#time in Teyvat is broken. maybe it has something to do with the archon of time mentioned on that sundial on the hidden island

[fatuismooches]

a lesson in forgiveness.

The puppet’s plan to save you by deleting himself from the world did not work. You were dead and would remain dead for all of eternity. You were never to be given a second chance, yet he received one, now going by the name Wanderer.

Wanderer had begun to heal, very, very slowly from not only your death but his own past life with the help of the Dendro Archon, but there was not a day where Wanderer didn’t think of you. Sometimes for a little while, sometimes for a long time. Though Wanderer had always kept your gift close to him. The comb you had given him had endured throughout time, not without challenges though. You had given it to him as a good luck charm before he set off on that fateful day. Some of the teeth had been chipped or even broken off. Wanderer always treated it with the utmost care, but time is everything’s greatest enemy, even to immortals.

More recently, Wanderer had decided to create a small doll of you. It was necessary for him, it was a way to cope and come to terms with your death. He remembers centuries ago, you said you had always wanted to see the world. To leave the little village you called home and see Teyvat for yourself. It’s not the same, but perhaps this could be some sort of atonement for letting you die. You’ll be able to see the beautiful sights that he sees with him. Maybe that would make you happy, wherever you were. He would not tell anyone how much time he put into it, for it was an embarrassingly long time. Every stitch and every detail was planned carefully, even making multiple pairs of clothing for you. He didn’t often use them though, but perhaps it was a way to keep his mind off other things. 

Nowadays, Lesser Lord Kusanali had begun to assign him to some bothersome tasks, which he reluctantly carried out. Though, it was mostly a front. He didn’t mind as much as he grunted and scoffed about it. And, Wanderer knows without a doubt that you would adore Nahida. So, he really didn’t mind being the Archons’s shadow. Ah, and the Aranara too, you would absolutely fawn over them. If he was Kabukimono, he would too.

But right now he was taking a break at his usual local cafe. This had become a sort of routine for Wanderer. It was nothing out of the ordinary now. Plus, the coffee here was not bad. The puppet was enjoying his solitude, away from the noise of others when a voice broke his tranquility.

“Hello, is this seat taken?” Wanderer's eyebrow twitched at the disturbance. Couldn’t this person read the room? He thought it would be quite obvious that he preferred to be left alone. He cracked an eyebrow open to retort the person but the sight of them made every part of his body freeze up, and the words died in his throat. This couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t. If he were holding his cup of coffee, he would have dropped it.

For you were standing in front of him again. 

There were not many times Wanderer has been left speechless, for he always has some kind of response to everything, but not this time. What could he say, when confronted with the love of his life after over four hundred years of their death?

“Hello?” You tilted your head, beckoning for a reply. A nervous but genuine smile eased its way onto your lips. “Would you mind if I sat here with you?” Wanderer forced himself to regain his composure.

“…Do what you want.” That came out harsher than the puppet wanted it to, but his stern way of speaking had long been the norm for him. 

“Okay, thanks,” you smiled once again, tension in your shoulders leaving as you pulled out the chair. That smile of yours. That smile was all too familiar. Every part of his body was debating the possibility of this being you. Oh, how he longed for it to be you, but he couldn’t be sure that this was you. It must be just an uncanny resemblance to the you from centuries ago. Because you, [Name], were dead, and you were never coming back.

You began to search through your bag, looking for something. He got a peak of the contents, and there lay some Lavender Melon wrapped up to savor later for a snack. He gritted his teeth at the similarities before deciding to study you more. Your clothes had traditional aspects of Inazuma but also incorporated some styles from Sumeru. Perhaps you were on a trip? His question wasn’t left unanswered for long.

“You know, this is my first day in Sumeru. It’s so much bigger and livelier than I thought,” you hummed happily. “So I thought, the first thing I should do was try some of the local food! I heard it’s quite delicious,” you grinned again finding the Mora pouch in your bag. Then a look of realization appeared on your face. “Oh! How silly of me, rambling to a complete stranger. I’m [Name], by the way.” 

[Name].

[Name].

[Name].

[Name]. The name that had haunted and lingered with him for so long, had come back to the present day. Wanderer’s breath hitched as he could not help but feel a wave of emotions at the reality of the situation. You were back. You were alive again, happy and smiling, looking as if nothing had changed at all. Granted, there were still a few small differences from your past self, but it was wholly and authentically you. [Name]. There was no denying it, and he found himself boring his eyes into your figure. You were still so pretty, so attractive, your beauty not changing throughout time. The way you furrowed your eyebrows as you read through the menu, licking your lips in anticipation of digging into some yummy cuisine.

Wanderer wonders if you still like to cook, the same way the old you loved to. He wonders if you’ll recognize the techniques the old you taught him, how to cut and peel vegetables. Wanderer does it with ease now, no longer cutting his fingers clumsily as Kabukimono did. He wonders if you’d like his own cooking. Much of his knowledge of cooking came from you. He wants to see your face light up in excitement as you relish and praise him for how good he’s gotten without you. If he cooked you the same foods you ate together from those days, how would you react? If he showed you the comb, would you remember? If you remembered, would you forgive him for how he let you die all those years ago? Wanderer’s mind was overloaded with questions. 

He had gone through unspeakable things, but he was extremely strong now, at least stronger than Kabukimono. Wanderer thinks you’ll never be hurt ever again, not by any Treasure Hoarders, Fatui, Kairagi, Nobushi, Hilichurls, or whatever other monsters Teyvat has to offer. No, so long as he watched over you from afar, you would never be injured. But, he questions himself, does he truly deserve this opportunity? No, the better question was, do you deserve to have to deal with him, with him being the person he is now? You looked perfectly fine without him, oblivious to the way he had been suffering for so long after your death. Oblivious to the sins that coated his hands. At the very least, you didn’t meet him while he was Scaramouche. He probably would not have been a good lover to you back then. Your voice interrupted his thoughts. 

“This is my first time trying Sumeru’s coffee. Is it good?” His chest panged once again at how similar your words were spoken now as compared to a few hundred years ago. Wanderer remembers the exact moment, in the bath when you spoke about trying Sumeru’s coffee with him, as if it was yesterday…

“It’s alright,” Wanderer kept his tone neutral despite his thoughts.

“Oh really? Is it bitter or sweet?”

“Neither, it is a good balance. But… I always ask for mine to be extra bitter,” Wanderer admitted to you. Normally, he would never have even entertained a conversation with a stranger, but in a way, you were not a stranger to him.

“Extra bitter, huh? And that doesn’t bother you? Interesting,” you smiled, gaining interest in the conversation as you leaned in closer to him. “I don’t think I could ever handle that!” Wanderer knew that already. In Tatarasuna, you could never stomach the taste of such bitterness. Another look of realization crossed your face as you giggled to yourself.

“It just hit me, I introduced myself but I never asked you. What’s your name?” You smiled once again beautifully, Sumeru’s sun illuminating your features. Wanderer etched your expression forever into his mind before he spoke.

“Just call me… Hat Guy,” Wanderer did not know why he chose to say that name out of all, and he had to stop himself from cringing at himself.

“H-Hat Guy…?” You repeated. You were dead silent for a few seconds before you erupted in laughter, which sounded oh-so-familiar to him, and made his ‘heart’ sing. Your hand flew to your mouth in an attempt to muffle your giggles. “Ah- ahahaha! I didn’t take you for a guy who likes to joke!”

Wanderer didn’t know how things would go from here, but as the wind carried your laugh away, he felt truly at peace after a very, very long time.

lesson 1. lesson 2. lesson 3. lesson 4. lesson 5. lesson 6. lesson 7. lesson 8. lesson 9. lesson 10. bonus lesson.

[purplexing-writing-and-concepts]

{Am I a...God? Neat!}

-Chapter Four: Of Dragons and Power-

There were many ways (Y/n) thought this introduction would go. But having the Anemo Archon curled up in a ball seeming about to cry in front of his subjects as his true form was revealed was not one such scenario they thought would occur. The old god physically cringed hearing the high-pitched wail that came from the small wisp as he tried to return to his original form with failure. They released a sigh leaning down and picking him up before spinning his small form once like a spin-top in their hands. This action caused a small whirlwind to form before Venti was back to his usual form.

"Apologizes little wisp, I didn't think that my being here would destabilize you..." Despite them trying to speak the others (Jean, Diluc, and Venti), only heard what sounded like multiple disembodied and cracking voices. Like a group of people were saying the same thing but overlapping each other. It was intelligible but greatly unnerving at the same time. Noticing their reactions Aether facepalmed slight before turning to them, "Cosmi...did you forget about what your voice sounds like to others...?"

(Y/n) released a small laugh, though it was still echoey, before snapping their fingers creating a spark of light. They then grabbed the light with their other hand tracing an intricate pattern. It looked like a star of some sort but very pointy. It was white and gold yet oddly, despite being made of light, didn't seem to glow. The odd star then floated upwards before settling behind their head like a halo. "There is that better...?" Their voice now sounded like one person speaking.

The air was still tense however, the three Mondstadters in front of them were understandably on edge. The old god sighed, "I will answer any and all questions you have for me if that soothes you all.." At this the blonde, Jean gingerly raised her hand," H-how is it that you destabilized Lord Barbatos just by being in the room...?" At the question (Y/n) placed a hand on their chin closing their eyes in thought. They took a moment before answering, "I believe it has something to do with him being an archon...or that I even after all these years still cannot truly mask my divine energies..."

"Therefore, they clashed thought me being not only older but stronger it caused him to destabilize. I'm truly sorry about that though I must admit it was amusing..." Aether shook his head hearing them say that before Diluc interjected, "And we are supposed to just trust what you say? The very idea that you are whom you say is hard to grasp as nowhere in human history is there mention of a primordial god of Teyvat..."

Jean sent a slightly desperate look at the redhead silently urging him to take back what he'd insinuated for fear of angering the being in front of them. Though the young man had no intuition of doing so, God or not they could be a threat to Mondstadt and for that he could not let this slide. The challenge caused (Y/n) to release an amused chuckle as they held back a laugh before they composed themselves and spoke.

"Well little Ragnvindr if you truly find the concept hard to understand it would be because the castle in the sky ensured that me existence was all but erased from history. However unfortunately for it the world still answers to me and me alone..." As they spoke Aether tugged slightly on their sleeve shaking his head. This caused them to give a muted sigh in response, "But since my little Starlight doesn't see it fit for me to display that power here let us head to the ruins of Old Mondstadt...Once I cure Dvalin of his affliction maybe you will understand I am no threat to your beloved nation..."

"By the way you might want to check on that little Lyre of yours I saved you the favor of returning it broken by repairing it and also imbuing it with a protection charm so that it cannot be broken again...While I would have liked to see Deaconess Barbara's reaction to its sorry state in person, I have more important matters to attend to that require my full attention..." The two vision bearers seemed to be slightly unnerved by the words of the being in front of them, but they weren't sure they had much choice

"Now let's be off we haven't a moment to spare that poor dragon has suffered long enough...and I'm sure you wouldn't want to Fatui to an Ursa the Drake once more...Be advised this might get uncomfortable." At their words Paimon released a small squeal at the feeling of being teleported once more. The group was now at the entrance to Stormterror's Lair, or as (Y/n) had called it Old Mondstadt though how they knew the name of the ruins and the place was unsettling to the newer additions.

"Venti, would you like to do the honors of breaking the barrier...oh and don't worry about the Hillichurls they will not be a problem..." At this Venti nervously took out his lyre and began to play dispelling the barrier making a small comment on its awful noise. The group began their journey into the old ruins, though it was odd. While there were Hillichurls and slimes about they didn't seem all the interested in attacking anyone. The monsters actually seemed to be clearing a path for the group.

"How strange the creatures here aren't attacking in any capacity." Jean muttered to herself through loud enough for the group to here. Paimon took this as her chance to speak," It probably has something to do with the fact that (Y/n) is here with us...back in Dragonspine they gathered up all the monsters of the mountain not single one attacked at any point." At her words Diluc's face seemed to scrunch up in distaste like what he'd just heard was proof enough not to trust this "All-Creator" The old being chuckled at his reaction taking a moment to stop and float in place seeming in thought.

Aether turned around for a moment noticing that they were lagging behind the group and as he went to speak, they only shook their head and gesture for him to continue on ahead, "I'm going to go ahead and disable the barriers over the ruins you lot can head on up and prepare for a short fight." Humming as they floated off somewhere the blonde boy could only sigh at his parent's antics. Sure, he knew they didn't care if they were trusted but he did. These people were technically his friends, so he wanted everyone to get along.

Paimon looked at her travel companion in confusion as they had all reached the top of the ruins, but the others just now noticed that (Y/n) was nowhere in sight. The white-haired child spoke what the rest were thinking, "Where'd (Y/n) go? Weren't they just with us?" Aether took a few moments before speaking, "Cosmi said they were going to dispel the three barriers blocked our way to Dvalin..."

"How did they know about the barriers? I only just realized they were here..." Venti asked in confusion. Jean seemed to have the same contemplating expression," They also seem to know a lot about us and Mondstadt as a whole." Diluc stayed silent though his demeanor gave way to what he was thinking that this being knew too much and they knew too little. As Aether went to respond suddenly the three barriers just broke and vanished almost instantaneously.

The shadows in one of the ruins corners seemed to bend and mold before (Y/n) casually walked out of them, the shadows them returning to normal," I know just about everything there is to know about Teyvat...except for the reason Celestia exists." They spoke not exactly looking at anyone but obviously speaking to them, "Because not only did I not institute such a power I find its very existence bothersome...on another note let us be off to save the dragon of the east."

The group although mostly hesitant follow after (Y/n) deeper into the ruins. Dvalin flew overhead Venti sending Aether into the sky to rid Dvalin of two blood clots the third remaining as the blond was knocked from the sky. While the primordial being trusted the archon to catch their son they still did not wish to take the chance and floated upwards snagging the boy from the air like one catches a falling cat.

They gingerly set him down noticing the group was now on a platform, the dragon flying closer once more beginning his attack. That was at least until (Y/n) raised their arms into an X a faint periwinkle glow overtaking them before they swiped down sending a frost infused wind towards the dragon knocking him slightly prone over the platform. The last blood clot seemed to pulsate more as the others began their assault.

After a few hits Dvalin recovered himself and staggered as he flew a bit away. The dragon took this moment to concentrate his power as a shower of concentrated Anemo bullets rained down shattering most of the platforms excluding the one the group was standing on. (Y/n) narrowed their eyes slightly," A-ha, this is Dvalin's ace in the hole: Caelestinum Finale Termini!" Venti said as he watched fo his old friend struggle to fight. Paimon held a look much like that of displeased and confused child as she spoke, "...This dragon has strange taste when it comes to naming things."

The archon gave a short giggle as he responded," That's because I named it for him just now...hehe" Paimon then gave a protest at his actions before they focused their attention back to the raging dragon. He was once again swooping down to attack. "This should be the last stretch of this battle..." (Y/n) said softly though everyone heard them. Once more the old god sent a cryo infused wind towards the dragon knocking him down enough to expose the cause of his blight.

Aether then climbed up the dragon's neck using his sword to send one last attack at the blood clot before it completely shattered. The dragon then struggled again thrashing around as the corruption left his system. This caused the remaining platforms to give under his weight. (Y/n)'s eyes widened slightly at the sudden feeling but quickly gathered themself preparing a shield that would grab everyone but was stopped as Dvalin caught the group breaking their concentration.

The group was quite for a bit porcessing the events that just occured. Venti was the first to speak, "It's been a while since we flew like this together, huh, Dvalin?" He spoke with great fondness as a gentle smile overtook his expression. Dvalin was silent reeling from the entire situation before he finally spoke, "Just now... Why... Why did you not ask me to protect you like the last time?" The poor child thouhgt of his past actions in unspoken agony.

Venti sighed as he spoke, "Me not wanting you to listen to the Abyss Order doesn't mean that you have to listen to me...Freedom, if demanded of you by an archon, is really no freedom at all." The wisp smiled as he then concentrated his power into a ball of pure anemo energy giving it to Dvalin. The dragon felt the power boot and his worries seem to flow away like a leaf in the autumn breeze.

His relief nearly brought him to tears, yet he spoke regardless, "Is this... the power of the Anemo Archon? But I am no longer part of the Four Winds." The dragon new his previous actions couldn't be entirely excused, and he certainly couldn't understand why the archon would grant him such power especially considering he no longer held his position as a protector of his beloved nation.

 Venti allowed a carefree smile to overtake his features as he spoke, "Even if that's so, you still protected us regardless...Now, spread your wings of freedom and go with my blessing." The group then enjoyed the flight back to Mondstadt feeling the winds flow freely around them and the beautiful view that was below.

The group was back in Mondstadt for a while Jean cleared up any misunderstandings with the citizens and knights also taking the time to introduce (Y/n) to the nation, though as per request she did leave out the fact they were not only a god but the creator of all that is. The old god was simply introduced as Aether's parent and a friend of Mondstadt. Though most of the citizens didn't pay them much mind, choosing instead to focus on their Acting Grandmaster and Honorary Knight.

The events died down and everything seemed to be fine. The city was rather lively despite it now being late afternoon. Everyone had dispersed and Diluc seemed to have given (Y/n) some credit as he wasn't as tense around them before he left. Jean was much the same, it seemed that the assist provided by the old god during Dvalin's confrontation settled any worry that they were a threat.

(Y/n) sent Aether and Paimon off to rest saying they needed to handle something important. Aether was reluctant to part from them but after much coaxing and a promise to be back soon he allowed them to leave. They followed a trail of anemo energy that was sure to lead them to Venti, the archon was sitting on the hands of his statue near the Cathedral. The night air was cool but nothing too chilly and the stars were bright.

The primordial one floated upwards quietly watching the archon softly play a tune on his lyre seemingly lost deep in his thoughts. "I see despite being the god of freedom you yourself lack it in a general sense." Venti seemed to all but jump out his skin hearing the sudden voice. He nearly dropped his lyre carefully hugging it to his chest to ensure that it was indeed still there. "What makes you say that oh antient god I've never met before..."

