#platonic baizhu x reader

[idyllic-affections]

i know my kingdom awaits, and they've forgiven my mistakes.

summary. "Baizhu reached out to their shoulder, giving it a tender squeeze. "I just want to know why you left so abruptly. We were so close. There is nothing you could say or do that would make me resent you."" trigger & content warnings for self-hatred, severe blood, major traumatic life events, depictions of trauma, panic attacks & a fuck ton of crying, implications of suicidal ideation but it is never explicitly stated in an obvious way, overall heavy on the themes of mental health, heavy spoilers for baizhu's story quest and childe's character stories, [name] is called pretty once. tropes, pairings, fic length, & other notes. friends to strangers to friends, hurt/comfort. baizhu & childhood friend!reader, brief hints of childe & reader. 10k words. they/them pronouns for reader. author's thoughts. it is here. the fabled "friends to something significantly worse to friends again" fic is finally here (june if you're reading this, thank you for the idea lmaoo <33). btw! this post runs on the theory that skirk is associated with khaenri'ah. no idea what her personality is like so.... bear with me pls. she gives off "tired, bitter big sister" vibes in this fic. at one point, nightmare by set it off started playing while i was writing this and i think thats so fucking funny, that is so childhood friend![name]core. a LOT of ironic songs played while i was writing this actually! maybe ill make a post about it?

       "What's the last thing on our list?"

       Surely the sky had been painted by the Celestial Gods above—how else could one even hope to explain the otherworldly beauty it held? Pinks blended smoothly in with hues of golden orange and baby blue as the sun crept lower and lower towards the horizon. A few stars already dotted the evening sky, twinkling and sparkling against their background.

       In the reflection of their eyes, the light danced.

       Their friend hummed thoughtfully, brushing some of his hair away from his face, before scanning the words written in practically illegible handwriting inside the little journal the two's shared master had given them. "Violetgrass... I think."

       "You think?" they echoed, amused, peering over his shoulder into the notebook. He shrugged.

       "Master's handwriting isn't exactly... er, legible."

       They giggled at that. "No doctor's is. I think it has something to do with how many prescriptions they have to write on a daily basis. Like... they have to write fast, so they have some kind of language of their own to be as efficient as possible."

       "Is that so?"

       "...Honestly, I don't know. Something like that, I guess."

       He smiled at them, teasing, "Shouldn't you know better than anyone, [Name]?"

       "Shut up, Baizhu, I'm still learning!" they huffed with faux annoyance, snatching the book from his hands. "Yeah, that says Violetgrass. Hm... you should probably go back, then. It's getting kind of late," they mused, meeting the boy's gentle burgundy gaze. "I've got it from here."

       "Are you sure?" he asked. "I don't mind going with you."

       "I'm sure. I get Violetgrass on my own all the time. It gets cold at night, and with everything going on, it's probably better that only one of us goes out. Less of a chance of the sickness spreading further, you know?"

       "I can't really argue with that," he admitted. "Alright, but don't stay out too late."

       "Don't worry," they reassured, "I don't intend to."

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       Darkness had fallen by the time they reached their normal spot for gathering Violetgrass. Specks of glittery stars dotted the night sky; it took all of their mental strength to not sit and admire it. They would never get their task done if they did.

       'The last time I did this with my bag on, I fell.'

       With that thought in mind, they hummed and carefully took the cross-body bag filled to the brim with medicinal herbs off. They set it neatly to the side. Before beginning, they stretched, hoping to somehow make themselves more flexible and limber by doing so. A series of satisfying pops were released from their bones.

       It was then that they began gingerly scaling the cliffside—it wasn't impossibly steep, and they'd done it an abundance of times in the past, so it didn't present too big of a challenge. It wasn't anything they weren't used to.

       The ground then unexpectedly trembled beneath their feet. They huffed as their foot slipped, sending them sliding down a few feet and back onto solid ground. The single piece of Violetgrass that they needed seemed to mock their failure from its place several feet above them.

       "Aw, come on..." they murmured, slightly frustrated. "Maybe I should have had Baizhu stay and help..."

       Then, again without warning, just as they were about to make another attempt, the ground split open.

       A scream was torn from their throat as they fell. It was as if Teyvat itself had swallowed them into its core. They made a a desperate attempt to reach for the surface, but as soon as they were in, the crack snapped shut once again. No matter how fast they fell, no kind of ground ever seemed to get any closer. Briefly through their terror, they wondered if this was how they'd die—falling into nothingness for eternity until they starved, mortal body eventually decaying into nothing and becoming one with the never-ending emptiness.

       This was never meant to be how they'd die. Their death was supposed to be fated through Changsheng's contract, not through... this.

       A sob ripped through their throat as their body unexpectedly slammed into the ground. Upon impact, they knew at least a handful of bones in their wrists had broken. Perhaps it was unwise to brace their fall with their wrists, but then again... it would have been far worse if they landed on their back. Breaking their back may very well have been a death sentence in the scenario they were in. Honestly, they were just thankful that their shoulders and forearms seemed to be okay, aside from a rhythmic throbbing coursing through both arms. Their body trembled pathetically like a leaf in the wind, ready to be blown away at any second. At least a leaf would see daylight or even moonlight.

       It was pitch black for them, as if the darkness actively sought out and destroyed any source of light it was capable of finding. It seemed to sap any will they might've had to resist, to find a way out. Their will was gone. It was like it was never there in the first place. The ominous dark took all that determination, all that light, and consumed it like a starved beast until there was nothing but a shell left behind.

       A deep pit settled in their gut as they whimpered, curling up into a ball. Surely, this was just a dream. An awful, terrible dream. They'd wake up and everything would be normal—they'd still be on the surface, gathering the last of their master's requested herbs before heading back and resuming their life as normal.

       Regardless of whether or not this was a horrifying nightmare, sleeping was far more appealing than staying awake.

       It was with tears rolling down their cheeks that they tucked their head into their arms, wincing at the shooting pain that ascended the length of their arms when too much pressure was applied to their wrists, and succumbed to the boundless darkness.

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       Time was an illusion.

       That's how they felt, at least, because they had no idea how long they had been underneath Teyvat for. It could've been hours or it could've been days—they wouldn't know the difference either way. Everything was fuzzy. Their sleep was restless and interrupted; no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't truly sleep. Even if they managed to fall asleep, they'd wake up again after a few minutes with a jolt and a wave of paranoia. What frustrated them so deeply about it was that they knew very well that their body would never heal if they didn't sleep well. They'd never have the strength to escape if that were the case. It was infuriating.

       The distant echo of footsteps made their muscles tense. The sound ceased a few feet away from where they laid.

       "You'll never survive down here like this."

       A nervous whine threatened to leave their throat. They swallowed it down, hands trembling slightly.

       "Get up. I can tell that you're awake."

       Fuck.

       With what minimal strength they did still have, they pushed themselves up using their elbows. Using their hands would only hurt them more. It was difficult to see, but nonetheless, they could see her eyes clearly. Empty, star-shaped irises stared down at them, piercing the very depths of their soul, picking them apart like some kind of subject of a dissection. The utter bite of her gaze caused them to suck in a sharp breath, posture straightening slightly.

       "I've no idea why the Abyss would want someone so... pathetic," she scoffed. "Look at you, resigning to your fate like some kind of lost puppy with its tail between its legs."

       "No, I... That's not..." they stammered, trailing off, hoarse voice quick to die out in the face of her frigid sternness. "I'm not..."

       "Oh? Am I wrong?"

       "No— Yes, I mean, yes, I was... My wrists, they broke when I fell, so... They broke and I don't have anything to fix them with, so I thought resting would be a better idea than running or fighting, and—"

       "Alright, alright, stop. Get up. Follow me."

       She began to walk away.

       "H— huh?"

       "You want to survive, don't you?"

       They scurried after her before they could have any kind of second doubts.

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       The woman introduced herself as Skirk, a seasoned swodswoman with extensive knowledge about the Abyss and how to survive in it. She had been kind enough (well... it was debatable whether her gesture was out of kindness or due to ulterior motives, but they had no other choice but to trust her) to treat their injuries, stiffly wrapping their wrists so that they could heal properly.

       It took about six weeks for them to heal adequately. Within that time, they were surprised to find that they had begun to be able to see through the darkness, as though their eyes had finally adjusted.

       They had hoped she would help them get out when they were fully healed, but...

       No.

       When she asked if they wanted to survive, she sure as hell intended to teach them how to do just that.

       "Slow, uncoordinated, weak," she criticized venomously, swinging her blade down at them with great force. She would undoubtedly kill them if they gave her any chance to. If they made one mistake... "Just how do you think you'll get by in this realm when you can hardly defend yourself?"

       "I— I didn't have to in Teyvat!" they sobbed, tears streaking down their cheeks from both the pain of the several open cuts and bruises blooming on their skin and the pain of being away from home for so long. How long had it been? They had no clue. Their wrists throbbed as they parried her blade with one of their own. "I was the apprentice of a doctor! I was safe there!"

       "Well, you're not safe here. Get used to it," she sneered. "It's kill or be killed down here."

       "I don't want to kill!"

       "Then you'll be killed."

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       "Stop hesitating. Kill it."

       The Abyssal creature at their feet seemed to whimper, trying its best to crawl away from them. It's body was already terribly mangled, limbs broken and twisted in ways they never should have been. Archons know what the eldritch creature even was—they sure as hell had no clue. All they knew was that they felt sorry for it. It looked so small and weak beneath them. 'Pathetic,' a malevolent whisper drifted through their mind, 'it looks pathetic.' With a shake of their head, perhaps in an attempt to rid their mind of such cruel thoughts, cries escaped their throat. Their chest rose and fell in sobbing, labored breaths. All they could hear in their ears was the distinct sound of blood rushing. Their chest ached. Their body ached.

       They wanted to go home.

       "I can't, Skirk, I can't..."

       "You can," she hissed, "and you will."

       "No," they cried harder, "look at it! I can't..."

       "You can," she repeated, though this time with strange serenity, as she stepped behind them; with her hands, she forced their dagger down into the creature's chest, "and you will."

       Blood splattered across their figure as they let out an utterly visceral wail.

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       Soft sobs wracked their figure. The more they tried to suppress their cries, the worse they got.

       Many nights were spent in this manner. It wouldn't be the first night they spent crying themselves to sleep, and it was unlikely to be the last. Was it from the pain? The stress, perhaps? They truly didn't know. The only thing they knew was that they could only fall asleep if they exhausted themselves by crying first.

       They just wanted to go home.

       Then again...

       Would they be accepted back? There was blood on their hands now. Fresh blood of a life that had value just like any other before they so cruelly took it away because in Skirk's words, it was 'kill or be killed.'

       Would they still be viable for Changsheng's contract?

       What if their master was dead by the time they returned?

       What if they never returned?

       Maybe that would be for the better.

       But they wanted to go home regardless.

       Then, the first light they saw in what seemed to be ages graced their empty irises. The light was treasured. Without thinking, they trapped it between their palms like one would to a firefly in the night so that it could not escape them.

       A cool, smooth stone that most definitely wasn't there before now sat between their cupped hands. The rush of cold against their feverish skin prompted them to peer inside the little cage created by their rough hands.

       Inside sat a Cryo vision, still-wet blood smearing over its chilling surface.

       That night, they cried harder than they ever had before, clutching the Cryo Archon's blessing like it was some kind of lifeline.

       Contrary to what they may have believed at the time, the night they got their vision marked the final night they would ever spend crying themselves to sleep in the Abyss.

       That "morning," Skirk would note an evident change in their demeanor.

       That "morning" would mark the point at which the Abyss officially reached the depths of their soul, sucking the last of the light from them and changing them fundamentally.

       That "morning" would mark the point at which they were no longer Changsheng's next contractee.

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       Skirk taught them much in the first seven months of their time in the Abyss.

       The longer they stayed, the warmer she became in her behavior towards them. She vaguely reminded them of their medicinal Master, though she was certainly much tougher than he was. She was not unkind, they had concluded. She was simply hardened. Archons know what she must have been through to be so cold.

       Despite all that, she even did them the kindness of celebrating their birthday.

       "When you do finally get out," she had said to them that day, "you will find that very little time has passed in Teyvat. Don't be surprised. You'll be a year older mentally, but your bodily age will be about the same as it was when you fell."

       "How long has it been since I fell, then?"

       Her reply sent chills up their spine, stomach twisting in sheer disbelief:

       "Seven days."

       Of course, "celebrating" just meant that they got to sleep the day off rather than be relentlessly beat up by the swordswoman. Nonetheless, they appreciated the break.

       Ultimately, they had come to the conclusion that she was much different than what they'd initially assumed.

       They'd taken it upon themselves to patrol around what Skirk considered to be her "territory." They'd chuckled a bit to themselves when she described it in such a way, but said nothing, only offering to patrol in her place for the day as a favor. Allegedly, that was how she encountered them all those months ago.

       They were surprised to find that they, too, encountered a poor victim of the Abyss. It was a boy; if they had to guess, they would say he was somewhere around their age, maybe slightly younger.

       'Is this what Skirk saw when she looked at me? Archons, no wonder she looked like she was going to tear my throat out,' they mused absently, unblinking void eyes staring down at the ginger boy on the floor in front of them. He looked like he wanted to say something but simply couldn't force the words out. 'He really does look like a lost puppy... is that what I looked like?'

       His blue eyes were wide with shock and terror, glossed over with unshed tears. The Abyss was slowly beginning to dim the light in those eyes of his, but hadn't gotten very far yet—they still shone with an innocence they hadn't seen in quite a while, an innocence that didn't belong in a place such as the Abyss. His shaking hands clasped weakly at his foot; that's when they noticed that it was broken.

       Some kind of forgotten instinct suddenly sparked again in their chest at the sight of his wounded ankle. Life... it was a thing they were supposed to protect. That was something they had been taught for as long as they could recall. It was only after falling into the Abyss that they began to stray from those teachings.

       They needed to protect him. He was so fragile, the poor thing.

       Briefly, they wondered what Baizhu, Jiangli, and their Master were doing right about now. Were they worried? They had no way of knowing. They did their best to brush those thoughts off before the homesickness could set in.

       "You're hurt..." they observed, breaking the uneasy silence. "Broke it when you fell, huh? Can you walk, or will I have to carry you?"

       "H— huh? Um..."

       "Right. Got it. Hurry up and get on my back," they instructed, kneeling down with their back facing him so he could climb on with ease.

       "How—" he gasped, withdrawing from them. "How can I trust you?"

       "You'll die if you don't," they stated plainly, glaring back at him. Their gaze sent chills up his spine. It was so... empty. He was sure that not even the most seasoned warrior in his home nation looked so blank. It seemed as if all the light had been sucked from their soul, leaving a hardened shell of what they once were. Even Fatui officials had some kind of light in their face, but they simply did not. It unsettled him. "Get on. Now. You wouldn't last a day out here."

       Though hesitant and utterly terrified, he yielded, reaching up to wrap his arms securely around their neck. They hooked their arms under his thighs and hoisted him up. Then, with a huff, they stood up.

       The silence weighed a little too heavy for the boy's liking. Once the initial terror had worn off, he felt something much warmer bloom in his chest—awe. Absolute, unfettered awe.

       Surely someone as tough as them could help him become more courageous.

       "What's your name?"

