#like albedo saying “master...” when it snows

[littlestpetship]

sooorrys for not posting much today... i had to catch up on some schoolwork 0_0 and ive been having trouble forming coherent thoughts about f/os :,( my brain is just mush!!! hoyoverse i need kuni content again Pretty plz.....

[chocogi]

Wherein the Creator is also known as the Holy Puppeteer, courtesy of the people she puppeteered around to see Teyvat in its glory.

Your hair stuck to the sides of your face. The trench coat you threw on to brave the snowy walk to the mall fluttered behind you, tattered and torn.

You were bleeding, you were tired, and you were running.

They shrieked and glared at you. Babbling about disrespect and Creator and death.

Hot tears slid off your cheeks and froze on the ground.

Your lungs burned; blood and soot decorated your clothes. The footsteps you left behind in the pristine snow of Dragonspine stood out with crimson charm.

Your blood stained the snow and laced it with gold. The snow foxes emerged from the icy corners and watched you flee.

You are alone.

Your skin is sickly pale and painful, golden strings erupted from your fingertips, grappling for anything that may save its master.

You play them around for your entertainment. You watch their stories play and do nothing. It is out of your hands, you didn’t know.

You didn’t know, you swear you didn’t know.

The strings thicken and wrap around you, hopelessly providing what little insulation it can to preserve your body heat. You’re getting desperate, the hot pain of the string and the stinging cold of the icy winds muddling your conscious. Everything’s a blur and you don’t know what’s happening anymore.

Why are you here?

The snow crunches under you as you fall, wrapped in a cold, golden cocoon of string. And suddenly, you cry out in relief.

Warmth spreads through you. You hug yourself and immediately flinch. It’s so warm, why is my skin so cold?

You distantly notice you stopped shivering.

The heat ramps up but your skin still feels freezing and soon you curl up and what is happening-

It’s too hot, why is it so hot-?

Your vision blurs; not that it matters, all you see is a wall of gold anyways. The heat feels like its boiling your blood and in response you try to rip off your clothes, push the pretty walls away, anything to balance out the sudden heat you’re feeling.

Black spots invade your sight and soon your wall of gold is a cold dark void.

Your body slowly stops moving as it puffs out your last breath.

A shimmery golden.. mass is not really what Albedo was expecting to see in the desolate land of Dragonspine, but here he is.

Even more surprising is the flora growing around and on it, uncaring of the freezing winds and the lack of soil.

If there’s no soil, there wouldn’t be enough nutrients for it to even bloom, right?

Maybe it’s another spectacle waiting for him to study.

Unsheathing his sword, he trims off the stray threads and cuts into the mass of suprisingly durable string.

The Cinnabar Spindle falls to the ground. Lifeless black, as cold as the snow around your carcass, bore dread into horrified teal.

Constellations littered your pale skin and the fading cosmos stay visible in your irises. If that wasn’t already a dead giveaway to who the body belonged to, the golden string from your fingertips is confirmation of your identity enough.

Without waiting another minute, he buries all the string, cuts it off and away from your fingers, picks you up, and bolts for his lab.

The rest of Teyvat who knew Albedo are left to question why Klee disappeared along with him, why neither of them can be found anywhere, and why Teyvat slowly caves in on itself.

They look to their statues of you only to be met with more puzzlement when they’re met with a cracked and curled statue, once smooth marble now jagged at the edges, and gold stripes from their anguished, stone eyes to the bottom of their cheeks.

The statue itself is surrounded by a puddle of molten gold and withered plants, the sight allowing the forming pit of despair in their guts to grow.

aka chocogi challenges themself on how to say you dont know anything about hypothermia without saying it directly

sorry lmao i was dead for some time

edit three people want a part two so have my brainrot

[m1d-45]

…was birthed chalk

summary: any smith that discards a perfectly good blade holds no amount of power over the craft. perhaps it’s better, then, that the sword is passed onto one who knows better.

word count: 6.1k (good lord-)

-> warnings: spoilers for albedo lore, rhinedottir is Awful and albedo has a small crisis over it.. a metaphor that may or may not make sense only bc i was the one that wrote it

-> gn reader (they/them)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yum1x || @esthelily || @dedef7890

<< part 1 || < masterlist >

when albedo wakes up, the sun has long since risen.

it’s not a surprise, as he stayed up rather late simply thinking, but it was inconvenient.

he sighed and reached for his nightstand, tying up his hair just enough to go through the motions of the morning. it was a fast, familiar, memorized pattern, quickly waking him up and getting him ready for the day. he rushed a little bit, knowing he’d woken later and rhine was expecting an explanation, but he still exited his room with hardly a yawn, moving for the kitchen. maybe he could indulge a bit, have something sweet- to wake him up, of course, and drain the remnants of sleep from him.

he barely had the chance to step over the threshold before rhine’s door opened and she walked out, bag over one shoulder and a folder in the other. she looked over at him, eyes sweeping over his clothes.

“what are you dressed like that for?”

he glanced down at himself. he wasn’t wearing anything stained or torn, and was practically identical to what he’d worn yesterday. a white shirt and pants, thick enough nothing spilled would quickly reach his skin but thin enough that it wasn’t a hassle if they needed to be disposed of. the same things he always wore.

“what’s the issue, master? is there a fault in my clothing?”

her face twisted like he’d said the sky had turned red. “didn’t i say you were coming with me today? that’s not exactly fit for snow.”

the room suddenly turned into a vacuum, all of the air leaving albedo’s chest even as he took a breath. go with her? where? when had she said so? he would have certainly used the time from yesterday to prepare if she had told him.

“stop staring and change. quickly.”

her words snapped him out of his haze and he nodded, a mumble of ‘right away, master’ clumsily pushed out of his mouth as he rushed by.

what did he wear? he rarely went on trips outside of the lab, and when he did it was never far enough to warrant much more than a simple coat. and where were they going? was it going to be cold? hot? dangerous? would he need to be able to move quickly?

albedo felt like his body was moving on its own, stripping off his shirt and pulling on another before he could make the conscious decision to do so. the flimsy band he used to tie up his hair fell to the floor but he hardly noticed, simply grabbing the more secure one for lab work and wrapping it around his wrist as he continued to change.

he wasn’t sure how, but he eventually made it out of his room in a cohesive outfit, a jacket thrown over his arm. when rhine looked him over again, she couldn’t find a fault, nodding and turning for the door.

albedo fought off a smile.

there was a cold wind outside so he ended up putting on the jacket as they walked, feeling odd about it. it was thick to keep out the chill, but… it was strange to have so much more weight to his movements. similarly, walking in boots instead of simpler shoes felt strange, out of place. he supposed it was simply because he’d never really worn them before, rarely ever venturing out like rhine did…

he followed her through a forest, trying to take in as many details as he could without stopping to sketch. brilliant blue butterflies fluttered on top of yellow flowers, large petals dipping and swaying under the weight. sun streamed through the gaps in the leaves, shifting as the winds rippled through the boughs of oak and pine. it bordered on overwhelming, the sounds of birds he’d never heard distracting him long enough that he nearly tripped over a large root.

rhinedottir huffed, an odd mix of amusement and irritation. “what, you never heard a bird before?”

he tracked a large red one as it hopped across branches, searching for something unseen. “nothing this vibrant… i’ve never been this far from the lab before, master.”

she gave him an odd look. “really? i expected you’d be out and about pretty often.”

he tore his gaze away from the bird to look at her in confusion, but.. she seemed serious. “you told me to practice alchemy, so… i did. i run experiments and rarely leave, only if i’m searching for a substance we’re out of. the farthest i’ve been was only around a five minute walk, to… miss alice called it starsnatch cliff.”

her face twisted at the mention of alice’s name, and she picked up the pace slightly. “don’t talk about her.”

“why? has she done something to upset-“

“just listen to me, alright? don’t.”

the conversation died in an instant, leaving albedo confused once more.

the forest soon broke, the trees dispersing out into a plain, and he looked around, trying to get his bearings. there was a map in the lab but he rarely used it, only ever looking to see if rhine could pick him up a material or another that he needed without going too far out of her way. still, he had a vague memory of it, enough to know the name of the mountain they were approaching.

“is the domain near vindagnyr?”

rhinedottir tensed, her grip on her bag tightening. “it’s called dragonspine.”

the edge to her words shuts down any further questions he had, and he bites his tongue with a nod.

another thing to learn.

they thankfully don’t go deep into the mountain, stopping only on the outskirts. he recognizes the domain they stopped at from the diagram she showed him, the diamond sigils faintly glowing yellow.

he inspected the domain, double checking both the inscription on the bottom and the idea he had to solve it. it seemed like it was feasible, but-

“here.” rhine held out a hand, holding a long sheath. a leather handle stuck out from it, the silver of a guard glittering dangerously, and albedo hesitated before taking it.

“why do i need a sword, master?”

she waved a hand as if it was obvious. “it’s dangerous. now stay here, i’m gonna go find a geo slime.”

“i don’t know how to wield it, are you certain-?”

“if you don’t want it then just leave it behind. it’s useless anyway.”

without any other words, she left, leaving him with a sword he didn’t know how to use.

carefully, he undid the latch and pulled off the sheath, revealing a smooth silver blade. it was simple, with a basic cross guard and a neat edge, but he still felt intimidated by the razor-sharp edge. his specialty was with alchemy, not with blade-work… surely rhine knew that?

albedo flipped the sword over and blinked at the engraving along the center of the blade. wouldn’t it make sense to have it on both sides?

he brought it closer to his face, squinting a bit to make out the words. it was an old sword, evidently, and it showed in the faded marks.

‘as the creator forged, so too do i serve.’

albedo stared.

though the words were blurry and indistinct, he was certain that was what it said. but what did it mean? there it was again, the mention of this ‘creator’, this time on a blade? was it a title, referencing the blacksmith? surely that was what ‘forged’ was there for…

at the sound of footsteps he quickly put the sword back in its sheath, deciding to shelve the thought for later.

rhinedottir came up besides him, chest heaving with effort. one of her hands was carefully cupped, a yellowish slime in her hands. “alright, i’ve got the condensate. whats your idea?”

“the inscription says to take the shortest path and to repeatedly-“

“albedo, the elemental energy in this thing isn’t gonna last.”

ah…. “top right, middle left, bottom left, middle right, bottom right, top left.”

she nodded, walking towards the domain. carefully, she smeared the slime over the sigils in the order he told, each glowing brighter as she went. as every sigil lit up, the path connecting it to the center sigil seeped with energy, flowing down to the middle. when the last of the condensate was pushed into the final sigil, the center one glowed as well, pulsing brightly. with a loud and heavy crack, he domain doors split open, falling inward.

rhinedottir was crouched, wiping the remainder of the slime onto the grass, and she stared at the doors

“you did it.”

warm pride bloomed in albedo’s chest. he had.

he helped her up and she picked up her bag of supplies, but turned to him instead of the door, a stern expression on her face.

“now, albedo, you need to stay close to me, alright? don’t stray off or wander, and if you get lost stay put and shout. domains are dangerous things, and frequently filled with monsters. this one should be empty, but in the case that it isn’t… just don’t go poking around where you shouldn’t.”

he nodded, clutching his sheathed sword a little tighter. a satisfied flicker of a smile crossed rhinedottir’s face before she turned, delving into the domain.

he followed dutifully, making sure to stick to her side. it was hard not to ask to stop and look at a carving on a wall, or an inset of gold upon a door, but the idea of her irritation kept his curiosity at bay. they made their way over mossy and cracked stones, occasionally pushing through creaky, rotten doors or climbing over fallen stone. the air itself felt ancient, important, and he wondered why rhinedottir was searching this one. she want one for history, but surely there wasn’t anything of value here…

they stopped in front of a large door, remarkably intact for the state of the rest of the domain. it was simple, blank, and the only visible mechanism of opening it were the four levers, two on each side.

rhinedottir put her hands on her hips, huffing. “there’s only two of us.”

albedo looked around the room, spotting a large pile of debris and not much else. a plan began to form in his head, a rough draft of possibility, and he wrapped the strap of the sheath around his waist to free his hands. the sword was odd and uncomfortable, but it stayed.

rhine spoke before he could, “any ideas?”

oh.

he cleared his throat, carefully stepping forward to see if she would stop him.

she didn’t.

he approached the lever closest to him, noting the large ball on the end for grip. carefully, he pushed down, surprised to see it gave with little effort. the mechanics were likely rusted and tired, unable to provide the resistance it used to, or maybe the weights had snapped off due to their ropes rotting… whatever the case, it made his job easier.

he let it go, watching it ease back into position, and turned around.

“how heavy is your bag?”

at first, her eyes lit up, but they quickly dimmed. “the angle of the levers is too sharp, it’ll just slide down.”

he shook his head. “no. the levers don’t exert enough force rising up to counter your bag, provided it’s heavy enough. as long as we push it down first, it’ll stay.”

she hesitated, holding the bag tighter, but eventually caved. as she walked over, albedo pushed down the lever again, moving to the other side of it so she could hook her bag on it. her hands hovered around it as he removed his hand, but it held.

a smile spread across her face, and she looked up eagerly. “we need one more.”

albedo turned to the pile of debris and took off his jacket, laying it out on the ground. carefully, he fills it with stone, tying the sleeves together into a handle and carefully hoisting it up. a few rocks slip, but he can tell just by holding it that it’ll work fine.

rhine gets his plan and lowers the lever for him, letting him hang the jacket on it. together, they move to the other side of the door, taking their own levers. creator and creation, in sync, pushing down the levers to a domain.

when the door creaks open, albedo turns to her in joy, delighted at the show of cooperation-

rhinedottir brushes past him, pulling her bag off the lever as she walks past.

the doors begin to slide close and albedo rushes to slip between them, leaving his jacket hanging in his haste, and shivers at the cold in the new room.

it’s dark, more so when the doors shut with a bang. the only light is a pale blue in front of him, the shadow of rhinedottir outlined within it. she’s peering down at something, her bag dropped at her side.

the floor is covered in something dark, something that floats when he kicks at it. he crouched, careful not to touch it, and sees they’re… feathers. thousands and thousands of feathers, littering the floor and walls. they’re large, smooth, as if all the feathers on an impossibly large bird had simply… fallen off.

the sound of a zipper draws his attention, and he looks over, standing. the source of the blue light is gone, the light now white and coming from a headlamp on rhinedottir’s head. she’s zipping up her bag, a self-satisfied smile on her face. “i should have brought you sooner, your skills are a pretty good tool.”

the air went cold.

ice quickly crawled through albedo’s veins, faster than it would naturally just from the chill. an unnatural, frozen mass settled in his stomach, fed the more he turned over rhinedottir’s words in his mind.

she didn’t seem to notice, busying herself with brushing off feathers from a door in the corner, but albedo couldn’t shake it off as easily as she did.

why did it bother him so much?

the walk back to the lab was cold, both because he had left his jacket and because it was nearing nighttime. the lamp on rhine’s head was the only source of light, forcing him to walk behind her and keep his eyes trained on the floor to watch where she stepped. now that it was dark, he could see that something in her bag was glowing, blue light barely edging through the gaps in her zippers. she’s taken something from the domain, but what?

he didn’t notice when they arrived, too lost in his thoughts, only pulled out by the sudden warmth around him. he shut and locked the door and watched as rhine goes through her normal routine. boots off, coat off, bag in hand, and it’s only when she pushes open her door that he takes a step and realizes a problem.

“master?”

she pauses, slight annoyance flashing for a brief moment across her face. “what?”

albedo undoes the loop of the sheath, holding up the sword, but she shakes her head.

“keep it. you’ll need it later.”

without another word, her door closes, the silent click of the lock solidifying the barrier between them.

the next day is wrong.

it’s the only way he can describe it. there’s a tension in the air he can’t quite understand.

he’s cold even under his blanket, and he thinks about putting on his jacket only to remember he doesn’t have it. the floor is cold, and he shivers as he walks to his door.

the fire is out, which explains why the room is so cold, but it still feels empty beyond that. everything is in its place, nothing is overtly missing, but…

albedo grabs a lighter and some tinder, crouching besides the fireplace and relighting it. sparks fly and flame catches, and he stays for a moment to warm up, looking around the room. snow has swept in besides the door, which makes him frown. why would rhine leave again so soon after a discovery?

the fire crackles and pops to life, and he stands, backing away a bit so he doesn’t get burned.

what’s wrong?

why does the room feel so empty?

he turns, intending to check the small table by her door where she sometimes leaves him notes, but his attention catches on his desk.

it’s mostly as it was when they left the day before, with one vital exception: a large and thick book, weighing down two envelopes.

if he had a heart, he had a feeling it cracked.

he feels… a word comes to mind, dread, but he doesn’t understand it, not fully. his breath picks up as he approaches the book, as his shaking hand brushes over the print of his name in his master’s handwriting and he feels cold.

