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shayewrites · 1 year

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underneath the moonlight

synopsis: in which you wonder if you are holding kazuha back and he reassures you how much he loves you. fem!reader

warnings: hurt/comfort. anxiety/insecurity comfort. (not proofread)

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if you could put time in a bottle, you would have chosen any of the various times you and kazuha spent on the crow’s nest together when he returned home, overlooking the moonlit sea beyond the shores of inazuma below and underneath the glittering stars above. both of your feet dangled over the edge, gently swinging in time with kazuha’s soft hums that formed the most beautiful of melodies.

but despite the perfect scenery and the comfort of your one and only partner, you could still feel the cold chill of anxiety that sent a shiver up your spine as the breeze brushed across your skin, reminding you of the true reason you had asked kazuha to meet you up here tonight. to his credit, he had been patient, not pushing you to speak just yet, but as his song came to its ending decrescendo, the deafening silence was antagonizing you with each passing second.

finally, kazuha turned to look at you, worry laced in his gentle voice, “my dearest y/n, what’s on your mind?”

in that instant, you nearly backed out of your own plan to share the worries and doubts that had begun to plague your mind to him. instead of revealing your vulnerabilities and insecurities that were slowly eating away at you, perhaps you could finally tell him those three little words that you hadn’t been able to say that lingered in his every touch, in his every glance, and in every song he sang for you. that would fix everything and make all these baseless doubts disappear, right? it would make this night memorable for him in a much better way than you had planned.

no, you knew better than to play with someone’s heart like that, especially your own. your heart couldn’t take it. still, that very same heart was starting to beat out of your chest, your stomach was beginning to churn, and your eyes were starting to water at the very notion of sharing the insecurities that were holding you back, that we’re holding him back. so with all the courage you could muster, you managed to ask, “kazuha, do you ever think there might be someone else better out there for you?”

his eyes narrowed, searching your features for sincerity. he then brought a hand to rest on your forehead, like a mother would check their child’s temperature. when he found no fever, he hummed to himself before moving to tilt your head to the side, eyes roaming your skin intently.

“what are you doing?” you finally asked, confused about his sudden change in behavior.

he tilted your head the other way, still scanning every inch of your exposed skin. calmly, he replied, “checking you for any injuries. only someone who had been knocked upside the head would ask something as absurd as what you’ve asked me.”

you jerked your head away from his grasp, hoping the cold, night wind might cover the slight dust that had started to creep onto your cheeks, “i’m serious, kazu. what if i’m not the right one for you after all?”

he frowned, his hands slipping into yours, “where is this coming from, darling?”

where to start? you saw the way his eyes gleamed as they pulled out of inazuma’s port, the way he was able to strike up a conversation with just about anyone, and how his shy, yet gentle personality was alluring to all he encountered. he shined like the sun when he was away from you, when he was surrounded by new faces and new places, yet he always came home to you. it was endearing at first, knowing you’d always be the one he came home to, but somewhere along the line, that endearment turned into anxiety that he might be happier away from the land of lightning and away from you.

your gaze fell to the wooden planked floor, his gaze too soft, too concerned for you to hold, “you’ve seen the world beyond inazuma, kazu. you’ve seen places that i can’t even begin to imagine, and you’ve likely met tons of other men and women that are more attractive, more intelligent, or more free-spirited than me, yet you always come back here to inazuma, to me. it makes me wonder if i’m,” you sighed, “ if i’m holding you back.”

kazuha used his free hand to lift your chin, to make you look into his crimson eyes that were filled with tears of their own, “please don’t say another word. in fact, let me tell you something before you let anymore of those doubts creep into your mind.”

he squeezed your hand while moving to cup your cheek, “i love you, and only you. when we met all those years ago, i wasn’t sure who i was. i was a lost and wandering samurai without a purpose, but in you, i found something i had been searching my whole life for, a home.” he offered a soft smile, using the back of his hand, still enveloping yours, to wipe away a stray tear streaming down his cheek, “love, you were the one i would come home to after traveling with tomo, and in you, i found my rest. i still do.”

tears were now starting to fall down your cheeks at his words of reassurance as he continued, “while i may be gone for days or even a week or so at a time, you are always in the forefront of my mind. i could be climbing to the top of dragonspine or exploring the depths of the chasm, but my heart always brings me back to the only person whom i could ever love. you, my dear.” he pulled you into his chest, allowing you to hear his beating heart, steady and true, “coming home to you is my favorite part of any journey. i love to travel and to explore teyvat, but at the end of the day, the only place i want to be with you, holding you in my arms once again.”

you looked up at him from where you lay on his chest, “you mean that?”

he laughed, his laughter ringing out above the wind and the sounds of the sea crashing against the side of the Crux, “silly girl, there’s only one place i’d choose to be, and that is right here underneath the moonlight with you tonight.”

you snuggled closer into his chest, “how poetic, my samurai.”

“only for you, my love.” he whispered into your hair “don’t you ever worry your pretty little mind about holding me back, because when i’ve traveled the world and seen all that it has to offer, i will always return to your side, to be yours and yours alone.”