Sensing his mild sarcasm (Y/n) rolled their eyes, "It would have something to do with your ties to the parasite you know as Celestia...Your Gnosis makes you duty bound to serve it regardless of what you wish." They took this moment to sit on the head of the statue looking down at Venti as he quickly turned around to face them a look of shock on his face," H-how did you know that...?"

He only received a small, amused smile from them before they finally spoke again," I said before that I know much...the only thing I cannot understand is the motives of these alleged gods of Celestia. However, I do know that the gnosis is the reason your power has diminished greatly over the years...it feeds off your people's worship and your active involvement in their lives...since you do not actively participate in ruling as an archon it has merely been feeding from you alone."

"That isn't how a Gnosis works. So, you don't really know as much as you say..." Venti countered though he seemed unsure of his retort. (Y/n) chuckled," Oh but it is...I can tell as much simply from how you use your power...If you would like I can do away with the parasite's hold on you...and you needed worry about attracting Celestia's ire since my arrival in Mondstadt they've been more worried on collecting power from the nations whose archons rule. Though in the end I will still be far more powerful even in my weakened state."

The archon could only watch in astonishment as the being in front of them stared at him silently awaiting his answer. Should he trust them to rid him of this burden? Sure, he never trusted Celestia and their reasoning, but he had seen what happens when they were defied. He couldn't risk his people, but at the same time is he not already by not ruling over as an archon should? It seemed only question after question ran through his mind before the sound of someone clearing their throat broke his concentration.

He turned his attention back to (Y/n) as they smiled. They waved their hand in a circle anemo energy seemed to gather quickly before forming the Gnosis he had. Venti released a gasp as he no longer felt his Gnosis residing within him. Suddenly he felt the winds converge on his person like a blanket wrapped tightly around him before the feeling faded and he felt stronger. The feeling was similar to his time during the Archon war, when he was in his prime but more intense. Yet he didn't feel wrong, it was like this was the strength he was meant to have. Like a chain had been broken.

"That is the power you should be able to harness but this little thing has not only been consuming such power but was also acting as a limiter of it...So here's the question...do you want it back?" They asked him in a voice that given the situation sounded taunting though something told Venti they were being genuine. He took a few moments before shaking his head, "N-no...I don't want it back.."

(Y/n) gave the wisp a soft smile as they clutched the gnosis in their hand making it disappear in a burst of darkness, "Good...there will be a confrontation tomorrow I have given you a fake Gnosis not that anyone will know of course...just be sure not to let anyone know that it if. I'll see you tomorrow then little wisp..." With that the being seemed to dissipate into the shadows.

"J-just what are they...to manipulate such power like mere child's play...are they really a god above all..." Venti whispered to himself in awe and slight horror. Too much was happening at once he needed a break.

[bluelancelion]

Voltron x Genshin: a thread

(Because I literally have nothing better to do and these two fandoms are gonna be the death of me)

Shiro is an Archon (electro Archon?)

Hunk (geo vision) and Pidge (Dendro) are scholars at the Sumeru Academia. Lance is one too, but he struggles to keep up (+ he senses something is wrong in there).

Keith had the potential to become a student, and he'd be GREAT, but he never tries to because his life had always revolved around being a solo treasure hoarder.

He lived on the streets since he can remember. Sometimes, when he was younger, he would join other treasure hoarders, for him to leave not much time later. Usually this meant the other bandits would seek a fight, to establish who could decide whether he could leave or not (kinda like it happened to Rosaria).

Said fights usually ended up with Keith collecting scratches and the bandits broken bones.

Until the day he gained his pyro vision.

Without the need to rely on others to survive, Keith started his life as a solitary treasure hoarder. He didn't have a home, or a place to return to. He didn't know who his parents were, or where he came from.

All he had was his vision and a single desire.

To see the brightest star.

He doesn't have memories before his childhood, but he has a feeling that someone once told him to follow the britghest star on the sky. Keith vaguely believes he responded that the moon was brighter than any star, why should he follow a random one when the moon existed?

And the other voice answered. "The moon and the stars are the most beautiful thing anyone has ever seen. Brighter than gems, they shine high in the sky. But don't let their beauty deceive you, as a pretty cover often masks an ugly reality. Follow the brightest star, Keith, as its frail light shines real amongst the blinding fakes."

But Keith never understood what that person meant. All the stars looked the same to him, they shined the same, dull brightness. As a child he was mezmerized by them, each one holding a secret Keith wanted to unfold. But now there was nothing to help him distinguish them one from another. Nothing but plain white dots on a dark celestial vault. Even the moon, supposed to be ruling on the night sky and the stars like its empress, looked like a dying version of the one Keith held close in his childhood memories.

At some point in his life, Keith stopped looking for the brightest star in the sky, the one that was supposed to show him the way.

He was tired of keep looking for something that he would never find. Just like a place to belong to. If Keith stopped enough time to look for it, he would only find emptiness and disappointment.

As if he would let decide his fate by a burning rock floating in the air.

The day Keith took the reins of his life was the same day he stopped looking at the sky. He would be fully in control of his life, stay away from people as much as he could, and live his life roaming freely in Teyvat.

Who knows, maybe he would meet that person again and tell him that star didn't exist.

___

OKAY THIS WAS FUCKING UNEXPECTED, BECAUSE I DIDN'T MEAN TO WRITE A CHUNK OF FIC, but only a list of headcanons... BUT I GUESS I HAVE A FIC IN MY HANDS.

So.

Keith and Lance meet under... Weird circumstances. Idk maybe Keith is running away from a danger and Lance helps him cause he thinks he's a traveller.

"You don't look like you're from here. Are you a traveler? Did you come from far away?"

"You could say that" Keith cautiously puts his hand behind his back, retrieving his knife in case the situation calls for it.

"Cool. The only place I've been in beside Fontaine is Sumeru."

Bla bla bla SKIP FORWARD, surprise! Keith is a treasure hoarder and idk HOW but he and Lance end up spending time together and Lance tells him that "When I was younger there was this group of kids that played as treasure hoarders. They even had the wooden knives and everything. I thought they were cool, so I ran to my mother and told her I wanted to become a treasure hoarder when I grow up" he stops to make a dramatic effect.

"Needless to mention that I had to run away from the house to escape my mother's fury and her deadly slipper." they both laughed.

"Running away made her even angrier. Oh my archons, you should have seen her."

"I never understood why she got so angry until some days later. As if the archons pulled a sick joke, that night the house of the kid that played as a treasure hoarder got robbed by real, actual treasure hoarders. Earlier that same day his father had met some on his way back home. They tried to steal his cart but he managed to defend it and himself, wounding one of them on the face."

"How do you know that?" Keith asked curiously.

"Because when he came back he told everyone, narrating it like some sort of epic battle." Lance explains.

"That night they came back to seek revenge. They burned their harvest and killed their cattle. An entire year of hard work burned in one night. Then they broke inside and took anything valuable, destroying everything else."

He fixed his eyes on Keith's. "That's when I understood that treasure hoarders are vile people, selfish in their actions and cruel by any mean. I also later understood why my mother got so angry. I used to think every treasure hoarder was like that."

"And then?"

"And then you showed up."

MORE FAST FORWARD, It's near-ish? The end? Keith and Lance are very close, they are bros being bros, pals being pals lol, and Keith casually mentions the voice that told him about the brightest star (they were eating sandwitches inside a windmill enjoying the breeze idk) when Lance is like "Oh yeah you're talking about Nome" and Keith is like "What?" and Lance "Nome. I'm acrually impressed you know about it, almost no one does. I mean, maybe because it goes against everyone's beliefs and everyone forgot about it, nothing that a 300 years old book can't bring up again."

Keith looked at him like he was speaking geovishaps. "What are you talking about?"

So Lance shows him. He secretly makes Keith break in Sumeru Academia with him, where the brings him to the main telescope. He also brings the book he was talking about

(he even showed him beforehand, because he had to organize when to bring Keith in to avoid rising any suspicions. The book was 300 years old, it was made of lacerated skin and brought together with rope. Some pages were burnt, some ripped out, the writing was sloppy and thick enough that some words looked like a big chunk of black ink. The book was one of old myths and legends, one that was forgotten and abandoned in a cave Lance and his friends found.

"Isn't this book from the Academia ?"

"No, here's the thing, we found it and we meant to bring it to school, but Pidge, my friend says it's a bad idea because out professor are kind of pricks and they either would take the book and never return it to us again or take the crédit."

"Your friend sounds smart."

"Yeah, she wants to inspect the book before we decide what to do with it. This week was Hunk's turn to take it, but I asked if I could borrow it for a day."

"I feel honored"

"Heck yeah you should. He was giving me that look like he didn't believe I wanted to study it."

"Sounds very hard to imagine that"

"Shut up, mullet."

So yeah, the fun thing is that in one of those chapters, its mentioned the sky and the stars. Most of it was damaged though, and not much could be understood beside the star mentioned. It said that once every five hundred years, "truth would reveal itself in form of a peek from above" and then another one "Sharp diamonds shine brighter than polished gems"

"At first me and my friends didn't get it. But then Pidge pointed out that the moon and the stars om Teyvat are round shaped, sorta, and usually sparkles are designed after rhombs which vaguely look like diamonds. Anyway, what I'm saying is that two weeks from now, we believe a new star will appear. But we also have the right to think it'll bring some sort of chaos cause" he pushed the book away to make space for a roll of paper. "Here it says that lies from afar bring chaos where the steadiness of elements lives in equilibrium." basically anything new that has to do with nature is a big deal for Teyvat."

IDK I'M SLEEPY AND. I HAVE TO READ EVERUHGJTING AGAIN BUT ANYWAY LANCE AND KEITH HANG OUT MORE OFTEN and they keep sneaking inside Sumeru or there to spend time together and try to figure out when the star will appear (they actually don't know yet). Hunk and Pidge get sus cause Lance acts weird, until one day Lance sneaks Keith in again and BAM they get catched but jk it's just Pidge and Hunk and they're like "Who's this?"

And Lance is like "This is uhhh my friend-"

"OMG it's that treasure hoarder!"

"WHAT"

Chaos ensues like "LANCE HOW COULD U" "GUYS IT'S FINE HE'S FINE" but their mess draws the attention of a professor and Lance is like SHIT SHIT shit we gotta hide him

So Hunk, Pidge and Lance hide akeith until they're safe to go, and now finally they ask for an explanation

"HA! So that's why you kept asking to borrow the book. We knew there was something more under your weird random 'studying sessions' but we neve thought it would be THIS" they shout pointing at Keith with both hands, who was sitting on the floor cross legged.

Anyway SKIP FORWARD AGAIN, It's the fated day of the brightest star, IDK if anything happens, I don't think so,BUT Keith and Lance watch it together, nothing happens except idk it's fucking stunning and the moment passes and they're just kinda standing there like "Wow. I thought the end of the world would happen or something."

Lance turns over Keith, who kept silent the whole time. "You okay, mullet? I know you're usually quiet but this time it's a different type of quiet."

"It's just... I think I've been waiting my whole life for this moment to happen, and now I don't know how to feel."

"Was it disappointing?"

After giving it a thought, Keith's tone was confident. "No. It was stunning."

(cause when Keith saw that star, he was instantly brought back to when he was a kid. When he loved the shining stars. He vaguely remembered being held in his father's arm, his mother's caresses, and the stranger's voice again. He had never seen something so beautiful, yet so nostalgic. At some point he looked over Lance. He was bathing in starlight, and for a moment Keith thought he was shining brighter than any star in the sky. He was transfixed by him.)

So when the beauty of nature ends, Keith doesn't understand why the brightness of the brightest star didn't fade away, instead it was looking at him with blue sky eyes and smile soft as clouds. Lance stretched his hand. "Wanna go?"

Keith took it.

(they go down, they are fucking in love with each other idk why or how, AND THEN THE FUCKING PROFESSOR CATCHES THEM AND CAPTURES KEITH. TURNS OUT THEY WERE SPYING ON THE TRIO FOR SOME TIME BECAUSE THEY NOTICED THEY FOUND THE BOOK, then waited for the right moment.)

Keith is sent to prison or idk. Lance is like held IN captivity ??? Lol nah idk but either:

1) Lance rescues Keith

2) Keith gets help from a man aka Shiro aka the archon aka the same voice that told him about the star

2) Keith rescues Lance

And THEN they confess their love for each other.

The end.

OH MY GOD WAIT. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT.

WHAT IF KEITH IS A NORMAL TREASURE HOARDER WITH NO VISION - AND THEN HE OBTAINS IT AFTER SEEING THE STAR IDK, LIKE HE BECOMES PASSIONATE AGAIN, HE FINDS PASSION WITHIN HIMSELF AGAIN IDK IT'S LIKE, it seems such a minuscule, unimportant thing (the bright star a stranger told him about and him giving up on finding it) but Lance brings him to it, he makes this memory resurface and so do his emotions, his passion that he thought he had buried deep within his will to live a different life, a life with a meaning he's been desperately searching for. Because that star was nothing but a star, but for Keith it was more, it was everything. It was hope for a better future, it was a second chance of redemption, if was a purpose in his life, a goal to reach, a place to go to, somewhere he could stay and finally call home.

Stars are just stars, until someone gives them a deeper meaning.

And Lance did that. He didn't let his hate for treasure hoarders blind him and he gave Keith a deeper meaning, one even himself didn't see. Lance saw the truth behind his mask and it wasn't an ugly one.

Lance brought him to his star. Lance

Lance.

Lance was his star.

(AND IDK HOW BUT AT SOME POINT HE GETS HIS VISION RIGHT THERE AND THERE'S LIKE THIS SOFT MOMENT OF AWE AND WOW AND IT'S SO SOFT AND HAPPY and it gets fucking ruined GOD WHY I HATE MYSELF.

There's this délicate and soft atmosphère that settles down, almost giving hope to the reader that once they steadily walk down the stairs, they're gonna get out close together, say each other goodnight and maybe, just maybe, take the other by the arm and *kiss*.

BUT NO THEY DON'T EVEN REACH HALFWAY THE STAIRS THAT THEY GET CAUGHT SGSGHS FUCKING SUMERU DIPISHITS I HATE IT HERE

HOW the fuck does this fic even end tho

[tweets-from-teyvat]

So I did the newest quest and I have some thoughts. I'm putting it under a break for ppl who don't want spoilers!

First of all, ok wow. I knew most of this going into it, but it was still a lot to take.

I do want to say that I trust the other sibling's judgment. I play as Aether so I'm going to refer to the other twin as Lumine. I trust Lumine, and I'm sure she's doing what she thinks is right.

She was probably helping and protecting Khaenri'ah in the very same way we're helping Mondstadt and, to a slightly lesser extent, Liyue. If Aether lost the battle and every single inhabitant of Mondstadt was corrupted by an opposing force, he would also do whatever he could to help and avenge his friends. Maybe he wouldn't see if it went too far, or maybe there would be no end of justice. I can understand the path Lumine took, and I can understand how she would feel seeing Aether defend those people. Even if it was hundreds of years later.

I don't think the twins feel the passage of time the same, since they're very likely immortal (this was actually not a surprise). And, if she has been primarily in the abyss, maybe she isn't aware of how much things have changed. Maybe it doesn't even matter, since her goal is and has been the archons that destroyed Khaenri'ah and they're still kicking.

On that note, I trust Venti. His whole entire thing is protecting people and their right to freedom. He doesn't believe in imposing his version of freedom onto others, and he is by and for humankind. Literally not that it matters, though, because it's unlikely that Venti was involved.

If the field tiller got to Old Mondstadt after Decarabian fell (and it had to have, otherwise it never would have gotten through the storm wall, it never would have bumped into Andrius, and the fireballs would have happened during, not post, tyrant), then that still doesn't tell us how long it wandered.

Khaenri'ah was probably pretty far away, it fully could have walked for hundreds of years. Venti could have still been an elemental spirit during this time. And if it didn't, and the timeline matched when Venti was made archon, then I still trust him. For the former reasons, and because he canonically slept for (I think) 1200 years. I'd bet anything that my dude was asleep during this time, and that that's a big part of the reason why people call him lazy and deadbeat.

Also, Venti doesn't like Zhongli. He calls him a blockhead and hasn't really had anything nice to say about him other than expressing a mild desire to go say hi. If I was a survivor of a war for freedom, and I knew a guy who helped flatten an entire kingdom just because, then I wouldn't have much nice to say either.

Venti also calls the pyro archon a "war mongerer". I'm not sure if this is meant to reference the original, or the current archon. And I'm also not sure when the original archon was replaced, so the current archon could have been involved with Khaenri'ah as well.

Anyway, I don't trust Zhongli. I like him, but we know his morals to be slightly corrupt. He makes decisions that don't benefit humans, he didn't help out with Osias, and he governed Liyue directly as an archon instead of indirectly like Venti. Morax is also known to be a less forgiving god than Barbatos, especially just looking at how he handles broken contracts.

That said, the game has already played this one out with us. I think the situation with Morax being accused of murdering the Salt Archon was meant to foreshadow this. He was innocent there, and the Salt archon was really killed by her own people as a mercy.

I'm not saying Khaenri'ah ended itself. It's a possibility but I dont know enough yet to say. What I am saying, however, is that Zhongli was innocent the last time. I wonder if he'll have a good explanation this time, too. I hope so.

I'm with the Traveler on this one. We need to hear what the archons have to say for themselves before making any finite judgment calls. If I had to guess, though, then I'd definitely say that I think Venti is innocent and I think that Zhongli regrets his actions deeply.

[bumbleklee]

the vase

masterlist | 1k prompt masterlist | family series

request: it is i after so many months bread anon and i have come with a request so basically can i request a hurt comfort where diluc and reader get into an argument maybe something petty and reader storms out in the rainreader ends up getting really sick and can’t come back so they stay in their old house until they recover and diluc starts to get really nervous searching for them just some hurt comfort with a sweet happy ending because too much pain will make me crymaybe diluc getting sick as well so they can just cuddle and suffer as a couple lol. -your one and only 🍞 (a/n: tweaked a tiiiiiiny bit)

pairings: diluc x gn!reader

warnings: angst/comfort, happy ending, reader has multiple breakdowns, 2k words

It was a freak accident.

