#genshin impact slowburn
Text
Number Neighbors
Scaramouche / Wanderer X Gender Neutral! Reader Modern AU Slowburn
In Which You find Your future Boyfriend because you were number Neighbors!
Summary: You were bored, so you decided A random stranger that is your number Neighbor that also happens to be your Future boyfriend.
Warnings : Profanity / Swearing, Death Threats ( Kys )
I think that's it?
Let's Go !
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2nd Person
You sighed as you scrolled down in tiktok, Dying of boredom because nothing piqued Your interest.
It was currently 8:21 PM, and you just Finished eating dinner.
You cracked a small smile when you see a Slightly funny tiktok video, but not enough To make you laugh so hard that you were Gonna fart.
Suddenly you got an idea to do a prank to a Random stranger, thinking of talking to your Number neighbor.
You get on your contacts app and started to Type your number but made the last Number greater then your number.
You tapped your phone and started typing.
——————————————————————
You
Nellow
I am ur number nigeht
Neighbor*
Sry typo bc I wanted so badly to talk to u 😏
Heyo 🤩
Yo 😍
Talk sum smth 🥰
Hello person?
I am ur number neighbor talk to me
I brought u pie 🥧🙂
HEY
Wow
Guess my neighbor doesn't even want to talk to me 😞
Unknown
That's right and stfu
Friendless lmfaoo
You
YOU RUDE BITCH
I am NOT FRIENDLESS unlike u 😒
How u talk to ur neighbor like that 😤
U r not gonna talk to me like that 😚
Unknown
I do have friends u moron.
And idc if we're "number neighbors"
wtf even is that.
You
Ugh wtv u rude bastard 😒
Also number neighbors is like having neighbors but it's in numbers so there u have it u idiot 😙
Unknown
Don't call me an idiot u midget 💀
And u don't even explain it right 😐
U can't even win an argument
SKILL ISSUE
You
I DO NOT have a sjill issue u dumb clown
Unknown reacted with 🧢
I am NOT good at explaining things ☹️
Wat can I call u btw
Unknown
Skill*
Ur proving ur self that u have a skill issue
lmaooo
You
Just answer my question u lying idiot
I DON'T NOT have a skill issue
Unknown
U do realize that "don't " have do not in it?
Do + not = Don't
URE SUCH A MASSIVE IDIOT
You
SHUT UR OOMPA LOOMPA ASS UP
I DIDN'T REALIZE OKAY? 😓
Be easy on ur future lover 🥰😚😍
WAT CAN I CALL U BRO
I'm gonna call u Asshole
——————————————————————
You changed unknown's
Name to Asshole
——————————————————————
You
There 🤭
Asshole
I am not an asshole😐
I am Scaramouche.
You
What the fuck is theat name
Why is it so long
Is it long like ur di-
🤭
Wtv I'm still keeping the name
It suits u ❤
N ur name is so hard to spelel
Scaramonthe
That's ur name
Also u didn't deny that in gonna be ur future lover 🥰
Hehehehehehehe
That's sounds like a boys name to
R u hot🥵
Asshole
Kys.
Yes I am hot 😐
You
OMG OMG
SEND PICS RN
OR ELSE U AIN'T HOT
PLS 😍😍
GIVE UR FUTURE LOVER A SNEAK PEEK OF UR HOTNESS PLEASE
Wait
How old r u? 🤨
I'm scared I'm texting a 70 yr grandpa to send pics 😰
Asshole
Im 18 😐
I'm not gonna send u pics u pervert
You
I'm not a pervert 🤨
I just wanted to see u if ur hot 🤭
There's a difference 😏
Omg ur 1 yr older then me
I'm 17
Also I'm Y/N 🥰
Asshole
Who asked?
You
Damn rude much
Ur making me angry kitten 🐺😡🐱
UR SINKING MY CLOTHESSS 😡😡😡
*transfroms to alpha bad boy wolf*
Asshole
Wtf.
Kys.
Ur so weird.
You
Judgemental bitch 😒
U don't even have humor 😐
Asshole 😒
Asshole
I have humor and it's actually good unlike
urs 😐
Ugh.
I gtg.
——————————————————————
Asshole changed your name
To Weirdo
——————————————————————
Weirdo
BYE SCARAMOUCHIE 😘😊😍😍😘🥰🥰
OMG I'M NOT A WEIRDO U MORON
I AM NOT 😡😡
Read 10:09 PM
——————————————————————
Your POV
2nd Person
You realized the digits on your screen.
* Almost 2 hours? Damn. *
You thought, realizing that you were talking For almost 2 hours straight.
Slightly annoyed that Scaramouche named You as Weirdo, but you guess you shouldn't Take it personally because you had a feeling That he's rude to everyone.
You went back scrolling on tiktok, Boredom Begins to fade in when you scrolled to the 32th Video.
* I hope he talks to me tomorrow. *
A pink tint appearrd in your cheeks, Your Cheeks heating up by the thought of Scaramouche.
Quickly slapping yourself in your mind Because of that embarrassing Wish.
Deciding to move on from this, you Continued scrolling.
But you were still blushing.
——————————————————————
Scaramouche's POV
3rd Person
The reason he ended your conversation, Was because he didn't wanna talk to you Anymore.
He rolled his eyes when his mom, Ei, began to scold him for being on his phone all day.
" At least spend some time with us. " Ei Said, The last thing scaramouche heard Before he zoned out completely not caring For his mom's opinions on him.
As he began to think about random things, He began to think about you.
A feeling rose in his stomach, a feeling of warmth.
Scaramouche doesn't know of what you Had done to him but he's afraid to admit That he likes it.
He decided he was gonna be meaner to You,Putting his feelings aside.
He started to regret of ending your Conversation.
Deep down, he already knew he fell for you.
But he wasn't gonna admit it until he see You in the after life.
He promises to himself that he will never Tell anyone about this.
Well, how could he break a promise to Himself?
He broke his promise months later when You finally see him face-to-face.
——————————————————————
The End, Or is it?
AN : Might make a part 2 or not 🤭
GOOD BYE!
#genshin impact#genshin imagines#scaramouche#wanderer#wanderer x reader modern au#scaramouche x reader modern au#modern au#numberneighbors#textfic#scaramouche x gender neutral reader#wanderer x gender neutral! reader#scaramouche x gn reader#wanderer x gn reader#wanderer genshin#scaramouche genshin impact#genshin impact modern au#slowburn#genshin impact slowburn#scaramouche x reader slowburn#wanderer x reader slowburn
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our prelude and beyond .
pairing : tighnari x f!reader
genre : cotton candy fluff, slowburn, mutual pining.
trigger warning word count smh: 9.5k
summary : [ moments between you and your lover, based on tighnari's voice lines. from the moment when you first met to the future of your connection. ]
"to the silly encounter of fate that brought us together, forest watcher."
"to face perpetuity with you, young scholar"
-
1 . " Hello . "
"archons above, what is up with this forest?" you couldn't believe you were lost inside an endless maze-like lush forest no longer than an hour after arriving at the gates of a new nation. so much for the sky-high expectations for a new experience.
from left to right, up and down wherever you turned your sight, no sign leading to the place you were headed to was visible- not even a faint trace that looked anything similar to trails from people walking. you meddled with the wrinkled piece of note your mentor gave before you left at least ten times for the past hour. you scoffed at the tiny size and how it's almost ripped in half from how long it took for you to travel to this... still and unchanging forest seemingly in the middle of nowhere. besides, who writes "Gandharva Ville" on a piece of paper you could lose in less than a minute if you took your attention off it for one moment while traveling from one nation to another? clearly, your mentor didn't give a single crap regarding your journey to the actual research place you are supposed to stay at despite nagging your ear off about the etiquettes and reputation you were meant to uphold since you were “representing your entire nation”- her words, not yours.
while you were staring at the paper in your hand like it was supposed to transform into a seelie and guide your pathway, you suddenly realized twilight would fall soon. you'd have no one around, no source of direction, no light and perhaps worse. when you heard sounds of unknown animals squeaking and creaking somewhere to your right, you were reminded that this was a foreign nation and even more unfamiliar forest. definitely worse out there.
you've been wandering around for hours now, it was a miracle how you haven't seen a single wandering soul around, not even enemies. it all felt eerily unfamiliar, lost somewhere in a foreign forest. and so with more anxiety flooding your thoughts than the proper, logical measures you’d need to find your way through, you walked around for what felt like another few hours.
amidst the endless wandering, you finally saw something that could be a place of significance, maybe a landmark- a sight of a giant tree towering over everything around it.
in the light of the setting sun, the entire place looked marvelous, wildlife and plants prospering in harmony. when the sunray gently illuminated your skin, you finally had a moment for yourself to properly open your eyes and take in the beauty of your surroundings. dusk had painted the sky orange, scarlet and pink, even the clear air and gentle breeze looked like it was shimmering with the hues of sunset. a few verdant crystalflies fluttered around you, swiftly passing by and soaring to the skies- you had never seen such pretty green hued ones before. so this really was the land of dendro- you quietly pondered the obvious. lastly, traces and non-threatening (for now) sounds of wildlife brought quiet comfort to your anxious mind. hey, at least you weren’t wholly alone here.
you returned your attention to the huge tree from a cliff above, wondering which route you should take to check out the surroundings. maybe it was the halo-effect of the prettiest sunset you had ever seen, but when you focused on the tree longer, you realized it looked faintly similar to a fairytale book you used to read when you were a child.
"the tree of souls, a giant willow tree connected to all living beings around." you recited the familiar line under your breath, admiring how mighty the tree looked from above. was this the kind of giant willow tree the author was envisioning while writing the story? if so, you thought you could finally see the reason why everyone in the story seemed enchanted with its divinity and beauty.
maybe a prayer could work, like it does in that little book you used to read? as silly as that sounded, you closed your eyes, brought your hands together and spoke out loud.
"dear mighty tree of souls, please aid me in finding the "Gandhara Ville" today safely. i'm not sure how many wishes you offer to faraway-land visitors, but for today, just me finding my way would more than suffice. thank you." a warm forest breeze swept past you, pleasantly caressing your skin as it whirled away.
"on a second thought, maybe add a loving boyfriend too while you're at it." you thought to yourself, slightly giggling at the additional childish wish. after all, you used to pray day and night for a lover you'd share your life with. not that Tsaritsa ever provided you with that, though. ironic and slightly unfair, seeing how your god was technically the archon of love.
you were reminded of the need for you to move fast, so you intended on finding a way to at least make your way to the tree and climb up to see any sign of that mystery of a place you were to find.
well, until a small piece of... something dropped right on top of your head painfully with a loud thud.
you immediately clutched your head and groaned from the contact- what the hell? you glared at the tree next to you, trying to see where it came from. since it fell right on top of your head, it was probably from the branch above- you came close to cursing out, but you held back and sighed. so much for your luck in praying to your childhood fairytale tree.
"now what is this...?" what are the odds of a sturdy glass bottle labeled "dhayl oil" just dropping on your head out of nowhere? you picked it up and spun the small brown bottle around. nothing else was written on the sleek surface, the frosted glass body obscuring your vision to look clearly on what exactly was inside of it.
"what in the archons is dhayl, anyways?" you complained to yourself as you contemplated throwing the bottle down the cliff.
"that would mean "tail", indicating that the bottle you're holding right now is the oil i use on my tail." right after you raised your arm to toss the bottle down the cliff, a voice suddenly broke the silence. your eyes widened at the voice and turned around at the unexpected presence of another... person. he was shadowed behind the tree a bit, it was hard to see just what his... species were. you were quick to realize that this person had to be a hybrid though, from his mention of a tail of his own.
"plant-based oils are pretty complex to make, i'd appreciate it if you didn't throw my hard work off the cliff." when he approached you a bit, you finally confirmed your thought- this person in front of you was definitely a hybrid. you had never seen someone quite like him before, so you tried your best to examine his appearance as respectfully as possible without making it clear that you were gawking.
two large ears stood tall on his head, and a bushy tail behind that he mentioned. you narrowed your eyes a bit and tried your best to silence your thoughts but- holy crap this man was pretty. were all hybrids this pretty? though you didn’t remember reading anything about the mere identity of a hybrid enhancing your physical features.
"sorry, i didn't think it belonged to someone. it dropped onto my head above from the sky, i thought maybe it was a retribution from celestia." you managed to reply as normal while resisting the urge to roll your eyes. you remembered the thud sound it made when the hard glass bottle made contact with your skull. it still hurt, you managed to soothe the ache by rubbing it softly.
to your surprise, the man laughed lightheartedly at you. if he was keeping his distance from you first, maybe he had come to the conclusion that you weren't a threat. he came closer, standing right in front of you.
"you have a pretty big traveling bag. would you happen to be a part of the group of exchange scholars coming from different nations to sumeru?" ah, so he was aware of the program you came for. which means there was high possibly that-
"indeed, i am. are you a forest ranger, by any chance?" you finally felt relieved, running into someone local. maybe he knew the way to where you were supposed to have arrived approximately 5 hours ago.
"technically yes, a forest watcher to be precise." you narrowed your eyes in confusion, you admit you weren't an expert in sumeru's scholar titles and those who work for the Akademiya yet.
"it doesn't matter, i am a part of the crew, yes. you are correct on that." sensing your confusion, the man replied shortly. glancing at you up and down, he took out a small piece of note from his pouch.
"let's see, we have scholars to go to the Akademiya in branches researching the Akasha, the canned knowledge, historical runes and records, elemental incantation based charms, and elemental energy. which one of those are you assigned in? i'll find the location and find a forest ranger to accompany you safely there." the man checked his list again, then looked at you, expecting an answer.
"but i'm not here for the Akademiya." an awkward silence was shared for a few seconds before his ears perked up in realization.
"ah, so you're that one... peculiar person who majors in a different field, yet applied to train for botany." during your conversation, you barely managed to divert your attention away from his fluffy ears, unsure if it would be offensive to stare. you wanted to touch them so bad for some reason. you’d blame it on the fact that you had never seen a hybrid before but you had a feeling that wasn’t the only reason, it was just to reassure yourself that you weren’t the odd one here.
"you don't get scholars to botany often?" you held up the conversation despite your mind being flooded with his ears. were these fox ears? you wanted to ask. it had to be, it didn't look like cat or dog's. then again, you really weren’t familiar with manners regarding hybrids- the last thing you wanted to do was somehow offend your only chances of finding your way.
"botany, it does get an impressive number of students. it's just that most scholars choose Akademiya, not our base inside a foreign forest. they usually choose the safer option, unlike someone. highly peculiar indeed." you weren't clear if he was subtly making fun of your choice distinct from your major field, but his latter statement caught your attention.
"our base?" you tilted your head.
"you're headed to Gandharva Ville to experience first-hand botany and the forest ecosystem, correct? that is where we forest rangers live and work." your eyes lit up, finally with the realization that your small wish to that giant tree did come true after all. not to mention, with the help of this ... small bottle in your hand.
amidst your conversation, a memory of your mentor shouting at you about formalities of self introduction and its importance shot through your mind. wait, come to think of it-
"oh, now that i’m reminded... okay. hi, i'm (name), as you know i came here to study botany in relation to my field. i'm sorry for the late introduction." you finished your self introduction awkwardly . you thought of shaking his hand, but refrained once again due to not knowing the etiquette in a new nation and settling for a slight bow-down. perhaps they didn't shake hands here upon first encounter, judging from the way he isn't exactly offering you his hand either. he giggled a bit though, while you were unsure why.
"from the top, i see. hi there. i'm Tighnari, Forest Watcher of the Avidya Forest. my duty is to preserve both the rainforest's ecosystem and the safety of its visitors... that would include you as well, newbie scholar." he tilted his head a bit, looking at you straight in the eye with an amused glint in his amber eyes. wait- were they amber? you could’ve sworn you saw hints of green too.
"could i please ask you to escort me to your base? i've been lost for a while now, as you see..." you reached out to him to hand him the bottle of his "tail oil", whatever the purpose of that was. the forest watcher gratefully accepted his oil back and slipped it in his pocket securely with murmurs of thanks. his somewhat amused look never left his face, even though it was faint.