@ shayewrites tumblr 2022

author’s note: i was working on kazuha villain headcanons when this came outta nowhere. mans is too gentle and kind to be evil! especially when he’s my comfort character rn.

#genshin fanfic #genshin angst #genshin comfort #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin imagines #genshin kaedahara kazuha #kazuha x reader #kazuha #kazuha kaedehara #kadehara kazuha #kazuha angst #kazuha comfort #shayewrites #shayewritesgenshin #hurt/comfort #anxiety comfort

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shayewrites · 1 year

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underneath the twilight

synopsis: the tragic story of a knight and his lost beloved princess (fem!reader) (dainsleif pov)

warnings: mentions of blood and implied character death. this is a little angsty, but dainsleif has been on my mind for some time now and he doesn’t get enough love in fanfic, happy (ish) ending.

masterlist. navigation.

“There were no stars in Khaenri'ah. There was only the Sun and the Moon to keep a watchful eye over each and every child of innovation and creation without a deity or a sole ruler to bow to. Every man answered to himself, as things ought to be.

After rumors spread of another world beyond the depths of the underground, a world full of magic, of beauty, and of deities that ruled over their lands with wisdom and with grace, the people of Khaenri'ah began to wish for a deity of their own. As there was no god or goddess in the man-made realm of Khaenri'ah, the people created their own through the installment of a monarchy. This monarchy was rather weak, in the sense of the power it held over its subjects, but for the time being, it sufficed the wandering minds and hearts of the people by giving them someone to look to for answers or inspiration.

For years, the monarchy was ‘chosen’ by the people. Candidates were chosen from those acclaimed to be the ‘wisest’ families in the nation to be raised up in royalty to succeed as the next heir to the throne. This Candidate would dedicate his or her life to acquiring wisdom and knowledge to share with the people and lead them in times of need, which may have seemed to be few and far between at the time. During the last dynasty of Khaenri'ah, there was to be a new heir to ascend to the throne, but on the eve of her coronation, the Cataclysm struck, and she was lost to the destruction that plagued our land, our home.”

“Dain,” the traveler spoke from beside him, reaching out a hand to rest on his forearm, “The night of the Cataclysm. What was it like?”

Instantly he froze, his muscles stiffening up at the very question. It was a night he had spent half of a millenia trying to dispel from his mind, but in the end, it always came back to mind to remind him of his failure to protect his own. He was reminded of it in his dreams, in the quiet moments of the daylight, and in the restless nights where he would lie awake for hours to stare at the stars in the sky above. Oh how you would have loved the stars if only you were still here by his side.

He let out a defeated sigh, resigning himself to reminisce once more the night his world shattered forever. Perhaps a retelling was due.

“The night of the Cataclysm was supposed to be a grand celebration for all of Khaenri'ah. The new heir to the Khaenri'ahn throne had been announced by King Irmin, and she was to take her place as queen that following morning after her coronation ceremony. The palace had invited all of Khaenri'ah to come and celebrate their new queen. There was music that filled each and every hall of the palace from the observatory overlooking all of Khaenri'ah all the way down to the depths of the dungeons where criminals awaited their pending trials and sentences to be fulfilled. The chambers of wine had been opened for this very occasion, and by the time the sun had begun to set over the horizon, many of the guests had found themselves escorted back to their homes by the Black Serpent Knights that watched over the city by night. Even so, there were still quite a few guests left, all hoping to seek an audience with the future queen of Khaenri'ah. However, she seemed to have a different plan in mind.

I had been stationed within the main hall where the gala was starting to come to a fitting end, but my one mission had managed to slip through my fingers almost immediately after her welcome speech towards the beginning of the party. Honestly, she was as nimble as a fox, disappearing into the crowd effortlessly for the duration of the occasion. She’d always been this way. For as long as I could remember, she’d slip out of any and every formal event hosted by the palace, often winding up in the nearest library or exchanging knowledge with just about anyone she came about. It was endearing for the most part, but tonight I had one duty, to protect her, but how was I to protect someone I couldn’t find?

When I finally did find her highness, I found her leaning over the railing of the balcony that overlooked the illuminated city streets below. Her eyes followed the setting sun that disappeared behind the mountains that stood steadfastly off in the distance. In the last golden rays of the sunlight, she looked ethereal, as if she belonged to the rumored land of magic that I had heard so much about lately. I leaned against one of the marble pillars, simply watching her for a moment before breaking the silence, “You know, if I didn’t know better, I might think you were about to grow wings and fly far far away from here.”

Her chuckle permeated the air as she shook her head playfully, not turning back to meet my gaze, “I’m considering it, Twilight Sword, but it seems that we as a nation have yet to engineer the mechanics of human flight.”

“Perhaps not yet,” I replied as I moved to stand beside her, “but I suppose that means I get to keep you here beside me for a little longer.”

I had expected her to laugh at such a silly notion, but instead, her head fell, and her eyes shifted towards the railing beneath her fingers. “A little longer,” she repeated as if she were suddenly locked in a trance.