You were just trying to clean up the manor when you stumbled over your own two feet and to break your fall, you grabbed onto the small table against the wall. Only this shook the table and what should have been a funny moment turned into a horrifying nightmare when the colorful vase that sat on the table tumbled to the ground. You watched the ceramic vase shatter the second it hit the ground and your jaw dropped in shock.

When you finally came back to your senses, you didn’t know what to do. This vase had been a gift from Kaeya and although Diluc rarely talked about it, you knew it meant a lot to him.

But here it was – in a million pieces on the ground.

You needed to do something but all you could do was stare. You couldn’t buy another vase, you didn’t have the money or even know where Kaeya got it from, you couldn’t put it together again even with all the glue in Teyvat and you couldn’t even hide it. You truly were screwed.

You finally had to remind yourself that standing there frowning at the vase wasn’t going to fix it and you reluctantly grabbed the dustpan and broom and swept away your crime.

Right when you finished throwing away the glass, the front door opened and you heard Diluc kicking his boots off. “Y/N?” He called. His voice sounded so joyous – it was a shame you had to break the news to him like this.

“In here,” You shakily said, poking your head out of the kitchen, “I need to tell you something.”

Diluc shook off his coat and raised an eyebrow, “Go ahead.”

“I was cleaning before and I tripped –”

“–are you alright? I told you to just leave the cleaning to the maids.”

“No, I’m fine. But Diluc…” Your voice grew quiet and you couldn’t seem to find the right words to say. “Diluc, I broke the vase.”

You watched as Diluc’s expression changed completely. His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed and you couldn't read his emotions anymore. He walked around the bend to where the vase sat and you followed like a lost puppy.

“It’s broken.” Diluc swept a gloved hand over the empty surface. “You broke it.”

You swallowed thickly, “I know and I’m sorry but I’m going to go see Kaeya tomorrow and ask him where he got the vase so I can buy you another one.”

Diluc didn’t even look at you. “Another one? Did you ever stop to think about what the vase meant to me? You can’t just replace it.”

“It was an accident,” You tried, feeling a familiar feeling settle in your chest, “I’ll fix it.”

“You’re going to fix it?” Diluc asked. His voice was laced with venom and his words cut deep, digging into your already-raw wound. “You can’t fix it.”

“Yes, I can,” You shot back. You were trying to hold your ground, trying to show your partner that you were capable of owning up to your wrongdoings. But, Archons, it was hard when all he wanted to do was shoot you down.

“How? Are you going to go back in time?”

Your felt tears prick your eyes, “You know I can’t do that.”

There was a long silence and Diluc ran a hand through his bangs before saying, “You should stay somewhere else tonight.”

“What?”

Diluc gripped the edge of the table, “I don’t want to see your face tonight. Please, just go stay somewhere else.”

“Where am I supposed to go?” You exclaimed. You couldn’t hold back the tears and they rushed down your cheeks as you choked on your words. When Diluc asked you to move in with him, your parents finally moved to Liyue to retire. You didn’t have anyone to fall back on.

“You’ll find somewhere. Just go.”

So, you did.

It took Diluc a few hours to calm down and realize how much of an idiot he was. His anger morphed into concern when it dawned on him that he sent you outside with nothing on your back except the clothes you were wearing. When you didn’t come marching back inside after a while, Diluc took it into his own hands to go and find you.

He burst into Angel’s Share for the second time today and instantly found his brother sitting at the bar. “Have you seen Y/N?”

Kaeya turned over his shoulder, “Master Diluc, we meet again. What brings you back around?”

“Not now, Kaeya,” Diluc said firmly. “Is Y/N here?”

“No,” Kaeya shook his head, “Why would they be?”

Diluc was starting to panic. The tavern was the only place he could imagine you’d run to and if you weren’t here, he had no idea where you were. “It doesn’t matter,” Diluc said quickly, “Just come find me if you see them.”

He went to turn away but Kaeya grabbed onto his wrist, “Is everything alright?”

“We got into a fight and they left,” Diluc said. He could spare Kaeya the details for now. “I’m really worried.”

Kaeya could tell his brother was being sincere, “I’ll let you if I hear anything.”

Unbeknownst to the men, they were so close yet so far. Instead of going to Angel’s Share, you went to the Cat’s Tail. You didn’t want anyone you knew to see you but you desperately needed a drink to drown out what happened. You barely had any mora on you but you had enough for what you wanted.

You felt out of place in the bar. You rarely entered the taverns in Mondstadt anyways, usually only going to Angel’s Share with Diluc, and you wished you could disappear.

“What can I get you?” The bartender asked.

You hesitated before reaching into your pocket and putting a handful of mora onto the counter, “Whatever this can buy me.” The bartender gave you a sympathetic look, maybe it was because of your bloodshot eyes, and peeled away to pour you something.

And as embarrassing as it was, you started to cry again. Why were you so clumsy? Why couldn’t you have fallen and hurt yourself instead of the vase? The bartender came back and placed a glass in front of you and you rubbed away your tears.

One sip of the drink made you gag. It was straight Fire Water and definitely cost more than what you had to offer. The bartender must have felt bad for you – how humiliating – so you chugged the drink and held it down with a sour expression. You didn’t wait for the alcohol to kick in before you stood up and walked out.

You felt exhausted and worthless and all you wanted to do was curl up in your nice, warm bed. But that wasn’t an option and the more you thought about it, the more you decided that you didn’t even deserve that. You deserved to walk out the gates of Mondstadt, collapse somewhere in the forest, and cry yourself to sleep under a tree.

Diluc felt like he looked everywhere. He must have gone back and forth between the city and The Winery ten times praying that you would just show up. The sun had set long ago and as stars painted the night sky, Diluc only became more anxious.

He needed to find you. He needed to gather you in his arms and apologize over and over and over again. He needed to drill into your mind that the stupid vase was replaceable but you weren’t.

He was starting to lose hope as time went on. As a last resort, Diluc decided to take one last look in the Whispering Woods. You usually avoided the forest like a plague but with the way Diluc made you feel, maybe that’s where you ended up.

As if the night couldn’t get any worse, the second Diluc stepped onto the forest trail, the sky closed up and it started to rain. Within minutes, Diluc was soaking wet.

The rain only motivated him more. If you were out here, he wanted to get you out of the rain as soon as possible.

Diluc felt his own eyes growing wet and he couldn’t tell if it was from the rain or if he was crying. If anything happened to you, he would never forgive himself.

And then he heard a scream. Your scream.

It was raw and desperate and miserable but Diluc followed the sound right to your sobbing body curled underneath a tree. His heart broke into a million pieces and he didn’t even hesitate before pulling you into his arms. You barely reacted, your head lolling to the side with numbness that spread throughout your entire body.

Your clothes were covered in mud and your pants were jagged and cut. “I’m sorry,” You bawled, “I tripped again and cut my leg on a fallen branch.” It sounded pathetic but it was the truth. When you fell to the ground, you could only scream in frustration and hit the muddy ground as hard as your hands let you. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I’ll replace the vase, I swear!”

“I don’t care about the vase,” Diluc reassured you. He brushed back the wet hair off your forehead.

You sobbed again, “Please don’t hate me.”

“I don’t hate you. I love you.” Diluc felt horrible. Somehow, he felt worse than you did. “We need to get out of the rain.”

Diluc would sit there with you forever and express his love for you but you were shaking and he was starting to, too. Diluc pulled you to your feet and supported your body against his. Going back to The Winery was going to take too long, so Diluc held you until he found a cave. It wasn’t perfect but it was out of the rain. He practically shoved you into the cave and climbed in beside you, immediately lighting up his vision.

“Take off your jacket,” He said softly. He shook his own off and laid it flat on the ground. When you didn’t move, Diluc reached over to help you. “Your lips are turning blue. You need to get warm.”

You barely nodded. Diluc pulled you into his chest and you could feel the warmth radiating. At some point, Diluc leaned back and you laid on top of him. Your tears slowly ceased.

“I’m sorry,” You said again. You hid your face in the crook of his neck.

“Don’t be,” Diluc said. He ran his fingers along your spine, “It’s done with.”

“But the vase…”

Diluc took in a deep breath, “It wasn’t the vase that meant a lot to me. It was what the vase represented.” You said nothing so Diluc continued, “Kaeya gave it to me when I came back from my leave. I remember thinking ‘what an ugly vase’ and wanted to throw it away right then and there. But…Kaeya had returned my vision to me inside the vase and I guess, all these years, I just couldn’t bear to part with it. I thought that if I got rid of it, then I would be getting rid of everything that happened as well. And I didn’t want that.”

You didn’t know how to respond so you didn’t. And Diluc didn’t demand a reply. Instead, you closed your eyes and pressed yourself even more against Diluc.

“Feeling better?” Diluc asked a while later. You nodded and felt yourself being shifted around. When you opened your eyes again, Diluc was carrying you. “It finally stopped raining. Let’s go home.”

Back at The Winery, Diluc helped you change into dry clothes and held you tightly under the blankets.

“Do you forgive me?” You finally asked. Tears glistened in your eyes once more but Diluc was there to brush them away.

“There was never anything for me to forgive.”

You fell asleep but Diluc stayed away. He stared at your beauty through half-lidded eyes, wondering how he could have been so cruel to something so beautiful. Diluc bent down and kissed your forehead.

The vase really was ugly, maybe it was time to finally get rid of it.

[reilliane]

Perfidy ✤ Aether

P e r f i d y

A/N: This is a sequel to this fic, 'Priority'. I can't believe I have forgotten to post this here ahsdsjahdsdhkad, this takes place during Aether's first reunion with Lumine, and is constantly updated with each archon quest. So do expect a future continuation!

✤ she/her

Words: 1.7k

There are many things to describe the outlander's feelings in spite of it being all over the place.

He wishes to cry, and he's so near to it, actually. If not for the shock that petrified him to his place and stoned his voice until it is barely heard, he's certain that he would've broken apart.

The heliotrope flash virulently emanating from the orb in the hands of the inverted statue pulses against the shadows of the wretched ruins, mere seconds away from its total destruction. It is dark and cold, with suspense clinging to the tension-filled atmosphere.

One can almost not see the revelation that has unfolded, but he does.

Abyssal stars, evanescent in their wake, glint like they are weeping in his stead as they shed light upon his dear sibling who stands close—though his words are too far to reach for her.

Luciformly bequeathing a light of her own, tainted in years of wandering the doomed world of Teyvat, Lumine's voice is strident yet ironically cold and soft.

Soft in a sense that she almost pities her twin for having only minutes to speak with her—and the girl who remains fixed on his side, silent.

The blonde closes her eyes and sighs through her nose, turning her head away at the devastated look on her brother's face.

It did little to shake her conviction, but it did do wonders in debating whether to call for her other ally.

Not Dainsleif, but [Name].

But does she hide the secret? No.

The [c]nette has come to her own calling when they met all those centuries ago before splitting momentarily to 'aid' her sibling.

This is but a mere reunion to them, but undoubtedly a separation to her and her other... 'companion'.

It's almost sad, really.

But does the world get to cry for you? No, it doesn't.

"Though we need not rush, brother," the Honorary Knight takes a quick step forward upon sensing his twin's future departure, "I have more than enough time to wait for you."

Aether shakes his head, his eyes still wide as he tries to process the reality that the one he is looking for so long is leaving—leaving him again, on her own accord.

His reaction time kicks in and oh, he's more than prepared to advance forward and pull her back—maybe talk it out, try to persuade her into... into what?

It's clear that Lumine stands on her own path, she just said so herself.

But he did not care. This is too little time... !

He almost had no care for the other spectators—Paimon, [Name], Dainsleif, and even that Herald—when he ran forward, but oh, did he grow even more aware of everything when his sister speaks up again.

All her words have been directed to him from the beginning, but not this time.

"[Name]," the blonde garbed in white calls, and he notices in the midst of his trepidation, how her voice has softened.

Almost as if she feels awful that she has to do it.

The Honorary Knight refuses to look back, he can't.

[Name]? She knows [Name], too?  His inner voice chokes out, fear immediately grappling his already racing heart.

But how would she know her when the girl's been with him from the start? How—what else is there that he doesn't know... !?

There's just something in Lumine's tone that tells him that what's going to come next is going to be nothing short of tragic—if their short reunion isn't tragic enough to begin with.

He hears Dainsleif release a surprised exhale, but he could care less about him for now.

He watches in horror as [Name]—the same [Name] he's been with since the beginning of his journey, strides forward with her chin up, not once passing him a look as a trail of fading stars follows behind her.

The pulsing glow of violet from the inverted statue highlights the side of her face as he called her name in disbelief.

Abiding by his request, [Name] turns and he gasps upon seeing a familiar insignia slowly appear on her [left/right] cheek; a diamond.

Its appearance is all that it took to pummel him with realization. Paimon whimpers in surprise at his side, also in a state of befuddlement.

"No," he shakily stammers out, "You... you knew? All along... ?"

You are a part of them?

There's no answer.

He catches Lumine's nonchalant scoff at his plea, but he can't bring himself to focus on her for now because—because [Name]... !?

"You—I—but—but why didn't you tell me?" he steps forward again, this time with an outstretched hand, waiting for her to come and grab it as always.

But his hand remains dangling in mid-air, and it stings as he desperately searched her [c] eyes for any sort of emotion—anything, anything at all!

Alas, albeit a tiny spot of a shine is present in them, they hold nothing but blankness. A simple shade of [c].

And he finds himself failing—refusing—to believe it.

This isn't how she looked at him a few days ago! This isn't how she's acting around him!

She couldn't have been in an alliance with Lumine from the very start... ! She promised to help him find her, she promised he'd be the first one she'll come to when she finds any clue.

This is just—this is too ludicrous!

"Her companionship was made deliberately to stall time for the Order to carry out their objectives," informed Dainsleif, who has recovered from his initial shock.

"From creating subterfuge in Mondstadt... and misleading you in Liyue, it is excellent that you managed to succeed in putting a stop to their schemes. But that's just one plan in many others."

[Name] looks away at this, finding no reason to comment on it.

There is no use nor lucrative value in creating an obverse of the truth. Aether, on the other hand, has fallen apart.

"Is that true? ... [Name]?" he whispers, mindful of Paimon's small, trembling hand that lands on his shoulder.

A sigh comes from the other side of the ruins, and although none of their attention is turned to the twin sibling, they know that it's her who called for her accomplice.

This alerts the [c]nette, who shakes her head and looks at the outlander for... presumably, the last time as 'allies'.

"It is, Aether," the male could barely fathom the poison in her voice as she spoke, "I hid the truth from you—and you were deceived."

She ends it at this, choosing not to say anything else lest he picks up the tremor in her speech—the small pinch of guilt that'd give away the fact that she actually regretted doing everything when the blond only wanted his sister back.

But she has to accomplish something, as well, and that is achievable only when she stands by Lumine.

But [Name] hasn't always been such a meticulous person, or maybe it's just because the Honorary Knight knows her too well.

They have spent a good amount of time just by each other's side, after all, and have helped one another through thick and thin no matter her ulterior motive.

Stay... !

"Wait—[Name]!" he demands, running as fast as he can.

He feels a wafting cold from beside him before a flash of blue dashes into the portal, following shortly behind the disappearing figure of Lumine, and his heart clenches tightly.

Paimon calls his own name, but he can't bear to stop.

He recalls how shy she was over some of his antics—and how she drifted off into isolation a few weeks ago. She's clearly guilty, beating herself up over it—and he can understand that! This is a matter that can be resolved... ! He can forgive!

I still have something to tell you!

If he can just—... !

"[Name]!"

Halfway through the portal, in the halo of an aphotic abyss, you can see the Herald sending off the figure of Dain towards a different place—but you're ultimately held back with a shaky clasp on your wrist.

Swiveling your head in disbelief, you choke out a surprised gasp at the sight of Aether holding onto you, panting.

His aureate optics are swirling with a multitude of emotions; desperation and sorrow, from having met his twin only to be left again, but another, in particular, stood out the most.

His eyes are understanding—mercifully forgiving.

He doesn't need to express out loud how he has already forgiven your wrongdoings, how he probably understood right away that you were only doing it because you need to accomplish something with the help of Lumine.

"Don't, please," his voice is so, so soft and you wince, beating yourself inwardly over how broken he is.

And now here he stands, presenting to you a chance.

He may not know what it is you're trying to achieve, but he is giving you the chance to stay—and get what you sought for without having to rely on the Order, instead to rely on him. Just like before.

And you want to. Of course, you do—but how can he trust you again?

It will never be the same.

How can you live and possibly be smiled at by the person you liked but deceived for your own gain?

"Don't leave me, too."

There is no way to rebuild his trust.

So with a regretful heart, you snatch your wrist away—relishing the last moments of his fingers' warmth—and fully entered the portal, allowing yourself to be encased by the false stars.

In the nick of a second, you hear his last cry, full of woe and anguish in the wake of perfidy, and you whisper your apologies before vanishing.

Meanwhile, Aether falls to his knees, desolated more than ever as Paimon floats to his side, a meek cry of her own reminding him that he is not the only one at loss.

A tear silently slides down his cheek, and he's grateful for his companion's words of comfort—though she's not doing better herself—, but he just can't... help but wallow for a while.

He failed to bring his sister back.

He failed to get [Name] to stay.

He didn't even get to—... !

"Aether.."

Paimon mumbles as she watches the poor outlander look down and breathe heavily, his hand against his forehead as if he's catching himself before he falls over.

"I didn't get to tell her," he breathes, "I didn't—..." his voice silences a cry.

