving me treats! It's not fair!"

At Klee's tantrum, Barbara finally breaks with a loud sob. Lumine pulls her in for a hug, though Lisa sees the small tear that rolls down the traveler's cheek.

"Oh, Klee. I wish I could've taught you how to make those delicious treats I make you, but I have to leave soon." Pretending to lose herself in her thoughts for a moment, Lisa hums, tilting her head. Then she makes a small "Aha!" before smiling widely. "How about this: Let's make a pinky promise! I'll come back to Mondstadt and teach you how to make those treats, and you have to promise to smile for me."

Klee's face scrunches in confusion, but she extends her pinky to Lisa. "You have to come back! If you don't come back, then I'll be very angry!"

With a chuckle, Lisa wraps her pinky around Klee's. "I will come back, Klee. Then we can make all those delicious treats and eat them together."

The young girl's lips quirk, before she breaks out into a wavering smile. "Mhm! It's a promise!"

Good. Thank goodness. Lisa pushes herself up, only to be met with the one gaze that hurts the most to meet.

"Jean."

The Acting Grand Master squeezes her eyes shut, taking a deep, shaky breath. It pains Lisa so to see her like this— barely able to keep herself together.

That won't do. That won't do at all.

"Jean," Lisa tries again, hating how weak her voice sounds. "Look at me, please?"

Jean's bottom lip quivers, but she opens her eyes. "Lisa."

Kaeya takes the hint that the two of them needed some privacy, and quietly ushers the rest of the group out of the room. Lisa takes one last look at her friends— her family— before they're gone from her sight. Venti is the only one who stays.

"My sweet, sweet Dandelion Knight," Lisa sighs, stepping forward to cup Jean's face in her hands. "I'm going to come back to you, so don't mourn me, alright? I'll come back, no matter how long it takes."

Jean breathes out a puff of laughter, eyes downcast. "Please don't give me that kind of hope, Lisa—"

"You don't believe me?" Lisa interrupts with a pout. "I'm hurt. I may not be as powerful as Alice, but I can assure you that I have my ways. So, even when you do feel my absence, know that I will never leave your side. Call to me in the winds that flow through Mondstadt, and I will come to listen." Her voice cracks, and she knows that Jean is hiding all of her devastation, bottling it up until Lisa isn't there to see her break.

"Lisa, I—"

"I love you, Jean." Her voice trembles. It's embarrassing, how fragile Lisa sounds in that moment. "Every afternoon we've spent together, every time we've been in each other's company, every time I've made you tea and stolen you away from your work so you would give yourself some time to breathe," Lisa spills her words, desperate to get everything out before it's too late, "I've loved every single moment I've spent with you. Don't forget to give yourself time to relax, Jean; you need it more than anyone in the Knights."

"Lisa, it's almost time," Venti says softly. "I'll take you one last place before I send you off. Where would you like to go?"

"Starsnatch Cliff," Lisa says without hesitating. "Jean. Don't forget this little old librarian, alright? Or I'll—"

"How could I ever forget you, Lisa?" Jean sobs, tears finally spilling over. She manages to smile, though— a shaky, miserable smile through her grief. "How- how could I forget about the woman I fell in love with, knowing that her life was moving much faster than mine? If I could just find a way to return those years you lost," she rambles, wiping at her tears. "If I could just... save you—"

"Jean," Lisa chokes out, vision blurry. Can ghosts cry, she wonders? She certainly feels like she could cry, right about now. "My lovely Jean, it's alright. It was only a matter of time, so please don't... don't..."

Don't cry.

"Lisa."

Venti steps forward, placing a hand on Jean's shoulder. "We must be going, now. I won't be able to keep her spirit for much longer."

Jean nods, a sniffling mess. "Take... take care of her. Please."

"Of course," Venti responds, before gesturing for Lisa to step closer to him. "Are you ready?"

"That's a silly question," Lisa chuckles, taking Venti's extended hand. A green glow begins to envelop the two of them, and Lisa can't help but keep her gaze trained on Jean, who's watching them go. Jean meets her eyes, and she mouths three words to Lisa. One last time.

"Take care, Jean. I love you dearly."

And finally, the sands of Lisa's hourglass come to rest.

[petramysticaclxv]

Electro!Dream AU

We have new lore about visions and c!Dream so I will go ham with my imagination

~Will contain DSMP and Genshin Impact spoilers!~

charas: c!Dream, c!Sam, Kaeya, and Diluc

The water curls to his toes. Techno just disappeared, leaving him, then Sam found him in his hole. He can’t rest, not now. Not when Sam dangles the threat that is Quackity to him. Because he knows, when the winged sadist comes back it will be ten times worse.

The obsidian has rubbed against his skin raw. And the water laps on his toe once again, the disgust and discomfort already lost a long time ago. He would give anything now to be gone off this place, just like how Techno popped out earlier.

He curls to himself, hugging the painfully thin knees to try shy away the muddy water.

=====

Dream does not know how much time passed. Until new sounds rang, and a gust of wind came past his hair.

“Gang gang wu~”

“Woo~ Ei!” an inhuman cheer, then a sound of something close to a shattering glass and ice,

“Freeze!” a roar of someone human, someone he does not know. Then with another surge of cold and breeze, Dream realizes he’s not inside his cell anymore. And in front of him is a floating amethyst four-pointed crystal, landing on his palm that he hadn’t realized he opened.

“Burn!” another roar from another man,

“Diluc! I just froze it!” the earlier voice whined, a clang rang throughout now what realizes is a decorated cavern with and endless void that goes on outside the railed windows.