‘albedo,’ it reads. nothing more. nothing less.

his chest feels tight, his mind running rampant as it tries desperately to catalogue, define, and diagnose whatever makes him feel so nervous.

carefully, cautiously, albedo pulls the envelope from beneath the leather bound book, feeling afraid.

he pulls out his stool and sits, mostly so he doesn’t feel as nauseous, and rips open the letter, pulling out the twin sheets of paper inside. its… small. the ‘paragraphs’ are barely a line or two long, yet the handful of sentences feel like they’re being forced into his mind by chisel.

Kreideprinz,

I have found what I have been looking for. Locked within the domain we searched was the Heart of Naberius, and I have no further matters to attend to here.

Go to Mondstadt. Find my old friend, Alice, and give her the recommendation letter. Then, complete your final assignment. Any other projects you were working on prior are now void; consider this to be the only one that matters.

Your final assignment: show me the truth and the meaning of this world.

— Gold

he reads and rereads the words over and over again, but they don’t stick. his hands are shaking, worse now, and something in his chest begins to hurt. he checks the other page but only finds a map, the backs of both papers empty. nothing more. nothing less.

albedo drops the papers, if only to read them without the words shaking, but finds that his sight has begun to blur. he wipes the water from his eyes and tries again, and again, and again to understand what’s written in the letter.

rhinedottir always said that if he didn’t perform well she would simply leave; was this the end result of that? had he failed to keep up with the pace she had silently set? was there some silent cue he was meant to follow, something to direct him to the answers she wanted quicker than he would organically find them? was he meant to be quicker, more efficient, was he meant to find things at such an inhuman pace because he was never truly human to begin with?

‘kreideprinz,’ she says (nothing more, nothing less), pretending as if the title from his ‘childhood’ wasn’t something he had clearly failed to earn if she had left, if he had somehow failed. ‘recommendation letter,’ for an ‘old friend,’ as if she hadn’t stopped talking about her after the incident with klee, never inviting them back no matter how many times albedo subtly hinted alice might be able to help her.

even as he stands, as his mind registers the command of his final assignment, a large portion of his mental space is taken up by the instincts she drilled into him, desperately attempting to make sense of at least something.

maybe it’s hunger, his thoughts nudge, but he’s never had the largest appetite to begin with, and accidentally skipping days of meals while he was focused on a project never made his stomach hurt like it did now. he feels- he doesn’t know how he feels, he could stop and sit and think for a year but never know. the words he’s searching for are out of his reach, blurry, unknown to him even as he feels them all the same. he knows that it’s likely some sort of panic response, the ever-analytical sector of his mind forever chugging away and collecting data on his own feelings, but he doesn’t know why.

why?

he pulled a bag from his closet, blankly running through a checklist his brain pulled from thin air. the book rhinedottir left him was tucked into a pocket, the letter put away while the map stayed out. ‘mondstat,’ she said. he’d heard about it from alice—made sense, he was supposed to go there to see her—but while the name was familiar, he still didn’t know where it was.

he’d packed. nearly all of his belongings were tucked within the bag, save for maybe a few of the early textbooks he studied from simply due to space and weight. still, even as he set it on his desk and stared at the map, reading the names yet not registering the information, he didn’t feel ready.

feel. the word was beginning to lose meaning.

he felt things he didn’t understand and didn’t feel what he thought he should. he wasn’t angry that she left without warning, nor sad at the lack of assignments or the vagueness of the one he did receive. he wasn’t resentful—a word that hardly applied to him anyway—because she had left before she reviewed something he’d submitted to her. he wasn’t anything he knew, and everything he didn’t.

he was just… hollow.

albedo wiped the tears from his eyes and made an effort to read the map, understanding only the location of the lab, the marker designating north, and the city labeled mondstat. he folded the map and put it in his pocket, pulling a lab coat over his shoulders and hefting the bag. the door was cold, the wind outside even colder, and as he stared at the key in his palm, he wondered if it was even worth it to lock the door.

metal twisted within metal.

the chalk prince crumbled.

the first thing albedo noticed about mondstat was that it was tall.

buildings stretched higher than he’d ever seen, walls so tall he had to look up to see the guards patrolling along the top, bows in hand.

the second was that it was an island.

he checked the map rhine left him—and blocked out the part of his mind still documenting the bitterness in the back of his throat, wondering if it was emotion or illness—and upon further inspection, if he squinted.. the blurry lines revealed there was in fact water around the city.

he folded it away. at least he knows he has the right place?

he steps from the treeline where he’d been resting, pulling the familiar weight of his bag i’ve this shoulders and-

“albedo?”

he freezes, barely a foot from the shade of the whispering woods.

he turns, slowly, and sees red within one of the bushes. bright, a hat on top of a red coat, blonde twin tails broken up by specks of grass caught within them. the clover charm on klee’s hat caught the light, shining, and a warm pressure built up in his throat.

familiarity.

“klee.”

he can’t stop the way his voice almost cracks, strained with his journey (he’s alone) and the realization he’s been avoiding (maybe he was meant to be)

she lights up upon recognizing his voice, quickly rushing from the bush to latch herself onto his side. her arms wrap around him, and he tentatively sets one of his on her hat, unsure where to put it.

(her hair reminds him of rhinedottir’s, of the time she spent meticulously washing dust and debris from it after a long journey, of the blades of grass she flicked into the fire as she braided it away, tying it with a bright red ribbon alice had gifted her)

“klee’s so happy to see you! what are you doing here? where’s your mom? are you here to stay? oh, can i show you my new dodoco?”

albedo picked through her questions in his mind, deciding which would be safe ones to answer. “i’m here for your mother, alice. i’m… to deliver a letter to her.”

klee backed away, fitting her thumbs under her backpack straps. “klee can take you to her! i was going back to the city anyways.”

he glanced at the forest. “what were you doing there?”

her face suddenly flushed a bright pink, eyes flashing with what he assumed was embarrassment before she rushed forward, taking him by the hand and walking at a shockingly fast pace for somebody so young. “don’t worry about it!”

albedo had a feeling he should.

nonetheless, he followed, letting her lead up up to and across the bridge. it was empty, an eerie feeling settling over it as he walked. he wasn’t sure why; maybe it was the imposing height of the walls? maybe it was the guards in front of the gate, swords at their sides?

(suddenly, he was aware of the blade hanging at his side that rhinedottir had given him. had she known that would be the last time they met? or had she intended to teach him how to wield it?)

(he’s not sure which is more unbelievable)

the guard on the left brought his hand up in what albedo could only assume was some form of salute, in the process slightly blocking their path. “klee. who is with you?”

“this is albedo! he’s the son of a friend of mama’s, and klee’s friend too!”

the knight scanned him up and down, lingering slightly on his sword.

(would he have the heart to hand it over? would he feel better without a reminder of her, or worse that he’d give it up so easily?)

the guard eventually settled with a second salute, dipping slightly in a half-bow. “mondstat welcomes you, strange yet respectable traveler. please state your identity and purpose; the knight of favonius are here to ensure your safety.”

‘knights of favonius’… the name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t tell why. maybe from one of alice’s tales?

still, he dipped his own head in greeting, partially to stall. ‘identity’…

“i am albedo… disciple of rhinedottir in the study of alchemy. i am here to deliver a letter to alice, klee’s mother.”

klee looked up at him with a pout. “you’re not staying longer? what happened to all the things we were going to do?”

he didn’t remember ever committing to anything prior. “that isn’t my choice, klee. even if i wished to stay, i have nowhere to.”

the knight cleared his throat before the conversation could continue. “according to the knights of favonius handbook, we are to accompany travelers through the city as needed…”

“it’s okay mr. knight! klee knows her way around the city! i can take albedo to mama and then show him around.”

the knights were clearly uneasy about the prospect, likely because of klee’s age, but eventually nodded, moving back to their posts.

“mondstat welcomes you.”

klee quickly pulled him forward again, into the city, a quick ‘thank you!’ thrown over her shoulder that was likely lost in the sea of noise.

mondstat was loud. and full. more people than he’d ever seen in his entire life were gathered in just the simple courtyard she pulled him through, the calls of venders and the orders of customers melding together into an indecipherable mess. he was thankful she took him to the side, up a staircase, if only to get away from the massive crowds.

“mama is at a meeting with the knights right now, which is good! you can bring her your letter and get help from the knights at the same time,” klee explained, slowing down slightly from all the stairs. no wonder the walls were giant: so was the rest of the city.

he tugged her back, slowing to a stop. “klee, i don’t think i’ll need the help of the knights. if alice is in a meeting, then we shouldn’t bother her.”

“who said i was in a meeting?”

klee moved faster than he did, turning towards her mothers voice and running towards her, attaching to her side much in the same way she did to him. the thought pulled the corners of his lips into a smile.

“mama!”

alice laughed, catching her daughter easily. “hello, little clover.” she looked up, shock and recognition pooling in her eyes. “albedo? what are you doing here? is rhinedottir with you?”

his muscles tensed at the mention of her name, the memories of the past week of travel threatening to bubble up. he swallowed them down and hoped his voice wasn’t shaky, “no, but i’m to bring you a letter from her.”

alice’s eyes moved to his shoulders, to the large bag he’d been carrying. “are you staying here?”

“…i don’t know.”

her face twisted with something, and she turned her attention to klee before he could ask.

“clover, could you do me a favor?”

klee stepped back, “of course! what is it?”

“i need to read over albedo’s letter and sort some other things out, okay? while i do that, could you show him around the city? he’s never been here, and i’m sure he’d love for you to help him get his bearings.”

klee nodded, clearly excited, and alice walked around her to him. he pulled the letter from his pocket, but she reached for his bag instead. “let me take this.”

“that’s not necessary, i-“

“-have nowhere to go, albedo. i’ll hold your things while you walk with klee.”

something earnest and soft cradled her words, a care to the way she smiled at him when he caved and handed over his bag. he felt lighter without it.

before he could think about it further, alice was gone and klee had taken his hand in hers again, tugging on it.

“albedo? are you okay? you look upset.”

ah….

he tried for a smile. “i was just thinking about something. where do you want to go first?”

she studied him for a moment, squinting slightly, before apparently coming to a decision.

“we’ll go to the cathedral first. mama always says that if you ask the creator really nicely you’ll sometimes get help with whatever your problem is, and you look like you have a lot of problems!”

there it was again, that title…

she began to walk before he could say anything, taking him up let another flight of stairs. this one was longer, curving, and gave him time to figure out how to phrase what he wanted.

“klee?”

she turned, but didn’t so much as slow, “hm?”

“who’s the creator? you left before you could say last time.”

klee did stop this time, so abruptly he nearly ran into her.

“how do you not know? everybody knows.”

she spoke with a mix of confusion and… something akin to indignation, so strange coming from somebody so young that by the time he registered her words, she had pulled him along again, faster.

“everybody knows,” she mumbled to herself. “everybody. the grand master asks for guidance and captain kaeya for wisdom, mama prays for knowledge and klee asks for inspiration. how do you not know?”

he felt bad, somehow, even though it wasn’t his fault that he didn’t know. he knew that, he wasn’t a fool, it wasn’t his fault, it was…

(flashes of blonde hair flicker in his mind, the sharp command to ‘try again, and get it right this time’ echoing in his mind. already, it felt like a year ago he last saw her)

(could be truly blame her when his mistakes were his fault?)

klee leads him up to a large building—‘cathedral,’ he remembers—but takes him past the large doors, to the back. at the end, behind it all, was a small park-like space, large stones spaces equally across the space. the stones are carved with words, but she doesn’t let him get closer to read it.

she pointed, and he followed, jumping slightly at what he saw. against the back wall of the cathedral, seeming oddly at rest for being carved of stone, was a large statue. the pedestal it sat on was simple, but littered with offerings, the flowers looking fresh. if he had to guess, it was likely a shrine of sorts, probably to-

“that’s the creator.”

ah. he’d thought as much.

klee sat him down in front of the shrine, beginning to tell a story. it’s simple, one told to children, but it’s gets the message across to him.

the creator was to teyvat what rhinedottir was to him. divine hands shaped the mountains and plains, breathing life into the soil. the very purest form of creation, forming something- forming everything from nothing, the smallest of flowers and largest of trees planted with barely a thought. rivers cut through the earth at will, every blade of grass placed by the hand of the one that made it.

klee told a story of the birth of the universe, of the colors on an invisible pallet that painted the planets and dotted the sky with stars. she sat on stone and fiddled with her dodoco, her voice never wavering as she repeated everything she was told, graciously filling albedo in.

in return, albedo untied the sword at his side, laying it down in front of the shrine. the blade felt uncharacteristically heavy, his hands cold, but he still set it down gently.

it was a lot of information, but he managed, carefully filing everything away as the way he viewed the world slowly changed. it made sense; everything had to come from somewhere, after all.

he looked not at the sheath, but through it, at the inscription along the center. ‘as the creator forged, so too do i serve.’

perhaps he and the blade were more similar than he thought.

no bladesmith made a weapon without a purpose. no alchemist dedicated years to a project only to stop when they reached the final product. nothing was made without being tested, nothing was alive without being taught, no sword was made without an edge.

and yet, somebody had to teach the smith. somebody had to guide their hammer to the stool, their hands along a sharpening stone, trained them in the skills of polishing and oiling. no god created an art without a an artist, and no teacher let their pupil loose without granting them the skills to continue the craft.

no tool existed without intention. no smith existed without their mentor prior, nor without their own student to teach.

rhinedottir may have abandoned him, but his creator never would. they would not let him be set loose without purpose, nor discarded without reason. he could tell, simply by sitting in front of the marble statue, that this was the case.

he could feel it in the wind. in the gentle breeze they guided, sweeping his worth from his shoulders. in the ground beneath him, that never grew uncomfortable. he could sense the subtle presence of the creator, the way the grass seemed to point towards the pedestal of the statue or how the sun seemed a little less harsh back here making it evident. albedo could feel the creator’s intentions as his eyes moved back to the sword, to the reminder of rhine that bore a carved reminder of them, feel the reassurance in the etched words. amidst the sea of confusion surrounding rhinedottir’s disappearance, they had appeared, stretching a hand to pull him out and back ashore, to the banks of stability.

albedo reached back.

they felt warm.

[reveristcalicocan]

The unrequited love one... Wow

Since request are open could you please make them realize they were in love with reader?/ Fall for reader later on.

Thanks:) remember to drink water and take some breaks!!!!!

YES OMG I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS REQUEST! Remember to look after yourself too!

Also can we all just ignore how long i’ve been gone please and thank you. I’ll get part two out as soon as possible.

REQUITED LOVE (PT.1)

characters: Albedo, Childe.

synopsis: Some time has passed since he rejected you, you may have ‘moved on’ but he hasn’t. In fact, your confession only made him realise his true feelings towards you.

warnings: mentions of blood and injury in Childe’s

ALBEDO

The snow of dragonspine was no more as the two of you approached Mondstadt. It was once again time to buy some supplies for your experiments.

While Albedo was talking to Timaeus and Sucrose at the crafting table, you were at good hunter’s, getting a fisherman’s toast.

“Well if it isn’t y/n! Long time no see partner!” Kaeya’s ever so cheerful voice brought a smile to your face.

The two of you had worked together for some time when you were part of the Knights. After finding interest in Alchemy, you left to dragonspine to continue studying under Albedo’s guidance.

“Kaeya! On break?” He gave you an eccentric nod accompanied by a close eyed smile. “care to join me?” You gestured at the empty chair next to you.

A smug smile tugged his lips, “actually… i’ve got a better idea!” Pulling you up by your arm, Kaeya dragged you towards the angels share.

“Wait! My toast!!” Your eyes lingered on the unfinished toast, sadness flashing in them.

It was a really good toast…

Albedo saw the whole thing, the way your face instantly brightened at Kaeya’s presence. The way he called you partner and you didn’t bat an eye.

“Uhm Master albedo…?” Sucrose’s timid voice called out, her line of sight following his to see you being dragged away.

“Sorry, please excuse me, I have to go.” A sense of urgency grew in his chest.

Apologising to Donna for knocking into her, Albedo soon reached the share. Entering, the strong smell of alcohol immediately filled his senses. At the corner, he could see you smiling and laughing at something Kaeya had said, giving his shoulder a push.

Plastering on his best poker face, Albedo speed walked towards your table, “y/n, we should head back now. I’ve gotten everything we need.”

Swinging your head towards the prince, you heard a sigh coming from your side. Reassuring you that he would pay for the drinks, you left with a small smile and goodbye.

—

“…”

“…”

“didn’t you say you got everything…?” Your eyes skimmed over the small bag of potions that definitely told you he was lying.

Silence answered you. Albedo’s back facing you as he worked on something of his own.

“are you two together?” His abrupt question caught you off guard and you couldn’t help the light laughter that escaped your mouth.

