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xiao-come-home · 2 years

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Genshin men going through your period with you;

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✰ Characters: Ayato, Itto, Kaeya, Diluc, Zhongli, Xiao, Thoma, Albedo, Kazuha.

✰ Words: 1,6k.

✰ SFW headcanons ; fluff ; no reader pronouns or gender specified, but the reader is implied to have an uterus.

Warnings: none. please tell me if you wish to get something added!

A/N: this is actually a request that i got a long time ago, im sorry! I decided to add a few boys as a compensation :) they’re a bit shorter tho! request at the end of the post.

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Ayato:

he’s probably the busiest out of everyone, so you definitely have personal maids assisting you as soon as he steps out of the estate; not that it makes him calmer, though. Even if he trusts his stuff a lot, he’d rather personally take care of you.

Ayato does have quite an experience dealing with periods, since he has his dear sister - which is also a perk! Ayaka is more than happy to spend time with you until Ayato gets home. And probably to share your pain together...

When your pain reaches the limit, he doesn’t hesitate to bring a doctor. And no, you can’t talk him out of it. And no, the doctor can’t leave the estate until your pain goes away.

Ayato is probably the most calm out of everyone as well - it’s somewhat reassuring though. His gentle smile gives you so much comfort, even more so when he lies next to you in bed and kisses your forehead, whispering that it’s all going to be okay while playing with your hair.

He’s attempted to make you a healthy soup once. Weirdly enough, it took him twice the time it should take to cook...

Thoma becomes your full-time bodyguard whenever Ayato leaves! Not that he minds, there’s always a lot to catch up with.

Itto:

oh lord.

he’s absolutely lost. especially for the first time. His usual, cocky behavior pops like a bubble, so now you have a beefy child that holds you squished against his chest for hours. also, he’s probably panicking more than you.

in solidarity, he’s crying with you.

in a more serious tone, Itto’s really worried about you. As not only his life partner, but a member of the Arataki gang, he can’t stand seeing you in so much pain, yet he’s barely able to do anything, that really sets off his guilt.

Attempts to talk you out of your pain! Tells you various adventures that happened, how many times he’s gone to jail, and how Ms. Hina’s stand happened to be in possession of the Arataki Gang... Wait, what?

When no medicine or comfort works, he holds your hand very tightly, putting his head onto your shoulder - he gets unusually quiet, his brows furrowed; Itto isn’t mad at you - but rather, angry that you have to endure all of this. He’s feeling so, so dirty for just watching you suffer. This isn’t right.

Whenever you cry, he kisses your tears away. It’s definitely not enough for him, but as soon as he sees that you appreciate his presence in any way, he feels a wave of hope.

Asks Shinobu and Granny Oni for help! He does want to make you feel better, and being there for you is not enough for him. Even if it’s traveling through half of the Inazuma to gather special herbs Granny told him about, he’s gone in a second.

Kaeya:

the cavalry captain probably hates your period as much as you do. He especially isn’t pleased seeing you in so much pain, so he’s trying not to be as annoying as he usually is.

he’s trying to check up on you as soon as possible, occasionally - he even stays home, so he’s able to take care of you the whole time. Though, while at work - he’s feeling on edge, which is totally visible despite him trying to hide it.

Kaeya actually... Asks Jean or Eula for guidance. While they offer quite good advice, deep down - he feels a bit guilty for not being able to lessen your pain.

Even though it’s hard for him to compensate for your pain - he’s way more affectionate with you! He places gentle kisses on your lower stomach, gives you massages, or simply, just holds you in his arms.

Can’t sleep? Don’t worry, Kaeya can’t sleep while being aware that you’re in pain. He doesn’t mind staying up once in a while, so he’s trying to shift your attention from pain as often as possible - be that telling you stories about Klee’s adventures, gossiping, or simply just reading for you.

Diluc:

similar to Kaeya, he wants to be available for you as much as possible - which, technically, isn’t needed at all, because he’s perfectly capable of recruiting new maids just to serve you.

heating pad? nah, he’s warming you up with his hand and pyro vision. don’t worry, he’s particularly gentle with that; he’s tested it on himself... once.

listen, this man is dedicated. whenever your pain is too unbearable to the point of insomnia, he’s making you various juices to try out. yes, so what if it’s currently 3:57am, Diluc is busy making you a new mango drink. Maybe a little half asleep.. but it’s tasty.

Being the Teyvat batman makes him barely sleep at night anyway, so he’s down to you being his taste tester. Or, perhaps, listening to his stories about beating some treasure hoarder’s butts. Or Kaeya’s...

Prefers to simply ask you what to do to make you feel better - after all, there’s no other person that knows you better than you yourself, right? He complies with whatever you say, as he doesn’t want to upset you - whether it’s him cuddling you until you feel a bit better, or just giving you space.

he’s actually willing to bring you the best doctor in Teyvat, regardless of the cost. Mora has no value to him, as long as you’re suffering; he does bring it up once in a while, hoping that you’ll change your decision and let him take care of you professionally.

Zhongli:

he’s probably seen it multiple times in his life - being a former god, the only question that arises is whether he handles the situation correctly.

BUT! He’s got so much knowledge, that at this point he’s testing on you what ancient method works best - seriously, ointments, compresses, herbal teas - the only downside sometimes is the taste... or smell.

During the most painful moments, Zhongli doesn’t hesitate to hum you a soothing melody, while having you sit in between his legs, leaning against his chest; he traces an invisible pattern on your thigh ever so slightly, hoping to get your mind in a warm place.

knowing probably a handful of excellent healers/doctors, he might get in contact with one, to get a bit more insight of it, or just for them to check up on you.

Brings you a bouquet of flowers! Zhongli always leaves them on the bed next to you; each bouquet is always different, whether the arrangement of flower species, or colors - but has a small, handwritten card that explains it thoroughly and why it reminds him of you.

I feel like he’d try to do a lot of “homemade” things together? Like cooking or baking - perhaps making you some sweet stuff, like chocolates. Though, mostly by himself, having you watch him or taste his goodies while being comfortable, wrapped in a blanket.

BONUS:

Thoma:

he’s so, so sweet! his smile is enough to make you feel better :(

constantly checks up on you, especially whenever Ayato lets you stay at Kamisato estate. Literally, his free time is sitting next to you and knitting or talking.

This sweetheart prepares you many tasty dishes like soups or your favorites! Also, expect some tasty cupcakes when you wake up after a very needed nap, at least once a week.

Taromaru likes to spend time with you as well! The problem is, you can’t really understand his engaging conversations...

Xiao:

poor thing thinks that if you’re already in so much pain, then his karmic debt won’t make it any better - therefore, he avoids you (unwillingly) until persuaded otherwise.

keeps you company when you don’t sleep! he knows you need a lot of rest right now, so he shyly sits next to you on your bed with you in his arms. Tries his best to initiate small talk or just lets you listen to his heartbeat.

brings you qingxin flowers. sounds familiar...

whenever you need any supplies, Xiao visits Liyue harbor and grabs them for you. Please appreciate it. He’s trying really hard.

Albedo:

this man is DETERMINED, and I mean DETERMINED A LOT to find a cure for your horrible pain.

makes you breakfast before leaving to Dragonspine :(

Though, whenever he’s at home with you, he likes to draw you a lot - often wearing different clothes, visiting places you haven’t been to yet, or including magical scenery. You lying still on the bed helps him a lot.

sometimes you’re left alone with Klee when Albedo leaves to bring you the necessary stuff - Klee, after a solid explaining from your lover and noticing by herself, tries not to be a bother too much and just enjoys her time with you! Be it showing you her drawings or even napping together. It truly gives Albedo a big smile on his face when he’s back.

Kazuha:

he. he precious. must PROTECT

but no. THIS TIME HE PROTECTS YOU

Kazu wants you to feel the most comfortable you can during that dreadful week, so he fluffs up your pillows, covers you gently with a duvet, and gives your nose a kiss before joining you shortly after.

Reads you his poems, sometimes even writing haikus with you.

He’s also willing to cook you some light things to make you feel better! If you like fish, he’ll gladly prepare his special grilled fish to eat together.

he’s just. so gentle. treats you like glass and wants you to feel at least a bit better by having him by your side :(

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lavandermin · 3 years

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from sea of flowers, garden of eternity | xiao

pairing | xiao/reader

word count | 2k

genre | pwp, fluff, light angst, brief smut

note | glaze lily spirit reader, you are also in perpetual pain I’m sorry

“Xiao…” he hears your voice meekly call.

The adeptus is already on his feet before you can fully enter the room, his eyes quickly focused on you. He scans your body language diligently, looking for signs of pain or discomfort. It’s become a routine by now.

“Are you…?” His voice trails off when you shake your head apologetically. The slight strain in your smile doesn’t go unnoticed by him.

“I’m alright for now. The pains haven’t started yet. I think I’m set for another few hours, a day if I’m lucky,” you reassure him. “I just— wanted to check on you.”

Xiao gives you a blank look, one you recognize as confusion. “Check… on me…?”

“Just to see how you’re doing,” you clarify with a shy smile. As you make your way to sit on the bed, you gently pat the space next to you.

There’s a slight red upon his cheeks as he chooses to take up your invitation. The bed dips under his weight, and words do not need to be spoken to know both your minds drift briefly to past trysts that took place where you sit.

“I’m heading out to patrol the area in an hour. If you need anything at all, speak my name,” Xiao announces quietly. It’s a brief awkward silence as he rigidly sits next to you—tense almost. You answer him with a simple nod, hands absentmindedly rubbing little circles on your legs to ease the tingles of pain that slowly resurfaced.

Conversation was scarce the past few months you were placed into his watchful guard. The relationship you both harbored was a blurred line you tried not to think about too much for fear of over-complicating it.

And with your entire being, you could say you came to the unfortunate doom of falling in love with him. The emotional distance he kept oftentimes only confused you as much as your own emotions left him puzzled and a little flustered.

He kept you alive. That was the simplicity of the details Xiao was given. Perhaps it was a favor he was doing you, but he diligently carried it out with all the steadfastness of a contract bestowed onto him by the former Lord of Geo.

—

“I’m sure you are aware of the situation near Qingce Village,” Zhongli had brought up upon summoning Xiao several moons after the stirrings of a slumbering god.

Though the situation was previously dire, all was settled—Xiao knew this as a fact, for he was the one that swiftly took care of the aftermath of a dormant god’s power seeping through the earth. So, the battle hadn’t ended then…

“I was careless—“

Zhongli cut him off, carefully setting down his cup in its saucer. “On the contrary, this was in no way able to be foreseen by you. The world has a way of ending and raising new questions, just as easily as it provides answers to those who seek them.”

On the small garden table, Zhongli’s eyes trail to the glaze lily that sits in a small decorative vase. Unlike most, this lone flower is fully bloomed despite the time of day. It glows ever so slightly—weakly almost.

“You are aware that glaze lilies grow in the Qingce area, and there are a few wild outcroppings that shy away from prying eyes,” Zhongli starts.

His gloved finger reaches out to tenderly graze the petals, and at once the flower closes up. The petals take on a dullness, and visibly they start to wilt in small patches.

“The reasons are uncertain, but rumor spread around the village of a wandering ghost that followed the moon aimlessly. A spirit born of glaze lilies appeared after the battle that took place near there. It seems the power seeped deep into cracked earth among the flowerbeds.”

The young adeptus remained quiet, taking in the information. What exactly did this have to do with him, he wondered?

With a hint of apprehension, Xiao asks, “This spirit—has it taken on a malevolent nature?”

Instead of answering straight away, Zhongli wordlessly stands and makes his way back indoors. Xiao obediently follows, curious of the nature of this spirit.

“Nothing of the sort. However, these glaze lilies fell victim to the corruption of your karmic debt and at the same time were nurtured by immense adeptal power. There is a wavering balance that must be kept, for her body is as fragile as a flower’s and cannot withstand the depletion and shifts of adeptal energy.” With graceful steps, Zhongli stops before a door. “No other adeptus has successfully remained compatible with the energy she needs. So far it has only brought excruciating pain for her, and I fear she may die at this rate.”

With a silent nod, Xiao processes this information. His gloved hand is unmoving on the door handle.

“What are the terms of this contract,” Xiao silently asks, amber eyes trained on the door in front of him.

“My time has long passed to give you a new contract, Adeptus Xiao.” Zhongli chuckles fondly at the serious habits of the adeptus before him. “This is a choice I am giving you. It may take centuries for her body to adjust to the adeptal power she now harbors. If she is compatible with you, it is up to you to decide whether you supply her with your adeptal energy, otherwise she may not make it past next week.”

Xiao remains quiet for a brief moment before speaking softly, “Her body is tearing itself apart…”

“Correct.”

There’s something in that fact that stirs feelings Xiao isn’t used to in his chest. He accepts, and the first memory of you that adorns his mind is one that clenches his heart in a way he rarely experiences. The pain that twists and contorts your face as you desperately heave, body seemingly tearing itself apart in a way the naked eye cannot see.

You’re a beautiful tragedy born of moonlight and sweet soil. And in that moment when your eyes meet his, a single tear rolls down your cheek. He cannot fathom the thought of letting your life end as quickly as it began.

The door behind him clicks shut, and he takes your fragile life into his hands.

—

The lights of the house are dim—a subtle golden glow against a comforting darkness in the blanket of night. A meadow of glaze lilies surrounds the little cottage in a sea of fragrance. A prominent mark of your abode.

The little house defended by mountains is secluded, one which Zhongli sent to be made for you while your body stabilizes.

And though the exterior is tranquil, within its walls come soft pants and gasps. Xiao’s brows are knit together in concentration as he ruts against you.

“Please—Ah…nnh a–again,” you beg against your trembling body’s protests.

And he wordlessly complies, folding your legs until your knees are practically at the sides of your head. His hips pick up the pace and his thrusts become desperate, bodies covered in a sheen of sweat. The moans you let out are loud—obscene as he fills you up until you’re overflowing. The pains have long subsided, and you choose to let him overcompensate in giving you the energy that will get you by another few days.

In the serene calm of night, the tranquility is drowned out by the squelching sounds of your bodies meeting each other through desperate thrusts as both of you are sent over the edge. His name falls from your lips in a melody Xiao has grown addicted to. For the nth time that night you come undone beneath him, your essence stabilized.

There’s a swelling warmth in your chest that blooms like spring meadows as Xiao buries his face in the crook of your neck. The tips of his ears are a bright scarlet and though he tries to control it, he is still left a breathless mess as he rides out his orgasm.

“Is it…enough?” Xiao asks between pants, his cock still buried deep within you.

He’s still twitching within you and your entire body shudders with delight at the feeling.

“You… haah—can keep… going if you want,” you offer weakly. There’s a dazed look in your half-lidded eyes that makes Xiao’s chest squeeze. “‘M full but you’re still…”

Hard.

You glance down to where you two are still joined together, the view of his come leaking out of you shamelessly sending heat between your legs again. The tips of Xiao’s ears turn bright red though he tries to remain composed.

“I’ll be fine. You should get some rest to preserve the energy longer.”

He pulls out and ignores the way your eyes look away dejectedly. Before he can stand to go, your hand gently tugs him back down. Xiao allows himself to be pulled against you, his head resting in the valley of your naked chest.

“Stay with me for a bit?”

Xiao doesn’t answer right away, and your heart leaps when he lets out a little sigh and agrees.

“Alright.”

The minutes tick by in tranquil silence. Both tired bodies ignore the sticky feeling of sweat and sex. It’s a feeling you’re both quite used to by now.

“Xiao?” you start quietly after a while. He hums in response, your fingers running through his dark hair soothingly. “Can I kiss you?”

The question is soft, self-conscious almost with the fear of rejection. But you were beyond a breaking point. The feelings were welling up in your chest like a high tide as you felt him tense up at your question.

Sex was common—quite often as a means of easily transferring adeptal energy to you. And because it was a painful process to take in, you found that this method dulled the pain through the twisted pleasures and mixed sensations.

But that’s all it was— a means to keep you alive. You could never say there was a time Xiao kissed you and he always showed restraint in touching your body more than necessary. His bodily needs were never foremost on his mind and he would never tell you how his hands ached to roam your body, how this arrangement became an illusion of a different reality he couldn’t have. And so he locked away his emotions for his own sake.