       "What, you trying to make conversation? Build rapport? I'm not planning on killing you. Relax," they scoffed. Then, after a brief, awkward silence, they went on, "...It's [Name]."

       "I'm Ajax," he greeted with surprising grit for someone who just fell into the Abyss. "Hey, you're brave, right?"

       "I... I guess?"

       They dared to peek back at him. His eyes shone with light and determination foreign to anything or anyone in the Abyss. It did not belong here. He did not belong here.

       "Teach me how to be brave like that."

       Little did he know that light would disappear soon enough. They simply chose to look away, rather than mourn the loss that was inevitably going to occur.

       "...You'll want to meet my teacher, then. She'll toughen you up."

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       "What is that?"

       Ajax squeaked slightly, to which their lips twitched upwards into the ghost of a vaguely amused smile. Skirk must have unsettled him even more than they did.

       "A boy."

       Skirk's cold eyes narrowed at them. "No shit, [Name]."

       "He fell and broke his ankle, so I brought him here," they elaborated, kneeling down again so he could easily get off their back without hurting himself even more. He gingerly slid off of them. Once he was off, they stood back up, walking over to her. "Anyway, I see why you wanted to rip my head off when you met me. You're totally right. He looked fucking pathetic."

       "Oh, you get it now, hm?" She smirked, placing a firm hand on their shoulder. "Never thought I'd see the day you called someone pathetic."

       They shrugged. "This place changes you, but I suppose I don't have to tell you of all people that." Then, they beckoned her to lean down slightly. When she obliged them, they whispered something inaudible into her ear, occasionally glancing over at Ajax. They eventually withdrew, turning to face him.

       "If it's courage you seek," Skirk said, scrutinizing the boy; he seemed to shrink under her gaze, "you'll indeed find it down here."

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       Ajax’s time in the Abyss was short. They had briefly wondered if they would ever one day run into him on the surface when they did eventually get out. The thought was oddly nice.

       He changed very fast, they recalled. What was once a timid and easily frightened boy had become a hardened weapon of war that sought out bloodshed just for the thrill of it. It fascinated them, really. Why weren’t they like that? They were but a fraction of the beast that he had become. The sensation of being alive certainly gave them a rush, but they hardly reveled in it the way he did.

       Then again, maybe that’s why they could at least hold their own against Skirk.

       That was something he could never truly manage to achieve. Once in a blue moon, the Snezhnayan boy could hold his own against them, but never Skirk. She was on a different level entirely. Now that they really thought about it, however, it seemed very likely that it was because he just wasn’t level-headed in the way they were.

       That brought another question to mind, however: why wasn’t he level-headed like them? Why did he relish in the bloodshed more than they did?

       The only possible explanation was their origins. Being from Chenyu Vale, it was hardly any surprise that one particular ideology was stamped irremovably into their brain.

       Even so…

       It would be unrealistic to expect that they wouldn’t change during their stay in the Abyss. Their exposure to Abyssal energy was insanely long—the fact that they still cared at all about saving lives was shocking.

       Fourteen months into their time in the Abyss, something in their mind snapped.

       They could recall nothing about their episode. All they remembered was that Skirk had them training, as usual, against hordes of Abyssal monsters. It wasn’t something all too challenging for them; they were quite used to her highly demanding training sessions. Just when they started getting slightly overwhelmed, an unfamiliar rage boiled in their chest, and they blacked out.

       When they came to, all they could see was death.

       Blood soaked their clothes and fingertips. They were quick to come to the horrifying realization that it was not theirs. None of the blood was theirs. Not a single drop was theirs. The shallow scratch on their cheek wasn't even deep enough to bleed. They dared not turn around. Their gaze remained locked into the darkness ahead of them, hands trembling and eyes watering.

       Before they could say or do anything, before Skirk could say or do anything, the Abyss spit them out. It simply... decided it was done. As if it had grown bored, or as if it were finally satisfied with the level of corruption in their mind and soul. They lost consciousness briefly, only to awaken exactly where they had gone missing over a year ago.

       …

       Well, over two weeks ago, they guessed. Time dilation was a difficult thing to get used to.

        “Bright… Archons above…” they groaned, pressing their hands over their eyes in an attempt to gradually adjust to the sheer brightness of the surface. It made them a little sick, if they were to be quite honest; they had grown used to the pitch blackness of the other realm. “Gods, it’s bright…”

        “…[Name]?”

       They peeked through their fingers, squinting in the hopes of being able to make out the figure standing a few feet from them. When it finally hit them just who it was, their heart throbbed. The soft green hair they had grown so accustomed to braiding throughout their childhood, now wild and untamed as a terrible consequence of stress and panic, the tender eyes filled with perhaps a little too much wisdom for a child that age…

       They were really back on the surface. It wasn’t just some sick trick of the mind, no.

       They were home.

        “Bai— Baizhu?”

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       He was quick to call for help, leading them back to their shared Master. Jiangli seemed to almost cry when she saw them again—tears of relief or tears of worry, they didn't know. She reminded them of a concerned mother.

       However, something they dreaded terribly had come to pass.

       Their Master discovered that they were in no need of his healing. They were uninjured. All that blood was not theirs. It was never theirs. They were completely unharmed.

       "There isn't a single scratch on you."

       They intentionally avoided his gaze, instead focusing on their hands rested in their lap. Absentmindedly, they noted how calloused and scarred their hands were compared to how soft they had once been. The hands of a healer had become something far more sinister. Changsheng was eerily quiet.

       "...[Name]?"

       "No"—they sniffled, finally meeting their Master’s golden irises filled with tender concern, concern they did not deserve after what they had done—"there isn't."

       The conversation died right then and there.

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       Their departure from Chenyu Vale was sudden and unexpected. Many did not know why they left. All they left behind that could explain why they left was a small envelope for Baizhu, but they honestly didn't know if he would even open it. Leaving him without a single word... it made them want to cry every time they thought about it.

       The goodbyes they said to Jiangli and their Master were tearful, but neither of the two could stop them from leaving after learning that they had suffered so much. After all, what place did a killer have in Chenyu Vale?

        ‘You’re not a killer,’ Jiangli had insisted. ‘You’re not. You belong here, with us.’

       They disagreed with her sentiment. How could she still look at them with such kindness, even after knowing what awful things they had done? Maybe that’s why they left without speaking to Baizhu. Maybe they knew he would have pleaded with them to stay. Maybe they knew they would have stayed if it were he who asked.

       Many of their years were spent wandering Teyvat, but every now and then...

       They'd settle in Snezhnaya to catch up with an old acquaintance of theirs after tracking down his whereabouts.

       "The Fatui, hm? Looks like you really aren't some scared little kid anymore. Shame. You were quite a cute scared little kid."

       They hopped from nation to nation on a whim, picking up knowledge and still studying medicine on the side, though they wouldn't dare call themselves a doctor of any kind. It was Liyue that they often avoided, and if they really couldn't help it, they'd sneak along the border like some kind of internationally wanted criminal. The idea of running into Baizhu would always send their stomach into knots. What would they even say to him? He owed them nothing. He owed them no kind of forgiveness.

       'And yet, despite all that...' they mused, staring vacantly at the sleeping Jiangli at their side, 'here I am. I won't let anything hurt you, even if it means putting myself at risk.'

       Their fingers gently ran through her tangled locks.

       The constant pulsating glow of their Cryo vision was indication enough that, through their own means, they were keeping those terrible god remains at bay. Between the gorgeous icy energy that generated from them, a magenta glow was woven in like some kind of skilled artist's tapestry. It was as beautiful as it was unsettling.

       The Abyss would always be a part of them. They might as well put Skirk's teachings to use.

       "Why do you do such insane things?" they wondered aloud, head tilting back to shift their empty gaze towards the roof of the cavern. "You know that if I destroy those remains, your husband will die, and yet... I followed you nonetheless, knowing I would be at an impasse until someone came to rescue us, knowing I would inevitably cross paths with the one I have fought so hard to avoid. Why are you like this? So irresponsible, but then again... I am no better. I wouldn't be here if I was."

       "Jiangli!"

       "Well... it doesn't matter now," they murmured quietly, gently shaking her shoulder. "Jiangli, wake up. Baizhu and your husband are here. Some others too… I don’t know them though."

       "We found her!... but who's that beside her?"

       Baizhu was oddly silent, watching how they treated her with such tenderness, helping her sit up when she groggily rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Jialiang did not so much as flinch, however—he rushed up to them.

       "[Name]! How is she?! Is she okay?!"

       "Gods, Jialiang—" they hissed, pinching his arm in a soft attempt at scolding him. They vaguely resembled a parent chiding their child, despite the fact that he was older than them. "Don't run like that. You'll keel over dead if you keep that up. She's fine. She was just sleeping, I promise. I ensured her safety."

       "Your ability to stave off the effects of the god remains is rather impressive, [Name]."

       "...It's really not, Baizhu," they opposed quietly, rising to their feet. They dared not meet his eyes, looking anywhere but at him—they would feel an overwhelming sense of guilt if they were to see the evidence of his and Changsheng's contract, the contract that was always meant to be theirs. On top of that… they were certain he could see right through them, see the way they huffed out their breaths in a labored attempt at getting enough oxygen. "Don't try to make conversation. I'm not planning on running away this time. Jiangli probably did this on purpose... she forced my hand. It— look, it doesn’t matter. We'll talk about this, about everything, later."

       He seemed content with that answer—for the time being, at least.

       "Well, that's a first," Changsheng hissed from around the doctor's neck, "now isn't it?"

       "You're getting sassy in your old age, Changsheng," they commented. "Haven't changed a single bit since the last time I saw you, hmm? Sassy old lady~"

       "Hey!"

       "Sorry, wait— Paimon's confused," the floating fairy interrupted. ‘Oh,’ they thought, ‘so that’s who Ajax was talking about.’ "Knowing Baizhu is one thing, but knowing Changsheng is waaaay different! Who are you?"

       "My name is [Name]," they introduced with deceptive calmness that masked the pure, unadulterated panic they were experiencing on the inside. "You may have heard of me through a certain Fatui Harbinger. ‘Codename Childe, but I also go by Tartaglia,’ you know. The ginger with a bunch of cute siblings. Have you met them? They’re the cutest. Anyway, the harbinger has quite the collection of good things to say about you, traveler."

       Aether tensed slightly, shooting Baizhu an odd look, almost as if to ask who he was associating with in his spare time.

       "Relax. I'm not a part of the Fatui," they dismissed with a wave of their hand. "Those people are a bit insane, if you ask me, supporting a deity who hardly seems to care for them or the general population of her nation... Erm. Anyway. I only happen to know Ajax because we were both victims of the same circumstance a while back."

       "What..." Aether trailed off, blinking. Something in the way he looked at them, looked at the blankness in their eyes, said that he already understood. "...What does that mean?"

       "Ask him yourself. Do me a favor, though, and tell me what he says. I'm genuinely curious."

       "Hey!" Paimon cut in with an annoyed huff, stomping her foot like an aggravated toddler. The thought made them smile slightly. "Stop ignoring Paimon! You still didn't answer her question!"

       "[Name] was another one of my Master's disciples, like Jiangli," Baizhu explained on their behalf, briefly glancing in their direction. "Although... I haven't seen them in several years. Like Jiangli, they too ran away."

       "Oh, Gods, Baizhu," they groaned, turning to face him properly for the first time in years. Their breath almost dared to hitch at the golden irises that stared back at them. "Don't be dramatic. Are you telling people I ran away? I didn't run away. I told our Master why I was leaving and when I planned on doing so. It's Jiangli who really didn't tell anyone why she left. I wasn't that secretive about why I left, you know."

       "Nuance."

       They then softened up slightly, running their hand through their hair. A deep sigh left through their nose. "...You really haven't changed at all."

       He seemed to smile a bit at their exasperation. It was only fair, they supposed. They had left him in the dark for years. He deserved to find some amusement in the uncomfortable situation they were both forced into.

       "Well... whatever. We have bigger issues than my past friendships right now," they said, crossing their arms over their chest. "What are we doing about these remains? I have protected Jiangli's body and mind, but only to an extent. She is infected and it will continue to worsen if we do nothing. However, if we destroy these remains..."

       "Indeed..." Baizhu murmured, turning to the man in question. "If we destroy these remains, your life will come to an end."

       "If you knew what she was doing," Aether cut in, "why didn't you stop her?"

       "You cannot stop a woman like that once she has her heart set on something. All I could do was watch from the background until she put herself in too much danger, to the point where I'd have to defend her," they sighed, "such as what she did here."

       Jialiang looked between them and Baizhu. "...I had wondered when this day might come."

       Jiangli was silent.

       "We've been working our butts off to save Jialiang's life!" Paimon shouted. "We can't just give up on him now! Baizhu, you're a great doctor. Surely you've gotta know of some other way we can save him, right? Or— [Name]! If you studied with Baizhu, you should know a few things too, right?"

       "Sure. I still remember some things from that time," they replied, tilting their head back a bit so they could gaze at Jiangli's husband. "Jialiang could continue taking the poison. Jiangli is... in decent condition overall, so it wouldn't be the end of the world to delay the destruction of the remains, but she will fall more ill as time goes on. Either way, someone will die if we don't do something."

       "[Name], you've been watching Jiangli," Jialiang stated, standing up to meet their eyes. "How long does she have?"

       "If she completely stopped coming here..." they mused thoughtfully, "a few weeks at most would be my guess. You'd probably get a more precise answer from Baizhu, though."

       "I would say that is accurate," Baizhu agreed, nodding. "I could... extend that time, however, if I were to treat her using a secret art."

       "You..." They wanted to scold him, chide him for even suggesting such a thing, but in the end, they did not. It would make them a hypocrite. They simply bit their tongue. Jiangli watched closely with a gentle gaze comparable to that of an aunt or a mother as the various emotions flickered across their expression.

       "...But what would be the point of that?" Jialiang lamented. "Dr. Baizhu, I am all too aware of the dangers of god remains. You are not the first to mention it to me. [Name] often warned me, but... I did not listen. If I continue to sustain my own life using this wretched substance, then not only would Jiangli have to keep risking her life to make my medicine for me, but I would have to live with the looming threat of these remains breaking out and wreaking havoc not just upon me, but my entire family. I know for a fact that I should have died over a decade ago. The fact that I've been around to see Ayu grow up is already a great blessing from Rex Lapis. If my choice can keep Jiangli alive, then... even if I die..."

       "Jialiang..." Paimon trailed off.

       The man chuckled sadly. "After cheating death for so long, it seems I've grown somewhat addicted to life."

       "Life is a terrible drug for those of us who often come face-to-face with death," they admitted, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Take a minute to talk with Jiangli. We'll wait."

       "Thank you..." he said, kneeling down at his tired wife's side, "I'm sorry that I won't be able to repay your kindness in this life."

       "Jialiang...” Paimon cried, wiping her face with her little balled up hands. “Baizhu, Changsheng, [Name], is there really nothing else any of you can do?"

       "Cheating death is beyond my ability," they answered apologetically. "I know much of arts that are... beyond this world, but they are not used for preserving nor extending life. I wish I could do more, but I can’t. My apologies."

       "I am sure that over the years, Jiangli will have tried all the conventional methods known to humankind. As for the less conventional methods, I have little expertise besides Changsheng's secret art..."