“Something the matter, your highness?” I ventured to ask, “I couldn’t help but notice that there’s been a rather forlorn expression on your face all night, and while I know that you prefer to hide from the bright lights and loud music of galas and balls, I have to admit you seem more wilted than usual.”

She shook her head once more, lifting her gaze to meet mine. “It’s not that, surprisingly enough,” she replied. She spun around to glance at the remaining guests dancing across the ballroom, all still waiting for her return to the party. “Call me irrational, or crazy even, but I can’t help but get the feeling that something has gone terribly wrong.”

For her to say that something was wrong was quite out of the character for her. In all the years I’d known and guarded King Irmin’s successor, she’d never been one to speculate, not unless all the facts were laid out before her. She left speculation to the imagination of those around her, particularly to the alchemists and engineers that pushed the bounds of alchemy and innovation with each passing day. They could afford to be wrong, to have failed experiments. She however felt as if she couldn’t, as if any sense of failure might tarnish the expectations she upheld as a Candidate.

I moved to place my gloved hand on top of hers, “What could have possibly given you that idea? Your people, your nation, they could not be in safer hands than your own, my lady. If it were not so I would have shared it with you.” I hoped she could see the sincerity in my gaze, to know that she needn’t worry for even a moment.

“I know, Dain, which is why the idea alone feels so preposterous to me. Still, this dreadful feeling persists, as if it is a warning of sorts that I cannot seem to decipher.” As she glanced up to me, I saw the dark bags underneath her eyes that told of sleepless nights at the library. What had worried her so much as to make her lose sleep like this? What had she seen and heard for her to reach the point of speculation like this?

I couldn’t see inside her mind to know what thoughts were racing through it, but I thought I might be able to convince her that she was safe and sound, that whatever was worrying her was only a passing thought. I gave her my most convincing smile and said, “Ah, I see what it is.”

Her eyes lit up with familiar excitement and anticipation, “You do?”

I nodded, “I do.” I pushed a strand of hair away from her face, “You’re lost in the pretty little mind of yours again, aren’t you? You’re consumed by the worries of your people and how to best serve them as you twist yourself into a bind to please them.” From what I could gather, it was my best guess. This coronation ceremony must have really been getting to her for her to take up the habit of worrying herself sick.

Her face fell immediately, her eyes suddenly flickering with the first flames of frustration, “Dain, I’m being serious.”

I huffed, folding my arms over my chest, “As am I. Look, you give your all each and every day for the good of your people, but you neglect to think of yourself and care for your own needs. Here you are on the eve of your coronation, worried about what choices you will make tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.” She turned her face away from mine, once again sparing a glance to the musicians and dancers still in the main hall. I followed her gaze before holding out my hand to her and offering a compromise, “Take my hand, and let me take you far away from the doubts and fears of tomorrow. Let’s focus on today and spend the little time we have left in it together, shall we?”

She hesitated for only a moment before her smile returned little by little until she took my hand in hers, “Since when did you become such a romantic?”

I folded one arm across my chest in a proper bow, giving her a wink as I rose back to my full stature, “Only for you, my lady.”

I started to lead her towards the center of the hall, feeling the watching eyes of the guests and fellow knights standing vigilant guard around the room, but just as she turned to me, draping one of her hands over my shoulder, there came a shudder from the ground beneath us. There was no warning, no way of knowing what was to come, but in that moment, the only thought racing through my mind was the woman before me and the resigned look that crossed her face. She’d been right after all.

As the ground broke open underneath us, I kept the hand still enclosed in hers iron-tight. The other hand was trapped underneath fallen rubble from the roof. I couldn’t move it, and I was already starting to fear the worst as the rich, crimson blood began to trickle down my entrapped shoulder, staining my coat a deep carmine. I spared a worried glance down to the princess, helpless to watch as she clung to me for dear life.

As the blood began to run down the sleeve of my coat, it started to pool where our hands were connected. I desperately tried to readjust my grip, but I couldn’t risk it, not with her still grasping my hand so tightly. Almost immediately, she began to understand our dilemma. Her eyes found mine, tears already threatening to fall as she struggled to find the right words. “Dain,” she started to speak, her voice shaky and uncertain, “You can’t hold us both.”

“That’s not true!” I argued through gritted teeth, ignoring the searing pain that tore at my shoulder and my outstretched hand. I forced myself to believe I could endure the pain, even if my body was beginning to scream in agony.

Her hand began to slip just slightly, but I was able to hold onto her by my fingers, desperate not to drop her into the abyss below us. She looked up to my trapped arm and sighed heavily as she tried to hold back her tears, “Dainsleif, my Twilight Sword, we both know the truth. You can’t pull us both out of here. Your right arm is trapped, isn’t it?

I couldn’t lie to her, so I opted to stay silent, but even so, it only confirmed her fears. No matter how much I willed it not to be true, she was right. I couldn’t hold this position forever, and I wasn’t sure I could pull myself up to level ground, much less the both of us.

She called my name to pull me from my thoughts, but I noticed the way her voice was more tender than before, “Dain, you have to let me go.”