Xiao lifted his face from your chest, his golden eyes wide with momentary confusion—perhaps even shock. And your face… those wonderful sparkling eyes that glistened with glossy tears on the brink of rolling down your face. He wished he wasn’t the reason you were crying.

In an instant he propped himself up on his forearms, feeling you lightly tremble beneath him from holding back the urge to cry. A quiet hiccup left you as you were overwhelmed by bottled up feelings all at once, his thumb gently brushing your tears away.

“Why?” was all he asked.

Though it was a genuine question, his actions remained tender and calmed the anxiety that gripped your naive heart.

“Because I love you—because I think I love you.”

Quietly you hiccuped beneath him and Xiao gently rested his forehead against yours, eyes closed.

“Then love me if it makes you happy,” he responds softly. The tears that twinkle down your face like falling stars are gently kissed away by his soft lips. “I’m with you until the day I die, and if loving me makes living less painful for you then use me as an anchor to reality.”

Your soft crying is hushed as Xiao presses a tender kiss to your lips. It’s short and just enough to bloom your heart with newfound emotions you had yet to experience. Perhaps you reminded the adeptus of himself in a simpler time—naive, innocent. For that, he took pity on you, and also fell deeply in love with you though he would not know it for a long time.

Simply put, he wouldn’t allow himself to know it.

The flowers that surround the small house glow and dance in the night breeze. They bloom with your newfound knowledge—heartache.

#adeptus xiao #xiao/reader #xiao x reader #zhongli #xiao just trying his best #genshin xiao #genshin fanfic #genshin impact #genshin #light smut #smut #pwp #fluff #drabble collection: coffee break for two #drabble #soft #the concept of this is hor knee I’m so sorry

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dourpeep · 3 years

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The men of Genshin as romance types:

This just kind popped up in my head after thinking about Xiao's characterization! I might add to this in the future, but for now it's just a small list of headcanons + a short blurb :>

Contains: Lots of fluff, lightly suggestive

Features: Albedo, Venti, Kaeya, Xiao, Zhongli, Childe, and Diluc

Note: you can be soft and still top btw, this is only for how they'd be romantically

Sweet:

Albedo

Albedo is also shown canonically to do little gestures like give people the sketch he did of them to see them smile, this man might seem kinda standoffish at first, but he's not cold

From his voicelines and story, we also know that Albedo is the type of person to think pretty deeply about everything around him

His brain goes 100 miles an hour with all the possibilities and scenarios he can think of

So with his s/o, the best thing that could happen is that he'll take the time to really slow down and unwind

Being a busy, busy man in pursuit of knowledge beyond anyone's comprehension, Albedo rarely gets time off (his sketches are considered research, in a way, no?)

So once he's finally at home, there will be lots of little shows of affection

Passing behind you, perhaps a light touch on your back or shoulder to let you know he's there

On a particularly rough day, he'll sit facing you with his forehead resting on your chest and just--take your hands and put them in his hair

Not really the type to pamper, but there's no doubt of his love

Probably the type of guy to like sitting close in silence

Maybe on the nights you cook, he'll come and wrap his arms around your waist, head leaning on your shoulder as he watches you work

Quietly, you lay on the couch tangled up in his arms, the soft sound of breathing and the light warmth you feel lulling you to sleep. It seems that, even though Albedo is left half asleep from a long day of research, he still continues to trace mindless little patterns on the back of your hand with his thumb. You shift, and he hums, pulling you closer.

Venti

The man’s been through so much, honestly

He's lost his closest friend, helped a rebellion usurp a tyrant, been through a war that lasted centuries, watched as another friend he'd known since birth fall to corruption (but ultimately was saved)

Point being, he's tired and just wants to have his fun

True to his nature, he likes to tease and poke at his s/o, but nothing that can't be undone (after all, a prank isn't funny if it's permanent)

Hand holding, is a must! Venti is a very affectionate person who isn't afraid to express his feelings when it comes to his s/o

Lots of smooches too! (Please smooch him back)

Speaking of hands and smooches, he's the type to bring your hand to his lips and give each your fingertips a little kiss. They've done so much for you and allow him the joy of holding them, so it's the least he can do!

His type of love is free and sweeter than the scent of cecelias, soft as the wind that kisses your skin

Really, he wants to be able to treasure you as much as he can in the time you have together

Today was a picnic date kind of day. A basket filled with fresh, ripe sunsettias and a few dishes you both worked together to make (mostly you, after what happened with Venti's apple cake) sat on top of a sturdy blanket laid on the grass. Head laid in your lap, the wandering bard strummed idly on his lyre, adding a lovely backdrop to an already perfect day.

Romantic:

Kaeya

Of course, the suave Captain doesn't stop with honeyed words

Mysterious as he is, he takes what he does in stride

If he could spend all his life entwined with you, he'd die a happy man

Kaeya is the type of partner to romance with candlelight and nighttime strolls on the beach

A little cheesy, yes, but all the more to sweep you off your feet

Flirty, he likes to take his time with his love and while he similarly treasures his s/o, it's in the way the fairytales are written

Perhaps a little cliche at times

Nevertheless, he's the type of partner to sweep you into a dance despite there being no music and dip you low (whether you both lose balance and fall is up to gravity)

He'll show his affection physically, whether through a quick kiss when you stop by the Favonious Knight's HQ, or pulling you close when you walk through a crowd on a market day

Teasing is also a big thing, if he can make you blush, his mission is accomplished

In privacy, expect his treatment to be the same--it wouldn't do any good if he leaves his dear s/o confused about how he feels

Once again, you take his hand and he sweeps you into a lively waltz, sweeping across the living room floor. Not once do his eyes leave yours. All he ever needs is the feel of you close and the rush of his heart in his chest that bubbles into something fonder when your laugh reaches his ears.

Xiao

Not the best with words, Xiao shows his love through his actions

Little gifts, helping now and then with commissions and clearing the road, he'll do it all with no expectation of thanks (should you thank him, he'll be extremely grateful for the recognition but also perhaps unsure how to react)

He doesn't tend towards physically showing affection to his s/o, so when he does, expect them to show his utter devotion

Often, Xiao questions what it is that he did to deserve such a love, but as soon as you appear in his view, it no longer matters because as long as you believe him to be worthy, why wouldn't he be?

His love is based deeply in trust. The heart is a fragile thing and to someone who's suffered so much in his lifetime, he guards it fiercely to protect himself

When he finally does allow himself the comfort of a relationship, he'll soak it up entirely

Nights spent stargazing on the top of Wangshu Inn, pinkies intertwined, or bodies held together tightly with the sweet exchange of breath

Every touch that he offers is gentle, reverent, and serves to remind him that what he's experiencing is real

He tried, really, for the thing on the plate to turn out the way that you usually make it. It's a far cry from what he remembers, but you set it down and bring your hands to his face. The sight of your beaming smile warms him deeply and he pulls you in close for a kiss.

Zhongli

Be still, my beating heart-

Just as he's full of information from the flowers of Liyue to the deepest cracks in the soil, he loves fully and unapologetically

He's lived through many eras and seen so much that it's hard to not want to express how he feels as he feels it

Deeply appreciative of whatever his s/o does and does for him

He indulges in every word, touch, feeling, and look- He's not a greedy man, but when it comes to love? There's a deep desire to feel it all

There are many ways that Zhongli expresses that love, a few being through your daily strolls through Liyue Harbor and the daily and nightly rituals the two of you have settled down into

His favorite is probably the mornings

There's something about waking up wrapped up in your lover's arms, head resting on their chest as the sun's warm beams shine through the windows that's utterly satisfying

Zhongli indulges in these little moments, favoring them over all else

Once in a while, he'll take you back to where your first date was to reminisce, perhaps even (jokingly) mention little embarrassing things either of you did

Zhongli watches as you sip at your drink and admires the way the sun compliments your eyes. You're preoccupied by the falling leaves, it seems, mentioning how they're just as brilliant gold as his. Though the feeling he feels is far from the excitement of butterflies, it has settled into a comforting sort of warmth that hopes you feel as well.

Passionate:

Childe

This man's love is wild like his personality

Loud, fun, and never quite predictable, he loves like a whirlwind and with an enthusiasm to match no other

Lots of teasing going on here, to make you blush or to mess with you, you'll never know

But it's his unapologetic fire that drew you to him to begin with

When he's not occupied with work, he'll drag you to go sight seeing

Every experience is a new experience, no matter if it's something that seems so everyday or not

His affection is in the form of tightly held hands (he doesn't want to lose you with how quickly he weaves through the crowd), well-placed winks, and kisses to steal your breath away

He also loves in a way that's fiercely protective. His job is a dangerous one and, with the way he's open with your relationship, his affection serves to protect you

But don't forget that despite his passion, he's a man who deeply treasures those close to him and, as his s/o, you'll be showered with only the best he can give you

It was only a quick break in your day, he'd assured, but it quickly became another round of seeing Liyue through his eyes. In the span of only an hour, you've already spotted an untouched patch of glaze lilies, sampled rich Li-style cuisine and fresh Yue-style cuisine, helped a young girl fetch her kite from atop a tree, and now are working your way (or rather, Childe is working your way for you) to a little area behind the busy streets to show you a pack of dogs he'd befriended. Fondly, you smile and watch as he beckons them out of hiding.

Diluc

Diluc lives for the way that his s/o brings the best out of him and, in return, he does the same back

He exudes the air of a gentleman with the way he shows his affection, but, whether intentionally or not, in an utterly enticing way

Being busy during the day with running the tavern and the winery as well as at night as the Darknight Hero (he insists you stop calling him that as well, but you don't miss the light flush of pride each time), the time he dedicates to you is left in the early morning long before you leave for the day and the evening as he settles just before he sets off

During morning time, he's often fond of running his hands over you, feeling each dip and curve, memorizing the way your hair falls and the way your lips curve when you smile

It's a quiet sort of passion

His love is expressed in the fond murmurs against your shoulder and head, sharing those moments of deep intimacy both physical and not

In the evenings, you both settle in front of the fireplace, sharing a drink or two

There's sometimes a certain look in his eye that sets your heart aflame in the dimly lit room, and sometimes he sets off a little later that night in lieu of a few more stolen moments with you

Diluc slides into your shared bed in the early hours of the morning, a bit later than usual. The shift stirs you just enough to wake up to two arms pulling you to his chest and a deep breath with his nose buried in your hair. He's no doubt exhausted. Eyes bleary, you turn until you're facing him and loosely wrap an arm around his waist. In the moments you're still half-awake, you hear a low murmur of 'love you' and you smile against his skin.

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craptsukii · 3 years

Text

genshin boys and terms of endearment they'd use

a/n: this is my first time writing headcanons and ngl i found them quite difficult to format :( i’m liking this style for now, but things might change later on teehee anyway, lemon cake update next week, i promise!

♡༚࿐ 🇩‌🇮‌🇱‌🇺‌🇨‌

let’s get something out of the way first

diluc is not a jerk

sure, he might have tsundere tendencies but he’s definitely not as cold as people make him seem

in my opinion anyway

i like to call him a classy, but also a very private, softie

i can totally see him as someone who’d use terms such as darling, love, doll

a major factor here is the time and place

in public, he tries to seem more indifferent and will most likely refer to you by your name

however, in a more private setting, he has no inhibitions and actually prefers using nicknames!

I feel like diluc would want to really reassure their partner he truly cares about them, but in a direct yet indirect way

and calling you sweet things seems to get the message across.

listen to this while reading!

If only time could pass faster. Who knew waiting could be such an agonising activity? Such a simple but repetitive thing. Waiting for your cake to finish baking, waiting for the morning to arrive and even waiting for your lover to come home turned out to be much more of a challenge. It wasn’t unusual for Diluc to spend hours on end at Angel’s Share, but it was rather odd of him to break his promises.

A sad smile took over your features, remembering last night. Remembering his words, so sweet and benign, promising to dedicate you all of him and his time. His crimson red eyes, full of love and admiration for the person he held so dearly to his heart. His voice, so demure and nothing but a soft whisper, as if raising it would ruin the moment. The moment he shared with you in a little dark corner of Mondstadt, away from curious eyes and sharp ears. The moment he so desperately wanted to hold onto. Yet, the darknight hero was nowhere to be found.

By the time he finally arrived, your eyes were already closing. It was a gloved hand that pulled you out of your somnolent state. Yet again those same red eyes were looking into yours with the same devotion, if not stronger than the night he made his promise.

“Forgive me, love,” he pleaded in a shushed tone, “Kaeya came in and started causing a commotion and I couldn’t just leave.” he continued, his thumb brushing over your cheek delicately.

Too tired to say anything, you placed your hand over his, silently asking him to join you in bed. You had all the time in the world to discuss tomorrow... Hopefully. After discarding his black coat on one of the chairs and taking off his shoes, Diluc plopped in your shared bed, not even bothering to change into something more comfortable. Soon his arms were around your waist, bringing you closer to his chest. His smell reminded you of grapes and it completely enveloped you as you nestled into him.

“If only I could turn back time…” Diluc murmured to himself, kissing the top of your head. “Nothing will come in between us and our time together tomorrow. I promise you, darling.”

Turns out that, in the end, he does keep his promises.

♡༚࿐ 🇽‌🇮‌🇦‌🇴‌

listen to this while reading!

my very polite baby

like sure, he’s straightforward

but he be treating everyone with respect

you might be wondering why that matters

well that's because i think xiao would see it as a little rude to not refer to someone important to him by their name

names play a major part in xiao’s past

with rex lapis re-naming him after taking him under his wing and such

so, in my opinion, xiao finds calling out your name way more meaningful than nicknames

although if he were to use one it would probably be dear

it’s short and he can still address you as “dear (name)”

it does sound quite formal at times though

Moments like this were rare. Usually, sleep doesn’t concern your lover in the slightest, as it rarely comes to him. Although you couldn’t help but admit how much you loved it when he did come and sleep. Cuddled up next to you was the vigilant yaksha, the well known protector of Liyue. And dare you say, it was truly a divine sight. In the wash of the morning light, his face took the appearance of an old photograph, so nostalgic, so at peace. Slowly, one of your hands brushed past his face, placing the few rebel aquamarine strands that were cascading down his cheek behind his ear. For a moment, you find yourself in perfect silence, Xiao’s soft breaths being the only sounds that could be discerned. Without realising, you started softly rubbing his back, your heart leaping at the content purr that followed shortly after.

It was almost impossible to put into words the joy this brought you. Although it was such a simple, mundane thing, seeing Xiao so at ease was by far your favourite memory with him. The more you studied his features the more your sight fell upon his lips. The sudden urge to kiss him overwhelmed you, wanting nothing more than to cherish and show your lover the affection he deserves.

If only the sudden chirping of birds didn’t scare you, barely a few inches away from his face.

Curse those birds and their awful timing! And so, you backed away, laughing to yourself in self-consciousness, thankful that no one was aware of your little mishap.

Or so you thought.

You felt your face get warmer the moment you saw Xiao looking at you, drowsiness still coating his eyes. Yet again, for another short moment, no sound could be heard.

“____ my dear” he said, his voice deep and hoarse, snaking his arms around you as he brought you closer to him, “if you won’t do it, I will.” it was then the flush across his cheeks became apparent to you. Shame you didn’t have time to savour it, his lips immediately finding yours in a sweet, dream like kiss.

Moments like this were truly worth treasuring.

♡༚࿐ 🇨‌🇭‌🇮‌🇱‌🇩‌🇪‌

in contrast with xiao, childe loves calling you cute nicknames

in fact, he barely uses your name!

sometimes he likes to tease you and pretend he forgot your actual name

of course that’s not true,he could never do such a thing

I can totally see him use pet names such as comrade, girlie, cutie, shawty, sweetness, princess/prince, baby

ok i know shawty is kind of random, but i think he’d use kind of ironically?

I think he’d also use big sister/brother just to tease you, even if you’re younger than him

he heard teucer refer to you as such one time and it honestly melted his heart a little bit

as a side note, seeing his siblings get along you makes him genuinely happy.

listen to this while reading!

Spring was such a beautiful time. Especially in Liyue. Especially on a date with the one and only Childe, eleventh of the Fatui harbingers. For someone with such a fearsome title and reputation, it wowed you to no end just how charming, just plain adorable, Tartaglia can be. Albeit, it was only your second date, it was expected of him to at least try to be nice.

And on time.