“what’s so funny?” Albedo was now facing you, a small frown on his face.

Shaking your head, you held your hands out in front of you gesturing that he was wrong. “we just used to work together that’s all! Why are you jealous?” A playful smile on your face.

“Yes.”

Oh.

Clearly not expecting such a direct reply from him, your previous smile fell, a blank look painting your face.

The two of you stared at each other for what seemed like forever. You looked at him with slight surprise while his gaze held nothing but determination.

“y/n, I know I said no back then, but it’s a yes.”

It took you some time to understand what he was saying. When you did, a bright pink blush rose on your cheeks.

“Do you still… have those feelings?” Maybe it was your imagination but his voice sounded a little softer? More gentle than usual?

He was about to give up when you didn’t respond but a large grin told him that you still did.

CHILDE

Yes it’s been months but not one day had passed since Childe didn’t think about that moment in the infirmary. It was kind of ironic for the same situation to happen again except this time the roles were reversed.

The two of you were dispatched on a quest in some murky domain near the chasm. Pathway lit by candles, the atmosphere was eerily quiet. The only sounds were your footsteps and water running.

Before the two of you stood three mechanisms, each leading to a different door.

“I say we take the one in the middle.” Childe’s usual cheery tone was bo more.

Without waiting for a response from you, he activated it. The door rumbled open, revealing some stairs.

The two of you shot each other a warning look, both drawing your weapons, ready to attack. A group of rifthounds and pyro abyss mages were circled together around a fire.

“I’ll break the mage’s shield, you take the wolves.” Nodding your head, the two of you crept up as quietly as possible.

The sound of your weapon alerted the enemies, the rifthound lifted its tail to strike but you were faster. Your burst pushed the enemies back, slicing through them.

A victorious smirk tugged you lips, looking at the wolves disintegrate in front of you.

“watch out!”

You barely had time to register what was happening when a rough hit to your side sent you crashing into a wall. A new wave of rift hounds had appeared behind you, catching you off guard.

Cowering away from the enemy, you grimaced, covering the wound on your hips. The stinging sensation accompanied with your growing headache brought tears to your eyes.

You watched helplessly as Childe finished off the rest, his hurried footsteps brought your attention away from your wound.

“Y/N!” Kneeling down next to you, it took him a quick second to understand how serious the injury was.

“It’s fine, It’s fine.” Childe hushed your apologies bringing your head to rest on his shoulder.

A part of him was panicking, it was certain that the two of you would not be able to continue the domain but if you leave now, god knows how the Tsaritsa will react.

Pulling away, Childe tore off a piece of his clothing, wrapping it around you as gently as he could. Tying it down, you let out a pained noise, closing the gap between the two of you.

Carrying you bridal style, he surveyed the domain one last time before making a rush to the exit. He could feel your body trembling and your shallow breathing fanning his neck.

The journey back to the fatui camp felt like a marathon, especially when you stopped crying, signalling to Childe that you had passed out.

—

You slowly woke to the rays of sunlight shining through the gaps of the tent. Blinking a few times, you tried to sit up only to be stopped by a viscous pain.

Gritting your teeth, you placed a careful hand on your wound. Closing your eyes, you took a few deep breaths to calm yourself. You didn’t realise Childe stepping into the tent, positioning himself close to you.

“It’s alright, I told them it was my fault.”

Your eyes shot up to meet Childe’s, a worried expression plastering his face. He placed a hand over yours, moving closer.

“…”

Closer.

“…”

And closer.

“!!”

His lips met yours, indulging you in a gentle kiss. It only lasted a few seconds before he pulled away. You could see the faint blush coating his cheeks, making you smile to yourself.

“S-sorry, I um…” He looked away from you, awkwardly clearing his throat.

Your hand held onto his retreating one, pulling him back towards you. His eyes widened by a fraction, lips parting in surprise at your actions.

“Don’t be sorry,” your eyes met and neither of you looked away.

[haikyuu-sins]

GORL PLEASE I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS AGAIN SO HERE YA GO (I'm reposting this because I just now realized that there was a formatting issue with the last one so I hope this one is better for you guys! I apologize!)

Characters: Albedo Kreideprinz (Genshin Impact)

Warnings: Death, blood, slight gore 

Genre: ANGST 

Albedo was quiet, to say the least. He kept to himself mostly up in Dragonspine and you had limited contact with him up to the point where he actually asked for your assistance at one point. Since then, you had nearly been attached at the hip. You were one of the very few people he would seek out to talk to just because. Normally Albedo had a slight disdain for interacting with others except for out of courtesy. But you and Klee were the exceptions.

“I do hate to ask this of you as you are someone who I hold dear…” Albedo paused briefly as if to figure out what to say, something uncustomary of the genius alchemist. “I have told you about my past. I believe my master created me with the intention of making me a weapon at some point in time. There’s a slight possibility that it could happen.” he said all of this, not looking up at you and keeping focus on his alchemy. But he lifted his head to catch your inquisitive gaze. “If it does, can I trust you to take care of me?” 

“Take care of you?” you repeated his words with a tilt of your head. “What is that supposed to mean?” The two of you had talked about his past before, the fact that Albedo was created by a known alchemist and was a synthetic human. It wasn’t often it was brought up so it was strange for him to talk about it out of the blue. But knowing Albedo, there was a reason. There was always a reason. He never did anything without one; which is why it puzzled you for a moment. 

But then it set in and you realized what he was trying to tell you. “I…I know you’ve hinted at it in the past but I never thought you’d outright ask me to kill you…What would happen if I say no?” 

“Would you rather Mondstadt be destroyed? I believe the sacrifice of one life for the continuation of the many who live in this nation would be the best option.” Albedo looked up at you again. “If you don’t do it, then I’ll just have to do it myself before it happens.” His voice was very matter-of-fact, there was no sadness to it because he knew that it was inevitable.  

It wasn’t until years later that this occurred. It was always in the back of your mind, although there were times when you were blissfully ignorant and forgotten about the promise you made to him. The last thing you thought you would be doing was plunging his own sword into his chest, much like when you saw him do to his imposter. 

How could things end like this? 

“Do it.” his voice rasped out as he clutched his chest. There was a faint yellow light that was emanating from his chest that only began to get brighter with every beat of his synthetic heart. “Hurry…” 

You sat in shock while your entire body trembled uncontrollably. Your eyes couldn’t focus on what was in front of you anymore and your head shook from side to side slowly. Your hands wouldn’t release the sword you held–his sword. No air was able to get in or out of your lungs and your throat tightened. 

When you finally could make any kind of noise, you screamed. You fell to the cold mountain floor on your knees, his sword finally clattering to the ground. The sound of it hitting the rocks bounced off the walls of his quaint laboratory. You screamed until your voice went hoarse and your lungs felt like they couldn’t take it anymore. Gloved hands slammed into the snow over and over again. They were numb at this point. There was no more feeling in your bloodied hands. 

After that, you were left in silence. Was it the fact that it was already quiet? Or did you block out all sound around you. There was no howl of the wind. No birds chirping in the distance. No sound of the snowflakes hitting the ground and piling up. No trees rustling in the breeze. Nothing but the ringing in your ears. That’s when it hit you. 

Albedo’s now lifeless body lies on the ground beside you. His eyes were now half lidded but the beautiful aquamarine color was still prominent and not yet clouded over with death. Blood trickled out of his mouth and through the open wound in his chest. The once fresh white snow was stained with the crimson liquid. Some spots of the blood were brighter than others, some darker. His sword next to you that used to be silver was now dirty with his blood. 

You couldn’t quite pinpoint what his final expression was. Was he content? Upset? Was there a hint of melancholy within his features? Whatever it was, you just hoped that it wasn’t anger or resentment. You wouldn’t be able to live with yourself if you knew he had any sort of second thoughts about you killing him. Or what if he was regaining control of himself? What if he was trying to say “Don’t do it?” 

You stood up and looked around his laboratory. Denial already began to sink in and you laughed to yourself. How could you be laughing at a time like this? But you knew that this was just you coping with the situation at hand. 

“No…No..no.nonononono! Albedo no!” your voice cracked as you began to openly sob. “Albedo you can’t do this to me! Why did you make me do this?!” You couldn’t help the surge of anger that suddenly welled within you and began grabbing what you could and throwing them into the mountain wall, or throwing his things off of his alchemy table. But you quickly realized what you had done. These were things of his that you can’t replicate. His hands once touched the things that you were breaking and you couldn’t get those back. “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry Albedo…”

The world suddenly began to warp in front of you. A small sliver turned into something wider, and wider, until an unfamiliar woman stepped out. The fear you felt was like never before. Your legs were telling you to run but you were frozen in place. Your knees felt heavy and they shook as you stared at the woman in front of you who made your blood run cold. Her gaze was cold and she let out a loud and annoyed breath when she saw Albedo.

“So you killed my perfect creation?” she huffed and walked over to him, bending down to run her fingers through his locks. “Hm. I could easily bring him back to life. But,” she sighed and stood back up, “this is probably something he wanted, correct?” All you could do was nod your head. “It seems he probably caught onto me. I’m sure he told you to do this if he lost control one day. Alas, it came a lot sooner than even I expected. I suppose I’ll have to create another.” 

“P-please…I-I don’t know who you are but please bring Albedo back to me…I’ll do anything.” your voice cracked and she just stared at you. 

She scoffed. “Already in the bargaining stage of grief now, are you? Maybe that should be your punishment for killing such a perfect creation. Live with it.” She looked down at Albedo one more time. You couldn’t pinpoint what she was thinking, or how you thought she may feel about the situation with that look in her eyes. With that, the mysterious woman turned around but not before you heard her say in a soft tone. “Rhinedottir. But Albedo may have called me his Master.” 

Before you could reach out to try and do something or say anything, she was gone the way she came. You sat there incredulously for a moment, taking in everything that just happened. It wasn’t until a moment later that you realized Albedo looked as if he was beginning to disintegrate. Your eyes widen and you quickly scurry over to him, once again dropping to your knees in front of him. Tears welled up in your eyes as you did what Rhinedottir did before. Your fingers ran through his ashen blonde hair. Tears fell on his cheek as they blurred your vision when you realized that this would be the last time you touched him. Your thumb ran along his cheek and you closed your eyes, hating that this would be your last memory of him. Before you knew it, the entirety of him had now become…dust? Ash? Was this…chalk? Confusion quickly became realization as you rushed to grab a vial from his lab before his remaining remnants were blown away. 

You were no alchemist, but maybe, buried deep within Albedo’s notes, there was a way to bring him back with this last bit of chalk he left behind. Although, you didn’t know how this would make him feel. Killing him was the last thing he asked of you and you made a promise. 

That promise didn’t involve bringing him back.

[nebulousnajm]

“in a snowglobe” – a scarabedo fic

G rating - 2,979 words. ao3 link at the end.

Summary: Scaramouche convinces Albedo to go to the festival he's been wanting to visit for years but has never had the time for. Banter, disguises, a bit of introspection, and fluff ensue.

––

The winter holidays are usually meant to be a carefree and joyful time, but for Albedo it's one of the most stressful times of the year. Which is saying a lot, considering that there are many things that regularly stress him out.

Dropping temperatures and decreasing hours of daylight make the residents of Mondstadt slow and more predisposed to curling up beside the hearth with a spiced hot drink, and for all the knights’ attitude and posturing, they’re no different. It leaves Albedo to pick up the slack his lab team leaves behind in favor of less demanding activities, and while he doesn’t mind, it’s not something he’s exactly grateful for.

He’s always thanked profusely after the frost melts and the sun-adoring flowers open their petals for longer, but a bitter voice in his head (that Albedo tries his best to keep quiet) tells him that gratefulness won’t bring back the lost time he could have used to do the winter-exclusive things he actually wants to do.

Like following through on his promise to Klee of building a snowman together. Or trying the hot chocolate drink that Angel’s Share only serves during the holiday season. Or conducting his environmental experiments that need cooler temperatures. Or painting the Mondstadt square when it's dusted with snow and the fountain has frozen over. Or or or. The list is endless and Albedo stops himself from dwelling on it further as it will only worsen his mood.

Still, it’s hard not to when the cheery and festive sounds of the Knights of Favonius’ fundraising festival are carried over to him by the wind, as if taunting him. He’s on the base of the mountain to collect some samples he needs, and he can easily spot the stalls and ice rink set up across the river, reminding him of yet another thing he wants to do but can’t. Sighing and shaking his head, Albedo quickly identifies and gathers what he needs, and swiftly makes the return trip back to his camp.

He’s so caught up in quieting his thoughts that he doesn’t even take note of his visitor standing by the easel.

The visitor watches in silent amusement as Albedo deposits the items in his arms on his already-cluttered desk, muttering to himself something indiscernible but no doubt about what he plans to do with everything in front of him.

But something makes the visitor pause. Though Albedo’s face is the calm pond it usually is, today, its placid surface belies a disturbance beneath. There is the slightest frown pulling at his lips and eyebrows, and his movements are snappy and impatient rather than methodical and unhurried.

“So who pissed you off today?”

Albedo almost messes up his writing and whips his head up towards the source of the voice, shoulders tense.

He immediately relaxes upon recognizing who it is, even if a voice in his head tells him that he really shouldn’t have that reaction towards this specific individual.

“Scaramouche,” he greets with a relieved laugh. “How long have you been there?”

Humming in faux contemplation he says, “not long, but long enough to notice that something has disturbed your peace.”

You and your theatrics, he thinks, not unkindly.

“You picked up on that fast.” Albedo hasn’t yet mastered reading Scaramouche the way the other has for him.

“Resentment is an old friend I’d recognize anywhere.”

“Always so dramatic,” he remarks, maybe fondly.

It occurs to Albedo that it is probably a testament to whatever strange and likely unwise thing he shares with the (ex?) harbinger that the latter didn’t immediately glare at him for the comment.

“‘Resentment’ is a strong word for it but…” he trails off with a sigh. How can he put this kindly.

As Albedo is thinking, Scaramouche approaches the desk, pushes a few things aside, and lifts himself to sit on it.

“Have you ever said anything without thinking a hundred times about it?” He asks teasingly.

Raising an eyebrow, he returns, “of course I have, but you clearly have more experience.”

Scaramouche sticks his tongue out at him and turns his head away, but stays silent while Albedo puts his thoughts together.

“The holiday season is when my lab team… does the least amount of work even though we still have the same deadlines to meet, so I end up completing their work for them. My assistant always offers to help, but I don’t want to burden her. I don’t mind it per se, but it leaves me little to no time for my own leisure.”

Looking outside, he sighs. “Take today for example. I’d like to visit the small fundraising festival that the knights set up for the week, but I’m too busy.”

When Scaramouche remains silent for a too-long moment, Albedo turns to him only to find that he’s staring at Albedo with an unreadable expression on his face.

He’s about to ask if he said something strange when Scaramouche says, “just go now.”

Albedo stares at him in return. “I just told you I’m too busy.”

Shrugging, he simply says, “aren’t you busy all year? I’m sure you can leave this paperwork for an hour or two.”

I guess that’s technically true, he considers, surveying the work on his desk. But while he can leave the paperwork for a while… “Sure, but where would you go? I wouldn’t want to just leave you here.”

Mischief stretches a smile on Scaramouche’s face. “Who said anything about leaving me? I’m coming with you.”

His eyebrows rise in surprise. “Are you sure?”

He tilts his head. “Well if it’s caught your eye then it must hold something interesting.”

“It’s a very human festivity, and you don’t tend to like humans,” Albedo reminds him.

“Leave the conclusion for me to reach.”

He hums, turning the idea in his mind. He’s not opposed to it –quite the contrary actually– but it does raise a problem.

“Then we’ll need to disguise ourselves. All the people there know me and you’re not exactly inconspicuous.”

Scaramouche looks around the camp. “I don’t see a closet anywhere. What’s your plan.”

“You’ll definitely have to leave your hat behind,” he starts as he makes his way towards a wooden chest tucked in the back. “And while I don’t have a closet, I do have something useful.”

Albedo opens the seldom-touched chest and finds the neatly folded coats, sweaters, and scarves right where he left them. He takes out a black, light coat and a purple scarf for Scaramouche, and a white turtle-necked sweater for himself.

Scaramouche inspects the chest’s contents over Albedo’s shoulder. “Why do you even have all this stuff? I know you don’t get cold.”

Turning to hand him the coat and scarf, he says, “Yes. You know that, but not the knights; I need something to fool them. And most of the time they need an extra layer anyway because they’re the ones not dressed appropriately for the climate.”

He scoffs at the second part. “Why does that not surprise me.”

It draws a quiet laugh out of Albedo as he goes to leave his short-sleeved jacket on the desk chair and pull on the sweater. The knights have good intentions –most of the time– but they do have their short-sighted moments.

