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angstcorp · 2 years

Note

If requests are open can I get a soulmate HCs? Ty

Hmmmm, you know what? Why not. I like the idea so let's go. I put some worldbuilding first, and as you didn't specify any character, I'll go with my usual ones.

SOULMATE AU - PART I

Summary: Just some headcanons and a bit of worldbuilding about a Soulmate AU. Here is part II.

Author's note: ... Eheheh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to develop this worldbuilding so much BUT REALLY, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. It's long so I haven't reread it yet so please forgive any mistake I made! I will correct them later... eventually.

Characters: Ayaka, Ayato, Diluc, Kaeya, Zhongli

Warnings: Gender neutral reader, soulmates, mention of injuries in Diluc's (not described, Diluc is the one injured).

WORLDBUILDING

Everyone is born with a small mark somewhere on their body that will grow and take a specific shape as they grow older until reaching adulthood.

Each mark is unique. It can be of any size, shape, place, or even colour. It can represent something or nothing at all. However, it always has the same "dots" as the person's constellation even if it doesn't represent the same thing or animal. Example: your constellation might be a dog, each star will get a dot on your skin, but the soul mark could represent a flame, or nothing at all.

Your soulmate won't have the same mark, however upon meeting, his mark will appear next to yours on your body. Some parts can overlap or mix, and the size and colour might change a little bit, but it's unmistakable.

The feeling of receiving your soulmate's mark depends from people to people.

The place of a soulmate in society depends from region to region. In Mondstadt, it's both seen as a very romantic thing and as a unnecessary hindrance depending on who you ask. In Liyue it is seen as an "ultimate contract", one you can't break and is held in very high regard. In Inazuma, it is seen as a form of social recognition, so the higher in the social ladder your soulmate is, the better.

A soulmate is not necessarily romantic (though fair warning, it'll all be romantic partners in the following headcanons).

You need to be ready to get your soulmate. You could know someone for years, and suddenly one day they're your soulmate because one of you wasn't ready to fully commit, or wasn't mentally in a good place enough for that.

A soulmate is more than just a mark on your skin. Your souls get bonded together. It allows you some limited connection, like feeling the general direction your soulmate is, if they are in danger, in distress, or hurt, and also sharing very basic feelings.

When your soulmate dies, their mark will leave a scar on your skin. Some people die at the same time as their soulmate, some people become like an empty shell, some people survive but lose something deep inside them, some people lose a sense. It depends on the person.

Now that the worldbuilding is done, the characters are under the read more (Ayaka, Ayato, Diluc, Kaeya, Zhongli).

AYAKA absolutely loves the idea of getting her very own soulmate. She is loved by everyone, but she lacks any kind of meaningful connection with other people, except maybe for her brother and Thoma. So the idea that someday, sharing a bond so strong and so deep with someone else? Yes, that's the dream. However, she doesn't really delude herself and keep it to herself. She knows that depending on who her soulmate is, there might be some backlash against it.

And then one day, she meets you. It's a completely normal day for the both of you, Thoma is the one who introduces you as someone important for the next festival and suddenly, there's this cooling breeze sensation on where your soulmark is. You don't even need to check to know what happened, because Ayaka's expression is a mix of disbelief, excitement, and confusion. Thoma is looking back and forth between you two, completely confused, and Ayaka has to hide her blush behind her fan. "I'm... looking forward getting to know you better."

At first, you keep your relationship between the two of you, just so you have time to get to know each other and building your bond on a solid base. Only Thoma is aware of it, and he is forbidden to even tell Ayato (because she knows her brother and how ruthless he is going to be to make sure you're a good match for his baby sister). So for maybe the first weeks, it's only the two of you sharing sweet moments together, taking things slow. You have the rest of your lives after all.

AYATO... absolutely hates the whole thing. Not really the soulmate, but everything that comes around it: how much pressure he is under because he is a noble and how his worth will be partly determined by who his soulmate is, how he will be expected to have a "proper spouse" beside his soulmate if they don't fit high standards, how he had to meet so many people in his life because they were hoping to form that special connection with him. He hasn't met his soulmate and it has given his so many headaches already. And he is so busy anyway! And he would have to add his soulmate to his schedule? That's way too much of a hassle. Also, it's just another weakness he would have to protect, because of course they would target them instead of him.

But also, in a deep part of his heart, he longs to meet someone that would be his match, someone he could connect to such a deep level. He feels... lonely. And thinking about a soulmate just makes that hole in his chest a lot more present, so he just brushes all those thoughts off and focuses on all the negative instead. And then, one day, he meets you, and he feels like he is in the middle of a waterspout. He stays there, staring at you with eyes wide open, completely silent. His mark feels like rain drops on your skin, and when you call out gently to him, it feels like he finally found the eye of the storm. A genuine smile appears on his lips, and he introduces himself properly to his soulmate.

I won't lie, there will be many challenge in your new relationship, but Ayato will face them all gladly with you by his side. He feels... at peace, knowing you'll be there with him as he'll be there with you. He is not alone anymore. There won't be an official announcement at first, but Ayato won't try to hide either. He just wants to enjoy being with you, without caring much about anything else around him. Ayaka will be happy to welcome you in their family and to see her brother so happy. Maybe having a soulmate wasn't so bad after all.

DILUC's feelings on the subject changed during his life. He is a very romantic man at heart no matter how awkward he can be with actual romance. Growing up, he dreamt of meeting his soulmate and spending his life with them, knowing deep in his heart they would be perfect for each other and could only be happy, facing the world together. And then, his father died and it changed his life in so many ways, including this one. Now Diluc is more... reserved. Like Ayato, he is worried his position will put them in danger, but also... he knows he is not good with relationship and romance. What if he fucks it up? What if he somehow lacks something and can't provide his soulmate?