A cry similar to a requiem sung for the tragic reunion—and a bittersweet separation of two.

a/n: he didn't get to confess, thAT'S WHAT! ah i remember ripping my heart out when i wrote this back then aha. oh, written angst is so lovely.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　Return to the Scrying Glass　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

@cherryflushz @e7t3 @scarlet-halos @lordbugs @nebulaera @annoying-and-upset @hanniejji @applepi1415 @tjjjrsj @azirajane @hey-comrade-hold-stil @limelightsuperhero @chloeloe @loptido @windyventi @nejibot @ganyuqrt @justrinnn @uwu-dreams @yvechu

[dailytatsu]

Hello! I saw request were open so i was wondering if i could request some headcanons of the Archons and/or the Adepti meeting a God reader who is the God of Chaos and destruction. The reader is not a Archon tho and travels all over Teyvat cuz small bits of destruction were ever they go. They're pretty mischievous and somewhat smug but despite how they act they're actually a good person. They dont mean to cause problems(most of the time anyways) chaos follows them were ever they go. Idk if you have a character limit but if you do please tell me so i wont make a mistake again. And if there is you can just do Zhongli and Xiao. Optionally could you make them a dendro user, there not a lot of dendro content and if not thats fine. I understand. Could you make the reader Gn or Non-binary they/them pronouns please? If not male reader is totally fine. Im so sorry for the long post and I hope you have a good day/night!

Ohmy, it’s my first time just writing headcanons! I’m use to write a lot, so let’s hope I did it right (^ ^' )7

Thanks for the request! ✨

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[HC] God of Chaos! Reader and the Archons + Xiao

Characters: Zhongli, Xiao, Venti, Shogun Raiden (Ei).

Gn! Reader

I tried doing it with everyone but I’m no still that confident to try writing with some characters ＿|￣|○

Sorry for any mistakes!

Request are open!

Genshin Masterlist

Second part ->

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VENTI

To be honest, he didn't notice your presence at first. He had other concerns on his mind that day to perceive the chaotic (and slightly threatening) aura that Mondstadt was infected with that day.

Barbatos is a person of habit, so he couldn't help but be curious when the crowd in front of him began to look a little agitated instead of seeming to enjoy his lyre and his songs.

But then a series of domino events appeared in front of his very eyes.

The purity of the chaos was such that he felt overwhelmed, even without the white-haired boy around, if it wasn’t Bennett fault, then how was it possible for everything to be ruined in such a short time?

His patience ended when, out of nowhere, the strings of his lyre jumped close to his face as they snapped. Making that awful noise that couldn’t mean nothing good.

Okay, enough, who is messing around in here? No more joking in his nation!

He concentrated a little, a faint but unique presence kept his nerves on edge, as if he was being watched from afar. He moved away from the busy areas and then chased that ephemeral energy to the highest point of the church, where the bells were ringing in an irregular and stressful way.

Then he found you. Snoozing against one of the columns, somewhat tired because the trip you made to reach Mondstadt.

Surprisingly, Barbatos understood you since the first exchange of words. A god of chaos who was also a free spirit, you followed no rules ever written in Teyvat, and you had no plans to apologize for the mess you made.

Both of you were Zhongli’s worst nightmare, but that’s another story.

He managed to through your arrogance and your teasing nature that you, in fact, were a lonely spirit that liked to witness the life from above of everyone.

The difference between teasing someone accidentally and committing a crime was really visible, but he still couldn't help but feel like he should scold you after your mere presence messed up with the guild's baskets full of fish.

But hey! He also enjoy the company! Venti tried to teach you how to enjoy the calm and the whisper of wind, music can also contain chaos, feelings, old stories waiting to be told again, expressions and desire united, in a wonderful piece of-

As you yawned his lyre broke up again. Making clear the message.

Okay, not even God of Freedom and Wind can control chaos. Anyways, what a tragedy, but there’s nothing a simple bard can do, smh.

“Do you like kids, don’t you?” He said once, after a nice day of hearing him sing before your chaos reached his little concert. Again watching everyone from above on the hands of the statue, with your attention caught by some kids playing tag.

“… I don’t know what do you mean.” Once discovered you had no choice but to remain defensive, pretending to be disinterested.

“Heh, you aren’t a good liar.” It may not be the wisest thing to make fun of someone who could destroy the place where you were resting, but Venti was confident that he knew you well enough to know that you were not so explosive. “You know!, I just have some pieces, but I think it’s because they are little walking concentrations of pure and innocent chaos, am I wrong?”

He wasn’t, no at all. But you would never confess something that embarrassing.

This guy wrote a ballad about the days when Mondstadt got immerse with that strike of bad luck. Kind of an apology of not being able to handle the situation.

Now there’s the rumor that says that, every time somebody sings that song, something unlucky will happen in front of you.

The song is cursed.

One night when the moon was shining on the Cider Lake his well tuned ears distinguished a melody that was broken from time to time by the accidents of his performer, distracting him of his way to look for you.

It could be painful to listen to, but Venti could certainly feel the dedication of the one who was playing the imperfect song.

The ballad of the god of chaos, hummed like a lullaby that instead of making you sleep makes you question the events of the day. Wishing for the slightest thing to be different after an exhaustive week of peace and tranquility.

A lonely spirits cursing their existence, sitting in the highest point of a stranger’s palace, where you can reach the sky by only rising your hand.

The next day, Barbatos invited you to drink some wine, this time near Windrise to avoid accidents in the city.

As he almost dropped the bottle when a lot of slimes were attracted by your presence, he confirmed the theory about that the way to spend time with you would not be his personal definition of hanging out.

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ZHONGLI

Okay, there’s only two scenarios that could happened when you set a foot in Liyue.

Old man has a soft spot for you for being a relative young deity.

Or he’s always lecturing you for not having control of your aura and powers.

How u dare bringing chaos to the nation of order? It’s that a death wish?

Jokes aside, you’re not really a threat. And he could sense that after he saw how you tried to avoid having direct contact with the city. Rex Lapis found your silhouette jumping and crossing through the mountains until reaching the fairest point that allowed you to enjoy the view of the streets that were filled with life and light as the sunsets.

He even noticed how you sighed in frustration when a storm started out of nowhere. A rain dedicated just for the arriving of the God of Chaos. Not even bothering of getting shield, you stayed in your place to look at all the people who were getting back to their places.

The rain seemed to stop over your head, for a second was enough to stop you from being cruelly swamped by the very weather you had created. An elegant umbrella covered you, the long awaited surprise you expected from someone as outdated as Morax.

You looked up, and found his expression calm and attentive, watching you. As if he had made a great discovery that he could not believe

“May I have a moment of your time to keep you company? Letting out your sorrows in the middle of a torrential storm is not what I would recommend as way to spend a good day.”

“… What are you talking about? Get in your own business, old man.”

“Well, you should know that a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved.”

Next time you knew was that he was helping you to dry your hair with a towel once you let him guide you to his place.

Zhongli picked you up like a abandoned cat that day. Even if having you near meant to deal with new the roof leaks.

Also kept you away from Hu Tao, if you two ever get along for being partners in crime he would seal himself underground-

For all the time you spend exploring Liyue, there he was. Like a little kid showing his treasures. But also like a worried father looking after his child for them not to stumble making their first steps.

Look at you! Almost crushing those Treasure Hoarders when a bunch of rocks fell down after you jumped at the edge of the cliff.

Wait, no- come back here! You should verify the surroundings and be aware of the weight of your power if you’re going to explore in that bold way. You, chaotic brat.

Another one who believed fervently that your mood was to blame for the constant chaos you caused. He also tried to show you the wonders of peace and calm, teaching you how to prepare tea while listening to the storyteller (also both being a little far away from the rest of them, just in case).

He couldn’t help but sigh when the teapot arm broke as soon as you tried to serve the tea. What a waste, he thought.

You apologized to him, kind of stressed with yourself after you took all the pieces with your bare hands to run away with them. Leaving a confused Zhongli behind.

Next day you were back, with the teapot repaired and just like new.

He let out a lot of thankful words, some flattering and a lot more cheesy things that you never had received before.

With that unexpected affection you couldn’t help but react flustered; then a cat that was chasing a bird jumped through a lot of decorations and merchandise, almost starting a fire as the chained events kept going.

Yeah,, uh, Zhongli got some useful mental notes about you and your chaos that day.

Hey, before you go, want to make a contract? You won’t regret it!

But as the wandering spirit you were you had no problems in reject his offer, but also promising that you would visit Liyue if he wanted you to.

Of course he wanted! But.. maybe next time you should stay in Huaguang Stone Forest instead of roaming near the city,,

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XIAO

Tried to kill you.

I mean, your aura is threatening and full of a destructive energy, how is possible that you weren’t a demon to eradicate??

Sorry, but he had a point.

Your first met was on your way to reach Huaguang Stone Forest along with Zhongli for introduce you with the Adeptus.

Xiao, in the other side, thought that you were about to attack Morax from behind, so he just struck against you. With his polearm near to go through your chest, just stopped because you felt him before.

Lifting your hand at his direction, summoning chaos, this time, on purpose. The wind gained a wrathful nature and the biggest roots that were hiding under his feet rose to caught him.

And when you were about to hit each other Zhongli’s shield appeared just in time to separate both of you. Preventing a real catastrophic event.

Now stop fighting and introduce to each other.

Nice(n’t) to meet u.

What if you tried to awake Azhdaha to bring chaos and destruction to Liyue? What if you wanted to summoned Osial? What if… ?

Zhongli had to confirm and promise to him that those cruel possibilities won’t be a near future for respecting the real reason of your travel.

No matter if he wasn’t comfortable with your presence, it wasn’t his decision to allow you to roam freely, so he had to get use to it.

He immediately knew after hearing about your nature that was your fault that lately there were a lot more demons and monsters. Even his karma was getting more painful than usual.

(If you ever meet Hu Tao, please think twice before doing Xiao a prank)

You both didn’t interact a lot, and being honest, it was better that way.

He hadn’t a single intention of talking with you again until the day you were practicing the song that your Anemo friend taught you. By the other hand, Xiao noticed that the melody had the same nature as the one he once heard before being consumed by the karma.

It wasn’t a flute, but a worn lyre that was still in one piece after weeks of being repaired again and again.

“That song… ”

“Do you know it?” Xiao just nodded, staying in silence, being your very first audience even if you still have a lot to learn about playing a lyre.

It wasn’t as effective as the original, but was still… nice, kind of nostalgic.

Next morning, the Yaksha called for you. Made you stay still in the middle of a plain and then he disappeared of your sight.

He abandoned y- wait, what’s that? Why those monsters has that weird dark aura?

You were about to defend yourself until Xiao appeared back just in time to defeat them.

That day you became his personal bait for demons and monsters. Naturally you attracted chaos, so anyway you were, there will be also something to fight.

I guess this is your way to pay for all the troubles you made for him and his duty, so no complaining about it.

If you ask for a unexpected experience to Ganyu she would said that once she found both of you fighting along against the catastrophe, looking after each other’s back and almost having a perfect synchrony.

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SHOGUN RAIDEN; EI

Also tried to kill you.

Well, the puppet tried to.

And then Ei tried when you had the opportunity of facing her.

But since killing a god just mean the releasing of a lot, pure, energy she couldn’t afford that risk, much less considering your “speciality”.

Who knows what would happen to Inazuma if your vital energy burst across the nation. Just like that old story about Sal Terrae and their goddess.

She just defeated you. Letting you rest and recovering in the midst of the plane of her reality within her mind. Your inert body in the middle of the battlefield as she kept meditating.

When you woke up she ignored your presence, but also denying your complaints about letting you go out back.

In her words, you were a burden, another enemy of eternity. Something as unpredictable as you and your “accidents” couldn’t get along with her utopia.

Ei could banish you from Inazuma, but she knows your type. Stubborn and not accepting the most simple orders to obey.

She knew that you would found a way to be back.

It’s better like this.

And in the hypothetical case of you being freed when she trapped the traveler (kicking you out) and then having a chance to see her again after the end of the war, then things would be somewhat different.

There’s not that much of civilization on some islands, so she allowed you to explore as much as your heart wanted. But if something serious happen, she promised that would end her work in the middle of the sea so your remains never be found.

Okay, message clear. Just do chaos near monsters and bandits, got it,,

Even if she wanted to spend some time with you and telling you some stories about Inazuma and other gods she couldn’t found the right time to call you at her presence.

As the current ruler of Inazuma she was busier than the rest of Archons you have meet. Maybe just some letters now and then like a way to keep a logbook, but not really a face to face talk.

Until she got the opportunity of a day off, just to found you messing around near some ruins. Trying to solve a puzzle before your speciality strikes in. The structure fell down after your fingertips reached the stone.

When the dust dissipated, you discovered her figure judging you from the other side of the remain ruins.

Give her a good reason for not errase you from the map, I dare u.

You felt the worst was about to come when Ei ordered you to follow her after a long sigh. Crossing her arms and starting to walk away from the bunch of old and worn rock.

Plot Twist, she actually invited you to rest under a tree, asking in her serene voice the reason for your journey and your origin. In such a direct way that it seemed more like a sentence than a talk to get to know each other better.

You answered what you could remember and then the silence stayed like the only way of interaction between you two.

Ohno, you know this pattern. Something’s about to happen-

“There is some strange beauty in the chaos, it may be the calm after the storm, but the catastrophe itself is seen as a necessary evil to appreciate the stillness. How much it would last until the lighting hit the valley?”

“So I arrived to keep order between the humans?”

Well yes, but actually no.

“… You see, if there is nothing but order and a lack of problems, mortals are likely to create them on their own. Their minds feels the need to be tested, to prove their worth, so I guess some of your chaos may be part of the history.”

“… then shall we take a walk in Inazuma?” You did not know if you were right, but you thought you saw a faint smile through his lips in the same way that lightning can be seen in the sky.

“I’ll allow it.” She said.

Her only condition was for you not to approach the huge boxes of fireworks down the street.

[witch-hazels-musings]

(anyways uhh)

Where reader is a chaos magnetic like Bennett, but kinda worse in a way that they refuse to get help so Zhongli finally trys to help? Sorry if that makes zero sense haha, thanks!

Bad luck magnet 

Warning -> nnooonee

Zhongli X GN Reader  |  Anthology

If the people of Teyvat wanted to know the definition of chaos, well the need look no further - all they had to do was look in your direction and know it completely 

I mean, if they thought that boy from Mondstadt had bad luck, they were in for it when they met you

Poor thing, you just constantly find yourself in the middle of a horrible storm of unfortunate events 

The sky is beautiful and sunny, and as soon as you step foot outside the rain clouds appear and dump themselves on you

You use a boat to travel across one of the lakes and bam, there are like twenty holes 

You try to complete a simple commission and literally everything goes wrong, the person didn’t show up, the item you were sent to retrieve somehow is cursed or brings with it countless enemies you weren’t prepared for, you fall down a cliff 

It didn’t matter what you were involved in, there was bound to be an issue and you were bound to be at the center of it 

“Oh my …” Zhongli looks at you standing in the doorway. You’re covered in scrapes, your clothes are torn and dirty, your hair disheveled. 

“It, uh, looks worse than it is.” 

“It looks quite bad,” he says, placing his book on the table and making his way over to you. He shifts your hair over your forehead and looks at the many cuts on your face. 

Embarrassed, you push his hands away before walking past him. “I’m fine really, let me go get cleaned up.” 

He watches you disappear down the hallway with his hand on his chin. 

Zhongli is quite worried about you. He has never met someone who was constantly experiencing unbelievably unlucky events; he truly wondered if there was some spiritual reason for the chaos surrounding you - maybe some mischievous spirit or archon curse?

The more frustrating thing about your bad luck is how stubborn you were at dealing with it yourself. He had tried countless times to support you and yet you always pushed him away 

“I am always available to assist you during your day,” Zhongli mentions while the two of you are rinsing dishes in the sink. 

“I know, but I’m really okay! I’ve gotten so used to it at this point I hardly notice.” as you say that, the plate in your hand slips from your grasp. You attempt to grab it and manage to knock it back into the sink where it shatters. Zhongli grabs your hand before you can pull the broken pieces from the wet sink. 

“Y/N, I know you want to do things for yourself, but there are benefits to letting those around you help.” 

“I know, I just don’t want to be a burden,” you say, letting your hand drop back to your side. 

“Those who care for you want to be relied on, and not asking for help places the burden on your shoulders alone, does it not?” He placed a hand on your shoulder. 

“I’ve … never thought about it like that.” 

“Now, let me finish here and you go and have a rest.” He pushes you out of the kitchen and you hear him picking the broken pieces from the sink. 

Now that he’s found his way into helping you, he doesn’t stop. He tried his best to make sure your days go smoothly and limit the amount of chaos you may acquire throughout the day 

On one evening he has a special gift, which he knows will help 

“I have something for you,” he says, reaching into a small bag. 

“What is it?” you’re curious as to what he could give you. It’s not unlike him to bring you gifts or trinkets, so you weren’t really surprised, just interested. 

“I have asked the adepti to bless this pendant, they have assured me this will provide you with good luck, and in your case,” he reaches around your neck and his closeness makes your heart race, “this charm should bring to you a more normal life.” 

He lets the pendant rest against your chest. You pick it up in your hands looking it over and feel its weight. 

“Wow, how did you get the adepti to give you this?” 

“I’m very persuasive.” He replies, moving the bag from his lap and placing it on the table. “Now, I think you had some commissions to get to today?” 

“Yeah! I’m excited to test it out!” 

“I look forward to hearing all about it when you return.”  

[yostresswritinggirl]

Alatus' Weakness

Even the strongest, mightiest men carry with them their ultimate weakness. And when it is under the wrong hands, their power won't be enough to prevent them from crumbling... What is it? What was it that the Evil God took hold of that forced him to serve his evil deeds for years?

Pairings -> Alatus x Reader (Xiao)

Word Count -> 1350

Themes -> You won't find happiness here.

Series -> #SojournerSpecials (600 Followers Event)

Warnings -> This is punishment for Xiao forcing me to whale for him. As well as the Oceanid anons. (EDIT: THIS HAS MADE PEOPLE CRY, PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK)

The Yaksha of the wind dances in fluid whirlwinds as the breeze makes its rounds over the plains, his lightness barely wrinkles the green grass underneath his uncovered feet as the robes he dons flutters behind him.

It was so beautiful, he looked so ethereal.

And when his spear finally settles in a sharp swing, the force manifests into harmless gusts that sweeps the pasture for a second before straightening up again. Alatus had always been an agile dancer. And everyone in the village knows of this.

He offers a slight bow and a smile upon your loud clapping, so giddy of the exclusive performance that you were lucky to witness. It was a treasure that every local wishes to see beyond the battles he fights. Men and women alike yet out of them all it was you who was graced with this blessing.