An idea occurs to him. He takes out the tie holding his braids together and works the hair loose before tying it back into a small ponytail. He figures that everyone has seen him with the braids often enough that they won’t expect to see him without them.

Glancing at Scaramouche, he finds that he’s propped up his hat against the wall and put on the coat and buttoned it all the way, but the scarf lies forgotten in his hands as he stares at Albedo for a reason he can’t fathom.

He takes advantage of this distraction to approach him, take the scarf from his unprotesting hands, and wrap it snugly around his neck. Stepping back, Albedo surveys the disguise he’s chosen for him and decides that it’ll do. All fatui imagery is hidden away and people tend not to recognize someone if they’re not at all expecting them to be there.

Scaramouche gathers enough of what he lost to say, “I look ridiculous.” His voice is slightly muffled by the scarf covering his mouth.

Albedo can’t help but smile. He looks unthreatening and dare he say cute like this. “Maybe. But no one expects the Balladeer to be dressed like this, so I believe it will work.”

“You better be right.” He hears him mumble as they exit the camp and make their way towards the foot of the mountain. This is going to be interesting.

~

Strangely enough, it seems like Scaramouche doesn’t hate the festival. – much to Albedo’s surprise.

After paying the entry fee, they decided to walk around first before picking something to do. Albedo knew he wanted to go to the ice rink, but not immediately.

Sticking close to his side, Scaramouche’s eyes are narrowed at almost everything, but if Albedo is reading him right, then there might be curiosity glinting in them too.

It’s hard not to be drawn to the atmosphere after all. Jewel toned tents sprout like blooms from the snow-covered earth; children weave between them and the seating areas with frost kissed cheeks; and a certain joy seems to emanate from the strategically placed braziers, which upon closer inspection, he realizes are actually contained pyro seelies.

It’s difficult to find something derogatory to say about any of it – until he spots three of his lab team members huddled over a table with coffee cups on it and a card game laid out.

“Ah. Of course they’re here.” They seem to be in the middle of their game, completely absorbed and ignorant of the world around them (including the work they left behind).

His companion follows his line of sight. “Are those the assholes that dumped their work on you?”

He suppresses a smile. “I wouldn't say that exactly... But yes.”

“I’ll say it for you then.”

“Is your work ethic this strong all the time?”

“There’s no room for being lazy with the Tsaritsa; she’d have your head for it,” he wears a cryptic smile, “or worse.”

Albedo raises his eyebrow at the comment but doesn’t say anything, though he mentally files it away for later. It wouldn’t be smart to discuss this in such a place anyway.

His gaze returns to the outdoor cafe that his unsuspecting team members are sitting at, and is pleasantly surprised to see that it belongs to the Angel’s Share. Maybe he’ll get to try out that hot chocolate after all.

“How do you feel about hot chocolate,” he asks Scaramouche while looking at the queue. They’ve caught it in a rare lull, so it shouldn’t take long to order at all.

“It’s not bad,” he answers with suspicion clear in his voice. “I prefer it when they use dark chocolate.”

Albedo glances back at him. “‘Not bad’ is high praise coming from you. Let’s go see if they have that.”

Seven minutes later, they’re leaning by the fence bordering the festival and sipping their drinks (an extra sweetened hot chocolate for Albedo and a dark chocolate one for Scaramouche). They have a decent view of the entire place from here.

Chancing a glance beside him, he finds Scaramouche lost in thought with both hands holding his cup.

Albedo can’t contain his curiosity any longer. “So what do you think of the festival so far?”

Scaramouche looks at him before sweeping his gaze once more across the grounds.

“It’s not torture… but I don’t get it. What are all of these fools so happy about? It’s just snow and cold and food they can eat at any time. Why do they restrict these things for themselves to this specific time of year?”

He remembers wondering the same thing a few years ago, and smiles at the thought. “The cold of the winter months tends to draw people to sources of warmth, both literally and figuratively. They huddle around fireplaces and campfires with family and friends, and pass the time with things they’ve delegated to the holidays.”

Meeting Scaramouche’s eyes, he continues. “Sure they can eat Honey Moon Pies, Pumpkin Soup, and have hot chocolate at any time, but by only having them in winter, they bring a unique joy that makes people look forward to this time of year. It can keep them going.”

“You’ve thought about this a lot.” A begrudging fascination peeks between his words.

“Yes; humans are very complex, but also deceptively simple at times.”

“And it doesn’t make you feel isolated?”

“Why would it?”

Scaramouche’s expression goes deadpan and he pointedly looks at where his diamond birthmark would be, were it not purposefully hidden behind his sweater’s collar.

“Mondstadt doesn’t care about what or who you are. As long as you are in its borders, you are a child of the wind. Barbatos is very accepting in that manner.” As long as you are not a threat to his people, that is , he adds to himself in his head.

He only gets a hum in return, though he doesn’t move away as they continue to drink their beverages in comfortable silence. Albedo gives him the time to consider their conversation; he’s rarely seen Scaramouche so contemplative.

After a few minutes, he turns his head ever so slightly and stills at the soft smile on Scaramouche’s lips and the bittersweet melancholia in his eyes. It’s a world’s difference compared to the fury and resentment he so often holds on to.

He’s looking at something a small distance away, and he follows his line of sight to a slightly older child helping what seems to be his younger brother build a snowman.

Never had Albedo wished he had his sketchbook on him more; he feels a need to preserve this precious moment of peace, if only to remind its subject that it is possible to achieve.

Scaramouche blinks and the moment ends. Catching Albedo staring at him, he raises an eyebrow.

Panicking, he remembers his primary reason for wanting to visit the festival in the first place. “Do you want to go ice skating?” At least the rink is big enough that they can stay relatively undisturbed.

“Do we have to?” Scaramouche asks, wary.

“No, of course or not, but–” Scaramouche's expression gives him pause.

He tilts his head with an amused smile. “Have you never ice skated before?”

When he looks away with indigence, Albedo thinks he may be better at reading him than he thought. “No. Why would I have.”

Humming, he says “I guessed that maybe you’d have some experience from Snezhnaya since it's freezing for all but one month of the year there.”

“As if the hag ever allowed me a moment of peace,” he scoffs.

Referring to the Tsaritsa as “the hag” is certainly something, but he’ll just have to file that away for later as well.

“It’s not too difficult, I’ll help you on the ice too.”

Scaramouche narrows his eyes at him. “I can learn to skate by myself, thank you very much.”

Albedo shrugs and keeps his smile to himself, knowing what comes next. “If you say so.”

~

Scaramouche has Albedo’s forearms in a death grip.

“I swear if you let go–” He’s faintly wobbling and focusing on the ice beneath them like it’ll tell him the meaning of life.

Laughing, he says “I won't, don't worry. And I couldn't even if I wanted to.”

As soon as their skates hit the rink, Scaramouche fully comprehended just how out of his depth he was. He had immediately latched onto Albedo’s arm next to him as he tried to balance, and didn’t protest when Albedo moved in front of him to take hold of his other arm and guide him around the rink.

“You said this wouldn’t be ‘too difficult.’” Scaramouche remarks, almost affronted.

“Is it?”

He glances up at him for a fraction of a second, “This is like learning how to walk all over again.”

“Most people don’t remember that” but then again…

“I thought we established that both of us aren’t ‘most people.’”

“Hm. We can do something else if you want,” he points out.

Albedo thinks he probably imagined the slight tightening of Scaramouche’s hold on his arms. “No. This is fine.”

His balance becomes noticeably more stable the more minutes they spend on the ice. The speed of his progress is surprising, but maybe it shouldn’t be, considering everything.

It’s almost peaceful like this. Not many people are on the rink, and faint laughter and carefree chatter tangle with the snowflakes in the air and float over to them on the wind.

Eventually, with Scaramouche’s improving balance, his hold on Albedo loosens but doesn’t relinquish. When he skates without any mishaps for a little while, Albedo loosens his own grip and starts moving away.

But when their hands make contact, Scaramouche holds onto them and doesn’t let go.

Blinking in surprise, Albedo looks up to find him staring at their joined hands as if he, too, is caught off guard by his own action.

A quiet laugh escapes him and Albedo squeezes his hands before pulling him along slightly faster, which causes Scaramouche to hold on tighter to stay upright – but it draws a laugh out of him too.

The whole evening had felt surreal, but this, especially, feels like a moment they’d have in a universe where they weren’t what they are and where everything didn’t seem to inevitably lead them away from each other. And yet here they are, holding hands and skating serenely.

Well, as serenely as they can with Scaramouche still almost losing his balance every now and then. But Albedo doesn’t mind; he knows that with patience and time, all things eventually come into fruition.

––

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43556802

[silkflovvers]

Thinking.... about Dragonbedo....

Going to dump a ton of ideas, rambles, etc. under the cut!

Edits and Reposts are Prohibited

So,

I drew him before and wrote a tiny snippet of an AU and posted them to my Poipiku, but I want to think about it more...

Going to start by saying at least in the AU I've explored before, the story starts with Kaeya discovering an injured Dragonbedo in a domain up in Dragonspine. He rescues him and brings him back to Mondstadt, hidden away in a nearby cave of course. Now, his Master had left him up in that domain for a reason. It was cold, there were no distractions, and he could work on finding the truth of the world without interruption. The warmer climate of Mondstadt and the never ending source of distractions cause Albedo to experience things he either hasn't experienced in a long time or ever. One of things being a reproductive cycle for those of you looking for horny fuel. He doesn't know how to respond to it when it starts, so he simply lets instincts take over when rationality and thought don't solve the problem.

I also like to think this warmer weather triggers instincts Albedo had learned to suppress in the colder temps, but has a harder time controlling them in Mondtsadt. Instincts like collecting/hoarding things, being possessive, territorial, maybe even affecting his diet. Things like that. Those around him are regularly reminded he is not always the calm and collected creature he presents himself as.

When instincts take over, he can be more aggressive, quick to act and slower to think.

I have a separate AU that had been floating around in my head that utilizes some of those ideas, but Albedo never leaves the mountains, instead people come to him (Specifically Kazuha as a wandering spirit that sort of looks like a snow martin). See below for quick sketches of that AU.

In this AU, Albedo is more under control and it's Kazuha that finds himself being drawn in by Albedo rather than Albedo actively claiming things (and people) as his.

Dragonbedo also has some fun anatomy going on, since he's cold blooded and partially reptilian. He's got sharp teeth, and a long tongue.

He has wings strong enough to support his weight and a little more that allow him to fly for relatively long distances if needed. He's got a tail too that he mostly uses as a third arm in the lab, to help him complete experiments faster and more efficiently.

In the second AU, I have him wingless, possibly stripped of them by Rhinedottir so he couldn't leave the mountains. This also makes him easier to draw in the NSFW doujin format I had intended this second AU to take place in LMAO. As of right now, it's too ambitious of a project for me to take on, so it's been indefinitely put on hold.

Anyway, you will hopefully be seeing more Dragonbedo from me once my schedule clears up by next year.

[xiaowhore]

lights, camera, action!

premise. in which you get yourself involved in a lot of unscripted drama. (genshin celebrity au.)

includes. xiao, childe, albedo, ayato, scaramouche, thoma & kazuha.

previous episode. watch here.

note. the long-awaited sequel nobody actually waited for lmao. please read part 1 if you still haven't! this entire fic would be incomprehensible otherwise :'D

四 ; ayato, the cannon fodder

although xiao is, with absolute certainty, regarded as your definite favorite celebrity in your heart, ayato comes a close second.

he's a modern day prince; if anyone were asked to say which male lead they liked best, you can guarantee their answer would be among one of his roles.

he played a lot of characters—a school heartthrob, a ceo, a bar owner, and even an actual prince for a snow white retelling. each one with stellar execution, as you'd expect from an actor of his caliber.

so it is to your absolute horror to find him casted in this production as a minor villain. the one that happens to (futilely) seduce the journalist to bed, no less!

is he asking to get his image destroyed?! which... actually does make sense. he's already been typecasted as the “prince” type of male lead, and you can guess how frustrating that can be. it must suck to play one persona over and over, mindlessly spouting recycled lines; not much room for creativity there.

but he's had different roles too, of course. one that stuck to your mind is another murder mystery, a film focusing on the death of a family head. the power struggle for the place of successor isn't a secret even to the public, and the prime suspects are primarily composed of the victim's relatives who stand to benefit from the family head's death.

ayato played the role of the first son, believed to be the one most likely to inherit the riches. which means the sooner the family head dies, he gets to have all the assets. he's suspicious due to his probable motive, but overly so that it's too obvious; ironically enough, this leads the audience to think he definitely couldn't be the killer.

except he is exactly that, but for a reason nobody would expect. rather than greed, the first son murdered his father for driving his biological mother to madness due to abuse and then sent her to a psychiatric ward, where she eventually died. he took in a second wife, a woman only after his money, who kept on pressuring her husband to make her daughter his successor.

contrary to popular belief, ayato's character didn't loathe his step-sister. in fact, he cared about her quite a bit, and his hate for his father grew whenever he scorned her for being “lacking” or “good for nothing.” his scummy personality led to his demise.

in the end, the step-mother was wrongly arrested, and the true murderer wasn't revealed until after the credits, where ayato was shown sitting at his father's desk and laughing to himself, followed by a scene detailing how the actual murder took place and how he tricked the investigators successfully.

the contrast between his acting as a shallow young master and a cunning mastermind had been praised by many. to tell the truth, you don't know how he was typecasted as a prince when he's clearly more suited for “villain” roles.

...even so, his current role isn't anything like the previous one! a cannon fodder and a genius murderer are nowhere near alike! he's only there to make the protagonist jealous and his character is fated to die one week after the scene with the journalist!

you suppose your disbelief must've shown on your face when each actor's respective role was announced because he couldn't help but chuckle when he looked at you.

“...by any chance, did you audition for the murderer role? because- it's hard to believe that-” you struggle to piece together words, rambling while ayato is busy signing his autograph on your phone case. (as luck would have it, you don't have paper on you. you said he could sign the back of your shirt but he politely declined, insisting the shirt would get dirty like you aren't planning to get it framed on your bedroom wall and declare it your heirloom.)

you don't even feel shy talking to him from the sheer incredulity of the situation. ayato only laughs as he hands you your phone case. “i did. but it turned out getting a minor role is a good thing since i'm planning to be on vacation soon.”

“oh. that's understandable, then...” barely. you still have complaints about it. as an actor, you respect the director's decisions, but as a loyal fan, you oughta give him a talking to and demand to give your idol the role he deserves.

“do you dislike it?”

your brows knit together, eyes momentarily leaving your now prized phone case to glance at him. “dislike what?” dislike that you're treated like this? that you have to act as a brainless villain? that you don't get much screentime? then fuck yeah.

“dislike that you're going to do that scene with me.” almost bashful, he leans closer to whisper to your ear. “you know. the one in the hotel.”

all the blood in your body rushes to your cheeks. impishly, ayato's lips curl into a smile of mischievous nature, a far cry from the elegant simper he usually holds. “i... that isn't what i... no, i mean it's not that i don't like you as my partner, but- but-!”

sufficiently entertained by your fumbling, he stops being mean and lightly pats the top of your head. “let's both do our best. truthfully, i'm not the most adept with bedroom scenes, but if you need help, you can always rely on me.”

rely how exactly?!

...

“is it too tight?”

“um... a little.”

“okay. is this better?”

“yes. am i too stiff?”

“mhm, a bit. you don't have to be nervous. it's just me.”

ah yes. it's just THE kamisato ayato pinning you down your bed, breathing down your neck, moments away from stealing your lips. nothing to worry about, clearly.

he adjusts his grip on your wrists, loosening it to your liking. his character is meant to push you down forcibly, but of course he doesn't want to actually harm you during filming—to prepare before the shoot, practice is of utmost importance. you have to give the illusion of an aggressive assault when in reality he's handling you like a piece of glass.

but you're doing this right after a day's work, and you have to blame your stupid mouth for running off without command and casually asking him if he could visit your apartment to go over the scene. in late hours of the night. in what can be interpreted as a much more scandalous suggestion.

thankfully, you're not dealing with childe so you're spared from wiggling eyebrows or phrases with flirty implications.

but him being ayato doesn't make it any easier.

“don't you feel embarrassed making out on screen...?” you laugh awkwardly in an attempt to ignore the weird tension in the air, slightly overwhelmed by his intense gaze. “i know you've done this several times, but i imagine the awkwardness never wears off.”

“not quite,” he agrees. “but a job is a job... i say that, but i'd like to make it comfortable for you, if possible. how are you faring? do you need a break?” he sits up, allowing more distance in the space between you. you shake your head.

“i'm fine. just... nervous. it's my first time doing a bedroom scene...” you look off to the side, staring at the lights beyond your window. though you're in the comfort of your own room, having an unfamiliar man on your bed makes it all feel so strange.