So yes, the man is kind of a ball of anxiety over the whole ordeal, and to be honest, as long as the Abyss Order is around, he would rather be free and not have to worry about an additional soulmate on top of everything. However, well, you just don't decide when or where you meet your soulmate. And, because apparently fate is a bitch, you are the one who saves his ass, just as he was injured after a skirmish with the Abyss Order. It wasn't a life-threatening injury, but still something that needed to be treated so you invited him to rest somewhere while you got some medical supplies to take care of them before they got infected.

The moment your hand touched his, there was a warmth, like a beating heart, on your soulmark. The heat lasted for a moment, and when you looked at Diluc, he was staring back at you with red cheeks. Of course. Of course the moment he would meet his soulmate was during a moment of weakness, oh no, what were you going to say, he was strong, he could promise you he was strong, this was but a flesh wound, he could protect you, he could be a good soulmate- And then, a gentle smile was on your lips, and his world felt complete. His wound needed treatment first of course, but then, how about a drink or two to talk about stuff? Diluc could only nod at that, trying to say "yes" but only a squeak escaped his lips and he swears he could die.

Oh, KAEYA is absolutely, completely, utterly TERRIFIED of that. He is scared shitless down to his very bones. Everything screams at him that this is a terrible idea. He comes from Khaenri'ah, a land cursed by the gods from Celestia themselves, his own father abandoned him, his adoptive brother rejected him when he learned the truth, and worse, he himself was unable to connect to his adoptive father's death no matter how devastated he felt inside. So really, he is so, so afraid. He doesn't know what is worse, no having a soulmate at all, or having one but they are what he sees in the mirror.

He'll joke and brush any comment of meeting his soulmate, saying he would break too many hearts if he did, or that nothing could be strong enough to make him settle down. Yes, the poor man is scared. So when he finally meets you, when he feels a curious sensation on his soulmark at the same time you feel a tickling cold on yours, he knows. He knows, and he actually runs away and pretends nothing happened, because you're the most gorgeous, perfect, sweetest being in all of creation in his eyes and if he stays with you, if he gets close to you, he is going to taint you and you don't deserve that. He leaves you alone, wondering what just happened and whose soulmark did you get and he doesn't look back.

Don't worry though, it won't last. The man is going to get drunk a couple of times and several days will pass, letting you think that maybe your soulmate was one that rejected the very idea of a soulmate, or maybe it was because it was you, and all those horrible things. And Kaeya just can't let you think that, you deserve the truth. So he'll come and find you with a bunch of flowers, ready to explain everything to you, how he is sorry but he can't do this... but only after a few minutes he is at your feet grovelling and begging you to forgive him and to give him a chance. Poor man is a mess but now he is your mess. He'll apologize over and over for what he did, and for a long time, but once he gets over it, he is the most loyal and caring soulmate you could hope for. He has this one chance, and he is NOT going to fuck it up, and that's a promise he makes to both you and himself.

ZHONGLI has waited for you for a very, very long time. He is a patient man, but he wasn't really expecting he would have to wait that long and had kind of... accepted it wasn't meant to be. Maybe his purpose was Liyue and nothing else. He tried to tell himself it was for the best, after all he was too busy with wars and protecting his people to give his soulmate the proper attention they deserve but deep down, he longed to have someone by his side. He had a huge part in how important soulbonds were in Liyue's culture. It was, in a way, the ultimate contract, one he was so ready to cherish above everything else.

So he waited, and waited, and waited. He never directly sought you out, but rather kept living his life, century after century, simply telling himself that if it was meant to be, then it would eventually happen. And then, one day, he met you. He knew, even before the soulmark appeared on his skin, he knew at the sound of your laugh in the street. He turned around, looking for the source of such beautiful song, his heart suddenly beating faster. It feels as if time itself stayed still for this moment, and it feels forever until Zhongli joins you.

You're very confused at first about this man walking to you? Then he politely salutes you and introduces himself, but you don't hear his exact word because a very strong yet gentle pulse appears on your soulmark, and you instinctively know what's happening. You smile back at him, and he tells you with the softest voice that he has waited for you a long time. After that, he'll take you with him somewhere you can talk in private (unless you have prior obligation, but you're not escaping him). He'll tell you everything then, and if you allow it, he'll always keep you close, basking in your presence. Your relationship will evolve at your own pace, but in his eyes, there's no doubt, you're the one for him and he'll love you for the rest of eternity.

#angsty ask #request #genshin impact #ayaka x reader #ayato x reader #diluc x reader #kaeya x reader #zhongli x reader #headcanons #Soulmate AU

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bobaboob · 1 year

Text

based on a hc from my twitter mutual i couldn't get out of my head

please enjoy my self indulgent older brother diluc and his weird sisterdaughter diona <3

words: 4.2k

Diluc hears her before he sees her.

It’s late. Late enough that even the most incorrigible drunkards Mondstadt has to offer have long deserted her dark streets.

He had closed up shop at the tavern not five minutes earlier, sighing as he shouldered his coat and prepared to begin his nightly rounds of the city. Before he could shed his usual attire, shifting personas as easily as day shifts to night, he had been struck with the whim of going to visit the cats that gathered outside of the neighboring Cat’s Tail, attracted by the bowls of fish tidbits the owner left out. Surely no one would begrudge him this small luxury of companionship before he resigned himself to the lonely night once more?

Besides, there’s no one awake to judge him as he changes course, feet turning from the familiar path home to the alley that leads to the other tavern.

He’s only half the vigilant traveler he usually is as he winds quietly past the empty flower stalls, his tall frame slumped slightly in thought. He should really remember to bring food for these strays more often. Not that they weren’t well fed already- Diluc is sure he’s far from the only one regularly paying his attentions to them- but it can’t hurt. The smaller ones tend to be scared of his size when he stoops down to offer a hand to them, so maybe he ought to put in more effort to being approachable...

