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canonical-transformation · 2 years

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Hi, I'm Ningguang, and welcome back to Monster Mansions of Teyvat.

Today we'll be looking at the Palace of Alcazarzaray, a lovely jungle hideaway that is all splendour... if you have no taste.

Now, the Palace of Alcazarzaray is the private residence of Lord Sangemah Bay, an magnate and fellow billionaire with strong credentials in the mercantile and shipping industries.

Lord Sangemah Bay and I are business partners, and an NDA prevents me from disclosing any details about their identity. But what I can tell you is that Sangemah Bay suffers from a congenital condition: they were born without a shred of aesthetic sense.

We start with the location. Nestled deep in the Lokapala Jungle in Sumeru's northeast, this estate is... no, let's start there. Nestled. Nestled.

Here we observe the first symptom of having money and no taste: the location of this monster mansion is hidden from view, so that nobody else can find it.

You think I'm joking? I spoke with the estate's butler, who confirmed the location was chosen for seclusion, peace, and quiet.

Now, we've discussed this before on Monster Mansions. When you design and commission an opulent residence, you flaunt it. That's the whole point! Why would you even bother having a four bedroom five bathroom estate like this if you're not going to rub it in the faces of everyone who ever said you would never make it? If you're not going to drop your shredded paper on the heads of all those old money geezers who looked down on you while you were working your ass off to make your fortune?

It baffles me.

Then again, this is the same Sangemah Bay who insisted the Sumeru edition of Liyue Millennial use jewel-encrusted playing pieces. Like some tacky Snezhnayan auntie. Maybe the Lord knows how ugly any house they commission would turn out and is just trying to hide the evidence?

Credit where credit's due, this pavilion is pretty nice. Good use of ornament on those load bearing columns. I guess if you don't know how to engineer your own house there's nothing wrong with getting a renowned Kshahrewar architect to design it for you.

These flowers are so uninspired though.

I did see a nice padisarah:

But the upkeep on this garden... It's like the thing exists to justify having half a dozen gardeners on payroll.

I've said it on previous episodes, and I'll say it again: if you want to see some greenery, go to a damn park. A house is a built environment. It's your special place to line with beautiful fountains and booby-trapped windows and secret Geo-Vision-unlocked torture chambers. None of this manicured lawn nonsense. Some bare minimum to contrast your cleverly engineered water features, but otherwise, that's it.

Also what's with all these side houses? If you have your pirate wife over, are you really going to make her sleep in a different building? Pah.

But this is the design 'logic' of the kind of business genius who thinks running a shipping line direct from Ormos to Dornman without stopping through Liyue is a sane "cost saving measure". Routing through Liyue Harbour is a value-add, you buffoon.

Now, the main house is perfectly nice... or so you'd think.

What this picture doesn't show is how all this intricate glasswork faces southeast. You know what that means? That's right. No sunlight through the stained glass.

I took a few test photos over the course of the day. The top of this ornate window gets the most light right at sunrise... and it still doesn't reach the full thing.

Dear Lord Sangemah Bay, maybe if you focused less on trying to hack my export tax code you might have noticed your estate was facing the wrong way?

And what even is this? How did that get there?

Fun fact: Lord Sangemah Bay once cheated me at cards. I don't mind because I was cheating too, but still. Tasteless.

(continued)

#ningguang #lord sangemah bay #genshin impact #my writing #silly headcanons #ningguang being extremely salty #dori #duriya #palace of alcazarzaray #monster mansions of teyvat

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talesofmetalandmagic · 1 year

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Ok I want to make some things quite clear: when I use Nahida and Dori in my Genshin stuff they are re-worked to remove the gross fetishistic elements.

Dori is built around the 90s kids’ movie concept of a child being smarter than her own age and doing things she’s not supposed to do, like running a business. She’s also more of a girly-girl who likes sparkly things, pretty clothes, the color pink and anything that is soft and cuddly – most notably her rotund pal, which is a Seelie being anointed with electro. She canonically tends to Sumpter beasts and loves them, so it’s not even that off the wall.

There’s other elements to her, like her “scams” being more of a Kevin McAllister, “mischievous kid who’s smarter than the stupid grown-ups” kinda thing. She could totally pull a “get down on your knees and tell me you love me” on Kaveh. As well as the traumatic element of losing her sister, whom I dubbed Almas*, which leads her to cope in an unhealthy way. Her peers – Qiqi, Klee and so forth – love her and just wish she could play more and work less.

As for Nahida, it’s mostly a redesign. They both get them, especially in AUs where they either wear modern clothes or the uniform of Arlecchino’s orphanage imposed on them.

* Almas is Diamond in Farsi. Dori is Pearl. Yes I like Pokémon.

#Genshin impact #Nahida #Genshin Nahida #lesser lord kusanali #dori #dori sangemah bay #Genshin Dori #Sumeru #Sumeru redesigns #honestly I almost forget they’re not as dark-skinned as my Picrews

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silkjade · 1 year

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alhaitham x mermaid! reader (3)

⤀ warnings: fem!reader, no pronouns mentioned, reader has hair long enough to be pinned a/n: recommended to read the previous parts first, since this is a direct continuation next ﾉ series masterlist ﾉ bonus (18+) ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･𓇼

When you first step foot into sumeru city’s grand bazaar, you're immediately taken aback by the atmosphere. It's too loud, feels too stifling— a far cry from the vast and silent depths of the ocean, or the peaceful serenity of the forest. Even port ormos, had at least a lovely sea breeze. But you've come so far, it'd be a waste not to experience this lively city to its fullest.

“This necklace should only be worn by someone as beautiful as you!”

“Ditch those drab clothes and come see this new fabric from liyue!”

“I guarantee these sunsettias are sweet like you!”

"Can I buy you a drink tonight?"

It's already a little dizzying to be so far inland, but the way all these humans vie for your attention, on top of the musicians and screaming children in the background… it’s a lot to take in so suddenly. Covering your ears helps a little, but not nearly enough to drown out the cacophony. You don’t even care to react when a strong arm wraps around your waist and leads you away.

Alhaitham guides you towards an isolated corner nearby, shooting a glare at any who dares look your way. He speaks to you in your native tongue; his pronunciation has become near flawless with your help.

“Are you alright?”

Both your head and your heart seem to settle a bit at the familiarity.

"It's a little much is all... just need some time to adjust."

To play it safe, alhaitham removes his soundproof earpieces, placing them on you instead, and switches it on to the lowest setting. He's no fan of the noise either, but he's used to it; he'll be fine.

"Oh isn't this beautiful? And i'm sure it'll look even better on me!"

Alhaitham rolls his eyes. You're gushing over a hairpin while he stands beside you, arms full carrying assorted jewelry, trinkets large and small, a carpet, and a basketful of zaytum peaches. Mermaids and their vanity and their affinity for pretty things… at least you’re helping the local economy.

However, there’s currently only one issue and it isn’t the mora— it's the merchant who has him blacklisted.

"That'll be two million mora for the hairpin."

Now that he cannot justify. It's well crafted and beautifully embedded with crystal ore, but definitely not worth even half of what dori is asking for; only a fool would pay that price. Underhanded as it may be, he manages to swipe a similar hairpin that peaks out from under the large pile of accessories. Besides, all the times lord sangemah bay has overcharged him on information sales is far from a mere two million mora.

Dinner at lambad’s is interrupted by a trio of colorfully clad men who seem to be on familiar terms with alhaitham. You had always read him as more of a loner, and had seemed to be correct in your assumptions until now.

"I have some business to attend to, but I'll be back shortly. In the meantime, these are my... acquaintances. You can trust them."

“Would it kill you to call us your friends?” says the intimidating, purple one.

The blonde one laughs into oblivion when he sees alhaitham leave with his arms full of your many purchases in tow.