...as you thought, it really was weird to invite a co-actor to your bed! eh? would booking a hotel be better? but isn't it overboard to go to a hotel for practice? inviting him to your apartment is equally as bad, though?!

“all the cameramen watching can be pressuring,” he adds in afterthought, releasing one of your wrists only to pin them with a single hand. you flinch a little when his fingers skim over your cheek, but you slowly relax into the heat. “it's best if you try to forget about them.”

“i'm afraid that's easier said than done,” you murmur, voice growing weaker as he leans down once more.

“really? i consider myself a decent kisser.” he grins, sly and confident. “i'm certain i can keep other things off your mind for a while.”

“wh- i'm not supposed to enjoy it, remember?!” you squawk indignantly with flushed cheeks.

“oh? my bad.” he relishes in your reaction, chuckling lowly. “you'll have to work hard acting like you don't like it, then.”

his lips hover above yours, breaths mingling with each other. the proximity catches you off guard but his hand is a steady weight holding you in place, urging you to look at him.

“don't think about anyone else. just focus on me.”

五 ; scaramouche, the best friend

“fantastic. i was also looking forward to a drama adaption but you've already ruined it for me.”

“that's not nice! you're supposed to congratulate me for passing the audition!”

“my courtesy towards you has already expired 5 years ago.”

“yes. you've made that very apparent.”

“have i also made my ire apparent? it's like the universe is telling me seeing you everyday isn't enough, i have to see you on television too. frankly, we see too much of each other.”

“you say that but you're the one coming over my apartment uninvited.”

“this is where i store my beer.”

scaramouche has a perfectly functional fridge so you know he's only doing that as an excuse. he's been this way for 8 years. (of course, he'd only been storing milk at your house when you were both still underage.)

(the milk didn't do any favors for his height, unfortunately.)

his words are as harsh as ever but believe it or not, he's your closest friend. not that he'd ever admit it, even at gunpoint. it's a feat you should add to your resume, honestly, because as far as you know, you're one of the few people he doesn't hate.

he tolerates you enough that he can practice your lines with you (with enough pressure), though he delivers his part of the script with such dispassion it makes it difficult for you to get into the mood. but in his own brand of patience, he lets you reiterate your lines an endless amount of times until you feel like you get it right.

he helps you with expressions too, albeit in a manner you find hard to appreciate.

“you look like you're constipated, not about to cry.”

“your jaw is hanging open. want to catch a fly with your tongue? act like you caught your husband cheating, not like you're about to eat half my burger when you said you'd only take a bite.”

(personal grudges were involved.)

he's not interested in the film industry at all, but he was the one who pushed you to pursue your dreams when everyone else was discouraging you from taking an unstable career. he's your pillar of support; even if he's glaring at you scathingly or giving cutting words matter-of-factly, he's all bark and no bite. the moment you shed tears, he's already pulling you to his chest, remaining silent as he rubs comforting circles on your back. he doesn't even complain when you bury your face to hide in his neck, soaking his shirt with tears.

underneath all that layers, he's pretty nice.

(admittedly, you have to dig real deep.)

when you're smiling and happy, however, he takes the chance to complain. sneering, he blurts, “what's up with you taking roles in romance dramas all the time? besides, you're way too old to be in high school.”

“i still look fresh.” you batted your eyelashes at him, celebrating inwardly when he made a scandalized noise. “but i'm auditioning for a different role soon. if i get it, you'll see me as a murder victim instead of a high schooler.”

two weeks later, you get the e-mail confirming the love interest role. scaramouche goes so pale you consider taking him to the hospital.

“i know the journalist is your favorite character, but aren't you overreacting? do you hate me acting as them that much?”

he rolls his eyes so hard you almost think they're going to be permanently pointed heavenward. “are you stupid? that's not what i'm worried about. wouldn't you have to- you know- do that scene-”

“which one?”

“...the hotel scene...”

ah. well that certainly is a cause for concern. it's steamier than what you're used to; so far, you've only done light pecks or kisses that don't last too long. bedroom scenes are definitely foreign territory.

“i can only hope my partner is good-looking, then. i wouldn't mind it, if that's the case.” you laugh sheepishly, missing the way his eyes narrow in disapproval.

“...whatever. suit yourself.”

“don't tell me you still feel weird about kissing scenes?”

“i don't have issues with kissing scenes. i just don't want to see you sucking face on tv.”

“don't use that word! it's too vulgar!”

as part of work, it's inevitable you have to do a kissing scene here and there. scaramouche has never been fond of seeing them, turning away from the television or excusing himself to the bathroom whenever they come up. it's a reaction you can sympathize with; it is rather awkward to see your friend making out with someone on screen.

but he especially detests the old recording of your high school play.

long, long ago, you were part of the drama club. by association, scaramouche became a member as well—the pair of you were considered as a package deal. he was your practice partner so often that he got forced into joining.

he'd die before he ever tells anyone, but he had a knack for playing villains back then, specialized in wicked cackling and bone-chilling monologues reeking of depravity.

but in your final year, he got roped into playing the prince when the original actor sprained his ankle. incidentally, you happened to be playing the damsel in distress in your (pretty much unrecognizable) rendition of sleeping beauty.

“why is the prince shorter than-” before you could end your statement, he already slammed your face with the script.

the play was a hot mess. scaramouche couldn't play a decent prince for the life of him, so your club made the play a comedy and reworked the entire script to fit him better. the valiant and heroic character became satirical, forced into saving you not for love but to fulfill a prophecy that definitely wasn't in the original sleeping beauty.

the audience was taking the change well, intrigued by the bizarre twists and turns. the huffing-puffing prince was hilarious to watch, too.

it wasn't long before you laid in the casket, blinded by stage lights even with your eyes closed. the cardboard dragon had already been defeated, and the prince was fast approaching.

to your utter distaste, it was decided the prince would slap you awake. so you prepared for it when the last lines were being said, bracing for the stinging pain.

but then there was a rise in pitch, nearing to a yelp, then a loud thud, then the weight of two hands pressing on either side of your head, and-

your lips were touching something soft and warm.

the squeals and yells reverberated in the whole theater, the narrator stammering awkwardly and improvising ad libs last minute. your eyes snapped open and you'd gotten a front row seat to see scaramouche's blushing face, an explosion of pink dancing across his features.

after the play wrapped up and he peeled off the ridiculously frilly prince costume, he'd been set on destroying every record—alas, your friends weren't so keen on deleting such good footage. to this day, he still bristled at the thought of it; his and your first kiss showcased to hundreds of people.

it's harder to endure when he sees you kissing someone else, however. he never gets used to it, no matter how many times he tells himself to.

“oh, finally. it took so long for them to get together,” his co-worker groans as he watches the tv at the break room, airing the latest episode of the drama you star in. scaramouche glances at the screen, turning away when the camera flits to the boy with ashy brown hair. he's touching your face for the millionth time, bright teal eyes staring into yours so deeply scaramouche almost thinks he's actually besotted with you.

“you're not watching? i thought you liked this series?”

“i don't.”

for his own sake, he doesn't give the tv another glance, stepping out of the room.

this is fine. it's not the first time he's felt like this.

(it doesn't feel any less terrible.)

六 ; thoma, the former male lead

there are as many aspiring actors as there are stars in the sky; it's unfortunate only some of them shine brightly enough to be noticeable, and the rest twinkling weakly in miniscule dots.

for your case, and for your friend thoma's, you belong to the latter.

thoma is handsome, that much you can see with your own eyes, but a pretty face can be found anywhere in the industry—he lacks that special something that makes him stand out. that being said, you don't have it either, so you're on the same boat.

you're best pals, comrades in arms, partners in crime.

actual partners. once. for a romance drama.

(but not the main characters. just an obligatory side pairing, of course. you're the rebound for the second male lead.)

it was your first work, and you'd rather delete your existence than watch it again. hopefully, that also erases your dark history.

your... amateurish acting had been unsightly. the innocence you portrayed wasn't lovely, just a ghastly display of incoherent mumbling and lack of comedic timing. you wanted to tear apart each clip and toss it in some imaginary ditch where nobody can find it again.

thoma's performance wasn't as severe as yours. it wasn't half-bad, almost decent if not for the scant instances of awkwardness in scenes that required more emotional acting.

alas, the end product was just about what you expected; a series no one paid attention to. both a relief and a disappointment, because even if you hated it with every inch of your being, the effort you poured into practice and filming was real.

but after the drama ended, you kept in close contact with thoma, chugging down beer at dinners as you complained to each other about work. failed auditions, mistakes in filming, inability to get roles—you shared everything, and he did the same. each moment of embarrassment and each moment of breakthrough that called for a celebration, you told each other. through thick and thin, you had the other's back.

naturally, he was one of the first few people you called (second only to your manager) when you received the e-mail confirming your role as the love interest for arguably one of the most anticipated series to date.

he'd been overjoyed, above all, his elation overruling his surprise; it was a far cry from other violent reactions. (“are you sure it's not a prank?” scaramouche had said in disbelief.)

“you're finally going to be acknowledged!” gleefully, thoma chattered on, “that's the best news i've heard all year!”

and that was good. it was nice having his support. he'd been the one to give you a pep talk before you had to start rehearsals, soothing your fretful worries.

when you don't understand the essence of a particular scene, he's more than happy to help—“i'm just one call away!”

when you fumble your lines on camera, he laughs but not with mockery (a stark contrast to that little gremlin scaramouche)—“it's no big deal. you only have to do your best tomorrow.”

when you recount your experiences working with famous actors, he listens attentively—“you're starting to get along, huh?”

and then you would hesitate. it sounds like you're... bragging.

he says he's only one call away, but he's busy with his own work; still, he makes time for you. he listens whenever you complain, but he has bigger problems, ones that he doesn't say because he knows it'll dampen your mood. he has to hear about you acquainting with celebrities he can't even dream of meeting, like you're showing him the things he can't have.

you got lucky. what about him?

slowly, your face bleeds to commercials, advertisement banners, even huge outdoor LED displays on shopping malls featuring the drama cast—yet he remains as a blurry, nameless figure in the sea of aspiring actors.

he doesn't show it, doesn't even hint at it, but he must be... envious, right?

it's not hard to be. you've been in the industry for the same amount of time, began at the same starting line, yet only one of you found success, the other one left behind in the dust.

still. still. he never shows it. never stops being your biggest fan. never lets you think otherwise. he watches every episode, every interview. babbles how amazing your performance was in this scene. rambles how you did so well in this drama and he's so proud of you. smiles at how you have to wear a disguise now whenever you go out together so nobody can recognize you.

“it must be hard,” he comments as you hide in a secluded park, nearly getting found out by someone you noticed following you around. “you can't get around as freely anymore. are you okay? nobody follows you home or anything?”

always the worrier, you think. “of course not. my manager drives me around everywhere these days. you don't have to worry.”

thoma grins, plopping down at a bench. “that's a relief.”

for a moment, you just sit in silence, basking in the slight chilly air. the orange and pinks of sunset darken to streaks of blue, streetlights flickering to life.

“...did you know there are rumors of you dating xiao?”

you choke on air, coughing to your fist. “what?!” not that you feel flattered. not at all. (you've badgered xiao to come with you to the carnival last week, and then the waterpark a week before that with the rest of the cast, and- well. you suppose there's reason for people to speculate. you also wore matching animal headbands—how on earth you got xiao to do that, you're not sure either.)“why did that- how did it come to that?!”

“it's surprising for me, too,” thoma says. “if anything, i'd expect dating rumors with the actual male lead. or childe. he seems... particularly clingy.”

“albedo? there's no way he'd like someone like me.” you furrow your brows. if anything, it's only gotten awkward between the two of you ever since the confession scene. “ajax... well. i never know with him.” you honestly can't tell if he's flirting or not.

thoma laughs, eyes crinkling with mirth. “you look close with all of them. if i didn't know any better, i'd think you were acting a romance film outside of the project.”

you shudder. “if, and only if, i end up dating one of them, i'll attract all kinds of bad attention. it's not even good PR. i'd hate to think of all the fan girls who'll start cursing me, stealing their man and all that. hell, i'm not even dating anybody and i'm already being cursed.”

“i'll reply to every single mean comment and defend your honor.”

you snort. “do you even have the time for that?”

“...unfortunately, yes. i'm not receiving much work at the moment.”

oh.

fuck.

“i can... i can recommend you to the director. i heard he's starting a new project soon, so maybe-”

thoma frowns and you ground to a halt. “it's fine. i don't want you to do that for me.”

it sounds like you're pitying him. like you don't trust him to rise on his own.

but you want to help.

“is this why you look sad around me every so often?” he realizes, astonished.

“i... can't help but feel guilty,” you admit, unable to maintain eye contact. “every time i say a silly story about xiao, or ajax, or albedo, i feel like i'm showing off. every time i complain, you never try to compare, you only comfort me and never tell me about your problems. i want to do something for you, but i don't know what. i care about you, and i want you to do well because i know how talented you are. except everyone else doesn't, and i want them to see you.”

it's not fair. he's putting in the effort. the same as you are. but it's still not working out for him, and it's not fair.

“you... want to help me?”

you manage a weak nod. you hear an intake of breath, feel him shuffling closer. then he places his hand on top of your clenched fist.

“[name]. can you look at me?”

slowly, you raise your head. his green eyes are shining so brilliantly, bright emeralds gleaming in the moonlight.

yet they also seem... resigned.

“you're really nice, [name]. but you don't have to feel guilty. it's not your fault i'm still like this, and i'm already thankful you're worrying about me. i can't say that i was entirely... not jealous of what you have now, but that's just my problem. so you don't have to make that face, okay?”

he smiles, just like always. you open your mouth to respond, but then you feel that sensation again—that prickle at the back of your neck, the feeling that makes your hair stand on end.

“you're kind.” his hand cradles your cheek ever so softly, tenderly. your lashes tremble, like the flutter of a butterfly's wings. “that's why... i hope you can forgive me.”

this position is familiar. you know this, because you've experienced this before.

long long ago, just when you started your career, you'd practiced this scene with him in the dressing room—hearts pounding, hands awkwardly finding their places;

your lips brushing together in a shy kiss.

now, his fingers are carding through your hair, the closest he's ever been to you in years. you flinch, gripping his shirt, uncomprehending, and-

you hear it.

the shutter of a camera.

七 ; kazuha, the murderer

the first time you heard a complete newbie would act the murderer role, you were in disbelief.

alright, you were an unremarkable actor before your current role, but at the very least, you had experience. not only is this person entirely new to the industry, having nothing to show for himself, he's an amateur. it sounds like a recipe for disaster.

it's even more baffling when you discover ayato, THE kamisato ayato, tried for the role and didn't get it. who the hell is this newbie? someone who got in through nepotism? preposterous! the murderer is an incredibly important character to the plot, the whole series would be ruined if he turned out to be awful!

and then you see who he actually is, and oh boy, he does not look like a murderer.

he's more like a harmless bunny. fluffy white hair, round red eyes, a polite disposition—did you arrive at the wrong set, kid? maybe you were aiming for the high school romance drama and came here by mistake?

the webtoon murderer was no pretty boy. just an average-looking dude working at a convenience store nobody suspected to be the killer because of his unassuming looks, and that was the point. yet this eye-catching hottie is the complete opposite.

but everyone else in the cast is hot as hell, so maybe the murderer needs to be hot too so he can blend in??? director, what exactly did you have in mind?

“[name]!” just as you were staring at him, he turns and notices your gaze, expression immediately brightening. like an innocent baby chick, he walks up to you. “good morning.”

it's another day of rehearsals for the upcoming episode. so far, you haven't gotten to see his true skills yet—the most he's done is act like an ordinary extra part of the background and out of the limelight. it's understandable, since his character doesn't appear much until halfway through the series.

“kazuha,” you acknowledge him, still a little unused to his... general stickiness. you don't know what he found so appealing about you but he's taken to sticking by your side most of the time. childe has teased you more than once that perhaps the little chick has a crush on you.

“do you want to eat lunch together? i know a good fried chicken place.” so it's cannibalism now?

you agree to go anyway because fried chicken sounds great. plus, as much as you came to find that even celebrities are just regular people and you managed to befriend a lot of them, there's a sense of comfort in kazuha—he's the one you felt least intimidated by.

even if you text xiao for hours now, or come over to childe's house frequently, or go on food trips with albedo, or go clothes shopping with ayato and his sister, they're still people you can't get close to without boundaries. there's still a sense of distance separating you, one that you can't cross, but can happily do so with kazuha.

being with kazuha is just comfortable. there's never a need for formalities, and rather than co-workers, you feel closer to being friends.

sometimes, you feel as if you're babysitting though. he just... screams youth. holds the freshness of an amateur, clutching to naive hopes and wishes in the path of stardom. it's endearing to see, and it's like seeing a younger version of yourself.

it's a shame you've buried those naive wishes long ago, but you hope kazuha's career goes well for him. this drama will undoubtedly be a big boost for his popularity, but will also backlash on him if he performs horribly.