As you waited, under that beautiful sky, a hue so gentle between cloud and baby blue, you watched each bird upon wing. It was one of those spring days with a kiss of coldness that somehow heightened the warm rays of the sun. You paused to admire the flowers, to sense their aromas, to be in the moment with their transient beauty.

“Lovely, aren’t they?” asked Childe from behind you, a shy, perhaps slightly embarrassed, smile painted on his lips. “Sorry I’m late, I really overestimated my juniors’ capabilities and I had to step in.” he continued, gingerly taking hold of your hand, kissing the back of it.

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at his gentlemanly antics, although you enjoyed them nonetheless. “Don’t worry about it, you’re here now.” you reassured him, as you took a hold of his hand, already leading him towards nowhere in particular.

Another thing you liked about him. Things were so casual, so easy-going. One might call this date nothing but a hangout, but not every date has to be a luxurious five star dinner or a fancy show. Sometimes just a simple walk along the Liyue port was enough. Enough for you to get to know Childe, enough for you to like him even more.

Suddenly, Tartaglia was in front of you, his hands lightly taking hold of your face.

“Hold on cutie, there’s something on your face,” he answered your silent question, seeing as you looked a little confused. The next thing you knew, his lips descended upon yours. It was a sudden but very much welcomed kiss. A kiss that unfortunately ended just as abruptly, “it was me.”

♡༚࿐ 🇿‌🇭‌🇴‌🇳‌🇬‌🇱‌🇮‌

favourite peepaw

also prefers using your name rather than nicknames

but he’s not completely against them

he finds them quite nice actually

and he actually enjoys being referred by one!

like imagine going for a stroll with him and all of a sudden you go "darling, look!"

he'd look so content oh my lord

in my opinion anyway

he’d usually call you honey, my beloved or even my one and only!

you could be doing the simplest of things like reading with him under a tree

and he'd go "you're my one and only love"

no, he isn’t aware of how cheesy it sounds.

listen to this while reading!

Who knew the God of contracts could be such a romantic? Usually, Zhongli wasn’t a big fan of fancy, elaborate dates. He’d usually say something along the lines that “spending time with you was enough for him to feel like the richest man in the world”, which he technically was even without your presence. But, quite frankly, it was because he lacked the funds to do so that he didn’t pamper you every moment of the day.

So when you found yourself face to face with an array of different foods, meticulously prepared and arranged on a soft picnic blanket, you couldn’t help but wonder —

“Why the sudden change?” you asked, sitting down on the plush cover, to which Zhongli only chuckled.

“Am I not allowed to change my mind?” he replied in a teasing tone, flopping next to you.

“Oh, you are more than welcome to do so,” you winked, pouring some tea for both of you. It smelled like chamomile, “I was just trying to say it’s a nice change.” you continued, taking a few sips of your tea.

Zhongli only hummed, content with your response. Sometimes, sitting in silence, all while eating delicious brunch foods and drinking sweet tea, was much more enjoyable than small talk.

And so, you spend the rest of the day with your lover, basking in the sunshine and each other’s company. In his embrace, there was something so right, something that felt right, smelt right. You let your body sag, your muscle become loose. In that embrace you felt your worries loose their keen sting and your optimism raise its head from the dirt.

“You’re so beautiful, my beloved,” he whispered, cupping your face and kissing you gently.

♡༚࿐ 🇰‌🇦‌🇪‌🇾‌🇦‌

avid user of nicknames

partially because he finds them cute

and partially because he loves teasing you

he’d use them in public and try to get a reaction out of you

like let’s say all of a sudden kaeya is back hugging you, pampering your neck with kisses

saying something like “what’s wrong, baby?”

he’d also use hot stuff, sweet cheeks, gorgeous, handsome, cutie pie, treasure

sometimes they’re really sweet, other times they’re really silly

side note, i feel like this one got a little out of hand sorry yall i lowkey can’t take kaeya seriously

listen to this while reading!

There was something so heavenly about a kiss in the rain, a tender moment that just wouldn’t wait. It was that burst of love that is expressed, not caring if the water soaked through to chill the skin. You felt yourself gasping for air as Kaeya’s lips left yours, doe like eyes searching for his. Behind that brilliant shade of blue sparkled a glacial attraction. So complex and mysterious, it was magnetic. It made you want him even more.

Upon seeing your dazed state Kaeya smiled, clearly enjoying the effect he had on you. His hands found yours. “Let’s get you of here before you catch a cold.” he said, leading you down the streets of Mondstadt. It was the middle of August, and you got caught in nothing more than a summer rain. You weren’t even cold, but alas you let it slide, enjoying seeing Kaeya worry about you, even if it wasn’t as serious as he made it seem.

There is something about a rain-washed pathway that invites playful feet, that says each new step will be rewarded with a splash. And soon, you found yourself splashing around, making the most out of this accidental rain shower.

The moment you finally reached your home, Kaeya wasted no time, his arms already wrapped around you in a tight embrace. Yet again, a gasp escaped your mouth, Kaeya’s cold lips leaving goosebumps behind each carefully placed kiss on your neck.

“You know what’s the best way to get warmed up, treasure?” he asked, his hands ghosting over your hips.

You shook your head softly, awaiting his answer.

“A good old dance party!” he exclaimed, spinning you around as he started humming a cheerful. “Nothing gets the blood going like a little movement!” it was obvious he found great pleasure in seeing your more than confused, if not disappointed, expression. Still, he paid you no mind and continued dancing with you all while singing a cheery melody.

It was quite save to assume there was never a boring moment with this man.

♡༚࿐ 🇦‌🇱‌🇧‌🇪‌🇩‌🇴‌

my favourite elevator boy

doesn’t love nicknames but doesn’t hate them either

i see him as an action speak louder than words guy

and although he’s aware that, as his partner, you know that

he still feels sorry for not being as vocal as other people when it comes to talking about his emotions??

so cute terms like these are a simple way he can show his appreciation for you

for some reason, i think he would really like using diminutives??

he’d call you things like little star

or baby or lovebug

i think it really matches his vibe ngl

listen to this while reading!

The breeze blew warm announcing the coming of summer's hottest days. The aroma of the tall grasses were an intoxicating perfume and the starry night above was a painting more sublime than any man could create. The clarity above became reflected in your mind.

Being with Albedo meant putting up with the unholy amount of hours he’d spend on whatever research he’d be conducting at the time. And luckily for you, his next big discovery involved the stars. On the black sky above you, there were a multitude of stars and there were lighter patches, clusters of faint and bold light, the constellations altered according to the time of year. These were the same stars that greeted the ancients, the same ones that would be there in millions of years.

As you enjoyed your little midnight snack, your gaze fell upon the chief alchemist. His eyes were fixated on the landscape above him, utterly fascinated by the world’s mystic beauty. Seeing him so consumed by his studies made your heart feel warm. It was adorable to see him like this.

Your sudden yawn made both you look at each other. Albedo’s gaze was filled with compassion, and perhaps a little remorse for making you come with him so late in the night just to stare blankly at the sky.

But you knew this wasn’t such a trivial thing.

You pet the spot next to you, silently asking him to sit down with you, to which he immediately obliged. As his head found its place on your shoulder a little sad smile made its appearance on his face.

“Sorry for making you come here with me, baby.” he said, his hand drawing patterns along your thigh. “I know this isn’t your idea of quality time.”

“Any time spent with you is quality time, silly.” you giggled, kissing the top of his head. “And besides, who doesn’t enjoy a little bit of stargazing?”

♡༚࿐ 🇻‌🇪‌🇳‌🇹‌🇮‌

ok now for venti

i feel like with him the tone he uses is very important??

i mean this also applies to the rest of the guys

but for venti even more so

he could simply refer to you by your name and it would still feel all special and bubbly

nonetheless, he loves using pet names!

i mean as a bard, he can come up with poems and such on a whim ( flashback to the signora moment :) )

so his nicknames for you always have a certain meaning or funny story behind them

oh, you love pumpkins or had an unfortunate accident involving one? now he calls you pumpkin all the time

he’d also call you things like sunshine because to him you bring so much joy and you warm his heart just like the sun.

with that being said, good luck to those pulling for him! <3

listen to this while reading!

“There you go! You’re really good at this!” Venti complimented you, observing in great detail the way your fingers touched the strings of his lyre.

Judging by the curious stares and even odd looks you’d get from time to time, that wasn’t really the case. What was supposed to be a simple walk around the city turned out to be a full concert. Although Venti couldn’t find it in his heart to tell you, who asked him so eagerly just a few moments ago if he could teach how to play a song, just how… Poor was your attempt.

A relieved sigh could be heard the moment your fingers left the strings, although Venti’s reassuring smile never left his face. “Don’t let a few strangers discourage you! Even the greatest geniuses had to start somewhere!”

“Are you saying I’m a genius?” you asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow, laughing at his flustered face.

“Let’s not go that far…” he murmured, winking cheekily.

“And here I was, thinking I could wow you with my insane musical skills…” you whined sarcastically, handing him his lyre as you continued your stroll. It was then Venti stopped in his tracks. Upon his face, shock was written all over, his expression soon turning sympathetic. For a moment, he left you alone, diving into the crowd of people, only to return to you with a single cecilia flower. Its fragrance was sweet and fresh and its color a perfect white. Shortly after, he gently placed it behind your ear, smiling to himself while looking at you.

“You don’t need fancy tricks to win over what you already have,” Venti said, kissing your cheek lightly. A cheerful tune could be heard across the street, Venti’s soft melody attracting a lot of attention, “I’m all yours, sunshine.” he said loud enough for more than a few people to hear.

He has such a way with words, doesn’t he?

#genshin impact #genshin imagines #genshin x reader #soft hours #fluff #genshin xiao #genshin Childe #genshin diluc #genshin headcanons #genshin zhongli #genshin kaeya #genshin albedo #genshin venti #genshin one shots #i’m sorry kaeya stans #i love him but i deadass cant take him seriously 😭😭#kaeya supremacy nonetheless

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iovchlde · 3 years

Text

the little things.

what are the little things that they do to show that they love you?

featuring zhongli, xiao, childe

author’s note.

another headcanon that was long overdue OOPS. i’ve had this sitting in my drafts for so long and i was just like 🙂 it’s about time i stop being lazy

zhongli

zhongli is a great storyteller, and you never fail to remind him of that fact. but as you two bask in the presence of one another, he’ll find himself looking forward to listening to you.

it’s become routinely at this point— at the end of the day, zhongli would invite you to sit with him at a place the oversees the sea of clouds. whether it’s for tea or casual chatter, it was always something you’d both looked forward to at the end of the day.

he likes listening to you ramble on about your day. like how you saw this one gorgeous glaze lily on the way to qingce village, or how you’ve come across that one breathtaking waterfall. you tell him that you’d like to bring him there, and he finds him nodding along, with a burning sensation at the tips of his ears.

he’s glad that the sun is no longer there, and the yellow shade the light casts hides his blush. but if he didn’t know any better, he would’ve guessed that your face was flushed red too.

zhongli can’t help but throw a subtle glance your way as he takes a sip from the cup of tea in his hands, lingering for a second too long before he finally tears away. your gaze is distant— your eyes trained on the sea, and your face is placed comfortably into the palm of your hand. on days like these, he knows you have a lot on your mind, and he’s more than willing to listen to them.

“mind sharing your thoughts?” he asks quietly, his voice low and only loud enough for you to hear. there’s a beat of silence as it snaps you out of your line of thinking, cocking your head to the man in front of you, and it’s your turn to look at him. he holds your gaze tenderly; there’s something about the way it’s late and the way the space suddenly felt so intimate. and so you both look away before you could register the flutter of adoration in your chests.

“well,” you hum, and you resort to idly twirling the spoon in the cup of tea. a part of you felt childish that you couldn’t even look at him properly. feeling like a teenager facing their first crush, like a teenager confessing to their first crush. you’d been mulling over asking him to accompany you to your favorite spot, but the words always got caught in your throat whenever you saw him, and so you’d found yourself stalling. “i was just thinking about this one waterfall— it’s far off in qinqce village— and it’s my favorite place to visit whenever i just need time to myself. but,” and you trail off.

“but?” he raises a brow at you, urging you to continue whatever you wanted to say. there’s a hesitance that lingers behind your eyes, and you almost back down and scrap the idea.

but rather, you clear your throat awkwardly, staring hard at the scene ahead of you. “i’d like you to accompany me there one day. i’d like to share a special place with you.”

the words— zhongli likes to stop himself from looking deep into words, but he can’t help but feel a little flustered the longer he thinks about what you’ve said. in actuality, it’d been only about three to four seconds since you’d said it to him, but his mind was quick to absorb. “oh,” he says.

you’re about to retract your words, taking his one-word answer as a form of rejection, before he interferes.

“it’d be a pleasure of mine to share a special place with you too.”

xiao

a man not known for his affection— but is the type to hold your hand as you sleep. he’ll make sure that you’re deep in slumber before threading his fingers between yours, and smiling to himself at the feel of your hands against his.

as an adeptus, xiao doesn’t need to sleep much. but he has enough understanding to know that you, a human mortal, needs sleep to function properly.

he doesn’t know when he’d started doing it, but he’ll often find himself holding your hands when you’re fast asleep. there’s the erratic thump of his heart in his chest, and his pulse beats abnormally hard, and he feels a little giddy— the idea of you catching him flusters him to no end.

whenever you stir in your sleep, he’ll freeze. for a moment, he’d be too afraid to look at your face, in fear that you’d have an eye peered open; in fear that you’d catch him. but when he does glance at you, he’ll let out a sigh of relief when he sees that you’re still asleep.

it was one of those nights. he’d felt particularly lonely, a part of him felt hollow and bare, and he had nothing better to do. you were fast asleep, and your soft snores could be heard behind him, as he sits upon the windowsill across from the bed.

xiao moves silently, dragging a chair along with him, and seating himself beside you. your hands are dangling loosely at the edge of the bed, and he smiles a little to himself— glad that he doesn’t have to make much of an effort to hold your hand. cautiously, his hands would draw nearer to yours, until the tips of his fingers are ghosting your skin.

(he’d noted to peel his glove off of his hands, afraid that the cool feel would shock you awake, which was a less-than-desirable outcome.)

slowly, he’d thread his fingers with yours, taking as much time as he could. he relished in the way your hands fit so nicely with his, or the way your hands subconsciously molded itself with his as he comfortably holds it. it’s warm— a contrasting feel to the slightly cold room.

he admires your hands, and he can’t help but stare. xiao wonders how it would look like with a ring on your finger, how much prettier it’d be with a shiny band adorning your fingers.

little does he know, you smile a little as you feel his grasp tighten softly on your hand.

childe

childe’s not home often, due to the demands of being a harbinger, and so he does his best to make every minute worth it when he has a day off. he’ll wake up early in the morning to cook breakfast for you, and if possible, serve it to you in bed.

it’s hard to ignore the enticing smell that sifts through the crack underneath the door— even in your half-asleep state, you could tell that childe was cooking another one of his favorite snezhnayan breakfasts. it was something he looked forward to showing off, whenever he had the day free from work.

it’s not long before childe is peeking his head through the door, his hair messy and lazy smile plastered on his face, with a tray of food in his hands. it’s a meal for two, something you note as you see two glasses placed on the tray.

you’ll insist on doing the dishes after eating, but childe simply traps you in his arms after setting the tray aside. there’s no way he’s letting you out of his arms— at least not for another hour or so, and that’s only if he has something planned.

“good morning, love.” you can hear childe’s slightly groggy voice call out from the door to the bedroom. you shift over in your bed, turning to your other side so you would face him, and you’re pleasantly surprised to see a tray full of food placed in his hands. there’s a grin on his face as he saunters over to you— a grin that was either proud or smitten, it was hard to tell.

“what’s this?” you ask, as he places the tray in front of you. the bed dips slightly as he sits in front of you, his legs crossed, carefully not to nudge the tray and spill anything over. there are dishes you’re not familiar with, but it’s hard to deny that they look appetizing. “it looks amazing, though.”

“thank you,” he responds back brightly. he takes his time pointing out each dish in detail, telling you fond memories that he associates with the dish; things like how it reminds him of his childhood, or how it made him feel better on days he didn’t feel so well. he has a different reason this time, a different reason just for you. “i made this dish because i wanted you to associate it with something good— a good memory of us!” childe beams, and you can’t help the fond chuckle that escapes past your lips.