Diluc is so preoccupied with the issue of the fickle affections of Mondstadt’s strays that he almost doesn’t hear her the first time, but the second sound makes him pause, his already quiet footfalls stilling to nothing. A soft, hiccuping sob echoes down the cobblestone path.

Oh. That’s a child’s sob, Diluc realizes. No enemy, regardless of skill, could mimic that tone.

A few painful memories threaten to surface, skimming the back of his consciousness. He steadily ignores them.

There it is again. Diluc’s soft, quiet breathing contrasts his racing thoughts as he tries to rationally plan his next move. Obviously, the parental voice in his head (that sounds suspiciously like his father) says, you should carefully approach the child and see if they’re hurt, or lost, or scared, or if you can do anything to help.

The other half of his brain reminds him that he doesn’t have the best track record when dealing with children, and... Well. If he’s being honest, he’ll probably just scare them even more.

Regardless of his internal conflict, though, the one part of himself that Diluc can never repress is holding its own. His conscience, bastard that it is, won’t let him leave the scene of a crying child without doing something.

He exhales through his nose. Okay. You can do this, moron. It’s just a kid. His feet move forward, purposefully a bit louder than usual- he doesn’t want to surprise them. Just don’t be scary. Be normal. Be an adult who wants to help. Be Fath-

His internal mantra stops in its tracks when he rounds the corner and takes in a small, huddled figure on the back porch of the tavern. A figure with equally small cat ears.

Oh. Oh, no. This isn’t going to work at all.

Before he can make a tactical retreat, though, she’s spotted him. He sees the hair rise on the tips of her ears and tail, but there’s no fight in her red-rimmed eyes as he meets them with his own.

He clears his throat quietly. “Are- Are you alright?”

Diona doesn’t respond, sniffling and shoving her face back into her elbow.

Of all the kids in Mondstadt, you run across the one that hates you most. Really batting a thousand tonight, huh, Diluc?

Ugh. That one sounded like Kaeya.

She’s not currently spitting venom or running away, though, and his conscience must take that as encouragement, because his boots are moving again before he notices. Small, short steps, like he’s approaching a wild animal. Which, he kind of is, he reasons to himself.

Her ears flick. She can hear him approach, he’s sure, but she just huddles closer to herself, hugging her knees tighter. She looks even smaller than usual. Diluc bites down anger at Margaret yet again for hiring such a young girl to work in a place like a tavern.

Had something happened with a patron? The vision strapped to his thigh heats up at the thought, already sending heat dancing to his fingertips. He feels the telltale creep of fury as it seeps into his bloodstream like ice. Not now, he chides. You’ll scare her. Later.

He’s within ten feet of her when her head darts up from her arms. She’s- oh, bless her, he thinks, she’s trying very hard to glare at him. In her current state, though, with tears streaking down her face and her lower lip wobbling, it’s not a very convincing act. Still, he stops, and after a moment he lowers his large body to the ground facing her.

This is what he does with the other stray cats, so theoretically it should work on this one too, right?

As if summoned by his train of thought, a lazy grey tail pokes out of the nearby bush and follows a sleek grey body that emerges from the leaves. He smiles in spite of himself, feeling Diona’s eyes on him. He holds out a large, gloved hand, before having a sudden change of heart and removing his glove, tucking it into his breast pocket and offering his bare hand to the inquisitive nose sniffing it. The cat, known to him only as Ash, seems to approve of him. She brushes up against him, letting his scarred hand scratch between her ears.

“She doesn’t usually like that.”

Diona’s voice is quiet and unsteady, but the sobs seem to have subsided for the moment. He takes that as a good sign.

“Oh?” he rumbles, keeping his eyes on the cat now rubbing against his knee. “I’ve never known her to dislike it.”

From the corner of his vision, he can see her make a face. She doesn’t say anything else, though, and Diluc feels like he should be the one to break the weighty silence that falls.

He would, if he knew what to say. Should he pretend he never saw her crying? Ask her if she wants to talk? Leave?

Before he can make up his mind, though, the opportunity is taken from him by a return of the shaking in Diona’s shoulders. Her sobs are even quieter than before, as if she’s actively trying to hide them from him. The thought breaks his heart like he didn’t know was possible.

The muffled sound of a child sobbing...

Suddenly, Diluc is eight and the sky outside the winery windows is pouring down rain and thunder on the darkened Mondstadt countryside. He peers over the railing of the staircase, drawn out of his room by the flashes of lightning outside his bedroom window and the odd sounds coming from the first floor of his home.

A particularly loud rumble shakes the house, causing the few lights in the dining room to tremble in their candelabras, and a section of the tablecloth shakes with it. There’s something under there.

Glancing back at the hallway, Diluc sees the cracked door of the room next to his and understands.

Tears are streaming down Kaeya’s face when his brother lifts the fabric and joins him under the table. Neither of them say a word. They don’t need to. The smaller boy huddles into Diluc and they sit like that as the storm rages outside.

Then, the thunder cracks again and the Diluc from fifteen years later resurfaces from his reverie.

Against his better judgment, he gets to his feet slowly, Ash trailing in his wake as he moves towards the steps the girl is seated on. He stops short in front of her, kneeling until he’s at her eye level, and opens and closes his mouth a few times as he gathers resolve.

“Diona.”

She doesn’t look up. “What do-” her voice breaks- “What do you want?”

He frowns. What does he want? Was he not making it clear that he wants to help her?

“I...” He stops, softening his voice even more until it’s barely a whisper. “Why are you crying?”

At that, her hiccuping breaths stop for moment, questioningly, as if she’s not sure she heard correctly. Before she can answer him, though, whatever troubles she’s having get the best of her and she crouches in on herself further.

By this point, Diluc is internally beside himself. He should leave; she’s clearly feeling even worse than when he got here.