“this is my treat.” kazuha pushes the plate of chicken fingers to your side of the table, eyes shaped in smiling crescents.

you shake your head but take one nonetheless. “what kind of senior would i be to make you pay? order all you want, it's on me.”

kazuha doesn't pout but comes close to it, sulking as he bites on a piece of korean bburinkle chicken. “i can't tell if you're doing this on purpose.”

“doing what?”

“letting me off easy.”

...? this kid says some pretty strange things sometimes.

“i'll order some drinks. what do you want?” he offers, standing up.

“iced tea is fine.”

“got it.”

as he moves, his wallet drops on the floor. you're about to tell him so but you think better of it, already considering the possibility of kazuha sneakily paying for your meal on the counter and ordering drinks as an excuse.

you sigh, bending down to pick it up from the ground, but the wallet faces up, revealing the contents.

the first thing you see is your face.

you nearly jolt and hit your head on the table in shock, but you manage to suppress your surprise in a garbled mess of choking. this photo is... from that modeling gig you did a year ago. but why is it in kazuha's wallet-?!

you quickly put it back on the table, just in time for kazuha to arrive. he raises an eyebrow at your flustered expression but doesn't mention anything.

he makes a face seeing the wallet he forgot on the table. you were right after all.

later, as you return to set and practice ends after a few more hours, you recount the order of events to xiao, who could not be anymore uninterested at your entire spiel. perhaps childe would've made a more engaging conversation partner, but you'd rather not deal with his teasing right now.

“-and my face was right there! as his wallet photo! what the hell does that mean?!” years ago, you never could've guessed you'd ever be able to rant to xiao's face like this. yet here you are, unashamed in front of your idol.

“isn't it obvious?” xiao isn't even pretending like he's giving you his full attention anymore, preoccupied with the game console in his hands. “he likes you.”

“???”

xiao sighs, dead fish eyes looking straight at your clueless expression. “don't you have a photo of me in your wallet? that's the same thing.”

“that is certainly not the same thing! you're- xiao, and i'm just me. you're popular.”

xiao almost rolls his eyes. you're way too humble for someone who gets recognized by people on the street daily. “congrats, then. you met one of your rare fans.”

that was an unbelievable thought, before. you? having a fan? whenever you searched up your name, you couldn't find anyone talking about you. your character is different; you're looking for people who's interested in you as a person, not just your role.

now, though. you've accumulated enough fame for a fan club. several maybe, even.

... but even then. that modeling gig hadn't been successful. only someone who knew about it a year ago would know about it now, since it faded from the internet pretty fast.

as far as you know, you didn't have fans a year ago.

xiao makes a realization. “...isn't this the fourth time he invited you to lunch this week?”

“yeah?”

“.....isn't he just hitting on you then?”

now that's just not in the realm of possibility. xiao is so funny.

“he literally baked you cookies the other day.”

“friends give each other cookies, xiao. i can even make some for you if you want.”

“they were heart-shaped, [name].”

(you end up making him cookies to prove a point.)

days pass by, xiao giving you increasingly odd looks, and kazuha finally proves his worth in filming.

his performance rivals that of albedo's—the soft edges of his eyes sharpening into something menacing, gaze cold and apathetic, his lips downturned to an unfamiliar sneer. you're watching the birth of a star, and it's only a matter of time before his talent will be acknowledged.

he's different from ayato as a villain. ayato is cunning, the perfect example of a mastermind. malicious and dripping with spite. but kazuha looks innocent, a cute little bun you'd never guess can make those kind of facial expressions—twisted, vicious, malevolent.

it's part of the act, but you flinch when his character turns violent; kicking down doors, smashing glass windows with a bat. holding the extras acting as murder victims by grabbing them by the hair, throwing down cops like they weighed nothing.

and then right after that scene concludes with the director's “cut!”, with (fake) blood still splattered on his face, kazuha runs up to you grinning innocently, fishing for compliments. “did i do good?”

nevertheless, you give him headpats. “you're terrifying.”

he flushes, not too pleased giving that impression to you. the next day, he acts all sweet to you again, giving you a batch of cream puffs this time. xiao snorts somewhere in the background.

eventually, your manager notices the snacks you receive regularly. “oh, it's from that kid?”

“kazuha? mhm.” you nibble happily on the pastries.

your manager chuckles. “never thought i'd see him again here.”

“...what do you mean?” blinking owlishly, you pause from chowing down. “you know him?”

“he used to work at the bakery you went to often before, didn't he? the kid you kept telling to watch your first drama. you forced him to watch the episodes on your phone during his break.”

...............FUCK.

you do remember doing something that stupid. during the filming of your first drama, you frequently stopped by at a nearby bakery to buy snacks, and you remember there was a cute kid working there. you often pinched his cheeks and cajoled him into watching the series.

but when filming ended, you couldn't go to the bakery anymore. the filming location was far from your house, and the bakery was simply out of the way.

did that kid... kazuha... support you all this time? from that early on?

you curse your manager for telling you this right before filming. your mind is a mess, having trouble connecting that cute, precious child (why are you always calling him a kid, he's barely 2 years younger than you) to the smooth and flirty man today.

it's an important scene today too! the confrontation between the detective, his partner, and the murderer. it needs your complete concentration, and you just don't have it right now. you've never seen the director lose his temper, but you can probably manage to do it today.

albedo is performing well in front of the cameras as always, so much like a protagonist that you feel like you're watching from a television screen already. but you have a job to do too, so you do your best in the spotlight, pretending to be unaffected.

kazuha looks even scarier up close, so unhinged and unreadable. you know what his next move will be, written on the script, but that doesn't make you any less uneasy.

“you're bold,” kazuha drawls, playing with the knife in his hand, “coming to see me by yourselves.”

you can hear what he's saying, but it feels like your head is full of cotton. why are you so distracted? “so it really is you,” you speak, praising yourself for acting normally.

the other two exchange lines, and you thank the heavens you're mostly silent for the time being. for the meantime, you have a few moments to collect yourself; there's a chase right after this, and you'd rather not do something stupid like trip over yourself in the middle of something so serious.

...

sometimes, you're gifted with foresight.

but! to be fair! you did not trip over yourself! the staff forgot to fix the cables in one part of the set, and you tripped over those. so no. not entirely your fault.

albedo is too far away—he's on the side trying to unlock the doors with his brain powers somehow, and you're the bait distracting the murderer before he does. he can't catch you with his male lead in a romance drama reflexes now.

ordinarily, you would not trip over the cables. you have able eyes, and you could easily step over them. but you're at the stairs where darkness falls with each lower step, and wire cables don't exactly glow in the dark.

...you're at the flight of stairs. and you're about to fall over. FUCK. WHY DID THE DIRECTOR WANT A CHASE SCENE IN THE STAIRS.

you brace for the impact, hands outstretched, praying to at least save your face, but then in a complete break of character, kazuha reaches for you.

you're leaning too far to the edge now. there's no way to pull you back to even ground. kazuha grits his teeth, pulling you to his chest, and in an immense show of strength, twists around so he'd be beneath you.

you descend in a disgraceful tangle of limbs. you're enveloped in a warm embrace, cheek resting on a firm chest. a chin is tucked into the crook of your neck, heavy breaths tickling the skin of your shoulder.

heart pounding in adrenaline, you jolt back to action when the relief fades away and the panic settles back in. “your head-!” you scramble to touch kazuha's head, feeling for any bumps or even worse, blood. kazuha hisses, so you soften the touch, tracing over his body to check for other injuries. he became a literal mattress for you, and you crushed him under your weight. he looks so so frail, what if you permanently crippled him or somethi- what the hell is all this muscle?“what about your back? did you get sprained anywhere?”

“i'm fine,” kazuha wheezes under your caressing.

“you don't sound fine! who are you trying to fool? you didn't have to do that!” you grab his cheeks as you admonish him, frowning severely. they're as soft as ever, just as pinch-able as you remember—but you won't let that distract you now! that was very reckless of him!

bashfully, he averts his gaze, the cheeks beneath your palm growning warm and flushing with a pretty pink. “i'm not hurt. it's because you're... on top of me...”

you blink, glancing down at your position. at a proximity entirely inappropriate, you're hovering above him, straddling his hips and making no move to get away.

you scramble to scurry to the side, but his hands maintain their tight grip on your waist.

this kazuha is too different from two minutes ago! wasn't he just chasing you down the corridor in murderous intent?! now he's blushing underneath you, like a pure maiden you defiled!

what's with this soft, sugary atmosphere?! last time you remembered, this was a murder mystery drama!

(when the drama ends, you're casted for a romance college series with kazuha as the male lead. figures.)

[chilumi-shipper]

ok but … to the anon who thought of discarded creation reader x fake albedo,, it got me like asdfhgjgkd; its so cute?? this is more fluffy than smutty , but i imagine “albedo” showing reader sweet affection sometimes , in contrast to the sexual things that the real albedo did, showing that “albedo” cares for reader more than just sex. and when you do have sex with “albedo” , he cares for your sexual pleasure a lot too, kissing your neck and clit often ,, theyre just so cute help

Greatest Creation (3)

Albedo x Fem!Reader

Readers have been asking for it, so here goes... This is the third and final part.

(Part 1) (Part 2)

Warnings: Smut, NSFW, mentions of oral, mentions of sex, Sub!Reader, Fluff Smut, :)

Summary: Albedo sees you and the "Albedo"'s growing relationship, he hates to admit that he kinda misses that imperfection he abandoned in favor of creating a perfect version of you.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

The first time that "Albedo" took you in, you imagined him to be just like your previous master: cold, only sees you as a hole to fuck, and very rough. It affected the boy that you acted as if he would hurt you and throw you out in the cold if you so merely just look at him the wrong way.

You desperately tried to be on your best behavior, exactly how you acted when you were with the real Albedo.

"Albedo" was angry, just like their master, the alchemist seem to only see both you and him as worthless outcomes of an experiment, not real and emotionally driven humans.

You are such a sweet girl, in the eyes of Subject 2, you are perfect, you are amazing, and yet just like him, your creator only focused on your "flaws".

From those days where you would go down on your knees whenever he even just looked at you and try to be so angelic that it's exhausting, both of you are here now, in each other's arms within his cave in the mountains.

You both made the place quite cozy! A little bit of stolen things from treasure hoarders, a fireplace, some lights from his powers.

You think that it's pretty sad that his master didn't even give him a proper name, just a cold "Subject 2".

"How about, instead of calling you Albedo, I'll just call you Al?" You were snuggling his chest on the mattress that you stole from the camp earlier.

"Why does that matter?" He had asked back, looking down on your face and smiling a bit at seeing how you rub your face against his chest.

"Cause, that way, you can have your own name..." You answered, before gasping a bit, "Ooh, unless you have any ideas for a name for yourself."

"I think Al is good." His smile only widened when he saw your own lips curve upwards.

Unlike Albedo, Al didn't do things like harshly grab you by the arm and pushed you down to any surface just to dick you down, then leave you all alone dripping and tired.

No, Al would make sure that you were in a comfortable position, taking you however pace you want to go, slow, fast, soft, rough, whatever you want, just being inside that pussy of yours is enough. He also did things to service you, like eating you out, just because he cares about you and about what you feel. And also aftercare, he doesn't ever want to leave you right after a session, he cleans you to make sure you're comfortable, and he wraps a thick and warm blanket around your cold body, despite your immunity to the cold.

You fell for him... you definitely did.

It took some getting use to, being in a new environment with a new person treating you very differently from another that you got used to. Yet it seems as though, you start to feel thankful that Albedo had buried you into the snow, shoved you into a door full of other possibilities with a man that can reciprocate the love you give.

It felt good... being treated like you mattered, like what you wanted was being given to you.

You can't believe that you're saying being abandoned is the best thing that's happened to you...

It's just you and him, in the snowy mountains, wrapped in each other's arms despite the cold never being a bother, yet the warmth you felt was blazing in a heart you didn't know you had.

And as the similar blue eyes worn by your creator pierced through the snowstorm and looked down on the two of you, his body tense and filled with an unexplainable frustration.

"It shouldn't be like this." He said through gritted teeth, no one but the sky to hear him.

It really shouldn't have been like that, because looking at you and him, you were smiling so brightly running back to Al after you gathered some pebbles and sticks for the snowman you were both making just outside your cave.

"What should we name out snowman guard?" You looked at your master lover, who was putting the details of the face on the snowman.

"I haven't the slightest idea what a good name for a snowman guard would be though." The man beside you chuckled, before rubbing off some snow that got on your face.

Around you, Al no longer felt as if he needed to steal another person's identity to be someone meaningful, he could just be him, and that was more than enough for you.

You know, he took up knitting recently, he got some guide books he found in campsites, gathered materials from many different sources, and he learned how to make warm clothes for you and him, one step closer to just being himself, finding out what he actually likes.

You held onto his wrist, leaning onto his touch. "Me neither." You said as a gentle whisper, "We should call him snowman guard for now and think of a name later."

Your life, despite living in the harsh climate of Dragonspine, seems so... domestic. And Albedo didn't like the growing feeling of envy stirring in his chest.

He created a perfect you, lying within the confines of his camp, always obidient, soft, never complaining, never getting into his other business, would do anything for him.

But as Albedo went back to his camp and looked in the eyes of a creation that looked exactly like you...

"Welcome back, Master." She sounded dull, no trace of excitement to see her master back, unlike you.

Her It's eyes was void of an imperfection that was actually what made you perfect.

Love... Emotion...

It was imperfect because it brought trouble, it's complicated, but it also brought the one feeling that both Albedos have always wanted...

To be loved.

But it would be wrong to take you back now, both for his morals and his pride.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

You smiled as you eased your hips down on his, you've never thought to be on top, to be the one in control.

Not only did your entire being scream submissive energy, but it was also how you embarrassingly run out of energy early on your session and have to rely on him to do the rest of the work by grabbing your butt and bouncing you on his cock as you lay on top of him with your face tucked snug on the crook of his neck.

Al would always find it so cute, especially after, when you get up again with a new found determination and try to go for a second round, only to end up stopping and asking for his help again since the first orgasm tired you out.

This time was a bit different though, your face was nuzzling on his bare chest, enjoying the warmth transferring on your cheeks, your hips were set on a slow but hard pace, making sure you both feel every inch of each other.

"I love you... I love you." You repeated those words many times, whether it be at intimate times like these, or lighthearted bonding times like building a snowman guard outside the cave, or exploring together, or cooking meals together.

He couldn't help but groan at the feeling of your pussy spasming around him, which led to the inevitable warm liquid spreading around his cock, before you halt your movement.

You looked up at him and pouted, trying to continue to make him cum with you, but you could only lift up your hips once before pathetically lying on him exhausted once again.

His deep chuckle sent shivers through your body, holding you carefully before flipping both of you over.

"I love you... So... Much... More." He said with such a loving gaze, matching his thrust with the words he spoke. You moaned in delight, raising your head up with your remaining strength to steal a kiss from his lips.

He deepened the kiss, his hips setting a bit of a faster pace before you felt a naughty smile form on his lips during the kiss.

As you parted, you held onto him as pleasure took over your entire body.

Truly, being abandoned was one of the best things that has happened to you. Second to being able to spend the rest of your life with the man making love to you right now.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Ayyyeee, seven months late :D

[nomicskeleton]

I have a idea for requests (if u comfortable with)! Its angsty but not at same time. Albedo/Xiao/Kazuha (if you comfortable with) shy s/o accidently confess them after that s/o crys and appologies bcs s/o thinks they will never ever any gets love. I hope u will ve have nice day or night or evening :3

DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY 'I LOVE YOU'

pairings: albedo, xiao x shy gn! reader

genres: angst to fluff

warning: insecurities, anxiety, crying, mentions of blood and bruises, all lowercase

(a/n): anon, y'know that i live for angst stories (cuz i'm a masochist) so i'm glad that someone finally requested this genre :") sorry that i won't include kazuha here cuz i'm running outta idea??hh and.. i don't like how this thread turns out tho but ANYWAY, HOPE YOU LIKE THIS AND SORRY FOR WAITING TOO LONG

ALBEDO:

who didn't adore this alchemist? aside from being an alchemy prodigy, he mastered the art so well. he indeed was such a talented being.

you had developed a crush on him a long time ago but you never dared to confess it since you felt your feeling would be a burden on him.

one day when you were trying to make your way to albedo's lab on dragonspine, a herd of hilichurls suddenly ambushed you.

being a person that didn't master any weapon and didn't receive a vision, you started overthinking if this was your end.

but the sound of blade thrusting and painful yelps of the hilichurls boomed your ears as you slowly watched over just to see them laying on a thick duvet of snow and dissipating in the air.

you couldn't help but let the tears out in terrified. not because of your knight in shining armor—albedo—killing monsters in front of you, but you were just too scared of the situation you were in.