"that would technically be my duty, newbie scholar. can i help you with your bags?"
-
2. Mistakes and… Leafmark?
time passed by quickly ever since you came to the forest rangers' basement. every day you would get up, spend time revising and learning about the ecosystem in Avidya forest, sometimes go experience it first hand with the forest rangers in training, then report to Tighnari by briefing on what you learnt that day. it was somehow rigid of a routine but it never got too dull. forest life surprisingly fit well in your living preferences despite the slight hesitation you had before coming here.
tighnari surprised you in a way. you expected him to be a bit... different than he turned out to be. for starters, he didn't demand for you to submit a paper like your mentor did back home. it was trickier, he claimed that it was easier, and just that you had to simply visit him and prove to him through "civil, organized discussion" sessions that you've spent the day productively and learnt under his watch. unfortunately, tighnari himself is like a walking encyclopedia of every single plant, animals and who knows what more- known to teyvat. you were sure he didn't mean to be that condescending, but holy hell, was it intimidating at times when you failed to answer his questions. perhaps he was never aware, but he asked ridiculously precise questions often and would spend a long time bombarding you with information on the subject at hand. it was interesting, you admit but it turns out he was much, much more brilliant than you in somehow magically absorbing every ounce of facts he happens to encounter.
of course, you never exactly outright avoided his discussion sessions. but you had to admit that after a month and half being here, some of what you learnt would get mixed or carried on misunderstood until the forest watcher corrects you or somehow tricks you into answering incorrectly or doubting your answer until you're sure enough to not fall for his word-mazes. the worst part was when tighnari suddenly brings up a random mushroom you discussed 2 weeks ago for approximately a minute, then asks what environment it grows well in, what herbs it's best mixed with, and your own personal insight on how you intended to use it in connection to your field if he’s feeling particularly tricky that day.
it distressed you to no ends when you couldn't remember it as well as expected even if he has never, not even once discouraged or expressed disappointment in you. if anything, tighnari was an extraordinary mentor, always ready for questions, discussions and hands-on examination if you appeared interested enough. when you failed to answer correctly, he’d always nod with a soft hum, and explain from the top to ensure your correct perception on the topic. tighnari also always reassured you when you looked disappointed when you weren’t sure of the answer, claiming that mistakes are the key to success and that you should never be distressed or scared of him of answering incorrectly.
though you adore him, it still stresses you out when you fail to answer his questions to your capacity. you reminded yourself again, tighnari isn't doing this to spite you- he merely wants to make sure you spent a worthwhile period of learning under him. he has enough work on his hands to begin with, why would he bother to tease you? he awoke well hours before you do, then always remains in his office after you two's little sessions, goes through tons of paperwork, research and whatever else his duty calls for until ungodly hours. come to think of it, you've never seen him sleep before- one time you caught him still doing paperwork at 4am and when you asked if he wasn’t tired, he merely responded with a “fennec foxes tend to focus better during night hours”. in other words, he didn’t exactly deny being exhausted.
you were really concerned about him overworking himself, but you were frankly unsure if you were someone who could ask such things. sure, you two spent time together alone often, but most times, it was for academic purposes or obligatory meetings. (there were sometimes moments that existed outside of "most times", though.) so, there just wasn't any convincing reason as to why someone who barely has time to sleep would dedicate time for you.
except, maybe you were wrong- you thought today.
"less with the reciting, (name). dictionary definition-style precise answers are your expertise, i know by now. give me an example on what difference it makes if you squeeze the juice out of Rukkhashava Mushrooms in comparison to pressing it into powder for making first degree burn ointment." your eyes nearly fell out of your socket when you heard the mention of that specific type of mushroom- Rukkhashava? not because you barely remembered any academically beneficial facts about it, but because of a faint memory of you reading it was viewed as an important symbol connected to the Dendro Archon that struck your mind. you opened your mouth to declare that people couldn't possibly make ointments with those almost-celestial mushrooms, but then you hesitated.
your memory wasn't clear enough. what if you answered and if you were wrong? tighnari worded the question clearly, specifying the procedure and even mentioning what purpose ointment it was used for. perhaps you were wrong? why would he ask acutely like that if it wasn't even truly used in the medical field?
before you could mumble that you didn't know, the forest watcher sighed and lightly poked your forehead gently with a book. then poked you again. and again.
"what-" as soon as you opened your mouth to complain, he answered it before it even left your mouth.`
"you're going to end up with wrinkles, you know? i asked you a question about botany, not philosophy. no need to look so distraught as though finding path through afterlife." tighnari really tried to help you be comfortable with him and not view him as an absolute superior, but you often had trouble doing it his way. it wasn't how you learnt it back at home, after all. old habits die hard.
just like that, you were unknowingly furrowing your brows again. your forehead was met with the book again, tighnari gently pushing it as if to straighten your eyebrows and possibly prevent you from getting wrinkles or something of the sort.
"see, that's the face. i keep on telling you over and over to just relax in front of me. tell me what you were thinking of, i know you had something in mind just now." you're on the right track most of the times, anyways. he wanted to say, but held his tongue.
"i... seem to remember that those mushrooms you mentioned weren't exactly the normal species." you analyzed his face to see if there were any hints of positive or negative reaction. maybe he'd look pleased if you were right. except, his face remained completely blank as always, only gesturing you to continue. he was exceptional at keeping his poker face during these discussions, you had to give him that.
“go on.”
"...you know, with relation to the Dendro Archon and all? i seem to remember that it was a holy crystallization of the dendro god's legacy." you finally finished, slightly worried if your answer was correct. you distinctly remembered something along the lines, you were sure of it. and yet you couldn’t seem to be able to conceal the slight hesitation especially when you couldn’t grasp if you were right or not.
to your relief, tighnari retracted the book from your face softly, then smiled slightly.
"good job. i could tell you knew." your eyes widened in pleasant surprise, struggling not to beam at him in happiness.
"that's probably the biggest problem i want to help you fix, (name). you're never fully sure of yourself unless you are able to carbon-copy book definitions on a piece of paper. you have exquisite memory, excellent interpretation skills and everything a scholar needs to continue their path, but you lack confidence in your own self." tighnari crossed his arms, still maintaining unwavering eye contact with you. he was being serious about this, and you couldn't deny his words either.
"i- sorry, it's just... a habit. i'll try to avoid it from now on." you awkwardly meddled with your fingers from the sudden memory of tighnari complimenting your learning skills and wit just a minute ago. his praise wasn't something you heard often, it made you feel... content. happy, if you may.
"don't be afraid to make mistakes. it's all part of the learning process. i'll be by your side to help you out if you need." if you were feeling happy before, you'd say you were over the moon now.
"from now on, i want to give you a small assignment." your eyes snapped open and stared at your mentor. already? you had just finished an encouragement talk just now and he's already thinking of your next move. except, what he suggested was very different from what you expected.
"avoid using ambiguous words like "i seem to remember", "i think", and "i guess, i believe" when talking from now on. in front of me, for starters. that's your first assignment from me personally."
"that's... a rather curious assignment, mentor."
"pay no attention to the academic aspect. even in your daily life, you're to practice it until you're comfortable expressing your ideas without outright bringing voice of doubt to yourself." at the mention of this not being a purely academic program, your confusion doubled. tighnari crossed his arms and spoke again.
"i'll explain to you later if you want to know why it's important. but for now, let it remain a mundane assignment you just have to complete. is that clear?" you nodded as confidently as you could muster. at least that was a start.
"alright, you're dismissed for today. but before you leave," he paused for a while, then skimmed through his book as if searching for something.
"ah, here it is." he mumbled and brought the book towards you.
"i remembered that you were talking to collei about not having enough bookmark to use on the parts you found insightful. you see, if you press a leaf between dry sheets of paper, you can make an attractive and handy bookmark. i can't guarantee how sturdy it would be, but it's very pretty isn't it? i call them leafmarks." on the book page he showed you, was a beautiful fresh hue of light green, swirled with brown colored leaf-bookmark as he mentioned. it reminded you of his own unique eye color, almost identical in color palette. there wasn't just one, he had many of those 'leafmarks' in various colors. you had the slight question if it was intentional that he seemingly picked out a specific one resembling his orbs, but decided not to get too ahead of yourself.
"you're giving them all to me?" you managed to ask, then took the hardcover book from his soft, warm hands. you barely even reacted to your skin touching his, too busy admiring how pretty the leafmarks all were. you even spotted a pink leafmark, you were positive you had never seen such mystic color of leaf before. although you didn’t seem to notice, tighnari’s hand softly shivered when they came in contact with your skin, seemingly lingering for no more than a second as his eyes softened at the pleasant sensation.
"indeed i am, young scholar. you clearly are enamored and need it more than i do." you smiled at your mentor's kindness, and bowed respectfully.
"thank you, thank you!" tighnari's eyes widened, then made a conflicted face- almost bordering an offended look at your rigid etiquette even when you were alone with him.
"i'd also appreciate it if you started treating me a bit normally."
"normally?" you questioned.
"i don't want to be regarded as your mentor back home. you and i are both equal scholars here." your eyes couldn't leave tighnari's face as he explained to you in detail.
"i just happen to have lived in sumeru all my life and my expertise is botany. that's the only reason why i know more than you for now. you came from a different nation, and on top of that you haven't even studied botany prior. you don't need to treat me like a superior, it’s unfair for you." the more time you spent with tighnari, you admired how down-to-earth he was. he was humble and warm, kind and responsible. he practically was the main guardian of the forest, yet remained the least arrogant person you've probably ever met. it was so... endearing in a sense, to see.
"...okay. thanks, tighnari. good night." you smiled, and left his office. tighnari, despite his best efforts to hide it, his ears perked up at the mention of his name. you pretended not to notice how happily his ears jumped and how he looked like he was fighting a small smile.
that was the first time you called him by his name, not titles.
-
3. about Tighnari - under his care
"are you acclimating to the rainforest? I suggest that you keep your eyes and ears open. take care of yourself, and if anything happens, just flag down a Forest Ranger." the unexpected question took you by slight surprise.
"asking if i'm getting used to the forest after 4 months is a bit too late, no?" you tilted your head in confusion.
"it never hurts to make sure. the forest isn't a playground and i'd hate for you to get hurt." ah, so he was merely concerned about you.
"by forest ranger, would that include you as well, mister forest watcher? i could call you chief watcher, even." you jokingly stated, teasing him as you do often.
"of course i'm included. i'm always willing to take care of you whenever you need me. just a call and i'll be there." he said these words in such a casual tone despite your slight playfulness, yet it brought immense comfort with a wave of warmth blooming in your chest. you were certain that he held no deeper meanings, his duty was to ensure the safety of the people and the ecosystem. still, it brought a smile on your face. maybe, a small corner of your heart wished that just maybe you wished it was more than that.
'whenever i need him, huh' you thought with a bashful smile you tried not to show.
"that's very assuring to hear, tighnari. thanks." you glanced outside to slyly hide the uncontrollable, giddy smile.
little did you notice the small dust of rose hue on the forest watcher's cheek, his ear hanging a little lower than normal. he couldn't take his eyes off you, even when you averted his gaze and stared out the window. he had gotten so used to having you in his office, it felt empty and cold the moment you left. and tighnari was no fool, he had a hunch on why exactly he seemed to have difficulty tearing his eyes off you, why he suddenly grooms his tail even more than before, why he hurries to finish his paperwork so he could have more time with you without worrying about them. he knows, but he chose to cast them aside for now.
for now, tighnari opted to just cough, and then avoid your eye contact for the rest of your conversation.
-
4. mornings with tighnari.
you signed up for this yourself, you bitterly mumbled. you did this to yourself when you deliberately found tighnari and offered your assistance first on your own free will, for the morning patrols. you barely even thought it over, or found no necessity to. it was so that you could see first-hand which plants were which instead of burying your head in the books to no end. on top of that, tighnari was possibly the most knowledgeable person in the area to educate you more if you had trouble with anything. he never looked irritated when you asked questions, and explained in great depth within the best of his capabilities. again, he was an excellent mentor, you were grateful you applied for the Avidya forest section, after all.
but despite your blatant admiration towards your mentor, morning patrols were not a part of your duties as an exchange scholar. it was your thirst for knowledge and perhaps, the slight warmth in your chest when you realized you could spend time alone with your mentor that brought you to your conclusion, of course. you tried hard to dismiss the second half of your reason though, even to yourself. you conveniently concealed your lingering thoughts and acclaimed it to be mere curiosity and fascination with the ecosystem.
unfortunately, you just weren’t expecting the forest to be this deep, with possibly millions of passages and places he was supposed to check. Avidya forest was big and vast, and circling it around to no corner unturned was certainly not written on your academic program before you left your hometown, neither did tighnari warn you about the insane amount of stamina necessity- not even half an hour and you were already struggling to keep up. you attempted to pretend like you weren’t on the edge of passing out behind tighnari, the desperate attempt at grasping your last shred of pride but you could’ve sworn he noticed your wobbly legs a while ago.
"we already went over this place, right?" you tried your best to sound like you weren't on the edge of collapsing out of breath, but of course nothing escaped tighnari's abnormally huge ears.
“revising the area. you’re that exhausted already? do you need time to catch your breath?” you weren’t sure if you had the leisure to comprehend his playful, teasing tone.
“just a moment… just a moment is all I ask.” you finally swallowed your pride and stopped in your tracks. you held onto a tree next to you, slightly crouching to catch your breath. but just before you plopped onto the incredibly soft-looking soil below, tighnari gestured you to wait for a while and went through his belongings in search of something.
after a short moment, he pulled out a mat. a thick, warm-looking one at that.
“sit on this, the ground is still moist from the morning dew. can’t have you catching cold now under my watch, can we, newbie scholar?” you slightly frowned at his peculiar choice of nickname even after several months, but you still opted to quietly accept the mat.
“isn’t this too small for the both of us?” you mumbled after setting it down on the ground.
“indeed it is. because it’s for you.” he stated like it was the most obvious truth in the world.
oh.
you suddenly found yourself conscious of your movements. is this even good manners, to receive your mentor’s mat and then proceed to sit on it alone? then again, you recalled the conversation back at his office. he said it himself clearly, he didn’t like unnecessary formalities between the two of you. you were sure tighnari would sigh and flick your forehead if you put up the formalities again.
well in that case…
“thank you so much, tighnari” you smiled and gratefully accepted his offer. when you finally relaxed on the ground, you sighed in relief. the mat he brought was as cozy as it looked, you loved how warm it was. Tighnari on the other hand, looked extremely pleased that you accepted his help without the frigid manners you seem to carry.
“it’s so warm, do you carry this with you every day when you patrol? must be heavy.” you noticed how thick the material was as you ran your fingers over the material.
“…not quite.” i only brought it because you were joining today- he held his tongue from adding unnecessary remarks. you hummed in acknowledgment and enjoyed the small break.
out of the blue, tighnari crouched down to your level, silently reaching out next to your sitting figure to straighten the wrinkled part of the mat below - when you hadn’t even realized it was wrinkled and messy. his sudden actions left you unintentionally staring in awe at his unfairly pretty face and kind gesture. when he suddenly leaned in to finally finish pulling the mat to be as comfortable as possible for you to sit on, he looked directly at you.
you prepared yourself for the playful snarky remark he always shot after correcting your mistakes, but this time he didn’t. when he finished fixing the mat for you, he just smiled at you warmly and stared at you without moving away. you mind seemed to freeze when you noticed how he still kept crouching to your level, his body in a slight close proximity.
suddenly, you were more nervous than you could’ve imagined from mere eye contact. after all, you weren’t sure if you’ve ever seen his face this up close before. his sunkissed healthy skin, brown eyes with prominent green hue swirling deep near his iris, and long lashes to compliment them. his hair seemed to be naturally straight, you'd never seen him prepare any oil of the sort like he grooms his tail. you huffed internally when you noticed how faintly pink his lips were, how was he this ethereal without trying? it really is unfair.
little did you know, he was having the exact same thoughts about you. his eyes seemed to silently observe the details on your face, pupils dilating slightly from the sight. the two of you looked into each other’s eyes one more time, then noticed on both ends, how heavy-tension the atmosphere was.
almost at the same time, you two looked away, your head dropping low to stare at the ground as tighnari swiftly averted his gaze sidewards.
thankfully, tighnari was the first to break the awkward silence, still crouched down to your level. something about him maintaining his stance was endearing, like he wanted to be closer to you despite his uncomfortable position- and who knows, maybe that was the truth. you silently hoped it was.