…

“Ah, so you’re a diver. There’s a specific deep sea coral I’ve been dying to study, but it’s been impossible to get a sample. Would you be interested in working together? I'll be sure to compensate you well.”

You agree to tighnari’s proposal; it would be no trouble as the dragon bone coral he speaks of is easy to find if you know where to look. Across the table, cyno let's out a chuckle.

“You sea…,” a pause for dramatic effect, “you said ‘sure’ which can also be construed as ‘shore.’ As in, the land along the edge of the sea.”

Kaveh orders a round of firewater shots to drown out the pain of cyno’s terrible sense of humor. Unfortunately, alhaitham returns to find out you’re quite the lightweight.

…

He carries you on his back all the way home, listening to your drunken rambles along the way. You seemed to have had fun with his friends, but there’s a corner of his mind that can’t help but wonder if you now find him boring in comparison.

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

“Wanna know a secret?” you slur, giggling. “I enjoy the time I spend with you the most.”

With that said, you nuzzle closer into the crook of his neck and alhaitham feels his face heat up all the way to the tips of ears. Mermaids are proud and rarely ever reveal their true feelings, so he counts himself lucky to have heard yours. Your soft breathing tickles his skin. He’s glad you’re asleep now, knowing that you would’ve teased him again otherwise.

Once home, alhaitham sets you on the living room divan before leaving to prepare the bath. The aforementioned business he had to attend to, was purchasing salt. In bulk. He figured you’d need saltwater to rehydrate, as it’s been a few days since you’ve last been in any water. And a saltwater bath would surely be less of a hassle to deal with than a shriveled up mermaid.

The way your legs meld back into a tail is mesmerizing, especially with how your scales shimmer to life in the water. It quickly sobers you up. He’s about to leave but…

“Not even going to keep me company? I stayed with you all night at the cove you know.”

There it is. Alhaitham turns back around just in time to see the little grin on your face, as you rest your arms along the edge of the tub while your long tail hangs over the other end. He doesn’t know much of mermaid physiology but it’s enough to assume the saltwater, makeshift as it may be, has successfully sobered you up.

“I’m going to bed. You should get some sleep as well.”

“But I’m not tired.”

“I am. Goodnight.” And he leaves. Eventually, the man returns with a stack of books and papers.

“These are old studies I pulled from the akademiya regarding the dark sea. Since you’ve got the energy, mind fact checking? Just be careful not to get them wet.”

He sets them down on a nearby stool before a splash of water hits him right in the face.

“How about with some compensation then?” he says, pulling out the hairpin he had swiped from dori.

It’s similar to the one you had previously fawned over, though it’s laid with nagadus emerald instead, which he thought suited you much better than plain crystal ore. Unbeknownst to him, you had liked the first because its cyan stones reminded you of those he would toss in the water upon arriving at the cove. However, you adore this one for the way the emerald gems seem to match the very one sitting on his chest. You think you’ll cherish it forever.

“Will you put it on for me?”

His touch is surprisingly gentle, careful not to accidentally tug too hard. Alhaitham’s seen kaveh put up his hair enough times to replicate a simple style. Easier said than done as it turns out to be less than stellar, sitting slant and loose. At least he tried.

“Well? How does it look?”

Light reflects off the gems in your hair and into the water, casting an iridescent glow that bounces across the room, dancing onto your skin. Anyone could say that even the brightest of jewels dull in the face of your otherworldly beauty. Only he can say that in this moment, in his bathroom, you look more perfect than the moon shining through the window behind you.

“I think it’d look even more flattering if you were reading,” he glances down, “Enigmatic Depths: An Empirical Study of the Ocean and Beyond.”

Another splash of water hits his face.

a/n2: If you're already on the taglist, you'll be tagged for any future parts (just lmk if you'd like to be added/removed) ^^ I also kind of want to do an 18+ bonus part in the future, but no taglist for that since I don't want to jumpscare anyone lmao (unless you guys want one idk but have your age in bio pls) Anyways, thank you for reading ♡

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genshin-impact-updates · 6 months

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Happy Birthday, Dori!

Ta-da! Welcome to the store of the illustrious Lord Sangemah Bay!

Go on, what is it that you so desire? Your wish is my command! Hehe, as long as you have a pile of shiny, golden...

Aww, where are you off to in such a hurry? How about this then — 12% off EVERYTHING!

Hmm? You're actually here to bring me a birthday present...? That's so generous of you! In that case, I'll give you a special friend's discount the likes of which has never been seen before! Pick anything you like, usage period: unlimited~

#genshin impact #genshin impact updates #genshin impact news #official #official art #birthday art #genshin impact dori #the fact that there's literally no tag for her

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idkfitememate · 5 months

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So we have tiger creator and deer creator

So a present

Sumpter beast creator

This thing

Like we have a killer cat in the city

But imagine this giant in the city

Just chilling

The Palace of Alcazarzaray had a new resident. A resident that no one would have ever thought Lord Sangemah Bay would even allow.

That resident, you ask?

You! A Sumpter Beast.

People of The Palace had not been expecting to see their Lord riding atop your shaggy form. You had a large hawdaj on your back that could accommodate three people of Dori’s size - which meant only one full grown person could fit. And by full grown, you mean a shorter full grown person.

Golden hoops shined on your ears and your fur was shined and brushed throughly. You looked better taken care of than the majority of the people of Sumeru.

You quietly walked into the pavilion and sat down, allowing the girl to climb down. Taking about few packs and bags off your back and began setting up shop.

People walking past watched in wonder as you helped unroll rugs and place merchandise. You were exceptionally gentle with everything.

And when everything was set up, you settled down on a rug. Dori was quick to follow, sitting in front of you and laying her head on your side.

She even slipped some greens your way which you happily munched on.

“Um.. Lord Sangemah Bay?” A passing merchant who had witnessed all of this hesitantly took a step towards the girl, making her look up.

“Yeah?” She asked, flicking a single mora between her fingers. Feeing her attention wasn’t fully on him, he sighed before steeling his nerves.

“… Why would you keep a most likely flee ridden beast such as-“ He couldn’t even finish his sentence before the most offended gasp he had ever heard left the small girl before him.

His words were apparently so egregious that she had dropped the more she had been playing with.

That was not a good sign.

She stood up in a huff, Electro swirling around her. You didn’t even bother looking up, choosing to continue munching on your plants.

She stalked over to the now shivering merchant, before stoping in front of him. The amount of Electro swirling off her provided a blinding purple light the engulfed to surrounding area.

“The only “flee ridden beast” I see around here is you. Now SCRAM! YOU’RE BANNED FROM TRADING WITH ME EVER. AGAIN!” She slammed her foot on the ground, causing a strike of Electro energy to zap right next to the man, causing him to squeal like a pig before running out. She made sure to actually zap him on the ass as he left, making him scream like a little girl.

She grunted before turning to the others who were watching in fear.

“Anyone ELSE got a PROBLEM with my new partner?” She asked. And was immediately met with echos of ‘no’ and ‘absolutely not’.

“Good.” She mused before walking back over to you, calming her Electro so as to not shock you. Sitting back down she leaned into your form and was met with a low rumble from your form.

She ran a hand through your fur and sighed, calming down.

“What would I do without you, صانع المال أول’ الكبير.” She sighed into your side before sitting up straight, ready to make her daily quota.

Just a bid ole’ guy who wants to live peacefully. And with Dori’s help, they can! Imagine all the nice soft stuff she can buy… or the self care products… hehe getting pampered by Dori sounds so nice right now…

(I don’t know how to care for myself. I clean myself regularly don’t get me wrong but I haven’t applied lotion to myself in over a year. That should give you a good idea lol ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎)

* my big ole’ money maker - Dori to You

#asks <3 #sagau #Sumpter Beast!Creator

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starcurtain · 1 year

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Haikaveh Fanfics I Really Want to Read (Part 1)

Part 2. ->

1. A run-in with a cursed artifact on a research trip leaves Alhaitham intangible and invisible. He can't be seen, heard, or even open his precious books (which is the real tragedy here). Things go from bad to worse when it's discovered that the only person who can break the curse is someone who "knows Alhaitham by heart."