“thank you,” you tell him softly, reaching across the tray and holding his hands with care. “this means a lot to me, you know?”

and in that moment, he thinks he doesn’t mind doing this for the rest of his life— as long as you stay by his side.

#genshin impact #genshin impact fluff #genshin impact x reader #childe x reader #zhongli x reader #xiao x reader #genshin childe #genshin zhongli #genshin xiao #childe fluff #xiao fluff #zhongli fluff

901 notes · View notes

jade-parcels · 3 years

Text

👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕

The bunnies’ other jobs!

From my bunny cafe au

((I am so peeved :((( I had this all written out!! And I deleted it by accident!! Darnnnnn!!!))

Anon asked “You mentioned that some of the bunnies have day jobs so do they all have jobs outside the cafe or just a few?” (Something along these lines…again…I deleted it by accident 😔)

👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕

Diluc/‘Angel’

After his father got bored with the wine industry, he passed the whole company off to Diluc on his 18th birthday in order to shift his focus to mining. Diluc found himself swamped with all kinds of business decisions while just barely being an adult. He expanded the company and hired some very trustworthy people to handle things for him so he could finish college

When the business was given to him, Diluc and Kaeya had an explosive fight over it. Kaeya felt like he deserved to have some say in what happens to the business, he’s still a part of the family! But Diluc refused to let him in on any decisions so Kaeya packed his bags and left (not before cussing him out in front of their father, staff and business partners). He was just in a silly, goofy mood. They’re fine now, not on the best terms but they do chat and meet up for lunch on occasion.

He is filthy rich, he couldn’t spend all of his all of his money if he tried, so he doesn’t really need the job at the cafe! Kaeya got him the job because he knew his brother was stuck in a weird, antisocial funk and needed some fun in his life

Diluc loves this job, he has a great time, but it isn’t his main job. His priority will always be the family business!! If he has to quit his job at the cafe, he would in a heartbeat

👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕👯‍♂️💕

Kaeya

Kaeya was going to go into the police academy but was scouted out by a modeling agency. They had seen him at Ragnvindr company events and thought ‘well damn’ so they gave him a pretty generous deal

Kaeya makes a good living off of modeling, the tips and paycheck from the cafe. He rakes in cash pretty quickly just cause he knows how to get it. That, and his dad sends him checks every other month as well. Kaeya thinks of it as ‘I’m sorry’ money. He isn’t wrong

He doesn’t travel much for modeling, which he doesn’t mind, so he kinda just hangs around the city with a lot of free time on his hands between photo shoots. That’s why he got this job at the cafe! It gives him something to do and it’s fun as hell ;)

Albedo

Bedo is one busy bunny. He finished college early and is getting his masters degree online. He works most days at the cafe and on the weekends, he tutors other college students in bio/chem/science related subjects

(He was actually Xiao’s tutor back when he was failing chemistry!! Xiao is very thankful for Albedo’s help!!)

His dream is to become a biochemist, he’s always been interested in cells and what makes up living beings. So having a career in that field would make him the happiest man alive

His mother and sister live outside the city in a more rural area so he spends a lot of time FaceTiming the two of them! Klee is always so excited to hear about Albedo’s experiments or the people he’s met while working in such a bustling, fun city :)

Zhongli

Zhongli is a simple man! He’s a bunny waiter and an artist

He creates intricate pieces based on folklore from different cultures, focusing mostly on dragons. His favorite medium is paint, he loves painting on glass and layering the panes in order to create a 3D piece

He sells his works to galleries, shops and anyone who wants them! As long as they appreciate the story behind the artwork. Sadly…He undersells his work. He could def be making more money but he just does not desire money or material goods the way others may

So he got his job at the cafe in order to help out his dear friend Ningguang, not for money, he only planned on working there for a month or two until she got more bunnies but…he ended up really loving the people he works with :’) he looks forward to working with them now and texts/calls them outside of work to meet up for lunch or bowling (such an old man thing to do omfg)

Dainsleif/‘Sweetie’

Dain was a bouncer at another bar before leaving to come to Celestia’s! He’s good friends with Beidou, they belong to the same motorcycle club so when she was talking to him about the lack of security at the cafe/bar, he stepped in to help out

Little did he know…he’d actually become a bunny…And like it

This is his full time job now, he doesn’t have another for the time being. While he is a bunny at the cafe, he still keeps an eye out for any threats to his coworkers and has access to the offices upstairs (Ningguang’s office and the security office)

When he isn’t waiting tables, he’s upstairs in a tank top and sweatpants keeping an eye on the security cameras and talking to the other security guards through their ear pieces

Ajax

Ajax is a student who doesn’t really have much time on his hands

He mows lawns in the summer and he’s quit his job as a cashier to come work at the cafe! He mostly works night shifts his cause he’s still going to school aaaaaand he’s on his college’s swim team! He’s about to graduate so he works close with his coach to help train the others on the team

He doesn’t really want his family knowing that he skips around in a skimpy bunny outfit and fucking customers most nights but I mean…They’re bound to find out if they see him in pictures people post

Xiao/‘Tofu’

Xiao is an art student!! He wants to be a tattoo artist :)

He’s already got one sleeve of tattoos, it’s unfinished but you can’t really tell just by looking. When he isn’t at the cafe, he’s either in class or shadowing Ganyu, his best friend and tattoo artist. Their art styles greatly differ, she focuses her craft on cutesy, colored tattoos, but she is skilled. And Xiao looks up to her

Xiao admires Zhongli too, they met at the cafe and when Zhongli found out Xiao wants to be a tattoo artist he told him that once he’s licensed, he wants to get a tattoo from him :’)

Baizhu/‘Honey’

Baizhu is a (mostly) full time pharmacist, hence why he isn’t usually at the cafe

He also has a niece, Qiqi, who he babysits often. He loves her very much so he has no problem watching her! Baizhu will even bring her to the pharmacy with him when he’s swamped with work. In the break room, he has a play kitchen, coloring books and a bunch of puzzles to keep Qiqi occupied while he works :)

When he’s not at work, he’s at home resting. He has chronic pain flare ups in his back and shoulders that can make life miserable :( he has plenty of good days that outweigh the bad! And as a pharmacist, he has access to any medicine he needs to make his life easier!

Dottore(Alain)/‘Doc’

Alain’s an oral surgeon who’s a little bit….too into his job

He isn’t phased by blood or gore so he’s easily able to conduct procedures that would make other squeamish. He’ll pull teeth, put in dental implants, remove rotten tissue, any of that without even flinching

Outside of that, he works at the cafe. He wears a mask in order to avoid being recognized even though at his job as a surgeon, he’s usually wearing a medical mask anyways. It’s just a precaution

This has nothing to do with his career but he used to be a tap dancer and actor so he’d join in on local theatre shows! He helped build sets when he wasn’t rehearsing. He doesn’t have time for that anymore (which kinda makes him sadddd) but he has all kinds of theatre playlists on his phone and in his car that he’ll sing along to

Scaramouche/‘Boss’

Scara’s job at the cafe is his main job! His side job is something you may not expect from such a grump

He works at an animal shelter! In fact, he brings cats home to train so they have an increased chance of being adopted. Someone is more likely to adopt a potty trained, socialized cat than a feral cat who doesn’t know what a litter box is. So Scara brings them to his apartment for some one-on-one socializing, training and cuddling

One time he offhandedly mentioned working at an animal shelter while he was working at the cafe and sure enough, three separate customers from the cafe came by to adopt!!! Only one actually took an animal home but he was still surprised that those people had listened to him and cared enough to come by

Scara is a jerk most of the time but when he’s at home…by himself…With a lil kitten sleeping in his lap while he plays games on his PC…Yeah, he softens up a bit

So as you can see, we have a very diverse group working at the cafe! They’ve all learned a lot from each other, come to appreciate each other’s friendship and come to help each other out when one of their coworkers is in need or upset.

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clouds-rambles · 3 years

Note

This might conflict with the lore, but the idea is to cute not to request:

A one shot or headcanons post where the leader of the winds is Zhongli's child, and when Venti asks for his blessing he goes full overprotective father.

Emphasis on 'father' rather than 'dad' for his overprotective level.

I feel like the lore for the Leader of the Winds is super changeable. In the same way history is told differently from different accounts. There’s a definitive set of lore that is true in my head. But what’s the likelihood of remembering everything vividly over the past few millennia? Surely a few things get mixed up

Though I always see the Leader of the Winds’ end game being with Venti

Father Zhongli (along with Guizhong) but he adopts you when you first took your humanoid form

Pairings; Venti x reader

Warning(s);

Keep reading under the cut!

The relationship you and Venti share is on the line of questionable. Nobody truly knows what kind of relationship the two of you share. Sure, the two of you often walk about with linked arms and share many chaste kisses neither you nor Venti has put a label on the relationship

There’s such a lack of label that neither of you feel like you’re ready enough to drop the ‘I love you’s despite being together in this strange relationship limbo for over half a century

Venti keeps wondering how he should bring up the idea of the two of you becoming an item for a while now. Ranging from perfect picturesque views to wondering if he’d have to approach your father to request his blessing. Despite the freedom rule of Mondstat and the lose traditions, Liyue is much different in that regard

It kind of scares the shit out of Venti

So much so he’s talking to the only person he can really, Xiao. Its not like Xiao gives much good advice, he just sits silently as Venti rants about what he must do. And with the occasional pointed stare the anemo archon will get to his conclusion on his own

So that is what leads him to knocking on the geo archons abode with more worry in his stomach than he thought he could muster. The worse that could happen is being thrown away by a pillar, that or a war between Liyue and Mondstat

“Oh Barbatos, to what do I owe the pleasure?” the geo archon asks, Venti smiles

“The names Venti while I’m in this form. I’m here for a specific conversation Morax” the archon smiles with a nod of his head. Zhongli chuckles

“Likewise friend I am known by Zhongli in this form” he smiles with a nod, Zhongli steps to the side and lets Venti

The two settle down with a cup of tea each, Venti goes to jest at how he’d rather drink a glass of wine. But, he would probably prefer Zhongli to not be angry at him even before Venti mentions Zhongli’s child

“I wanted to come to you out of respect for the most part” Venti announces after a few moments of silence, Zhongli nods in a way to tell Venti to continue speaking “I would like to start dating [name]” he confesses after a few moments. Zhongli cocks a brow

“Is that so?” he enquires, Venti nods a handful of times. Zhongli hums

“Considering the fact you’ve come to me you understand that I see [name] as my own” Zhongli comments “And I respect your respect for my culture” he adds with a nod of his head. Venti nods along with him

“Though you must understand, [name] what is left of my family” he confesses “And even if I don’t see them often I would have to see harm befall them” he continues. Zhongli looks to Venti

“You have my blessing Lord Barbatos” Zhongli agrees “But if anything happens to them it’s your body against cold stone and Mondstat may need to find a new archon” he threatens with a harsh glare

Venti nods “Thank you Lord Morax” the bard grins and nods “I assure you that I hold [name] far to dear already to let anything happen to them”

Zhongli smiles softly and stands up and begins to lead Venti out of his home “Make my child happy” he adds as Venti leaves

“I will Morax, I will” Venti smiles before taking off

It takes a few extra days for Venti to confess to you, mainly to do with overthinking. But Venti knows that you’re the one for him and the one that’ll make him happy. And Venti knows that he’ll do everything he can to make you happy too,

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #venti x reader #genshin impact venti #genshin venti #venti

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shivada-jade · 3 years

Text

how to be romantic

characters: zhongli, childe (the wingman) ➡ mentions: xiao, venti, hu tao warning(s): n/a unless you havent gone to liyue. why havent you gone to liyue? FINISH THE MONDSTADT QUEST AND GO TO LIYUE.

Zhongli's everyone's ideal man.

Intelligent, amusing, respectful, and extremely good looking.

Zhongli knows many things including Liyue's history and, well... Teyvat's history.

Though, romance is not something he touched base with over the time he spent in Teyvat. He was, after all, a war leader. He was a fighter, not a lover, but over time when he settles down at the harbour, he found you.

Being romantic is for losers, as a certain bard would tell him long ago, chugging two gallons of wine. Pretty ironic how his city turned to be a city of romance as much as it is freedom.

You were someone who did not make him feel like someone to be worshipped as he was once worshipped. You did not make him feel belittled or someone of unimportance. You made him feel whole, and for that he is forever thankful.

He tends to ramble about ancient history, but you assure him you find it as interesting as he does. You would usually tease him saying you might know more than him until you thought you saw a certain Yaksha near by. The certain Yaksha threatened you with the tip of his polearm when he fits you as any threat to Zhongli, whether physically or mentally. Ahah, but it's okay you're both buddy-buddy now. You make the best almond tofu.

Zhongli will forever be yours, he promises you. Through thick or thin or through any rainy day, he promises he will be forever yours. You bro-zone him.

As he sits on the chair drinking his tea, his eyes wander from person to person, noting how many of them were in pairs: pair of siblings, a pair of friends, a pair of lovers, a pair of enemies. Everything is in a pair.

A pair of blue eyes interrupt his thought. Zhongli sets his teacup down and nods to Childe in acknowledgement.

"How do you do, Childe?"

Childe grins and puts his hands behind his head, taking a seat in front of Zhongli. "Oh nothing much. Juuust checking in to see how my favourite grandpa is. How are you? How's the spouse and three kids, living near the beach with their pet hamster? Ayo shawty bae, make sure you-"

Zhongli indeed knows a lot of things, but Childe's way of talking might just be something he may never understand.

"Childe, let us get to the point."

"Right, so! As your awesome wingman who got you the love of your life and even matchmade with countless of other people, I, Childe, the lovable Fatui Harbinger, the hottest person here, the best ginger there is-"

"The point, please," Zhongli says, offering to pour tea for his friend.

Childe refuses with a polite smile, "I have come with thee with a way to spice up your love life!"

Zhongli pauses and then lifts the cup up, sipping the tea, humming to show he heard.

Blue eyes dull and Childe whines, "Come on! I went through so much trouble in making a step-by-step guide on how to be romantic." His arms droop to his side.

The former Archon lifts a brow and places his tea down again, "Amuse me."

"Great!" Childe high-fives himself under the table. His right hand fishes for something hidden in his left sleeve and pulls it out. It was a long scroll of messy writing.

"Ahahah!" He slaps the scroll on the paper. The title read, 60 Impressive Ways to Be Romantic. "Mr Zhongli, you will not regret following these simple steps! You're already the man, but now you'll be... the better man! It works 100%"

"Preposterous," Zhongli chuckles. "I don't think I need this to win over [Name's] heart."

"Dude, [Name] bro-zoned you yesterday."

The wind brings the sound of laughter to Zhongli's ears, as if mocking him. Sometimes, he really wanted to punch the wind.

...

Tartaglia's way of showing romance seems to cost a fortune. Zhongli knows at this point this is one of Tartaglia's entertainment, because halfway through the scroll it scribbled, "AFFORDABLE ways to be romantic :)"

...

You come home to rose petals littering your doorstep and silk flowers perching on your window. A little neat note is clipped in between the door and the door frame.

After working, all you wanted to do is sleep, so that is what you did. You were too tired to notice the change and left the letter falling on the floor.

Mission failed!

Childe pats Zhongli's pat like he was a rejected kid on the playground.

"So what? Maybe step number 38 just wasn't it. Let's skip to step 69."

"There's only 60 steps, though," Zhongli quickly points out.

"Oh.. just change the number 60 to 69. It'll be like 57, 58, 59, 69 and done!"

...

Step 45: Take them out on a nerd date.

Zhongli has already told you so much about his knowledge, he doesn't think there's much to do.

Step 48: Explore the unknown!

You almost fell in a ravine when you and Zhongli went out for a simple walk. No way was he going to let that happen again.

Step 52: How are you all the way here? Make their favourite dish!"

Hu Tao sabotaged a dish once and Zhongli proceeded to think he's a horrible chef.

Step 54: I'm out of ideas. Just don't be a wimp and place an arm over their shoulder while you're against a wall or something. What's the word.. kabedon?"

Zhongli notes the Inazuman term and sweat drops. Maybe Zhongli is a wimp. No he isn't, but he wouldn't know if you would be comfortable with that. He would like to make sure you feel safe around him before doing such things.