He shakes his head to clear it. No. Think. His teeth grit in practiced annoyance as a familiar thought springs to mind unprompted. Do what he would do.

That Kaeya is more talented than his brother in dealing with children is possibly the worst kept secret they have between them. (Well. Maybe the second worst kept, he thinks.) Even Alice’s little daughter, who seemed to befriend the whole world as a personal mission, keeps her distance since his father passed.

He doesn’t exactly blame her, or any other child in Mondstadt. Parents teach their children to stay away from gloomy adults for a reason. It keeps them safe. If his own image is sacrificed for such a cause, he’ll gladly forfeit it.

Kaeya, on the other hand, is a favorite with most kids in the area, and for good reason.

So. What would Kaeya do?

Kaeya would... hug them? Probably?

Before he can think better of it, he lays his ungloved hand on her shaking back, hoping to provide some comfort. The girl’s breath hitches again, and she slowly brings her teary eyes up to his. He can see simultaneous misery and distrust in them, but she doesn’t look away or glare this time.

Diluc blinks. Her nose is running.

She goes to wipe her face on her sleeve once again and he unconsciously retrieves his glove from his pocket, offering it to her without a word.

Her ear twitches again. He absently wonders if it’s a nervous tick, but she takes the glove anyway, wiping her scarlet waterlines. She doesn’t make eye contact. He doesn’t remove his hand.

After a moment, a meow comes from somewhere by Diluc’s boot, accompanied by a bump. Ash makes herself known, vying for the man’s attention, and he removes his other glove to absently stroke her soft fur.

While he’s occupied finding a place to put his now-abandoned gloves, he feels a sudden weight on his chest.

Unblinkingly, his gaze flits back and forth between Diona’s head, which now rests against his lapel, and Ash’s wise golden eyes, which hold no answers for his questions.

She must be exhausted. That’s all his swirling mind can come up with for why she’s choosing to expose her vulnerabilities to the one man in Mondstadt indirectly responsible for so much of her pain.

He doesn’t say any of that, though. Instead, he lets his instincts take over- instincts he hasn’t had to make use of in years. Diluc’s other hand comes to rest on the pink crown of her head and his chin drops on top of it, his tired eyes sliding shut.

“Why?”

A single word from her shocks him out of a haze of memories. Memories of better days between him and his younger brother. Memories his mind is currently forcing him to recall.

“Why, what?” His voice is barely audible.

“Why does he drink?”

Oh.

Draff, that fucker.

Diluc is going to tear Springvale to the ground. With his bare hands.

He shuts his eyes tight and clenches his jaw imperceptibly, willing the anger welling within him to dissipate. Anger is the last thing this young girl needs from an adult right now.

“I... I don’t know, Diona.” He feels her shoulders curl into his chest more at his words. “Some people... don’t know how to deal with hardship.”

He can feel her small hands gripping his coat lapel tightly as her voice wavers out from below his chin. “He s-said he would stop. For good this time.” She sniffles. “He’s said that before. I sh-should’ve known.”

“Oh, kid,” Diluc exhales, stroking the soft hair on the top of her head. “That’s not your fault.”

She holds her silence after that for a long time. Diluc loses track of how long they sit there on the back porch of the Cat’s Tail, Diona sniffling as she rests against his chest, her eyes making damp patches on the fabric.

His lower body is half numb by this point, forced to stay stock-still in an uncomfortable position, fearing lest he scare off the wounded animal clinging to his chest. He doesn’t mind.

Instead, his frame begins to vibrate lowly with a familiar melody, recalling a tune he would hear Adelinde singing around the manor as a child as she dusted his father’s paintings. He barely notices he’s humming until he’s halfway through, his mind far away from the dark cobblestone alley his body crouches in.

That tune used to make him feel safe. If he’s honest with himself, as vulnerable as Diona must be at the moment, he feels equally so. It wasn’t a common occurrence for him to comfort anyone, let alone to let them use him as a pillow. Maybe that’s why he starts the melody, craving the safety he felt in those memories.

If Adelinde were here... or Father... but how many times in a day already did he wish the late head of his clan were alive?

Some days, he doesn’t even count the moments in between the longing. Grief, for Diluc, is a constant blanketing feeling that injects itself into his every thought even all these years later.

Still... if he were here, he would know what to do better than his fool of a son, Diluc thinks.

While his mind is thus occupied, the body he left behind continues to run on autopilot, gliding his hand gently over the crown of her head as he winds to the end of the melody.

Diona has long ceased her hiccuping sobs, and her sniffles are coming in longer and longer intervals by the time he finishes. She makes a noise against his chest- a kind of muffled huff- and breaks away from his hold, trying to ignore the obvious mess she’s made of his tie and shirt.

For a moment, she refuses to meet his eyes, and Diluc is suddenly afraid he’s done something wrong. Has he crossed some kind of boundary? She hardly knows him, after all.

Before he can despair for too long, however, she squeezes her eyes shut a few times and then meets his earnest gaze with less animosity than he’s ever seen in her face.

He summons his resolve.

“Do you have someplace safe to stay tonight?” He asks before he can think better of it. “It’s rather late for someone young to be out on their own.”

She makes a face at that and he represses the urge to smile. “’M not young. I’m grown up, I’ll have you know.”

He actually does laugh then, a smile blooming across his face that would have reminded any onlooker of another man who bore the Ragnvindr name in years past. “Of course. My apologies, Miss Kätzlein.”

He thinks he sees the corner of her mouth tilt up at that, but it could have been a trick of the light.

“Please, let me try again.” He clears his throat, playing into his role as best as he can. “Miss Kätzlein, would you allow me to accompany you on your way home this evening? Mondstadt can be unsafe for anyone at night, you know.”

She’s shut her eyes now, looking away in disdain with her arms crossed. One green eye opens to glance at him, though, and in her expression he sees relief.