"are you all right?" the blonde offered you his gloved hand.

you looked at him, tears brimming your eyes. the alchemist looked so ethereal with his glimmering teal eyes and ashy blond locks dancing in the freezing air of dragonspine.

why are you so pretty and strong? you make me fall in love again, you thought and soon saw a faint blush creep up the alchemist's cheeks. your eyes widened after a minute passed, you didn't just say that out loud right?!

you didn't spare a second for albedo to speak as you rambled panically about how you were so sorry to confess, that you were not worthy of receiving his love, and such.

"y/n," albedo cupped your cheeks, making you stop rambling. seeing you trembling made his chest twist. "who said that you're not worthy, hm? i'm glad that you reciprocate my feeling."

your world stopped, utterly shocked from the words albedo had uttered. the alchemist read your expression as a sigh and small smile plastered on his mouth, the blush on his face remained. "yes, y/n. i love you too." he spoke, rubbing your blushing cheeks with his thumbs. "now, let's go to my camp. it's freezing."

XIAO:

when he rescued you from a herd of treasure hoarders, your heart skipped a beat seeing his swift and strong movements. within a brief moment, he could take down the herd and your jaw dropped in awe.

the moment his sharp golden irises landed on your e/c ones, you felt your fear and panic feelings were now replaced by a foreign feeling. your heart was drumming that you were scared he might hear it.

"call my name—adeptus xiao, if you need help." as he said that, the mist surrounded him and his figure was nowhere to be found.

when you visited wangshu inn for delivering stuff, you decided to get some fresh air after a long day of work. as you went upstairs, your eyes widened at the sight of xiao's back. he was standing on the balcony, facing the illuminating moon.

your eyes lit in excitement and you called him, making his head turn around. you suddenly felt awkward but tried to make some small talk anyway. to your surprise, he just gave you short replies and sounded annoyed and cold. heartbroken? yes, pretty much since he seemed to not enjoy your encounter.

verr goldet noticed and told you that was his usual self. she tried to cheer you up and said almond tofu was the best option to summon him.

it turned out right. the sight of his cheeks puffing as he munched the tofu delightfully made you want to run laps. your visits to wangshu inn were more often despite him telling you not to call him if it wasn't necessary, but he still came though.

one time when you summoned him and he appeared in front of you, you were surprised at his state. cuts and blood stained his skin, the look on his face obviously told you that he was in hurt even though he tried to hide the pain.

"no need to be so dramatic, i received these occasionally. not a big deal." xiao whipped his head away as you tried to treat his wounds.

"h-how can i be not upset when the person i like gets hurt—" you immediately shut up realizing what you just spoke.

xiao slowly turned at you as you started to feel embarrassed. "what...?" he whispered.

you stuttered out several apologies and instantly walked off, but xiao could still hear you mumble "i don't deserve you".

the adeptus was taken aback, he realized that you both shared somehow a similar mindset but the small sparking weird feeling in his heart said otherwise. he wanted to tell you that you were worthy and need not be so unconfident. he teleported in front of you and froze at his spot while facing your shocked face.

"i... enjoy your company." he spoke with a low voice, face burning red and his eyes looking down. "so, don't say that."

xiao disappeared through the mist as soon he finished his words. you were left there dumbfounded, didn't believe what he just spoke. your heart drummed so rapidly as his words repeated in your mind like a broken radio.

[littlestpetship]

i hope scara says "mother..." when its storming like albedo says "master..." when its snowing

[chevrryz]

Hi! How are you? ♡ im super exausted 😭 First kiss with Kaeya, Diluc, Zhongli, Thoma, Albedo? Or Itto! I love that man!

- 🐛 anon

- 🐛 anon

hiiii 🐛 anon I've been well. I hope you had a good rest ♡˖꒰ᵕ༚ᵕ⑅꒱ Also do drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated <3

pairings : Kaeya, Diluc, Zhongli, Albedo & Itto

What was your first kiss like with them?

Kaeya

You were busy with the investigation team as recently you had received some information on the Fatui when your boyfriend, Kaeya had barged into your office. "Hello my lieblieg~" He slams the door wide open as he struts in like a celebrity. "Kaeya what are you doing? I'm busy right now." You inquire not once looking away from the papers. "Oh, I'm just here to take something before I leave for Angel's Share." Kaeya says as he walked towards your desk. "What is it?" You looked up from the papers. Kaeya quickly leaned in stealing a kiss from you and soon he was walking out the door leaving you red in your seat.

Diluc

You were reading a book by the fire place waiting for Diluc to come back from work. "Welcome back, master Diluc." Adelinde warmly greets Diluc who had just came back. You stood up from your chair and made a beeline towards him. "Welcome home, Diluc." You greeted. You noticed his annoyed expression when you inched closer towards him. "Did something happen at work today?" You ask worriedly as you cupped his cheeks into your palms. Diluc grasps your hands in his and didn't utter a word as he stares at you. "Can I kiss you?" You were surprised to hear that from him but you nod your head as a 'go ahead'. He didn't waste any time and captured your lips with his.

Zhongli

You were strolling around Liyue when you came across your boyfriend sitting at one of the tables at Third-Knockout listening to the stories of the storyteller. "Zhongli~" You stretch his name as you made your way to him. "Ah, (Y/n). Fancy seeing you here." Zhongli smiles. "I just gotten a break so i decided to stroll around but I didn't think I'll see you here." You said. "Director Hu has gone off to do some promotional offers again. She told me to have a little break until she's back." Zhongli explained. You hummed in understanding. "Ah, I've been here too long. I should go back now." You told your boyfriend not before an idea pop into your head. You turn to your boyfriend with a cheeky grin, "Zhongli~" The man turn his face towards you and you planted a quick kiss before dashing off to your work place. "Oh dear..." Zhongli said with a tint of red across his cheeks.

Albedo

The both of you were seated in the snow of Dragonspine. Albedo had came out with a sketchpad in hand, wanting a break from his experiments. You were there to visit him to make sure he was taking care of his health. Albedo was sketching away a scenery that had captivated him whilst you were laying on his shoulder admiring the process. However his hands soon stop sketching and he calls your name instead. "(Y/n)." you hummed a response tilting your head to look up only to see his face so close to yours. His hands wraped around your waist pulling you closer for your lips to meet.

Itto

It was during one of those rare days where he won a beetle fighting contests with one of the kids. He was so happy, he sprung up in joy and ran towards you. "I won! I finally won!" He yells as he spins you around. "Congrats on winning, babe." You smile warmly at his enthusiastic behavior. He planted a kiss on your lips before settling you down on the ground. He soon ran over to the kids who lost to him to brag about his victory leaving you stunned with a hand clasp over your blushing face.

[ddarker-dreams]

Gardenia, Hydrangea, Primrose - Albedo

[Yandere Flower Themed Asks]

Gardenia - Is the yandere most content watching their darling from afar, or do they feel the need to interact directly with them? Does it vacillate between the two?

Albedo is a yandere who spends a fair amount of time in the "watching you from afar" phase. Whereas other yanderes might get impatient or start to want more, he's perfectly content on seeing how you act in your natural environment. He does want to talk to you, but is also worried about all the social conventions he has to remember when doing so. It's an exhausting endeavor. That's why he'll send Klee off to get your attention/bring you over when he feels stuck on what to say. Klee is the perfect little icebreaker — there's no way you could say no to her running up and excitedly asking to play, is there?

Hydrangea - How would this yandere react if their darling gave them affection? What is their internal thought process like?

The outward reaction isn't too robust. He has formidable control over his body and its reactions, so you won't be seeing a bright scarlet face or him tripping over his words. Albedo's main focus is trying to understand what it is you're up to. Are you warming up to him? And if you are, is it because of loneliness, boredom, or something else he needs to discover? Is this a ploy? Do you expect him to return your affection, or would that sour your mood and ruin his chances of furthering the intimacy in your relationship? He's so busy thinking these problems over that the most you'll get is an, "Oh." In the future, he'll have something more articulate to say.

Primrose - In the yandere’s ideal world, what would their relationship with their darling be like?

In Albedo's ideal world, he'd introduce you to his master, and explain that you're what he discovered while fulfilling her final message. He considers you to be a complementary piece to himself. A symbiotic relationship where one could not properly function without the other. He'd want you to depend on him, and in return, he'd slowly begin the process of depending on you. You wouldn't ask about returning to the city or try to run, leaving footprints for him to follow in the snow. No, you'd encourage him and serve as his perfect muse. He wonders how much the power of alchemy could lend to creating this ideal universe...

[haikyuu-sins]

GORL! Angst albedo ,where Albedo has lost control of himself and reader has to kill him to solve the issue 🥺

GORL PLEASE I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS AGAIN SO HERE YA GO

Characters: Albedo Kreideprinz (Genshin Impact)

Warnings: Death, blood, slight gore 

Genre: ANGST 

Albedo was quiet, to say the least. He kept to himself mostly up in Dragonspine and you had limited contact with him up to the point where he actually asked for your assistance at one point. Since then, you had nearly been attached at the hip. You were one of the very few people he would seek out to talk to just because. Normally Albedo had a slight disdain for interacting with others except for out of courtesy. But you and Klee were the exceptions.

“I do hate to ask this of you as you are someone who I hold dear…” Albedo paused briefly as if to figure out what to say, something uncustomary of the genius alchemist. “I have told you about my past. I believe my master created me with the intention of making me a weapon at some point in time. There’s a slight possibility that it could happen.” he said all of this, not looking up at you and keeping focus on his alchemy. But he lifted his head to catch your inquisitive gaze. “If it does, can I trust you to take care of me?” 

“Take care of you?” you repeated his words with a tilt of your head. “What is that supposed to mean?” The two of you had talked about his past before, the fact that Albedo was created by a known alchemist and was a synthetic human. It wasn’t often it was brought up so it was strange for him to talk about it out of the blue. But knowing Albedo, there was a reason. There was always a reason. He never did anything without one; which is why it puzzled you for a moment. 

But then it set in and you realized what he was trying to tell you. “I…I know you’ve hinted at it in the past but I never thought you’d outright ask me to kill you…What would happen if I say no?” 

“Would you rather Mondstadt be destroyed? I believe the sacrifice of one life for the continuation of the many who live in this nation would be the best option.” Albedo looked up at you again. “If you don’t do it, then I’ll just have to do it myself before it happens.” His voice was very matter-of-fact, there was no sadness to it because he knew that it was inevitable.  

It wasn’t until years later that this occurred. It was always in the back of your mind, although there were times when you were blissfully ignorant and forgotten about the promise you made to him. The last thing you thought you would be doing was plunging his own sword into his chest, much like when you saw him do to his imposter. 

How could things end like this? 

“Do it.” his voice rasped out as he clutched his chest. There was a faint yellow light that was emanating from his chest that only began to get brighter with every beat of his synthetic heart. “Hurry…” 

You sat in shock while your entire body trembled uncontrollably. Your eyes couldn’t focus on what was in front of you anymore and your head shook from side to side slowly. Your hands wouldn’t release the sword you held–his sword. No air was able to get in or out of your lungs and your throat tightened. 

When you finally could make any kind of noise, you screamed. You fell to the cold mountain floor on your knees, his sword finally clattering to the ground. The sound of it hitting the rocks bounced off the walls of his quaint laboratory. You screamed until your voice went hoarse and your lungs felt like they couldn’t take it anymore. Gloved hands slammed into the snow over and over again. They were numb at this point. There was no more feeling in your bloodied hands. 

After that, you were left in silence. Was it the fact that it was already quiet? Or did you block out all sound around you. There was no howl of the wind. No birds chirping in the distance. No sound of the snowflakes hitting the ground and piling up. No trees rustling in the breeze. Nothing but the ringing in your ears. That’s when it hit you. 

Albedo’s now lifeless body lies on the ground beside you. His eyes were now half lidded but the beautiful aquamarine color was still prominent and not yet clouded over with death. Blood trickled out of his mouth and through the open wound in his chest. The once fresh white snow was stained with the crimson liquid. Some spots of the blood were brighter than others, some darker. His sword next to you that used to be silver was now dirty with his blood. 

You couldn’t quite pinpoint what his final expression was. Was he content? Upset? Was there a hint of melancholy within his features? Whatever it was, you just hoped that it wasn’t anger or resentment. You wouldn’t be able to live with yourself if you knew he had any sort of second thoughts about you killing him. Or what if he was regaining control of himself? What if he was trying to say “Don’t do it?” 

You stood up and looked around his laboratory. Denial already began to sink in and you laughed to yourself. How could you be laughing at a time like this? But you knew that this was just you coping with the situation at hand. 

“No…No..no.nonononono! Albedo no!” your voice cracked as you began to openly sob. “Albedo you can’t do this to me! Why did you make me do this?!” You couldn’t help the surge of anger that suddenly welled within you and began grabbing what you could and throwing them into the mountain wall, or throwing his things off of his alchemy table. But you quickly realized what you had done. These were things of his that you can’t replicate. His hands once touched the things that you were breaking and you couldn’t get those back. “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry Albedo…”

The world suddenly began to warp in front of you. A small sliver turned into something wider, and wider, until an unfamiliar woman stepped out. The fear you felt was like never before. Your legs were telling you to run but you were frozen in place. Your knees felt heavy and they shook as you stared at the woman in front of you who made your blood run cold. Her gaze was cold and she let out a loud and annoyed breath when she saw Albedo.

“So you killed my perfect creation?” she huffed and walked over to him, bending down to run her fingers through his locks. “Hm. I could easily bring him back to life. But,” she sighed and stood back up, “this is probably something he wanted, correct?” All you could do was nod your head. “It seems he probably caught onto me. I’m sure he told you to do this if he lost control one day. Alas, it came a lot sooner than even I expected. I suppose I’ll have to create another.” 

“P-please…I-I don’t know who you are but please bring Albedo back to me…I’ll do anything.” your voice cracked and she just stared at you. 

She scoffed. “Already in the bargaining stage of grief now, are you? Maybe that should be your punishment for killing such a perfect creation. Live with it.” She looked down at Albedo one more time. You couldn’t pinpoint what she was thinking, or how you thought she may feel about the situation with that look in her eyes. With that, the mysterious woman turned around but not before you heard her say in a soft tone. “Rhinedottir. But Albedo may have called me his Master.” 

Before you could reach out to try and do something or say anything, she was gone the way she came. You sat there incredulously for a moment, taking in everything that just happened. It wasn’t until a moment later that you realized Albedo looked as if he was beginning to disintegrate. Your eyes widen and you quickly scurry over to him, once again dropping to your knees in front of him. Tears welled up in your eyes as you did what Rhinedottir did before. Your fingers ran through his ashen blonde hair. Tears fell on his cheek as they blurred your vision when you realized that this would be the last time you touched him. Your thumb ran along his cheek and you closed your eyes, hating that this would be your last memory of him. Before you knew it, the entirety of him had now become…dust? Ash? Was this…chalk? Confusion quickly became realization as you rushed to grab a vial from his lab before his remaining remnants were blown away. 

You were no alchemist, but maybe, buried deep within Albedo’s notes, there was a way to bring him back with this last bit of chalk he left behind. Although, you didn’t know how this would make him feel. Killing him was the last thing he asked of you and you made a promise. 

That promise didn’t involve bringing him back.

[momiji-bookhouse]

Hello Sagi. Have a nice day, I just saw your spring event. Can I request Albedo with the Cecilia flower? Thank you very much, have a nice day( And I love your work <3)

[Cecilia]: "Will you accept all of me? Even the parts dark and frightening?"

Event Prompt List (CLOSED)

Event Masterlist

pairing: Albedo x gn!reader

genre: very light hurt/comfort

There are many instances in which Albedo thinks he is unworthy of this life.

No matter how many times he has studied, observed, read about, and even try his best to blend in with the humans around him, he still finds himself unable to fully understand or comprehend them.

Fascinating creatures they are. Paradoxical, messy, and yet tragically beautiful.

So Albedo, the being made of chalk dust and purified soil that he is, resigns himself to the fact that he will never be able to understand them.

(And yet, though he may have been regarded by his Master as the perfect specimen, he wonders what it says about the nature of the world when he occasionally feels envious of those who have mortal lives.)

Still, he continues on living with that gorgeous lie, knowing that the person he presents is part illusion. There are days he feels like he does not deserve the waves and smiles given to him by his colleagues, does not deserve the admiration of his students, nor does he deserve the tugging of his hand and the affectionate way his adopted sister calls him brother.

Most importantly, he feels he does not deserve you in all your breathtaking presence.

Before you, he was content with the nigh hermit life he leads, cooped up in his lab and finding little need for companionship.  But the moment you enter his life, each interaction, no matter how small, becomes a drug to him. He yearns for your attention and presence in a way that he has never felt for anyone before, and though it frightens him to the core, he had tried to detach from you before, and that is one mistake he will never make again.