       Aether's gaze flickered between them and Baizhu as he said that, before settling back on the Liyuean doctor. "...They're aware of it?"

       "Try to avoid treating me like an outsider," they half-scolded. "Believe it or not, I was meant to be bound to Changsheng. Fate had different plans, however, so yes. I am very much aware. Even through the medium, that being Changsheng, none of Baizhu's predecessors could manage to cheat death."

       "Mortals are fated to grow old and pass on when their natural lifespan runs out," the snake mused. "If it were so easy to combat the natural processes of aging and death, Jiangli would not have had to resort to unnatural methods."

       Paimon sniffled. "What a crazy situation... Jiangli risked it all to save Jialiang's life, and now, Jialiang has to sacrifice himself to save Jiangli. What's the point of it all..?"

       "Love, I have heard, tends to make people do insane things," they stated. "It's quite tragic, really."

       The traveler nodded. "All we can do now is honor Jialiang's decision and bear witness."

       "...I've seen many final farewells in my time," Baizhu commented softly, quietly, "but I can never get used to it."

       "In the human realm, all things must come to an end. Is it not a fitting end to die for a worthy cause? At least... that's what generations of Masters before you always believed."

       They wondered if Changsheng was somehow trying to be reassuring.

       "The path they chose was indeed a heroic one," Baizhu agreed, "but when I think of those who would willingly sacrifice themselves for others... I cannot help but think that theirs are the lives least deserving of death."

       The quiet whispers shared between the couple gradually died down. It was then that Jialiang stood up.

       "I've said my goodbyes. My time has come. Do what you must."

       "As you wish."

       "We have not been in contact for years," they spoke up, stepping forward and raising their hand, "but I know you well enough to know that a man dying indirectly by your own hand will weigh on your mind. I will take care of this. Stand down, Baizhu."

       The doctor seemed momentarily stunned, but he nodded nonetheless, backing off. "...Very well, [Name]."

       With a chilling wind and a flick of their wrist, the god remains dissipated with a hiss.

       It wasn't very long until Jialiang collapsed.

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       "Jialiang..! Jialiang!"

       The man shot up with a gasp, instinctively clutching at his chest.

       "Dad! Are you awake?!"

       "Jiangli..? Ayu? Didn't I..." Jialiang trailed off, gaze drifting to the seals stuck on his skin. "Huh? What are these?"

       Changsheng’s voice drew his attention. "How does it feel to come back to life?"

       "Do you feel strange or different in any way?" Baizhu questioned, walking to his bediside. "If so, could you describe it to me in detail?"

       "Dr. Baizhu! I thought I was going to..."

       "Die? You did, actually," they stated, gently holding his arm, carefully inspecting the sigils as to not disrupt the delicate imitation of immortality that the doctor had created. "To think this is what Baizhu's been doing in my absence... absolutely fascinating. Sorry, Jialiang, do you mind? I'll back off if it's uncomfortable. Don’t be afraid to tell me.”

       Jiangli giggled at her husband's look of sheer confusion.

       "Uh... no, you're— you're okay..? Go ahead."

       Baizhu's lips quirked up at the sight of their enthusiasm. He said nothing of it, though. "As things stand now, you're more akin to a zombie than a human."

       "...I'm a zombie?!"

       "That's right. Before we set off, I asked Qiqi to prepare and Elixir of Immortality. With its help, you have been suspended in the space between life and death. Of course, this is but a crude imitation of an adeptus art. I don't expect it to extend your life indefinitely. Whether it will keep you alive for a few days, a few months, or a few years...” Baizhu mused, “I am as interested as you to find out, but however long you have left, I believe it should be more than sufficient time for you to say your final goodbyes before departing the world in peace. ...I hope Director Hu finds this arrangement to be a satisfactory one?"

       "An Elixir of Immortality? How'd you cook that up? Ugh," the girl in question groaned, "leave it to you to work on something like that behind my back..."

       "It's a work in progress that hardly lives up to its name, and it would've had no effect if not for Jialiang's iron will." Baizhu shifted, crossing his arms over his chest. "In the end, I am merely a doctor. I understand very little about the great principles governing life and death, and the perpetual cycle of yin and yang. All I know is that if I am presented with a life that deserves to be saved, I will do everything within my power to save it. Even this would have counted for nothing if not for Director Hu's assistance... after all, did you not tell Jialiang to show us the way before we set off for Qingce Village?"

       "Oops! Aaaand, I'm busted..."

       "Without Director Hu nudging things in the right direction, we may not have found Jiangli and [Name] in time. They could only hold those remains off for so long."

       "It wouldn't have meant anything if not for your friend over there," she pointed out. "They nudged me first."

       "I did," they conceded, finally backing away from Jialiang after finishing their investigation of his sigils. "What of it? I was worried about Jialiang and Jiangli. I told Director Hu who I was and where I was headed after eavesdropping, and then she nudged Jialiang in that direction. It's not that serious."

       "Eavesdropping is kind of serious!" Paimon exclaimed, shooting them an odd look.

       "Fair point, but it's not like I was eavesdropping on someone I've never met. What could Baizhu have said to you that I wouldn't have already known? Absolutely nothing.”

       "I knew there were people listening in on our conversation back then," Aether murmured. "To think it was you two..."

       "No wonder he didn't mention the Elixir back then," Director Hu muttered to herself. "I thought he was being frank and transparent with me for once, but apparently not."

       Jialiang cleared his throat, laughing a bit. "Director Hu told me to keep her suggestion a secret, and [Name] had told Jiangli and I a while ago to keep it a secret that they were in Liyue, but it seems nothing escapes Dr. Baizhu's attention..."

       "Never underestimate a serpent's sense of smell!" Changsheng hissed, almost seeming to be proud.

       "All I wanted was to help Jialiang find his missing wife as soon as possible, so that he could be on his way to the afterlife without any unfulfilled wishes making the journey more difficult than it needs to be..." Hu Tao sighed. "Leave it to Bubu Pharmacy to snatch the perfect opportunity right outta my hands at the last hurdle! Never mind, I'll just have to put it down in the books as a deferred consideration... one Qiqi was enough of a conundrum; the last thing I need's another one. If I'd known this was coming, I would have whisked him off to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor the moment I found him."

       "Y— you stay away from my dad! When I grow up, I'm gonna become a better doctor than Mom and Baizhu, and cure Dad for good!" Ayu declared, making them chuckle into their hand. They ruffled his brown hair fondly. "A— and [Name]! Better than [Name] too!"

       "I don't really practice medicine anymore, honey. I definitely don't count as a doctor. You'd outdo me within a week."

       Jiangli grinned at them, teasing, "I don't know, [Name]. For someone who 'doesn't practice medicine anymore,' you still act as if you do. You seem very fascinated with Baizhu's imitation of immortality on a very deep level.”

       "Old habits die hard," they simply answered. "What can I say?”

       "Oh? Is that so?" Hu Tao chimed, turning to Ayu. "Well, you wouldn't be the first person who's tried to put Wangsheng Funeral Parlor out of business. If you're serious about it, you'll have your work cut out for you."

       Just like that, she turned on her heel and left.

       "Phew... is she finally gone?" Qiqi peeked out from her hiding spot. Upon seeing them, and noting that Hu Tao was gone, she ran over to them, presenting them with a silk flower. "I meant to give it to you earlier... because it's pretty, like you... but I forgot..."

       Their face turned serious as they faced the Liyuean doctor. "Baizhu."

       "Hm?"

       "I'm keeping her. She's mine now. This is my child now."

       Both Baizhu and Jiangli chuckled at how purely enamored they were with her, kneeling down so Qiqi could tuck the flower behind their ear. They cooed over her sweetness, patting her head lovingly. Ayu almost seemed a little jealous of the attention they showered her in.

       "All's well that ends well!" Paimon chimed, turning to Aether. "If you ask Paimon, we should probably go do something to celebrate this heard-earned family reunion..."

       "Paimon's idea of a celebration can only mean one thing..."

       "Hehe! At times like this, a grand celebratory feast is in order!"

       Jialiang chuckled, "It feels like it was a whole lifetime ago when I last talked with Jiangli and Ayu around the dinner table."

       "Rightfully so," they said, "you've been through a lot."

       Aether nodded. "This was a hard-earned meal."

       "Yaaay~! Paimon can't wait! Alright, first thing's first—off to the market for some fresh ingredients! Let's go~!"

       "Wait up!" Ayu shouted, running after them. "I'll come too!"

       "Baizhu, thank you so, so much for everything you've done for us..." Jiangli thanked, then turning to place a hand on their shoulder as many had done before her. "And [Name], I would not be as well as I am now if not for you. You've been standoffish for the past decade, but I know you still care. For all of us."

       "Ah... I wasn't trying to come off as cold. Things just got tough for me after that incident. I never want you guys to feel like I don't care, you know..."

       "Don't mention it, Jiangli," Baizhu reassured. "I was just doing my duty."

       "Just your duty, huh..." she mused wistfully. "Baizhu, Changsheng, [Name], would you mind if we took this conversation outside?"

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       "Time flies. It's been so long since we've been together like this... Changsheng, you're the same as ever," Jiangli laughed. "You haven't changed one bit!"

       "That's literally what I said to her, too," they exclaimed. "See, I knew I was right! Some things just don't change, hm?"

       "...You two, on the other hand, have changed a lot," Changsheng replied, a thoughtful lilt to her tone. She certainly knew more than what she was letting on.

       "You're right," Jiangli admitted. "My younger self would have never imagined that things would one day turn out this way."

       "I doubt that any of us imagined our lives would turn out this way," they added. "I mean, really... our time in Chenyu Vale seems so far gone now, doesn’t it?”

       “It really does,” the woman agreed.

       The evening light bathed their face in yellow-orange light; it wasn't quite late enough yet for the light to take on a more golden hue, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Even after all the horrors they had witnessed, they still had the capacity to recognize beauty.

       "Liyue's so pretty at this time, isn't it?" they wondered aloud.

       "You always did think so," Baizhu replied. "That much hasn't changed."

       An oddly comfortable silence settled for but a few short moments as the small group descended the last of the stairs that led to Bubu Pharmacy. Jiangli was the first to break it:

        “I’ve taken a look at your Elixir of Immortality, Baizhu, as has [Name]. It isn’t altogether dissimilar from the poison I concocted in terms of the way it functions.”

        “I have to say, Jiangli, it was a stroke of genius to use poison to maintain life. I hope you’re not too upset at me for… copying your methods?”

        “No, not at all. With your intellect, even if you’d never seen my poison, I believe you would have eventually arrived at the same approach, but I’m still impressed by how quickly you gained such a thorough understanding of it. Jialiang’s still only been in your care for a few days. Not just that—you even managed to improve upon the original formula. That cannot be explained by intellect alone…”

        “Ten mora says he tried it out on himself.”

        “Ha!” Changsheng laughed. “Told you the truth would come out sooner or later.”

        “Knew it,” they hummed. “Life force has never been the only thing Changsheng’s contract allows her contractees to transfer. I know simply because I used to catch our master doing things like that all the time.”

        “Baizhu…” Jiangli trailed off.

        “…Nothing gets past you two. Yes, Changsheng’s secret art also allows for the transfer of toxins and diseases. When I treated Jialiang for the second time, I transferred some of the poison from his body onto my own. Not only did this allow me to alleviate the burden on him, but it also gave me an opportunity to study its properties. There is no need to worry about any long-term consequences to my health, however. Now that the source has been destroyed, any remaining poison in me will have already dissipated.”

        “But you took such a huge risk,” Jiangli opposed. “If we hadn’t destroyed the gods’ remains back there, then even you might have…” She then sighed. “What am I saying? I’m in no position to criticize you for this, and if [Name] knew… it’s no wonder why they were adamant on destroying the remains themselves.”

       They nodded. “I had to be sure they would be gone. Believe me, whatever was there before… it is not there now and will never be there again.”

        “Leave it to you to see through us all, even from such a distance,” she said with a fond, wistful smile. She turned back to Baizhu. “The reason I left our Master and went into hiding all those years ago was that he was getting old, and I didn’t want him using up any more of his own life force to treat my husband, but in the end… how were my methods any different than his? I risked one life to save another, and then you tried the poison on yourself, too… It looks like both of us have ended up going the same way as out master before us. As for [Name]… heh, they’re hardly any better.”

       Baizhu seemed intrigued by her statement. “How so?”

        “[Name], why don’t you tell Baizhu how you absorbed the majority of that gods’ remains to keep them from getting to me?”

        “It’s different,” they insisted, gaze shifting towards the golden sky. "I mean, I did do that, yes—that’s not what I’m denying. You two do it because if there is a life in front of you deserving of being saved, you save it, and… ten years ago, I would have done it solely for the same reasons. Now, though… It’s different. That incident changed me, Jiangli. I do it because I get a rush from surviving things like that.”

        “Nonetheless, your intentions towards others are still good,” Jiangli said, gently squeezing their upper arm. “Would you have done it if you didn’t care? If you weren’t scared for my life? You said it yourself. You were worried about my husband and I. You put yourself in a situation you knew would inevitably lead to you and Baizhu meeting again. You put yourself at risk, and that is what really makes me wonder: are all disciples of Chenyu Vale destined to turn out this way? To live a short life, having given away our own for the sake of others? To fight relentlessly against the natural course of life and death, whatever the cost? …Maybe our fate is sealed the moment we decide to study medicine.”

        “We are doctors, Jiangli. We ought never say that anyone’s fate is sealed.”

        “Baizhu, I can tell that over the years, you’ve used the contract with Changsheng to transfer many diseases and toxins onto yourself. There are so many, that some of them I don’t even recognize… can you still stop it before it’s too late?”

        “Don’t fool yourself. We all know the answer to that question, Jiangli,” they interrupted, “and we all know it’s a very honest no. All disciples of Chneyu Vale believe in the same core principle. Don’t be a hypocrite.”

        “Heey~!” Paimon shouted, waving the group over. “Food’s ready!”

        “Mom!” Ayu exclaimed excitedly, running up to the woman. “Come and join us! Aether taught me a load of new recipes and said even Dad’ll be able to taste them! Come and try them out!”

        “Yes, darling, mom’ll be there in just a minute… Hey, slow down!” she exclaimed, chasing after her child. She stopped briefly, turning back to face them and Baizhu. “Baizhu, I know I won’t be able to convince you, but… please don’t forget that, if one day, you’re not around anymore… Qiqi, Gui, and all the friends that have grown fond of you, they will all miss you dearly.”

        “There’s no need to worry, Jiangli. I know what I’m doing.”

        “…I can only hope so,” she sighed, “and [Name]? I believe you know where this conversation needs to go. I was honest about why I left. It’s your turn now.”

       She walked off after her son.

       A silence settled in her absence. This time, however, it was tense.

       Then, Baizhu seemed to search his pockets for something. His face brightened slightly when he found it: a small envelope yellowed with age. He handed it over to them.

       "You... never opened it?" they wondered softly, holding the letter they'd written all those years ago with such delicacy that they weren't even aware they were capable of anymore.

       "I wanted to hear the explanation from you."

       "This was from me," they tried to counter.

       "[Name]."

       "Yeah, yeah... I get it. You wanted to hear it from me directly. I know," they sighed, leaning back against the railing, fidgeting with the paper envelope help in their hands. "It really isn't a pretty story, but if anyone deserves to know... I suppose it's you. I’m surprised Changsheng didn’t tell you already, given how inclined she is to gossiping—”

        “Hey!”