"Beautiful as always, Alatus!" Your wide smile was infectious and his grin grows the closer he comes to you, arms finding its way around your waist and across your back in a soft hug. The giddiness continues as you turned into a giggly mess from his special affection, reciprocating with a tackle of a hug.

"Did you miss me that much?" He was answered by wordless nuzzles to his chest, making him chuckle and pull you closer.

Alatus was a great and powerful spear dancer, and he had been protecting the village you two reside in ever since. Gods and beings trekked the world commonly and it was too dangerous even for stationary communities. More so for those who lack the Vision to fight in the first place.

He was one, if not the only one capable enough to protect everyone. And many times he would go beyond the parameter to exterminate threats before they became an issue. Most of the time he disappears for a while during this expedition and then return triumphant as the village people greet him and praise him for his hardwork.

But at the end of the day, he settles down in your quiet home where he engulfs you protectively in his arms. There you two would exchange your tales during the span of his expedition, and he would indulge you in a showcase of his dances as compensation for his absence. The highlight of your day.

"There seems to be higher activity in the surrounding territories regarding monsters and Gods," he introduces the topic as he picks up the nian gao with wooden chopsticks, munching the soft treat as you poured a cup of tea to match the snack. "The other villages are asking me to patrol their parameters for a few days to at least clear some of them."

"There's been disturbances around here too," you worriedly chewed at your own snack as you two sat by the veranda of your home, watching the whole of the village from your spot over the cliff. This must be one of the reasons he liked staying here too, an easy access and overseer to the whole area for his duties.

Alatus hums in agreement but continues eating. The way he chews his meal was a telltale sign that there's a worry gnawing at the back of his head. And you had the same worry, except much lighter than his.

The growing tension between the Gods of Teyvat spurs on more turmoil at the news of Celestia's sudden challenge over the archons. And with such offers and desperation, powerless humans and villages had been wiped recently courtesy of the war.

It was a matter that didn't really bother him nor the village, but somehow it came back to him tenfold in multitudes of worry. He has a gut feeling. But Alatus cannot make himself turn away from the pleas of the people that call his name for saving grace.

"Come home soon," your smile snapped him back to reality upon knowing that he wouldn't just leave the other villages behind.

Yet when he left, there was still a gnawing anxiety at the bottom of his stomach.

Alatus for once... had lost his grace for in his hand his spear shakes in unspeakable fear. In front of him beyond the cliff's edge is the blazing ruins of a village he protected for years, day and night diligently. Monsters and men ravaged what's left and he tries to push away the guilt of ignoring them when he rushed immediately to his home.

To where his home should be.

"Alatus," the towering figure turned around to face him and his pupils dilated at the image, muscles flexing to dash when its hand raises in a motion to stop him, tutting mockingly at the warning. "Ah, ah, you wouldn't want them to die like this, would you?"

The being of pure evil had your unconscious form in its arms, a fight evident on your bruised and cut form as blood trickles from your forehead to the earth beneath. And on your head, the source of the wound, is a crown of thorns. He fights the urge to cry and vomit at the state you were in, at the state he could have prevented if he'd just STAYED.

"Please," his broken voice ghosted a smile on the God's face, "Please leave them alone."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Alatus' heart sinks at the refusal with his gaze unfocusing at the difference in power. "After all, they're the one I wanted in the first place, everyone else is just collateral damage."

From that point forward, to preserve the little life force you have, Alatus was under the grasp of the evil god. Under his command he razes the villages he once protected, eating the dreams of the humans that only wish to live in peace. His hands of grace grips his spear with the stains of blood as he kneels in front of the evil God, its name he didn't bother to remember anymore at this point.

It smirks at him while over its hand floats a cube only a few inches bigger. Your cell, where you're cooped up with only a glow of deep blue indicating your existence within it. When he misbehaves he hears cries of agony from it, when he does very satisfactory he even gets to hold it but only that.

The years of painful service had wiped off his smile and most of his memories. Alatus had already forgotten your voice and your face at this point, only the humans and beings he had killed comes to his memories.

Soon after, he has only known the cube to hold something dear to him, a weakness that is a precious one he could not risk. When he tries to remember, he's reminded of a vague visage and a sweet taste on his tongue. If he could cry now he would. It was one of the only good things in his mind now even tho its details continue to ebb away with his horrific deeds.

And finally, like a light that shines through the canopy of the overhead trees, a being mighty enough to contend his evil master comes down to end his suffering.

Rex Lapis, the Geo Archon, the one the evil god desperately tries to overthrow died in his hands.

It is done, all of it. No more innocent blood should stain his hands. "The cube this god possessed is a cell." What should he do now? There was no other place to come back to, maybe the You that resides in the cube had any ideas, to start over. That sounds like a good idea.

"Alatus, was it?" His head slowly picks up from the blank stare it had on the ground.

"Yes, Rex Lapis?"

"Do you know of the one who resides within this cube?" There was a hesitance in Rex Lapis' voice that passed through him.

"They are someone that I know."

"It seems... that human... has perished 200 years ago in this cell."

Alatus, like that last day in a ruined village, had lost his grace when he collapses to the ground. His weakness and his hope both gone.

Seems to me my writing has been short lately

@moaa @dandelion-dreams @witchsungie @lehra @zelos-simp @legionqueensav @snackgod @rxsalinee @cala-ran @wind-wheel @lilydewi22 @yellowflowre @traveler-lumine @nonniechan @kookieyachi @struggljng @bunniesrorange @anormalguyreader

[sporadiclilbook]

Ooo I loved how you wrote Diluc for the event! Could you do zhongli as well?

Woah, thats a lot of Zhongli request. You guys sure like Zhongli huh, me too! :D

Hope you like this anons! And since there's lots of request I'll guess I'll make it longer?

Yan!Zhongli snapping

"Rex Lapis, my lord?" Zhongli snapped out of his thoughts as he hear your voice. The serene overlook of Liyue Harbour on top of Mount Tianheng was simply mesmerising. Turning around to look at you, he simply sighed "(Y/N), you do realise that I am no longer the Geo Archon. There is no need for formalities. Please, just call me Zhongli." Even with that said you still bowed to him. Old habits die hard he guess. Although he doesn't mind if you can't shake it off, except if it was in public.

It was no secret that among the adepti that you were close to him. He would often spend time with you, alone and sometimes with your fellow adepti or Guizhong. He must admit, all those time spent with you had made him fall for you. At first it was just a normal infatuation. A gentle wave. But after the Archon War and the death of Guizhong. He realises that you could be lost as well after seeing you heavily injured. Perhaps that is why in the contract he forged himself stated that you could never leave Liyue in under any circumstances. Tasking you with making sure the harvest of the people of Liyue was bountiful.

However, long after the Archon War, you longed to see more of Teyvat. Living a long life in one country made it feel like it was a small empty room. In the same period of time, Morax's wave of infatuation slowly become a tsunami that wanted to consume you whole. To keep safe within it's waves. To keep you safe within Liyue.

And that's why you were here. You wanted to break your contract.

"Oh....right..... It's Zhongli now. Apologies, I am still not used to you living a mortal life." He simply let out a small laugh "I don't blame you for it. I, too, am still getting use to it. May I ask to what honour do I have to meet one of my faithful adeptus?" He was glad that you still willingly come to see him. He was planning to visit whenever he was free as the funeral consultatant. Maybe one of these days he'll even invite you to some tea

"I was wondering if I....."

How wonderful it could be. Speaking of the good old days in private. Perhaps getting to know you closer as a friend and more instead of your lord. He was delighted at the thought. After millenia of knowing each he could finally--

"call off our contract."

His train of thoughts stopped. Eyes wide, mouth agape a little. "Call of.....our contract?" You nodded "Yes indeed. Seeing how the people of Liyue would do fine without you, I thought that maybe it's time for me to retire as well." Zhongli took a long breath before answering. Why....would you want to break off this contract? You swore your upmost loyalty to him ages ago and now you were just going to.....break it? "Oh....ah...hmm. I see.....May I ask why would you want to break off our contract?" After everything he has done to make sure his little crystal fly wouldn't flutter into any danger, they're just going to voluntarily flutter into some?!

Unacceptable. A corner of his mind spoke. Old personalities of war threatening to rise. To just whisk them away right there and now.

Perhaps a change of terms in the contract would suffice.... Another thought chimed in, being more reasonable albeit manipulative.

"Forgive me, my lord. I know breaking a contract is a great offense to you but please conside-" You stopped midway as you see the earth grasping your legs, petrifying it. You looked up to look at Zhongli in confusion only to be frightened. Zhongli's eyes had slits for a pupil. His faced was painted with an infuriated expression. "M-my lord. Please, calm dow--"

"Silence!"

His sudden outburst made you shut up immediately. You thought that he would be disappointed but you didn't expect him to be angry.

"You do realise that our contract cannot be broken? Do you not?" His voice was still low despite his rage. Making you more frightened. "In under no circumstances it shall be broken. Do you understand?" He walked up to you and tilted your chin up so that your eyes meet his. "I said do you understand?" "Yes my lor-" "Zhongli." "Yes Zhongli."

He lets go of your chin, unpetrifying your legs and crossed his arms "Then I suppose we have an understanding?" Should you risk it? Should you risk to ask why he would not let you go? Most of yourself wanted to. To at least know the reason. "But why would you not allow it?" Zhongli narrowed his eyes. It was filled with anger as if he has been betrayed "Why won't you let me go out of Liyue?"

Zhongli let out a frustrated grunt. Why are you being so difficult? "Because it is what you agreed to. You agreed to stay in Liyue." He grabbed one of your hands and held it tight. "Why can't you just stay? It's not that hard, is it not? I'm doing this to keep you safe." You were a bit annoyed, you do know how to fight. You can handle yourself just fine! "Safe? I'm fine on my own! I don't need to be-"

"No."

"I refuse. Why must you be so difficult (Y/N)? Can't you not see that this is the best for you?" His tone was low, akin to a growl at this point. He pulled you towards him, his eyes deeply staring into yours. "I may not be Liyue's Archon anymore but a contract is a contract." Zhongli was frustrated. You could see it in his eyes. "Why is it that you refuse to let me go Zhongli? What reason do you have? Tell me Zhon-- no, tell me Morax why won't you let me out of Liyue?"

Slowly you feel yourself being petrified.

"It's because...

The petrification was at your waist

I love you deeply (Y/N)."

You let out a shocked gasp wanting to say something but your mouth was also turning to stone.

"Trust me, this is for your own good."

Your entire body was petrified in stone. Unmoving. Zhongli felt no regret having to make you immobile like this. He can't let you go out of his sight anymore. He wants you to stay in a definitive location where he knows you're safe. He shall keep you in a remote place where even your fellow adepti wouldn't find you.

"Consider your eternal isolation a punishment for trying to break our contract."

[clouds-rambles]

Im not even gonna go anonymous anymore. Arghh asking for another request makes me feel guilty knowing you have an essay due so i'll just present you a little prompt!

Being immortal and outliving people you love, you know the drill. It must be sad and lonely. But you know what i feel like would be devastating? Just imagine Teyvat in a time loop. Meeting your friends for the first time, getting know them, hearing their plans and ambitions, sticking with them through dark times, falling in love... Reader just happens to be the one to witness all of it over and over and over again.

Don’t worry about it! I’m horrifically avoiding it right now. I’ll probably have some lunch and do some more of it after lunch. I’m talking about things I enjoy so hopefully it wont take up too much of my brain and we’re going to ignore the graphic novel I have to create in 2 weeks too lmao I’m a professional procrastinator

I have a bit of an idea with this so I hope you don’t mind it being platonic and with the Mondstat guys either. I’m going to reference a previous set of headcanons where you’re the leader of the winds. The two writings aren’t related relationship wise though.

Pairings; (Platonic) people of Mondstat x reader

Warning(s); angst

Keep reading under the cut!

You had done this cycle millions of times before. Before you even became the leader of the winds, when you were just a small spirit. Much like your friend Barbatos.

And while the archon of this land could sleep for thousands of years at a time you had elected to protect his people from the dangers that the god of freedom was too asleep to do anything about. And in fairness you can understand why Barbatos has been asleep many a time to avoid his brain contaminating with similar ideals to Decrabain. You can’t blame him really...

But you’re so horrifically lonely. And it’s not like you’re surrounded by an absence of people. In reality you often find yourself over compensating for your loneliness. Nights are often spent in the tavern conversing with mortals that you can’t quite understand.

You half wish you could ascend to Celestia, at least there you can be merry with fellow immortals and not have the constant threat of losing a friend dear.

You have known the Ragnvindr family for many generations. It’s not like they are hard to notice. Bright red hair and, more often than not, a sweet, bubbly personality. Not many of the Ragnvindr’s have been blessed with visions, but they all make their way through life the best way possible. And while they seem to show similar thought processes to the previous anemo archon, especially considering the fact they basically own the alcohol industry in Mondstat, and more recently Teyvat in her entirety. But when you see the family treating their employee’s so well and with a great wage you can’t help but think maybe humanity can move past the age of dictators. Or at least the humans of Mondstat.

The newest Ragnvindr, Diluc had always caught your eye. You had helped babysit both him and his brother while you weren’t busy reminiscing in memories of old mondstat and slaying monsters of your home. The air of change hangs heavy on the air when you’re around them, it seems like the winds you lead are trying to tell you something that you can’t yet decipher.

Until the day comes when you can. Seeing a broken, sobbing Diluc shut you out of his home not only made you sad. But, it infact reminded you that you shouldn’t get too close to mortals. For, like your friend Crepus’, mortal life is fleeting. 

You’ve seen many stories over the years, but there’s only so many times you can hear the same story before they all meld together.

Take Amber for instance, decided to become an Outrider because of her Grandfather. How many times had you heard that story? Someones grandfather joined the knights and inspired them? Too many to count. And as much as you want to remember Ambers story, you already know, like all the others, her memory will meld with the others. 

Kaeya’s story isn’t one you’ll forget quickly, especially when the deeds of  Khaenri'ah weigh heavy on your mind. Though you have seen a small handful of changing of alliance stories in your lifetime his is probably the one that’ll stick the most. Especially when the memory of him crying in your arms after the man he considered a father died. 

There’s this one young girl you remember from centuries ago. She reminds you of Barbara a lot. Carefree, loves the people she works for. Just this girl was born a few millennia too early. She was apart of the Windblume resistance alongside the bard Barbatos fashioned himself after. You had attempted to smuggle the girl out the fortress many a time yet she always wanted to help. 

Sometimes when you watch Barbara sing you can’t help but cry over a girl you considered your first friend after becoming leader of the winds. Barbara is under the impression that you hate her because of how you avoid the girl. But being constantly reminded of someone you couldn’t save in the end makes you so sad. You’re not sure how Barbatos copes with donning the face of a friend when you can barely look at the face of someone who reminds you of a lost friend.

Razor sits fondly on your mind. He reminds you of the people you did actually save in old Mondstat. You remember checking in on a handful of refugees that you had to hide in old caves and how easily they had climatized to foraging for food. Whenever you see Razor you’re reminded of another young boy who went missing millennia ago who was later found to have been raised by bears. 

Through the centuries you’ve become good at pairing up couples. You seem to be able to point out people who will later enter a marriage. You’re not sure if soulmates and reincarnation exists, but that’s your only explanation being able to point to couples so easily.

You wonder for an immortal like yourself would be blessed with a soulmate. Especially considering you weren’t originally in a humanoid form. Maybe there’s some thousand wind out there for you that you’ll never be able to meet and fall for because of this form.

Your mind stretches to Barbatos whenever you think this but you never let yourself linger on it for too long. Lord Barbatos doesn’t like commitment, and you’re very much content with that, yes sir. 

Your eyes often linger on Rosaria as you often ponder if she thinks she’s the only nun to have strayed from typical nun doings. You remember telling a small Rosaria tales of Decrabains nuns and how they helped with the resistance against the tyrant. You wonder if that’s what gave her the idea to stray from typical nunnery. 

You smile upon Lisa fondly, a bright young woman with aspirations as high as the stars. Much like Rosaria you remember telling a young Lisa about alchemy and sorcery. She had such a knack for it, and seeing the woman return after only two years of study was a little disheartening. But you’re sure there will be people after her who will have similar aspirations with better outcomes. It’s not unlike you’ve seen people scurry their lives away in the pursuit of knowledge. You can understand her want for a different life.

As much as it hurts you in the end most, if not all, the people of Mondstat have buried themselves in your heart. And like you have done countless times before you’ll have to move on from them once you’re dead, no matter how much it hurts. Your mind ponders to Adeptus Xiao of Liyue. He’s under a similar curse to you. The curse of being alone while being surrounded by people. You wonder if that’s why Xiao has distanced himself from mortals.

And as much as you feel like you should take a page out of his book, you find yourself falling in love with Mondstat’s citizens over and over again.

[tratserenoyreve]

So personally my own theory on the origin of Paimon is I think she, the Sustainer, and Welkin Moon/Thousand-Armed Statue were the three Moon Sisters mentioned as being around before the Archons!

Admittedly I do not have much evidence for this, but considering the strong physical similarities between Paimon and the Sustainer, and the sheer parallels(one sibling is sealed away for a period of time, awakening with some knowledge about the world but not necessarily the present, with many of their original powers and aspects of their original form gone, while the other sibling takes up a position in an enemy faction that seems influential and powerful, but may have positions above it), plus how Genshin has such a big focus in terms of themes of sibling bonds-- the Abyss Twins, the Gnostic Chorus siblings, Diluc and Kaeya, Jean and Barbara, Ei and Makoto, Tartaglia and Teucer(and his other siblings to a lesser extent), Albedo and Durin and Klee, etc

...Also while I'm talking about Celestia, I have another lorehole that Celestia may be dead and falling apart. My biggest evidence for this is, in the video "Uncovering the Secrets of Tsurumi Island" by Klemen Time, apparently some of the words on the Tsurumi Island Murals say things like 'Heaven is not watching' and 'Heaven is no longer alive'. So, assuming 'Heaven' is Celestia, if Celestia was communicating with Sal Vindagnyr and Tsurumi, but then at some point while Tsurumi was alive it 'died'... it's been dead for a long time.