“Hm. Fine, I’ll allow it,” she preens, as if her dignity was still entirely in one piece. “If it’ll make you feel better.”

He grins, his face lighting up as he stands and offers her his arm. “It would, thank you.”

Diona refuses it, seeming to regain a semblance of her usual pride, and gets to her feet herself. Diluc attempts to right his crumpled collar and tie, giving up his gloves as a lost cause and tucking them into his pocket.

Few moments pass until they’re on their way, stopping only for Diona to refill the cat bowl by the tavern door. Ash waves her tail in farewell as they depart, padding gracefully up to her dinner in the moonlight.

The walk out onto the bridge and beyond is quiet, but it’s a comfortable silence. Diluc walks behind his charge, large boots covering the small pawprints in the sandy path leading from Mondstadt to Springvale. He makes a conscious effort to push his awareness to its limits, knowing that he has a higher priority at stake. Not a bird launches from its perch, or breeze floats through the branches above, without his notice tonight.

As they begin to approach the village, however, the man notices a change in the figure walking in front of him. Diona’s once-confident steps have begun to shrink, bringing their pace down by nearly half. Her tail swishes about nervously. Her ears, usually flicking about, now lay flat against her head instead.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, and maybe distract her if she’s scared, he asks her an offhand question about how work at the Cat’s Tail went that evening.

He didn’t mean to bring up alcohol, but he realizes too late that it was possibly the worst subject he could have chosen.

The effect is immediate. Diona stops, turning on her heel to face him with arms crossed over her chest and a familiar look of loathing.

“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know, huh? Don’t think I’ve forgotten who you are, Mister Angel’s Share.” Her baleful gaze falls to her feet as she kicks aside a few rocks in frustration. “Mister Dawn Winery. Mister- Mister Stupid-” she punctuates the word with a particularly vicious kick- “Wine Industry. Mister...”

She pauses, apparently having run out of disparaging epithets. The look on her face would be adorable if it wasn’t so full of disdain for him, Diluc muses to himself.

He sighs. Now is probably as good of a time as any to set the record straight.

“Diona.”

“What.” Her tone is biting.

“Do you think I like selling alcohol?”

He crouches down to her eye level as he says it, watching for a reaction. He isn’t disappointed; her pink eyebrows rise as far as they can go and her eyes widen for a moment before returning to an even more intense glare.

“Duh.”

“You’d be wrong.”

Her mouth twists into a pout, but her eyes keep their vigilant stare. She’s really good at that, Diluc notes absently.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Too bad.” The more mature part of Diluc is sending distress signals to his brain right now, warning him that tracking down a rogue teenage cat-hybrid in the forest at night will go poorly when she decides to bolt. He ignores it in favor of the familiar rush of being able to banter with someone the way he used to.

She doesn’t look convinced, but she’s also not interrupting him, so he continues.

“Do you know why I sell wine?”

Diona shakes her head, her tail flicking behind her. Whether that was out of curiosity or annoyance, Diluc doesn’t know.

“I sell wine because my father sold wine, and I loved my father.” His voice holds as steady as his gaze, rumbling deep in his chest. “I still love him, even in his absence.”

Diona has broken her hostile eye contact and is staring at her shoes.

“So, even though I don’t like alcohol myself-” Diona’s head shoots up at that, and he manages to curb a smile- “I run Angel’s Share and the winery because I’m taking care of my father’s legacy. What he built.”

He swallows, voice thickening despite his best efforts. “I’m sorry that what he built has been the source of so much pain for you, Diona.”

A lull falls over the two figures on the forest path. For a moment, even the breeze ceases.

A few teardrops fall onto the dust.

Oh, shit. Shit.

She’s crying again. You made a little girl cry, you absolute fucking idiot.

Okay, that one sounded like both him and Kaeya.

Regardless of whose voice it is that’s chastising him, though, Diluc’s knee-jerk reaction is the same. His broad hands come to rest on her shoulders and he tries to keep the panic out of his tone as he asks if she’s okay.

She doesn’t respond, but even though she’s crying, it’s not the same awful sobs that plagued her earlier, he realizes. When she looks up at him with vulnerable eyes for the second time tonight, the tears in them fall silently.

He hopes it will be the last time she looks at him with red-rimmed eyes.

This time, he leans forward to catch her as she falls towards him, tentatively wrapping his arms around her like he��s afraid she’ll break.

No gut-wrenching sobs reach his ears now, though. After a moment when all he can hear is the wind, she speaks, and he feels his heart stop in his chest.

“I don’t know if I want to go back there tonight.”

Well.

He’s been getting better at keeping his emotions from showing on his face recently. Right now, though, should anyone happen to walk by, the mere sight of his knit brows and set jaw could make the most hardened sinner repent.

Every man has his limits, after all.

Biting his cheek in place of the vengeance he couldn’t yet take, he pulls back and takes her hand, willing her to look him in the eyes.

“Diona.”

No response. Her other hand digs into the fabric of his shirt tighter.

“You don’t have to go home if you don’t want to.”

She sniffles.

“Will you let me offer my home to you tonight?”

Her shoulders shake again, and for a horrible moment he thinks she’s sobbing again, but then he hears her giggle and all is right with the world again.

He smiles, standing up as she dissolves into laughter. “What’s funny about that?”

“You want me to stay at the place-” Diona snorts, interrupting herself-” where all the wine in this dumb region is made?” She sounds incredulous, her eyes daring him to contradict her. She’s still laughing, though, so as far as Diluc’s concerned, her words don’t hold much bite.

Besides, he’s just relieved she’s finally stopped crying. Children are exhausting.

When her giggles have subsided, she turns her back to him, flawlessly jumping back into character. “I can’t say I’ll enjoy it, but I can endure it, I suppose.”

He takes that as an answer as good as any.