Problem is, nobody does. The only one who might even come close is Kaveh, and will he really be willing to go out of his way to research Alhaitham's deepest secrets just to bring his scathing roommate back?

Turns out the answer is yes, and Alhaitham is left invisibly watching over Kaveh's increasingly desperate attempts to learn more about the most private person in all of Sumeru.

Yeah... Alhaitham's probably doomed.

(Or: The Akademiya's erstwhile scribe has nothing better to do than stalk follow his roommate around unseen, gets a front row seat to Kaveh's tough life, undergoes the mortifying ordeal of being known, and realizes just how much his own cold nature has left him isolated from the world.)

Rest under the read more:

2. Another research trip gone wrong: While Kaveh's out of town on a job and without a shield this time, Alhaitham takes a nasty knock to the head during a fight. Although he wakes up all right, he doesn't have the faintest idea who or where he is. Quick-thinking nature intact, Alhaitham decides to fake his way through on context clues for a while. It's an interesting experiment, after all, to learn about his own life from an outsider's perspective.

Too bad a very silly series of coincidences occur (i.e. Kaveh took most of his work things with him for his trip, so his room is pretty bare; they wash their laundry together to save water; and everyone keeps asking Alhaitham why some mysterious "Kaveh" guy isn't with him), all of which lead Alhaitham to the absolutely incorrect assumption that this missing "Kaveh" person is his significant other. Imagine Kaveh's shock when he returns home to a very out-of-character greeting...

(But I mean, really, does Alhaitham need his memories back? This is kind of nice, you know...)

3. Requirements for a Desirable Life (According to Alhaitham):

1. Match your actions to your talents (read as: go with the flow) 2. Low stress, high paying job (read as: the balancing act between making oneself seem indispensable while underachieving as much as possible is a talent) 3. Nice home with a short commute (read as: at-home lunch hours every day) 4. Books (read as: soon as possible) 5. Kaveh (read as: the light of my life who I moved into my house through admittedly somewhat underhanded tactics just to keep him close to me, but what was I supposed to do--tell him I have actual feelings? Impossible, in the most literal of senses)

Or: Alhaitham pursues his plan for an ideal lifestyle in an utterly single-minded and undeterrable fashion... except when comes to his roommate, who--for someone so good at drawing up his own designs--also seems terribly good at ruining Alhaitham's.

Just fall in love with me already.

(Basically, I just want to see Alhaitham be the pining one for once. He is one checkmark away from his dream life, but he'd rather sell his soul to Lord Sangemah Bay than confess without knowing how Kaveh feels first.)

4. Alhaitham is preeminently capable. He's beyond a genius. His research could rewrite the laws of reality if he tried hard enough. But he's also... terrible with people. Actually, terrible is an understatement. If Alhaitham is murdered one day, it'll be because he finally committed one too many social faux pas and honestly the masses will probably say he had it coming. Thank the lesser lord that the Akademiya's scribe has someone as gregarious as Kaveh around to help him learn, right?

Or: Five times Kaveh tried to teach Alhaitham social skills, and the one time Alhaitham put all those lessons into practice... on Kaveh.

5. The very silly comedy one: If someone were to ask Kaveh what the very worst thing about living with Alhaitham is, he'd say--well, first he'd say "Who told you?!", but after that, he'd say something that might come as a surprise. The worst thing about living with Alhaitham isn't their constant snarking and diametrically-opposed mindsets. It isn't the tacky, asymmetrical furniture Alhaitham keeps bringing home because it was "practical and inexpensive." (Kaveh's skin is crawling.) It isn't even the fact that his so-called "landlord" reminds Kaveh all too often about his unpaid rent while never lifting a finger himself to do the dishes.

Nope. The worst thing about living with Alhaitham is the experiments.

"How many books can I leave on top of Kaveh's sketches before he yells at me?"

"How angry will Kaveh get if I drink the expensive wine he brought home last night?"

"How many days will it take Kaveh to notice I keep rearranging all the stuff on his shelves while he's out?"

"How many times can I suggest he add Aranara statues to his designs before he tries to strangle me?"

It's bullying, is what it is! There's no limits to Alhaitham's behavior when his curiosity is piqued--the only thing that matters to him is the answer to whatever outrageous new question he's thought up in that thick head of his. And of course, the louder Kaveh shouts, the more "experiments" Alhaitham seems to dream up...

Honestly, someone ought to give him a taste of his own medicine!

(Or: Alhaitham and Kaveh end up in an exponentially escalating social experiment competition, pushing as hard as they can to find the other's boundaries. One of them has to break and give up soon, right?! Too bad Alhaitham's the god of stubbornness, and Kaveh's eternal peace of mind is on the line--if he can just win this, Alhaitham will finally give it up and quit bothering him! He can't chicken out first!

Because they're both very Normal™, it turns out there's not a single boundary to be found.

Well, at least answering the question "How many times can I walk in on him in the shower before he kicks me out of the house?" might save them some money on the water bill?

By the way, Kaveh wins. It turns out the answer to "How many dog ears can I fold into the pages of Alhaitham's books before he tries to kill me?" is 0.)

#haikaveh #kavetham #genshin impact #alhaitham #kaveh #genshin impact fanfic #fanfic ideas #send help please #I don't have time to write these myself #but I need them in my life

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emanation-aura · 1 year

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I think Baizhu and Sucrose should meet.

Dr. “everyone says my medicine tastes too bitter” Baizhu and Alchemist “I have an obsession with increasing the sweetness capacity of Sweet Flowers” Sucrose.

Inspired by the Haw Flakes those Chinese doctors give you to take with their bitter herbal concoctions, but Sucrose is the supplier, because she can pack ultra dense high fructose sweet flower powder into small flakes because of the absurdly high yields she has on her Sweet Flowers. Bubu Pharmacy, already well respected, shoots up in popularity with everyone because of the new Bitterness Mitigation treat they offer for Dr. Bai’s most foul-tasting medicines. In turn, Baizhu negotiates, in Liyuen fashion, a tidy contract with his supplier, and Sucrose now has so much extra funding for her experiments, gosh, she doesn’t even have to siphon funds from Mondstadt’s taxpayers anymore, she can devote her full attention to Sweet Flower Optimisation without worrying about her productivity in alchemical pursuits for the average citizen.

When word of this “Sucrose Sweet” gets around via Liyue, the trading port of Teyvat, suddenly everyone in and around Teyvat wants to buy from her (it even gets the attention of the Abyss Order, somehow). Akademiya scholars come to study her sweet flower specimens. Jean bans the sweet in Mondstadt because holy shit Sucrose, every child with unrestricted access to these is going to get tooth decay…

and then Sucrose, via her (completely natural!) study of bones, finds a way to make the sweet flowers non-destructive to the teeth (let’s pretend some alchemical magic goes on). Sucrose proceeds to completely outclass her mentor and rivals Lord Sangemah Bay’s wealth in revenue from selling really sweet candy. She does in fact get an offer from Dori to buy the rights to the product, but Albedo helps her put her foot down… and then Alice hears about this from Klee and begins her own interference, and suddenly Sucrose’s life is so radically different that she realises she has the capital and power to do whatever she wants.

Hire Kaveh (constellation Paradisea), pride of the Kshahrewar, and be able to fund and delegate work to Amurta students and volunteers, focusing on all the most important work herself…

Paradise is finally within reach.