I suppose that if this theory were accurate, it'd put some things in a new light. If the loading screen IS Celestia, it may explain why some pillars and bridges seem broken, it would mean the Skyfrost Nail was not a targeted attack but fell entirely by accident, and that perhaps Celestia is getting larger in each update because whatever mechanism keeps it afloat is failing. It does not explain, however, why the Sustainer seemed to be representing Celestia just 500 years ago, or why Zhongli is still upholding contracts with them, so there's probably a little more to it than Celestia being completely gone. But it is... interesting to consider say the least.

At any rate! Hope you found my two theories interesting! Have a good evening or whatever time of day it is!

late to reply to this but hell yeah moon theories. all the moon theories for genshin are so wild it reminds me of the elder scrolls and its many moons.

paimon being some aspect/remnant of a god is a pretty popular theory, especially with how, like u said, she shares a naming scheme with the archons (who are all demons from the ars goetia, with paimon being a devoted servant of lucifer) i really like how the moon theory also allows for paimon’s friendship to be genuine, just her and the Traveler’s goals may differ eventually.

there’s definitely a lot of breadcrumbs that connect paimon to having SOMETHING to do with celestia, so i definitely feel like any one of these are possible. celestia possibly already being dead is also a very cool take, but like you said, morax still being wary of breaking his contract with them combined with barbatos also being uneasy about openly discussing them points towards celestia still being an active and imposing force. interestingly, the story of sal vindagnyr and the tiara artifact sets imply celestia used to send envoys and have more direct contact with the people of teyvat. them going hands off could imply there’s internal conflict maybe, especially looking at how other factions have been treated so far too where there is regularly disagreement among the ranks of these big groups. (the harbingers infighting, the archons, everyone associated with the abyss)

gonna take a page out of albedo’s book and start examining paimon like a funky bug in a cup. what is ur deal, floating marshmallow.

[ererokii]

— broken strings and beautiful melodies

diluc r. x f!reader

Word Count: 9.6k Warnings: major character death, mentions of violence, mentions of blood, gore, this does not follow the og plot and lore/ some spoilers for “We Will be Reunited” Archon Quest Note: this is for Attack On Academia’s Mythology Summer Collab! Please be sure to check out the masterlist for everyone else’s works. They all worked super hard and it turned out amazing! And big thanks to @reddriot and @axther for betaing <3

Synopsis: A simple love story between the Pyro Archon, and a mortal.

taglist || masterlist || server link || collab masterlist

Another four days pass and it’s finally Friday. Fridays at Angel’s Share were no different from the ones prior. Exhausted adventurers and townspeople venture inside the tavern to drink their woes away, to forget, or to have a great time. It was annoying, to say the least—hearing the laughter and cheers bouncing off the walls.

However, Diluc had to say nothing was worse than a certain pigtail braided bard strutting in with his lyre. The redhead had no choice but to serve the bard his choice of drinks after figuring out his true identity (although he still makes him pay the whole total—even if the singer can’t find a way to pay). 

Like before, the bartender lifts his head up, crimson eyes boring into the crowd gathering beside the bard at the nearby table. 

The bard’s soft voice matches with the melody of his lyre, fingers pulling and gracefully sliding past the strings. His eyes closed, telling a story to the nearby peers and the quiet man standing behind the counter. A tale Diluc heard once, yet it weighed on him all the same.

“The story of this archon is no better than the rest, yet, the most tragic comes from the debris of war. The god of War was like no other. Loads of strength, yet grief and sorrows weigh him down like an anchor in the vast ocean. Love is a mere factor, yet love is one of the many things the god brought ruin to.”

-

With heavy footsteps, a red-haired male walks along the dirt path in no shoes, wearing the silkiest of robes one could ever obtain. He hums to himself, brushing a loose strand of hair away from his face, letting out a huff of annoyance when it falls right back into the same position as before. 

He breathes in the crisp air of the summer night, relishing the winds that brush across his skin. Summers in Natlan were one of a kind. While it was scorching in the morning, when the night came around, all was calm. The harsh rays turned into blissful winds that cleansed the land of heat. 

During the other seasons, it was never too cold, nor was it ever too hot. The temperature was just right for all men, women and children. 

Located in the southwestern region of Teyvat, Natlan was home to the Pyro Archon, known as The God of War. The god, Murata, is unlike any other god. Ruthless and fierce, he does not handle any threat lightly. Anything thrown his way, he does not hesitate. With kindness and love, Murata will no doubt protect his nation.

His statues are scattered across the land. Standing with his formal rags and cloak that shields his face, Murata holds his claymore in his right hand, the tip pointing down to symbolize his foes beneath him as he celebrates in victory.

In the night sky, his statues act like lights to guide those on safe journeys home or to neighboring nations. Along with being guides, the structures are used for a place of reverence. Often many would journey far and wide to pay thanks for everything he has done. 

In the center lies the biggest of them all, flowers and candles are set up around it for ceremonial purposes. Every night new plants were replaced for the days to come. Like the other Archons, Murata was grateful for his people. When roaming the land, he spots commoners on their knees by the base of the statue during the late of night or the crack of dawn. Not wanting to disturb, the archon watches from afar. 

Today is different. Murata continues to walk along the path, listening to the noises coming from the forest animals and the creeks as the waters begin to rush at this hour of the night. He can’t help but let out the faintest of hums at the sounds of nature. 

He reaches for the side of his face, tucking a red strand behind his ear. Often the god will put his hair up into a low or high ponytail, but for outings in the cool atmosphere, he prefers to wear it down. His powers were compared to his hair many times. When describing his appearance, he listens to the children exaggerate saying his hair is literal flames that he can produce from the palm of his hands. Of course, this is nowhere near true, but a child’s imagination is quite amusing. 

In the distance, his crimson hues bore straight ahead at the small flickering light. 

“Someone must be up now,” he whispers to himself, debating on leaving them alone but instead, chooses to go up ahead and observe from a closer proximity. Muratans knew what their god looked like. He comes out during the day to pay visits but never for long periods of time. 

As quick as they see him, it's as quick as they’ll see him leave. No one can ever hold his attention for too long. 

The sound of strings being played can be heard from his spot-- and he halts. A lyre, one of his favorite pastimes and favorite instruments. 

Over the hill is a figure sitting beside the statue, back turned to him but he can see the movement of their arm. Curious, Murata continues to stalk forward quietly, not wanting to disturb the worshipper. 

The melody played is show-stopping in his eyes. He wonders if Celestia had sent down someone he was unaware of to play this just for him, and only him. If anything, he could settle on the grass and listen to them play for ages on end, wearying his immortal days out. Music was the only thing that could settle him, but not forever. 

Now, he's a mere few steps away from the cloaked figure. His face is lit up by the candles by his feet. His tongue peeks out of his lips as an unknown feeling bursts through his body. His palms felt sweaty and his heart rate increased. 

He winces when the wrong note is played, gritting his teeth together. The redhead doesn’t think much until a force pushes him backward.

“W-Why are you standing there watching me?! Don’t you know this place is meant for us to come together, not to be creepy like you just were right now?!”

“W-What?” he whispers in surprise, bringing a hand to cover his nose that suddenly feels wet. He pulls away, noticing the red drops on his skin. Blood.

“Don’t question me that way! You know exactly what you were doing…  A pig is what you are. Oh, just you wait until Murata finds out about this.”

“Murata huh?” he questions, wiping his hand on the grass, watching the blood dissolve into nothing-- the red trails of blood trickling down his nose come to an unsuspecting halt.

He clears his throat and comes to stand, staring down at the figure behind him. With the candlelight, a glimpse of crimson eyes and matching hair can be seen. In a matter of seconds, it's silent. Until there is a subtle gasp.

It amuses the Archon greatly to see a change in behavior and the fear present in the civilian's eyes. He wouldn’t dare try anything to her, but maybe it would lighten the mood if he did.

With desperate breaths of air, you reach forward and grab ahold of the man's hands, squeezing as hard as you could. “M-My Lord, I deeply apologize for my behavior! Please forgive me! I was foolish!”

“No need to be formal all of a sudden…mistakes are made and all can be forgiven. I must say, you are quite gifted with that instrument in your hand.”

Your face heats up, suddenly finding the ground much more interesting than him as you gaze down. Your god had just complimented you and yet here you are losing the composure you had seconds ago. 

“Thank you,” you whisper, hand clutching the lyre close to your chest. “It’s an honor to hear such wonderful words, especially coming from you.”

Murata stares down, an unexplainable look upon his face. Then, he smiles. 

“Your name?”

“Pardon?”

“What is your name? As someone as gifted as you, I think you deserve to have your name remembered.”

“My name is Y/N. For some reason, your kind words seem to boost my confidence. I normally don’t play in front of people, I’m too shy and afraid of their judgement. I only like to play in front of the statue… or in this case, you.”

“How about you play for me again?”

-

The angelic sounds of your lyre had been played more often since you’ve met the god. The night was when you shined, when no one was around to listen or stare at you. The dark sky made you feel alone, yet you were at peace. You found pleasure in playing for the Pyro Archon statue, yet having him sitting beside you and listening made your heart beat just a bit more than before.

During the day, you find yourself sitting under the big oak trees, the sunlight peeking through the leaves and shining upon you two. Murata lays close to you, eyes shut and lashes resting against his upper cheeks as the song lulls him to a quick nap or a state of serenity. 

He’ll comment on a subtle note, saying how he loves the pitch, or give recommendations. Many times Murata has taken your instrument and played a tune or two for you. He says every gentleman should at least know how to serenade a lady.

As a child, your family spoke highly of him. They even used him as a threat against you when you’ve done something wrong. Now that you look back, it was a mere hoax and it possibly scarred you just a bit. When you first told Murata this, he stared with his lower lip quivering before his shoulders started to shake and then, he let out a laugh. 

“Surely you didn’t believe that, right?”

“I did! I was a child, what else was I supposed to do?! I nearly wet my sheets when my mother told me that you would come and scare me!”

“Well come on now, are you still scared?”

He enjoys seeing you worked up—then again, he loves seeing you play the lyre. He stays quiet and watches your fingers move as if they had a mind of their own. You move with grace, without hesitation. There is no wrong note, no wrong string when you play. Sometimes being here with you in this moment made him feel like he was mortal. Like he was able to live freely.

Being bound to divinity in Celestia, Murata had wandered Teyvat for ages, alone. Each person he had gotten close to, he had to watch them disappear from this world in the shadows. At some point, he even had to pretend to be lost so others could forget about him. If they forgot about Murata, would the load be easier on the Pyro Archon’s shoulder?

But now, you’re aware of his status and who he truly is. If you were to stay by his side, would he be the last thing you see before you pass into the next life? He’s not sure, but he’s hoping that won’t be true. He couldn’t bear with the guilt that will get him worked once more at the thought of another mortal dying in front of his eyes. 

“Murata?” you ask one afternoon, sitting by the same statue you met him for the first time. “What’s it like?”

He steers his gaze away from the clouds and onto you, an eyebrow raised in question. “What is what like?”

“You know—” you start, messing with the material of your dress, head lowered. “Being a god?”

And then he freezes. Out of all the questions you could have possibly asked, this one had to be the most unexpected. 

“Why do you wish to know something like that?”

“I want to know what it’s like. Immortality and eternal beauty sound pretty amazing, doesn’t it?”

“No,” he immediately states, sitting upright. His body looks tense, posture perfect and hands in his lap. However, you notice the small twitch in his fingers, as if he’s thinking. You can hear the heaviness in his breathing—lips parted as the air slips in and out of his mouth.

How can living on this earth for years on end, watching people die in front of you like they are meaningless, be perfect? Is that what people thought about immortality? The faces of past friends from ages ago are nothing but a blob of color in his mind. He can’t remember their faces, nor their voices—only the memories they have shared, and even that is starting to fade away.

Murata cleared his throat, eyes fluttering shut. His chest heaved up slowly, before falling at the same rate. Soon, he opens his eyes and faces you. He reaches up and tightens his high ponytail, running his fingers through the red tresses. “The life of an immortal is not...ideal.”

“There comes a time where living forever is not as good as it seems. A human like yourself might think differently since there is an end to everyone’s journey. Death is inevitable for a human, and almost all are afraid of the end itself. Even… I am afraid there will be a time I will be cursed with that end. But for now, that’s something that rarely crosses my mind..”

And he continues. Murata proceeds to tell you about the drawbacks of being a God. When he speaks, you can see pain flash across his eyes as he recalls a memory of a loving friend who passed before him. He tells you there’s no avoiding this never ending nightmare. If there was a way he could overcome this spell of immortality, he would choose mortal life in an instant. 

He believes nothing good comes with this. In his eyes, everything gets destroyed by his hands. If he hadn’t created this nation, he wouldn’t be here with you, nor would he have people at his feet who love and worship him for everything—for giving them a home. He would be a traveler with no home, or loved ones.

The Archon doesn’t realize how much of his thoughts he spilled until he feels the warmth of another—your hand resting upon his cheek. This alerts him as he jolts, eyes wide as he stares at you. You wear a small smile, head cocked to the side. Your thumb moves on its own, wiping the tear away that dribbles down the swell of his face. 

His body relaxes, shoulders slouching as he relishes your touch, not having been caressed by another, let alone a human. If he’s being honest, it's been at least a century since he has gotten close to another mortal. It’s a foreign feeling, but he loves it nonetheless.

Your soft spoken words are enough for him to be at ease. 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to continue through the suffering.”

In a vulnerable state, the tears continue to flow down his face, arms slithering around your body as he pulls you in close. At first the motion shocks you, but soon you return the action, hand resting on the small of his back and by his head, stroking the soft locks. You can hear the faint sobs that escape his lips and it’s strange. From stories, they state Murata was fierce, barely any emotion in him.

But he looks nothing more than a broken man in need of comfort. 

You press your lips against his head, humming softly to him. His arms tighten around you, a shaky breath slipping past. As much as Murata hates this feeling, but after being alone for as long as Teyvat had been founded, he thinks he deserves to be this close to someone again.

After moments of silence, the god is positioned beside you, hand resting on your thigh and head on your shoulder. His eyes feel heavy, the area feeling irritated and scratchy from his crying. As much as the thoughts still swirl in his head, they seem to be drowned out by the melody you play for him.

He lazily draws organic shapes with the pad of his finger on your skin, eyes beginning to close. 

Your lyre is one of the few beautiful things he has come across in his lifetime. You currently hold the number one spot for the most beauty he has seen but when you sit with your instrument, he swears he can see the wings of an angel behind you. 

He steers his gaze from the lyre to your face, eyes taking in the small details of your visage. A smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he notices the slip of your tongue peek from your lips, eyebrows creasing in concentration. Along with the melodies, he listens to your small hums as you play a song just for him-- one of worship and love.

His hand runs up your arm, halting your movements at once. Eyes opening, you stare forward for a second before looking down upon him. He recognises your confusion and lets out a laugh, hand trailing up before his thumb rests on your chin, making you keep your gaze on him.

Your face heats up at this interaction, mouth parted. Your breathing becomes uneven when you notice the close proximity. Your stomach flutters, the back of your throat suddenly going dry—no words able to slip through. His chest rises and falls just as quick as your own. 

His tongue peeks through, licking his lower lip. His crimson hues stare at your lips before averting his gaze to your eyes. As much as it’s tempting, now is not the right time.

“Beautiful,” he whispers quietly, for your ears only. “So beautiful… like an angel sent down from the divine...”

- The lyre, made of nature’s resources and carved into the most adoring shapes—the ends curving in different directions and a piece of excess wood piercing straight through the middle with a pointed tip and a rounded end. Made for the best, the lyre contains seven strings that seem to glow throughout the day and the night. 

In the middle, an emerald gem shines embedded on the wood, reflecting the rays of the sun, sparkling for all to see. Around lies the detail of the sun, the soft yellows encircling it. And just beneath that is gold details that resemble the wings of those who are free. Two flowers that are foreign to the land of Natlan are delicately engraved—their colors showing pure innocence.

The Cecilia flowers stay in bloom, never once dying out. Nor has any other grown in their place.

A perfect instrument, one of elegance and purity. Perfect for you. 

The origins of said lyre are unknown, yet when it was given to you as a young child, you didn’t dare question it. Instead, you took it with the biggest grin and thanked your father as many times as you could. You were intelligent and extremely talented. At first, your mother was skeptical of such an object being in the possession of an nine year old, but your father assured it was in safe hands. 

Since then, it’s been by your side to this day. It’s never been out of your grasp and you only let certain trusted people play it. For some reason, seeing others hold the instrument made you feel weird. 

Playing your gift made you feel like you were above the world, like you could ascend to Celestia and play for the gods. It felt as if some sort of divine power surged through your veins and riled you up. And now at the ripe age of 24, having the Pyro Archon by your side as you play for him daily, it feels as if your purpose of living has been complete. 

Seeing his soft smile and slight nods he gives when he's impressed (which is all the time) or when he places his hand on yours to play along with you. Having him close to you makes you feel warm, excited and giddy; almost like a young girl in love.

Which... You won’t lie to yourself about that. 

There have been times during the day where you catch yourself thinking about the red head. Thoughts of him swirl your head as you drift off to sleep and he’s the first thing you think about in the morning. Sometimes you notice that you make motions in the air, like you are stroking something, when in reality, you wish to have his head in your lap again as you play with the loose ends of red tresses.

The god was just so breathtaking. Staring into his eyes was mesmerizing. The color of flames held in his eyes drew you in so far, it felt as if you were walking through a pit of flames. Yet, these flames never extinguished or brought harm to you. 

“You’re lost in thought again,” Murata comments, poking your shoulder with his pointer finger. “You alright there? I don’t need you tripping over a rock or something.”

“Huh?” you ask, glancing over at him. “O-Oh it was nothing. I’m okay.” You offer a not so convincing smile, scratching the nape of your neck in embarrassment. Knowing you for a while, the god offers a nod and looks forward, his hands behind his back, steps in sync with yours.

You let your hand drop, clearing your throat as you hum, filling the silence with some noise. Your eyes wander around the area before gazing up at the tall man beside you. You take notice how the ends of his ponytail sway side to side with every step he takes.  