“listen! that’s the sound of morning dew dripping upon the leaves.” you blinked at the random remark he made. judging from his expression, he looked like he wasn’t making jokes, so you focused on hearing the oddly specific sound he mentioned out of the blue- of course to no avail.
"i don't have extraordinary hearing skills like someone, remember?" you squinted and tried your best to focus on the sound, whatever you could hear. unfortunately, all that graced your ears was the sound of leaves rustling from the calm breeze, and maybe the sound of sunrise if such thing even existed. it was no use, you had never heard dew droplets on the leaves before and was fairly positive that you never would be able to within capabilities of a human ear.
“i keep forgetting how unfortunately small your ears are. must be hard, unable to pick up pretty noises like these, hmm?” he diverted his attention to your ears, tilting his head and leaning in even closer to observe how different yours were in comparison to his own. your brows furrowed and you shot back playfully.
“excuse me, I seem to remember that you are a fennec fox, biologically programmed to have significantly higher sense of hearing. and my ears function normally as a human’s do anyways.” tighnari laughed, he always enjoyed getting on your nerves to an appropriate extent.
amidst your lively conversation, both of you noticed life slowly grow brighter inside Avidya forest. you couldn’t help but notice tighnari’s normally sharp eyes mellow at the sight of an ethereal sunrise. you stared at the rosy hue cast across the eternal sky, shining in its glory unapologetically. amidst the depth of Avidya forest, life awoke alongside the first shreds of sunlight. the strings of liveliness spread vastly from birds chirping giddily, some of the flower petals blooming as if awakening from slumber and curious sounds of the forest embraced the two of you.
and on top of that, you were equally busy admiring how endearing tighnari looked right now, his expression similar to a little boy who’s gotten a good night’s kiss on the forehead after his mother read his favorite bedtime story. the forest watcher looked peaceful, basking in the first rays of the day next to you. it was curious in a sense, surely he must enjoy this breathtaking view every day on patrol. yet, he looked as though he was the happiest one in teyvat at this very moment, like it was his first time experiencing such magnificent scenery.
an adoring smile made its way on your lips as you rested your chin on your hand. quietly, you continued to admire the side of tighnari you’d never seen before.
perhaps, under the glassy orange skies and glory of sunlight pouring on his skin, was your favorite sight of him thus far.
-
5. afternoons with tighnari.
“catching the chief watcher slack off, today must be my lucky day.” tighnari’s ears did a small twitch at the sound of your familiar voice.
“i’ll have you know i’m on my lunch break. there isn’t anything i’m slacking off on, young scholar.” tighnari replied as composed as ever despite the way his ears kept excitedly twitching even after he was long aware of your welcome presence.
“besides, during lunch breaks, I like to sit in a tree and admire the sunlight streaming through the canopy. though if I'm not careful, I'll fall asleep…” his unexpectedly cute concern and habit of admiring the forest like he doesn’t live here permanently tickled at your heartstrings. you bit back a smile when he immediately moved to make space next to himself while looking at your approaching figure with an expectant gaze. a small hummingbird flew past you two, making tighnari’s ears twitch again. no matter how many times you saw that, his ears and the twitches, reactions were quite endearing.
“you were already half asleep when i saw you, chief watcher” you giggled when he rolled his eyes at your accusation.
“well, since you’re sensitive to sounds, you could be a light sleeper to begin with, right? maybe resting for a while during lunchtime isn’t so bad.” you continued lightheartedly, your concerns over his health and overworking tendencies showing in your tone.
tighnari seemed to pick up on your caring tone when his brows raised slightly in pleasant surprise. to tighnari, someone taking care of him and not the vice versa was uncommon. he was known to be pretty much the foundation of the forest watchers, chief in almost every branches of what happens in Avidya forest- there was nothing going on in this forest where he wasn’t aware. and maybe because of his “status of authority” he so-badly despised, most people knew better than to pry on their superior’s personal life even if it was mere concern. for tighnari, the way you treated him and regarded him brought warmth and gratitude. and his feelings were clearly evident in his gaze directed to you, if you had the determination to open up your eyes.
“it’s amazing, really. seeing how much you care for the forest and ecosystem.” you mumbled absentmindedly while making your way next to him and sat down. almost immediately, you realized what he meant by the specific description of “sunlight streaming through the canopy.” it truly did look divine, Avidya forest always did.
tighnari wanted to answer with a sassy comeback to your words until he realized you were being serious and was currently looking at the tree and the sunlight with a big smile on your face. he didn’t even have the leisure to wonder how close you two were right now, you looked so peaceful, so… beautiful. he felt warmth spread in his chest as he looked at you being so comfortable around him, he quietly wished he could help you release your tension.
“it’s… expected for a forest watcher.” he barely managed to reply, keeping his gaze on you as discreetly as possible.
“except, it really isn’t. it takes a lot to appreciate the small things in life. you’re quite humble and down-to-earth, it’s refreshing really” you continued as you suddenly felt the urge to let him know just how wonderful company he was.
tighnari wasn’t one to blush and hide his face at compliments, especially from scholars under his care. well, let’s just say that you were an exception with the way he awkwardly coughed and pretended like he was wiping his mouth as his cheeks flushed rosy red.
-
6. a very good evening with tighnari.
“good evening! I'm preparing to go observe bioluminescent flora. want to come?” you jumped a bit from the unexpected voice coming from your door.
“tighnari!” you snapped your head to the direction, finally realizing that the intruder happened to be your mentor.
“did I startle you? I apologize, your door was open so I assumed.” tighnari mentioned. sure, your door was open but your original thought was to let fresh air in your room, not invite visitors. you admit that he wasn’t exactly unwelcome, though. tighnari was… different.
“are you in the mood for a stroll, young scholar?” your ears perked in interest as you met his eyes glinting with evident joy.
“bioluminescent flora glows every night, but their light is different this time of the year. the color changes, and they shine in an iridescent glow, almost. it’s very attractive for sightseeing.” his idea sounded absolutely beautiful, you nodded quickly in enthusiasm. besides, your mentor himself also looked unusually excited, he must be looking forward to looking at the floras probably even more than you were. his excitement brought a smile to your lips- his giddiness was highly contagious, it seems.
“oh, I’ll just quickly grab my memo. I expect today will be another day of extended learning from our chief watcher.” you giggled and quickly went through your desk in search of that one small memo you keep visible in case.
except, your search was hindered when you felt tighnari reach out and place his hand on yours softly and slightly hesitantly. your eyes widened at the featherlight soft touch slowly turning firmer until his fingers gently laced around yours. your mouth gaped slightly, then heat flushed your cheeks in realization and the possible implications of his intimate touch- your stare fixated on your linked hands.
one thing that unexpectedly calms your nerves down was when you realized his own hand was shaking slightly, indicating his nervousness. you were no exception, your breath hitched the moment you felt his skin on yours. it was made even worse when he turned your other hand around and proceeded to slip his fingers through yours, entwining them together, now both hands in his. the reassuring squeeze didn't help your racing heart one bit.
you remained positively speechless, unsure how you should even reciprocate, squeeze his hand? speak?
thankfully, he spoke first.
“it’s not… academic, (name). no memo-taking or learning. just… a stroll with me. is that okay?” tighnari couldn’t tear his eyes off you, he had never seen you look this endearing before even when he always found himself admiring you in silence discreetly to you. perhaps he enjoyed your stiff body language out of nervousness and your wandering eyes traveling everywhere but him far more than he assumed. who knew you could look this adorable flustered.
you finally realized his intentions clearly, still unable to take your eyes off your connected hands because you had a feeling you wouldn’t be able to look straight into his eyes without your heart threatening to leap out of your chest. you couldn’t deny the warmth you felt not only from his hand holding yours but also from how he keeps glancing at you for the slightest concern in case of your discomfort. his grip on your hand was nowhere near forceful, if anything it was tender and comforting, the way his hands wrapped around yours. you could easily pull away if you wanted, but you fought back a small smile as you squeezed his hand softly in response.
tighnari’s ears twitched in excitement.
so all along, you weren’t imagining his tenderness towards you. he felt warm and welcoming, you couldn't help but squeeze his hands again gently in response, biting the inside of your cheek in an attempt to control the growing smile.
"of course. should we go?" you mumbled, gaze still lingering on your hands in his.
neither of you spoke about your still-connected hand when you left your room, and it stayed that way throughout the entirety of the "stroll".
both of you quietly hoped that the linked hands would become a regular occurrence from now on.
7. home.
surely enough, holding hands had become a more regular occurrence after your small date observing the nocturnal flowers and bioluminescent flora that one warm evening. you also decided you would accompany tighnari every morning for patrol even though you barely manage to drag yourself out of bed when the sun wasn’t even out yet, but it was all worth it every time tighnari picked you up with a gentle smile on his face and sometimes tucked a small flower he grew himself in your hair. it had become an unspoken habit to patrol with your hand in his, basking in your warmth as well as make sure you didn’t stray too far. perhaps it was his inner protectiveness, perhaps it was his monogamous nature speaking but he silently knew he felt uneasy when you remained out of his sight for an extended amount of time. tighnari knew how deep his feelings had grown, and he found himself more and more infatuated with you as he spent time with you. the feeling was highly mutual, and you two felt more comfort in each other’s company in the comforting depths of Avidya forest.
come to think of it, your time in sumeru was limited from the moment you set foot into the lands. now, there wasn’t anyone on your trails that would kick you out of the borders should you extend your journey, and you were glad you hadn’t caused any trouble in sumeru as it would possibly make you the unfortunate candidate of general mahamatra cyno’s watch. tighnari seemed to be close friends with him, but from the way he not-so-subtly quizzed you of your intentions and studies you pursued like an interview, the awkward conversation intensified by his stone cold face with absolutely no hint of anything besides blankness. you couldn’t help but be reminded of how intimidated you were on your first encounter with him when you absentmindedly mentioned the occasion. tighnari had assured you with a quiet laugh that he was merely curious, and it made you quietly wonder how to not draw attention to yourself from now on. you couldn’t help but remember his awkward jokes he slipped in to potentially ease your tension but it might’ve had just the opposite effects. tighnari seemed pleasantly surprised and happy you and cyno seemed to be getting along as one of the two dearest people he held in his heart. you couldn’t help the slight hesitation if you actually were “getting along” but at least the general mahamatra seemed to care not to intimidate you too much. you suppose time would tell.
your mind returned to the peaceful silence you two shared at present, his thumb gently caressing the back of your hand as he kept a soft hold on them. you deeply enjoyed spending time with tighnari like this, but you couldn’t help but be reminded of your soon-to-leave plans every time at moments like right now. time was flowing fast especially now that you had found something- someone worth pursuing here in a foreign land. both of you were silently aware of the fact, and neither of you had the heart to bring it up just yet especially when the fresh start of a new relationship was so, so comforting and full of life.
you were resting your head on tighnari’s shoulder, sitting on the branch as you looked at the willow tree you two met under. you couldn’t believe how peaceful and right the world felt when you were with him, you never knew your life could be like… this. amidst the comforting atmosphere, tighnari softly broke the silence.
“(name)” his voice sounded quiet and somewhat unsure, a tone you scarcely ever heard him use. you looked at him in attention.
“yes?”
“i…” he spent a few seconds pondering on just how he could bring this up. just from his hesitance, you knew what he was thinking about, and it was perhaps the time to discuss the elephant in the room and hopefully get the slightly hefty conversation over with.
with a single sigh, tighnari stabilized his voice and looked at you.
“i think we need to discuss your time left here in your curriculum.” you bit the inside of your cheek at the expected, yet conflicting topic. it wasn’t as though you hadn’t thought about it before, it just demanded both of you to be present and willing to open your heart and opinions for you to come to a conclusion together. this tension perhaps was the reason why you seem to have been unconsciously avoiding this moment. with a soft sigh, you nodded softly in response.
“less than a month left, yes” you softly replied, your eyes still focused on the willow tree you met him under. in a way, the tree had granted both of your wish. but you don’t seem to remember asking for a loving boyfriend “forever” or anything of the sort. a boyfriend, yes. but the duration… maybe you should’ve added the time while you were at it.
before you could organize your thoughts and answer what your stance was, tighnari softly rested his head on your shoulder, gently wrapping his arms around your waist to draw your figure closer, to silence the slight hesitancy and worry of potentially being let down if you weren’t on the same page.
“i can’t ask you to leave behind your life at snezhnaya and accompany me at a foreign land… but at the same time, (name)...” tighnari laced his fingers with you close, the warmth of his hand radiating in your palm as his other arm was holding you tightly in his embrace, his breath softly hitting your neck.
“i… can’t just bid farewell and thank you for the memories. i didn’t start this relationship with you for lighthearted fun or for some teenage dream.” maybe you could have made a playful joke about neither of you being teenagers at his statement, but tighnari’s proximity, his protective embrace and his mellow voice echoing at the back of your mind, you couldn’t help but softly pat his head as he hugged you tight.
“i’m not with you just for the thrill, dear.” you replied quietly, resting your cheek on the top of his head. tighnari seemed to let out a slightly shaky breath, an indication of relaxation when he finally got the confirmation he desperately needed from you. that he wasn’t the only one completely infatuated with you.
“are you aware… of what we are? what we would become, and if you’re ready, if you’re sure?”
“I-” you opened your mouth to respond, then closed it to give him time to express his worries.
“fennec foxes mate for life, (name). our kind is highly monogamous and i… have to warn you about it before our relationship progresses more than it already has. we aren’t as flexible as some humans prefer.” his soft voice cooed, his somewhat stern tone silently reminding you to listen carefully and give this matter a serious thought. you blinked and finally realized the reason why he was unusually clingy and vulnerable than usual, so he truly couldn’t let you go.
a small, loving smile appeared on your lips as you snuggled closer to him, still running your fingers through his hair and sometimes gently playing with his ears, making him sigh in comfort.
“what i mean to say is… you need to have your mind set. i take you very seriously, much more than you may think at this early stage of our bond.”
“... dear…” you softly whispered and held his cheeks with both your hands, carefully lifting him up from your shoulder to meet his gaze. he truly looked lovestruck, his eyes glistened with tender care, devotion and affection all directed to you, and the sight made your chest warm up in overflowing love.
“tighnari, i don’t regard our relationship in a light manner. i don’t see you as someone less than my partner for life. i take us… very seriously too.” tighnari could’ve sworn he fell in love with you all over again, finally getting your final answer he desperately needed to hear. he loved you, loved you too much to let you go, loved you too much not to cling onto you tight and keep you with him, to care for you. yet, he always had the voice nagging to him about how humans weren’t like him, that you could walk away any time, that humans weren’t as devoted as his kind. and just like that, all of his worries seem to melt away at your soothing, promising words that you whispered.
“you wouldn’t be asking me to leave behind my life at snezhnaya because i won’t. i’m a scholar here and a scholar back home, and sumeru is the land of wisdom, no?’ tighnari’s ears twitched and perked up beyond control at your positive implication of words.
“you mean…”
“i wouldn’t be throwing away anything to start with, tighnari. i’ll just be moving onto a new lifestyle. change to my environment. you aren’t asking me to abandon anything, please don’t worry. i’m choosing…” you suddenly halted mid-sentence at your cheesy words, looking away from his eyes to seem as normal as possible.