#shitpost #genshin impact #sucrose #ah the glories of capitalism #baizhu #tbh if baizhu and sucrose met no child would ever hate medicine again #fic writing

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dazzletwig · 2 years

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A fanart of the fics in the series The Lord Sangemah Bay's love potion for her most discerning of customers and other Alhaitham/Kaveh stories by AppleSharon, specifically the coffee-making in the 3rd fic

Two smaaall notes that I'm making because they're fic-inaccurate lol: 1) Kaveh usually makes 2 coffees at a time??? So if Al-Haitham's already drinking, he's probably done brewing. But that means hthm doesn't get a chance to ogle observe the hot barista moment soooo

2) I'm pretty sure Kaveh's more clothed than this when he's making coffee lmao

#genshin impact #genshin #kaveh #al haitham #alhaitham #haikaveh #kavetham #kaveh x alhaitham #al haitham x kaveh

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citroncynique · 6 months

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'A drink is always better when shared with a friend!!' '... and with friends like these, who needs enemies?'

Happy birthday to my favourite gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss money gremlin, Lord Dori Sangemah Bay!

I'm fascinated with her dynamic with Kaveh- on one hand, there's an obvious imbalance, with him owing her money and whatnot... despite this, I appreciate that Kaveh is one of the few people who are able to snap back and banter with Dori, where most people wouldn't bother or even dare. I think that, in another life, they could have been much better friends... right now, I see them mutually enabling each other's bad habits, and it's very entertaining to watch!

#genshin impact #genshin dori #genshin kaveh #genshin sumeru #im happy with how I drew dori here!!! my bastard my bastard!!#platonic worsties

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qierxing · 9 months

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Femme Fatale

Commission by the lovely Veritaveris <;3

Yan! Arlecchino x F! OC TW/CW: Dubcon, NSFW, Implications of human trafficking/pimping, implied kidnapping, mentions of stalking and shady activities, background appearance of some characters

If there was anything Arlecchino hated more than idiots, it was to repeat herself.

The bouncer in front of her looks queasy and about ready to faint. It’s a common reaction to see from people, when it is the Harbinger’s own Knave showing up at the venue. Still, she does not suffer fools, and she is not about to start now.

“What’s the hold up?” She asks, crimson eyes pinning the man in place with an ice cold glare.

“Ma’am, please, but one cannot enter without an invitation–” the bouncer squeaks, knobbly knees already knocking together out of fright. A pathetic dog about ready to piss himself. How did such a mutt find its way in this kind of business? Give it a day or two, and she would bet he would be lying cold in a pond somewhere.

“Even with this?” The gleam of the badge shines under the glass chandelier of the lavishly decorated lobby. Even the bouncer (if he had been trained well under Lord Sangemah Bay) should know its modest engraving: the four pointed cross with circles combined with the four anvil points displays an emblem that is notorious and speaks for itself.

His eyes bulge so widely, she swears she can see the veins pulsing in them. Defeated, he bows at a perfect right angle.

“R-Right this way, d-dear customer…”

He should’ve kept his mouth shut and led the way in the first place. She follows him through the lobby to the long hallways plastered with priceless traditional paintings and antiques, most likely depicting or showcasing Sumeran Purana tales of old. A statue depicting Lord Kusanali, a painting depicting King Deshret’s figure over his subjects…It’s fascinating and inspiring to see, but today she is not here to view that kind of art. No, what has led the Knave to the palace of Lord Sangemah Bay is something far more precious and unconventional.

The wooden double doors are inconspicuous, but as they open, they reveal unto a stage that she has never seen. In here, is a performance that has yet to unfold.

Unlike the fancy theaters or the smoky bars of Fontaine, the tables are low, surrounded by intricately embroidered pillows and blankets upon which several customers are already seated by kneeling or crossing their legs. Each table has a dimly lit candle held in a lotus-like case, barely illuminating the faces of the people who are seated. Some turn to observe her in curiosity, but with a deliberate stare back, they whip their heads back around sheepishly. The bouncer shows her to a table closest to the stage and quickly bows out in a hurry, no doubt wanting to escape the suffocating atmosphere.

Just as well. She kneels in one graceful motion upon a pillow, leaning an elbow upon the table. The show is about to start, and she will not allow herself to miss a single moment of it. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots orange and when she turns her head, she’s met face on with dead eyes that remind her of the deepest abyss of the seas. Her lip curls. What is that eye sore doing here? She taps her fingers against the table in annoyance, the sound echoing from steel tips meeting wood. They both look away, a mutual begrudging truce to not acknowledge each other.

The heavy curtains finally draw back, revealing a masked auctioneer spreading her arms on stage.

“My thanks for waiting, dear customers! The auction of Lord Sangemah Bay will now begin!” She cries out, and applause starts, with Arlecchino joining in out of bored politeness.

The auction is more of a menagerie rather than a solemn tense affair. Each ‘item’ is brought out, the next one even shinier than the last. First, a famed ballerina renowned in Snezhnaya, and then an artist known for their salacious works, and the list goes on. The auctioneer is like a ringleader to a circus as she deliberately drives the crowd’s mood to higher frenzy, hyping the event without pause. People call out bids enthusiastically, some getting into heated back and forths, driving the price higher and higher, much to the obvious delight of the purple haired auctioneer.

She clicks her tongue in distaste. These heathens have no style.

“And finally, one of our most distinguished items! Dear customers, you may recall a popular pop idol that made headlines back several years ago–that’s right, presenting the lovely Briony Ostaras!!” The auctioneer calls, dramatically gesturing to the middle of the stage.

Arlecchino straightens ever so slightly, leaning forward. The lady standing in the middle of the stage clearly doesn’t know what to do as the crowd examines her like an unknown specimen under a magnifying glass. The diamonds that glitter on her head and neck shine under the spotlight but she knows better. Such cheap fakes don't suit the dove, but that will be for another time–now it is the time to act.

“Starting at a hundred mora…do I have a hundred mora?” Lord Sangemah Bay calls, reaching out to the murmuring audience.

Unlike other items, there is a cloak of hesitance hovering over the audience. It’s clear they do not understand the significance of such a treasure. She raises her sign immediately.

“I have a hundred mora–oh! Another challenger, then two hundred mora!” Her eyes snap immediately to the eye sore she deigned to ignore earlier, seeing an insufferable smirk in response.

No matter. She has experience in dealing with such brutes.

“My goodness, we have three hundred mora!” The auctioneer dances in excitement at Arlecchino raising her sign again. “Three hundred mora, three hundred mora, do I have a bidder?”

Through gritted teeth, she sees him raise his sign in response.

“Five hundred mora! Ooh, ladies and gents, we have five hundred-oh! Six hundred mora!! We have six hundred!!”

Bring it. Arlecchino snarls at Childe sneering back at her. The truce has been broken, and now all hands are off.

People mutter uneasily in the seats nearby, unsettled by the two fiercely raising their signs in a fight they cannot understand. She cares not for others’ impressions. People have called her insane, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and many more names–but she’s long lost her interest in such playground insults. It’s this carelessness, that she barely catches the sound of soft laughter.

“Oh-ho! A new bid, that makes it a thousand mora!” Lord Sangemah Bay shouts in amusement. Both Childe and the Knave whips their heads around to see the intruder interrupting their duel, to find the heir of the prestigious Kamisato clan smiling several tables back.

Their eyes meet again and once more there is an understanding: let’s get this nuisance out of the way first.

Even the Kamisato heir must bend under the combined power of two Harbingers. In no time, the young man no longer raises his sign, pursing his lips in quiet dissatisfaction. There is only so much that he could bet as he must look after his own sister and clan, and such things are not subject to freedom compared to what the Harbingers have.

Now she only needs to take care of the mutt that keeps getting in her way.

She recalls an old Fontainian saying: throw a dog a bone and he’ll chase after it. Her younger coworker is a terrifying menace to others, but he was still an immature brat, always chasing after the next thrill. And because of that, it’s all too easy to trick him into thinking he’s won.