        “—Just... please. Do me a favor and try not to look at me too differently after you hear it."

       Baizhu reached out to their shoulder, giving it a tender squeeze. "I just want to know why you left so abruptly. We were so close. There is nothing you could say or do that would make me resent you."

       They smiled bitterly. "We'll see about that."

                         — flower of the universe !! 🌸

       For the first time in a very long time, they spoke to Baizhu.

       Not superficially, not as distant professionals, but as friends. It was a moment of honest vulnerability that truly frightened them. They hadn't been that vulnerable since before their fall.

       The silence weighed heavily on their chest as they gazed anywhere but at their former friend. Somehow, the anticipation for his response was far more suffocating than any other in the past—even the anticipation for their Master's response was never this heavy.

       Then, the Liyuean doctor reached out, gingerly tugging them towards his figure. His arms settled comfortably around their waist.

       The weak beating of his heart and the wheezing breaths he took prompted them to sob. The sound they let out was overwhelmingly heartbreaking; it was somehow even worse than the cry they had let out upon taking that first life all those years ago in the Abyss. All the pain they suppressed for all the years they hid from their home, their friends... it all came flooding out at once.

       "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

       "You went through all of that," Baizhu whispered, his voice meant only for them (and Changsheng by default…) to hear as a hand ran soothingly through their hair, "and you truly believed we would hold that against you?"

       "Yes!" they wept. Archons... they hadn't felt this pathetic since their initial descent into the Abyss. "Gods, Baizhu, of course I thought you all would hold it against me! I was supposed to be Changsheng's next contractee! It was never supposed to be you! I didn't want it to be you!"

       "I know."

       "It's not fair! You— you're here giving away your life force, and you're going to die young, and it's going to be my fault! I should have done something differently! Maybe then we wouldn't be in this situation!"

       "It's not your fault."

       "It is!"

       "It's not."

       "You're suffering because of me!"

       "[Name]."

       "I only ever do bad things to you," they sobbed. "Why do you still want to forgive me? Why are you wasting your time comforting me? You should just move on. You're better off without me."

       "Stay in Liyue."

       "H— huh?" they sniffled. "What? No, I... No!”

        “Stay, [Name]. Please.”

        “No! Why do you even want me to stay here?! You should hate me! You should—”

        “You’re reckless with your own life. Do you really think I don’t see it? You claim to get a rush from being alive, but… I do not believe that is the only thing you seek out by putting yourself at risk. Mentally well people don’t behave this way. Let me help you. Please."

        ‘No shit,’ they wanted to say, ‘I haven’t been well since that day.’

        “Are you saying you don’t trust me to be on my own?”

        “I am.”

       Their throat closed. They squeezed their eyes shut.

       He was right, much as they hated it.

        “…Fucking hypocrite.”

       "That may be so.” He smiled ruefully. “If that isn’t good enough of a reason, then… I’m asking you to stay because I want you to stay, [Name]. Stay with me for a little while." His eyes were filled with a gentleness that they wholeheartedly believed should not have been directed at them. "We still get along, don't we? Though you may have changed, I genuinely find it hard to believe anything about us has changed, so stay. Let's get to know each other again, hm?"

       They blinked. Once, twice. Tears pricked at their eyelashes.

       "...Okay."

       They still failed to part from Baizhu, but he didn't seem to mind, only resuming his motions of brushing his fingers through their hair.

       "Qiqi quite likes your company, too."

       "Yes..." they murmured. "Um, a lot of kids seem to, you know... Ayu, my other friend's siblings... I don't really get it, but they, um, they all seem to like me."

       For what was the first time in decades, they felt truly at peace. They'd often engage in meaningless conversation under the sunset's light with Baizhu in their youth, gathering herbs and the like for their shared Master. To do something so similar once again...

       It soothed the beast their soul had become. 

       The sunset's light, however, did not dance in their eyes as it once had.

please consider reblogging, it helps me out quite a lot! taglist: @zeldadou, @ophelium-flowers, @aikitsuki.

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

Hey dude. It's me - anon with that SAGAU!kid!reader idea. Well, I was thinking about Liyue or Sumeru men (I'm that kind of person, that's into guys LOL). If there is a relationship, then only platonic one (or maybe father-child in Zhongli's case).

So I will try to go with Zhongli, Baizhu, Alhaitham and Cyno (probably Gaming, cuz he's like a son to me) That's it for now Hope I didn't ask for much tho 😅

CONNECTED TO THIS IDEA!

Aye aye, Anon! God!Child! Reader Platonic Meets Ups It is!

Also plz note that I might not be able to list every Sumeru/Liyue man there is in Genshin bc Im doing this at the top of my head—

Sumeru And Liyuen Men (And Gaming) With The God Child.

(Warning: Might be OOC!)

Cyno

The General Mahamatra may not exactly be well-versed when it comes to comforting words (except his puns—and even then, many people would say otherwise), but Cyno is a sincere man. You can trust that he will stick to his word.

And he does, when he promised to look after the Almighty Creator who is a child (not unlike Nahida, but they certainly have more of a mindset of a child—). But was he expecting your chaotic behavior (explosives Klee Style)? Yeah...No.

Bro nearly thought you were held at gunpoint or tricked/manipulated into doing it until he realized you did on your own.

"...Your Grace...Please don't blow up the store again." So instead of protecting you from harm by others, Cyno is more focused on protecting others from harm by you. As much as he doesn't like to think of it that way, you were a lot more dangerous than any eremite or sand monster there was out there.

At least he's still doing his job, being the General Mahamatra! You gift him a flower crown, and he has to take it or else. :)

Tighnari

Since he works with many young forest rangers, and tutors Collei, Tighnari is probably used to dealing with children. Dealing with the Almighty Creator certainly wasn't going to be an issue under this Forest Watcher's eyes.

That was...until you blew up a rishboland tiger. By yourself. On your own. Without getting hurt.

He was not the only freaking out, mind you. Collei was losing it, and Tighnari? He's internally screaming and getting metaphorical heart attacks.

"Your Grace, what were you thinking, running off like that? I know you're strong and you want to protect everyone, but you can really hurt the environment and—" He tries his best to hold back his sassiness while he scolds you, considering some children are much more emotional than others.

He sets up some basic rules for you to follow to make sure that you respect the Avidya Rainforest grounds, but also protect yourself from any form of harm.

Bro becomes a helicopter parent while you're under his care. Have fun, and I hope you enjoy mushrooms. Collei will cook you something else if you don't like what Tighnari cooks, though. :)

Kaveh

This man. He will BUILD you toys. He will DRAW you stories. He may even tell you stories himself.

Mehrak is your best friend when you're around Kaveh. And that man tries his best to make sure your time with him is good. He also refrains from drinking, which is nice! He's improving a little! :D

Absolutely gets worried if you run off without him knowing or if you're hiding from him for too long while playing hide and seek. He goes into an utter MELTDOWN.

And if you blow something up? Boy, if you thought Tighnari getting metaphorical heart attacks was bad, think again—Kaveh might actually get a heart attack.

"Your Grace! What—What were you thinking? Where were you? What did you do? Why did I hear an explosion?!" He's trying to keep himself as calm as possible, but Kaveh is an emotional man. He's kind of failing—

Luckily, with your go-lucky attitude, you pull Kaveh around and take his mind off of work and your explosions! Win-win! :D

Al-haitham

The moment Nahida assigned him the task of taking care of the Almighty Creator, who is a child, bro is planning his things carefully. He is safe-keeping his books, he's renovating Kaveh's bedroom (bc yes), he's buying a few colouring books and crayons.

What he caught him by surprise was not how trusting you were to new strangers you barely knew. It was how you had fun with explosions and exploding everything in your path.

You can imagine as you're being carried away by the Scribe, he's giving you a one-sentence scolding.

"Your Grace, don't ever do that again, it's not nice." He would go into further detail, but he's sure you wouldn't care all that much about data and analysis and stuff like that, so he just ends it as it is.

You're still gonna do it, there's no doubt. It's just now Al-haitham is preparing for your next incoming attack as well.

Zhongli

Grandpa gramps is here woohoo! He's probably the most calmest out of everyone on this request list LOL. You can imagine he's following you calmly, apologizing and paying (through Childe's money cough) for the damages you caused.

Believe it or not, but it was Hu Tao who found you first and decided to take you to Mr. Zhongli for babysitting. He contemplates how the Director found you and brought you back.

The first time you explode something, he is definitely surprised. And concerned of the people who got hurt. You can't fault him for being worried for the mortals that were involved—Liyue Harbor is basically his child. Bro's been governing it for thousands of years.

"Your Grace, Little One, let's try not to put strain in the efforts of an adult's day-to-day life." He scolds you, and will definitely be more keen on your whereabouts, but he does this in a gentle tone. At the very least, you give him something to do that doesn't require him to present himself as the supposedly "deceased" Geo Archon.

Baizhu

With the guy's health issues...it's hard to say if he'll be able to keep up with you and your constant outings all around Liyue Harbor. Changsheng is definitely worried about Baizhu's stress levels as he has to figure out what you did this time and make sure no one was harmed.

He constantly has to ask Qiqi to go find you since he literally cannot keep up with your speed, lest he actually faints or something. You were that quick.

Luckily, if he hears of your whereabouts, he will definitely arrive just in time to apologize and give free check-ups to everyone involved in your explosion party.

"Now, Your Grace, please refrain from hurting others. It's not good to hurt someone's health." You can certainly expect Baizhu to give you a scolding—as well as a basic understanding of medical care in case either you or someone else will need it, and he can't make it there in time.

Like Kaeya (And Tighnari in this post), Baizhu will definitely write you some rules in a notebook and makes you recite them at least twice a day so that you remember not to hurt other people or damage your own health.

He is a doctor for a reason. It's his job to look out for others—even chaotic children with explosives.

Gaming

HAVE NO FEAR, GAMING IS HERE!

Bro is basically your Big Brother who does cool dances and gives you snacks and protects you. Since he's a real foody, you'll definitely know which places are the best to buy snacks!

You find his Wushou Dancing cool as well. He takes pride in it tbh. I mean, who wouldn't be ecstatic if the Almighty Creator loves it?

He does get a bit panic-y when he sees you blow things up, though. As much as he wants to pursue Wushou Dancing as his daily career, he still needs his job as a Shipment Guard.

"Y/N! No! Don't blow that up—!" Yes, he took you out once to travel with the shipment goods for one time, and he's never taken you with him again unless you promise not to blow anything that are near the goods.

He usually leaves you in Liyue Harbor when he's making these Shipment trips, but once he returns, you can certainly count on him to give you some tasty snack or a fulfilling dinner, as well as a free small Wushou Dance.

Big Brother Gaming does not disappoint!

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: I AM VERY DEAD. I AM SO SORRY SOBBING. Life hits you hard and fast sometimes sigh. I've been so busy I haven't been posting much—but rest assured, I have quite a lot of posts for you guys very soon!

✦ Check out The Ghost Rebel’s Blog Description & Info Page to See if Their Mailbox is Open! ✦

[watatsumiis]

Reactions to Being Ignored for Video Games (part 1)

Exactly what it says on the tin! Modern AU Genshin characters react to the reader not paying attention to them in favour of a video game!

Characters: Ayato, Arlecchino, Baizhu, Capitano, Childe, Cyno

Part 2 (Dainsleif, Diluc, Dottore, Foul Legacy, Gorou, Itto)

Part 3 (Heizou, Kaveh, Kazuha, Lisa, Pantalone, Pierro)

Ayato is undoubtedly pouty about it. He gripes and grumbles to himself, but won’t just outright express what he’s feeling. He'll sit in your peripheral with his arms crossed and an unamused look on his face. It isn't often that he gets time off just to spend with you, so he takes it as a grievous offence if you don't want to do something with him. He isn't the type of person to particularly enjoy playing video games or watching others play them, so he'll just act like a stick in the mud until you set the game aside and give him some attention - then all will immediately be forgiven, or he'll just complain to Ayaka or Thoma later, then grumble when they joke that he's jealous of a game console. 

Arlecchino will just outright bitch at you - not necessarily in a mean or rude way, just in that signature way of hers where you can't quite tell if she's joking or not. She may snatch the device or controller from your hands to play a round or two and certainly won't say no if you offer to take it in turns (be warned though, she's prone to bouts of gamer rage). As long as she has at least some semblance of your attention, she's usually okay - but if you're ignoring her entirely, prepare to have your gaming session well and truly interrupted. If you don't let her play, or, gods forbid, continue to ignore her, she'll get snippy and annoyed, huffing and puffing and stomping about the room as she waits for you to give her attention.  

Baizhu is almost painfully polite about it - if you miss something he's said or don't respond, he'll just let out a breathy little sigh and shake his head and sit somewhere nearby to wait until you're done and he has your full attention - he struggles to compete with noisy devices when talking aloud and usually doesn't mind hanging on until you're ready to talk to him. He'll just read a book or do something on his phone for as long as it takes, but his very presence in the room seems to be loud in some way, though he himself isn't. It's just always extremely obvious that he's in there with you, keeping a close eye on your every move and waiting to say what he wants to say. 

Capitano doesn't really care unless he's trying to tell you something urgent (in which case he just plucks the device from your hand to make sure he has your full attention). He likes spending quiet time with his loved ones and is more than happy to sit in the corner and read a book, or quietly watch you play your game. He doesn't have much interest in participating, but he likes seeing people engage in things that make them happy. If you offer him a controller to play with, he seems to almost get flustered as he shakes his head and insists that he's fine just watching. He's too darn polite for his own good. 

Childe cannot stand not being in the centre of your attention. The moment he realises you're more absorbed in your game than you are in his mere presence, he turns into the embodiment of that one annoying little cousin at the family gathering. "Hey, what are you playing?" "Can I play too?" "Why are you being so quiet?" "Are you concentrating?" "Why won't you talk to me?" He's all up in your face, prodding and poking and pulling at you until you eventually snap and ask him what he wants - he usually doesn't really want anything except your unwavering attention. If you keep up the charade of ignoring him long enough, he'll practically start climbing all over you like a needy puppy, grumbling and pouting all the while. 

Cyno doesn't really mind - or doesn't even notice that your attention isn't on him. If possible, he'll just pick up a controller and jump into the game without even asking, or he'll sit right beside you to watch, so close that he's pressed up against you. He loves providing commentary like a mid 2010s YouTuber. Whether the act is satire or not is a hotly debated mystery amongst everybody who knows him, it's still pretty funny to hear though. His reactions are always so over the top and hilarious - if you play a horror game, rest assured he'll be hiding under the nearest blanket or clinging to you at the first jumpscare. If it's a strategy game, he'll put on a voice like a sports announcer and comment on your every move. Comedy genius, honestly.

Please don't repost, steal, copy or otherwise plagarise my writing! This includes posting translations to other sites (without credit + permission).

[dixidin]

"Oh my god, Neuvillette is so hot!" "I love Neuvillette so much!" "Neuvillette is so dadd-" STOP flirting with my father

[generalhumancloudalmond]

Favorite patient

Platonic! Yandere! Baizhu x Child! Fem! Reader

After losing your parents, you started living with your grandmother in Liyue Harbor. You didn't have a lot of money and you were suffering from an incurable disease, but even so you both were happy.