“i’m choosing… you. on my own will. you aren’t making me do anything.” and with that final confirmation, tighnari all but leapt to embrace you tightly. his hand wrapped around your shoulders, holding the back of your head as he pressed your face into his shoulder. he held you like you meant the world to him, pressing soft kisses on your forehead as he happily caressed the back of your head comfortingly.
“thank you, thank you… thank you, love…” your face heated up from how he repeated the words, pressing loving kisses all over your face after he pulled away. your lips connected softly, his hands gently holding your face like you were the light of his world, the reason for his existence. you were, from now on to him- his one and only. you smiled into the gentle kiss, placing your hands on his shoulder, tilting your head to move your lips in sync to his sugarsweet kiss. tighnari’s hold on your face was so, so tender, his thumb caressed your cheek ever so softly as your kiss prolonged, the warm rays of the evening sun wrapping you both in its cozy heat.
you pulled away, smiling at tighnari as he still held your cheeks. you couldn’t help but lean into his hand, placing your own over his.
“i love you… i love you so much” tighnari couldn’t take his eyes off of you, you looked perfect right now, the golden sun pouring on your skin, your cheeks heating up in his palm from fluster, and the relaxed smile on your lips- the enchanted, lovestruck glint in your gaze as you two looked into each other’s eyes. you were always beautiful to him, but you truly did look absolutely breathtaking when you were in his arms, just where you belong.
with another soft gentle kiss to your forehead and your soft laughter echoing through Avidya forest, even the sunsets seemed to embrace the young couple hopelessly in love, letting them bask in its ethereal glow.
finale.
#genshin impact x reader#tighnari x reader fluff#tighnari imagines#tighnari x reader#genshin x reader#tighnari x reader slow burn#tighnari x reader oneshot#tighnari x reader slowburn#genshin fluff#genshin impact imagines#genshin impact fluff#genshin imagines#tighnari x female reader
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Practicing drawing guys with help from Neuvi and Wrio <3
#fanart#genshin impact#neuvillette#wriothesley#wriolette#digital art#my art#POV your crush called you cute but you're a tsun and can't ever let him know you like him#cue 20k words of slowburn XD#obvs a wip#I think Neuvi still looks a bit too fem in my style#but I'm gonna practice a load more this year#and let's be honest his canon outfit is impossibly difficult for peasant like me to draw even with refs TvT#so I'm gonna put him in other more simplified clothes#yanno bc ~fashion~
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DAYLIGHT
—husband! scaramouche x fem kitsune wife! reader
synopsis: two abandoned immortal beings found each other, despite the pain and betrayals they kept themselves at each other's sides.
genre: strangers to lovers and then strangers again, angst, fluff, spice, slight slow burn.
warnings: mentions of death, torture, dark themes that are not suitable for readers under the age of 18. Established relationship, will have some major timeskips.
status: currently being written, no released date yet.
tag list: closed
Masterlist | PLAYLIST
Ꮺ CHAPTERS
00 — Playlist
01 — Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer
02 — tba
03 — tba
04 — tba
05 — tba
06 — tba
07 — tba
08 — tba
09 — tba
10 — tba
11 — tba
12 — tba
13 — tba
14 — tba
15 — tba
Ꮺ MISCELLANEOUS
[y/n]'s wardrobe [pinterest board]
a/n: each chapter has like sub chapters? like 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc. This will be the official book to my husband scaramouche fic. Just send me an ask or comment if you want to be added to the tag list because tumblr doesn't show comments notifs sometimes:(
a/n: I'll just focus on the extra ch/oneshots.
tags (if highlighted that means I couldn't tag you): @gekkow @scaraapologist @dollpoetwriting @pyromi @mitsu-moshi @kaocia @xiao-loyal-simp @scarasbaby @kariuu @adorablezhui @lazy-sanns @kunitaro @ozzierenato
hashtags: 「⸙͎」 DAYLIGHT | lxkewrites
#genshin impact#genshin fanfic#fanfic#fluff#lxkewrites#scaramouche genshin impact#scaramouche genshin#scaramouche x reader#scaramouche fluff#scaramouche smut#scaramouche x reader smut#scaramouche angst#「⸙͎」 DAYLIGHT#husband scaramouche#lxke's husband scaramouche works#angst#slowburn#strangers to lovers and strangers again
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Is it just me or has everyone been touchstarved for the past 7 years so they get the love and affection they couldn't and still can't through fanfiction? No? Just me?
#x reader#fanfiction#scaramouche#scaramouche genshin impact#scaramouche x reader#scara#kunikuzushi#kuni#kunikuzushi x reader#kunikuzushi genshin impact#genshin#impact#genshin impact#slowburn#angst#fluff
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That which matters more (part 1)
Tighnari x reader, hanahaki fic.
Warnings: Fem!reader, (though I think there is no gendered language in this chapter, but I might have missed something so fair warning) reader is aro/ace, (but again idk yet how big of a role this will play.) Minor injuries
1580 words
This is chapter one of a series I'm working on right now, and although I don't think I'm going to be able to finish it anytime soon, I think if people like it on here it might motivate me more to actually finish this? I currently have 5 chapters planned and I've started chapter 3, but I constantly go back and change stuff in previous chapters (the reason why I never post anything tbh) soooo... who knows. This first chapter might also get changed in the future, but I'm actually decently happy with it so far?
Let me know what you think! I'll post this to AO3 in the future.
“Be careful, please,” Collei nervously clasped her hands against her chest, eying the ivy covered ditch you were standing over. “You’re going to fall!”
“I almost got it, just stand back and don’t worry-” You gasped out. Your left arm was fully outstretched, while your right grabbed on to a branch sticking out from the ledge right across from the flower you were trying to pick. “After this we can go back to Gandharva Ville, I promise-”
“Got it!” You said when you finally had the stem of the flower between your fingers. However your wide smile soon turned to shock as the dry root you were grabbing onto cracked and snapped, and sent you tumbling down a hole, right through the dense ivy.
Collei screamed as a dull thud sounded at the end of your tumble. “Oh my goodness, are you alright?!?!” Her knees fell to the ground to peer into the hole you just fell into, which was thankfully a lot less deep than she had thought it to be. What surprised her tho, was the big yellow cloud that hit her face, completely surrounding the both of you, while you were splayed out on a bed of moss, entirely covered in ivy and pollen. Around you were dozens of the mystery flowers you had just picked. “O-oh no- What do I do!”
A cough signalled that you were still alive. “A rope would be nice,” you groaned.
“Right! A Rope!” Collei sprang into action, quickly looking for a rope in her satchel. “Can you climb out on your own? Oh.. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to carry you.”
“I’m fine, I’m fine… I only scraped my knee a little bit,” You said as you tried to stand up on the slippery moss. Ugh, your leg was going to be sore for a while… “There’s so many of them!”
“I’ll bandage it as soon as I get you out!” Collei said as she secured the rope to a rock.
“No, not that! The flowers!” You pulled the ivy of your arms, making the pollen fly off you, making you cough again. “They sure produce a lot of pollen too… You think holes in the ground like these are their preferred habitat?”
Collei sighed with a small smile. “Well… At least you’re well enough to still be talking. You could’ve hit your head, you know? Master Tighnari isn’t going to be happy.”
She was right, you knew Tighnari was going to lecture you on your detour from your regular patrol, but you hoped that seeing this mysterious flower would distract him enough to not go on for too long.
You grabbed onto the rope, thankfully still able to climb out of the hole yourself. You triumphantly held up not only the flower you plucked earlier, but also two other samples, WITH roots attached. “They’re BEAUTIFUL! I bet not even Tighnari has seen these flower before!” Observing it a little more closely, it was very similar to a Sumeru rose, but the interesting thing that had drawn you closer to it in the first place was the fact that not only did it glow brighter than a regular similar rose, it had also been changing colours from a soft yellow, to a regular Sumeru rose purple, all the way up to a deep red. But it seemed to have stopped now that you had plucked it. Interesting, you were going to have to examine why that was.
Collei sheepishly smiled, but quickly worried herself over your bruised and bleeding knee. You tried not to worry her further by suppressing the coughs that were coming from your irritated throat, but she noticed nonetheless.
“It must be the pollen,” Collei said worriedly. “Oh no, What if it’s toxic?”
You pensively shook your head. “This flower doesn’t have the usual characteristics for that.” You explained. “Besides, you breathed in a good amount too just now, and you seem to be fine..?”
A bit of anxiety crept up in your chest. If Collei got sick because of you, you wouldn’t be able to face Tighnari ever again, nor would you be able to forgive yourself. You were going to have to hurry back to Gandharva Ville and ask the expert to be sure.
Said expert Tighnari was not very amused when you returned that evening, but before the lecture, came first aid. He quickly had baths filled for you and Collei. While Collei went to wash the pollen out of her hair, Tighnari went to re-examine and properly clean the wound on your knee.
“I collected samples of the pollen in some flasks, and brought a few complete specimens with the roots intact. They’re really quite unique flowers. I haven’t seen them in textbooks, nor have I ever seen them on our regular patrol routes. If you bring me a map, I can point out where we found these. If we figure out what made them grow there, I’m sure we could find more of them. I-” You were cut off by another coughing fit.
Tighnari watched you worriedly, taking out a stethoscope. “Could you lift up your top? I’d like to examine your breathing.”
You awkwardly did as he said and breathed in and out as he instructed. “I’ll be fine, really! I just took in a big gulp of dust and pollen, it’s only natural my lungs are irritated a bit. Collei breathed it in a small amount as well and she wasn’t coughing at all. This plant doesn’t have any of the usual characteristics present in flora that produce toxins.”
“Maybe.” Tighnari answered curtly, a blank expression on his face. “I’m going to have to examine the pollen to be sure.”
You were silent for a bit as Tighnari noted some things down on a clipboard. The lack of the usual annoyed and sassy lecture was spooking you a little bit. “Tighnari, I… I’m sorry…”
He sighed and finally looked you in the eye, looking for signs of sincerity. “At least you have the decency to know what you did wrong.”
You nodded. “I shouldn’t have put Collei in that position. Next time… Next time I’ll note the location on a map and ask for you or other forest watchers to come with me.”
“Good.” Tighnari said with a nod. “I know you didn’t deliberately put Collei in danger and that’s the only reason I can begin to look past this. I also agree that from the looks of it it’s part of the same genus as the Sumeru rose. If anything I’d be worried this points to an issue with the Ley lines, but I haven’t heard of any incidents that would point to this… They sure produce a lot of pollen though,” He was more so muttering to himself, than he was explaining anything to you.
“However-!” He pointed his pen right in your face, interrupting his own rant. “Although I’m very happy to see some enthusiasm from you, endangering yourself like that is still absolutely unacceptable.” Ah, there came the lecture. One you absolutely deserved, mind you. “Had you fallen unconscious, Collei would have had to go back to the village on her own to get help. Worst case scenario you could have broken your neck and died. The first and most important skill for a forest watcher to learn, is not the ability to secure the safety of the forest and its visitors, but the safety of themselves. Do you understand?”
“You guys talk as I’m not useful to have around at all.” You both turned to a pouting Collei, leaving your response to Tighnari unsaid.
“Your time as a full fledged watcher will come, Collei,” Tighnari calmly explained. “You’re still young, and besides that we have your condition to worry about. Beyond that you know you have my full trust.”
You self-consciously looked away from the two. You wondered what you could do to earn Tighnari’s trust like that. Maybe the flower you discovered really was a new species? Would that get him to talk to you about it?
“Oh I know,” Collei answered, timidly plucking at her nails. “I’m just saying.”
You interrupted the sweet scene with another set of coughs. “S-sorry.. my lungs and throat feel sore, it must’ve all gotten really irritated by all the dust…” Tighnari hummed in thought. “Best you go wash off all that pollen. I’ll have it examined as soon as possible. If that cough hasn’t gone away by tomorrow evening, please come and see me again. And we’re going to have to schedule you in for more forest safety training.”
You cleared your throat. You were hoping he was going to forget about any punishment. Then again, this probably didn’t count as such in his mind. “Alright. Thank you Tighnari.”
“And, (name),” He said after some hesitation, just before you were to leave the hut. You turned to him, met by his soft gaze. “Please do know there’s nothing you have to prove to me, okay?”
You felt a warmth bloom across your chest. “…Okay.” With that you turned around to leave, but not before having another coughing fit. You quickly dashed out of Tighnari’s hut trying to muffle your cough with your hand. When you removed your hand you saw that you had coughed up a soft pink coloured petal covered in spit. Gross. Though, you supposed that this petal was what was stuck in your throat and that your cough would let up soon.
#tighnari x reader#tighnari#genshin impact#reader insert#tighnari x you#hanahaki#self insert#fluff#slowburn
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ᴀɴ ᴇᴛᴇʀɴɪᴛʏ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ || xiao x reader
Part III
"I'm informing you, there appears to be an inexplicable bond between them," Zhongli explains with a furrowed brow, addressing Madame Ping in a tone of perplexity. Having sought Madame Ping's wisdom to unravel the connection between you and Alatus, Zhongli's demeanor reflects a mixture of confusion and intrigue as he attempts to make sense of the enigmatic ties that bind you.
"In my millennia of existence, I've encountered such occurrences only on rare occasions," Madame Ping responds solemnly, her voice tinged with a sense of gravitas born from centuries of wisdom. "You should seek answers from your Yaksha companion regarding the nature of this connection," she advises Zhongli, her words carrying the weight of her vast experience and insight into matters of the mystical and arcane.
With a nod of understanding, Zhongli absorbs Madame Ping's words, his expression betraying a hint of concern at the gravity of the situation. With a determined yet cautious demeanor, he takes his leave, his mind preoccupied with the mystery surrounding your connection to Xiao. Determined to seek answers, Zhongli sets out to find Xiao, his steps guided by a sense of duty and an unwavering resolve to unravel the secrets that lay hidden within the depths of Liyue.
-
-
"I know nothing of this matter. It is best for you to leave now, I got things to do." Xiao replies curtly, his voice carrying a hint of detachment. He offers no further explanation, his demeanor closed off and resolute. With a firmness in his tone, Xiao makes it clear that he wishes to be left alone.
"Lying is unnecessary," Zhongli states calmly as he places the medicine he procured for Xiao on his bedside table. "It is best to speak openly," he continues, his tone gentle yet firm. Zhongli's words carry a sense of reassurance, inviting Xiao to share his concerns and burdens without fear of judgment.
-
"On that day, she saved me... I failed to comprehend the mortal's choice to rescue me, yet she perished because of me. In an attempt to revive her, I offered a portion of my own blood," Xiao recounts solemnly, his voice tinged with a hint of regret.
"If she were alive, even a drop of my blood would have been deadly," Xiao explains simply, conveying the gravity of the situation.
Zhongli pauses for a moment, contemplating the revelation. "I understand now. Interesting. It clarifies why she senses your presence. Do you experience any side effects from this as well?" he inquires, his tone thoughtful as he considers the implications of Xiao's unique connection with the mortal realm.
Xiao recalls the recent occurrence where he witnessed you abruptly rising from the tavern table, wielding your polearm as if in search of something. He has been observing your actions from a distance for a while now. Whether during your visits to Liyue or your engagements in commissioned tasks, Xiao admits to a vigilant observation of your movements and endeavors.
"I delved into this matter last night," Zhongli begins, his voice measured as he imparts his findings. "Given that she possesses a quantity of your blood that exceeds her tolerable limit by tenfold, both she and you may be susceptible to side effects," he explains, his words conveying a sense of concern for both parties involved.
Lost in thought, Xiao recognizes the consequences of his actions, aware of his own side effects. However, he decides to keep this to himself for now, shifting his thoughts to you with a growing curiosity.
-
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-
Waking up with an unfamiliar ache coursing through my body, memories of yesterday's unsettling events weigh heavily on my mind once more. A wave of questions floods my thoughts, leaving me overwhelmed. "Where should I begin? Who can I turn to for assistance?" My mind races with uncertainty.
With a sense of urgency, I gather my belongings and set out, leaving behind the city where I have spent the past two months traversing. My destination: the city of Inazuma, where I currently live.