“It’s done, what are you whining about,”,

“Hmmph!”

An ominous march, right beside Dream, and he saw a giant monster rushing to him.

“Diluc!”,

“Ugh!”,

Then Dream saw the flames surging to him also.

A crack, then they are all thrown away. 

=====

Kaeya got up first, being the farthest from the impact of an Overload. The Mitachurl charred and dead. Figured that Diluc will just be fine, he went to the other man. Dirty and torn neon green jacket, the boy is clutching an Electro vision that is in a shape that is neither of Mondstat or any nation in Teyvat. 

The cavalry captain let his Cryo heal the boy.

Finally the wine tycoon awakens.

“I hope you’re doing fine, Master Diluc, as my healing is not as capable as of our Deaconess,” Kaeya is still applying cryo their visitor.

“I don’t think a simple overload reaction can do that,”,

“Nope, I don’t think your carelessness caused this,”, Kaeya carried the still unconscious man on his shoulder, scrunching his nose. They got out of the cleared domain and headed off to Mondstat, Diluc going back to Angel’s share, while Kaeya going to the cathedral to pass their rescue to the healer there.

“What kind of hellhole did you come from?” Kaeya murmurs on to the boy.

[genshinimpact-fanfic1]

Chapter 10 : The unknown man

Lu- 

 Lum-

 Lumine! Wait for me! 

I woke up feeling a hot liquid roll down my cheek. I stayed in bed for a while pondering about my dream. I wonder who was calling my name? He felt familiar but I don’t remember who it was. He seemed important and my heart seemed to long for him? 

 I finally got up and looked at the bed. Oh yeah Zhongli didn’t sleep here last night. I exited the bedroom to be greeted by Ganyu. We ate together, though I usually ate with Zhongli but whatever it’s his loss. Throughout breakfast, Ganyu called my attention a whole bunch of times. I was spacing out a lot. My food even got cold from how slow I was eating. How unlike me. I usually ate before the food even got the chance to be warm. 

 I was now walking along the corridors of the palace by myself. I remembered what I was supposed to do today. I’m going to find Childe or Xiao. I’ve been walking for awhile but still no sign of either of them. I was about to give up and go back to my room when I saw a head of dark and teal hair walking in the opposite corridor.

 “Xia-” My head started to throb. Ugh what bad timing. I closed my eyes for a short while as an attempt to calm the non stop throbbing in my head. When I opened them, Xiao was nowhere to be seen. I guess I’ll go back to the bedroom for now. 

 I was spacing out more than usual today. My forehead is so red from the amount of walls I bumped into. No wonder my head was throbbing. I decided to rest for now. One more turn and almost there. As I was about to turn into the next corridor, I felt a hand cover my mouth. It smelled like strong medicine. Before I knew it I had passed out. 

  I opened my eyes, and blinked once more. I tried to rub them as hard as I could.

This could not be happening.

I recognize the room. But it is not the room that I have been sleeping in for the past week. 

I-it’s 

“Hello dear, did you miss me?” 

Kaeya’s room. 

As I turned towards the person who whispered in my ear, there was no mistaking it, for sure it was his. I was terrified, and shivering from the fright and coldness of the surroundings. 

I’m scared. Why am I here again? What if he kills me? 

Various terrifying thoughts began to plague my head about how this scene was going to turn out. He raised his hand and approached it near my face, making me flinch. I opened my eyes to see him holding a spoon filled with food towards me. I just slapped it away. 

He then gets up taking the food with him and suddenly leaves while slamming the door. I could hear him outside saying “If she remains to be disobedient, then starve her!” The tears that I was holding in, suddenly began to burst. I had gone up to find comfort in the dark corner of the room, and continued to let my tears fall down my face. 

I miss Giza. I miss Ganyu. I miss Childe. I miss Xiao. And I especially miss Zhongli and his warmth. 

It was so cold here. It was below 0 degrees, that’s for sure. I suddenly started to feel light headed again. My eyes were closing, until darkness came upon me. 

  I am watching the sunset go down. My feet submerged in water. The body of water kept on flowing. It was a rather big and long river. The flow was so relaxing that I closed my eyes to feel it more closely. Lu. Lumi!! Lumine! I turned my head to whoever disrupted my peace. It was the beautiful woman that I had met before in Kaeya’s castle. But something is odd. She seems younger? My body moved on its own, taking her hand and getting pulled off the ground.

She smiled brightly at me “Getting lost in your own world again?” I could not control what I was doing. I heard a chuckle come from inside of me and a hum in response to her question. She led me by the hand to a group of 5 teenage looking boys. 

 “Amber! Lumi! C’mon what took you guys so long?” said the boy with pale skin, bright orange hair, and ocean blue eyes. It’s Childe! 

 Then another boy with tanned skin, dark blue hair and amethyst eyes suddenly appeared beside me saying “I bet it was because Lumi was spacing out again.” Kaeya?

 A boy with pale skin, amber colored eyes with a golden hue to it and dark brown hair said “Seconded.” whilst raising his right hand. Zhongli!

 Then another one beside Zhongli, a boy that had dark hair with teal undertones and amber cat-like eyes also raised his hand agreeing with the rest. It’s Xiao. 

 Then suddenly a guy beside me spoke “Guys, don’t bully Lumi. It’s not her fault she got distracted by me.” I could feel that I was blushing a lot. He then got boos and a lot of hits from everyone. I even joined in and slapped his back, which made him turn to me

But

How come?

His face was blank?!