The bid can close, but what’s to say that it can’t be negotiated again behind the curtains?

Being part of the Fatui meant being taught that nothing is ever set in stone until you see it with your own eyes. It’s a lesson that that young mutt has yet to understand completely, and she can only smile smugly as Lord Sangemah Bay easily gives up the keys to her treasure upon an even higher offer of mora, the proof glittering in the form of a key to one of her many private bank vaults.

She twirls the key ring around her pointer finger as she melts away into the shadows of the corridors.

—

The bedroom is rather modest, in comparison to what she’s witnessed in the auction.

The walls boast simple candles held up by carved wooden vines and elegant bas reliefs of various Sumeran patterns within the stone. The bed itself is large with heavy silk forest green curtains embroidered with golden leaves and vines that decorate the rim and the body. Although she favors velvet more, this is still acceptable.

She finds her dove kneeling on the plush covers, head bowed in embarrassment and submission.

Throwing her heavy winter coat on a table nearby, she drags over a chair and smoothly sits with crossed legs, leaning back in a casual manner. She takes a moment to run her eyes over the feast before her: pure snowy baby doll lingerie that hugs the figure snugly, perfectly framing the décolletage and hips, with a see through veil flowing out like a fan around her. It seems Lord Sangemah has done her research quite thoroughly: this look was close enough to be a call back of the simple white halterneck dress and veil that Briony wore for her idol debut. Perhaps she’ll consider giving a generous tip to that sly auctioneer.

“Look at me, darling.” She asks–no, commands. Slowly and surely, her treasure raises her head and the pools of green within entice her to fall farther.

“From this moment on, you will do everything I say, understood?”

How delightful as the dear tries so hard to please her by nodding hastily with a shy, strained smile.

“I promise you a world of bliss if you just…”

“...trust me.” A soft squeak leaves Briony as Arlecchino tugs a dark lace blindfold around her eyes. Tilting her head up with her pointer finger, she leans in and laughs softly.

“Run your hands down, little one, and start pleasuring yourself.”

Of course, there’s hesitation. There always is, when you are staring down the gaping maw of the unknown abyss. Just a little closer. Look over the edge, and let yourself fall.

Briony’s fingers clumsily tug the underwear to the side, revealing her pretty little pussy. With trembling fingers, she works a finger within plush folds and into her slit awkwardly. It’s too cute, really, how she fumbles trying to look sure of herself even though her face is flushed. By the time she’s inserting another finger in, Arlecchino has lost the patience that she used to hold.

There is an art to sex, even if others would like to pretend otherwise. Fontaine is the country of love, even if it's remembered more for its harsh court sentences and judicial proceedings, there is an intuitive understanding that just like making love, it is not dissimilar in the sense that both take effort and dedication. As a Fontainian citizen, such things run in her blood.

Arlecchino swirls her tongue around the cute nub, flicking the tip on the underside and watching with hooded eyes as Briony throws her head back, moaning heatedly. Arlecchino doesn’t bother with shedding her gloves as she places Briony’s legs snugly over her shoulders and wiggles a finger into her heated cunt. Licking her lips at the feeling of hot walls clamping down, she searches within for that special little spot that would send her to heaven.

There. Arlecchino hums in satisfaction at Briony squealing and arching her back off the sweat and slick stained sheets. She can feel her clit twitch and throb under her tongue and with a hard suck, Briony’s hips thrust upward instinctively. Just like a beautiful painting, her body covered with a sweaty sheen highlighted by the room’s coy candlelight, Briony could only be described as the most beautiful muse there could be.

Little by little, Arlecchino paints strokes of blinding pleasure with each addition of her finger, scissoring them within pulsing gummy walls to the rhythm of her clit sucking. Bit by bit, as she layers more waves of stimulation, Briony’s cries grow louder in a crescendo that echoes off the walls, before finally ending in a spurt of juices upon her palm and lips.

Arlecchino lathers her tongue down her hand thoroughly to lick up every single drop of the sweet slick, between the fingers, down her palm, before finally using her teeth to rip off the soiled satin gloves. She repeats the same with her other glove, before running her tongue over her teeth.

Time for the main performance.

“Would you like to dance, amour?” Arlecchino asks, running a hand down Briony’s navel. Her glittering emerald eyes are glazed in pleasure and tears, making for such a pretty picture. It just makes her want even more.

The auctioneer was thoughtful enough to fit the room with toys, and discreet enough to place them in an area not too obvious. Arlecchino chortles internally, tugging on the strap on and squeezing some lube upon the cold silicone. Lord Sangemah has really thought of everything.

She strokes the shaft slowly, warming the lube and silicone so her dove won’t have to suffer the shock of something freezing upon penetration. She can be merciful when she wants to be–tonight will only be a night of honey suckles and sweet fruits. As for the future, who knows?

Briony babbles something incoherent as she rubs the tip of the strap against her throbbing cunt. She smirks, bending over and capturing her delicate wrists in one hand and her thrashing hips in the other.

“Say it clearly, darling. What do you want me to do?”

Briony’s eyes go in and out of focus, clearly attempting to stay in the present, if only barely. Drool dribbles out as she tries to articulate her words.

“I–I w-want…mmh!” She moans, as Arlecchino purposefully presses the tip even harder against her gaping hole, yet still holding back from letting her find her release. “W-want you to…mmh…f-fuck me! I want you to fuck me with your d-dick!!!”

The last part is a desperate wail, and Arlecchino growls as she plunges all the way in, having to hold Briony down as she spasms wildly. It takes several moments and some scratches left by manicured hands for Briony’s body to settle, for her to start rolling her hips in search of climax. Arlecchino thrusts, and with a pleasured whine, she sets an efficient, yet comforting pace that rocks them both with the bed. Briony’s whines and moans pitch higher and higher with each calculated thrust, and even Arlecchino feels herself coming undone soon.

“C-cumming! I’m–”

A gasp leaves Arlecchino’s lips with a final hard thrust, warm cum gushing out and splashing her hips and running down her thighs in rivulets. She’s left breathless, hunched over as she watches Briony shudder through her orgasm, slowly pulling out and slicking back her damp white hair.

“Dors bien mon amour.” She breathes out, watching thick eyelashes blink close into a deep slumber.

–

The warmth of their bodies touching is too addicting to move away from.

If only the world came to a stop. She runs a slow finger down Briony’s eyelashes to her cheek and then her chin. Her face is finally gone from the stress lines that seemed to constantly be stuck since Arlecchino saw her for the first time. Even when Briony was doing well during her popular days, she doesn’t recall the idol ever looking this vulnerable or relaxed, even with the so called candids she managed to snag from paid sources.

She could’ve done something when Briony had been expelled from the studio. It would’ve only been a lift of her pinky finger, as Her Majesty’s Harbinger. Would it be cruel to say she was waiting for her fall?

No, she closes her eyes and leans her head against Briony’s. Many called her willing to change heart too easily, but she would say that her principles are the same. Just like the many children under her care, she only wishes to lessen the amount of those who end up abandoned with no one to care about them. Briony had every right to walk her path and make her own decisions; and she’s never been one to force someone’s hand against their will. Not much, anyway.

Reluctantly, she rises, still gazing in longing upon the lady at her side, breathing quietly in soft slumber. Peeling away and letting the raw cold assault her skin, she shrugs on her button up and jeans. She leaves her winter coat for Briony. There won’t be much need for her previous wardrobe when they can shop in Fontaine for that.

Her protege is awaiting her when she opens the door.

“Your report?”

“Everything is ready for departure, Father.”

“And the apartment?”

“I have convinced the landlord over the residence to permanently close down and have destroyed any records left behind.”

“Good. You’re dismissed–make sure to call the chauffeur before you go.”