As I made my way towards the docks, a familiar sight catches my eye—a tall figure with striking red hair emerges into view. It's none other than Childe.
He approaches me with a friendly smirk, his hand casually draping over my shoulder. "Hey there, girlie. Off to somewhere exciting?" he asks with a playful tone.
Despite my smile, I can't shake the unease bubbling beneath the surface. Lumine's words echo in my mind, reminding me of the danger Childe poses to Liyue and its people. I tread cautiously, keeping my guard up as I engage in conversation with him.
"Long time no see!" I greet him warmly. "I'm heading home. What about you? Are you traveling too?"
"Long time no see indeed! Just got errands to run," Childe replies with a casual shrug. "Fatui business. So, heading home, huh? Liyue treating you well?" he asks, his tone light and curious.
I let out a sigh, feeling the urge to confide in someone about everything that's happened over the past few days. However, I quickly reign in my emotions, realizing that Childe isn't the right person to share my current worries with.
I force a smile, not wanting to arouse suspicion, and reply, "Yeah, Liyue was a blast! Met some interesting folks and did a lot of traveling, mostly with... Lumine."
"Lumine, huh?" Childe muses with a smirk, his hand moving away from my shoulder to lightly trace my back, settling at my waist. Suddenly, a ship sails into one of the docks nearby. "Oh look, that's my ride," he says casually, stepping back. "It was nice catching up with you here."
I roll my eyes in resignation as I realize that I'll have to spend at least a few hours with Childe by my side on the same boat.
Childe's surprise is evident as he realizes we're on the same ship. "Oh, that's your ride too? How convenient, we have so much catching up to do!" he remarks with feigned innocence, flashing a warm smile. Despite his friendly demeanor, I remind myself not to let my guard down. Trusting Childe is difficult, especially with the nagging feeling that he may have ulterior motives.
"Yeah, quite convenient indeed," I respond with a forced chuckle, accepting Childe's offered hand to help me board the ship and maintain my balance on the narrow plank.
We've been sailing for about an hour now, sampling the various dishes Childe bought for us and engaging in conversation. Mostly, it's Childe regaling me with tales of his battles and boasting about his strength. I listen politely, occasionally interjecting with questions or comments, but mostly content to let him dominate the conversation.
Childe casually remarks, "So, darling, I heard from my people that you and Zhongli were engaging in quite the conversation at the tavern." He takes a bite of his food, his gaze fixed on me as he waits for my reaction. "What was so interesting?" he adds with a smirk, clearly intrigued by the topic.
I reply nonchalantly, "Oh, nothing much. It's just been a while since I visited Liyue, and Zhongli was updating me on some things."
Childe's smirk persists, indicating his skepticism. "Is that so?" he replies, his tone suggestive. "Well, regardless, it's been a pleasure spending time with you, girlie." As our ship sails into the Inazuman docks, he offers a farewell nod before preparing to disembark.
A week has flown by since my return to Inazuma, and each day has been a whirlwind of intensive research and relentless determination to unravel the mysteries of my situation. There's been little time for rest or respite, as my nights are consumed by the solemn duty of protecting the village of Inazuma.
Yet, despite the exhaustion that threatens to overwhelm me, I press on, fueled by a fierce resolve to uncover the truth and safeguard those who rely on me.
After returning from a grueling night of battling, I check my mailbox, expecting the usual assortment of advertisements. However, amidst the sea of trivial letters, one particular envelope catches my eye—a letter from Zhongli. Instantly intrigued, I rush inside, so engrossed in the contents of the letter that I forget to close the mailbox behind me.
The envelope seems to have been opened already, which strikes me as odd. Maybe it got damaged during delivery. Shrugging off the curiosity, I decide to read the letter
Dear Y/N,
I trust this letter finds you well. I am aware of your return home, and I would like to extend an invitation for you to visit Liyue within the coming week. I have recently come across some information that I believe may be of interest to you, and I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss it further.
Warm regards,
Zhongli
Having read Zhongli's letter, I realize I have no choice but to return to Liyue once again. However, I know I'll have to report my absence to Kujou Sara, who was less than pleased about my previous departure. I can only hope she's not too annoyed with me this time around.
After a lengthy journey at sea, I feel a wave of relief wash over me as I step onto solid ground. With the moon casting its gentle glow, illuminating the path ahead, I embrace the soothing breeze of Liyue as it tousles my hair. Making my way to the Baiju Guesthouse, I am grateful for the familiar tranquility of this place.
After checking in and getting comfortable in my room, I opt for a breath of fresh air out on the balcony. The moonlight bathes everything in its serene glow. My mind is filled with a whirlwind of thoughts as I soak in the tranquility of the night.
That familiar sensation washes over me once again, though not as intense as before, it still lingers, a persistent presence in the back of my mind. Leaning against the balcony rail, I rest my hands on the cool metal and lower my head onto them, succumbing to the weight of my thoughts.
My contemplation is abruptly interrupted by a sudden whooshing sound, as if something has erupted out of thin air nearby.
I whirl around, my muscles tensing instinctively, but before I can even reach for my polearm, my body freezes as I come face to face with the unexpected figure standing before me.
As I gaze upon the figure before me, I'm captivated. His teal blue hair shines brilliantly in the moonlight, framing his face with an ethereal glow. Amber eyes, radiant and mesmerizing, meet mine, seeming to hold the secrets of the universe within them. And there, on his skin, his intricate tattoo adds to his mysterious allure, completing the breathtaking sight before me.
My body remains frozen in shock, expecting him to vanish into thin air like before. But this time, he remains, standing before me with an unwavering presence. All I can manage is a stuttered utterance: "Alatus..."
His once emotionless expression now shifts, his eyebrows furrowing slightly and his eyes narrowing in a hint of anger. Then, in a smooth, melodic voice that resonates with authority and determination, he speaks, his voice carrying a sense of quiet intensity.
"Do not ever call me that again," he says, his facial expression betraying his anger while his voice remains eerily calm. As he strides closer, I instinctively back away until my back presses against the railing. His demeanor softens, his face returning to its usual melancholic expression. Avoiding eye contact, he speaks again, his voice gentle but firm, "It's Xiao to you."
With my back still against the railing, nerves getting the better of me, all I can muster is, "I'm sorry... I'm-" He interrupts me, his voice cutting through, "Y/N. I know."
As my heart quickens its pace, I become visibly anxious, my words stumbling out, "How do you know? How did you find me?" My expression betrays my escalating unease. I observe him as he approaches the balcony railing, resting his head on his elbow, his mesmerizing gaze meeting mine softly. "You know why," he responds in his usual tone.
Fidgeting with my fingers out of anxiety, I bite my lip and shift away from the railing, which had started to press uncomfortably into my back. Turning to face him, I maintain a cautious distance and place my hands on the railing as well. "Do you... know anything about this?" I mutter, my voice barely audible.
Xiao nods softly, his gaze turning away from me to focus on the distant horizon. "I know everything about this," he murmurs, his voice carrying the same subdued tone as mine. "I've had thousands of years to search for answers."
"Why haven't we spoken before? With Zhongli being close to both of us, wouldn't he have known everything as well?"
"I cannot speak on behalf of Zhongli," Xiao's gaze remains fixed on the distant horizon. "Perhaps he had his reasons for keeping our paths separate. Regarding our lack of communication, I was unaware that you remembered everything until recently. It's quite unusual."
"Yeah..." I murmur softly, casting my gaze downwards and nervously fidgeting with my fingers.
After a minute of silence, Xiao deliberated whether to disclose this information, ultimately deciding it was best for you to know.
"When you're not present, I can hear you. Sometimes, I can even hear the thoughts of your heart," he explains in his usual monotone voice, pausing before adding,
"However, if you call my name, I can hear you anytime, anywhere."
He continues, "It has been this way ever since you were given back your life. Back then, when everyone, including you, perished, I thought I could try to save you with my blood, considering you were the only half-adeptus there..."
I lifted my eyes to meet his gaze, noticing how his porcelain skin seemed to glow under the moonlight. "I see," I say, processing his revelation. "So, since I have some of your blood in mine, it's like I have a part of you inside me?"
His gaze shifts from my eyes to my vision, prompting a lift of his eyebrow, yet he remains silent on the matter. "That's correct," he affirms. "The side effects only diminish once the bond is fully sealed."
Illustrating a perplexed expression, I ask, "Bond? How is it sealed?"
Xiao disregards your question and begins, "We must both be cautious now. Who knows what manner of individuals may come after either of us. Who have you told about this?"
I regard him with a plethora of questions swirling in my mind. Why? How does one seal this supposed bond? What are the side effects I should be aware of? "Uh... just Zhongli knows," I reply cautiously.
Xiao gives a slight nod, his features void of emotion as he straightens up from the railing. "That's good," he says quietly. "I've got to go now." His eyes meet yours for a moment, and then he adds softly, "See you around," before disappearing into thin air, leaving behind a swirling trail of black and tealish blue smoke.
I step away from the railing, my gaze lingering on the spot where Xiao stood moments ago. As I move closer, the faint scent of Qingxin flowers wafts through the air, enveloping me in their delicate fragrance, a reminder of his presence.
✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩
hi!! let me know if this fic is any good for now, its my first time writing one after a long time, also excuse any grammar mistakes, english isnt my first language !! ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა see ya in chapter IV tommorow
#fluff#genshin#genshin impact#genshin xiao#slow burn#slowburn#xiao#xiao x reader#childe#fanfic#romance#xiao x you#zhongli#xiao genshin#lumine#soft xiao#jealous xiao#ganyu#kazuha#paimon#xiao genshin impact#xiao x yn
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Drown With the Sun (II/II)
Il Dottore's segment took care of her pain in his absence, as was his duty; Karina, as his second-in-command, returned the gesture when the segments were gone.
Part 2 of The Heretic and the Forsaken series. Il Dottore/Female Original Character.
On AO3 here.
Years passed in the blink of an eye, as they often did for the man of four-plus-centuries. A sense of time was not required for one such as himself, especially not in relevance to others. The phenomena made itself known in every other facet outside of himself anyway.
Karina surpassed every challenge thrown at her, and if she didn’t, she worked day and night until she did. She earned her title, her place, and the right to make snide remarks in private. Time carved itself across her flesh in the form of lean muscle and faint scars.
Every time she arrived back from patrols near the Rift, she seemed to bear a new one, and Dottore suppressed the urge to kiss it.
Volkov tended to her wounds, the Harbinger well knew. The two of them were stationed together, bonded by their rank and mutual survival. The idea of another seeing her bare back, her toned arms, or any other parts of her only ever stirred a disgusting sense of jealousy that wove its way into his Segment network for days.
She was his subordinate, Dottore rationalized. Nothing more.
Besides, the conversations with her regarding Celestia’s hypocrisy and the cruelty of the Archons were ideas echoed by Pantalone and others. He was not starved for companionship, for conversation. There were plenty among the Fatuus with which he could voice his heresy and ideas.
She was simply the optimal choice.
When she was gone, the Creature toddled into his workshop or his office, blanket in claw, downtrodden and lost. He had a sense of object permanence (Dottore had long since tested that), so the only conclusion the scientist could make was one involving a sense of loss and an understanding of absence.
The thing was the rawest emotional form he had left, packed away by accident and left outside of the network to prevent further infighting. The last of his innocence was nothing more than a bundle of fur and teeth and sharp claws. It clung to one of the only other people who suffered a fate as cruel as his. Ironic, that the creature lacking higher cognition was the one so obvious in its affection and care. Even more so that its creator would never give in to the base needs of emotional attachment and physicality, of intimacy.
He did not need it, not with his Segments around; no one else knew his needs and his mind better.
His Warden (for as much as he despised her presence, Karina would always be his Fontainian bargaining chip, his chevalière) was once again away and the little monster made its nest beneath Dottore’s chair. It scrambled up and settled into his lap hours ago, content to listen to its older self explain the formula he was working on. Even if the creature couldn’t respond except for screeches and squeaks, the action helped loosen ideas and see where potential problems laid.
Dottore would not, could not , admit he preferred Karina for such a task. Her eyebrows knitted, lips tugged into a slight pout as she thought things through, eyes as fresh as the Avidiya Forest after rainfall when she posed a counter argument or idea. She was strategic enough to be handy on the front lines in Natlan if Capitano had use of her eventually.
That would seal her fate; few came back from Natlan in one piece.
And he couldn’t account for plans that did not include her. Perhaps once. But not anymore. At least not until he knew what led to her Vision behaving as it did.
Or so he told himself every time the thought of her laugh snagged on his almost non-existent heart.
Dottore sat back in his chair, lifting the little creature with ease and rearranging it so he could shift his weight comfortably. The formula was long forgotten now and if he tried to force it, he would only end up more irritated than he already was by the distraction of absence.
Omega was in Sumeru now, ideally finishing the nonsense with the Akademiya. The final Segment insisted that the chevalière did not need to stay behind but Dottore wondered if, perhaps, such an arrangement would have been better.
If only to see what she made of the lush lands of the forests and the wasteland of the desert and her opinion on the divide between Sumeru’s people. For an Electro user, she had a strong sense of justice and for the short time they were back in his homeland, Dottore wondered if she would side with the institution or the people gate-kept from it. After all, exposing her to the Shouki No Kami, to Scaramouche’s grand designs and the Electro Gnosis itself, played with the threads of her perspective and showed her the gods were neither remarkable nor permanent. They could be created out of anything, as long as the faith of the majority was high enough.
She had been remarkably quiet on the return to Snezhnaya and he saw little of her since. Instead of accompanying Omega, she was once again pushing back creatures from the Abyss and beyond. Hardly stimulating work.
The matter of her Vision, on the other hand… that was far more intriguing. Not even being near the Gnosis did anything. In fact, Karina specifically seemed to avoid that section of the laboratory entirely during her stay once the demonstration was finished.
She never explicitly told him why . He had not thought it odd, not then, but he had been too focused on perfecting negotiations. And soon it would be too late to recreate the situation, for Omega was due to retrieve both Gnoses…
Speaking of…
The connection between himself and all of his Segments was, more often than not, mere white noise. Some days, the Segments were louder; during others, especially when it came to the pesky chevalière , silence reigned (but never for long). The average experience was, however, like trying to find a station on a Fontainian radio and he had to truly think of the Segment to make the proper connection.
He could take over any Segment’s body at any time but it limited himself to that particular perspective. Helpful when he needed to truly explore an idea through another lens. But more useful when it came to observation, in which he could simply monitor without anyone else the wiser.
What a tiny Archon. Even awake, she was nothing more than a bean sprout and she hardly had the power befitting her station.
Omega’s voice rattled through Dottore’s mind. “I see. If you think all those versions of me are worth a Gnosis...then, we have a deal, Lesser Lord Kusanali.”
Deal? What sort of arrangement had the Segment just made?
The rest happened quicker than he expected and the connection exploded into a cacophony of noise and voices and panic. Each of his Segments, scattered across all of Teyvat, were struck with the startling realization at once, and not even their Prime origin point was spared.
“Sheer foolishness,” Dottore thought, targeting every word at Omega, at that blasted Archon. “How could I have been so shortsighted back then?”
Lesser Lord Kusanali disappeared from his vision with a few blinks, his office coming in and out of focus. Eyelids heavy, the last sound he recalled was not, in fact, his youngest self, hot-headed and arrogant, swearing vengeance on Omega. Paws pressed against his chest and the world around him faded away in a haze of screeches, whines, and watery singular eye.
Karina wove her way through the lower corridors until she came to the familiar workshop, divided into its different sections and projects. Without parts of the Shouki No Kami lingering now, the space felt empty, devoid of life. No doubt the floor would soon be home to numerous mechanical marvels and parts, as was the norm, but the prototypes were certainly remarkable.
She had yet to even see the usual Segment in the laboratory; usually he was around when she returned, staring at Volkov over an assistant’s shoulder. It never bothered her colleague, or so he claimed, but she was never certain whether Dottore was sizing him up for battle or for dinner. But he was nowhere to be found thus far.