Step 60: You made it here, so I'm assuming nothing from the other steps worked. Just ask them out and be direct. If you're rejected then I'm here!

"Well? Why do you like them to begin with?" Childe questions Zhongli one day with a palm resting under his chin.

Golden eyes soften when describing details that make you one of a kind as Childe takes out a quill, ink and a paper.

The next day, Childe ushers Zhongli to meet you. He shoves Zhongli to your house and quietly waits in a bush, listening to what's going to happen.

Zhongli waits outside your doorstep, knocking. He does not have much with him, just a single glazed lily in one hand.

He waits a few moments and you open the door.

"Hi there, Zhongli!"

Zhongli lights up when he sees your bright aura.

"Hello-"

"You're late."

That went downhill really fast, but Zhongli is a man of patience. "I beg your pardon?..." he trails off, wondering what he was late for.

"The letter, the flowers, the little lunches you packed for me these days?" You explain, heaving a basket from inside and showing Zhongli the little collection of gifts he gave you. He thought random people got his gifts instead of you because it would always be gone by the next day without ever seeing you take it.

Zhongli clears his throat, honestly flustered that you took care of his gifts with great care, even placing it in a delicate basket. By delicate, the fanciest looking basket out there.

He reaches for your hand, gently placing a Glazed Lily. "What am I late for?"

You walk back inside, carefully placing the Glazed Lily in a vase and come outside with a blue letter. You curiously ask, "Did you not send this letter?"

Zhongli looks at the letter with a smile gracing his face. In your hand is a blue letter with a small whale stamp in the corner.

To my dearest,

I do not wish to keep my feelings for you caged in. I'm not one to forget many things, but when I am with you, I seem to forget all the pain this world has caused me.

At times I feel unreachable or unapproachable to many people. At times I feel I may never fit in this new life in Liyue I chose, but when you show me the thousands of reasons why I need to stay, I stay for you. I realize when I am not with you, Liyue is dull. When I am not with you, I am cold, but when I am with you, I am full of warmth and happiness.

Your eyes that tell me more stories than I can imagine are stunning. The smile that comes with it tops it all off. Your awful jokes and horrible sense of humour make me at peace, showing me there is a little humour in everything.

I wish I can go on and list more, but my ink is running short.

I simply adore you, my dear.

I can only hope you feel the same for me. My gifts for you are material, but my love for you will be eternal.

Would you be able to free yourself to spend the day with me tomorrow by noon?

Yours,

Zhongli

note: JHDSJNDSDNALNDAHJHDNMDSNMAMNDNMF,,C,MVMNXCVNVCNMCVXNMCVXNMCNMM,JDFSLDFNMSKDAFJJFDKREY3RKNLFDFSNMDDAJLNLAALKADPODMKLCXBEGHRGHGNML

you read it this far EHHDAHDHJ HOW

(childe's pov)

#zhongli #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #zhongli x reader #childe #tartaglia #genshin fanfic

133 notes · View notes

wesimpforxiao · 3 years

Text

Say My Name and I’ll Be There: 8.1

Author’s Note: As for the next few or possibly several chapters, give me some time to write them. I want to write the Lantern Rite chapter perfectly and in order to do that I need 1. for us all to experience the in-game event so I can capture it accurately and 2. to catch up on my schoolwork because my college goes by the 10-week quarter system and we are smack in the middle of it. Apologies for the inconvenience, but I refuse to give a sub-par Lantern Rite chapter as I believe it will be the most important in this story!! The next one or two chapters should be released by the end of next week.

......

Only on the eve of the Lantern Rite, several days before the celebration, did Xiao come to appreciate the hours of hard work you were putting into practicing music.

He had slaughtered a band of mitachurls, hilichurls, and lawachurls near Lihua Pool when he fell into darkness. He collapsed to his knees, struggling for breath, spots filling his vision beneath the mask. While he had dealt with karmic debt for two thousand years, this time had to be one of the worst falters. He knelt beneath the somber moon that bore witness to his shortcoming.

The waves of pain drove him mad and the voices drowned out the singing of the crickets and frogs. Xiao clutched at his chest in an effort to rid himself of the agony as he wondered if it was finally his time to die and join the fallen yakshas. His mask disintegrated as he fell to all fours. It's fine, just breathe, he reminded himself.

It was then when he heard the tune.

"B-Barbatos?" The yaksha groaned despairingly as he forced himself to raise his head toward the sound. He was being saved by the wind god for a second time--No. That's her, he realized when he recognized the all-too familiar tune. But the way you were playing this time...had he only heard a fraction of your practice sessions? You carried the notes so well compared to last time--

Xiao rolled over so he lie on his back, eyes meeting the glints of the stars that shone down upon him. It was like the pain had knocked the wind out of him. No matter. At least he would die listening to you. The idea was peaceful to think about.

...miss...love you...

Your faint prayers that accompanied the moonsong somehow broke through the crowded shouting of the damned and eased the heavy knot in his stomach while he gasped for air. The tune continued to build until Xiao could only compare your talent to that of the wind archon. It was beautiful, soft, and it fit you perfectly despite your stubborn personality that was accentuated by the harbinger's shenanigans.

The image brought a faint smile to his lips, the expression slowly widening as you played on. Your selfless nature; the need to protect a yaksha from harm's way...Your daring eyes when you butt heads with Childe...The honey-sweet grin you reserved only for Xiao and Xiao alone. It was the way you carried yourself in battle, the way you interacted with strangers. How and when you prayed to him. Your light humming accompanied your music.

Archons, you were remarkably stunning in every way imaginable. The yaksha failed to notice how big his smile was as a few of his tears slid down the sides of his face. It was his own longing for you that manifested and whirled around in his chest. Beautiful, he thought as the music continued. So, so beautiful. It was as if the music described yourself. For how could he give up and die now, after falling for you? Maybe...just maybe...Xiao allowed himself to sit in the fluffy cloud of human 'compassion' as he listened to you play. He wouldn't dare call the emotion for what it truly was. Not now. Not yet. You had to understand something before he could allow himself to love you. Er, to care for you. Y-yes. That's it. Xiao refocused his attention on your music to avoid thinking any deeper on the subject.

Yet though his mind listened to your moonsong, his heart entertained the possibility of finally admitting his lo--er, compassion for you.

He didn't notice that the pain had long faded, that the spots in his vision had cleared and that the voices of the vanquished silenced themselves. He drifted to sleep right there in the middle of the dirt road as you played into the night, and for the first time in a long time, he slept with mind and body in peace.

................................

"Morning, Mezzetin," Childe greeted you with two mugs of hot chocolate in his hands. He gave one to you before indulging in his while he leaned against your door. "Sleep well?"

"I did, surprisingly. The pain was pretty bad until I started practicing." You rubbed your bleary eyes and let out a long yawn. "Why do you ask?"

"You didn't call for him."

"Hm?"

"You've yelled for the yaksha every night you've been here. You were quiet last night."

"How would you know that? Are you just constantly sitting outside my room like a creep?" Your quip brought a smile to Childe's lips as he sipped at his mug.

"Well then, since you're feeling well enough to banter with me, I guess I have no need to reward you for your cooperation..."

"Huh? What do you mean, 'reward?'" You perked up when he faked reaching for the door handle. "Tartaglia?" In your effort to get him to explain, you jumped out of bed and subsequently spilled your drink all over the sheets. A jarring pain shot through your bones, but you ignored it.

"The Tsaritsa has requested I return to my post in Liyue Harbor to...discipline a few underperforming officers during the Lantern Rite. Since I am in charge of you, I requested that you accompany me. Her Majesty agreed."

"W-what?!" Your sudden shout made him jump slightly. "You...she...you're letting me return?"

"Temporarily, yes, and it is for business reasons. We figured it would aid in your...dilemma."

"I..." Your gaze fell to the half-empty mug in your hands.

"You don't want to go?" The harbinger raised a brow in surprise. "Why, I thought you'd jump at this opportunity."

"It's not that..." you trailed, your finger absently circling the rim of your cup. "Would I...be able to roam around by myself?"

"Depends on where you want to go." His eyes narrowed slightly and he set his cup atop your bedside table. "You won't be able to visit Qingce Village, nor the Wanshu Inn." He watched your shoulders drop in disappointment before continuing. "But I will allow you to enjoy the festival."

"...Am I allowed to talk to them? My adventure team?"

Childe let out a small sigh before nodding. "I think it would be good for your health to see them."

"Why are you allowing me?" It was your turn to narrow your eyes in suspicion against the harbinger. "Wouldn't this be, you know, a risk for you guys to let me see them? Aren't you worried about that?"

"There will be several Fatui agents in Liyue during the festival; even if you're 'alone,' one of us will always be nearby. I don't take you as a complete idiot," he admonished. "Besides, Mr. Zhongli knows more about adeptal blood than we do at this point. If you manage to gather more information, that would be a plus."

"I'm not gathering information for the likes of you," you retorted, crossing your arms much like Xiao does.

"I'm not asking you as your superior, nor your captor. I'm suggesting it as your comrade in arms."

"Ha!" You couldn't help but let out a full laugh at the set of statements. "You really expect me to believe that? All you guys do is manipulate and deceive. I don't trust a word that comes out of your mouth!"

"Even if you learn something and keep it to yourself, do it for yourself, Mezzetin. I've realized something after you joined us."

"Oh? What could you have possibly realized?" You rolled your eyes and returned your gaze to the window, not particularly caring about his side of the conversation and instead wishing he would just leave already.

"I realized some of my actions were not for your wellbeing, but for mine."

........................................

It was sprinkling when Childe, the Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers, finally tracked your rescue team down in Fontaine. It really didn't take much of an effort, which was highly disappointing considering the harbinger loved to play cat-and-mouse with his foes. Oh well. At least Mr. Zhongli was here; the plan wouldn't work if he hadn't accompanied Aether and the yaksha.

The harbinger stood in the shadow of a nearby tree and scouted the sheltered camp. Besides Aether, Zhongli, and an apparently-unconscious yaksha, there were two more opponents. Childe recognized one of them to be the wine master Diluc, but couldn't name the other one. Maybe he was one of Mondstat's knights, judging by the way he carried himself? Then again, he seemed to be drinking pretty heavily...

Childe glanced back a ways where a few Fatui agents were waiting for his return. This wouldn't take long; he knew two of the adventurer's tricks, and the knight didn't look like he'd pose much of a challenge. All he needed was to speak with Zhongli.

"I have to admit I'm disappointed for finding you so quickly," the harbinger made his presence known and stepped out of the shadows. A chill ran down everyone's spines.

"I still can't believe you were naïve enough to get involved with the Fatui," Diluc sent an admonishing look Aether's way before summoning his broadsword. "And hid it from me, no less."

"We're sorry!" Paimon squeaked with her hands in the air. "We didn't trust him completely!"

"It was my fault for allowing this to continue without your knowledge, Aether." Zhongli rose from his seat and manifested his polearm. "Allow me to make amends."

"I assume you're the one we're after?" Kaeya unsheathed his sword and stood side-by-side with Diluc, much to his bro's dismay. Despite all the wine he had consumed, he remained unusually composed.

"I've come to speak with Mr. Zhongli," Childe answered, both hands raised semi-defensively while the expression on his face was no less than that of a sly fox. "And to retrieve the yaksha."

"We don't think so!" Aether charged first and swung his blade through the air. It collided against the well-known hydro blades of the harbinger before parrying off.

Next was Diluc, whose flaming weapon created steam as it sliced through Childe's blades. His attacks were slower than Aether's, but the amount of power coming from them nearly made the harbinger flinch both in hesitation and in excitement. It was then that Xiao's eyes had opened slightly before he lost consciousness again. Kaeya lunged forth and used his skill to send a burst of ice at the harbinger in an effort to freeze him in place.

Childe barely dodged, one blade freezing over. "Tch." The last thing he needed was to deal with a cryo user in this weather. He was already at a disadvantage by wielding a hydro vision in normal circumstances. His hydro burst threw everyone backwards, and he switched to his delusion.

Electricity surged through the camp as everyone got to their feet and readied themselves for an onslaught of electro attacks. None came; instead, the harbinger stared straight at Zhongli, who remained reserved and unbothered as he pointed the tip of his lance at him. "This is your only warning, Childe," the archon spoke in an especially deep voice. "Return her to us, or suffer the consequences."

"I only came to speak with you, Mr. Zhongli," Childe's eyes narrowed beneath his mask. "As much as I'd love to indulge in a fight, I came here with a proposition. Would you hear me out?"

Everyone's eyes turned expectantly to the archon, and he returned their gazes before allowing his polearm to disintegrate. "Lower your weapons," he ordered much to everyone's dismay.

"But Zhongli! He could trick you!" Paimon reappeared before the consultant. "You can't--"

"Relax, Paimon," Zhongli quietly assured. "I may not have a gnosis, but a harbinger is still by no-means what I perceive to be troublesome in battle." He followed Childe a few meters away so the group was unable to hear them.

Childe shifted his mask to its resting place on the side of his head. "There may be a way to retrieve her," he started in a quiet voice. "But it would only be possible if you declare war against the Tsaritsa."

"Tell me, Childe, why should I trust you after you breached our trust?"

"You can't, but I trust that we all have our comrade's best interests in mind, no? If you're able to rally the people of Teyvat, the Tsaritsa may yield. Her Majesty has no interest in declaring war against the mortals as you are already aware."

It was a fitting task for the God of War; declare a world war against the Tsaritsa, and she'd yield without calling his bluff. Even so, the former archon was not convinced. Childe would need to up his charming façade. He was only lying for your own safety after all; he'd back you into joining the harbingers, and you'd be free of the Fatui's grasp in the outside world. You wouldn't be hunted for the rest of your life; you could live freely in your captors' backyard. The suffering you were being thrown into now would last a lifetime if you continued to resist.

Some part of the harbinger knew it was a twisted form of compassion--dare he call it love--for you. He needed you to free yourself both of the Fatui's and Xiao's grasps. The only way to do that would be to recruit you, but you weren't so easy to convince. You wouldn't be in danger of getting hurt by his subordinates his way. You wouldn't hurt yourself by chasing after Xiao if Childe stepped in either. He didn't care that it was selfish of him to step between your struggling romance.

What better way to keep you safe, mentally and physically, than to break you into submission?

The two opposing forces continued their hushed discussion for twenty more minutes before Zhongli broke away from Childe. He was about to fill the group in on the details when Childe attacked him from behind.