And so, with the moon creeping slowly across the inky sky, the two oddly matched traveling companions continue their journey across the Mondstadt countryside. When they reach the fork in the road, Diona doesn’t hesitate, marching past the Springvale sign without even a look of contempt.

Diluc feels a surge of pride. Then, he questions that emotion. Then, he elects to ignore those questions.

Further on down the path, she has to slow down to walk beside him when she’s no longer sure of the way. He notices the way her feet have started to drag and, immediately dismissing the notion of offering to carry her, instead asks her questions to keep her awake.

Luckily, Diona likes to talk, and she has no shortage of opinions.

Eventually, she asks him how he and Captain Kaeya are related if they feel so differently about drinking, and he laughs louder than he has in a while.

“Well, whatever. He’s still a rotten boozehound,” Diona huffs, “but at least he’s nicer than the other drunkards.”

Diluc’s mouth quirks up against his will. “Oh?”

“Yeah... that weirdo can put back drink after drink, but there was a couple of times when patrons were being weird to me, and... he set them straight.”

He’s lucky the moon isn’t bright enough to illuminate the grin on his face.

“Good. Otherwise, I’d kick his ass.”

After a while more, when the moon is almost threatening to disappear, they reach the path that winds around the winery grounds. By now, Diona is barely staying on her feet. Diluc resists the urge to steer her with his hand after she almost walks into a grapevine post.

As the doors of the manor appear before them, the first light of dawn breaks over the distant hills.

Tonight, Diluc thinks, he’ll settle Diona in one of the many guest rooms in the winery and ensure she rests well.

Tomorrow, he’ll make a visit to Springvale.

It will be a peaceful visit. He will rationally speak to Draff about the way he treats his daughter.

He will be polite. He will be civil.

He will not bring his claymore.

He will not.

He’s going to bring his claymore.

#genshin impact #genshin fanfic #diluc ragnivindr #diona katzlein #diluc adopts diona fic #ragbros #kaeya #diluc #diona #i am. so sad #please accept this offering in case you would also like to be sad #pixel divider by mp4's graphic resources! <3

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cubiicete · 8 months

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have some mond hcs bc theyre in my head and i feel like they should be enjoyed

Diluc

Exceptionally shy. Claims he has no interest in romance because it 'wastes time' but it's just to cover up how flustered it makes him. Diluc may have some skills when it comes to flirting, but he's so dense he doesn't recognize when he's doing it, or when directed at him. Kissed Jean while they were still kids, and he never did it again. He is, however, very soft-spoken and gentle. Will look away flushed if he has to kiss the hands of people he feels affection for. Sensitive and a virgin.

Kaeya

Despite his playboy reputation, he doesn't actually have much experience. Prone to keep people at arms length to protect them while he still craves connection. He never lets himself indulge. Kaeya did have a few flings before the Crepus incident, but that was only because they were more drawn to his brother. Thinks Diluc is actually much more experienced because they refuse to talk about it. He may be skilled, but he doesn't believe anyone is genuine with their affection towards him.

Venti

Many are drawn to Venti for his eternal youthful glow, and his carefree attitude laid into a carefully concealed wisdom. He may be a replica of his old friend, but he's altered his appearance enough for it to feel like himself as well. Venti is the playboy of Mondstadt and keeps his people in the palm of his hand with warm words and poems to soothe the heart. Is never caught actually courting anyone, so the impression is that he's doing it for wine or to convince others to come to his performances. The only person who knows that Diluc and Kaeya are not like their reputations.

Lisa

Into some pretty tame kinks. Runs the midnight club in Mondstadt against Jean's well wishes. Very devoted to Jean despite her flirty exterior, and the furthest she's gone with someone (without Jean's consent) was a kiss on the cheek. Likes to read erotica to her gf to make her blush, and she's more than capable to keep a straight face while talking about explicit topics.

Jean

Much like Diluc, she is very shy. Flustered easily, never really knows what to do without direct instruction. The kiss she shared with the Dark Knight Hero back in the day was when she wrote off boys entirely. This was also decided after she was with Rosaria for a brief period. She never entirely got over her, and while she does love her current gf, she wonders what it would be like to have them both. Jean is, however, very good at keeping her composure while she is flustered. Very sweet, loves to give 'I thought of you when I saw this' gifts.

Rosaria

Frequent dominatrix at Lisa's Midnight Club. Sometimes, she goes just to watch. Others, she's set on participating. Her favourites are when she's unsure and her loyal subs beg her to join in. Knows Venti has ventured in with a disguise on more than one occasion. Casually pining over Lisa with repressed affections for Jean. Loves Kaeya like a weird, overprotective older brother because he likes to threaten the entirety of the Angel's Share death if they hurt her. Always keeps a knife on her in case Barbara's stalkers show up.

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wri0thesley · 1 year

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seeing your snoring hc immediately made me think: when they were younger, kaeya would throw a pillow into diluc's face from the other side of the room (with surprising precision, i must add) because his brother's snoring wouldn't let him sleep lmao. "diluc, wake up!" "...what?" "stop snoring" "i— i wasn't snoring—" "YES YOU WERE SHUT THE FUCK UP"

as they got older and went separated ways, kaeya would find himself strangely nostalgic at the lack of noise when he went to sleep. it was quiet, maybe too quiet. The silence reminded him of his loneliness.

as for diluc, adelinde didn't have the heart to tell him, so he just went unaware of the issue for a LONG time.

Kaeya's lover would eventually learn that he actually is a way heavier sleeper than it seems, soft words and whispers didn't work to wake him up at all, which was is an issue when he falls sleep enveloping his lover in a tight embrace, not letting them go even for urgent things like using the bathroom or going to open the door when someone knocked in the early morning. "I had to live with a terrible snorer as a kid," he would explain later, hand gently caressing your face. "I guess I had to adapt if I ever wanted to sleep at all."