She turns back to the door after hearing an affirmative murmur, already putting together the plan for the day. First, she must get Briony up and ready to be driven back to her penthouse, and then after a quick brunch and some rest, they can go shopping for necessities…

Briony has already stirred awake when Arlecchino reenters the room again, sleepily wiping at her eyes and yawning. She blearily blinks in confusion as Arlecchino draws closer.

“What…what’s going on?”

Arlecchino wordlessly holds out her hand and Briony hesitantly raises her own, and watches with dawning realization as emerald green orbs clear to see her without the veil of night and lust. Come the light of day, her dove has begun to see that the very nest she found herself in was not a safe haven, but a trap to clip her wings. Briony’s hand shakes as Arlecchino raises it to her lips and places a chaste kiss, reminiscent of a knight’s oath to their charge.

“Would you like to join me for brunch?”

#yandere genshin impact #my works #commissions

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dandelion-wings · 10 months

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Sometimes you have writing plans for the day pre-made, but then you wake up in the middle of the night from a wretched nightmare, can't fall back asleep, and end up twisting bits of the nightmare together with bits of canon to torment your blorbos with....

This is a very rough version of last night's 'can't get back to sleep' bedtime story, and I know what happens before and after and how it would go if I expanded it out (and @theabysscomeshome and I have spent today kicking around the sequel where Lisa and Kaeya actually reach Mondstadt XD), but I wanted something I could write in the two hours I was hanging out at the hospital this afternoon so I crunched it down into something that almost fit into that window. Maybe someday I will write the longer version (as if I need more WIPs), but hopefully this will exorcise the worst of the brainworms so I can actually work on the stuff I'd planned for the next week!

---

This is the third time Lisa has been left alone with Anatoli's most prized specimen.

She can't say she's developed a routine with him so soon, but he doesn't look surprised when she deactivates the shield around his cell and steps inside. Lisa reaches out, slow and careful, but all her care can't keep him from flinching when she touches the clasp of the shock-collar he's wearing. She keeps the static of her Electro Vision firmly tamped down so that at least she won't set it off as she takes it off him.

The shock-collar isn't supposed to keep him from talking, only from too-sudden movements. But it's tuned to its highest sensitivity, and she's seen it light up, crackling, when he cries out. She would go silent too if any exclamation ran that risk. Besides, no one on Anatoli's research team cares to listen to what he has to say.

He swallows a few times, his throat working, and looks up at her from under the loose fall of uncut bangs with his one remaining eye. His voice is small and hoarse and thick with suspicion as he asks, for the third time, "What do you want?"

"I have a question for you, Kaeya."

It's almost what she'd said the last two times, though she'd had many questions then. She knows his name (Kaeya Alberich; he'd looked at her warily as he gave the surname, as if he expected her to recognize it, and seemed almost disappointed when she didn't), and how long he'd been here (six years, by his best estimate), and how he'd come (he'd snuck onto a ship to Sumeru, looking for his family, and been caught in the desert by bandits who sold him on), and what, exactly, they've done to him (though there was only verifying what Anatoli's records already say). She knows that, whatever Anatoli says, the curse hasn't twisted his mind as it has his body. He's reacting exactly as any rational human would to the conditions he's lived under for the last six years.

Lisa would start biting people too, if they only ever touched her to cause her pain.

"Just one?" For all the suspicion, she can hear a thread of amusement in his voice.

"Just one, tonight." Lisa holds up a finger. "Wait a moment, though, sweetie. I have to do something first."

She steps back out of the cell, leaving the shield down, and takes what would look to any casual eye like a Canned Knowledge capsule out of her robes. It takes only a moment to sync with her Akasha Terminal; she waits for the double-chirp that confirms it's scanned her thoughts and is replicating them for the Terminal, then takes it off and sets it aside. If she's being monitored, the terminal will only pick up that she's still here, asking Kaeya the same set of questions she has the last two times she was trusted to supervise him.

Unless Lord Sangemah Bay has sold them a false bill of goods, or is cooperating with the matra. Lisa doubts the second, and has to simply trust the merchant's reputation on the first. They've certainly paid heavily for all she's sold them.

Once her terminal is, hopefully, disarmed, Lisa takes another of their purchases out and steps back into the cell. She sees Kaeya fix a wary gaze on the little device in her hand--shaped and sized almost like a terminal itself--and smiles at him as warmly as she can muster with her skin prickling with trepidation. She's very aware that she has her back to the door. Anyone who comes through will have a few seconds' advantage on her, and Lisa has no good excuse for what she's doing. None but a moral argument that Anatoli's team doesn't care to hear.

Cyrus had made it directly and passionately, to Anatoli and then to the Sage of Spantamad, and been turned away both times. Cyno had made it bureaucratically, filling out all the paperwork necessary to report a breach of academic ethics, and had seen it dismissed out of hand. By the Akademiya's ruling, Kaeya Alberich is a monster, not a human, and thus a designated test subject to be treated as Anatoli's team sees fit. He has the curse of Khaenri'ah, after all. It's active in him, manifested in his blackened and Cryo-lined right arm; that Anatoli's own records showed that he had triggered it deliberately in Kaeya's second year here didn't have any effect on the Darshan's decision.

Their options had been to take it all the way to the Six Great Sages, or to try another tack. The Six Great Sages, by a ruling of four to two, had determined that Cyno, in his youth, was a similar such test subject, and *he* didn't bear the curse of Khaenri'ah, nor elemental powers from the Abyss. None of them had expected that it would go any better in this particular case.

Lisa had already been slowly becoming disillusioned with the Akademiya. This was just the last nail in the coffin. She doesn't mind burning her whole career down behind her when she goes, and that's why she's here, late at night, holding the key that will deactivate the wards on Kaeya's cell.

"Kaeya, would you like to get out of here?"

"*Yes*," he says, in that low, hoarse voice, strained by desperation and a hope she can see him trying to restrain as his eye meets hers.

"Good. I will ask you not to do anything rash once I get them off of you. We don't want to set off the alarms."

Kaeya holds rigidly still as Lisa undoes the wards, one by one, that hold him physically restrained and his Abyssal powers in check. She can feel the cold rising off the stump of his right arm as she looses that ward, the Cryo veining it eager for release. It's the one she's tensest for, ready for him to lash out, senseless as it would be--he has no reason to trust her, and no reason to think her anything than another of her tormentors. She'd stood by and watched while they took what remained of the lower limb off to the elbow just two weeks go.

(She'd had to build trust. After Cyrus and Cyno's efforts, Anatoli was wise enough to be wary of her. Even after she'd repudiated Cyrus as too soft-hearted and said some truly horrible things about Cyno, it had taken time to convince him that she was truly breaking away from her academic clique. He hadn't let her start taking shifts supervising his specimens until after she'd managed to keep herself largely impassive through the collection of that particular 'tissue sample.'

If he'd known what she'd been fantasizing about at the time, he wouldn't have wanted her within a mile of his lab. Lisa has a perfect test designed for *his* pain tolerances, if the opportunity ever happens to arise.)

But he doesn't attack, as rigidly still when she'd finished as when she'd begun. For a moment Lisa wonders if the key had actually worked. Then he takes a deep breath, shivers all over, and lets it out. On the exhale, he rises smoothly to his feet.

"Robes," Lisa tells him, mostly so that he won't panic when she goes for the bag she'd brought with her tonight. Tossing the notes at the top aside--she won't need them anymore, and may Anatoli have whatever joy he may get from her careful records of Kaeya's answers--she holds out the bundle of fabric to him, then turns away.

The cold at her back puts a chill down her spine, but at least now she's looking at the door. She just has to trust that he'll maintain his restraint even with her back turned.

It seems to take a tortuously long time for him to get dressed, though Lisa has no intention of rushing him through something he hasn't been allowed to do since he was, by his own accounting, eleven. She doesn't look down at her jammed terminal or back over her shoulder at him. She watches the door and counts the seconds passing in her head.