Your grandmother was already very old and had far from the strongest health, and you often suffered from pain due to illness. Death is hanging over your little house. However, neither you nor grandma saw this as a problem. You had no one but her, just like she had no one but you. That's why you didn't even worry about expensive medications. Since you're both destined to die in the coming years.

And everything was relatively good until you met Qiqi. You often met when you came to pick up inexpensive sleeping pills for your grandmother, and then on certain days you began to go for herbs together. Today was just the day. You and Qiqi were already at the pharmacy when you saw Baizhu and your grandmother.

"Mr. Baizhu, we can't afford these medicines, and Y/n and I have already discussed everything and decided..."

"I'm afraid you don't quite understand me, your granddaughter will die without these medications and I..."

"Grandma!"

You immediately ran up to her hugging her, your body hurt, but you were so happy that grandma felt better.

"And here's my favorite patient."

You and Grandma synchronously looked at the smiling Baizhu, Qiqi came up to you.

"Mr. Baizhu, as I said before, we can't afford such medicines. Besides, they are not for one time and they will have to be constantly consumed..."

Baizhu wants to start an argument with your grandmother again, but you won't let him do it.

"I don't want to start treatment either."

There is silence in the pharmacy and the owner is lost for a second from such a statement and looks at you in confusion. After a couple of seconds, he starts smiling again.

"Well, well, why don't we continue this conversation another time, it's late, and I promised Qiqi coconut milk."

Your grandmother nods in agreement, and you say goodbye to Qiqi.

"Good night, Mr. Baizhu."

"You too."

And after this incident that you tried to avoid Baizhu and Bubu Pharmacy. You received sleeping pills through your friend Qiqi, who wrote down your request so as not to forget.

"Sorry, Qiqi couldn't bring sleeping pills and painkillers."

"It's okay, Qiqi. Don't worry."

Yesterday you asked her to bring the cheapest painkiller they had, because the pain became too frequent and severe.

"No, it's just Baizhu..."

Qiqi took out a small notebook and started looking for something.

"Baizhu didn't give Qiqi any sleeping pills or painkillers because he wants you to come for them yourself. Qiqi thinks that Baizhu is worried about Y/n, just like Qiqi."

"Okay, I understood. I'll go to him."

You really came that evening to Baizhu. And to your surprise and disappointment, the owner of "Bubu" pharmacy was the only one here.

"And here's my favorite patient."

"Good evening, Mr. Baizhu, I've come to pick up sleeping pills and painkillers."

"Of course, just follow me."

Baizhu brought you to a small room and told you to sit on the bed. You hesitantly followed his instructions, while trying to explain to the man that you only need herbs, but he didn't seem to listen to you at all and continued to inspect.

"Mr. Bai Zhu, I only need sleeping pills and painkillers..."

"Does it hurt here?"

"No, Mr...."

"Answer honestly."

"Yes, a little, but..."

"I see, Y/n have you ever taken the right medications?"

"No, but I don't need them."

"Alright, please wait for me here."

He left the room, and you thought for a second to leave, but your grandmother still needed sleeping pills, and you need painkillers. Baizhu returned a couple of minutes later, in his hands he had a cup with some kind of decoction.

"You need to drink everything, otherwise I won't give you sleeping pills."

"We don't have the money for..."

"It's for free."

The doctor handed you a cup and you took it carefully, but instead of drinking, you just started staring at this liquid.

"Y/n, don't make me to give you this decoction by force."

Baizhu was still smiling at you, but there was a clear warning in his voice. Sighing heavily, you drank it all in one gulp. The medicine was disgusting and you immediately winced. Your head got a little dizzy, and the pain became less and you involuntarily began to relax.

"Well done, Y/n, you're such a strong girl."

You felt Bai Zhu's hands on your cheeks and he began to lower your head on the pillow, and you obediently lay down. You had neither the strength nor the desire to do anything, so you just watched the doctor. At the same time, he took off your shoes, put your feet on the bed, and then took a blanket out of the closet and covered you with it. The eyes started to close.

"To be honest, Y/n, I am very dissatisfied with your condition and, as a doctor, I will monitor your condition until you recover completely. As a result, you will have to stay here indefinitely. And now go to sleep, my little Y/n."

[dumbificat]

Genshin Dendro characters showing affection o(^_^)o

includes all dendro characters as of 4.1, minors to be read as platonic affection. ordered alphabetically. gn reader.

Alhaitham: recommends literary texts to you, tries to show some more emotion but don’t mention if he does (don’t point out his smile, it will disappear so fast)

Baizhu: will give some medicinal items for free and performs regular check ups on you even if you claim you’re fine.

Collei: tries to be a bit more physically affectionate (sometimes likes head pats or linking pinkies with you)but she can’t always do it. will make you friendship jewellery like bracelets or rings.

Kaveh: gifts you flowers! also teaches you about the meaning of some flowers (i hc that he knows about the meanings of gifting certain flowers). also would make little origami flowers or animals.

Kiara: always makes sure your deliveries are on time or even early if she can.

Nahida: makes little gifts for you and will make sweets to your taste!

Tighnari: let’s you groom his tail, his pride and joy. also would let you touch his ears but they’re sensitive so he prefers you touching his tail.

Yaoyao: let’s you hug yuegui if you’re feeling down and will give you a small bell to match hers!

Thank you so much for reading! Comments and reblogs are appreciated. I hope you enjoyed, please let me know if you did or if you have any ideas or suggestions for more （╹◡╹）♡

tags: @akademiyaslibrary @ryuryuryuyurboat

Link to other parts!

pyro dendro (this part) anemo hydro electro geo cryo

next part will be: hydro

[mayullla]

Title: Soft Comfort

Character(s): Zhongli, Qiqi, Baizhu (Genshin Impact)

Summary: Part 3, cult au, gold blood au; You finally woke up, tired and your voice raw. The slimes are delighted that you were finally awake and so were Baizhu and Qiqi.

Note: I by mistake deleted the original post ;-; so this is a repost.

Warnings/tags: Fem!reader, child!reader, cult themes, yandere / obsessions themes

The Child with Gold Blood masterlist

You woke up tired and confused, looking around you didn’t recognize this place.

The room was simple… a few beds, a table in the middle of the room, a few chairs and minimal decoration nothing fancy. You were soon hit with the smell of medicine and herbs with the smell of flowers too, looking to the side you saw a bedside table and on top was a vase filled with violet grass.

You looked around curious if you were alone and if there was anybody here when something blocked your vision, two very round eyes stared at you surprising you. “Ahh.” You said in surprise, your voice small and husky as if you didn’t use it for a long time.

It was the small anemo slime, which was jumping all over the place on your bed almost as if excited just to see you. It jumped off the bed, hopping to the other slimes who were sleeping in a pile on the carpet only to hit them and scatter them like bowling pins.

The other slimes jumped in surprised from being suddenly hit and the pyro smile grew hot as if it was angry that it was rudely awakened like that till all of them paused and saw you….

awake…

You smiled unable to laugh as your voice was dry and itchy even tho you want to. The small little guys just all rushed to you as if nothing could come in their way.

More jumping and tumbling occurred as if they were all in a panic. In the middle of the chaos, the cryo slime and hydro smile bump into each other midjump causing the hydro slime to turn into ice, while a dedro slime was visibly squashed by the geo slime as it used its friend as a jumping platform by mistake.

The geo slimes was first by your side, they bounced and jiggled as if to show you how happy they were that you finally woke up and clung to your side.

“What happened…?” You whined as your voice hurt from talking. You tried to remember what happened, but it was fuzzy.

It probably must be because of the noises that the slimes were making that Baizhu walked into the room to quiet them down so that the patients who were looking for their medicine and customers would not notice the ruckus and then find out that the pharmacy was housing slimes-

“Would you please quiet d-” He looked at you wide awake sitting up on the bed. It was as if time froze for a few seconds when he closed the door so that others can’t peek into the room and walked up to you taking a chair with him. “How are you feeling?” Baizhu asked worriedly, as he took a seat on the chair that he dragged to your side of the bed. It made you giggle a little that he suddenly swapped his attitude from annoyance to worry.

You shook your head, still too tired to really properly answer. Baizhu chuckled, taking the water container he poured water on a cup giving it to you. “Here it has been a few days since you fainted. You must be really thirsty.” Taking the cup the moment water hit your lips you started to try chugging the whole thing as quick as possible.

Baizhu had a hard time trying to stop you from doing that, scared that you might choke yourself. “Mister, what happened?” You asked after drink, curiously tilting your head at the man.

“Ahh, yes… a week ago you have fainted from using too much of your... powers.” Baizhu tried to explain. “A week? Powers?” You tilted your head at him confused about what he was talking about.

Baizhu sighed, the let a small smile spread on his lips as he patted your head, soothing himself as you who continued to look at him yet still let him pat your head.

You liked head pats, it has a nice feeling but you were curious about what he meant by power.

How did you sleep for more than a week?

“Well ___, you have extraordinary powers.” Baizhu continued, as he started to clean up your messy hair from your long sleep. “You can control the weather, make it rain, keep the weather sunny or if you want to, make it snow. You can grow plants with your powers, from a seed to a big tree in a few seconds... Nature follows you and does whatever you want. If you want to water and fire will part for you to give you a path to the destination that you wish to go.”

it was something that visions could do so technically it wasn't that special, not really Baizhu thought. But it was the fact that you could control all the elements when vision holders usually could only hold one...

but there is also another thing...

Your eyes sparkled as you look at your hands “That is so cool!” You wondered if you could grow your favorite flower right now but Baizhu was not finished yet, “You... could also do the same to people, you can make people happy, sad… you can also give them pain.”

That is something a vision couldn’t do… manipulate people's feelings and memories, give them physical pain like the last time but also unending sorrow.

“Then I want to make everybody happy all the time!” You immediately said to him, looking at him in the eyes with a bright smile on your face.

You really didn’t understand the implications, you didn’t understand that you held so much power in your small hands and that if you were not careful you could hurt someone… Baizhu shivered at the memory a week ago having yet to recover from it.

Gently taking your hands he looked at you in the eyes “___, you are still young and still have yet to understand how to control your powers. It is because... of those powers did you and others get hurt.” He told you.

You were surprised at what he said and looked at your palms again, enveloped by a bigger hand. Your memory was foggy and you barely remember what happened but the sad and concerned look that Baizhu gave you, made you scared of yourself, you didn’t know what was going on but you knew that you made a mistake.

“What happened?” You asked again.

Baizhu’s face morphed into guilt, guilt that he was to tell you this. “When you cried last time, you used your powers and made a lot of people faint.” Baizhu wasn’t sure if he could say faint, or if you would understand the word. It was difficult to explain… But when he saw your realization he knew you understand him a bit as your eyes watered.

Tears started to form in your eyes again as you sniffled, “I-… I- I didn’t mean to…” You didn’t know what you were really sorry for but you were sorry. You hurt people, even if you didn't mean to you did.

Baizhu wasn't that surprised by your tears and quickly took you in his arms as he hugged you. “It is fine. It is fine, dear. Don’t cry…” He told you as he patted your back.

You tried to hold your tears but it was hard as tears fell from your eyes, the slimes looked at you worriedly as the pyro slime nudge you in worry as if trying to comfort you, the warmth that it made, gave you a little peace.

It was around this time did the door open again for a small little girl with magenta eyes to walk in, “Baizhu, the guest took their leave and Qiqi closed the door. Are the slimes causing trouble for ___?” Qiqi asked when both of your eyes meet.

“___ Is awake,” Qiqi said, you wondered if it was a show of excitement or not as you watched her almost run towards you. “Ohh…? Why is ___ crying?”

Qiqi grabbed your hand that was on your side doing nothing, her hand was cold almost icy compared to Baizhu’s hug and the pyro slime’s warmth but you could feel concerned from your friend’s hands alone as it made you cry even more.

“___, don’t cry. It is not your fault.” Qiqi said not really knowing what happened but said it anyway, Baizhu combed your hair as he adjust his hug a little so that you would feel comfortable, “What Qiqi is right dear. You are not at fault for what had happened… We know that you didn’t mean it.”

Qiqi hopped onto your bed as the slimes gave her space to go near you, she placed both her hands on your tear-stained cheeks and gently rub the tears away from your cheeks “Don’t cry, ___.” She told you again. “You and I are friends. So Qiqi will be with you whenever you are lonely.”

Baizhu smiled as he watched your nodded slowly still sniffling as you tried to stop your tears. The girl seemed to have grabbed a few tissues before arriving at your side as she placed the tissue on your nose telling you to blow.

Baizhu wished he brought his Kamera he would have taken many pictures back right now. It is a shame really that he couldn’t, but there is always next time.

Baizhu’s smile loosen from his lips, as he wondered if you still remember what had happened last time. While you did cry and all, you never really mentioned anything but before he could contemplate if you really remember what happened last time you answered his silent question.

“Mister Zhongli, told me that I cant go back home. He told me that I cant meet mom and dad anymore.” Wobbly voice as you tried to contain your tear again as Qiqi continued to wipe your tears away.

So you remembered…

It took a while but as you continued to tell them that you want to go back home and see your parents and uncles and aunties and grandpa and grandma and friends.

Qiqi and Baizhu continued to listen to you. It was hard to say it was okay, when in reality it was not okay at all to be separated from your parents like this it is hard to process and Baizhu was worried this would affect you as you grow up. To suddenly be apart from the people you once knew and your guardians, it could do so much to negatively impact a child.

But again it wasn’t like he could do bring you back to your home, so instead, he gave you a home in the Bubu pharmacy. “You are always welcomed to the Bubu pharmacy dear. If you wanna talk to us we are always here for you.” Baizhu told you softly as you nodded mutely.

It was hard to make you smile right now, Baizhu brought you food that you ate with the help of Qiqi who stayed right beside you the whole time. “When you are well, let's go explore Liyue together…” Qiqi told you with a small smile “We can talk to flinches and slimes... and... we can get flowers together.” She told you.

It made you a little less sad as you stayed and chatted with your friend.

But as hours passed by you started wondering where Mister Zhongli was, you asked Qiqi where he was but she said that she didn’t know either and then you asked Baizhu who looked outside, dark and night. “He had something to do, but he should arrive around this time.”

You heard the door open, as Baizhu smiled. “Speaking of which, he is here.”

The suddenness surprised you as you almost jumped from your bed. Suddenly you have become scared as you clung to your friend Qiqi’s arm hiding behind her. Suddenly all you want to do is hide somewhere.

When Zhongli finally reached your room, knocking on the door and opening it as he was about to ask Baizhu if you woke up only to see you wide awake and up. He froze, “___?”

You flinched as you tried to hide your small frame with Qiqi’s, as if to hide and disappear from his view. You saw the relief but soon after distraught on Zhongli’s face the hurt in his eyes.

“Are you okay, ___?” He asked, his voice soft as if not to scare you.

You nodded “umm.” as if to tell him that you were okay. You refused to look at his face and instead looked at Qiqi’s braided hair. Qiqi looked behind, towards you wondering who you were hiding from while Baizhu only sighed.

“I am glad that you are okay now,” Zhongli told you, as he walked closer “I was worried.”