Diluc's lover would have the difficult tasks of finding out unannounced. But it's no trouble! Sometimes giving him a gentle push would help him adjust his posture and stop his snoring. And he actually wakes up easier that someone else. "I was... snoring?" He would blush to the tip of his ears, apologies flying from his pretty lips "I'm so sorry I woke you up, my love...!"

But it's okay. Cradle him in your arms, find a comfortable position. He will fall sleep again in no time, specially if you thread your fingers in his fiery hair, and maybe with your help he will be less stressed and snore a little bit less (not a permanent solution, it seems. But it's kind of cute, anyways)

—with love, an anon that loves both ragbros

anon, this is SO CUTE. thinking about the ragbros as siblings.... waah. spoilt former only child diluc having a BROTHER now who can call him out on these things!!! sometimes diluc wakes himself up snoring and braces himself for kaeya to tell him off before he remembers :(((

#nat.txt #genshin impact posting #sobbing i love them

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wyvernne · 2 years

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ask and you shall receive ! a few of my favorites from my arsenal of diluc hcs, some lighthearted some not so much teehee

- he is a cat person 100%, he enjoys feeding any strays he finds on the streets of mond and sometimes they follow him around

- this is a popular one but mans is all scarred up from when he was first learning to use his vision, his “vacation”, various abyss missions, his and kaeya’s fight, the delusion; he could probably tell you where he got each one too

- as he gets older, he starts to look more like his father and there’s been a few times where adelinde has caught herself calling him “master crepus”, doesn’t help that he ended up taking crepus’s clothes when he returned since his old ones didn’t fit anymore

- he is a fantastic cook and learned by constantly sneaking into the kitchen as a child to help adelinde with whatever she was making (she was a mother figure to the ragbros i will die on that hill)

- when kaeya first arrived at the ragnvindr residence, crepus was at times overly welcoming to the point of showing more affection for him than he did diluc (it was in good faith but poor luc was already attention starved)

i’m obsessed w the notion that diluc is an absolute animal lover. mf will try to be undercover in mondstadt and will immediately attract any animals in the general vicinity because they recognize his scent and know he always has treats for them.

when he was little, he and kaeya would 100% just show up at the manor with random stray animals. got to the point where the winery was more of an animal farm than a vineyard.

#asks #crepus was definitely weak to his kids fr #i think there’s parts of him that were bad #like forming his ideals onto his young heir #but at the same time you can absolutely tell he spoiled his kids lol

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dutybcrne · 7 months

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Okay, random Addie hcs bc she is a official-unofficial muse on here:

She is, by birth, Snezhnayan. Her real name is Ada Dorokova.

She had no family to speak of, save her brother, older than her by five years.

She had been a Fatuus for a time. Her brother had joined the Fatui first to support the two of them and become a Pyroslinger. She joined soon after, though remained a more low-ranking operative. She did however learn to use his gun, at his insistence. She became a far better shot than he, even able to shoot a Mora coin from considerable distance with ease. It was this skill that allowed her to join her brother's company, in spite of her lower rank.

While dispatched to Mond, their company leader executed her brother after the man began to express doubts about the Fatui's mission, especially after they had intermingled with the locals and observed them, out of uniform.

In spite of her grief, the man kept telling her it was for the best, as a traitor like that would only hinder their mission. It was that very grief that had her taking up arms against her own comrades and slaughtering them all in a rage.

She can scarcely remember anything from her rampage, save her feelings of grief and anger. From the moment she picked up her brother's weapon and took the first shot, it was all a murky fog.

She does remember coming to and meeting Crepus Ragnvindr. She almost killed him too, had his abrupt query about her well-being and clear distressed concern not caught her off-guard.

After he talked her down and hearing her tale, he first offered her his coat to stave off the cold, then a place in his staff and a home in his manor as he helped treat her wounds. She rejected it promptly, not trusting why he would offer such a kindness to a Fatuus, though him outright lying to the knights who happened upon them and the carnage she'd wrought, that she'd been a mercenary who protected him from the Fatui, had been enough to sway her. Especially when he'd left his coat in her case, a last comfort he could offer her and a promise to meet again before they'd part.

It would take several meetings after that before she would take his hand and be led home. During that time, she changed her name to a more local-sounding one, and took to using his cover for her, working as a mercenary in the meantime, occasionally running into him at the Angel's Share whenever she'd stop by for business or leisure. Or to observe him and the sort of man he was. She caved six months after he'd first made his offer.

Apart from being hired as a maid, Adelinde had also served as Crepus' personal aid and guard. She worked hard to hone and maintain her skills in every aspect she could, taking to her role with utmost dedication.

She did develop feelings for Crepus, but never acted on them, especially after he'd gotten together with Diluc's mother and the lad had been born. She never faulted him for it nor did she dwell on them. Rather, she used them as incentive to better care for him and the young boy, even after his mother was out of the picture.

She taught Diluc how to use a firearm, as her brother had her, at the curious child's request. Seeing the lad so hard at work did remind her of him at times, which never failed to make her heart ache.

The one who reminded Adelinde of her brother the most though was Kaeya. She will never admit it, even if prodded, but it is for that reason that he was her favorite of the two. Still, she doted on both equally, adoring them both with every ounce of love her heart could muster. They were as much family to her, as the others in the staff and Winery came to be.

She and Crepus were both aware of Kaeya's heritage, the man having confided to her that Kaeya's eyes resembled those of Khaenri'ahns from legends he'd read. They both elected to let the boy come clean at his own pace, as they felt he deserved a home, regardless of his origin, just as she had been given that chance. She made the greatest efforts to ensure he felt as welcomed as she did, that he adjusted well and personally tutored him whenever he needed the extra help.

Addie did admit her feelings for Crepus some time before Diluc's eighteenth birthday, but only because he had asked her regarding them. They were never truly able to navigate what could come out of them, as Crepus died soon after.