The apple of your cheeks heat up when you can see his back muscles flex as he straightens his posture. The shirt he wore let your imagination run wild; there was no doubt that Murta was built.

“It’s quite rude to stare,” Murata says out of nowhere, barely glancing over at you. “If you want, I can just stand in front of you so you can actually look at me face to face.”

“Oh be quiet,” you mutter, stepping forward and grabbing hold of his hand—his much larger, covering yours entirely. Upon contact, his fingers intertwined with yours, squeezing softly.

“You know I love messing with you,” he hums, pressing a gentle kiss to your temple, which you respond back to him with a quiet “I know.”

The rest of the walk is filled with comfortable silence. It’s a bit chilly in the land of Natlan. One of the many summer days that turn out to be filled with crisp air and cloudy skies. Storytellers always said if it were cloudy during the season of summer, karma and misfortune was on the way—yet no one believed such lies like that. 

His hand is so warm, you think, glancing down at your conjoined hands. Ever since that day by the giant stone statue of the god where you almost kissed him, his behavior towards you changed drastically. He’s been a bit more touchy (not that it bothered you; in fact, you loved it), holding your hand and somewhat more affectionate. At the end of your day when you would say goodbye, he would pull you close and plant a gentle kiss to your cheek or sometimes even close to your lips.

Just thinking about those actions makes you flustered, looking away from him and out to the open. 

“What do you think it means to be in love?”

Hearing those words from the man beside you causes you to choke on your saliva, hitting your chest to calm your ongoing coughs. When you’re finally composed, you gasp for air and stare at him in shock. “W-What do I think about that?”

“Mhm.” He nods, inhaling deeply, his other hand reaching up into the air as if he was stretching before lowering it. “What do you think it means to be in love? I’m curious as to what you humans think it might be.”

“I-” You gulp, eyes semi wide as you try to wrack your brain for anything. That was not a question you were expecting, especially right now. “W-Why do you want to know? Isn’t love, love?”

“Well, aren't there different ones? Can’t people be in love with parts of someone? Lets say, only being in love with someone for their status in the nation. Or just their looks but not for them. 

“Well… I think being in love with someone means you don’t care about their status or who they look or who they are.”

“Even if they’re a god?”

“Even if they’re a god.” you say confidently, before realizing what he said. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Even if they’re a god,” he repeats, stopping in his tracks as he turns to face you. His cheeks are painted with soft pink, red eyes averting from you. 

Murata’s heart is racing, far faster than it ever has in his life. HIs lips are dry, his mouth is parched. His shoulders heave with every deep breath he takes. Does the sweat of his hands bother you? God, he feels like a young boy about to confess his love to a girl he’s been pining over—although he's not completely wrong.

“Murata, what’s wrong?” you ask quietly, tilting yourself a bit to look up into his eyes as his head is lowered. “Are you okay?”

“Why are you so intoxicating?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Y-You’re all I can think of,” he stutters, squeezing his eyes shut. “I can’t get you out of my mind, even though I shouldn’t get close to those I love and care for. In the end, I’ll be here and be forced to live with this overweighting guilt that rests upon my shoulders as time continues to flow knowing that you’ll be dead.”

A hiccup gets caught in the back of his throat, his thoughts becoming foggy all of a sudden. “I don’t like this feeling. I absolutely despise it.  Many times after we hung out, I thought about disappearing again like I have before I got too close to anyone again. But I can’t let you go, nor will these memories ever go away.”

“Don’t you understand?” he whispers, hand shaking as his grip becomes tighter. “I can’t lose you… you’re too special to me already. I know there will be a day where we part ways forever but I want to be a part of your journey until then.”

His confession throws you for a loop. His words continue playing over and over in your head like a song you learned the night prior. You have this unexplainable feeling in your chest, yet it warms up as the seconds pass. Your whole body feels tingly, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. 

Your quietness is too much for him to handle right now—a bit silly if you were to ask the Archon himself. “Say something,” he mutters, shaking your hand lightly. The redhead can already feel the rejection pooling in the depths of his stomach, eating away at him.

“You... Do you love me?” you whisper, looking up at him with doe like eyes. Murata can’t seem to answer for himself, one hand cupping your cheek. He moves closer, his breath fanning your face. The flames in his eyes gaze into yours, losing himself in the color before he averts down to your lips. A quiet way of asking for consent.

You lean forward, lips barely brushing against his. It’s shy between the two of you. After having such strong feelings for each other, neither of you know how to proceed. No one moves, it feels time has stopped.

You feel him pull away slightly before going back in, his lips fully pressed against yours. His other hand drops yours, instead wrapping his arm around your lower back. Your chest pressed up against his, your finger runs up his side, to the top of his shoulder and around, cradling the back of his neck.

His finger tightens around the material of your coat you wore for the day, using it as leverage to keep you standing. His kisses are soft yet fierce. The softness of his lips and his scent up close are enough to drive you insane, enough to make your knees buckle and make you want more. You want more of him, Murata.

A small grunts leaves his mouth when you tug on his hair. In return, he nibbles on your lower lip, chuckling at the small noise you produce from his motion. It’s becoming harder to breathe as you stay in this position with him. If air wasn’t a necessity, you wouldn’t go for it. 

You pull away from him, panting softly as you gaze up into his eyes. His eyes hold nothing but love and adoration as he peers down at you. The corners of his lips curve upward as he leans in, barely presses against yours again before pulling away. He sneaks in a few quick pecks, listening to your quiet laughter.

“Of course I love you.” He makes you look up at him, your face cradled in his hands as if he was holding something delicate, something that could be wrecked and destroyed any second. “That’s why I asked you what you thought about it.”

“And I love you too,” you reply softly. “I thought.. After everything you wouldn’t want to have feelings like this, let alone a human.”

“Sometimes boundaries are meant to be broken if it means true happiness.”

-

“Tensions have arisen in the land of Natlan. Nearby gods have caused quite the stir, causing Murata to put it to a halt at once. Upon ascending to his seat in Celestia, there have been prophecies saying a great misfortune is underway and can arrive in an instant. Since then, he’s been worked up. He cares much about his nation and will let no harm come its way.” 

The bard strums the string before growing silent, letting his head hang forward, his pigtails falling in his face. “It’s a true shame that such a horrid thing came to be… If only he was strong enough as he said he was.”

Murmurs arise from the drunken peers, hiccups joining the air as they beg him to continue the song. Even if some wouldn’t remember this night in the morning, this was still enough entertainment. 

“W-What happened next, bard?! Finish it!” an adventurer gasps, holding his cup of alcohol close to his chest, his cheeks heated and a light pink.

“You wish to know?” the bard asks, peeking through his lashes, his two toned eyes staring into the soul of the bartender. “Why of course!” he laughs cheerfully then clears his throat, batting his eyelashes as he brings his hand to his chest.

“Although, I’m quite parched and would love to have another cup of Dandelion Wine! What do you say, Master Diluc?”

“My answer is no. Do not ask me for something when you will not pay in the end.”

“Agh what a shame,” the bard sighs, letting his head hang back but never breaking eye contact with the redhead. “Don’t you wish to know about the ending?”

“I could care less.” Diluc speaks through gritted teeth, arms crossed over his chest, the infamous pose he does every hour of the day. “I just want you out of here.”

“I’ll pay for him!” one of the nearby men yell, fumbling with his wallet to grab the gold circles of currency to give to the bartender—and all the bard can do is smile cheekily, opening his hand. 

“Well, looks like the drink is paid for. Can I have it now, Master Diluc?”

The red head, already annoyed with the behavior of the young man in front of him, reluctantly takes the coins from the drunk. Without speaking, he serves the singer his desired drink, noticing the small smirk he wears. “Why are you smiling at me like that?” he asks, eyeing him up and down.

“Because I’m getting to my favorite part.” He takes a sip of his drink and places the cup back down. After a pleasant sigh is heard from him as he takes hold on his lyre, stroking the white petals of the Cecilia flowers. “And you’re gonna love it.”

- Melodies of the lyre were played even during the darkest of times. The soft notes were enough to make anyone who felt down happy again, or at least content, even yourself. The colors of the strings being played was enough to put you at ease. Sometimes when you’re out in the town, many children would ask you to play their favorite song or at least a simplified version if you weren’t familiar with it. 

But as of now, all of Teyvat was in ruin. Murata had told you the truth; he hated keeping you in the dark when you deserved to know. As much as he disliked saying this, your life indeed was on the line, more than his. In fact, the whole nation was at risk, along with the other six neighboring ones. 

From other Archons, Murata heard that a water monster, Osial, had arisen and was ready to ruin and kill innocents for the sake of a seat in Celestia. Morax, who was the overseer of Liyue at the time, was trying his best to seal the beast with his spears.

In this case, Murata hopes a threat like this doesn't happen to Natlan. Especially when he’s not there to protect his people, to protect you.

Murata hears a gush of wind from behind him and the earth beneath him starts shaking. He wipes the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, small puffs of air slipping out of his mouth. He reaches above and tugs on the black hood of his cape. 

His archon outfit consists of silk white pants and black sleeveless shirt that resembled a vest with a slit down the middle of his torso. And to top it, a black cape flows behind, the hood covering his face from all to see. In his right hand, his fingers curl around the handle of his claymore.

A heavy burden rests upon his shoulders as he stares forward, seeing the world erupt into flames and utmost chaos. In the distance, he can hear the screams and cries of the families asking for mercy. He wonders what you would think about him if you were to see him right now. 

“Murata,” you whine, trailing the last syllable of his name as his lips peck against the bare skin of your shoulder. “Come on, you know that tickles.”

“Yeah? Maybe I’ll continue to do it,” he muses, nipping at your skin before blowing warm air onto your neck which causes you to squirm from him, pressing your hands against his chest. He listens to your soft laughs, loving the way your body moves under his touch. Your arms wrap around his neck, hugging him close as you hum, inhaling the scent you’ve grown to love. 

“Mmm… I love you.”

“And I love you too,” Murata whispers to no one, blinking rapidly when he realizes he was lost in thought and was not in fact with you, but only remembering a moment from a few days ago. In reality, here he stands in the middle of a deserted land that must be destroyed. Blood is on his hands, splattered on his face. 

“I didn’t even want to do this,” he mutters, grinding his teeth together as he proceeds to walk forward, watching red explosions burst from the ground, red blocks protruding from either ends of the nation. In the sky, the color purple takes over as lightning strikes down from the heavens and is brought forth onto the land. 

From his position, the ground had been cracked and was on the edge of being split apart if another Archon had used their powers against the nation. 

He lifts his claymore in the air, staring up at the red sky with anguish. His lips part as he whispers something to himself, reassuring that what he is about to do is alright and isn’t his fault. A sudden strike of his weapon pierces the land, flames bursting into the air and cracking the earth. 

Murata breathes heavily, leaning on the rounded edge of his weapon. Sweat trickles down his face, the hood falling off of his head. Two strands of hair fall forward, framing his face, the rest of it tied back into a low ponytail. 

The flames continue to run down the cracks which branch to smaller ones that cause the piece of rock beneath the surface to crumble and fall, leaving the terrain to become uneven. 

“Wow! Even from afar I can spot you,” a semi high pitched says from behind him. The Pyro Archon stiffens, internally groaning as he stares over his shoulder, meeting two green eyes. “Someone doesn’t look happy as he used to be.”

“Barbatos,” Murata grumbles, looking forward as he straightens his posture. With one hand, he picks his hood over his head once more and the other pulls his claymore from the ground, resting it on his shoulder. “What do you want from me now?”

“Just letting you know Morax has finished in the south region of Khaenri'ah,” Barabtos states, a frown growing on his lips as he looks away, the tips of his toes barely touching the ground as his wings keep him afloat. “You're not the only one who didn’t want this. We had no choice.”

“No choice huh…” He trails off, his claymore suddenly evaporating into thin air and gold dust left in its wake. “How are we loving, protecting gods if we just obliterated this nation with no god? What does that make us? We’re no better than those who do us wrong against our own homeland. We’re just like Decarabian. Nothing but tyrants.”

“Don’t bring up that name again.”

“Why? Because deep down you know it's true.”

“Because that was his own choice to keep us entrapped. We had no choice but to bring ruin. They felt-” Barbatos hesitates, licking his lower lip before continuing, “-they felt threatened. A nation with no god is a false one to Celestia. Everything must be in order. Khaenri’ah was not the case. We had to, or we’re next. The divine is not ready for a land with no god.”

“I shouldn’t have come.”

“Murata. If you hadn’t, who knows what would have happened to Natlan.” A deeper voice from behind him is heard, the sound of footsteps becoming louder before they stop beside him. “You and your people would have been in grave danger.”

“Unlike you, I don’t need to keep making contracts.”

Morax chuckles lightly, shaking his head, his ponytail swaying with the movement. “And how does that look on you, God of War?”

Murata shakes his head, refusing to look at the Anemo Archon and the Geo Archon. “War or not, this is not just. The victors burn bright and the losers turn to ash. This-” he motions to the now deserted land of dust and blood. The sky is a deep red, the sun or moon nowhere to be seen. The earth is uneven, mountains caving into the ground as streaks of dark colors emit from the ground. 

The spot the three archons stand upon is nothing but cracked ground, an empty space separating them and the rest of the debris. 

“This is not war.”

Even when he’s not in his right mind, the only thing that can put him to ease comes up, suddenly soothing his woes away. He closes his eyes, envisioning he’s somewhere else

“You’re so pretty,” you whisper in the god’s ear, twirling a strand of hair around your finger with a smile. “No wonder you’re a god. How could they not take you?”

“Please. You flatter me too much.” He grabs hold of your wrist, bringing it to his face, planting a kiss to it. “On the contrary, it should be you in my position. No, an angel is what you are.”

“An angel? Please, enlighten me.”

Murata shifts on his side to stare down at you, brushing the baby hairs from your face. A blanket covers your bodies from your previous intimate sessions, yet he remembers every curve, every flaw that’s perfection to his mind. “I mean, look at you. You’re too beautiful for this world.”

“Am I now?”

He nods, dipping his head slightly. The tip of his nose brushing against yours. “You are. You’re amazing. You’re everything in this world. You’re desirable but most importantly... you’re divine.”

“Wow, now I’m flattered.”

He smiles, the corners of his eyes creasing as he presses his lips against yours in a soft kiss. It lasts for a few seconds but it feels as if it goes on for years. When he pulls away, you cup his cheek. “And you are ethereal.”

The god shakes his head lightly with a sigh, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. You’re all he can think about. Even when he is busy taking away innocent lives and watching them get turned into monsters, the sweet image of your face continues to pop into his mind. You’re the light in the dark. 

He hates the feeling of being away from you, especially when he’s on close watch from Celestia. There’s something unsettling in the pit of his stomach that he can't quite put his finger on it. Murata watches Morax and Barbatos exchange a few words before he gasps, lifting his head up fast. “Natlan. It’s in danger.”

- The nation of Natlan, located in the southwestern region of Teyvat and home to the Pyro Archon, was under attack. There was no point in trying to save them, they were already too far gone. No god in sight yet the trails of monsters were left behind. Did the Archon truly love them like they said he did? Or was it all a lie to get people’s love?

The once beautiful land is ruined—looking like the one he destroyed not long ago. His statues that aided his people on their journeys far and wide were now broken and cracked. Chunks of stone litter the ground and crush nearby civilians. Whoever was standing beside those statues had been brought down along with them, no way to return. 

The god feels weak in the knees as he staggers over the dirt path that has noticeable traces of dried blood. No doubt from his people. Where are the bodies? He has no clue.

Houses have been torn apart, the roofs blown off and thrown into the field of flowers on the other side. He feels torn at heart. He wants to give up walking, already knowing the outcome but refuses to stop. He hopes that a few people, even just twenty people, can still be alive and he can move them somewhere else.

The night is cold and fresh as it was years ago. Only this time, the sounds of the animals in the creek aren’t heard and the wildlife is quiet. He looks towards the forest, hoping a deer or a boar will rush through the trees. But his hopes die when he notices that's not happening, and the habitat is burnt to ashes. 

“Somebody,” he croaks out, averting his eyes upward and freezes. Up ahead, in the center lies the biggest statue of them all, where flowers and candles are set up around it for ceremonial purposes. Every night new plants were replaced for the days to come. 

The most beautiful statue in all of Natlan has been crushed. The head of the statue is gone from the area (he can only assume it had been tossed across the nation or into the river). The candles are no longer intact,  the pieces scattered and buried into the burnt grass.

“No,” he whispers lowly before crying out, running towards it. His heart races as he steps closer and closer. All his worries and fears; he doesn’t want them to be real. He doesn’t want any of this to be real. He wants to be at home.

You.

You. 

Where are you?

He gasps for air and drops to his knees. Red eyes frantically search along the stone pieces. He plants his hands on the ground and hisses upon contact, retracting back. A rock share pierced his skin. Murata bites his lower lip as he shakes his hand, watching the piece fly off before he can continue looking.

Are you safe at home? You were, right? Surely you wouldn't come out when everything is being attacked, right? Yeah, that’s it. You’re safe at home waiting for him to return. Waiting for him to be in your arms so you can cry about your fears of losing your life and him.

And by the end he’ll calm you down, say soothing words into your ear as he holds you close, saying he’ll never leave like that again and stay with you forever. God or not, immortal or not, he plans to stay by your side. 

And then your lyre will be played for you and only you. He knows your favorite melodies. Oh so beautiful, he loves hearing you play them but this time, he’ll play for you until the end of time. 

Your lyre-

He freezes.

His hand hits something underneath the stone. Something smooth like wood and the prick of an object with a pointed tip—an all too familiar feeling.

With a grunt, he grabs ahold and heaves back, pulling it out from under the rubble. A surge of fear flows through his veins when he falls back, holding an object in his hands. 

It’s a cracked lyre, with pieces broken off where an emerald stone originally would have laid. The gold trinkets are ripped right off, the empty space now feeling dull. He notices the seven strings have now turned to three and aren’t holding their original color that glows. 

The only thing that’s untouched, however, are the Cecilia flowers. Not a hint of blood stains the white petals. 

His eyes grow wide when he gazes somewhere else, spotting a hand peeking out from the same spot he pulled the lyre from. A choked cry gets stuck in the back of his throat when it all clicks together.