#genshin x reader #genshin impact #xiao x reader #xiao #xiao fanfiction #xiao genshin impact #genshin impact xiao

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neverendingdream111 · 3 years

Text

GENSHIN IMPACT AS IDOLS

- one of the groups consists of: Zhongli, Childe, Venti, Xiao, Diluc, Kaeya and Albedo

- Zhongli is the leader and the oldest obvsly and his smooth deep voice is to die for

- He's also the visual along with Albedo (tho everyone here is gorgeous, ngl)

- Childe constantly switches between rap and vocal, but he's mostly recognized for his amazing dancing (he's the main dancer for a reason)

- Venti is the main vocal and possibly writes most of their songs (sometimes Albedo helps him)

- Funnily enough, Venti is often confused for being the maknae while in reality he's the second oldest in the group

- Xiao is the main rapper

- He refuses to sing but would do it if asked (rarely)

- and he's the real maknae - even tho he hates it he can't do anything about it (and everyone, especially Venti and Childe, loves teasing him for it)

- Diluc and Kaeya are the other rappers along with Xiao and they are related in some way tho both refuse to reveal anything to the public (but everyone is convinced they're brothers)

- they don't get along most of the time and argue constantly, but it only amuses the rest of the members and the fans absolutely love their arguments bc it more often than not turns into a rap battle

- and let me tell you, they completely kill it

- then, we have Albedo. He and Zhongli are the most peaceful ones and most likely keep the team together bc if not those idiots would've caused absolute chaos eons ago

- His voice is angelic, everyone adores it

- Childe and Kaeya are the most chaotic duo especially together

- they have the stupidest ideas and like to mess around

- and they are perfectly aware of their god-like looks and also have the audacity to use it "against" their fans (not that anyone complains)

- they are partners in crime when it comes to teasing Diluc

- Kaeya does it on a daily basis and Childe found it funny and decided to join him on causing inconvenience to others, lol

- Xiao, even though he's an idol, hates interacting with humans but makes an exception for fanmeetings, concerts, interviews and such because Zhongli raised him right--

- he has a soft spot for cats and would have one at the dorm if it wasn't for Venti being allergic to them (although he doesn't see any problem with it)

- speaking of the dorm, it's the pure definition of destruction

- Childe and Kaeya being the little shits they are room together and they are that kind of roommates that would blast music on full volume in the middle of the night just because they felt like it (but obvsly they do it to summon a demon in the form of sleep deprived Diluc because they know he's a light sleeper)

- Venti at some point moved in with them bc he felt like it and it's totally not because Xiao kicked him out--

- Zhongli and Diluc share a room because they both know how to appreciate a moment of peace and they just like each other's company; their perfect afternoon on their day off is sitting there with a cup of tea each and exchanging stories they've heard and/or experienced

- Albedo is probably the only person Xiao would room with excluding Zhongli (and maybe Diluc but it's debatable) because he's calm and collected, doesn't talk too much unlike the other three and when he does talk it's nice to listen to him

- also, the sound of sketching calms him down

- Venti somehow lives in all of the rooms in the dorm. First he roomed with Xiao and Albedo, but he got kicked out by the maknae. Then he gravitated towards Zhongli and Diluc but after a few days the redhead got so annoyed with him he ended up with Childe and Kaeya. The three of them share a braincell, that's why they get along so well, but even though he lives with them he sometimes ends up in the other rooms but that's just him

- he likes a change of scenery, ehe

- Zhongli's the dad of the group

- whenever someone has a problem they automatically go to him

- also, even though they are a really chaotic group, they are equally capable of working together (main reason why they are so goddamn awesome on stage)

- Xiao might act like he doesn't care but he does. A lot

- every time one of his hyungs is having a bad day he subtly tries to cheer them up. He feels awkward with words in these moments and physical contact isn't really his forte but instead he does things like buying them their favorite snack, or opting to watch their favorite film with them (even if he absolutely hates it he still would watch it)

- everyone obvsly knows what he's doing and they appreciate it

- Childe and Kaeya actually aren't as easy-going as they like to appear on stage. They are really emotional human beings and are probably most affected by hate comments and such

- Diluc, as much as he despises their attitude and teasing he has to endure bc of them, cares about them a lot and usually he's the one to knock some sense in them when they believe the haters or just have a bad day. He may not like their behavior but he's not heartless and deems them as family (even tho he wouldn't admit it)

- Albedo isn't a lot older than Xiao, maybe something around a few months, so everyone thinks of him like a second maknae and just because he gives off the vibe, y'know

- He loves drawing and sometimes does a sketch of one of the members or recreates a fanart of them he saw on Pinterest (cue to the fans going wild)

- He, alongside with Diluc, often cooks for them. They both are amazing cooks and I refuse to believe otherwise

- Venti has a playlist prepared for every occasion and uses them accordingly

- he also has playlists dedicated to every member of the group and it's his way of cheering them up or being there for them when they are separated

- as for the run episodes, well.... It can be described in one word

- chaos

- they're even capable of riling Zhongli up!

- tho he mostly opts to watch the chaos from the sidelines, snickering under his breath, he ends up in the crossfire from time to time

- contrary to popular belief, the most competitive ones are Diluc and Xiao

- they are so set on winning they sometimes forget that it's all a game

- Childe once got an elbow to the face in one episode but still no one knows who did it (it was Kaeya--)

- Albedo is just... There, tho he does enjoy it. More than he would admit

- Childe and Kaeya are dying of laughter most of the time and do stupid things that probably only they understand which makes the other laugh harder

- and Venti absolutely loves being the host: it gives him a perfect view of his friends who half the time have no idea what the hell is going on and, of course, power

- the fanmeetings are just the other excuse for them to make fun of each other and fool around

- fans don't mind it one bit because it is honestly hilarious to watch the utter chaos unfold

- even when they are signing albums and merch they throw comments here and there to provoke the other

- especially Xiao bc he's a softie when it comes to their fans and as long as the girls don't do anything... Weird, he doesn't mind interacting with them and sometimes finds himself actually enjoying the contact

- while we're on the fanmeetings--

- Zhongli is absolutely wonderful. He's the kind to delicately hold your hand, look into you eyes and smile softly while focusing entirely on you and what you have to say, indulging into conversation as well

- if it wasn't for the staff members reminding him that the time's up, he would spend at least an hour with every fan

- Childe is so excited he grins so much his cheeks hurt, and would look at you like you just made his day. You can be stuttering, super nervous and anxious and he'd just say it's completely fine and that you should take your time, even if the staff says that you should move to the next member

- Venti is the one that talks a lot, but would shut up and listen to you. He especially likes playing with your hands or just some games like rock-paper-scissors

- he also loves it when some fans show him their singing and he encourages them to go on, synchronizing with them and making an amazing duet

- Xiao is, like I've said before, a big softie. He really appreciates the fact that people find their music nice and genuinely like to listen to it. Would probably ask you questions like "what's your favorite song?", "What do you think of this album *gestures to the one he just signed*" etc

- he DID wear cat ears once because a fan gave them to him and they looked kind of cute

- he didn't hear the end of it for two weeks minimum and Childe and Kaeya probably have the pic as their wallpapers

- Diluc is the most... normal one? I mean, he enjoys the meetings a lot, but he doesn't show his excitement as much as the others. Conversations with him are like talking to an old friend that understands you and it's just so... wholesome

- he's honestly surprised when he gets gifts from the fans. He does appreciate it of course, but he just doesn't really understand why you would go as far as to give him something for no particular reason please give him lots of love he needs it-

- Kaeya is the one with the audacity to flirt with you. Loves seeing the blush on your cheeks and just enjoys annoying people. Though he sometimes stops it out of mercy and opts to talk with you like a normal human being--

- most protective of their fans. Sees one in distress or being picked on, immediatly steps in or tells a staff member to handle the situation

- Albedo is somewhere between Zhongli and Diluc's behaviour tbh. He's really sweet, loves talking to the fans and gets super excited whenever one of them shows him a fanart - especially if it's an original idea

- now let's get to the best part

- as lovely and peaceful as they are on a daily basis, they turn into freakin devils on stage

- kind grandpa with a calming voice? Who's that? A goddamn satan entered the chat

- ooooh, the cat lover? Sorry, we only have a mf demon available

- don't even get me started on the Childe-Kaeya-Diluc trio--

- all in all, they may be annoying each other night and day but they still love one another like family and their bond only strengthens when they stand in the spotlight

I had this idea today and, well, it turned out like this, hope you enjoyed! I also may be doing some sort of continuation to this with Xingqiu, Chongyun, Razor and Bennett as a trainee idol group so let me know if you'd like something like this and if you have any ideas for other groups!

02.05.21

~Nana

#genshin impact #genshin impact hcs #zhongli #childe #xiao #venti #diluc #Kaeya #Albedo #genshin impact as idols #idol boygroup

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yellowcanna · 3 years

Text

The ZhongXiao Alliance

Summary:

“You requested the bard to get you porn?” Diluc questioned with a skeptical look on his face.

“No!” Aether shouted, waving his hands frantically in front of him. “It’s for…for Paimon!”

“WHAT?!” Paimon screamed off the top of her lungs before spinning around to see the pair of crimson eyes narrowing at her while the blue one twinkled with amusement.

"So he says." Kaeya gestured to the Honourary Knight.

“No! Paimon would never read these kinds of things! It’s adeptus Xiao!!”

“An adeptus from Liyue want you two to get porn?” The disbelief in the tavern owner’s voice was clear.

“This is all for Morax’s sake!” Venti pipped up from behind Aether, as if that would make the situation any better.

“Oh? Morax?” The Cavalry Captain raised a brow. "So it is the Geo Archon that wanted the porn?”

Aether buried his face into his hands. He should have never taken up on Xiao's request. No, before that, he shouldn't have taken Zhongli's request.

This whole mess started when Zhongli confessed to Xiao in the wrong order, starting with sex.

Now, it's up to one traveller, one emergency food, and one bard to make things right...by getting Xiao a guide to sexual intercourse.

Rating: 18+

Genre: Mutual pining, comedy, miscommunication, romantic fluff, smut, yaoi

Pairing: Main Zhongli/Xiao, side Aether/Venti, hint of Kaeya/Diluc and Xingqiu/Chongyun

Story type: Multi-chapter

Beta’d by: Amberowl123

中文 Chinese Translation available by: Yejet

╔ ✦✧✦ ═════════════╗

Available on AO3!!

╚═════════════ ✦✧✦ ╝

◅ PREV MAIN NEXT ▻

CHAPTER 2 - ZhongXiao Alliance, Book!

“Eleven…twelve…thirteen…” Aether counted, carefully plucking the Cecilias and adding them to the basket in his hand.

“Aether! I got five more!” Paimon waved, flying back with an armful of Cecilias.

“Thanks, Paimon!” Aether smiled, plucking two more Cecilias while Paimon added her flowers into the basket. “Perfect, that’s all the flowers!”

“Great! Let’s go back to Mondstadt! Maybe the tone-deaf bard got the thing already!”

“You’re pretty optimistic about that.” The blond raised a brow at her.

“Well…as long as it’s not us who need to find it! That tone-deaf bard seems oddly familiar with these things, don’t you think?”

Aether couldn’t argue Paimon there. Venti was strangely at ease—confident even—when he told them he’d get them the porn. Though Venti was over two thousand years old, and so was Xiao. Perhaps it was due to their long lifespan that they no longer feel embarrassed over things like that?

When the blond thought of it that way, he found himself to be quite immature. If he thought over a bit more, the book was—as Xiao had said—study materials, right? Maybe he and Paimon were the ones over exaggerating and over complicating things.

With that mindset, Aether and Paimon left Starsnatch Cliff. The journey back to Mondstadt took about two hours. By the time they arrived, the sun had already set and the city was quiet compared to the lively nights at Liyue Harbour.

The two headed straight for Angel’s Share where there were already customers seated around on the tables outside, gulping down their drinks. The blond and Paimon greeted some familiar faces before grabbing the door handle and stepping inside the tavern Venti had told them to meet him at.

The first thing the two were greeted with was the sight of Diluc’s irritated face, Kaeya’s amused look, and Venti who was grinning from ear to ear.

“Aha! You see? I’m not lying!” Venti announced, pointing towards Aether who was frozen at the doorway. The blond wondered if it was too late to close the door and pretended that he was never here.

“What’s going on?” Paimon asked, looking between the two men and the archon.

“You’ve joined us at the right time,” Kaeya waved his hand lightly for them to come over.

Having no choice, Aether walked over to them despite his instincts screaming at him to leave. “What happened?” He asked and he swore he saw Diluc’s brows twitched.

What in the world did Venti do this time?

Venti, receiving Aether’s questioning look, shrugged. “Well, Master Diluc, Sir Kaeya and I were just talking about… aesthetics.”

“We were discussing your questionable performance,” Diluc corrected. Even though his voice was even, Aether could tell the man was this close to tossing the bard outside.

“What part of my performance was questionable?” Venti argued back, clearly seeing no wrong in whatever he did. Worried a fight might break out, Aether hurried to step between them.

“The part where you requested the customers to pay you with porn.”

The blond tripped over his feet, his face smashing against the hard wooden floor and his body drawing a line between Venti and Diluc.

“Aether! Are you alright?” Paimon flew over to Aether who had a hand over his reddened nose.

“Hey, I was doing our Honorary Knight a favour! You wouldn’t want to deprive Mondstadt’s saviour his needs, would you?”

Both Diluc and Kaeya looked down at Aether—crimson and blue eyes staring at him skeptically.

“You requested the bard get you porn?” Diluc questioned with an unreadable look on his face.

“No!” Aether shouted, bouncing back onto his feet at the accusation while waving his hands frantically in front of him. “Well, I mean, yes, I did ask, but it’s not for me!”

“Then who is it?” Kaeya inquired with one hand resting on his hip.

The blond’s brain was a mess as he tried to think of what to say. There was no way he could tell them that it was Xiao who wanted the book! He was an adeptus, after all. He also couldn’t say it was for a friend since that would sound like a poor excuse! “It’s for…for Paimon!”

“WHAT?!!” Paimon shouted off the top of her lungs before spinning around to see Diluc raising a brow at her while Kaeya let out a small hum.

“I must say, I would never have expected that from you,” the knight commented with an odd smile on his lips.

“No! It’s not for Paimon!” Paimon shrieked. “Paimon would never read these kinds of things! It’s for Adeptus Xiao!!”

Aether covered his hands over his face, unable to watch the mess unfold.

“An adeptus from Liyue wanted you two to get porn?” The disbelief in Diluc’s voice was clear.

“This is all for Morax’s sake!” Venti piped up from behind Aether, as though that would make the situation any better.

“Morax?” Diluc frowned. “Didn’t the Geo Archon die?”

“Uh…!” Both Aether and Paimon paled.

“Are you suggesting that not only is the Geo Archon not dead, he asked you to get porn?” Kaeya pushed on.

“I…!” Aether looked between the two men, feeling completely trapped with no way out.

“This isn’t the place to talk,” Diluc gestured for them to follow and brought them to the basement where they stored the wine. He shot more than a couple of nasty glares when Venti’s hands wandered too close to some of the wine.

Once they were inside one of the storage rooms, Diluc slammed the door shut and turned to Aether with his arms crossed over his chest. “Explain.”

Having, no choice, Aether began to explain the mess they were dragged into—including the fact that the Geo Archon was very much alive. The blond knew he could trust both Kaeya and Diluc to keep it a secret…perhaps that was also why Venti casually revealed the Geo Archon being alive.

“So Rex Lapis is alive and he has fallen in love with one of the immortals of Liyue,” Kaeya muttered after hearing the full story. “Most interesting indeed.”

“And that adeptus requested you bring…research materials.” Diluc pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a quiet sigh. While he fully understood the situation, he didn’t look any happier than when Aether first saw him.

“Now that we've gotten this misunderstanding out of the way, can I get my books back?” Venti asked with his hands on his hips.

“So…what exactly happened?” Paimon asked again.

“As usual, the audiences loved performances and kindly gifted me their valuable collections, but they were all confiscated by Master Diluc here.”

“You should be glad I didn’t kick you out of the tavern.” Diluc retorted.

“Wait, so you really did get a book?!” Paimon turned to Venti in shock.

“Of course! I did promise I’ll help you guys find one, didn’t I?” Venti bragged and looked back to Diluc.

“What about Kaeya?” Aether turned to the Cavalry Captain. “Why were you here?”

“As one of the Knights of Favonius, it is my duty to oversee regulations. I can’t turn a blind eye to shady dealings now, can I?” Kaeya shrugged.

“How was any of that shady?!” Venti gasped in genuine shock.

“Even if you are lord Barbatos, there are still laws you have to follow.”

“Surely a book or two isn’t that big of a deal!”

“You are correct. A book or two is not a big deal, but…” Kaeya trailed off, his eye shifting to Diluc. Diluc spared a small glimpse at Kaeya before sharply turning away. He looked a little irritated, but stepped out of the storage room and returned a minute later carrying a large bundle wrapped in a tablecloth.

The moment the redhead set the bundle onto the floor, the cloth unwrapped, revealing stacks after stacks of books.

“Don’t tell me—!!” Aether’s jaw fell open at the mountain of porn.

“Did you rob the entire city?!” Paimon shouted.

“Of course not! These were all gifted to me by my faithful fans!”

“So now you see.” Kaeya bent down, picking up a blank cover book and waved it at Aether. “When a large quantity of these suddenly turned up at a tavern, that is something a knight cannot ignore.”

“We’re very sorry!” Aether apologized immediately. He was never so glad that it was Kaeya who caught Venti and not Jean, Lisa or Amber. Aether would never be able to face them again if they were to find out.

“Morax’s happiness is on the line here! Can’t you cut us some slack?” Venti tried to bargain.

“You say that you only need one book, didn’t you?” Diluc finally spoke up. “Take one and return the rest to wherever they came from. That should be fine, shouldn’t it, Knight of Favonius?”

“Certainly,” Kaeya easily agreed.

“Thank you so much, Diluc! Kaeya!” Aether and Paimon cheered while Venti looked disappointed.

“Aww, I have to give all of these back?” He looked at them with teary eyes.

“Were you planning on doing anything with them?” Diluc’s sharp gaze was immediately locked onto the Anemo god.