Despite the tension of the wait, Kaeya finishes well within her time window. Lisa turns to see that she's guessed his size well. He still looks swamped in the robes, even though they end at his ankles, but that's an unavoidable consequence of the caloric pittance Anatoli budgets for him. At least it helps hide the missing end of the right arm.

She holds out her arm to him instead of reaching for his. Kaeya hesitates a moment, looking at her warily, then grasps her wrist with his left hand. His grip is far stronger than she'd expected for how few fingers he has left, almost bruisingly tight, but Lisa makes sure to keep smiling at him as she starts for the door.

The corridors of the lab are dark, barely lit. Anatoli's tight-fisted grip on mora will help them here. Lisa leads Kaeya through the turns in utter silence and a tingling aura of static and cold. She can't entirely suppress her Vision, jangling with both her own nerves and the close presence of Abyssal power, and she can't expect Kaeya to suppress his own abilities when control has only ever been imposed upon them from outside. That he's not giving her frostbite at the moment will have to be good enough.

Humid air hits them like a wet sheet across the face as they step out of the climate-controlled laboratory and into a summer night in Sumeru City. The heat damps the chill, the moisture the static, and Lisa sighs in something not quite relief. Kaeya gasps aloud, then flinches, going tense, no doubt anticipating the collar's buzz. Lisa turns to give him another smile.

In the next breath, he lets go of her and jerks away sideways, flinging himself down the path at a run. Lisa hisses under her breath and puts a hand to her Vision. It's her own fault; she should have expected that. But she can't let him get away.

Electro flashes at her throat, and a gleaming elemental barrier rises to his left as he careens down the street. His atrophied muscles are working in her favor, even with desperation driving him. He flinches away from the barrier and turns the other way, towards the rightward path. Lisa scrambles after him.

Just after he rounds the corner, she hears a grunt, and a yelp, and a crack of Electro. She comes around after him to find Cyno clutching him tight. Kaeya is limp in his grasp. It's his instinctive reaction to the shock-collar, which will keep reacting until he stops moving; Cyno's jolt must have felt just the same. The look on his face is one of open betrayal.

"Don't try that again," Cyno tells him, setting him back on his feet as Lisa approaches and holding him there until he takes his own weight. "If you run into any other matra, they would know you weren't a student, and you'd be lucky if they sensed the Abyss on you and killed you outright. It's more likely they would take you for a confused Elezear patient and return you straight to the Akademiya."

"And right back to Anatoli," Lisa adds. "Kaeya, this is Cyno. He's going to help us get out of the city."

"A *matra* is helping you steal a specimen?"

"A friend of mine," Lisa says, firmly, "is helping me get a badly injured young man away from those who injured him."

Kaeya gives her a dubious look, but doesn't argue further.

"Follow me," Cyno tells them, starting off down the side-street towards the darkness at its end. "We don't have much time if we're going to slip out between patrols."

Lisa holds her arm out to Kaeya again. He shakes his head, but starts after Cyno. She follows him, watching his increasingly heavy step. This is more exercise than he's been allowed for years, and their night has only just begun. Forcing contact, though, is only going to make him more nervous. There has to be a point at which he unleashes his Cryo in earnest, and she'd rather not push him to it.

Their path leads them through narrow gaps between buildings, alongside the brightwood stands behind them, and, eventually, out to the farmlands on the city's northern side. By the time they break out onto the slopes down to the river to its north, Kaeya is stumbling outright. This time, when Lisa offers him her arm, he takes it and leans into her a little. Lisa can feel him shaking through the robes.

"You're sure you're not going to get in trouble for this, cutie?" she asks Cyno. "You can't make General Mahamatra and reform the matra from within if you get accused of helping me out."

"There's a Kshahrewar scholar ready to swear that I've been drinking with him all night. If we'd run across a patrol and had to deal with them, there might have been trouble, but no one has any reason to guess that I noticed that hole in the schedule before you took advantage of it."

"Good."

As they reach the shore, a faint firefly-light glows just above the water. A literal fire-fly light; there's a handful in a jar, sitting at the feet of a young man in a canoe. Lisa can't make out much by that dim illumination, but he has long, pointed fox's ears, and she sees the whisking of a fluffy tail behind him.

"These are your passengers?" he asks Cyno, standing to look Lisa and Kaeya over.

Cyno nods, then turns to Lisa. "This is the Forest Ranger I told you about. He'll take you wherever you've chosen to go. Make sure to avoid Port Ormos. The matra there recently got an updated connection to the Akasha, and they'll know exactly what to look for before you can get there. But Caravan Ribat and Gandharva Ville are still on the old system and should be safe."

"Which way do you want to go, sweetie?" she asks, turning to Kaeya. "East or west?"

He jerks his head up and blinks at her as if coming out of a daze. Then he shakes his head. "Not back to the desert."

"East it is, then."

"Good," the ranger says. "I hate the desert. There's a mercenary and her company that I've heard good things about out that way, if you needed a trustworthy guide, but there's no guarantee you'd be able to hire her. It's not a good idea to go straight through Gandharva Ville, since we might be seen by other Forest Rangers, but I can take you past it and over the border to Lumberpick Valley in Liyue by myself."

"Thank you, cutie." Lisa gives him a warm smile, then turns to help Kaeya into the canoe.

He collapses onto the bench more than sits on it, and all the tension thrumming through him can't keep him from keeling over onto Lisa's shoulder once she sits down beside him. She puts an arm around him to steady him, but keeps her touch light so that he won't feel trapped. The ranger exchanges a wordless nod with Cyno, then pushes away from the bank.

They start off down the river, picking up speed as they go. Lisa yawns, giggles a little when Kaeya echoes it, and then giggles more when the ranger yawns, too, and grumbles under his breath about it. Settling more comfortably onto the seat as Kaeya grows heavier and heavier against her, Lisa looks up through the trees and the mist at the first gleam of light off in the east as they make their way towards the dawn.

#references here to medical experimentation and dismemberment (and imprisonment and dehumanization and- listen it's mad science)#also it's not how it ACTUALLY goes even in the longer version but all the same #i would like anyone here familiar with leverage to envision:#lisa standing up from a table where cyrus and cyno and tighnari are all gathered #and smiling at them as she says 'let's go steal a khaenri'ahan'#because that's been in my head all morning and i want to share #fic bits #goddamnit i STILL don't have a lisa-and-kaeya tag #lisa isn't lazy she's just efficient #kaeya is a bundle of knives behind a smile #test subject au

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krusteceann · 5 months

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Stumbling upon a path he takes when reminiscing, he found himself standing in front of a structure that he was once proud of. A place where he spent countless sweat and tears just to achieve perfection. His Magnum Opus, the Palace of Alcazarzaray. Archons know how much he had sacrifice for this masterpiece to behold everyone in Sumeru, and sometimes, even foreigners from other nation visit the land of Dendro just to take in the beauty of his architecture.

In the limelight of the moon behind his back, Kaveh’s shadow was in front of him as if taunting him of the past and if his choices were truly made correct. The round of drinks from Puspa Cafe was not helping now that he’s watching the ground beneath him to spin. He walked, albeit tripping and slumping, but somehow he managed to remain on his footing. the concrete pathway crept coldness on his shoes the more he stepped closer to the main structure. The thick roots that guided him along the pavement were small things he adored while formulating a design for Lord Sangemah Bay’s private residence. It had cost him everything yet for such a paragon of establishment for business interaction he gained nothing from it and while he’s drowning at that thought, he felt himself shiver from his shawl. The stillness of the breeze was harsher than ever and his drunken state of mind didn’t help him from warming up with the sight of this building before his slugging and depressed mood.