“No!” I immediately interjected, unable to even consider such a thought in this situation. “There’s got to be another way, just give me time to think!” I cried out, not willing to believe that she was right yet again, too stubborn to accept the reality I was faced with.

By now, the blood pooling in our hand had started to seep through each of our fingers, causing her to slip through my fingers with every passing moment. I gripped her hand with every last ounce of strength I had left, but even I could tell that it was not enough to hold.

Before she slipped through my fingers for the very last time, she whispered a promise, a promise to be with me wherever I went in life or in death. She then took one last breath and let go of my hand. In that moment she didn’t cry. She didn’t shed a single tear for herself as she fell through the air. In fact, though the sight lives on only in my memory, she smiled, just like she had for so many years that I had been at her side, knowing this would be the last time.”

The former knight paused his story there, unable to continue as grief washed over him. He’d lost everything that night: his home, his family, his friends, and his purpose, but what hurt the most, was to know that he wasn’t strong enough to save Khaenri'ah all those years ago, and that now, he had to settle for avenging the nation and every last citizen struck down by the archons’ power. He knew it would never be enough to undo his own failure to save you, to protect you like he swore to as a royal guard, but perhaps you could forgive him if he could find the answer to why the gods chose to strike down his homeland and his only love.

The rustling of the bushes in front of Dainsleif alerted him that he and the traveler were no longer alone. The newcomer began to clap, slow and loud as he revealed himself, ““That’s quite the story there, but I’m quite curious. What became of the knight in your story?”

The traveler’s mouth opened wide in shock as they recognized the newcomer in question, “C-Captain Kaeya! What are you doing here?”

Kaeya ignored the traveler’s question, intently awaiting Dainsleif’s reply, “Surely there was more to the story, no?”

Dainsleif sighed, folding his arms over his chest, “He’s roamed the ravaged land as a wanderer for years to come, silently holding out hope that his beloved might someday return, even if it is quite foolish to entertain such a thought. He’s spent the rest of his days searching for her in the stillness of the night, underneath the twilight sky.”

Kaeya began to chuckle, shaking his head disapprovingly, “That’s no way to end a story, now is it? What are the chances the princess survived and clawed herself to unlikely victory? What if the princess were to take on the role of avenger for her fallen nation just as her dutiful knight has done?” He then shrugged, “It’s just a thought though. I would hate for such a romantic story to end on such a somber note after all.”

For a moment, there was the faintest flicker of hope in the former knight’s heart, but it withered away as soon as it had sparked alight. Kaeya may have liked to push other people’s buttons for fun, but as a descendent of Khaenri'ah himself, he knew better than to make light of his homeland in such a way. This was not just another story told for the sake of being told, and the cavalry captain knew that. Still, Dainsleif also knew that the traveler was still unaware of Kaeya’s less than noble heritage, so he’d play along, for now.

“If such a possibility were to exist in this story, where might the knight find her? That is if it were possible she survived the fall into the abyss? Hypothetically of course,” he asked with a pointed glare.

Kaeya stroked his chin, as if in deep thought, “Hmm, you mentioned in your little story that she always wished to fly away like a bird following the setting sun. If I were the knight, I’d look for the princess where the sun meets the sky, at the peak of the highest mountain west of the wind.”

The highest mountain west of the wind? That automatically eliminated a few possible places. West of the wind suggested out of Mondstadt, so that left…

Dainsleif chuckled to himself, “How fitting.” He then turned to leave, not giving the traveler or Kaeya a moment to interject.

The traveler glanced between Dainsleif’s retreating figure and Kaeya, who wore a rather proud smirk on his face, “I’ll be off now. Traveler, why don’t you accompany me back to Mondstadt? Jean has a new project for the Knights of Favonious that just might interest you.”

The traveler lingered, sparing the former Twilight Sword one last glance as he disappeared into the sunset, “What about Dainsleif?”

Kaeya didn’t look back as he replied, “Don’t worry about him. I’m sure he knows where he’s going.”

shayewrites 2023

this started as a storyline, but i condensed it for tumblr. i know 3,000 words doesn’t sound like condensing, but you should have seen the first draft.

#genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #dainsleif #dainsleif x reader #dainsleif x you #fem!reader #kaeya #Genshin #shayewritesgenshin #shayewrites #genshin angst

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shayewrites · 1 year

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underneath the mistletoe

synopsis: it seems someone has decided the best way to help you find love for the holidays is to tease your two roommates by placing mistletoe over your door

kaveh x gn!reader x alhaitham, platonic!childe

merry christmas! sorry it’s a tad bit late, but this is for the secret santa event hosted by @2022gisecretsanta

@simplyxsinned this is for you! hope you enjoy!

masterlist. navigation. event masterlist.

while the akademiya might have been out for the holiday season, there was still much for you to do. as one of the forest watcher’s representatives, you handled the reports that provided the necessary details to the akademiya as well as applied for the necessary funding and supplies the watchers needed in order to continue protecting the avidya forest.

recently, there had been various reports of disappearing withering zones and the remission of all elezar patients under ghandarvaville’s careful supervision. your job was to put all the necessary information together to present to the akademiya once the holiday season was over, but so far, you only had a blank piece of paper titled “presentation”. you were hopeless.

as you laid your head down on your desk, you heard the footsteps of one of your roommates on their way down the hallway.