Her footsteps echoed, unaccompanied by the usual sounds of activity down here. Was he going to ambush her, remind her to keep on her toes?
He never did that on days she returned from the northern parts. Karina dared not consider it a kindness but there was little else to describe it. Perhaps he might call it inefficient.
“Lord Harbinger?” she called from the top of the staircase. “Lord Dottore?”
She heard the familiar clung of metal on metal and her heart dropped into her stomach when she caught sight of a crop of teal hair. He was working on something, as usual, some rectangular device she couldn’t make out from this angle.
Funny how comforting she found his presence, even in the form of a Segment.
“The rise time is too long…” she caught him muttering. “If it can’t work quickly enough, it won’t reach bandwidth capacities…”
The Segment looked up from his notes when she came closer. Any one of them never looked tired, despite the organic components used to make them.
“You were gone longer than usual,” he quipped, returning his gaze to the papers in front of him. “Anything of note?”
“Not particularly,” Karina replied. “We managed to capture a live Fenrir with specific mutations and corruption this time. It should be making its way down within a few hours.”
“I see. Prime doesn’t want to be disturbed so tend to the delivery and then see yourself out.”
He waved a hand at her, shooing her like a dog. The Segment was acting strange, tapping a finger against the surface of the table as he stared at the notes; his eyes moved as though he was reading but he never once moved to act upon what he was reading. Usually his focus was unparalleled, regardless of who was around.
“Get on it with, Omega, some of us have work to do,” he mumbled.
Oh, of course. Omega was still in Sumeru. The last she ever saw of him was an empty face plate, head tilted with a sharp-toothed grin as he said her services as a Warden were no longer required.
Out of all of the Segments, he was the most unsettling, in her opinion. Too confident, too arrogant, five steps ahead of everyone while knowing exactly how to get what he wanted. Her training kept her away from Omega to begin with and she did everything she could to avoid the last Segment while serving Dottore proper in Sumeru. Something in the way he posed his questions, the way his gaze lingered on her, made Karina feel more like an object than a person, a rabbit in the jaws of a hungry wolf. As if he did not want her so much as he wanted to root around inside her until he was bored.
There was an edge to Omega, one she balanced on before; one she was determined to never walk on again.
He must have been negotiating for the Gnoses, then. Right on schedule.
The Segment before her gave up on the notes and began to meander around the table and sectioned-off workspace. A gloved hand reached out and grasped her jaw, pulling Karina out of her thoughts and forcing her to look into eyes as deep as a blood moon. His hand was cold compared to Dottore’s, lacking a proper circulatory system in the human sense, thumb brushing the corner of her bottom lip.
“If you insist on standing there, then, Alexandre, be useful and replace the pot of coffee from this morning.”
Karina watched as something foreign crossed the Segment’s features, his mouth parted and pupils narrowed, eyes blown wide. He looked less shocked and more as if he had been blasted in the gut with a Fontainian blunderbuss at close range, completely paralyzed. The fingers on her jaw flexed and gripped harder, pulling her down as the Segment’s joints gave out.
She tried to grab onto him as he fell, muscles straining as she eased the limp mechanical body to the floor. Was he short-circuiting? She’d seen each Segment undergo maintenance more than once, fully aware they required upkeep, but they’d never simply collapsed…
Fear snaked its way through her muscles, freezing her in place as the Segment gave a half-hearted laugh.
“So it’s like this, huh? You would betray even yourself. Good riddance!”
Crimson eyes glowed brighter for a moment, a final flare of life, before their color dimmed. Ashes of a fire stamped out.
Karina’s head shot up, eyes scanning every visible area for movement. No one ever made it down this far, save the now-dormant Segment, herself, and the true Dottore. If the Segment was gone, her next concern was securing the area and finding the Harbinger himself.
She swallowed hard as she reached out a gauntleted hand and tried to close the Segment’s eyes. His components complied much easier than a humans and if she didn’t know any better and ignored the lack of breathing (none of them needed air, after all), he simply looked like he was sleeping. The stillness in the Segment’s limbs, the way its limp form responded to gravity and movement so easily, scratched at Karina’s memories; no resistance from muscles, no flexing or response to stimuli, just like the bodies of her comrades…like Rhiannon’s…
With a shaky breath, Karina shoved the Segment off of her and clamored to her feet. This was different. He was nothing more than an object, a thing , he felt no pain and suffered nothing in the end…
The layout of the workshop was rather straightforward despite its winding corridors. One way in and one way out. Karina made her way back to the elevator entrance and pulled the grate in front of the large doors and locked it in place; only someone with the proper clearance had a second key for the mechanism. An easy security policy. At least Dottore kept things simple in that regard.
Now for the man himself.
She tried to keep her eyes from lingering on the Segment as she drew her knife from her shoulder holster and held it close, stalking through the space. From the furthest corner, she heard the clattering of a tray and its instruments, the sound echoing as loud as a gunshot. Careful not to let her footfalls betray her, Karina arrived at the scene to find nothing but a metal instrument tray and various tools scattered on the floor, along with a bedsheet dangling off the vivisection table, stark white without a trace of blood.
An errant snapping of a jaw made Karina carefully duck to check under the table; tucked into the space between the table and a nearby cabinet, she could make out a single eye and a fluffy tail.
Before she could open her mouth, the blur of fur and teeth chattered and gave a high-pitched cry, diving for Karina. She grunted at the impact, the creature nuzzling into her uniform, ears pulled down as it gave a series of smaller cries and whines. Absently, she stroked the creature’s head, never quite lowering her knife.
What was the little creature doing down here? More importantly, what was it doing down here unsupervised?
Usually it kept to Dottore’s office. Or, if not there, it was always in the care of another or Dottore himself. Like a child, this being was not to be trusted on its own in the laboratories (a lecture she received no less than three times when it was discovered the little thing clung to her so long ago). If it was here , then…
“Where is the Doctor?” Karina asked when the little thing grew quiet. “What happened?”
Her gaze met a singular eye, wide and wet and scared as the creature processed her words. Its beak opened and then closed without a sound before it jumped from her lap and took her arm in its tiny claws. It pulled with a surprising amount of force, chirping urgently when Karina didn’t move fast enough. As soon as she rose to her feet, the creature dashed off on all fours and its fluffy tail disappeared around a corner.
There was only room in that direction to check.
And surely he wouldn’t have been stupid enough to be killed remotely.
He wasn’t, of course, Karina mused as she pulled off her gloves and pressed a bare finger to Dottore’s pulsepoint. Solid and steady.
Alive. That might not mean much if he were comatose, admittedly, but he was breathing, at least.
The Harbinger didn’t so much as flinch or moan when the creature nudged his leg or climbed and slapped its paw against his cheek. Dottore was face-down on the desk, his mask discarded, looking as though he’d done nothing more than fall asleep while working.
First things first, he needed to be moved. She couldn’t access his desk and see what needed to be prioritized (if even possible) if he was slumped over all of the paperwork. Who knew, maybe moving him would wake him up from the stupor and all would be solved.
Life was rarely, if ever, so easy.
Karina’s eyes roamed the office and settled on the piece of furniture nearest the desk. A different sofa than the one she laid on (which had mysteriously been replaced several years prior), tufted leather with arms as tall as the back. It would do.
She reached and tucked one arm beneath Dottore’s and pulled him up and then away from the desk, his boots dragging on the floor. His head lolled from one side to another as she slowly carried him across the room, his earring occasionally swaying to tap at her temple. This close, she could make out the lingering scent of aftershave, a crisp mint that gave way to warm musk and sandalwood, reminiscent of the hotel in Sumeru. Nothing like the Segments, who often smelled of disinfectant and the persistent iron tang of blood.
Karina arranged him on the couch as best she could; unlike the last couch, it was long enough to consider his full height. With help from the creature, she made quick work of his boots and placed them aside.
Her eyes fell on his face, entirely unveiled now. His jaw was just like Omega’s but his mask had hidden an aquiline nose, dark circles under his eyes, and a brow forever pinched in thought. She could imagine how, if he were awake, his nostrils might flare and his eyes would narrow in indignation. The Segments were, of course, still him and some manners never changed. If he smiled more, Karina considered he might even be handsome in the right light.
She scoffed, gut immediately churning with guilt at seeing him like this. A Harbinger’s visage, especially that of the top three, was their own private knowledge. They were no longer the people they saw in the mirror but someone else, some thing else, entirely.
And even she, with all of her work and her rank, was not worthy of that visual knowledge.
Karina tore her gaze from the Harbinger and retrieved his mask, clipping it into place over his eyes and forehead with ease. There. Perfect.
The creature tucked its creator in, little paws pressing a newly found blanket between the man’s biceps and the couch. The chevalière watched as it paused and sat near Dottore’s feet, eye fixed on the sleeping Harbinger as it kicked its hind legs back and forth. She didn’t count the minutes but when it finally hopped down, it immediately patted her boot and raised its arms, a silent plea to be carried.
Karina picked up the fluffy companion and sifted through Dottore’s desk with a single hand. She left the office with her arms full of fur and papers, uncertain of all but the sleepless night ahead.
Her first note out of the laboratory had been not to the Jester but the Regrator, specifically through Volkov. No one would question the correspondence chain and Volkov was being considered by Lord Pantalone as a potential Warden candidate. Discretion was guaranteed.
She would deal with the Jester (and the Tsaritsa) at a later date.
The Fenris was handed off to the upper levels, contained and sedated. Nothing the staff up there couldn’t handle.
Pantalone controlled the funding and if he wasn’t going to get results, he needed to be aware of the change in schedules. Plus, he was familiar with Dottore’s handwriting; Karina could only look at the chicken scratch for so long before her eyes stung.
Omega was in possession of two Gnoses, according to recent reports; Pantalone only mentioned that the Segment exchanged something of substantial value for both of them.
“One of them said something about a betrayal,” Karina said as she massaged water and broth down Dottore’s throat. “Perhaps Omega offered up the Segments as collateral. It would cripple the opposition and buy time without a true loss of life. Archons never want to be responsible for the death of a human, no matter their moral standing.”
With a smirk as she cradled Dottore’s head just right, the Regrator agreed; after all, doing so would keep Lesser Lord Kusanali’s hands clean, too.
When she wasn’t taking care of the Harbinger directly, she was making decisions about things she knew nothing about. The written goals and hypotheses were not as clear as they initially seemed and it grew more difficult to ascertain priorities. Not to mention the growing pile of Segments, the youngest of which was where the creature was now resting.
Her heart ached, reminded of when Rhiannon crawled into bed with her when she couldn’t sleep. If she looked too closely, Karina felt sticky blood on her fingers and strong hands around her arms, prying her away from her sister’s lifeless body.
Did the little thing feel the agony of loneliness clawing from the inside out? The fear, the fury?
When she admitted to Pantalone that it was almost impossible to keep the various projects Dottore gave his Segments straight, let alone what to do with the bodies, the banker gave a barking laugh of amusement.
“I know what I might do,” Pantalone drawled, golden eyes boring into her, “but this is your job. No one else is as close to a Harbinger as their Warden. It is your duty to consider what must be done and why. After all, you’re meant to be an asset , Alexandre.”
Spoken as if she were nothing more than a number on a spreadsheet.
“Contrary to how he presents it, you would have been reassigned if he did not trust you,” the Ninth said. “He never had a Warden previously. Your presence will no doubt lend itself to a new perspective for him.”
He parted not long after for another meeting, a sickeningly kind smile on his lips. Happy, no doubt, that he did not have to deal with Dottore’s condition and merely the fallout left behind.
Bastard.
Both of them, bastards.
Without them, she wouldn’t even be alive now to be in this position. Would it be better to be chained to a bed in Fontaine? To have been killed with the rest of her family?
Dottore would laugh at her if he knew the thoughts running through her head.
Hadn’t training taught her anything? Did her second chance mean nothing to her? She accomplished enough to be promising by Fatui standards and yet she would squander it by wishing she were dead?
Wasteful, he would call her. It was better to be alive, to know that the past didn’t matter, that it was only the here and now and the floor beneath one’s feet.
He was surprisingly grounded for a man who split himself into several branches. Even if he was absolutely determined to find out the root cause of her Vision’s lack of power, even if he saw her as nothing more than a puzzle to solve.
At least he saw her and all she encompassed.
To the point that he neutralized the primordial water in her blood and turned her human. How had no one in Fontaine realized that before? Water as blood had been a metaphor but to think it held some truth…
Those files she read would no doubt be burned when he woke.
She scoffed as she settled back into her makeshift workstation and ran through what she knew. The creature immediately returned to her lap, nestled close as it gave a sound close to a pur.
Dottore would want to part out the Segments. They were expensive and difficult to make, full of dream solvent and something called primordial water, along with branches of Irminsul. All of those could be repurposed in one way or another and Dottore hated nothing more than having to scout for or purchase parts.
They were inorganic, which meant no concern for decomposition. She could set up an area in the back and organize the branches; at least they’ll be out of the way and away from prying eyes.
Most of them completed their major testing with a few exceptions for weaponry…next patrol left later this week under her charge…
She and Volkov could do the weapons testing. The north would prove a good baseline and he at least understood instructions both verbal and written; whatever she couldn’t make sense of, he could.
Perfect. The Segments could be rearranged in the morning and that gave her time to obtain the weapons and the rest of the details from other staff members. She scribbled down the plans, complete with checklists and individuals involved, finally satisfied the issues were no longer intangible sensations in her brain.
Karina looked down at the creature, now curled up and fast asleep. How easily he drifted off. An enviable position from where she was sitting (and she was, now, stuck sitting; he slept too lightly for her to move him).
She shifted down in the seat slightly and leaned back to put her feet on the desk, curling up a little in the seat. Karina wrapped her arms around her new companion and held it close, her eyes and mind finally giving into the exhaustion of the last few days. A little rest would not go amiss.
Dottore jolted awake, a strange weight on his neck and chest as his head throbbed. His mouth tasted disgusting and felt like someone shoved a wade of cotton into his mouth to chew. No, worse still, as if he was being asked to swallow a hairball.
Hazily, he reached up and found a bulking mass on his face. What the hell was this?
The Harbinger grabbed it and pulled it away from his face, instantly relieved as he spit out stray hairs and fibers. The thing he held gave a series of sleepy protesting squeaks and when his vision settled again, Dottore came mask-to-eye with the single creature still alive after Omega’s destruction.
The fox-raven hybrid held out its tiny arms in victory, tail wagging at the realization its creator was awake.
Awake…that meant he’d been sleeping…no, that wasn’t quite sleep, was it? It was too dark, too empty, too silent. He might have brushed fingers with death once again in his extended lifetime. It came close several times as a child, first with stones and then with swords and torches; by the time the desert itself tried to kill him, he was far too spiteful to die.
How long had he been…
Dottore released the creature’s scruff and it plopped back down into his lap. The excitement died away, replaced with a need to make certain all was as it should be. As the monster tapped its paws across his torso and arms, the Harbinger looked around and took stock of his surroundings.
His office. Someone moved him from the chair and onto the couch, even went so far as to remove his shoes. His mask felt slightly out of place and absently, he reached up and clicked it home, the screen beneath it flickering to life and displaying what he already knew. All Segment vitals were zero’d out, signals dead, and the Segments themselves were unreachable. He’d taken this off when he was last awake, he was certain.
It looked cleaner but maybe that was simply the dim light playing tricks on him. The desk was void of papers and the table beside the couch had a pile of bowls and a cluster of glasses. Neat and tidy but the remnants of one’s actions left behind? By mere accident or did they want him to know they’d cared for him.
Cared for him.
Who the hell would care for a wretch like him?
It wasn’t as if the world did.
A paw tapped his cheek, sharp claws scratching his skin. The Doctor looked down and found the creature looking at him, or trying to, eye narrowed.
“I’m fine,” Dottore said, voice hoarse. “Nothing that can’t be rebuilt. Omega is inherently selfish; you’re stuck with me from now on.”