“Of course not!” Venti laughed before glancing down at the pile of books, then to Aether. “So…which one shall we take?”

“Wouldn’t any one of them work?” Aether asked in confusion.

“Hmm, take this for example!” Venti held out two books. “One is about a woman and a man, while the other is about two men. Which one does Xiao need?”

“O-of course it’s…!!” Aether stammered, taking a look at Diluc and Kaeya before quickly hissing out the last part. “That second one!”

“Then does he want a book with words, or pictures?”

“Huh?”

“Are there any specific positions they want to do it in?”

“T-that’s—!!”

“And what kind of kinks do they—”

“Just something educational!” Aether frantically shouted to stop Venti from talking. He felt like he was going to die from embarrassment at this rate.

When he turned to look at the other two men, he saw Diluc with one hand covering his face while Kaeya was smiling weirdly at him.

Someone let him die.

“Guess we have no choice but to look through them all!”

“How did you reach that conclusion?!” Aether’s shout was so high that his voice ended up cracking.

At this point, Diluc had finally had enough and headed for the door.

“Oh? Are you not going to help our Honorary Knight with his troubles?” Kaeya watched the Pyro user open the door.

“Unlike someone who has too much time on their hands, I have a business to run,” the redhead stated before disappearing into the hallway. The knight chuckled and followed after Diluc. On his way out, the knight grabbed Paimon by her scarf, plucking her off the air and bringing her with him.

“Hey!!” Paimon shouted, kicking and throwing her arms around, but her limbs were too short to reach the man.

“It would be best if you wait for them upstairs. Seems like they will take a while,” Kaeya said, giving the blond a wink and closed the door behind him.

Aether was blushing hard, but Venti was already ushering for him to sit down so they could start looking through the books together.

“Hey Aether, look at this one!” Venti cheerfully opened one of the illustrated Inazuma scrolls right in his face, giving the boy a clear picture of the indecent act being performed…with an octopus.

Aether had to use all of his will power not to scream.

Why was there an octopus?!

“It got an octopus in it!”

“I can see that?! You don’t need to show it to me!!” Aether cried, swatting the scroll away from his face.

“You have such a pure-hearted~” Venti giggled, rolling up the scroll and setting it aside. “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Let’s start looking for something you can give to Xiao.”

Aether nodded, still red in the face as he picked up the book closest to him. Since all of these covers were blank, it was hard to tell the contents without looking inside. The moment Aether opened the book, he immediately regretted it as it was a picture book.

Golden eyes rounded upon the sight of a man lying on the bed, his head thrown back with his mouth opened and eyes closed. The look on his face could only be described as ecstasy with spurts of white splattered over his body. With his legs pulled apart, Aether was given a clear view of another man’s appendage, going into the...

The blond frantically snapped the book shut, but the image was already engraved into his brain…

“There’s surprisingly a lot of novels here. Well, then again it might be not so surprising. Some nations have strict rules on the picture ones. This would be good since words can go into details of how it’s done!” Venti mumbled while scavenging through the books and oblivious to Aether’s inner terror.

“We should pick out the ones with males only and put them into a pile!”

“Uwah, this one is a bit extreme, but hey, surely that brute would be into it!”

“Hilichurl? Huh, people sure are imaginative these days.”

“Woah, a Regisvines? Wouldn’t you freeze to death? Wait…did Regisvines have tentacles like these? Oh, they’re roots…?”

“Hmm, as I thought, there’s not too many with only males—oh! Hey Aether! Look at this! This one’s from Fontaine!”

“Aha, here’s another one! Come now Aether, help me out here!”

“Aether? Are you listening?”

“Aether?”

“Aether!”

…They found a book thirteen hours later.

✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

“Are you sure you guys were finding a book and not gone off to fight monsters?” Paimon asked, hovering over Aether who was lying in the carriage with a folded cloth shielding his eyes from the morning light.

“Ehe, don’t mind him!” Venti smiled. “He’ll be fine after getting some sleep.”

“You two sure took your time! Paimon fell asleep waiting for you!”

“There were too many things to sort through. Besides,” the archon gestured to the carriage they were in. “If we didn’t take an entire night, how would we be able to hitch a ride on the Dawn Winery shipping cart that is heading to Liyue?”

“Why are you so proud when it’s Master Diluc who gave us the ride?” Paimon huffed before looking down at the book the two had taken an entire night to choose. Judging by the hardcover and the form of the book, it originated from Mondstadt. Since there wasn’t anything on the front or the back of the book, Paimon couldn’t tell what kind of content was inside.

“Soooo…” She looked up at Venti with a sly grin. “What book did you guys choose in the end?”

“Hmm, I would advise against reading it. It’s not something for the faint of heart~” Venti winked and began playing music on his lyre. Paimon puffed, but she floated down, sitting in the corner of the carriage and listened to the archon’s music.

The journey back to Liyue was peaceful. Even when there were nearby monster attacks, Diluc’s men were able to fend them off so there was no need for Venti or Aether to intervene. Because the Dawn Winery carriage was heading towards Qingce village, the three had to get off around Stone Gate and walk the rest of the way to Guili Plains.

This time, there was no need for Aether to call for Xiao. The moment they arrived at their destination, Xiao appeared in a flicker of green light.

“Lord Barbatos,” he greeted politely, nodding his head towards the Anemo Archon.

Aether and Paimon stared at Xiao, then to Venti who puffed out his chest with pride. Sometimes, they both forget that Barbatos was a huge deal due to the archon’s behaviour and the little respect the bard named Venti gets in Mondstadt…

“It’s been a long time, Xiao! Almost a millennia, I believe?” Venti greeted.

“Yes,” Xiao responded curtly. “What brought you to Liyue?”

“I ran into our dear traveller here back in Mondstadt and heard about Morax’s proposal to you, so I decided to come along!”

“I see.” The adeptus glanced to Aether. “I trust you’ve brought the items?”

“Yes, here they are.” Aether handed over the basket of Cecilias and the book.

“What are you planning on doing with those Cecilias?” Venti asked curiously.

“They are for the Cleansing pills.”

“Cleansing pills? What’s that?” Paimon inquired.

“Adepti do not indulge themselves in mortal desires,” Venti explained for the pair. “Stuff like alcohol, gambling, food, baths…things human usually need or do for pleasure! While older adepti don’t need to eat because their power is strong enough to sustain themselves, the same can’t be said for the younger ones. To prevent them from having worldly desires or cravings for things they shouldn’t, they created all kinds of special pills for convenience—like pills for hunger, pills for meditations and so on. The Cleansing pills are for when they want to wash their body. Toss one into the bathtub, dip in a viola! You’ll be clean and refreshed in no time! Pretty handy when you’re suffering from a hangover!”

“Wait, you mean they don’t need to eat at all? But Adeptus Xiao ate!” Paimon pointed at Xiao who crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight to his right foot.

“Eating is but a choice for us,” he said before narrowing his eyes at the wind god disapprovingly. “The Cleansing pill purifies the body and soul. It is not to be used to consume more alcohol.”

“You say the same thing as Morax,” Venti groaned. “But if I remember correctly, isn’t the Cleansing pill made with the herbs in Liyue? Why do you need Cecilias?”

“Many herbs have been lost in the flow of time and the changes within the formation of land,” Xiao replied rather patiently, to both Aether and Paimon’s surprise. “Madame Ping has informed me that the properties of Cecilia are similar to the herb I am missing.”

“Ah, Madame Ping! I haven’t seen her since I’ve last visited Liyue Harbour!” Venti nodded.

“If you’ll excuse me, I will take my leave.”

“Hey now! It’s been so long since we last spoke! Don’t be so eager to leave!” Venti hurriedly blocked Xiao’s path. “Even if you read that book, would you even know what you need to do?”

That made Xiao stop. For the first time, his emotionless mask cracked, revealing a lost look on his face as he stared at the book inside the basket of flowers.

“On the other hand, Aether and I had learned quite a lot! I’m sure we can help you with your studies!”

Aether’s head immediately snapped to Venti in disbelief. He opened his mouth to object, but Xiao beat him to it.

“I will humbly take you on your offer, lord Barbatos.”

“Wait, Adeptus Xiao, let’s not—”

“Perfect! In exchange, give us some of your Cleansing pills! Surely you’ll have extras once you are done!”

“I will only require a few. You may have the rest once I’ve refined them,” Xiao swiftly agreed.

“Wait—!”

With that, Aether was dragged away to Wangshu Inn by Venti with Xiao walking at the front and Paimon trailing behind. When the boss of Wangshu Inn saw the green-haired adeptus, she quickly organized the most luxurious room for them.

That was how Aether found himself locked within the room with one adeptus, one archon and one book between them. Paimon had slipped away at some point, no doubt stuffing her belly with food right now.

Aether was sitting there nervously, watching Xiao open the book to reveal the fine texts printed over the white pages. In the end, Aether and Venti picked out an erotic novel instead of illustrated ones. The blond had feared that the picture books would be too…too graphic for the adeptus to handle. At the very least, he couldn’t handle it, so they chose a novel instead with milder tastes.

“Start over here,” Venti told Xiao, flipping to the middle of the book where there was a red bookmark.

Xiao didn’t ask any questions and read from there. With the way those bright yellow eyes narrowed seriously and that pale hand covering his chin and mouth, Aether would think he was trying to decipher some sort of code rather than reading a sex scene.

“This doesn’t make sense,” Xiao said after only looking through the first page. “Why must you prepare the other person?”

“It’s called stretching! It’s so the person who tops could enter the person who bottoms easier!” Venti replied lightly.

“It’s muscles,” the adeptus deadpanned. “It should be the same if you relax.”

“Well, I suppose that makes sense, but it would be bad if anything tears, right?”

“Such insignificant wounds are hardly anything to mention.”

“But wouldn’t Morax mind even if there is a tiny bit of injury? He might feel responsible, you know?”

Xiao’s brow twitched, but he didn’t say anything about that anymore and moved to the next topic he couldn’t understand.

“What of this oil? What is the purpose of this?”

“It’s so your lord could go in easier and let him feel good, of course!”

Xiao nodded and went on to the next one.

Aether buried his face into his hands. After that first question, Venti has mastered the art of explaining things to Xiao—by telling him that everything was for Zhongli’s sake and how it could benefit Zhongli.

“Positions are an important part of sex!! You should let Morax see your face when you guys do it!”

“Why is that?”

“Well, surely he would want to know whether or not you are feeling good?”

“My pleasure matters not.”

“But it will to Morax! His pride will be hurt if you don’t feel good! That’s the same as saying he's bad lay!”

“A bad what?”

“It means you think he’s impotent~”

“…!!”

Aether’s golden eyes shifted to Xiao who looked as though he had swallowed a whole Electro slime, then to Venti who was smiling way too brightly than he should in such a situation. It was obvious that the archon was enjoying this way too much and Xiao was too clueless to see it.

The blond weighed the pros and cons of intervening before deciding to keep his mouth shut. While Aether never had any sexual experiences, reading porn and erotic novels for thirteen hours straight gave him some…insight to things. Even if Venti was seemingly playing around with Xiao, the Anemo Archon was in fact giving Xiao the best advice that could bring him and Zhongli closer together.

“There are also techniques you must master! You also need to know what Morax’s kinks are.”

“…Kinks?” Xiao frowned, clearly not understanding the definition of the word.

Aether’s mouth fell open, gawking at Venti like he had grown a second head.

And so, Venti began a list of every kink that was possible to mankind. Some of which Aether saw in the stacks of porn, but most he never even heard of and was certain the god was making this up as he went!

By the end of Venti’s long rambling, Aether’s jaw was pretty much touching the floor and Xiao…

Xiao was shaking with long bangs falling over his face. With his head dipped low, the blond couldn’t see what expression he has right now.

“I have no idea…that this requires so much skill…!!” Xiao whispered before promptly getting up. “I must request my lord to reconsider. As I am now, I can’t possibly be his partner.”

“Wait! Wait, Adeptus Xiao!” Aether jumped up—or at least, he tried. Distracted by Venti’s rambling, he didn’t even realize how numb his legs were and he ended up smacking into the floor with his hands grabbing onto Xiao’s ankle.

It was a good thing Xiao had stopped when he called out, otherwise Aether can’t imagine what would become of him if he made the adeptus fall flat on his face.

“You haven’t finished the book yet! Why don’t you look through the book first?”

Xiao considered the traveller’s words for a moment before he sat back down and picked up the book once more. Aether secretly let out a small breath of relief before shooting the god an accusing look. Venti responded with a guilty smile while scratching the back of his head, knowing he went overboard. Although the bard didn’t think he was wrong. Who knew what sort of weird kinks that old grandpa would develop after over two thousand years of yearning?

Now that he wasn’t asking questions every other sentence he encountered, Xiao’s reading speed increased a lot. In no time at all, he finished the sex scene and the milder contents inside calmed him greatly.

“I’m sure all those—erm, kinks that Venti mentioned don’t apply to Zhongli.” Aether made sure to shoot another look at Venti. “At least, I don’t think he would want to be tied up and lick your feet or make you lick his feet.”

“I have no issue if my lord asks me to lick his feet,” the Yaksha responded with absolute seriousness. “It’s…I cannot imagine making…making him…” The thought was so terrifying to Xiao that he couldn’t even finish the sentence.

“No, they are equally bad!” Aether wanted to crack open the adeptus’ skull to see what was inside that head of his!! In fact, he also wanted to crack open Venti’s! What in the world was the archon thinking trying to stuff these ideas to Xiao knowing he’ll take them seriously?!

“Calm down, Aether. You’re gonna burst a vein,” Venti laughed and Aether briefly entertained himself with the idea of throwing Wei—the stray cat at the front counter—at the cat-allergic god.

He can’t rely on Venti anymore, so he needed to do this by himself.

“Adeptus Xiao, has Zhongli ever given you anything?”

“The medicine you delivered to me was from him, was it not?” Xiao asked back.

“Well, yeah, but has he given anything that was…infused with his power?”

“…He has.”

“What was it?!” Aether’s reaction was a bit over the top, but he couldn’t help it. With so many things going on, he felt like he was going to die from a headache if he didn’t get one thing sorted out.

Instead of replying, Xiao held out his hand and his weapon materialized within his palm.

This was the first time Aether has seen Xiao's weapon, yet the moment he laid eyes upon it, he found himself thinking how there was no weapon in this world better suited for Xiao than this. The spear in Xiao's hand was by far the most beautiful spear Aether has ever seen. The weapon had an elegant emerald body with the bright green spearhead crafted from the finest jade. There were fix smaller jades—three on each side—spreading out like wings. Even without touching it, the blond could feel power radiating from the weapon much like its wielder.

“Ah, the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear!” Venti immediately recognized the weapon. He then turned to the clueless blond and explained, “it’s a weapon Morax made for Xiao. During the archon war, there was not a single god who did not know of Xiao and the spear he wielded. This close up, I can certainly feel Morax’s energy flowing within.”

“Aside from this, was there anything else Zhongli had given you?” Aether asked. A very bad feeling was creeping up on him, but he didn’t want to believe it…

“No,” the adeptus replied with absolute certainty, crushing what little hope Aether had left.

The last bit of energy left the blond, but he slammed his palms into the floor, stubbornly hanging onto his sanity.

One mystery was now solved.

The gift Zhongli mentioned…it was definitely this Primordial Jade Winged-Spear.

The courting gift Zhongli had given Xiao was a weapon…and of all times he gave it to him, it had to be during a war?!

How could anyone not misunderstand?!

“T-then did Zhongli say anything when he gave that to you?” Aether asked in his last attempt of struggle.

“He said he hoped I would accept,” Xiao’s gaze was distant as he remembered the past. “That was the day, I devoted myself to serving him.”

THUD

“…What are you doing?” Xiao frowned at the human lying on the floor.

“Eh…his legs must be numbed. Humans tend to have this issue when they sit too long, don’t mind him!” Venti waved and picked up the erotic novel. “Let’s continue!”

Xiao nodded and the two went back to discussing the book, ignoring the worldly-outlander slowly withering away on the floor.

✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

“Hold on…you’re saying that the gift Zhongli gave Adeptus Xiao was his weapon and when he said he hoped Adeptus Xiao would accept…Adeptus Xiao misunderstood it as Zhongli asking if he would serve under him?!”