“y/n! have you seen my-“ your roommate stopped as his eyes glanced upwards. he tried to speak, but his mouth simply hung open, unable to finish his thought.

after a moment, you raised your head to look at him. you looked up to the ceiling as well, not noticing anything out of the ordinary, so you prompted, “your what?”

“i-uh…my umm” the blonde-haired man stumbled over his words, his gaze not once moving from where it was fixed above the doorframe.

slowly, you stood up from your desk and started to cross the room. “kaveh? are you alright?” to say you were concerned was a bit of an understatement. kaveh was always so smooth with his words, well that is unless he was in an argument with your other roommate, alhaitham.

speaking of the devil, alhaitham’s voice could be heard as he walked down the narrow hallway, “i’m heading out. anything you all need while i’m…out?” he too paused mid-sentence, joining kaveh as they both stared transfixedly up at the doorframe.

“not you too, alhaitham.” you groaned, finally reaching the doorframe, “for archon’s sake, what are you both staring at?” just then, you saw the familiar pointed, green leaves of mistletoe that had been pinned above your door. “oh.”

alhaitham was the first to speak, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “why would you put that above your door?”

kaveh joined in, shaking his head in disappointment, “of all the places in the house, y/n.”

your mouth opened in shock of their accusations. you certainly didn’t do this! however, their pointed stares said otherwise. you folded your arms over your chest and huffed, “you think i did this?”

kaveh shifted his weight and started to point out, “it is above your door-“

you cut him off, “yeah, but i didn’t do it.” in reality, you had no idea who might have pinned the plant above your doorframe. if he weren’t standing there accusing you of such a preposterous act, you would have been inclined to blame him instead.

as if sensing you were silently blaming him for this ‘mistletoe incident’ he turned up his nose slightly while folding his arms to mirror yours, “well, i didn’t do it either.”

alhaitham finally interjected, interrupting you and kaveh’s petty argument, “i think we’re asking the wrong question here.”

kaveh huffed, his hands finding his hips as he exasperatedly replied, “oh really now? do tell, grand scribe. what question should i be asking?”

the grey-haired genius chuckled to himself as if the answer were obvious, “the real question is: who gets to kiss them?”

you took a step back, already feeling the heat rising to your cheeks and ears at alhaitham’s suggestion, “i’m sorry, what?” across from you, kaveh cleared his throat, having to cover his own face that was starting to sport a thin band of blush as well.

alhaitham shrugged as if he hadn’t just suggested that one of them should kiss you right then, “well, it is tradition to kiss underneath the mistletoe, is it not?”

now it was your turn to be a flustered mess, unable to find the right words to say at first, “i uh, it is, but you don’t have to. it’s just an old legend anyway.”

alhaitham took an experimental step forward, eyes not leaving yours as they gleamed with amusement, “oh no, y/n. tradition is tradition. you have to choose one of us.”

kaveh shook his head at his companion, disgust clearly written across his features, “you truly lack any sense of romance in that ice-cold heart of yours, don’t you? that’s not the way to ask to kiss someone! have you no shame?”

the scribe rolled his eyes at kaveh, “i’ve about had enough of this.” alhaitham then tugged on your hand, pulling you flush against him as he enveloped your lips with his own.

you didn’t have the chance to steady yourself as he pulled you into him, but as his lips landed in yours, you melted into the kiss. your hand reached up to cup his cheek, deepening the kiss for just a little longer.

from behind alhaitham, you heard a scoff, “hey! that was supposed to be my kiss!”

the scribe flashed the architect a taunting smirk before pressing one last kiss to your lips, “then come and get it.”

*bonus*

after your presentation to the akademiya was finished and you were heading back home for the day, you were met by the familiar smile of your oldest friend.

you grinned, wrapping the ginger-haired man in a tight hug, “childe? i didn’t expect to see you here so soon. how’d you get away from liyue?”

he chuckled, “let’s say that i received a letter from a coworker of mine that needed a little bit of help, but that’s boring news. so, how did those two babbling baffoons do up against the mistletoe i placed above your door?”

you pulled back from the hug, hitting childe square in the chest with a closed fist, “i knew it was you!”

childe only laughed, bending over in hysterics at your incredulous reaction, “what can i say? they just needed a little push to fully confront their feelings, just like you did.”

you folded your arms over your chest, “maybe we did, but that stunt about sent kaveh into a near heart attack.”

“a small price to pay for a kiss, at i right?” he grinned, ruffling your hair like he often did when you two were just kids.

you could only shake your head slightly as you let out a defeated sigh, “next time, tell me before doing something so bold.”

the harbinger pretended to stroke the stubble forming on his chin after some time away from his station in liyue, “no promises, my dearest friend.”

@shayewrites tumblr 2022

#2022gisecretsanta #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin fluff #genshin x you #genshin x gn reader #al haitam x reader #alhaitham x reader #kaveh x you #kaveh x reader #shayewrites #shayewritesgenshin #genshin impact #gixrsecretsanta2022

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shayewrites · 1 year

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my dear partner

not sure if villain!heizou is a thing, but it is now!