A squeak that sounded like a human’s “nuh-uh” was the only reply he received before the fluffy tormentor climbed down and slowly made its way towards the door, left ajar. When the Harbinger didn’t follow, it rolled its eye and waved its arms, beckoning him on.
“Alright, alright, fine. Go on ahead.”
With his Segments gone, everything was bound to be close to shambles. Even if Omega was successful, cutting off all of the Segments and silencing them was akin to cutting out his own eyes and chopping off an arm for good measure. They weren’t just perspectives to use to examine problems; they were individuals, all of whom were good at what they did and furthered his work a hundred fold every year. Culling them was tantamount to treason, depending on the Tsaritsa’s mood.
Even two Gnoses wouldn’t make up for the backlog of work and delays he would be facing.
Dottore grimaced as his head pounded again. He didn’t need this, any of this, and Omega had to go and throw everything back at him, naturally. Anger initially flared deep in his stomach but it gave way to tasteless irony. He’d been selfish at that age and perspective, focused only on what would bring him the most progress or further his understanding of the world.
The Archon’s plan would not have worked if any other Segment had been sent, the clever sprout.
Without them, he had a mountain of work ahead of him.
On the other hand, however, he’d gained an abundance of knowledge from all of their experiences. His head swam with memories that were his but not, words and theories and concepts all at the ready, even if he never managed to be the one to gather them.
Amid all of them, a single memory of startled green eyes, a pang of fear.
Surely he had not been so fortuitous?
The Second shoved his feet into his boots, pondering the expression as he buckled the fastenings. Fear and uncertainty were friends to no one except those that knew how to use them but they were ugly on her; he lacked any other descriptors for it. He usually relished in one’s terror, their instincts kicking in to debase oneself to their purest human form. Yet now, that churn of fury returned, aimed at Omega not for his usurpation but the blast radius of it.
Why?
What did the chevalière even matter?
She was nothing but another face, doomed to expire before he would. His Warden would die on the battlefield, or in servitude, probably in the next decade if she were lucky.
The Doctor stood, stretching only enough to rid his limbs of the lingering stiffness, and made his way out towards the workshop proper.
One day, the walls around him would not volley her laughs and quips around as they did today. Dottore’s gaze settled on the chevalière , weary but no less dedicated, and his mouth went dry as he took in her visage. The Creature was poised over her shoulders, more cat than anything; it appeared to nod before its attention shattered and it nuzzled closer to her.
Two cups on the table, steaming. Already prepared, as always.
Without the Segments, it would be quieter in Haeresys, and her presence was…not unwelcome.
He was no stranger to loss but the idea of being alone …
No. Not before he had his answers and before he could give them to her. She deserved that much.
She spared no details as she explained her plans, the breakdown of what he’d missed, where everything was organized. Thorough, succinct, fairly logical; he knew her thought patterns well enough to work around her structure, if need be.
“Twelve Segments were brought back but I’m not certain that’s all of them. Excluding Omega, naturally. He should arrive tomorrow, based on the last raven received.”
Omega, Omega, Omega…whatever to do with him now that he outlived his usefulness?
Weapon testing would be finalized this week out in the wasteland of the north, specifically by both Wardens. Not the ideal environment, especially given he would likely not be there to observe. He would prefer to, of course, but…
She was only staying until he woke up, precisely with the intent to finish testing and provide details as soon as possible.
“Unless your orders are different, Lord Harbinger?”
How he longed to hear her call him something else. Anything else. How would those two syllables of his, known only to himself and Omega, roll off her tongue? Would she say it with disdain, perhaps, for all he did to her? Or was that too much effort, too much to give him?
“No. Your plan is sound, chevalière .”
Karina straightened and scooped the creature off of her shoulders. Her lips quirked into a small comforting smile when the tell-tale cry of disappointment reached her, and she gave a habitual rub to its head. Dottore’s heart seemed to misinterpret that he was not, in fact, dying, for it skipped a beat and then tried to make up for it, beating twice.
“Back before you know it, mon petit. Don’t be so glum.”
The creature only seemed to sink into its disappointment further. It used its one eye to boldly plead for her to stay, shameless in what it wanted.
Shameless or simply direct? Dottore couldn’t tell. It knew nothing of the former and even less about being obtuse.
If he had blinked, he would have missed how she bent down and pecked the top of the creature’s head. That cheered it up considerably and when she locked eyes with him again, Karina bowed.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going, sir. The sleds leave at daybreak and I need to pack.”
Dottore nodded, turning his head away to assess the change in the workspace. His ears felt hot now, too. Seeing her be kind to the creature, to him , dredged up a tangled assortment of ideas, several of which involved genetics as his curious thoughts strayed if his red eyes were a dominant or recessive gene.
He had plenty of work ahead of him in just scraping the Segments, let alone being debriefed by others and examining the large corrupted wolf waiting for him upstairs.
Karina turned and began to make her way out of the workshop when Dottore found his mouth opening of its own accord.
“Warden?”
He swore his ears burned hotter still just looking at her. Ridiculous. He might have helped her find her place here, potentially, and be the reason she was even still alive to begin with, but that didn’t mean she had to repay him. No one held debts over him in that fashion. Pantalone was an exception, of course, but Dottore wasn’t in the habit of equivalent exchange.
He didn’t understand this, the draw to her, the way he ached at the prospect of her being gone. Even temporarily.
Dottore smiled, wide and sharp and playful.
“Come back in one piece, won’t you?”
She smirked, and he could only assume by the shake of her head that she scoffed. Karina broke her gaze away first, her eyes settling on a pile of parts before she looked at him again dead-on.
“As if I’d do anything else, Lord Harbinger.”
This time, he let her go, exhaling only when he heard the elevator grind shut and begin its ascent. Dottore reached up and unclipped his mask, tossing it onto the table and leaning onto his palms.
He looked up when he noticed movement; the creature stood proudly on its hind legs, eye narrowed in pride as it wagged its tail. It gave a little chirp, reminiscent of a teasing whistle.
Dottore glared. “Oh, shut it, won’t you?”
She would be the death of him, that much was certain. If Omega couldn’t kill him, Karina might.
#oc: karina alexandre#dottore#il dottore#otp: the heretic and the forsaken#genshin impact original character#il dottore x oc#dottore x original female character#il dottore x original female character#genshin oc#slowburn#denial of feelings#this one is long
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chapter two: in the flesh (venti)
pairing: venti/reader
title: Everything I Know About Love
summary: Barbatos, or Venti, manages to lure you with the promise of Dandelion Wine.
tags: fluff, friends to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut, love confessions
notes: biweekly updates. also posted on ao3. fridays.
parts: chapter one - chapter three
He was indeed the Anemo Archon. How can it not be? It seems strange to think otherwise—for the aura he exudes only gives holiness, divinity, and a sense of peace from the lyre that he strums and the voice he uses to present himself. The form that he takes now is enchanting, enough to tie you down—indeed enough to make you kneel.
“My Lord… Lord Barbatos,” you recite, a tremble in your voice as you do. “I am deeply honoured to be in your presence. I apologize if I may not be in the best condition to be of service to you, but I will try my utmost to give you my all—”
“W.. wait! Hold on!” he ceases floating and comes to kneel in front of you, trying to pry your head from the soil, but eventually gives up when you do not budge. “I didn’t come to you for you to worship me. I came to you for friendship!”
“Friendship?” you snap your head towards him, faltering in the respectful exterior you don. “What?
You look at his face, eager for explanations. He bends down to look at you with a closed-eye grin, the ends of his mouth stretching towards his ears. You begin to examine his features. You notice the faint teal colours on the ends of his braids. His form resembles a boy, with a brown corset, a green cape, a white shirt, and some other garments finally accessorized with an Anemo vision. You assume that it must be a fake. Archons do not need primitive things like visions.
‘But friendship… why?’ you muster all the courage to look at his eyes directly, drowning in those green eyes that seem to pull you towards him, engulfing your person with images of tall standing boulders amidst blue-green waters, or wind-washed mountains growing fields of white pristine Cecilias. It brings you comfort, almost as if you can breathe again. But with utter confusion about his objective in meeting you, you scoot away from him. His statement truly baffles you. Still, on your knees, you level yourself with his kneeling figure.
“I think it is quite easy to understand, you see,” he puts down his lyre on the ground. “I’m awfully curious about the rest of the world now that I have finished guiding my children and fashioning the lands for them. Thus my soul yearns to see the world!”
‘Do archons even have souls? Well, I suppose they do…’ you look at him quizically, your eyebrows furrowing. You answer, “May I ask, why me, specifically?”
An archon out of nowhere says he wants to be friends, and he wants you to be his travel guide. An archon! Archons usually keep to themselves, tending to their nations!
Before he could answer, you add, “With all due respect, Anemo Archon of the Seven, I am under no obligation to obey your… er… commands. My form is weary from the war, and I need ample slumber to consider myself of use again to any god, much less an archon.”
“Awww, really?” he pouts, lips caressing the skin above. Suddenly he stares at you, with a mischievous smirk, “What if you do it for something in return?”
Perhaps Rex Lapis is right. The God of Freedom does have a penchant for mischief. You reply, all too aware of the rising moon in the sky and how you would soon need to find a place to sleep, “May we talk about this in another place? I am afraid that it is getting dark. I need some place to rest. I would rather not deal with the remains of dead gods here in the Guili plains.”
“All right then, as you wish! I also believe we shouldn’t impede the work of a certain someone!” he says in that telltale sing-song voice, before placing a hand on your shoulder, “Hold on to me, fair Adeptus.”
‘How does he know?’
You do as you are told, placing both hands on his shoulders, as this is your best guess of what he means. He whispers, “Good, now close your eyes.”
You close them. Suddenly your frame is awash with the wind, your ears blocked by the rush of wind hitting you gently yet loudly. You still close your eyes firmly, a warm feeling in your core—singing that you should trust him and everything will be all right, that there is no such thing as anguish nor pain in this world. A weightless sensation spreads throughout your body, and you fight the urge to scream. Then, you lose the feeling of the grass that digs through your skin. You feel nothing, and then you feel the grass again.
“Open your eyes,” he whispers. If you were a human, you would not be able to hear his voice.
You open your eyes to the new environment that seems to manifest itself around you as the dark spots that obstruct your vision clear. You look away from the archon, turning your attention to the place around you. Ah, it seems you are under a great oak tree, different from the likes you have seen. It bathes in the everlasting winds that dwell in here, and when you listen to the tree—you hear the gentle notes of a lyre silently being plucked. A Statue of the Seven keeps the tree company. True to this archon’s claims, the Statue of the Seven now erects itself proudly, bearing the face and form of its nation’s ruler.
Mondstadt is beautiful. The winds suit your aching soul. Its beauty attests to the care of its archon.
Speaking of him, he tries to get your attention by waving his hands around, “Hey! Give me some attention!”
You turn your attention to him, breathing in the fresh air. The fresh air did not seem to exist in the plains you were in less than five minutes ago.
“I want a travelling companion, and I think you would be the perfect person for that role! Buuuut! You do not want to do it, and that is understandable. Who would willingly go with someone they just met, even if that person is an archon? So… what if we get to know each other first, huh?” he blurts out in a single breath, astonishing you.
He continues, “My name is Barbatos, but I go by Venti as I roam the world under his guise. A travelling bard!” And as if evidence to his claims, he strums his lyre.
After a while, you speak, “We do not have to know each other, Lord Barbatos. It is best that you only know me as an Adeptus, which I do not know where you procured such information—and that I only know you as the God of Freedom, the Anemo Archon of the Seven. Anyway, such formalities like these are unimportant given I have to refuse your request.”
He gapes, “But! But! Refusing?!”
He is not surprised by your refusal but is rather confused why you would refuse such a great request. In truth, you have surprised yourself too. Such an endeavour of travelling with one of the Seven is already a great honour, to human or illuminated beast or youkai, or really—any race, but you steadfastly refuse it just like that, without contemplation! What has become of me, you think solemnly. You were sure you had immense respect for Gods, especially those stronger than you and that has naturally extended to the newly seated Archons, but now… you are not so sure.
Is it because of what the war did to you? Fed you cold apathy and a worn down body—a body you are sure you drag as you go about your days. It left you with such a bitter aftertaste in your mouth. You want to get out of your skin.
“Yes. I refuse,” you stand up from your kneeling position and clutch your bag close to your chest, before turning your back on him and adding, “I do not wish to meddle any more in the mortal world, or any of the worlds Teyvat boasts, I wish to rest. I wish to sleep. And I wish to taste some Dandelion Wine before I get on with it.”
“How on earth have you not tasted Dandelion Wine!” he gasps, placing a hand over his mouth as if this fact was the most unbelievable one he has heard in his long life. “Well fear not, I will take you to the best tavern in all of Mondstadt!”
You whirl around, turning to face him once again. You raise an eyebrow at his claims. Of course, this is his nation. He knows where everything is.
“On one condition,” he laughs, raising a finger. “You must promise me that you will think about my request!”
Oh. Right.
It seems you have no choice. You give in.
“Fine.”
But the bard stops, almost as if he is realizing something. He looks at you again, this time with a sheepish smile, “Buuuut... I think I may not be allowed in the city…”
“What?!”
#eikal-venti#everythingiknowaboutloveventi#genshinimpact#genshin imagines#genshin venti#venti#genshin impact#fanfiction#genshin fanfiction#a03#series#slowburn#eventual smut#venti x reader#reader#self insert#gender neutral#gender neutral mc#venti/reader
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angst thoughts: In the past, Priest Kasala was the one watching his king from the sidelines, his love unrequited (the Scarlet King being in love with the Goddess of Flowers), and in the present it's Alhaitham who is pining over Cyno one-sidedly and miserably, never uttering a word about his crush (it's still quite obvious to anyone who knows them).
#of course I love a good slowburn where that crush stops being so one-sided#but i just love angst#delicious angst#scarlet king#priest kasala#reincarnation au#genshin impact#alhaitham#cyno#cytham#haino
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Flower Beds - Xiao x Reader
Genre - Slow burn, flirting, potential romcom with some serious undertones. WIP.
You never planned to do much with your Vision, the power of Anemo was nice, you don't deny it, but you weren't the type to utilize it in your life. You didn't fight, you didn't even consider yourself a traditional traveler. You were just a foreigner.
Originally from Mondstadt as part of Ordo Favonius, you had packed up your belongings and set off to new sights for the sake of your mental and physical health. The air in Mond was crisp but it got so dusty with the abundance of winds and Anemo users, so you said fuck it and set off to wherever the roads took you. And to Liyue they took you. You had a farm in Liyue off to the outskirts, about a days walk to the Harbor. It was quaint, quiet, and perfect. And you wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. You were just a regular citizen living in Teyvat these days who had no intentions of picking up a sword or bow again. The calluses on your hands had eased away, you no longer reached for your sword as an unknown sound filled the empty space, and more importantly, you no longer had to answer to an authority that didn't believe in the freedoms the nation of Mondstadt preached about. You were free.
It was easy to earn mora, to find a stable job and inherit an abandoned farm, luck was on your side. You grew Liyue specialities along with some Mond specialties that garnered you the most profit. In lay-mens terms, you were set and content with the farm life, you never had to worry about fighting, drama or having to patch yourself up from patrols and attacks. That is until one night you were met with a bloodied figure laid face-down in your Qingxin flowerbeds.
Instinct drove you to act quickly; rushing back inside the main house on the farm, you quickly snagged a Mondstadt-based first-aid kit from the kitchen cupboard and ran back outside to the individual who now owed you a good amount of mora considering he not only crushed four flowerbeds but got blood splattered across two more.
"I don't know if you're conscious but if you're alive please fucking breath." You muttered as you carefully turned the man around to lay on his back. He was covered in blood, but you couldn't find any open wounds or fractures to pinpoint where it came from. Scanning the man, you got to what should have been his face, but rather than typical skin and flesh was just a black Nuo mask that glowed a faint green. You reached a hand out to remove the mask but the moment your fingers grazed the mask, it shimmered out of existence revealing a face clean of blood save for the few dots and small splatters along his jaw.