“Uhn.” You grunted in response still shy around him, you didn’t see Baizhu motioning Qiqi to come to him, Qiqi looked at you then at Baizhu as she slowly jumped off your bed alarming you, and headed to Baizhu who took her and went out of the room.

Being left with you yourself and Zhongli you looked at the floor, your heart ridden in guilt after Baizhu told you what had happened last time and how hurt Zhongli was after the whole ordeal.

“…”

“Do you dislike me here?” Zhongli finally asked, but you quickly shook your head in denial. Maybe you would have disliked him for the fact that he was the one who told you that you cant go back home.

After all, you were still too young to understand.

But maybe it was because Baizhu told you that Zhongli was hurt because of you that guilt was much stronger than your hate towards him for telling you something that he didn’t do.

“I don’t hate Mister Zhongli…” You told him in a small voice.

It was silent as he approached you taking the chair that Baizhu used to push it closer to your bed, “Can I seat beside you?” He asked, you thought for a bit if you want to say yes or no but in the end just nodded still looking at the floor.

“I am glad that you are okay, ___. I was worried about you.” you heard his voice as he talked to you not commenting that you were avoiding his eyes. You peeked at his face but quickly looked down when your eyes meet.

You just nodded again, you saw the face he was making when the two of your eye meet. The sadness was so obvious as he looked almost worried that maybe you would push him away. You didn’t know what was going through his mind but he looked so sad to you.

“Is… Is Mister Zhongli okay?” You finally had the courage to ask still looking down.

There was no answer, but you didn’t realize how the atmosphere became a little lighter after that.

Baizhu sighed as he listen to your and Zhongli’s conversation, you were rather closed off and a little warry. But the more and more Zhongli tried to talk to you after he realized that you didn’t hate him…. it was slow but you were slowly opening up to him again.

“How unfortunate,” Baizhu whispered to himself as he left you and Zhongli to talk. Baizhu hoped that you would still be a little wary of him, that you would stay away from the consultant of Wangshen funeral parlor even for a little bit longer so that he could be the one who took care of you.

Zhongli had made it clear that he would be the one to take care of you and be a guardian of sorts for you as he was the one who found you or so he said while you were asleep.

Much to Baizhu’s dislike.

Baizhu hoped that he could be your guardian, he loves kids already taking Qiqi under his wing and taking care of her when she has nowhere else to go. The heavy and almost twisted feeling that you gave when you cried in his arms made him feel nauseous he wondered how much worst it was when Zhongli had to calm you down.

It is weird really and normal people would be rather cautious but rather than pushing you away in fear, Baizhu has become rather attached to you at that moment.

Because of how clear your emotions were to him that he understood your confusion, sorrow, wants and fears.

“It seems that everything went well.” A white snake appeared as they rest on the shelves. “It seems so, Changsheng.” He said, raising his hand so that the snake could slither to his neck.

“Hmph! I was hoping to see the child with gold blood but the slimes always block me whenever I tried to sneak into that room. I should have rested that time in the other room when the child first visited the pharmacy.”

Baizhu laughed, “Well they are just worried for their little friend so you should just forgive them.”

“Hmph!”

[prttykittes]

MASTERLIST! (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧

Meanings :: — 🦷= fluff/sfw, 🧠 = smut/nsfw, 🕊️ = dark content, 🦴 = angst, 🐾 = platonic

A/N :: most of them are afab but also gender neutral! but I am trying to do amab as well!{btw afab means people born as females, amab means people born as males! Still gender neutral..kinda ig)

Events :: KINKTOBER 2023 ! .

Genshin impact !

STEPBRO!Kaeya devours you when your asleep! — Kaeya #afab/female reader 🧠🕊️ (incest)

BIGBRO!Aether fucks you and claims you! — Aether #Gender neutral reader 🧠🕊️ (incest)

ONLYFANS!Scara fucks you! — trans!Scaramouche #afab reader 🧠

Foul legacy Childe fucks you after losing the battle! — Childe #gender neutral reader 🧠🕊️

Multiple genshin characters smut! — Beidou, Kazuha, Zhongli, Diluc #gender neutral reader 🧠🕊️ (two are incest)

ONLYFANS!Childe rides your dick/strap! — Childe #gender neutral reader 🧠

Cutting initials on both skins! — Rosaria, Yae Miko #female reader 🧠🦷(slightly suggestive)

You Fuck afab!kabukimono cunt with your dick/strap! — kabukimono/Scaramouche #gender neutral reader 🧠

Dom!Scara fucks you and him with a double dildo! — Scaramouche #female/afab reader 🧠

Face riding Childe! — Childe #afab reader 🧠

:3 anon writes Zhongli sadly boops ur dead body(tw.nerco)! — Zhongli #gender neutral reader 🧠🕊️(I can't fix the tags for some reason, it won't let me :(

Afab!Scara humps ur pillow and piss' and comes on it! — Scaramouche #gender neutral reader 🧠

Baking a cake with big brother!scara! — Scaramouche, Ei, Yae Miko #gender neutral reader 🦷🐾

Scara fucks you and pisses in your hole! — Scaramouche #gender neutral reader 🧠

Lactation kink with Scara(your pregnant in this..)! — Scaramouche #gender neutral reader 🧠

Doctor dottore confess his feelings for you! — dottore #gender neutral reader 🦷(🕊️maybe)

Scara craves his name into your skin! — Scaramouche #gender neutral reader 🦷(tw.blood)

Pegging Lyney with a 🍌 with a rainbow condom! — Lyney #afab reader 🧠

S-cara writes me Scara smut! — no reader mentioned #Scara solo 🧠

I write S-cara a gift! — CHONGYUN x reader x SCARAMOUCHE #gn reader 🧠

Childe fucks u when his siblings open presents! — Childe/Ajax #gender neutral reader 🧠

Threesome and NTR with genshin characters! — Xiao, Zhongli, Venti, Kaeya, Scaramouche, Raiden EI, Xingqiu, Chongyun #gn reader 🧠(cw.slight incest, NTR)

Stepcest w/ genshin men — Scaramouche, Zhongli, Kazuha, Kabukimono #gn reader 🧠🕊️(tw.stepcest)

Fem!scara scissors you! — Scaramouche #afab reader 🧠

Scara and Xiao noncon threesome u! — Xiao, Scaramouche #gn reader 🧠🕊️(tw. Noncon, slight stepcest)

Scara fucks u cat!reader when ur in heat! — Scaramouche #amab reader 🧠(CW.dubcon?)

Incest w/ wo/men! — Diluc, Lisa, Baizhu, Scaramouche, Childe #afab & GN!reader 🧠🕊️(tw.incest)

GENSHIN and HSR men w/ smut! — Dottore, Kaeya, Scaramouche, Blade, Dan Heng, Jing yuan #gn & afab reader 🧠

(step or not) big!brother! scara has anal sex with u! — Scaramouche #afab reader 🧠🕊️(tw.(step/in)cest)

Wanderer awkwardly praising you! — Wanderer #gender neutral reader 🧠

Kazuha praises and Wanderer regards you! Kazuha, Scaramouche #gender neutral reader 🧠 (CW.threesome)

Bully!reader bullies their sensitive nipples! — Kabukimono, Thoma, Kazuha #gender neutral reader 🧠 (cw.classroom sex)

Public sex and getting caught! — Kaeya, Wanderer, Kazuha #gender neutral reader 🧠

Fucking their boyclits! — Scaramouche, Yuta, Choso #gender neutral reader 🧠

Klee comforting her 15yr bff! - Klee #gender neutral reader 🐾

Foursome with Venti, Kazuha, Scara! — venti, Kazuha, Scara #gender neutral reader 🧠

Raw and lipstick! — Choso, Kabukimono, Gojo, Childe #gender neutral reader 🧠

Kazuha fucks you and scara after y'all tried! — Kazuscara #gender neutral reader 🧠

Bsd !

Daddy kink! — Dazai, Fukuzawa, Chuuya #gender neutral reader 🧠

Blowjobs! — Akutagawa, Atsushi, ranpo #amab reader 🧠

Domming you! — Dom!ranpo #amab reader 🧠

Pussy and dick! — Chuuya, Dazai, Atsushi #afab reader 🧠

Akutagawa eats you out! — Akutagawa #afab reader 🧠

Beast!Boss Dazai punishes you — Dazai #afab reader 🧠

Chii reader personality — Dazai, Atsushi, Mori #gender neutralreader 🧠

Nipple play — Chuuya #gn reader 🧠

One night stand! — PMzai #female reader 🧠

First time + highschooler reader! — Dazai #gender neutral reader 🧠🕊️

Date and "normal" highschooler reader! — PMzai #gender neutral reader 🦷

Annoying people when you are with him! — Akutagawa, Sigma #female reader 🦷

Writing Fantasies! — Poe #gender neutral 🧠🦷

Anonymous and I write incest smut of Chuuya! — Dad!Chuuya #afab reader 🧠🕊️ (incest)

Lingerie shopping & fucking! — Dazai #afab reader 🧠

Rei personality! Reader! — Beast!Dazai, Fyodor #female reader 🧠

:3 anon and I write dazai fucks you with your panties! — Dazai #afab reader 🧠

:3 anon writes roofie smut with Dazai! — Dazai #gender neutral 🧠🕊️

Chubby darling anon writes pervy stepbro! — Dazai #afab reader 🧠🕊️ (incest)

🌷 anon writes BigBro!Nikolai teaching you! — Nikolai #female reader 🧠🕊️ (incest)

Nerco!boypussy sigma fucks himself on you! — Sigma #afab reader 🧠🕊️

Dominating beast Dazai!(after he doms you) — BEASTZai #gender neutral reader 🧠

Cheater!bsd cheats on you! — Dazai, Chuuya #gender neutral reader 🧠

You have sex with the girls in cheater!bsd — female ocs (Dazai,Chuuya) #gender neutral reader 🧠

Comforting you about sh scars(?)! — Dazai, Chuuya #female reader 🦷

Baking cupcakes for your loved one! — Kenji, Unspecified #gender neutral 🦷🐾(one is where reader likes Kenji and second is Unspecified x reader :)

Chubby darling anon writes Icky stalker! Poe smut! — Poe #i forgot gender reader 🧠

Reader touching themselves and the bed men watch you! — Dazai, Fyodor, Chuuya #gender neutral reader 🧠

Brat taming Ranpo but not really?? Not sure tbh! — Ranpo, mentioned Poe #amab reader 🧠

15!ssk comforting you after an weird old man! — Chuuya, Dazai #gender neutral reader 🦷(🐾)

First time with Atsushi! — Atsushi #female/afab reader 🧠🦷

Dad!Chuuya throat fucks you(his son's homeroom teacher!) — Chuuya #gender neutral reader 🧠

Stepdad!Chuuya fucks u and cupcakes! — Chuuya #gender neutral reader 🧠 🕊️ (tw.stepcest)

EXTRA! [twst, hsr, tokyorev, jjk, pjsk, randoms!)

GENSHIN and HSR men w/ smut! — Dottore, Kaeya, Scaramouche, Blade, Dan Heng, Jing yuan #gn & afab reader 🧠

Leona fucks because ur his lucky item! — Leona #afab reader 🧠

Fucking their boyclits! — Scaramouche, Yuta, Choso #gender neutral reader 🧠

Raw and Lipstick! — Choso, Kabukimono, Gojo, Childe #gender neutral reader 🧠

BLUE LOCK !

Sexually provoked! — Barou #female reader 🧠

Threesome with reonagi and bonus! — Reo, Nagi #gender neutral reader 🧠

Demon Slayer !

:3 anon and I write Free use Friday so he fucks you until your out! — Giyu #gender neutral reader 🧠

Chainsaw man !

One sided date! — Denji #Gender neutral reader 🦷

Pick which one of us! — Denji, Yoshida #implied fem but gender neutral 🦷

:3 anon and I write Dad!Aki fucking you and calling you mutt!! #gender neutral reader 🧠🕊️ (incest)

Obey me !

Nothing yet (⁠ب⁠_⁠ب⁠)

Original characters & unspecified characters !

:3 anon writes good incest smut and I love them for it!! — unspecified #fem reader(uses she/her) 🧠🕊️ (incest)

Blowing daddy!(I write smut in a hate post)! — incest(daddy! Unspecified #gender neutral 🧠🕊️ (incest)

You have sex with the girls in cheater!bsd — female ocs(Dazai, Chuuya) #gender neutral 🧠

:3 anon and I write incest sister smut with leash! — female oc/unspecified #feminine! reader 🧠🕊️ (incest)

Nanny!Reader has sex with married man?! — unspecified/male oc #gender neutral reader 🧠

Butler!male teacher his master(you) a lesson about your mouth! — Unspecified/male oc #gender neutral reader 🧠

Paying stuff with your mouth! — shop worker!male unspecified/oc #gender neutral reader 🧠

Perv!character fucks "you" but he is doing a random girl and imagines it's u! — Unspecified #afab reader 🧠

Yandere!male who fucks someone for your guys child! — Oc/Unspecified #gn reader 🧠(CW.dubcon(?)

Yandere!Loser fucks u! — Oc #gender neutral reader 🧠(tw. masochist)

(⁠｢⁠`⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠)⁠｢ yippee!!

[fallingdownhell]

Masterlist!

Finally able to finish this. This will now be the tagged post on my blog.

Rules for requests and what I write can be found here!