(god sometimes i wish hoyoverse used this model, but i guess it can now serve as villain!heizou au)

warnings: implications of of violence, deception, possible yandere themes. gn!reader

masterlist. navigation.

villain heizou, who secretly works for the fatui, helping fuel the war in inazuma by “harmlessly” visiting watatsumi island in the midst of the conflict on a “vacation”. in actuality, he’s been scouting out the area for reconnaissance, casually leaving delusions to be found by the watatsumi forces. sure it’s a little underhanded, but he’s never minded using such tactics on cases before.

villain heizou, who is quite the character in inazuma, cracking cold cases and bringing wanted criminals to justice, but no one knows the truth behind his methods. to keep his cover, he turns in the occasional turncoat or low life scum, manipulating the evidence in his favor. with no partner, other than his own intuition, there’s no one left to oppose him. that is until you come into play.

you were a new addition to the detective agency, filled with the grand notion of bringing justice to inazuma and making it a safe place for everyone. you took case after case, roaming all of inazuma in search of justice, but your potential suspects and key witnesses would mysteriously go missing before you could question them, and the locals would only shudder in fear when you went searching for a reason for their disappearance. it was clear something, or someone was keeping you from finding the answers you needed, but they always seemed to be one step ahead of you.

frustrated with chasing countless cold leads, you decided to go to your senpai, heizou. surely he would have some wistful insight he’d be willing to share. in all honesty, you had only spoken to the detective maybe two or three times in passing, but he’d offered to help if you ever found yourself in a bind so surely he’d be willing to help you out with this case.

heizou already knew you’d be looking for him when he reached the agency. after all, it was only a matter of time until you had exhausted all of your leads and resources and came to your genius senpai for assistance. he was counting on it.

surely enough, he found you asking around the agency for him. it was adorable, the way you thanked each of your dull coworkers with a respectful bow, something heizou would have laughed at had it been anyone else. when your eyes finally met his, they shone bright like the stars above teyvat as your lips lifted into a relieved smile. the sight made his own smile he returned that much more genuine.

“good morning, my dear kouhai. what brings you to the agency today? i was sure you’d be out hunting for clues.” he chimed enthusiastically.

you sighed softly, “usually i would be, but i’m a little…” you knew you needed his help, but that didn’t make it any easier to have to admit it aloud. “i’m a little stumped by a case. if you’re not too busy, would you mind helping me out?”

he chuckled, his softened green eyes reflecting his clear amusement, “why sure! i’ve got a bit of a break since i just dropped off my last case file, so i’ve got plenty of time to help you.”

you explained the case, walking him through each piece of evidence and the mysterious disappearance of your prime suspect and potential witnesses. apparently, the suspect wielded an electro vision that allowed them to escape every time you were able to corner them. if you didn’t know better, you would have thought they might even be enjoying the thrill of the chase.

heizou glanced at the file you’d put together, impressed by each of your deductions and inferences neatly organized into a nearly perfect profile. it would have been perfect if only you were slightly more observant. for example, the electro vision seen on the suspect was nothing more than a delusion at play, and the suspect wasn’t just enjoying the chase, but pulling you into it yourself. it was clear that the suspect was toying with you, but you hadn’t seem to catch on, which meant he had a little more time with you yet.

“this case sure looks like a doozy,” he said, finishing up the last paragraph of your notes, “it has me lost for words at the moment, but don’t worry, my dear partner.” he closed the file and tucked it underneath his arm, “i’m sure we can crack this one together.”

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send me your villain! heizou thoughts! id love to hear them!

#genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin headcanons #genshin fanfic #shikanoin heizou #heizou x gender neutral reader #heizou x reader #genshin heizou #heizou headcanons #villain heizou #fatui #inazuma #shayewrites #anime #shayewritesgenshin #yandere genshin impact #yandere heizou

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shayewrites · 2 years

Text

Bird Call from Afar

synopsis: inspired by the lore behind the ost Bird Call from Afar xiao x goddess! reader (fem!reader)

warnings: a little angst, mentions of death, she/her pronouns used

masterlist. navigation.

qingyun’s peak was the perfect place to view all of liyue above the clouds and watch as the stars gathered into their constellations in the night sky. it was far enough away from the false light that shone from the harbor while still being close enough to jueyun karst that none would dare to disturb its serene atmosphere.

amidst the clouds and the stars that hung in the sky above, one figure sat at the peak with their legs dangling off the edge as they hummed a soft tune to themselves.

“xiao? what are you doing out here so late?” paimon enthusiastically flew out from behind the traveler’s frame, “on the hunt for demons?”

xiao didn’t turn to acknowledge them, continuing to stare up at the night sky, “not tonight.”

paimon sent the traveler a quizzical glance before asking, “why not? are there not any out tonight?”

the adepti shook his head, “no, it’s not that. it’s just-” he sighed to himself, “today’s different.”