You knew this face. Rather, you've heard of him. He went by several names, the most common among them was Xiao. Many recalled him by the title of Conqueror of Demons, others called him the Guardian Yaksha. You first heard of him by the name of Atalus, the Golden-Winged King.
Dark medium-length hair with teal undertones were dried with blood and clung to his face, his eyes closed as if he were fast asleep rather than hurt, and his lips were parted slightly. A fuckin' mouth-breather, you thought to yourself.
You sighed and decided the best thing to do was wake up the deity who decided to take a nap on your flowers. Once again reaching out to shake his shoulder, he suddenly groaned in what seemed like annoyance before turning on to his side to face away from you. "Do not bother me," he muttered between yawns.
Eyes wide and letting out a scoff, you pulled him back with a force once forgotten and felt the frown on your brows deepen. "You're in my damn flowers getting your blood everywhere! The least you could do is get up and sleep on the dirt path."
"It's not my blood." He muttered meekly.
"As if that makes it any better!"
Feline-like eyes that seemed to glow like gold looked directly at you, a stern frown present and sending a shiver down your spine. He sighed before sitting up, tilting his head several ways to stretch his shoulders. "You know who I am?" He asked as he rolled his shoulders, his gaze not returning to yours.
"I do." You responded as you began to close up the first-aid kit you apparently never needed.
"Then what are your wishes? Tell me now so I can leave."
"Huh? I don't have any wishes."
"I find that hard to believe. Every mortal has wishes. This is your chance to be selfish. What is it? Mora? A lover?" He began to observe his surroundings, taking in the farm before his eyes closed in on the now sullied flowerbeds, blinking as if the sight were commonplace. "Better crops, perhaps."
You sighed in annoyance as you snugged the first-aid kit under your arm, standing up to make your way back inside the main house. "The Conqueror of Demons doesn't grant wishes. Fix my flowers, that's several months profit you messed up."
Xiao watched you leave in what was probably a daze, hearing your response left him wide-eyed for a moment before he realized the mess he had gotten himself into.
"To think the day would come that I'd be reduced to a farmer's bidding. Ridiculous."
So I haven't written in a hot minute. The last fic I wrote was a spicy Scara fic that I uploaded on AO3 and since then my brain has flatlined on writing. But I wanna dabble on writing some soft stuff with my main, Xiao. Hope it pans out well.
#xiao x reader#xiao fanfic#xiao x you#xiao x y/n#xiao fluff#xiao slowburn#genshin impact#fanfic#genshin xiao#genshin x you#genshin x reader#genshin fic#genshin fanfic#genshin x y/n#xiao scenarios#genshin#genshin fluff#genshin impact x reader#xiao is a little shithead but he's a softie#flower beds xiao fic
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Painting Flowers by @kavvueh
Chapter 12 - end of Part One!
Fandom: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Albedo/Kaeya (Genshin Impact), Jean/Lisa (Genshin Impact) Additional Tags: kaebedo, other characters appear briefly or are mentioned, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, slowburn
Summary:
One year after Alice dies in a research accident, her daughter Klee develops a penchant for burning things and getting into trouble at school. Her big brother (and now guardian) Albedo has to juggle Klee's behavior issues with a career-making project at work: reviving the extinct Inteyvat flower.
But luckily, Klee's first grade teacher is pretty patient with her, all things considered -- and, well, it helps that he's not bad to look at, either... Even if he swears up and down that he's a pirate.
#genshin impact#kaeya#albedo#klee#kaebedo#kaeya alberich#slowburn fic#i'm not kidding about slowburn we're 12 chapters in and romance has only just begun to be on the edges of their minds#this chapter concludes part one!#my fics :>
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paint splattered teardrops - chapter 1
cw negative thoughts about body, angst, fluff, body shaming, bullying, slowburn?, harassment, abuse
characters scaramouche, other genshin chars mentioned
a/n i hope you all enjoy this chpt 1!!! :,) enjoy your week!! chapter 2 will be out, when i have motivation to work on it (┬┬﹏┬┬)
The painting everyone was crowding around, caught his attention. It rarely happens, but it happened just now. He stops walking, and stares at the painting. A shadow, curled into a ball was painted on the corner of the room. There was a shadow looming over the shadow. The curled up shadow, seems to be a bit larger than the other shadow. Kunikuzushi keeps on glaring at the painting.
"Yo, Scara, what's up?" Childe walks up to Kunikuzushi, and slaps his back. Kunikuzushi turns to Childe, and gives him a disgusted look.
"Were you looking at that painting?" Childe gives a glance at the painting before, turning back to face Kunikuzushi. He says nothing.
"The girl who painted it, is in the class across from ours. Apparently, she's a really good painting, but her paintings are kind of.. focused on one thing. Overweight people, and stuff," Childe scratches his head, pushing his hair back.
"But I can see why she focuses on that. She's kind of.. well.. I don't want to be rude.. but she's kind of.. well.. a bit overweight," he whispers the last part. Kunikuzushi gives one last look at the painting, and walks off, leaving Childe to follow him.
"Y/N.. Why are you always painting overweight people?" She sits in the chair in front of you, and gives you a look. It clearly says, "why am I even asking?'
"I don't know," you mumble, trying to focus on your work.
"Is it because you're also kind of overweight?"
You freeze. A lot of people have been asking you this question since your painting have been hung up around the school. But your classmate doesn't hesitate to say it, which.. frightens you. What else will she do to you?
"Like I said before, I'm not sure."
"Well, I'm just saying. Everyone thinks it's because you're also overweight, just letting ya know," she stands up and goes back to her desk, tittering with her friends. Your face is burning, but you continue with your work. Oh god.. Why did she decide to even display them? Your art teacher is a kind soul, but she some times gets carried away. She decided to hang your paintings around the school. Soon, a lot of people knew about you, and your paintings. Even some people out side of school.
Why does it make you sad?
He looks around the cafeteria, as he's in the line. Kunikuzushi doesn't seem to be able to see her anywhere. It pisses him off.
"Where the hell is she.." He doesn't realize he said it out loud.
"Where is who?~" Childe asks, popping out from behind Kunikuzushi.
"Why don't you shut up, Childe?" Kunikuzushi steps out of the line, and walks quickly out of the cafeteria. The first place he goes to, is the art room on the top floor.
He's never had this feeling before. He just wants to find this girl, and talk to her. About anything really. He'll listen to whatever she says.
There are not many people on the top floor. Most of them are outside, or at the cafeteria. He opens the sliding door of the art room.
It's quiet, too quiet. Kunikuzushi sees a canvas on the easel. It's half finished. It shows a person, who's painted black, standing in front of a mirror. There is a person behind her, also painted in black, shouting at her. The room hasn't been completed yet.
Kunikuzushi looks around the room, and notices the store room door, opened a bit. He walks up to the door, and pushes it open. There in the corner, is a girl curled into a ball, her head buried in her knees. Kunikuzushi stands there, frozen. She reminds him.. of him.
He just stares at her crying, before she looks up. She quickly stands up, apologising. She walks up to him, waiting for him to move out of the way. He looks at her for a few seconds, the two only making eye contact for a few seconds, before she looks away. Kunikuzushi gets out of the way, and lets her go back to painting. She carries on, like nothing just happened.
"What the hell?" He says. She continues painting, her eyes puffy from the crying.
"You were just crying, and now you're painting?" He slams the store room door shut. She continues painting, a bit faster than before.
Kunikuzushi storms up to her. He takes her wrist, making her drop her paintbrush on to his show. The blue paint stains his newly polished shoes. He tilts his head a bit down, staring right into her eyes.
"S-sorry.." She keeps on avoiding eye contact, looking around the room, at the ceiling.
"Why are you apologising?" He asks, holding her wrist tighter. She winces, mumbling something.
"What was that?"
"I don't know.. I'm sorry.. Bu..but.. could you please... let go of my wrist.."
Kunikuzushi lets go so suddenly. She stands up, looking down at his shoes. Kunikuzushi follows her stare, and groans.
He didn't seem to mind however you cleaned his shoes, as long as they were clean. You wipes them with some baby wipes you found in the store room. He just stared out the window while you cleaned his shoes. Once you were done, he looked down at you. He stared at you, his violet eyes seemed to bring you in closer to him. His hair matched with his eyes, but his red eyeliner suited him.
"Are you done?" He asks. His voice seems to be more gentler than earlier, when he grabbed your wrist. You nodded your head, and stands up, letting him to stand up as well. He walks to the door, but right when he's about to walk out, he says,
"Your painting is good so far. Good luck finishing it."
You pack up the room, in silence. No headphones with music playing. Nothing, just the silence. Why did he say good luck..? He doesn't seem like the kind of person to say that..
Does he like me..? wait.. no no no.. just because he talked to you, something other than the painting, doesn't mean he likes you.
You have a habit of thinking that if a boy makes eye contact, or talks with you, who usually doesn't, likes you. It started in high school. It's quite annoying, but you soon got the thoughts out of your head, after all the talk about you being overweight started. Why would anyone like a fat pig, like me anyways? You always thought to yourself.
"Y/N~" The door opens. You continue cleaning, pretending you didn't hear that voice. You despise it. The voice, always haunts your nightmares. Her platinum hair was in her usual half up, half down pony tail. She closes the art room door behind her.
"You dare ignore me.. again?"
#genshin impact#genshin fluff#genshin impact fluff#melshome#genshin#genshin modern au#genshin angst#genshin highschool au#scaramouche genshin#scaramouche x reader#scaramouche#high school au#genshin fanfic#series#slowburn
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Ch 1: Neuvillette backstory, culminates in Neuvillette and Furina's first meeting.
Ch 2: Neuvillette and his Melusine bestie try to figure out what the hell gender is. Jury is still out.
Actual summary/preview:
“A human saw me yesterday.”
“Oh really?” Carole’s blue-green Melusine ears twitched with interest. “Did anything happen?”
“No.” He fiddled with a patch of seagrass, twirling it around in his hand. “It was a little girl. She wasn’t afraid, and she asked me who I was. I left the moment she was distracted.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. I was almost hoping you’d finally had a conversation with one of these humans.”
#genshin impact#neuvillette#author ships#neuvifuri#so theres undertones of that but they literally just met here#and we know thats a 500 yr long slowburn
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omega!kaeya, who prides himself on his inaccessible openness and the ability to talk to anyone, coupled with an absolutely restrained personality — he is no stranger to hiding and keeping silent — only to turn out to be unusually silent when you give him flowers tied together in a kind of bouquet; not as lush as he could see on store shelves or feel in his hands, but surprisingly pleasant smelling and gentle. you say that you specially made it for him — as a thank-you — but the efforts made are nothing compared to what he did for you, and kaeya can only stand, carefully clutching the flowers to himself, confused for a couple of moments before returning gratitude.
it's not that he receives gifts or flowers for the first time, but yours have been on his table for too long and receive too careful and gentle treatment, put in the best place for them, even if everything else has to be rearranged. and even when they eventually dry up (probably after kaeya freezes them a couple of times), they find a place in one of the books that he keeps next to him, without letting it out of sight, and opening it every time during short breaks, touching the stems and leaves with his fingers; just the same pleasantly smelling and soft to the touch, as if artificially created, too perfect for something real.
or maybe they smell too much like you, even if you smell completely different.
#🥮 — genshin impact#✉.kaeya alberich#🧸.omegaverse au#no one has seen hints of slowburn and/or potentially unrequited love#kaeya is such a fateful man I want him to suffer#a little#but still#omegaverse has no meaning I just want it to be
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It all started behind a willow tree.
Ft. Wanderer/Kunikuzushi/Scaramouche x GN Reader.
-Part.1-
You weren’t having the best of days. But it wasn’t so bad for you to break down or anything like that. Normally, when you would be having a hard time, you would sit under a charming willow tree, taking in the sights, letting your thoughts wander and heartbeat calm. It was one of the only places that brought you such comfort, and you never told anyone about your little secret spot. The soft footsteps on the grass sounded as you steadily made your way to your secret spot so you could unwind and forget about the hectic day you just had. The sound of the wind sounded in your ears, almost deafening at how you couldn’t hear anything else besides the wind and your footsteps. You walked slowly as you looked over to the lake near the tree. There was a gentle rippling of the water, as the wind blew the surface. It was a peaceful sight, and you felt your heart rate slow down. You leaned against the willow tree, as the sun shined down on you, warming your body. You closed your eyes, and let out a deep breath.
Gosh how nice it felt.
For a moment, you thought you felt something, someone. You opened your eyes, and it was just the sun shining on the water. You looked around, but didn't see anything, or anyone. Strange… What was that presence? As you shut your eyes once more, your ears perked up as you heard muffled… cries…? You shot your eyes back open and examined your surroundings, but to no avail. There was nothing. Nobody.
Slightly confused and concerned, you parted your mouth before speaking.
“Who’s there? Are you hurt…?” The second question sounded in more concern. Whoever that was immediately stopped their cries and silence immediately took over the atmosphere. “…Hello…? Are you okay…?” You asked once again, hoping to hear a response from the invisible individual.
“The hell do you want…?” Finally. The mysterious individual responded. They sounded wary, with a hint of raspiness to their voice, probably because they had been crying.
“Oh. I don’t mean any harm, I just got worried when I heard someone crying. What’s wrong? Also where are you?” You replied with concern. It wasn’t everyday you met someone in a situation like this.
“Are you stupid? Where else can I be besides behind the damn tree. And why the hell should I tell a stranger my problems? It’s impractical if you ask me.” A scoff sounded behind the tree. You rolled your eyes, not paying any attention to the person’s mockery of you. People can get like this when they’re down so it’s best to not pay any thought to it since they don’t think before they speak when they are upset. If you do then things can lead to worse things, so it’s best to bear with it and hear them out.
“Sorry about that, my brain doesn’t quite work sometimes. And why not? A stranger is the best person to tell your problems to since you got no connection or control of them. Even if they judge you, it’s not as bad as if someone close judges you, no?” You snickered before adding “I’m no judge tho, if you want, lay your problems to me if you want, who knows? Maybe it’ll make you feel better?” You smiled slightly before sitting down on the plush grass as you lean your back on the tree trunk.
Silence once again sounded. The sound of the rustling leaves being the only company to your ears.
“Everything seems to go wrong for me.” Once more, the silence, broken with the confession of the individual behind the tree. “Hm?” You hummed in response, as a sign to let the person know you’re listening.
“No matter what I do, what I say, what I have experienced, nothing seems to be going the way I want it to go. I’m not asking for much to be honest. All I ask is for myself to be finally at peace with myself, but I can’t even do something so simple such as that, which is truly and utterly pathetic. I have had no problems committing atrocities in the past, not even blinking an eye, yet something so frugal, so uncomplicated, so straightforward, I cannot even do.” Word vomit spewed from the person on the other side of the tree.
“Is that so? Why is that? What do you find so hard about it?” You closed your eyes as you focused on the voice of this individual, it sounded masculine so it had to be a guy right? Whatever they are, they had quite a distinguished voice, which you loved.
“From the moment of my birth, I’ve been discarded, for the reason of not being good enough. From then on, one person after the other has left me behind to rot. Too many broken promises, what’s the point of promises of people break them? How brainless.” They scoffed in annoyance. Shutting their eyes before going quiet again.
You thought for a moment. Broken promises? Not good enough? Discarded at birth? This fellow sure has had a hard upbringing. You felt sorry for this mysterious individual. “Well, I’m not saying that all people who break promises are bad and all, but what we’re the reasons the promises were broken in the first place?” You decided to settle with that question first, everything else is for later.
There is so much to unpack.
#genhin impact#genshin x you#genshin x reader#genshin imagines#genshin fluff#genshin impact headcanons#genshin fanfic#genshin scaramouche#genshin scara#scaramouche#scaramouche x y/n#genshin angst#genshin stories#headcanon#kunikuzushi#wanderer#genshin wanderer#wanderer x y/n#genshin oc#genshin slowburn#genshin men#genshin guys#genshin men x reader#genshin x y/n
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