In learning of Diluc's jaunt to Snezhnaya, she cashed in a few favors with her old mercenary buddies to have them look after him the best they could. No doubt he would be hard to locate, with what limited information she could have and provide, but if it could make the difference between life or death for him, she would take every measure she could.

She admitted as much to him when he returned, through relieved tears and choked sobs upon seeing.

She was not only one of the first to learn of his intents to moonlight as a vigilante, but his greatest supporter.

Adelinde has personally stopped many a home invader over the years, from the start of her service to the present day and never fails to sleep without both her own and her brother's guns prepped and ready at her bedside. She also frequently patrols the manor in the late hours, and there are no shortage of guns specially hidden around the manor for her to make a grab for in emergencies.

No, she will Never tell Diluc where they all are.

#hc; adelinde #death mention tw #long post for ts #//The Alfred to Luc's Bats is what she turned into jhbfkdg #//Some things are flexible to be amended; depending on other person

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threepointseven · 2 years

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can u do a child reader with diluc !!!like diluc is or dad and we are the dauget=r

Diluc the not so temporary dad

Type- HC’s 🌷

Flowers included!🌼= platonic! Diluc x child! Reader

Note🍀= HIII THIS TOOK WAY TOO LONG IM SORRY AND I GOT SUPER OVERBOARD- BUT I HOPE YOU LIKE!! I LOVE WRITING CHILD READERS SM

Genshin masterlist

💐Your bouquet has been delivered <3💐

now i mean it when i say nobody wouldve expected diluc to actually become someones guardian-dad-thing

Yes he has the looks and the vibe but he is waaayyy to socially awkward to take care of a child

When he first met you he was in a haze with the slightest of irritation, he was signing paper after paper regarding wine importing and stuff, he was alone in the winery. It was a thunderstorm and during the peak of his irritation he heard scrambled, frightened knocks. The knocks were soft yet loud and rushed. He was about to explode but he calmly raced to the door to go scold whoever was knocking at the door but when he opened it ready to go off he saw the small figure of a child, bruised and roughed up, a doll practically hanging onto dear life while it let the rain water splash onto its soft, yet rugged skin

You were crying, sobbing as you tried to speak to the man, your clothes all tattered from what seemed like being attacked and such.

You were blabbering random words, “help” “scared”, you couldnt say anything else and in a whim of confusion he pulled you inside the winery and tried to calm you down. Your tears just kept flowing before he hesitantly placed his hand on your head, patting it softly as he kneeled to your height and tried to squeeze some answers off of you.

You had no idea how to speak, you could only write. And as a response to his hoard of questions you panicked and ended up just passing out.

SOO fast forward to the next day your on his bed as he stares at you worriedly, once your awake you snatched a pen and paper from his desk and wrote out your thank you. You were young and had no huge sense of language so you wrote what you could. “mom died” “Dad threw me out” “told me not to speak” “hit me”

Is all you could scribble on the little notebook. His heart shattered at each reveal and he had the click in his heart to take care of you. Give you the childhood you deserve even if it meant becoming your parent.

Being his child was easy, heaven almost. You easily started trusting him as he treated you better than anyone ever has! He taught you how to speak and let you become confident in using your voice as your father had muted you for half your life.

Hed practice with you and once you ran to him with a nervous look in the middle of a shift in the tavern and said your first sentence. Uncharacteristically he dropped the glass and pat your head lovingly with his eyes widened and a gigantic grin on his face

When kaeya found out he insisted it was temporary, that he would find someone that would actually wanna take care of you as a parent but lets be real here if anyone offered he’d get furious and flip them off

Everyday even if you had gotten older he stayed your unofficial guardian. Holding your hand through every inch in mondstat and giving you a tiny wooden greatsword after you had complained and whined about wanting to fight like him. Hed train with you everyday when you told him firmly you wanted to learn and punched himself in the face internally everytime he knocked you back during training.

He’d always have a cold, disinterested face whenever you talked to him and ranted to him with confused scrambled words of a typical child.

Kaeya and the others would tease him non stop when they caught you running towards him with your arms prepared to crush diluc into a bear hug.

The first time you called diluc dad i kid you not he was about to start sobbing, he actually did need a minuted to go tear up in the bathroom before patting your head and and rolling his eyes with a “you can call me that if youd like.”

We all know he loves it whenever he hears that familiar voice shouting “DAD!!”

He spoils you so so much too???! GDHDNSJ like clothes, jewelry everything like that is by you in a second. As a kid your often attracted to practically anything shiny and yk whats shiny? Extremely expensive gems, and he buys all of em! He loves seeing the smile on your face when he gives you literally anything. Trips outisde of mondstat are also really common being a multi millionaire so he always takes you. Ever since hes claimed you as his child (in his head. He refuses to say it out loud) he takes you everywhere on his business trips

There was this one time where it was fathers day, kaeya told you to do something special for the man and you had no idea what to do but shooed everyone off who offered to help since you wanted to do it yourself so it was special! . You had the little idea to give him a calming, very small thank you party. The entire day he was swamped with meetings, and when he got home he was greeted with your smiling frame, swinging your legs up and down on the chair with a party hat wonkily put on your head that was red. There was a badly made banner in written with “happy fathers day!” In crappy orange paint. The whole banner was a mess, it touched his heart as he walked towards you and noticed the 3 presents and a letter on the table. Each present wrapped terribly but you looked so so proud of it.

You two spent the night eating the cookies you made for him as he read out the letter you wrote with your small figure on his lap. As embarrassing as it is he has the letter laminated and put in a picture frame in his room now. And ever since he opened the small present which contained a beautiful garnet bracelet you picked out yourself he swore to wear it till his death.

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin imagines #genshin diluc x reader #diluc x you #diluc x y/n #diluc x reader #diluc genshin impact #genshin impact diluc #diluc genshin x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x you

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