You weren’t home like he thought you would have been. You weren’t waiting for him to return from his wages of war, to be in his arms. Instead, you did what you always did.

Worshipped Murata, under the ceremonial statue.

The one that caused your death. 

Tears well up in his eyes as he hugs the lyre close to his chest, mouth parting as a sob slips out. He rocks himself back and forth, shaking his head at this false reality but he knows this is all real. 

Murata babbles to himself, muttering things underneath his breath as he hyperventilates. He can’t catch his breath. His throat is closing in on him, the air too thick to even breathe right now. 

The tears blur his vision. He can’t see nor think straight anymore. The god of War was unable to save his people from the hardships of an incoming war. What kind of god was he? Was he even one? Or was he now a false one?

What seems to be years later, though it only is an hour or so, Murata finds himself standing on the edge of a cliff, dried up tears evident on his face. The whites of his eyes are red, the tip of his nose matching the same color. 

He sniffles, nose stuffed from the moments earlier. His breathing hasn’t changed a bit. His shoulders still shake with every inhale. The atmosphere around him is tense, maybe even too quiet for his liking. 

Behind him, he refuses to look back on the destruction he let happen. Even from a far enough distance, he can still clearly hear the crackling of fire and the sounds of a nation dying. 

He lowers his hand from his chest, spreading his fingers open. In a matter of seconds, the handle of his weapon appears slowly, the rest of the claymore following suit in gold dust. 

He peers down slightly, watching the red and black glow before dimming out. The slant from the edge of the weapon, one he has used to kill off his enemies without a thought. In the current state, he can see the traces of blood left behind. 

In his other hand is the damaged lyre. His fingers keep it close to his chest, his heart. One of the last things he had of you. The tip of his pointer fingers strums a string and he winces from the uneasy sound it produces. This instrument no longer plays the melodies he adored, and worse yet, the person he adores can no longer hear it. 

Murata was the Pyro Archon. Amongst the other gods, he was ruthless yet kind and merciful. When a threat was sent his way, he did not hesitate to take care of it. He took care of Natlan. 

Or, that’s what should have happened. 

He closes his eyes, goosebumps forming on his arms from the gust of wind that breezes by him, knocking his hood off. His hair that was let down swayed in the breeze, the loose ends flowing behind him. His bangs move slightly and then stop, falling in their original place. 

The rest of his cape follows in the wind, the ends flowing behind him like the draft was made just for him right now. 

“I let you down,” he says, clearing his throat. He stares at the colors of oranges, pinks and blues, meshed together to create the sunrise that he grew to love but now, he suddenly resents it. 

A single tear cascades down his face and lands on his bare chest. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, squeezing his eyes shut. A rare whimper slips past his lips. With a shake of his head, Murata brings the lyre to his face, pressing his lips against the cracked wood. 

A goodbye kiss should always be special, shouldn’t it?

He pulls away, stroking the place where the gem would have been at. “I’m so sorry my love.” He averts his gaze and lowers himself, dropping the lyre on the ground underneath his feet. 

“Even I could not save you from the end of your journey. And as your god, I failed to protect you.”

When he stands up straight, his fingers tighten around his claymore. He stares down at the instrument, longing for time to change and to go back. To go back to how things were before. 

He can still hear the sound of your life and your smile popping into his mind. At the thought, his lips curl upward faintly in a small smile. 

Oh how he misses you already. He still remembers when he first saw you on that day under the statue as you played for him. You were aggressive, that was for sure. No doubt about it when you swung at him with your lyre and accused him of being a disgusting pig.

He can only blame himself. Deep down, he knew a day like this would come, but he didn’t think it would happen so soon. 

But maybe now, as he called you his angel or an angel of Celestia, you can now ascend to where you truly belong. 

This isn’t goodbye, but a farewell, he thinks, clearing his throat as he gets closer to the edge. He peers downward at the ground miles beneath him.

As he failed here, he still has a job to do, no matter what. 

So then he jumps. He brings his claymore around and over his shoulder and swings it down. Flames engulf him in whole on his way down until he hits the ground with a thud, his weapon taking up all the impact. 

-

“And thus, the Pyro Archon aided in other nations against the treacherous demons that corrupted their land. After such heroic deeds, he was never to be seen. Many questioned: where did the god of War go? Who will remain victorious?”

“Many say he disappeared to join his love in the next life. Others say he stepped down as god to live amongst the mortals as he always wanted.” The bard hums and lays his lyre across his lap. 

“It’s a shame really, how beauty can go to waste.” His fingers run over an emerald gem that lies in the middle of the wood. His lyre was beautiful. 

The edges curved in different directions with a piece of wood piercing the top with a rounded end and pointed tip. Seven strings glowed recently as he placed the object to rest. 

“But it’s not as if it was her fault.” His slender fingers run over the white petals with a faux sigh of despair. “She would have been popular amongst the folks here, if she was immortal, of course. If only he kept his word to her saying he would protect her no matter what.”

The bartender drowns out the rest of Venti’s words, his eyes trained on the wood beneath his feet. 

Diluc Ragnvindr, owner of the Dawn Winery and Angel’s Share. Information is at his fingertips wherever he goes. In Mondstadt, he is a nobleman of high status. Everyone knows about him. 

His crimson eyes hold tears as he lets out a shaky breath, bringing a gloved hand to wipe away at the water that threatens to spill. 

He tries to keep his mind off of it but he can’t suppress it.

In front of him was Lord Barbatos himself—one he knew too well from millennia ago. Having fought with him in the Archon War, and the Destruction of Khaenri’ah, Diluc knew there was no way to get rid of him. 

It shocked him the most that the bard even remembers the story from back then. Even if other storytellers told this tale, Venti was the one that pierced his heart the most. 

“Master Diluc!” At the sound of his name, the red head hesitantly lifts up his head. Venti’s annoying smile greets him, pressing his finger against his cheek in a thinking motion. 

“Did you like it? I hope you did! I try to incorporate any stories of the divine. It seems that today was a hit. Don’t you think so?”

“Why are you bringing it up?” he whispers, not caring that tears trail down his face. “Why do you need to remind me of my failure?”

The other peers don’t seem to notice the usual calm and collective man in tears. They’re all too far gone in the hole of alcohol. 

Venti’s eyebrows crease, cocking his head to the side. “Failures? What do you mean? I’m just doing my job and singing like I always do. You’re doing great things in the Wine Industry. What failure could you possibly mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean!” Diluc snaps, slamming his hands on the counter in front of him, causing the bard to jump in his seat. “You know exactly what you’re doing!”

“Oh dear oh dear,” Venti sighs, shaking his head. He picks up his lyre, placing his lips against the wood. 

“So pretty huh?” he asks once he pulls away, a small smirk on his lips as he shows Diluc. “Wouldn’t it be amazing if you got to play this?”

The strings continue to shine, dimming and going bright again. An instrument perfect for anyone and in this case, for Barbatos. 

It pains Diluc to see him with your lyre. As much as you told him you despised other people holding it, he feels much more stronger about it. He wants nothing more than to snatch it from Venti’s hands and tell him to get out. 

“Others say that he wanders in the world right about now. No one knows what he looks like though. It’s a shame if anyone were to find him and blame him.” 

Venti’s fingers run over the strings. A melody is heard in the air, louder than any of the drunk men in the room. 

Diluc feels a sob beginning to form in the back of his throat. He wants nothing of this. He wants to truly go back home to Natlan with you. He could have made you a god and you could have been here with him today. 

As much as Diluc wants to look away, he’s mesmerized by the way the singer’s fingers move gracefully against the strings. For a split second, he could have swore he saw you sitting in his place, singing softly for his ears only. 

Like the angel you were. 

“But it seems that the god is afraid of confrontation. And yet, he seems to be mourning over his lover even after her death. If anyone were to be at fault, it would be his—” 

Venti stops, peering up at Diluc through his lashes. A sinister look was evident in his eyes. He paused for dramatic effect, a smirk growing on his lips. He hums and strums the last note.

“Isn’t that right, Murata?” Venti muses, asking a question in the form of a song. But in reality, he aimed it towards the redhead god standing in front of him. 

Diluc stares dumbfounded, mouth parted and eyes red from his silent crying. His hands are balled beside him. The peers cheer for the bard and offer drinks to compensate for his amazing singing—to which he laughs it off but takes the offers regardless. 

And all Murata can do is live with his own guilt, for the rest of his immortal life. Forever.

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[honeycombalbedo]

Several Questions

I have a list of questions (lore and meta) I'm gonna publicly post incase anyone knows the answers or can help.

Spoilers are below

Is the abyss herald actually a foul legacy transformation?

Who cursed Dainsleif to be immortal? And why?

Why isn't Dain fully "corrupted"? Is he able to regain his sanity by pure will? Will he succumb to it later on in the story?

Will Dain get a cryo vision? All the other ones are out the window but the cryo archon seems like the type to give one to someone like Dain.

If Dain doesn't get a vision, will he become a weekly boss with his own foul legacy?

Has the abyss forgotten/disgraced Kaeya since he's supposed to be the prince but has been replaced with our sibling. Is our sibling just filling in for him, like how Jean is the acting grand master while Varka is gone?

Will we ever meet, or better, actually play as Varka? Same with Alice.

Will the Hexenzirkel ever show up in the story?

Will any character with a vision die? Probably not but there's still a possibility.

When the hell is Baizhu gonna come out? Please, he's an old man he doesn't have much time left.

When are we getting story quests for the other characters?

Will Inazuma come out before/during summer to coincide with japanese summer festivals? I feel like it'll come out around then so there can be a Inazuma festival to go with the Lantern Rite/Windbloom festivals.

What is Paimon? The main theory, the unknown god one, is not very likely. She shows similarities to Celestia's architecture but seems completely open to being wary of gods and not trusting them. She also never argues with Dain when it comes to him slandering gods too. Maybe she escaped Celestia or something? Maybe that's why she has a broken halo?

How many characters will we get in total?

Will the game stay up after the main story is finished?

Plushies when?

Can the people of khaenri'ah's curse be lifted?

Do other people have a "foul legacy" transformation?

Will another comic come out?

Will we have a reconciled stars part 2?

WHEN ARE WE GETTING ALT OUTFITS???

What is traveller??

What is Katheryne??

Can we have our sibling's sword? Please?

The character ascension gems show text describing why their respective archons chose who to gift visions to but for the ones that traveller uses say "welcome to this world" Who???

The hell are the ley lines?? In the real world it refers to a conspiracy that land marks are made in a pattern but how does this relate to Teyvat?

Will I ever be freed from this hell?

Below are my current compilation of answers, thank you to those who have helped answer these!

9. In Mihoyo's other games, playable characters have died! So look forward to that I guess??

26. It may actually be in reference to Qi, a Chinese belief which means energy flow/life force. It would be good to have the direct translation of ley line but I currently don't know where to find it.

[rheawritessometimes]

Okay I just thought of an idea last night while I was trying to sleep and I had to come to you bc you write the boys so well dsjfkdhs

Anyway could I have a scenario (or hcs if that's easier) with Childe, Kaeya, and maybe Diluc if you're up for it where during a soft moment reader calls them beautiful? I mean we all know these boys are hot but I just think that it's such a good way to say "I love all of you, even the parts you think are broken and unloveable"

Maybe some of them came to reader for comfort or maybe reader just brings it up out of the blue?? Idk I was having Childe angst brainrot and I thought it could apply to some of the other tall lads too lmao

(I picked these three bc I feel like they'd have the most self doubt about being good enough to be loved but you're free to swap Diluc out for someone else or just add more people if you feel inspired!!)

{ Childe/Kaeya/Xiao x GN!Reader }

{ Summary } Telling them they're beautiful. Masterlist

{ Warnings } Mild Angst, Mentions of Injury, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Combat.

{ Notes } Childe and Xiao have loving parts and Kaeya's is just like, 'u r so beautiful'. But this is how it turned out. Sorry I didn't do Diluc but he is still in the dog house.

{ Word Count } 888

Childe

It was no secret to anyone that Childe loved the thrill of a battle, he lived for finding the next worthy opponent. However, he did not love battle in its entirety. He didn’t love coming home to see his reflection in the mirror in the aftermath of a battle. Whether it was a victory or a loss, whether the blood that covered him was his own or his opponents, when he looked in the mirror sometimes he thought it was a monster looking back at him.

For many years he’d taken to locking himself up in the bathroom after a battle, hiding away to cleanse himself of whatever grime and gore might be stuck to him. As much as he loved to gloat over exciting battles he’d been in, when the cleanup came and gave him time to stew in his thoughts it all suddenly seemed a lot less glorious.

But things had been a little different since you came into his life. No longer was he able to hide away in the bathroom alone, now you were in there with him. Even with two people inside, the small apartment bathroom never felt cramped when it was you in there with him.

Even though your gaze was never judgemental when you sat him down on the toilet to clean out whatever wounds he may have, Childe couldn’t bring himself to look you in the eyes. He was not subtle in avoiding your gaze even when you tilted his chin up to gently wipe the grime off his face with a washcloth.

The way you handled him was so tender, the Harbinger couldn’t help but think himself undeserving of your care. The silence of the bathroom gave him ample opportunity for the thought to fester.

“You’re so beautiful, Ajax.”

Although spoken softly, the words are enough to break the silence and pull Childe from his thoughts. Wide blue eyes meet yours, but the Snezhnayan is quick to mask his surprise with a smug smirk.

“Of course, I have to be to end up with someone like you,” he flirts, and though his recovery was quick he can tell by your smile that it wasn’t quick enough to hide his true feelings.

“Your looks have nothing to do with it.”

-

Kaeya

The breeze that blew through Windrise was gentle, a stark contrast to the harsh blows exchanged by you and Kaeya during your sparring session in the field north of the statue of the Anemo Archon. The Cavalry Captain hadn’t held back with his strikes and teasing while you struggled to keep up. By the end of it the two of you were well worn out, sitting in the grass to catch your breaths.

“You know, I think you’re improving really quickly,” Kaeya tells you with a grin, chest still heaving from exertion. His flirtations had been relentless throughout your match and you’re surprised he doesn’t follow up these words with more of the same.

“What can I say?” you return his grin, “I’ve had a wonderful teacher.”

Kaeya sits beside you, leaning back on his arms to gaze up at the sky. You can’t help but mimic his actions, looking up at the darkening expanse above. The sun is beginning to sink below the horizon now and the stars are just starting to become visible.

“You know, your beauty puts Teyvat’s starry sky to shame,” you tell him, speaking as though you’ve just stated a simple fact before you continue, “And I hope my place is always with you.”

The Cavalry Captain’s surprise is palpable as he turns his head to stare at you. But your gaze remains on the sky, too embarrassed to look him in the eye after realizing how sappy what you said must seem.

Kaeya notices your embarrassed expression, but he can’t understand why when he wants nothing more than to always have a place with you.

-

Xiao

It’s not often Xiao will let you hold him. Actually, it’s not often Xiao allows himself to be held. He is the protector of Liyue, the Guardian Adeptus, the Vigilant Yaksha. He is burdened with defending all of Liyue, or at least he burdens himself with the responsibility. The endless battle against darkness.

But for now, while he’s in the safety of your arms, he allows himself a sliver of peace. Although he knows all too well there are demons that will forever follow him, he also knows he can find refuge with you. It’s a comfort he has not allowed himself in centuries. Even now, on dark nights when he’s alone, he still wonders if he deserves your affections.

“You’re beautiful,” he hears you whisper softly into his ear, so soft he isn’t sure you really said it. But his mind wouldn’t conjure up such words, especially not ones said so sweetly.

When he looks up to you with awed amber eyes, you can’t help but smile and press a chaste kiss to his forehead. The sudden affection startles him, and he responds in the only way he knows how.

“To make light of the adepti…”

But you know by now what his reaction means, and it only makes you smile more. The genuine affection your expression holds makes Xiao’s heart swell with something overwhelming. But it’s the same kind of overwhelming he wishes would swallow him up.

[goodmode]

uhhhh from one bored person to another what are your headcanons on venti and zhongli's dynamic? personally i see them as really old friends who call each other bitch all the time and no body really expected them to be friends lmao. like venti will roll up to liyue with bottles of dandelion wine and his lyre and be all like "what's up old man" while zhongli grimaces into his cup of tea for like a fraction of a second and greets venti with a graceful "good evening, old friend" while internally going "this fucker again" but like in a mildly affectionate way

BORED ANON YOUR MIND IS SHARP

i agree with this but i'd also like to add they probably have a history of having fought before. not like in the archon war or anything so serious but venti has a voiceline like "let's go see him!! oh uh but before we do, how strong did he seem? strong enough to blow me away?" so i definitely think venti has annoyed him (probably by flitting around dunking on liyue or morax himself) enough that one second he was hovering at morax's shoulder saying something playfully insulting and the next there is no venti. there is just a stele sticking out of the ground suddenly, and a distant team rocket style twinkle in the sky shaped suspiciously like a yeeted venti

zhongli's opinion of venti is gruff but amicable these days, and he probably wouldn't do it again. maybe. well, maybe he would. (he would.)

venti, to his credit, is determined not to deserve another yeeting so he plays his cards a little more carefully these days, but he is still willing to tempt fate by calling zhongli a blockhead straight to his face

and that's it on the face of it. but underneath all this is a subtle undercurrent of "we are both so old. we are so old and we're the only two left". i think for a long time zhongli genuinely thought venti wouldn't ever be coming back to liyue (his voiceline seems to imply this anyway) but sometime after the traveller arrived and started stirring up teyvat's old skeletons i think venti probably did go back and brought a bottle of osmanthus wine he'd been saving buried out by windrise. i actually wrote a fic with that little vignette in it but never mind me i like to repeat myself

but yeah like. their dynamic now that the ice is broken is mostly venti being annoying, zhongli being vaguely annoyed (but not enough to send him packing) and brief interspersed moments of shared wistfulness that last about as long as it takes for them both to realise theyre being dramatic and then ends with a light cough from zhongli and a sudden strum on the lyre from venti as he prepares to break the moment by launching into 99 Bottles Of Dandelion Wine On The Wall as loudly as possible