Kaveh sat by the rim of the fountain, his red shawl’s hem would rest atop the unmoving surface of the water, soaking it slowly as gentle wind caress his breaking, or already shattered, heart that he tried to glue back to places with sheer determination and his ideal for the fantasy where no one would dare to step back to reality. His gaze landed on the mansion, it reminded him of the same night he was brainstorming for a way to please the Lord Sangemah Bay by canceling his plans for this very structure. The Withering, an accident that had completely snuck from his radar, had caused major damage that he had to compensate for. It was also the same moment where he went through different state of anguish by selling what little particle of “home” his mother had left before remarrying in Fontaine.

The moon stared back at him through the panes, its light felt like a spotlight staring back at him, like how the eyes of his juniors were expecting him for the best design in the nation, heck in all Teyvat even. No one can compare to him, as Akademiya students regarded him once he graduated. If only the same brightness that his designs has would seep into his life would also follow his stead, some would shamelessly whisper once he was spotted on his usual chair in the Tavern he so frequent.

This time, the moon was staring at another star. A spot in the gazebo, not so far from where he was stupendously lavishing in sorrowful past, was brightly illuminated. The professional botanist that had cared for the plants and flowers scattered through the palace swayed lightly, as if dancing and welcoming the presence of a woman standing by the gazebo, looking away from the mansion.

He asked himself what had been so mesmerizing than his highly regarded marvelous feat that made the unknown woman gaze upon the distance? Was the design too flamboyant? He never thought of it in the current stand of trends that circulates around Sumeru. He was sure to pour everything on this great work of wonder yet maybe, just like how his mother’s circumstances stand, everyone would just move on to the next thing that could satisfy their taste. Kaveh hadn’t notice he was approaching the lonely woman. Her hair was as black as the night that had completely camouflaged with the darken scenery. Her silver shawl was hindering her hair from flowing along the wind but a few strands escaped and framed her hair as if she was under a shade of leaves away from the bright stares of the moon. Her facial features were in an angle where he cannot fully see what expression she might be making or even if she’s a real person -Kaveh hopes this is part of his drunken stupor- but he had a gut feeling that she’d be even more breathtaking than all of his design that people praise him for combined.

And boy, he was right.

Maybe it was the intoxicated mind taking the wheel, or maybe how his state of sadness marinading his every action but when she had sense his presence, the woman slowly looked at the figure of Kaveh hiding behind at one of the foundation of the gazebo with a faint blush of drunkenness on his pale cheeks that had somehow grew redder like his ruby eyes the more he looked at the -he assumed- deity in from of him.

Her eyes were not fixed on just one color. It meshed with whatever he had in mind. First, it glinted like the marine sea when he remembered his short visit on Fontaine, then green like Sumeru’s rainforest and everything that surrounds the Palace of Alcazarzaray then silver as the moon kissed her skin as it made her eyes illuminate under its glow.

“Were you, by any chance, Kaveh of the Kshahrewar Darshan?” Her voice had him melting on his knees but he managed to hide the buckling of his joints by leaning on the pillar. What had tonight’s alcohol composed of just for this effect to strengthen? Kaveh, not wanting to look like a drunk stalker, tried to shake his head to sober his mind and to somewhat remember this moment when he wake up. After all, he had dealt with more suffocating situations in the past. He doesn’t want a foreigner to assume that all Kshahrewar students were like him, wallowing in self-pity and approaching strangers without consent.

He had cleared his throat, blinking away the waves he kept on seeing and managed to look at her kaleidoscope eyes. “Yeah.” He said a bit too firmly. He cleared his throat again after sighing. “I’m sorry if you had to see me in this state, I figured that I could take notes of a rather unique inspiration with a stupefied mind.” Kaveh worriedly laughed, he thought maybe his usual excuse would work on her since everyone seemed to believe one way or another.

“Oh, no worries,” the woman smiled. Beautiful, Kaveh’s mind kept on whispering. “I will be on my way after a few moments. Are you going to run up a site check? Is that why you happened to be here?”

He had shook his head with a smile, it seemed like the drunken state of mind was no more. “I… I was simply…” he had words prepared at the back of his throat but his heavy heart shouldering such a huge guilt wondered if he should bother this stranger with his woes. He doesn’t want to burden someone he just met let alone leave them sad by telling his back story. His eyes met the ground, the beams of the moon remained at her spot, that is where he noticed her modest dress made out of thin layer of silver mesh, showing the black silk fabric that had touched the floor, her sleeves long and shimmered under the light of the sky and her gloved hands with intricate design of flora had made its way to his cheeks, slowly lifting his eyes to fix at her interchanging ones.

The woman had a smile. A smile that portrayed so many feelings in his heart. He imagined himself as a transparent glass bottle and inside him was a turmoil of losing himself slowly but he couldn’t be empty and is in a stuck loop of endlessly losing every part of him. Only his aspirations and ideals were only the ones that had fuel him from being complete and stable, yet those were also the once that tore him to shreds.

“Kaveh…” the woman said in a hushed tone, her thumb glossing over his cheek. He felt his face cold upon the gush of Sumeru’s cold night. There was a trail of wetness on his other cheek and Kaveh had questioned the weather but noticed how his eyes blurred and cleared so fast. Does she know? He asked himself. How? It seemed like even his mind had shutdown ever since her palm reached his tired eyes.

“Your heart is too giving and your mind is too ruthless but no one can really separate both factors that make one a human.” She stated. “Rest, darling.” The woman had embraced Kaveh and rested the architect’s head on her chest and the man’s eyes grew heavier by each word that had left her mouth. “Your way of healing… it does not help when you keep chipping away of yourself just to give it to others. It seems to me that you are peeling on a scab that kept on recuperating after blood had reached the surface yet the moment you feel fine, you tore it all up in one painful stroke.” She caressed his golden locks, careful not to remove the hairpins that had kept his braids clean. “You don’t deserve pain even if you think you do.”

But Kaveh was too exhausted, mentally and physically, to even string up the words she had said. He fought the sleepiness but there was a voice in his head claiming that a little nap would be fine. And so, the rest of the sweet nothings that were whispered to him last night were simply lullabies to ease his crying heart. One thing was for sure, he had woken up the next day with no hangovers, full of energy and neatly tucked in his shared house with his ex-friend. The morning sun felt soft on his skin, one would even say that he was blooming with life after what had happened last night. Recalling how he even got to his room proved fruitless. He remained on his bed for a few minutes, desperately trying to recall the night prior.

“Kaveh…” he can still hear a voice ringing in his ears. A soft call of his name. It was just his name being called out but it felt like paradise in his mind. It almost lulled him back to the land of dreams but he refused and got up from his feet, digging through every crevice of his brain just to find the conclusion of what had transpired before he was woken up by the stream of light through his curtains.

Stepping out of his room after neatly folding his sheets, he faced Alhaitham, to his dismay, in the living room as he read another book that was different from yesterday, indicating that this genius had finished it within a few sittings. There was a coffee on the table for him as he sat cross-legged before it. The scribe glanced at Kaveh with confusion before going back to his book.

“I had speculated you were sleeping at a gutter outside of Sumeru with the hilichurls.” His tone was not far from harsh yet it popped a vein out of him. Kaveh’s beautiful morning was broken and his usual irritant brows showed. “Many say you walked in the wilderness after a couple of drinks.” He nonchalantly says as he sips on his coffee, taking the hot drink in silent gulps.

And that was where it clicked. The woman in the silver dress. Did she carry me home? Kaveh thought and imagined of a struggling woman dragging a drunk man from a hilichurl’s hut. He was about to ask when Alhaitham spoke once again. “Don’t tell me you were lured into a merchant's abode just to get duped into buying a new scarf.”

Unable to calm his mind, he raised a brow to Alhaitham. Scarf? He looked down on his neck and recognized immediately the scarf from the woman last night. Now he’s sure he wasn’t drunk and hallucinating things.

#genshin impact #kaveh x reader #genshin x reader

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