“how come?” the traveler puzzled, hoping that xiao might decide to open up a little bit. it wasn’t like him to be, well, still. he was always a busy adepti, never having a moment to spend on himself.

he finally turned to meet their gaze rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, “it’s uh-it’s a long story.”

the traveler moved to sit next to xiao, swinging their legs to hang off the cliffside beside his, “we’ve got some time before we leave for sumeru in the morning.”

ever the curious one, paimon was quick to interject as well, her voice growing louder by the second, “yeah! paimon loves stories!”

with a shake of his head, he relented, “alright, alright.” he then leaned back, resting his weight on his palms to get comfortable before he began, “what do you know about the gods of liyue before the archon war?”

the traveler started to answer, but their companion beat them to it with her hand raised high in the air as if this were a school lesson, “ooo paimon knows! the gods of liyue worked together for each of their people. they worked in harmony to protect and to guide their people to have good, long lives.”

xiao nodded, returning his gaze to the stars above as he continued, “right. among the various gods of liyue was the goddess of song. unlike the other deities of her time, she did not have a people so to speak. instead, she used her talents and abilities to unite the peoples of liyue through music. bards all the way in mondstadt were inspired by her beautiful songs and enchanting lyrics, and individuals would come from as far as natalan just to hear her sing.” perhaps he was simply lost in the story himself, but under his breath, just loud enough for the traveler to hear he breathed the words, “she was truly spectacular.

despite her love for song and dance, performing in front of a crowd always seemed to be a daunting task for her, so for a few weeks of the year, she’d escape to the mountains of jueyun karst to simply get away from it all. she’d sing from the highest mountain top of qingyun and her voice would carry through the wind down to where the first adepti abode.

oftentimes while i was out training, i could hear her voice, singing from the top of mount qingyun . while at first i thought it to be a distraction and a nuisance, i eventually came to enjoy the new melodies and harmonies that would drift down to the valleys below.

one night particular night, i heard her singing from the mountain when i noticed her voice seemed to waver, as if she were crying, as if the only song she was able to sing was that of a longing songbird searching for its lost mate. it pained my heart to hear, but i was convinced that it was not a song meant for my own ears as i had never once found the courage to speak to her on my own. in fact, out of all the yakshas, only bosacious approached her a time or two while she visited the mount, but he had returned with a telling frown that ultimately signified his heartbroken rejection, but that’s a story for another time.” he brushed off a beetle that had climbed onto his shoulder pad and returned to his story, “it wasn’t until i heard her voice singing the same lonely tune the following night that i found myself wanting to reach out to her. i couldn’t explain why, but her songs seemed to have that feeling that i myself had known all too well, of loss and of despair. looking back, perhaps i had only meant to comfort her, but on the third night of her melancholic song, i sang the melody of her tune back to her, soft and low as i had neither the confidence nor the skill to match her beautiful tones that rang from the mountain’s peak.”

paimon shot into the air, holding her hands in a ‘t’ symbol to call for a timeout, “you mean to tell paimon that you can sing?!” she then folded her arms and stomped at the air, “how come paimon has never heard of this?!”

he chuckled gently at her exclamation, “hmm, it’s not something many people know. in fact, only the adepti themselves retain this knowledge, except for you two of course.”

paimon continued to pout as the traveler laughed, attempting to console the poor, floating child.

before returning to the story, he hid a brief smile at the two companions that he had made, wondering how much his goddess would have wished to meet them, “to this day i’m not sure how she heard me, but she did. she paused to listen, patiently waiting for me to finish before testing out a new melody, which i sang back to her as well. it must have frightened her, because she immediately stopped singing and did not return to the mountains for some time. in fact, i found myself missing her soothing voice that i had grown accustomed to over time. without it, the valley felt,” he paused, “empty. however, around the same time, there appeared to be someone who would come to the mountains and simply sit on the edge to watch the stars, never speaking and never paying any mind to the adepti as they would come and go. while i thought this stranger might be just another foolish human who had wandered too far into adepti territory, i posted myself just out of sight, watching from a distance to see if i could ascertain her intentions. she could have chosen to watch the stars from anywhere in all of teyvat, but she had chosen jueyun karst of all places, and i wanted to know why.

after about a week or so of watching her each night, i unintentionally revealed myself to her after i broke a tree branch while walking to my usual place in the brush behind her. strangely enough, she didn’t seemed startled in the slightest, simply looking back to where i was positioned with a rather amused smile as she playfully remarked, “finally decided to join me?” i was completely caught off guard by her statement, but i nodded nevertheless, moving to sit next to her despite the awkwardness of the situation. for a few moments we sat in total silence, simply observing the surroundings and the stars above before she turned to speak, “i know you’ve been watching me for some time now, but why haven’t you driven me off yet? why? is this not the sacred place of the adepti?”

truth be told, i didn’t have an answer. i had meant to do so, every night in fact, but whenever i would try to gather the courage to confront her, i found myself hanging back, still curious as to why she would visit the mountain every night, but unable to summon the courage required to speak to her. instead of answering her question, i finally asked a burning question of my own, “why do you come out here each night?”