Genshin Impact

SFW Posts

Someone talking down on you

Of broken Promises Part 1 Part 2

Kaeya (x Reader): Decisions to be made Part 1

A price to be paid (Genshin man asking "Who hurt you")

Sweet, sweet Revenge (Cheating!Diluc x Vindictive!Reader)

your best friend trys to make them dump you

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Headcanons about Anemo users as a "pseudo family"

Comfort headcaonos (Alhaitham + Kaveh)

Headcanons about Sumeru Men with a writer s/o

Poly Cyno x Reader x Tighnari comfort

Headcanons on Poly Relationship with Diluc and Childe

Thoma comfort for academic stress

Fluff relationship headcanons (Diluc; Kaeye; Tighnari; Wanderer)

Cyno with a s/o that also tells dad jokes

Headcanons on Poly Relationship with Ayato and Kaeya

Anemo man when they wake up before you

Taking care of sick Tighnari

Hurt/Comfort when you get into an argument with them about their work (Albedo; Cyno; Alhaitham; Kazuha)

Part 2 (Tighnari; Wanderer; Heizou)

They listen to you sing in the shower (Cyno; Tighnari; Alhaitham; Kaveh)

You pluck their "first grey hair" (Itto; Kaveh; Zhongli; Kazuha)

Genshin men dealing with separation anxiety (Xiao; Wanderer; Tighnari; Diluc)

Water dragon s/o (with Diluc; Xiao; Zhongli; Ayato)

pampering them with a massage (Childe; Xiao; Zhongli)

adopting Collei with Tighnari

You ask them "Do I look fat?" (Cyno, Wanderer; Kaeya)

walking in on them cheating on you (Ayato; Heizou; Kazuha; Gorou)

your reaction on someone talking down on your partner (Diluc; Kaeya; Alhaitham; Zhongli)

Genshin men forgetting your birthday (Diluc; Kaeya)

Part 2

Cyno x Reader x Tighnari long time pen pals getting together

Genshin men when they find out your sister is the favoured child (Heizou; Thoma; Alhaitham)

Part 2 (Kaeya; Dainsleif; Baizhu)

Part 3 (Wanderer; Xiao; Tighnari)

drunk reader complimenting the Sumeru boys (+ Wanderer)

Kazuha, Heizou and Venti comforting a reader who feels neglected

Alhaitham and reader teasing Kaveh

Reader kissing them since the boys are oblivious to flirting (Cyno; Tighnari; Kaveh; Alhaitham)

The boys are getting protective when someone is flirting with you (Tighnari; Cyno; Kaveh; Xiao)

both Diluc and you forgot about your birthday

when you forget to wear your glasses to school (Alhaitham; Kaveh; Tighnari; Cyno)

Alhaitham, Kaveh; Kaeya and Zhongli getting hugged from behind by their s/o

you falling asleep on their shoulder (Scaramouche; Kazuha; Kaveh; Alhaitham)

Kaveh and Alhaitham getting a massage from you (SFW)

Dragon!Reader with Archons platonic headcanons

Dancing in the rain with Kaveh and Alhaitham

Tighnari with a Shinobu Kocho like s/o

Sumeru boys (+ Wanderer) with a people pleaser s/o

getting into an argument about your strength (Xiao and Wanderer)

drunk reader complimenting Xiao, Diluc and Thoma

Kaeya, Diluc, Zhongli and Childe finding out Reader has a Delusion

Calling them "Teyvats beauty king" (with Itto, Thoma, Kaveh and Wanderer)

hugging a Chibi Plushy of them (with Kaeya, Childe, Cyno and Kaveh)

Ayato x Reader (Hanahaki AU; hurt/no comfort)

Cyno and Tighnari crushing on reader who's Kaveh's younger sibling

revealing your toned/trained body to them for the first time (Childe; Alhaitham; Kazuha)

poly Relationship Headcanons with Alhaitham and Kaveh

panicing after hearing the boys argue with someone else (Diluc; Kaveh; Ayato)

comforting Reader after a nightmare (Diluc; Kaeya)

the boys reaction to reader getting shrunk (Sumeru Boys + Wanderer)

poly relationship headcanons between Childe x Baker!Reader x Ayato

Characters with a Reader who has crazy good luck (with Itto; Cyno; Zhongli; Kaveh)

Characters with a vampire!Reader (Diluc; Neuvillette; Heizou)

breaking up with them (Aether; Kaeya; Dainsleif)

characters defending you (Cyno; Dehya; Childe)

Reader with selective mutism; comfort (with Xiao and Alhaitham)

best friends get jealous on Valentine's Day (Tighnari; Cyno; Alhaitham; Kaveh; Wanderer)

asking if you would choose them or the world (Neuvillette; Diluc; Kaeya; Zhongli)

headcanons about boyfriend Cyno

calling them by their full name (Kazuha; Diluc; Ayato; Kaeya)

NSFW Posts

Xiao x female reader Smut -> MINORS DON'T INTERACT

You sit on their face (Tighnari; Heizou; Xiao; Dainsleif) -> MINORS DON'T INTERACT

Going through a rut without you (Gorou; Tighnari; Itto) -> MINORS DON'T INTERACT

Yoimiya x female reader smut -> MINORS DON'T INTERACT

Zhongli x female reader first time smut -> MINORS DON'T INTERACT

Puppy!hybrid!reader with an early heat (Zhongli; Diluc) -> MINORS DON'T INTERACT

Wanderer comforting reader who is scared to orgasm -> MINORS DON'T INTERACT

Breakup Sex (with Kazuha; Diluc; Neuvillette) -> MINORS DON'T INTERACT

Sub!Neuvillette x Dom!Fem!Reader -> MINORS DON'T INTERACT

Demon Slayer

SFW Posts

Inosuke Headcanons

Headcanons on their reaction to you getting seriously hurt (Rengoku; Tengen; Giyuu; Tanjirou)

Vanitas no carte

SFW Posts

Reader punching someone that disses Noé and Vanitas

Vanitas and Noé comfort you after a nightmare

Vanitas x female!flower dragon! reader headcanons

cutting your nails after seeing your scratch marks on their back (Vanitas; Noé) (suggestive)

When you're seriously injured (Vanitas; Noé)

spoiling Vanitas and Noe´ with a feast on their birthday

[i23kazu]

THE MOON REPRESENTS MY HEART

characters. xiao zhongli baizhu x gn!reader ; chongyun xingqiu xiangling hutao & gn!reader genre. romantic fluff / platonic fluff an. 大家，中秋节快乐！ happy midautumn festival! here's the liyue men celebrating with you. | please reblog!! im getting back into writing and reblogs with tags and comments will make me want to write more :D

xiao

after much persuading and convincing from you, a reluctant xiao makes his reappearance in wangshu inn's balcony – where the two of you are greeted with verr goldet, huai'an, and smiley yanxiao – with a plethora of traditional foods spread on the table. there are elaborately designed mooncakes and sweet slices of pomelo, freshly peeled, because smiley yanxiao is still making them easier to eat for you all. xiao wants to hide himself away from the crowd, his blush evident on his face. it will be alright. let's enjoy ourselves tonight, but if you want to leave at any point in time, i'll accompany you, you whisper into his ear. it seems to alleviate the crimson hue that has invited itself onto his cheeks.

zhongli

celebrating mid autumn festival was tradition for you and zhongli. he performs a simple tea ceremony when both of you arrived at the adepti's abode, with the company of moon carver, mountain shaper, cloud retainer, as well as madame ping. just for old times sake, the youthful arrive as well – xiao, shenhe, ganyu, and yanfei. the air is sweet with the sounds of embarrassed protests as the old-timers laugh and share stories, lightly teasing the younger ones of their misdeeds. shenhe bears a particularly disgruntled look on her face, before cloud retainer laughs and pours her more tea. it's like family, and you're blessed to have been accepted by them as well.

baizhu

mid autumn festival in baizhu's home was always celebrated in a group of five: qiqi, yaoyao, herbalist gui, him, and yourself. gui often acted like an uncle to the younger ones, bringing them piglet biscuits and non-traditional mooncakes that were often catered towards children. yaoyao and qiqi each select a lantern that gui had stuffed into his bag – a rabbit for yaoyao, and a lotus for qiqi. you and baizhu share a kiss as you watch the fireworks blossom into the sky, hoping, and hoping, that chang'e would see it.

bonus

"(y/n), let's go! let's hurry!" xiangling grabs your hand as you finish adjusting the candle on your lantern. hu tao whizzes past the two of you, laughing and dragging chongyun along with the help of xingqiu. the five of you had planned to gather for the festival, and now, your lanterns cast a warm glow onto your faces.

after a gratifying meal made by xiangling (with chef mao's assistance – in cooking and eating), the group had decided to gather at the docks, to see the fireworks and lanterns lift off into the sky.

"they're starting!" hu tao cries, eyes fixated on the first lantern that drifts it's way up. chongyun hurriedly finishes writing a prayer of longevity on your shared sky lantern, whispering please, chang'e, make it come true one last time before lifting it up to the sky to take hold.

the lights dance across liyue's horizon. there are lanterns coming from all over liyue – you see some from wangshu inn, qingce village, guili, nantianmen – a sweet reminder that liyue exists beyond the busy harbour.

"happy mid autumn festival! 中秋节快乐！" the five of you cheer, lifting your lanterns up to the sky. the first of the fireworks start to beautify the night sky, the pretty colours igniting the childlike wonder that your friends still held dear to.

happy mid-autumn festival, liyue!

taglist: @tiredsleep @loptido @raincxtter @chichikoi @ladyadii @soulsanta @sheiiths @genshinparty @eowinthetraveler @moonbyunniee @legitnoi @lemontum @manager-of-the-pudding-bank @starz222 @ilyuu @cherry-colored-petals @mondaymelon @tartaglia-apologist @soleillunne @m1shapanda @aimynx @smokipoki @adeptuscharm @diorlumx @vennnnn-diagram @ryuryuryuyurboat @yuminako @st0pthatsgay @aqualesha @sixtynintharchon @supernova25 @kunikuda-simp (send ask/comment to be added to taglist)

reblogs w/ tags & comments help me lots !!! if you liked this, consider dropping me a follow as well :-) they all go a long way!

[idyllic-affections]

employee benefits.

summary. baizhu remains constantly attuned to his chronically ill employee and their needs. it is no surprise that he knows when they are unwell.

trigger & content warnings. chronic illness flare-up.

tropes, pairings, fic length, & other notes. fluff. baizhu & reader, qiqi & reader. 0.5k words. they/them pronouns for reader. this post is an expansion of invisible disability? it's rather visible to me.

author's thoughts. in celebration of me getting baizhu within 30 pulls and me getting to soak up all of his lore like a dry sponge would to water, heres some more baizhu content!! we love him in this household <33 he and kaveh are literally the REALEST genshin characters ever with the most relatable trauma and ideals like what the fuck man..... /lh

baizhu knows that some days, his junior herbalist just can't work; it's far too much for their body. he's had many such days himself. it's unavoidable and unpredictable—some days, his body doesn't function well even if he was completely fine the day before. the same applies to his young hire. as such, he is often the one able to see the signs as soon as the day begins.

"good morning, dr. baizhu, qiqi, changsheng," they greet, a tired smile on their face. their smile widens a little bit when qiqi tugs their sleeve to draw their attention before handing them a pastry.

"[name] needs to eat."

"hehe... yes, you're absolutely right, qiqi. thank you."

she hums, content, as they pat her head. she remains glued to their leg.

the way their chest rises and falls is blatantly irregular, as if they're trying to catch their breath. there's a slight tremble in their limbs as well. baizhu briefly wonders if qiqi is supporting their weight, if she's somehow, subconsciously aware that something is off about them this morning in particular.

"oh my," baizhu muses, observing their tired disposition. "did you not rest well?"

"what he's trying to say is that you look awful."

"jeez, it's this early and you're already bullying me, changsheng? gui isn't even here yet. it's too early... what did i do to deserve this?" they huff. "to be honest, i woke up feeling unwell. i don't know why. i just feel very weak today."

"hmm..." he's thinking. if they are unwell, he absolutely will not permit them to work, given that they may faint or collapse at any point. he simply doesn't want to see them hurt themselves. "well, there's still quite some time until we officially open. come. i'll examine you."

"do i get an employee discount?" they joked, to which he smiled.

"i won't be charging you."

"wha— no. i was joking. i was kidding. you can't not charge me. that's hardly fair, given that i can afford it. i know we're supposed to make things as easy and affordable for patients as possible, but i don't need those accomodations. i work here. i already have easy access to everything i need."

"don't be stubborn, [name]."

"i am stubborn, dr. baizhu. you can't be hypocritical and expect me to allow that."

silence. then, the liyuean doctor chuckles fondly. the way he gazes at them is soft.

what a handful they are.

"fine, fine. i'll take the cost from next month's pay, alright? just let me look at you. we can't have you collapsing on us today, now can we?"

a month later, they find something... oddly normal about their pay. not a single mora has been deducted.

"dr. baizhu, i love and respect you and would never doubt the things you say, but... you said you would take my examination cost from my next paycheck. this is the same amount of mora i get every month."

"oh, did i say that? hm, i can't seem to recall that conversation."

"...with all due respect, you're insufferable sometimes."

please consider reblogging, it helps me out quite a lot!

[unabashednightmarepizza]

Genshin Impact Masterlist

{ Genshin CreatorAU! Masterlist}

This is more like post!imposter, Creator!Reader AU where Reader is aware of who and what they are, acting more like the God They are in Teyvat and other worlds

Short lore drabble

Like A Parent Who... (Archons x Creator!Parentalfigure!Reader)

☞ You Are More Than Enough ( Furina and Egeria)

☞Misunderstanding Solved, Kind Of, With A Parent's Touch (Ei and Scara)

Married with the Archons (Venti, Zhongli, Furina, Ei x Creator!Reader, seperatedly)

{ Genshin SAGAU Masterlist}

This is an AU where everything is the same with the usual SAGAU where reader suddenly appears in Teyvat

A Shown Kindness

☞Reasons My Dragon Cried... (Neuvillette)

☞ The Wind Calls For You (Kazuha)

☞ I'll Take Care of You (Baizhu)

☞ Nothing Can Take Me Away (Albedo)

☞ My One and Only, My Love ( Furina)

My True Home (Platonic!Mondstadt people x Creator!Reader)

{Genshin Impact, Lost Champion Masterlist} = Discontinued on Tumblr, Uploading on my AO3 under the name of dnzoyku14, with the same name

1. Isekai'd Into Teyvat

2. Eye Of The Storm

3. Fate of Teyvat, Two Outlanders

Genshin Characters Imagines

Neuvillette

☞ Neuvillette with a teasing lover imagine

[contentloadingandstuff]

Cheering them up - Male!Reader x Platonic!Klee & Platonic!Qiqi

CW: Male!Redeader, platonic characters. A little Jean x Male!Reader.

A lifeless stare traces over the approach to Bubu Pharmacy, pink eyes peeled for one thing, and one thing only. Despite her best efforts, Qiqi can't find them. 

There are no finches anywhere in sight. Not on the road, not on the cliffside, not in the flowerbeds. There are only pigeons. But Qiqi doesn't care about pigeons. They are ugly and stink of grime and decay. She doesn't like that smell. 

Qiqi sighs. If her memory was any better, she would be mad. After all, not a single of the little birds showed itself for the past two hours. She had to help Baizhu, so she wrote that down. In what way - the notebook did not specify. She also wrote that she will go and help after she sees a finch. Yet none of them did as much as fly by her. 

Something must be wrong. Qiqi's dried up brain attempts to process the situation. She has to help Baizhu, but she also has to see finches. Baizhu is in Bubu Pharmacy. Where are finches? Baizhu showed her finches one day, so they must be where he is - on Bubu Pharmacy grounds. But somehow they aren't here. Then maybe they are in the building? No. Finches need space to fly, even if they are small. That doesn’t make sense. 

Qiqi doesn’t notice you sitting right next to her, too deep in her considerations. You pat her head gently, attracting her attention. 

“Hello Y/N.” She replies, dry and emotionless as ever. You smile kindly.

“Hi. Looking for finches?” You take a quick glance around the area, but find nothing bird-like.

“Yes. But Qiqi can’t find any.” She sighs, looking down at the pavement. “This makes Qiqi… sad. Finches are nice. Qiqi wants to see finches.” 

You think for a moment. “Maybe they are scared of something?”

Qiqi is visibly processing the idea while you look around again, and then up at the sky. On the backdrop of blue, a black silhouette of a bird circles in the sky. You point up at it, and the zombie follows your mark.

“We have our reason. That’s a hawk. Hawks eat finches.”

Qiqi stares up at you. “Ah. Qiqi forgot.”

You pet her head again. “How about we go outside the city? Maybe they will be there?”

She nods. “Yes. Qiqi wants to see finches.”

“Alright then!” You get up, and gently grab her small hand. “Let’s go find you some finches.”

Qiqi stands up too, but she doesn’t move. Instead, you feel her tug at your sleeve. You look down, and find her big pink eyes fixed on you. 

“Y/N, carry Qiqi. Qiqi is… tired. Cold.”

You pull her up to your chest, Qiqi wraps her arms around your neck, and you begin your journey.

“Come on Jean. You know you want to~”

The Acting Grandmaster narrows her eyes, arms crossed on her chest. Her stare is unrelenting.