So no, Albedo is not convinced that he is worthy of your love and affection. You deserve someone whose heart beats in a vessel made of blood and sinew, whose hands does not leave cold traces on your warm skin.

You also deserve the truth.

Nevertheless, when he tells you he has something to say to you, he does so with a heavy heart and a mind echoing a voice filled with self-doubt.

What if you become horrified by him? What if you can’t accept the fact that he’s not human? What if you leave-

Albedo forcefully shoves the rest of that thought out of his mind, the implications of it doing no good in lessening the way his gut is twisting.

The sound of footsteps crunching against snow enters his ears, and when he looks up, his nervousness momentarily disappears when he sees your smiling face.

“Albedo, you said you wanted to tell me something?”

You try to keep your voice even, but he notices the way your fingers are restless and your foot keeps tapping silently. Apparently you’re just as nervous as him.

“I do, love. But let’s sit down first.” He takes a hold of your hand and leads you to a chair, but even when both you sat down he does not let go. Instead, he begins to draw small circles on your hand with his thumb, both to reassure you and to help him calm his nerves. “(Y/N), I-I haven’t been entirely honest with you.”

Seeing your worried and confused expression, he squeezes your hand and holds in a sigh to continue. “I’m not who you think I am. I’m a synthetic human being, created by the hands of another through the means of alchemy. My Master, Rhinedottir, is the one who breathed life into me, and subsequently entrusted me in the care of Alice with one final mission: to discover the meaning of this world.”

Albedo dares to take a glance at you after his declaration, the pitter-patter of his heart persisting at the absolute flabbergasted look on your face. Immediately, the voices in his head intensified, with one in particular having the low, poisonous drawl of an ancient beast.

“Look at that, they hate you now. They’re disgusted by you. Who could ever love someone’s who not a human like you?”

The blonde alchemist inwardly curses, wondering if he had actually ruined something good in his life. “I know this must be a surprise for you love, and I completely understand if you need some time to process or if you...” he swallows. “Need space from me. You deserve someone who can love you better than I can. Someone made of flesh and blood just as you are, not someone who still doesn’t know how to best interact with people. You are worthy of someone better than me-”

The rest of his sentence fades away when you swiftly pulls him into your arms, encircling them around his waist and burying yourself in his ash blonde hair.

This isn’t quite the reaction that he expected. He tries to crane his head to look at you, but you refuse to move. “(Y/N)-”

“Dont’t...” The choking sound of your voice made him still. “Don’t say that about yourself. Don’t say that I should be with someone better than you when my heart tells me every day that I can never love anyone like I love you. I don’t care that you’re not a real human being, you’re real to me, aren’t you? So what if you’re molded by the hands of another? You still experience emotions just as any of us do. You still laugh and cry and love just as hard as any human. You’re still the Albedo I know, synthetic or not.”

“But-”

“No buts! I love you, and if you think that’s going to be the reason for me to leave you, then you’re wrong!”

He takes a deep breath in and lets himself return your hug, the tight feeling in his chest unwinding just a little bit. How is he so lucky to have met you?

“You’re taking this better than I thought.”

You snort lightly. “Oh, believe me, I don’t think I’ve ever been this shocked. But I’ll get around to it.” You release him for a second to look at him. “Hey Albedo, if I ask you a few questions, will you be able to answer them?”

His shoulders slump momentarily. Of course, the hardest part of this conversation have yet to come, he still has to tell you about the darkness and rot inside of him.

Albedo does his best to smile at you. “I’ll answer them to the best of my abilities, darling.”

Whether intentional or not, every single living creation of Rhinedottir bear within themselves a curse that corrodes them from the inside out, him being no exception.

“You’ll destroy them,” the voice hisses into his ears that sends shivers of dread down his spine.

He hopes that fate will be kind to the both of you.

[nemeseos-noctua]

Hello! It's nice to see a new genshin impact writer! I saw requests are open, and there's two I have in mind (if it's ok with you): One is for Razor, Albedo, Xiao, and ganyu (possibly Aether if you can) wherein Reader is scared of love. Like, they're scared of opening up and love someone in fear of rejection or being tossed away. But yet they still daydream having someone who'd love them making it more obvious how much they want to love despite their fears anyway--

With this information, how will they confess to Reader about their feelings? Or comfort/console them?

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: albedo, xiao, ganyu, (separate) x gn!reader

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: reader has a pyro vision, albedo and xiao story spoilers in their parts

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: srry for cutting some characters off!! the character limit is 3! (but personally i would write for aether hehe hes so cute i love him)

you just so happened to have a quest in dragonspine

you did not expect to see fatui—especially not fight them

and... you did not expect to get ganged up on! what is this? a bully session? what the heck?

Among the brawn and burly figures of the Fatui members, you didn’t fail to notice a streak of blonde and dazzling blue from a distance—your eyes widening as you prayed to whatever archon would dare to listen...

Please, please don’t be another stupid enemy. You thought with a grimace, your heart pounding in your chest as you could hear a voice—it was calm yet strong, like a endless waterfall or a river creek.

“Burst forth!” 

In a matter of seconds, a geo flower emerged from the earth, your form being lifted up on the tiny platform as shards of crystallized rock formed under you, nearly stabbing you in the gut.

Who? What? How? Who was this stranger? This vision-wielder?

Wasting no time, you plummeted down on a nearby Fatui—deeming this geo-user as ‘safe’, you summoned your own flames, charring the crystal snow black as you wrapped your arm around the blonde, barely taking any time to observe his features.

from then on, you never expected to grow close to this mystery man

turns out he was the chief alchemist of the knights! you weren’t personally associated with the knights... but being chief alchemist certainly was a grand title, right?

with the use of your pyro vision, you helped accompany—albedo—you learned his name was

at first, the two of you were just exploration buddies. but as time went on, butterflies began to form in your stomach, nervousness seemed to peak when he was around

love was like a poison—you knew it’d hurt, you knew it’d kill you to have a drop—

but you wanted it. you wanted love, you wanted to be held by albedo and to twirl his silky hair around your fingers...

but—would he want you?

You wanted to love Albedo so badly.

Yet you knew, you couldn’t. The alchemist just wasn’t the type for love, he was not the type to give kisses or reassurances, nor was he the type to confess with a rose in his hands.

It wouldn’t hurt to dream, though. 

The thoughts you had before you slept were of him, of how pretty his eyes were—you couldn’t even pinpoint a color for it. Sometimes, they were blue, sometimes, they were teal. 

With every shooting star that’d zip past the sky, every eyelash that’d fall and every fire that’d be lit with the palm of your hands... you hoped for a love. A love so grand it’d outshine the sun, a love so grand it could make you forget the past and undo the pain of before.

But, in the depths of your mind, in the wings of the butterflies that’d flutter in your stomach... you knew—

Albedo did not love you. 

albedo initially thought of you as a torch lighter.

LOOK, HE IS A LOGICAL AND RESOURCEFUL MAN. he does not see the world with a rosie-colored-lens like how many others do—he sees it as the facts

and with your pyro vision? combined with dragonspine, ooh, please... ain’t that a match lighter?

but as time went on, he started to see you in a new light

you were knowledgeable, you respected his views and even contributed sometimes! you were no prodigy of alchemy, of course, but you were well-versed in combat and oftentimes knew how to navigate dragonspine

(he asked you how you knew dragonspine so well. all you told him was “Pain”)

but... albedo is observant. he’s definitely aware of your feelings and nervousness, how you get overly sweaty near him and fumble on your words

it’s then he realizes—he likes you too

love is a foreign concept to him, uncharted territory and an unexplored region. of course, as an alchemist, it is up to him to discover the unknown

and love—love is unknown

how could one possibly dedicate their entire life to another? albedo always questioned this notion, for humans were free beings that wanted nothing more than to break free of their shackles

and yet—the moment the alchemist met you? all of those questions flew out of the window

he wished... he wished to love you. but to him, it looks as if you do not want to love him

It’s frustrating, really.

How Albedo would brush over your hand mindlessly, how he’d hand you an object and let your fingertips meet for two seconds too many, how his cold yet soft lips would curve into a smile upon seeing you return from your endeavors.

Why? Why? Why? Why did he do this? Was he aware of the way he made you go crazy? 

You wanted to love him, so so bad—but—

“[Y/N],” Albedo’s voice seemed to pierce through your thoughts as if he had heard them.

“Y-Yes?” You turned immediately, the rush of your heart not calming a bit, the nervousness of your leg that bounced up and down as a remedy that you wish didn’t have to be so obvious.

Averting his eyes from yours, you missed the pixie blush that dusted the tip of his ears. He was not aware of your insecurities—but he was aware of one thing.

That—that he liked you... a lot, in fact.

“Recently...” Albedo started, clearing his throat anxiously before continuing, “I have started to develop some... feelings, for you. It is okay if you do not reciprocate, but it feels wrong to think about you in such a light when you are not awa—“

“Yes!”

You winced.

And then, everything seemed to crumble. Was he talking about someone else? Was there someone behind you? Was this a mindless prank? As it had been all those years ag—

A hand rested on your cheek, bringing you back to reality with the mere touch of his fingers.

albedo... in all of his intelligent prowess... was not expecting for you to say yes

in the public, he is a genius— a prince, a prodigy, even. but to him, he is but a failed student who is trying his best in completing his master’s final orders:

find the meaning of life

what is life? life is broad, life is different, life is... well, life.

at first, albedo had assumed that his master was talking about living life, as in plants or animals.

but now—with you, with klee, with mondstadt, with everyone. 

the chief alchemist seemed to realize:

life, life was in you.

life brought joy, laughter, pain, excitement, happiness—

and sometimes, even love

“But Albedo I—“

“It’s okay, [Y/N]. Though I am not personally aware of what seems to be troubling you, I will do everything in my power to assure that you feel comfortable with me.”

Life was short, Albedo noted. 

So—he wants to enjoy it.

—With you.

xiao does not fear rejection, but he does fear love

how pitiful... for a guardian yaksha such as him to fear such a trivial matter

love—love was scary. love could take control of him like how he was manipulated in the archon war, love could tug his arms and move him around like a puppet

he, adeptus xiao, did not want to love

but then, you came in. and it frustrated him tremendously. you were but a mere mortal, a fleeting life that came into his eternal one. you were someone who he did not deserve

and yet, he loved you

so much, so so so much, he can’t bear it. he can take on all those karmic binds, all those whispers and hatred—yet he cannot bear the love he feels for you. he cannot bear the way his heart races or leaps whenever he sees you, he cannot bear you

but—his heart does not like the fact that you feel the same

you had told him before, one night, a few months ago... you told him how you were afraid of love

you were afraid of getting tossed away, of being forgotten like the fallen archons in war, like a side character in a play of fontaine

and all xiao could do was scoff. whoever dared to throw you away would meet his spear, his rage. he could not fathom a world where you were hated, where anyone would dare to reject you—because, because—

you were his world, regrettably

Pacing up the stairs of Wangshu Inn, you ignored the gross feeling of your clothes sticking to your skin.

“[Y/N].”

Jolting up, your eyes met with that of the Guardian Yaksha—his piercing gaze and unwavering strength eyeing you down as if you were a pest.

“You’re going to get sick. Your mortal body cannot withstand such weather,” Xiao scolded, and on cue, a flash of light zipped through the air, the deep rumble of thunder following soon after.

Observing the way you flinched at the noise, Xiao merely wrapped an arm around your waist, teleporting you to the top of the inn and into your room.

“Dry up. I will return with soup,” The adeptus waved off your nervous gaze. He was not stupid, he has seen mortals succumb to sickness, and he hopes that you will not be one of them.

but as he heads to the kitchen, he cannot help but notice—notice the fact that you seemed to be... uneasy around him

was it something he said? was he perhaps too harsh with you? you of all people should know his words mean well, though...

and ugh, here it is again. the feeling of love that made even him overthink the smallest of things

yet after he brought you some soup and got you into bed, the question still ran around his mind like a halo. did you hate him? was this sickness bringing out your true thoughts?

well, yes and no

“Xiao...” You quietly murmured, wincing as the winds picked up inside your room, materializing a certain Yaksha out of thin air.

“What?”

“I’m sorry...”

“...?”

Rushing up to you, Xiao immediately placed a hand on your forehead, worried that you were on the brink of death.

“I’m sorry for liking you.”

“... What?” His eyes widened in disbelief, in shock. Sorry? Why were you sorry? Did you regret liking him? Was that why—

“I know...” You trailed off, in a drunken state of sickness, “That you don’t love me. But that’s okay. I just... wanted to let you know... because I’m afraid you’ll say no... but if you say no, I can at least move on...”

Staring at you fiercely, his breath hitched in his throat. No? No? He would never say no to you, ever, ever.

“Don’t move on,” Was all he could muster. 

Don’t. He wasn’t ready for love, no, he never was—but—

He did not want you to leave. 

This action of sickness was finally a catalyst, a catalyst for Xiao to confess to you properly when you were in the right state of mind.

And hopefully—when he does, you will say yes. 

xiao only confesses because he does not want to lose you

his karmic binds, the whispers, the screams. he does not want you to get tainted by them—so he is selfish, he is selfish for loving you and confessing to you... but he, he cannot bear to see you go

a double-edged sword, love is. it stabs his heart, skewering it as if it were nothing. it plunges his mind, clouding his thoughts as they fill with you and only you

can’t he just indulge in this fluffy feeling, once?

no—he doesn’t deserve it, he doesn’t deserve you.

Under the rising stars and floating lanterns, the two of you sit. It is an unspoken love, you both share, it is an unwritten rule that paints the back of your minds like a canvas of colors. 

But love—is love. Love is the rainbow that forms in the sky when the rain is over, love is the sun that shines, washing away all of the coldness of the world.

Love is you.

ganyu feels... alone

so when you come into her life like a prospering glaze lily, she wants nothing more than to love you!

but you, confuse her. she is 100% sure you return her feelings, so why do you not seem to be... excited, about it?

To an immortal like Ganyu—love changes. At first, love was for the world, but then it shifted for mankind, and then it moved to... you.

She was no strange to love, in fact, she welcomed it! Ganyu wants to feel as mortal as possible, so when you stumble in and make her fumble for words—she knows she has fallen.

Like a meteor or a person—she falls for you. Everything reminds her of you, every flower and every bird makes her want to talk to you and spend her time with you.

But lately—you have been quite... reserved.

at first, ganyu thinks she is the problem. that she has done something wrong and she is a terrible crush

but then, she hears rumors. rumors about your past loves and how they rejected you mercilessly, how they played you like a marinette doll and caused you pain

to ganyu—that is the lowest any mortal could ever go. but for now, that is not her problem. she wants to help you, to make you realize that you are deserving of love and that you—you make her feel love

she—of course, does not confront you about this directly. ganyu is far too experienced to bring up past conflicts

but, she will subtly make you realize her feelings. with morning and night walks around liyue harbor, with hangouts and ‘dates’ at liuli pavilion...

love... it’s quite beautiful, isn’t it?

“Ah, the food here is certainly marvelous,” Ganyu gushed, enjoying a nice plate of jade parcels as you spared a smile.

“Yes, thank you for this, Ganyu. I know you work a lot and—“

“Of course, [Y/N]. Everyone needs breaks,” The woman returned your kind gesture, eyes crinkling in amusement as your heart pounded so loudly in your chest.

“In all honesty, [Y/N]. I feel quite a connection to you, and though I am aware you are hesitant— I just wanted to let you know that you are loved... by many people, not only me,” Ganyu rested her chopsticks down, making complete eye contact with you as her blue hair framed her face. The black and red horns that adorned her head glimmered—the kindness and delicate features of her nose and lips, her eyes and smile—

Your breath hitched.

ganyu—of course— does not expect an answer right away!

in fact, she thinks it’s quite unorthodox to confess to someone who is afraid of love—but her instincts told her it was right

it was abrupt, she knows. you don’t have to say yes, she knows.

but still, love was a game of chance—just as gambling, betting, anything. love was a game for two

so she took it. she took the chance, hoping that maybe you, you’d say yes.

“I...” You trailed off. You didn’t know Ganyu returned your feelings, neither did you ever imagine she could... Ganyu was half-adeptus, a caliber above you and your mortal-ness! Why would she ever think of you as anything more tha—

“Do not be afraid, [Y/N],” Ganyu’s voice was gentle as she soothed you. She had been here before, she had seen you cry out of a yearning for something you couldn’t have, she had seen your heart shatter and your mindset retract.

“I... like you too,” You responded, you felt light-headed, like you were soaring in the clouds that not even Celestia could bring you down.

Love, love was a gamble. And sometimes, you’d get your heart broken, your soul broken...

But love—it wasn’t so bad after all.

― constellations!