her eyes lit up in a soft smile, “oh, i’m waiting for someone.”

i had simply scoffed, telling her that she wouldn’t find anyone all the way out there, that whoever it was she was searching for was a lost cause, but she shook her head and said, “it may sound quite silly, but i often come out here to craft new melodies and get away from the busy life of liyue. it’s a nice change in pace every now and then.” she sighed to herself before continuing, her face falling just a bit, “truthfully, i came out here to sing as i usually do one night when i heard someone reply. he sang my own song back to me, softly and gently as if he were unsure of his own voice yet it was full of understanding. now that i think about it, i suppose i should have tried to find him instead of running off, but i was so surprised i didn’t know how to react. i’ve yet to find him since that night, so i come out here each night in the hopes that i might hear his voice and find the boy who sang with me that night. foolish, right?”

by the time she finished, i realized that i was in the presence of the goddess of song. i wasn’t sure what to do. i couldn’t reveal myself as the boy she was searching for, but looking back, perhaps she knew all along, because for the first time since she had supposedly disappeared, she had started to sing again. it was the same melody as before, but with new words that spoke of hope and of sweet longing that filled the air. when she was finished, she returned to looking at the stars. she waited patiently for a voice to relay the tune back to her, but after she received no reply, she bid me farewell and returned to her own home. she thanked me for the company and left without another word.

that night began a cycle of long nights spent together staring up at the stars as i listened to her sing while i would mend the day’s wounds or rest on the soft ground beside her. however, one night she didn’t show up. knowing her status as a goddess and as a renowned singer, i wasn’t concerned, but then two nights turned to three and into four until over a week had passed without so much as a letter from her. i hadn’t wanted to admit it at the time, but i was growing worried about the goddess of song. on the eighth night of her disappearance, i left jueyun karst to search for her, singing the song i had once sang to her before in the hopes she might find her way back to me, or i to her.

when i did find her, she was injured on the path to jueyun karst, just beyond cuijue slope. while the scene was unclear, i have always believed it was a fellow god in their jealously that struck her down and left her to die off the beaten path. i tried my best to heal her, but adeptal power can only repair so much. from the pained expression that she tried to keep hidden for my sake and the slowing breaths she was beginning to take, it was clear she was beyond saving. even so, i did the only thing i could to soothe her pain. i sang to her, holding both of her hands in one of mine as i sunk my polearm into her chest and watched as the light instantly faded from her eyes.”

“you killed her?!” paimon exclaimed, unable to keep her thoughts at bay, “why?!”

xiao scoffed, knowing she would overreact, “i wouldn’t expect either of you to understand, but she’d been suffering in agony for days on end. gods and goddesses do not die as quickly as humans or even adepti, and her suffering had become beyond unbearable. while it may sound cruel to mere mortals, i provided a swift and honorable death, just as any god or adeptus would have wished for.”

paimon furrowed her brows as she scratched her head at the yaksha’s story, “that still doesn’t explain why today’s different of all days though.”

“no?” he mused before shrugging lightly, “well, today marks the day of her passing and the start of the Archon War. i take this day each year to remember her and all of those i lost in the war.”

before their companion could interrupt, the traveler gave the grieving adeptus a soft smile and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, “i see. it sounds like she was a lovely person, xiao.”

“she was.” he huffed to himself, “i’d give nearly anything to hear her voice one last time.” looking back to the scene of the valley below, he seemed to be lost in thought.

paimon broke the silence before it could grow too long, “paimon’s curious. what did the song sound like?”

instantly, xiao responded, “i’m afraid i don’t remember its entirety. even so, i could never do it justice.”

while his answer was quick and telling of his hidden truth, the traveler decided it would be better not to pry. perhaps the yaksha should be allowed to keep a secret for himself. instead, they rose to their feet and started to say their farewell, “we should be heading back to liyue. we wanted to say goodbye before we left.”

xiao’s eyes grew wide for a moment and his mouth opened to share something, but he quickly decided against it, turning his head away bashfully, “goodbye traveler, and be careful.”

the traveler nodded, “we will. take care, xiao.”

when the traveler and their companion were out of sight, xiao sighed to himself before rising to his feet. he walked to the edge, as he had seen you do many times, and with a deep breath, he started to sing. after so long, the words were lost to time, but the melody never left his memory. his voice wavered with unrelenting grief and longing, but he continued still. if anyone were to hear him, they would hear nothing but a bird’s call from afar.

as the song came to an end, his voice carried along the breeze that blew across jueyun karst. it rang through the trees, drifting down the mountains to the valley below, and echoed off the mountaintops. centuries had gone by since she had been slain, but the song of his goddess would forever live in his heart, even if his voice was the only one left to sing it.

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aghhh i just found about this ost and its lore and i absolutely melted over how sad it was. so ofc i was like LETS MAKE IT EVEN SADDER.

#genshin x reader #genshin impact #genshin #xiao x reader #xiao x you #xiao x y/n #adeptus xiao #genshin xiao #genshin fanfic #genshin angst #genshin impact x reader #shayewritesgenshin #alatus #genshin x female reader

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