“I shouldn’t let Klee out after what she did. That bomb could have hurt someone.” 

You draw the sweetest smile you can manage. “Not even if I keep tabs on her?”

“Not even if you keep tabs on her. She will be out tomorrow.” 

Theatrically dropping your head, you sigh. Jean looks on, feeling a little guilty as you make your way to the door. You take the doorknob in your hand, but refrain from pressing it. 

“Jean Gunnhildr, the conqueror of children’s smiles, the destroyer of all that is fun.” You look back and look at her with the best puppy eyes you can muster. “Pretty please?”

Jean avoids your eyes, trying to hold back a smile. You’re so silly… She can’t restrain it anymore. She sighs and opens the drawer and pulls out black, metal key. You jog over to her and grab the item, feeling accomplished. 

“Just don’t let Klee blow things up. Please. I’m tired of handling the reports.” 

She looks at you with tired eyes, practically begging you to listen. Without hesitation, you press a short kiss on her lips. You turn around and leave the flustered, red faced Jean. On your way out, you wave to her. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep the kid on a short leash. And give you plenty of cuddles once you’re home to help you relax.”

You leave, closing the heavy door behind you as silently as you can. Klee’s room, better known as solitary confinement, is guarded by one knight, bored to hell. You wink at him as you slide the key into the keyhole, and turn it. 

“Go get a break. You look like you need it.”

You open the door. Klee’s elf ears immediately twitch, and she turns to face you. Much to your surprise, Klee’s wearing her Dodoco pyjama overalls, sewn for her by Noelle. At first she looks grim, but her eyes light up upon seeing you. “Y/N!”

She runs up to you as you close the door. She hugs you, barely reaching your waist. You scratch her head. “What’s up? Is my little grenadier sleepy already?”

Klee shakes her head. “No, but I can’t leave solitary confinement until tomorrow.”

“You look sadder than usual. Did anyone get hurt, Klee? Can you tell me what happened?”

Klee looks down, toying with her fingers. “W-well, I was out blasting fish with Dodoco, but then… um… one of my bombs landed too far and scared Mr. Fisherman. He told Jean and she told me to go to solitary confinement. She said mommy wouldn’t be proud.”

You smirk. Alice wouldn’t mind, judging by how she isn’t bothered by her child handling live explosives. But then again, her parenting methods aren’t that great, seeing as she barely interacts with her own child. 

You shake those thoughts and crouch down to be eye level with Klee. “I’m not sure about that. I talked to Jean, and she let me take you outside. You’re up for it?”

Klee’s expression brightened nearly instantly. She clapped her little hands and jumped up and down a few times, ending her joyous outburst with a bear (or rather cub?) hug. You can’t help but giggle with her. 

“Yay! Thank you, Y/N!”

“Remember to dress accordingly! It’s quite chilly outside. I wouldn’t want to see you sick, Klee, would I? I bet Dodoco would be really worried too.” You raise up and open the door. “I’ll be waiting outside.”

After putting on one of her warmer outfits and grabbing her backpack (Dodoco included), Klee practically sprints out the door. She finds you smiling brightly, but you shake your head. 

“Klee? Where’s your hat? Remember about the scarf as well.”

“Oops… I'll go get it now!"

Thanks for reading!

[bitterchocoo]

Now, welcome to the theater!

----------

Bungou Stray Dogs/Gaiden

Armed Detective Agency

Osamu Dazai - Falling Behind

Ranpo Edogawa - Coffee

Osamu Dazai - A Seraphim or.. | M. Reader as Sunday [Honkai Star Rail]

Port Mafia

Special Division for Unusual Powers

The Guild

Decay of Angel

Fyodor Dostoevsky - God-ish

Hunting Dogs

----------

Honkai Star Rail

Astral Express

Dan Heng . Imbibitor Lunae - The Never Ending Rain | M. Reader as Neuvillette [Genshin Impact]

Dan Heng . Imbibitor Lunae - I Hate/Love You

Welt Yang - Love Me, Love Me, Love Me!

Part Two : The Other "You"

Part Three : Yes, Your Excellency

Caelus - General Headcanon | M. Reader as Alastor [Hazbin Hotel]

Dan Heng - Extreme Weather | M. Reader as Neuvillette [Genshin Impact]

Dan Heng - Night Terrors | M. Reader as Xiao [Genshin Impact]

Herta Space Station

Jarilo VI - Belobog

Xianzhou Luofu

Jing Yuan - Everything Stays

Jing Yuan - A Blessing or a Curse? | M. Reader as Baizhu [Genshin Impact]

Penacony

Sunday - Charm You Later~ | M. Reader as Satoru Gojo [Jujutsu Kaisen]

Gallagher - The Duke of the Fortress of Meropide | M. Reader as Wriothesley [Genshin Impact]

Sunday - Like Father Like Son | M. Reader as his child (Platonic)

Others

Blade - Shanti

Argenti - Beauty in All

Dr. Ratio - A Waste of Talent | M. Reader as X [Reverse: 1999]

Dr. Ratio - Sweet Dreams | M. Reader as Layla [Genshin Impact]

Aventurine - Kilmer | Child M. Reader (Platonic)

Aventurine - Lucky Bunny! | M. Reader as Yaoyao [Genshin Impact] (Platonic)

Dr. Ratio - Well Deserved Rest | M. Reader as Medicine Pocket [Reverse: 1999]

----------

Genshin Impact

Mondstadt

Liyue

Xiao - The High Elder | M. Reader as Imbibitor Lunae [Honkai Star Rail] [Platonic]

Inazuma

Sumeru

Wanderer - I Remember You | M. Reader as Ice King [Adventure Time] (Platonic)

Fontaine

Wriothesley - Who is He..?

Lyney - Mortals and Fools

Neuvillette - It's Punishment Time!!

Others

Alice in Wonderland | M. Reader

----------

Twisted Wonderland

Heartslabyul

Savanaclaw

Octavinelle

Scarabia

Pomefiore

Ignihyde

Diasomnia

----------

Bungou to Alchemist

----------

Moriarty the Patriot

----------

Project Sekai

More More Jump!

Leo/Need

Vivid Bad Squad

Akito Shinonome - General Headcanon | General Neutral Reader

Wonderland X Showtime

Rui Kamishiro - The Lonely Alchemist

Wonderland X Showtime - It Only Takes a Taste

Nightcord 25

[quimichi]

Hello! This is my first time asking so forgive my mistakes,

I don’t know if you’ve done this before but could you do headcanons for a reader who’s lumine’s traveling partner and when their in liyue (I don’t remember how it’s spelt 🥲) Qiqi randomly starts addressing them as her parent, uhhh what’s the reaction of the liyue crew (who kinda have feels for reader) when reader just accepts it and calls her their daughter

Gosh that was long, yea that’s my ask sorry for the mistakes 😅 you don’t have to do it if you’re busy

-Honey Anon

. . . . ╰──╮BEING QIQI'S "PARENT" ╭──╯ . . . .

PLATONIC!Qiqi x GN!Reader

¡! ❞ having qiqi refer to you as her parent, which is clearly not the truth, is a situation you needed to get used to

¡! ❞ but no wonder she thinks you're her parent when you take care of her. Yes, Baizhu does too but you somehow manage to not order her around and rather gently guide her and help. (Not like baizhu would mistreat her or anything!)

¡! ❞ you always remind her to take her notebook with her, on her worst days she may forget it to take it. On the absolute worst days she even forgot where she put it. Luckily you always remember

¡! ❞ awww look at you always packing her lunch for when she works at bubu pharmacy. And the lunch always includes coconut milk, thats very important

¡! ❞ you know she can't taste anything, but she can feel textures and temperatures, so her lunchbox may look weird to people who dont know. You always try your best to pack in every food she likes the texture or temperature of

¡! ❞ I don't really know if she needs to eat and drink but--pls it's to cute

¡! ❞ Qiqi also looooves to pick herbs with you! She can't really show emotions but having you by her side all day long really makes her feel "better". With you she feels like she can't forget anything

¡! ❞ she read in books how parents act with their children, and this is what you do with her. So obviously you must be her parent!

¡! ❞ she's proud of that conclusion tho

¡! ❞ she mostly stays over at your place, sleeps with you all cuddled up in her parents arms. Its cute, really

¡! ❞ she's stuck with you, or you're rather with her but who would complain about little cute qiqi being glued to your side?

¡! ❞ Lumine and Paimon also find it adorable, weird at first but it's cute. Paimon tried once or twice to explain qiqi that you are indeed not her parent but Lumine always stops her. Crushing a little zombies dreams like this is not what they want.

¡! ❞ but they're happy for you and sometimes even join in, in the herb adventures if they have time

¡! ❞ Baizhu on the other hand was not surprised at qiqi calling you her parent. (Considering he probably was the one who gave her the books where the most basic human stuff was written down so she would remember or know) Theres not much that can surprise him. But hes sure also very happy. At first he was worried, you could hurt her or play around with her forgetfull mind. But you didn't, you helped even more and then he was relieved. What a relief no he doesn't have to poison you---

¡! ❞ and after more time spend with you and qiqi together he understood why she feels this way. Youre patient, caring and supportive. Like a good parent should be. Hes even prouer when qiqi seemed to have thought you some things about herbs. It was for sure a accident she did but now you can even help around in Bubu pharmacy with little to no struggle

¡! ❞ not Baizhu realizing he caught feelings after a few months. Panic--like this was not his intention at all-

¡! ❞ but Zhongli was definitely warm around he heart. What a nice and caring person you must be that a child will call you their parent. He already was interested in you before but now---

¡! ❞ Qiqi calling you her parent was a big gossip in Liyue once, everybody knew or talked about it and it also came to the ears of Ningguang, Keqing and Ganyu. All three of them are taken aback by the cuteness overload of it all. Although Ganyu was more open to show how soft you made her feel with you parently behavior

¡! ❞ whenever Ningguang is in Liyue she will pay Bubu pharmacy a visit just to see you two acting along. She might even give you some Mora for Qiqi like a sugar mommy--but mostly because her heart is aching for you and your attention-pls visit her in the Jade palace too, you might also bring Qiqi along for a evening tea! Be careful to not let her fall down tho---

A/n: getting the others involved was very hard to do and didn't truned out this well but--yeah

[roses-dreams-andthorns]

hi hello, r u getting tired of my requests? Because another one is here!!! May i request a They/them reader, a Herrscher of the Void reader preferably. You can see i'm going crazy with all the honkai impact readers but i have seen nobody do it, excluding you ofc. This time is genshin! May i request Aether, Kaveh and Baizhu?

Hi Hiii! I'm not getting tired of your requests at all, dw! Though I am kinda burnt out ish, so I'll try my best to get all my current requests done! This one will be first since its the most recent one~ "𝓗𝓪𝓲𝓵 𝓶𝔂 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓭 𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓮𝓷, 𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓷, 𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓷." "𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝔁 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓮 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓭 𝓲𝓽𝓼 𝓮𝓫𝓫 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓯𝓵𝓸𝔀" "𝓢𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓱, 𝓢𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓱, 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮" "𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓻, 𝓸𝓱 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻, 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓿𝓸𝓲𝓬𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓭 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓮." Genshin impact x HoV!NB!Reader. Characters included: 𝓐𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻, 𝙆𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙝, 𝔅𝔞𝔦𝔷𝔥𝔲 Reader pronouns: They / Them

Author's notes: I was unsure if you were referring to Kiana HoV or Sirin HoV, but technically they are the same, but also different, so I'll try to reference both some how. I also don't know which Aether we're talking about either, Abyss or Traveler, but it would make some more sense if it was abyss Aether to me. Also, to make it make even more sense, I decided to make the Reader a member of the abyss order. It just made sense to me if they were a part of it, considering them being the herrscher of the void, also unsure if you wanted this to be platonic or romantic, so... its maybe a bit of both ish? Reader's dialoge color.

𝓐𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻

For some reason, you remind him of someone... (*coughs* Unknown god *coughs*) but he shrugs off that feeling of doubt and familiarity. He believes you are as graceful as you are kind of evil, and he's all for it, especially if this is Abyss Aether we're talking about. Your powers are useful to the abyss, being able to remove almost all obstacles with just the snap of your fingers. Like the abyss heralds and mages, you're like an assistant to him, but you're closer to him than that of the rest of the abyss.

you, too, must have experienced the true nature of Teyvat through your own journey, whatever the true nature may be, just like he did. you wouldn't have joined him in the abyss order other wise, would you have? "Reader, fetch the abyss lectors for me, won't you? I require them for something." "Understood, Prince Aether."

"...Please just call me Aether, Reader. There's no need for formalities."

He sees a tiny bit of Lumine in you, hence why he's so attached to you, but he loves you just a bit more than a sibling, because though there are similarities, you are not Lumine, nor are you related by blood. and there may be a tiny bit of romance between you two, according to the rumors that circulate around the abyss order, that is, no one truly knows if they're true or not.

𝙆𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙝

At your first meeting, he was quite intimidated by your... aura. That abyssal aura that follows you around. At first, he labeled you an enemy, and, like any sane person who senses danger would, tried to fight you off, but a little later after that, he realized that maybe not all those who have committed some sin against the archons and thrive in the abyss are that bad... though humans like him can be so gullible... Despite the dark feelings in your heart that tell you "humans are worthless and pathetic." you can't help but feel the tiniest bit of sympathy when he meets with you in secret around the Ruins of Dhari, with this human substance known as... coffee, which he shares with you, and begins blabbering to you about how annoying his roommate is, and how he's in such a huge amount of debt. The urge to give him some of the mora you've stolen from other pathetic humans like himself is strong... "He never listens to any of my complaints! It's extremely annoying to deal with him everyday... You're lucky you don't have to live with the stupid acting grand sage of the academia..."

"Your life certainly sounds... interesting, mortal. Not even any of the abyss mages in which I command are as annoying as this... 'Alhaitham' sounds."

You've also grown to open up to him slightly, but you don't tell him anything of the abyss orders plans, right? ...Okay, maybe you told him some things... or maybe you told him too much... because now he might just be starting to doubt the archons and Celestia and the rest of human-kind just like how you and the rest of the abyss do.

𝔅𝔞𝔦𝔷𝔥𝔲

A human doctor who runs across a high ranked member of the abyss by chance... something no one could ever expect. not even Changsheng expected an encounter with such a high ranking abyssal being. Though despite your occupation... you couldn't help but to stop and assist the sickly human, instead of trying to actively kill him, despite knowing that what stood before you was nothing but a pathetic mortal in your eyes... something about him caused you to want to help him, so you had lead him back to Liyue Harbor discreetly, but on the way back, you continued to call him as such.

"Pathetic mortal human... I am only helping you out of my pure benevolence! I feel no sympathy for your weak and pathetic mortal self what so ever! I expect something in return for this!" "Yes, yes, I understand. I believe I have something that may satisfy your request back at Bubu Pharmacy."

"Baizhu... are you sssssure we can really trussssst this abyssssssal being?"

"Come now, Changsheng, they were kind enough to guide us back home, its the least I could do as compensation for wasting their precious time.~"

He then proceeds to give you plenty of expensive looking items and herbs and some medicine as compensation for... "wasting your precious time.", although you don't really have any use for these, you reluctantly accept them anyways, and then proceed to have even more random encounters with the human doctor and snake companion in the wilderness.