Aether hid his face behind his hands. Hearing Paimon repeated everything in his head out loud made the situation even more ridiculous.

After getting down the basics of how intercourse works, Xiao needed to work on making the Cleansing pills and left the inn, telling them to come back after three days to give them their portion of the pills.

So now they were back at Liyue Harbour, strolling around the streets since the last time Venti visited Liyue was centuries ago. The archon was running around the street, taking in the sights of the city while Aether explained the situation to Paimon.

“As I thought, this is all Morax’s fault,” Venti sighed all too happily, coming back with a steam bun in hand. “I figured that blundering buffoon couldn’t do a proper confession, but to think it would be to this extent.”

“Where did you get that steam bun?” Paimon asked, knowing full well the archon had no Mora on him.

“The old lady at the stall was nice enough to give me one after listening to one of my stories!” Venti took a bite into the hot bun and let out a satisfied hum. “Hmm! It’s been so long since I’ve tasted Liyue’s delicacies.”

Seeing the joy on the god’s face, Aether couldn’t help but smile and said, “let’s go to Wanmin Restaurant. We can talk while we eat there.”

“Now you’re talking Paimon’s language!” Paimon cheered. “Maybe Xiangling would be there!”

“Oho, I have heard of the name Xiangling. She is quite famous!” Venti nodded, taking another bite of his bun. “Ah, by the way…does this restaurant have any alcohol?”

“I’m sure they do, but…” Aether wanted to point out how none of them looked to be of legal drinking age, but Venti waved him off.

“Come on, you need to learn to live a little or you’ll end up becoming one of those block of rocks that can’t—”

“Oh? That can’t what?” A deep voice came from behind them, causing Venti to turn into the very stone he was mocking.

“Zhongli!” Aether turned to see Zhongli standing behind them with his arms crossed over his chest and those Cor Lapis coloured eyes glaring down at a certain archon.

“Aah, if it isn’t my dear old friend!!” Venti’s tune immediately changed as he spun on his heels and greeted his old friend. “I heard you’re going by the name of Zhongli now, yes? How is the life of retirement fairing for you?”

“How about we talk somewhere less conspicuous?” Zhongli suggested, though he wasn’t talking to Venti, but at Aether and Paimon.

They ended up booking a private room at the Liuli Pavilion with Venti and Zhongli listing out their orders to the waitress. Aether could already hear the sound of Mora leaving his wallet because there was no way these two broke gods would be able to afford any of it.

Once their meals were brought up, the waitresses closed the door on their way out, giving them full privacy. Finally, Aether found the opportunity to speak. He decided to start by telling Zhongli about Xiao asking for him to wait a week—or if he was to count the days that were already lost, to wait for five more days.

“I see,” Zhongli said with a small smile on his lips. “You have my thanks.”

“No, we uh, still haven’t figured out what he likes yet,” Aether said guiltily. To be honest, he had completely forgotten about that part with the porn and everything else going on.

“Wouldn’t anything be fine? That child is blindly devoted to you,” Venti chipped in from the sideline, but was ignored by Zhongli completely.

“It’s alright if you cannot find out. I know that it is difficult to get him to talk about himself.” Zhongli said with a soft sigh. “I have tried in the past, but he never gives me his opinion and only agrees with everything I say…”

“So that’s why you wanted us to ask!” Paimon gasped, finally understanding.

“What did I say? Blind devotion,” Venti lamented.

It was then that Zhongli finally spared some of his time to the other god. “Barbatos, why are you here?”

“Can’t I visit an old friend?” The Anemo Archon blinked those large, forest green eyes innocently.

“Venti was helping us gather some materials for Adeptus Xiao.” Aether quickly explained, not wanting Zhongli to think Venti was here to meddle.

“Materials?”

“Your little Xiao is refining some Cleansing pills so he asked our dear friend here to get some from Mondstadt.”

“Then he must have needed the Cecilias,” Zhongli nodded in understanding. “I should have told him I have already prepared the Cleansing pills. That is an oversight on my part.”

“He just started. We can tell him that you already have it prepared?” Aether offered.

“No, that’s alright.” Zhongli shook his head lightly. “I am happy that Xiao is taking the initiative. Traditionally, it is the one that proposed the courting be responsible for the preparations.”

That’s because he had no idea he was being courted—Aether wanted to say, but held himself back.

“What kind of preparations?” Paimon questioned with a tilt of her head.

“You know how male birds attract female birds by being pretty and all?” Venti cut in when Zhongli parted his lips to respond. “They must also build a nest and prepare the food. If the female likes the home they made, they stay with the male!”

“Barbatos,” Zhongli’s tone dropped and he glared at the other god. “Do not compare the courtship of adepti to that of animals.”

“Aren’t you all closer to animals than humans anyway? And besides, Xiao’s technically a bird.”

“Comparing Xiao to a bird is a grave insult. You say this knowing I am in the middle of courtship with him. Are you testing my patience?”

“I would never! I simply thought our friends here would understand better if I explain it that way!” Venti countered.

“Do not believe in this bard’s nonsense,” Zhongli said to Aether and Paimon. “The act of intimacy is important within our courting traditions. It is the first exchange of our adeptial powers, one cannot take it lightly. Therefore, it must be located in a place where we cannot be disturbed.”

“So…like a vacation home?” Paimon summarized.

“Yes, you can say that.”

“A vacation home…” Aether perked up when an idea popped into his head. “Zhongli, do you already have a place prepared?”

“Yes, I am thinking of Jueyun Karst. It is the only place with few mortals thus we would not be disturbed. I have already informed the adepti living there of this matter.” Zhongli paused when he saw the disappointment on Aether’s face. “Do you perhaps have an idea?”

“Oh no, if you already prepared it then it’s alright!”

“Plans can always change. I want to hear your thoughts on the matter.”

“Well, it didn’t seem like Adeptus Xiao have a home like the other adepti. Even when we sit down to talk, it’s at Wangshu Inn. I thought it would be nice if he could have his own place.” The blond said, scratching his cheeks. When he looked up to Zhongli, the archon was sitting there, staring at him with his eyes wide.

“Yes…that is…” Zhongli mumbled to himself before bringing a hand up to cover his mouth. “It has been a long time since…perhaps now…”

“Uh, Zhongli?” Aether called, successfully snapping Zhongli back to reality.

“My apologies,” the man heaved out a deep breath. “It is only natural you do not know of this, but the Wangshu Inn is established for the purpose of supporting Xiao.”

“Eh?! What do you mean?” Paimon flew up from her seat.

“The Wangshu Inn is created by a secret organization within the Qixing. To be precise, it started with an agent, but it grew and expanded into an organization over time.”

“Then the boss of the Wangshu Inn…” Aether trailed off, remembering the woman always sitting behind the front counter. Now that he thought about it, there was always something strange about her…like how casual she was when mentioning Xiao and even took in ghosts that Xiao brought over.

“If you are referring to Verr Goldet, her real allegiance is to that organization within the Qixing.”

“And the Almond Tofu that Adeptus Xiao loves to eat?!” Paimon gasped.

“The Almond Tofu is also created for Xiao,” Zhongli answered.

“Let me guess, that agent that started the whole thing was you, Morax?” Although it was a question, there was a knowing look on Venti’s face as he grinned at his fellow archon.

“I will not deny my involvement, but the Wangshu Inn is the result of the people’s gratitude towards Xiao.”

“And of course, Xiao is oblivious to all that~” The Anemo Archon sighed wistfully.

“He doesn’t know?!” Paimon stared at Zhongli with wide eyes.

“If he finds out the truth behind Wangshu Inn, he will not go there anymore.” The Geo Archon had a troubled look on his face. “He is a stubborn one and does not easily accept help from others. That is why you must keep this a secret.”

“Of course! Paimon will never tell anyone!”

“Your secret’s safe with us.” Aether nodded.

Then, the two turned towards Venti who straightened under their gaze. “Why are you two looking at me like that? You think I would tattle?”

“True…the tone-deaf bard may be annoying at times, but he can keep a secret!”

“Thank you for your compliments,” the god chuckled.

“Since he got a place already, I guess there’s no need for a home, huh?” Aether laughed lightly.

“Not necessarily. You have given me a better idea.” Zhongli looked at the blond gratefully. “I cannot thank you enough.”

“Oh…I’m glad I could help?”

“I have one more favour to ask of you.”

“What is it?” Aether asked rather cautiously. He couldn’t help it, not after what Xiao asked them to do…

“You say that Xiao is refining the Cleansing pills right now?”

“Yeah, he told us to come back in three days and he’ll give some to us!” Paimon beamed. Even if it wasn’t Mora, it was still a reward for their efforts. Besides, if it was something made by an adeptus, surely it would sell for a hefty price!

“Three days…that leaves two,” Zhongli muttered. “That is plenty enough time. I want to ask you to lure Xiao away from Guili Plains for the remainder of those two days. Preferably somewhere up north—around Qingce village. ”

“But…would he leave with us?” Aether frowned. The whole reason Xiao spoke to them in the first place was because they were delivering his medicine and that he needed their help. As for their time at Wangshu Inn…that was because of Venti. If not for the Anemo Archon, Aether doubted that he would be able to convince the Yaksha to go anywhere with him.

Zhongli was conflicted as well. He knew that his request this time was too much to ask of the traveller. Even he couldn’t think of any convincing ways for them to get Xiao to leave the plains he dwelled upon for so long.

“Ahem!” Venti cleared his throat, letting his presence be remembered. “Might I offer a solution to that? Of course, it will come with a small price~”

“I will give you three gallons of the finest Osmanthus wine in Liyue.” Zhongli was quick to take up the bard’s offer. Putting their many disagreements aside, Venti was still an archon and the one who gave Xiao his Vision. The younger god may be childish, a drunkard, slacks off from his duties and overall a disgrace to the arts…but he was an old friend Zhongli could rely on when push comes to shove.

“Deal!” Venti chirped, snatching up a Lotus Flower Crisp and bit off the fluffy pastry petal.

Aether smiled and raised his chopsticks. “Well then, let’s eat before the food gets cold.”

“Finally!” Paimon let out an exaggerated sigh, picking up her plate and chopsticks with her eyes sparkling as she gazed upon the food. Zhongli let out a small chuckle and joined in as well.

At that time, Aether had no idea what sort of disaster his innocent suggestion was about to bring to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the adepti and the Treasure Hoarders located in Guili Plains.

Likewise, he was also oblivious to the new hell that awaited him at Qingce village…

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#zhongli #xiao #genshin impact #genshin xiao #aether x venti #xiao x zhongli #genshin fanfic #Genshin Impact fanfiction

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delvalentine · 3 years

Text

draft dump

once upon a time i had a plot bunny for a school genshin au in which the adults were teachers in a modern setting, and mc/reader was a TA working with them

i won't be revisiting that but it would be a waste to send the first draft to the void so here that is!

“And that brings our little guided tour to an end.” Mr. Zhongli turned around once reaching the front door, smiling languidly. “I hope it wasn’t too much to take in at once.” “No, I think I got everything.” You shoved the notepad deeper into your purse, taking a steadying breath. “Thanks for showing me around before orientation. It was really helpful.” “It was nothing. I do hope you’ll like it at our school, Ms. [Surname]. If there’s anything you’re unsure about, feel free to ask me—and if I’m not around, seeking out the vice principal should suffice.”

He caught your soured expression and chuckled deeply. The VP—Mr. Xiao—was not quite as amiable as the headmaster before you. You had tried to make a good impression by being polite, but the slender man had merely scowled through you like you’d insulted his mother’s mother or something. The memory of his scathing glare made your cheeks burn.

“He may be temperamental, but he’s unmatched at his work. Just try to catch him in a good mood and you’ll be fine.” You weren’t sure Xiao would know what a good mood looked like if it hit him in the face, but you brushed it off. The infrastructure here was breathtaking—as you’d expect from a boarding school so deeply steeped in history and so well-funded. Royal Celestia School, aptly named after the heavens, for there was no other institution so highly regarded in all of Teyvat. Graduates that called RCS their alma mater went on to forge great paths of success. Only the best of the best got to attend. Its newest hire: yourself, of course. You had applied for their TA position amongst many others, not really thinking you’d get it fresh out of post-secondary or anything. It didn’t hurt to try. But when you got the callback, you had to wonder if you had died and gone to heaven yourself.

“Now forgive my memory, but I seem to have forgotten who you told me you’ll be working with.”

Zhongli wasn’t just the principal—he was the founder of the whole shebang. He was as top brass as you could get, here, and he looked the part. Despite his age, he was incredibly sharp in his copper-black suit, and those warm honey-gold eyes weren’t helping with the whole tall-dark-and-handsome thing. Attractive looks aside, he was the overseer of all administrative operations, though rumour has it he was quite… spacey at his job. If anybody needed an assistant, it’d be him.

Xiao, the second in command, left a far less sweet taste in your mouth. You noticed the dragons tattooed on his arm in an impressive sleeve first, and the deeply beautiful look of calm second. It was as soon as he opened his mouth that he ruined it all. He was snappy and peevish. If Zhongli hadn’t been with you, he might very well have eaten you alive.

Speaking of grumpy men—Dr. Ragnvinder. You’d never had entirely good experiences with math teachers, and he was the living embodiment of all those hauntingly long questions you’d cried over on long nights. According to Zhongli, Diluc Ragnvinder was the one of the youngest in the teaching department to hold a PhD. During your meeting, he was nothing but cold and brief despite his fiery red hair and eyes. You loathed to think of how he’d crack down on you for not grasping a topic.

In stark contrast, Mr. Alberich was far more easy-going, if not a tad bit… seductive. He had a certain way of phrasing things with innuendo that kept you second guessing yourself, and if you weren’t careful, he’d easily take you off your feet. No wonder he specialized in the arts of literature. How you would’ve liked him to read excerpts to you in that suggestive tone of his.

Ms. Lisa had seemed to be cut of the same cloth, leaning in so close to you that you could smell the perfume wafting off the skin of her neck. The librarian oversaw one of the outlandishly largest collections of books you had ever seen in your life. (It wasn’t the only big set you’d noticed.) She invited you back with a smile, though it seemed less an invitation and more a given task to see her again.

Zhongli had then taken you to the theatre, equally as massive and ornate. You could imagine full opera shows occurring rather than silly school plays. Private school kids were a different breed entirely. Inside, a pair of men were practicing something together. There, you met Venti, who insisted you call him by first name alone. Beside him was the taller, leaner man named Childe, who assured you it wasn’t his real name, but that was a secret of the trade. Venti had a voice of an angel and played a lyre so daintily you were almost moved to tears. It was no surprise he taught music. And Childe, whose mere presence made you feel like he was putting on some sort of show, oversaw drama.

Next door was the gymnasium, which, once again, wowed you with its size. Perhaps Zhongli was hoping to train generations of Olympic athletes-slash-artists-slash-geniuses? A hearty dark-haired woman took you in with great familiarity, shaking your hand and inviting you to drinks before you’d even managed to introduce yourself properly. With the force Beidou had exerted in a mere handshake, you were afraid to think about being under her training regime in physical education.

A far more sobering presence, Ms. Ningguang looked to have the same stable ethereality as Zhongli did. As an educator of finance, you’d heard that she had single-handledly changed the entire stock market just to prove a point in her lecture. You had made a note to ask her about your taxes.

Keqing next door taught geography. Her classroom had been lined with maps and globes, each marked with such numerous and precise points that you felt like you couldn’t even recognize what each place was. She spoke to you with succinctness, like everything she said was pre-determined and you had better understand what she meant <i>or else</i>. But she was fairly warm in comparison to the men of earlier, and you’d take what you could get.

A room with even more clutter was Dr. Mona’s. Contraptions like Newton’s cradles, plasma domes, lava lamps, and even a wall-to-wall Ruth Goldberg machine made your head spin. Her eccentricity was clue enough to her role as a science teacher. Somehow in your short conversation, she managed to boast about herself a total of six separate times, but Zhongli quietly assured you that her claims weren’t unfounded. She was confident and intelligent, her blue eyes sparkling with knowledge. Spending a day with her sounded exhausting but thrilling.

The last classroom Zhongli showed you to was Jean’s, who was a startling calm presence right after exiting Mona’s Wonderland. She was a history teacher, well versed in lore and social sciences, and you couldn’t help but feel warm and fuzzy just talking to her.

“Well?” Zhongli nudged as you thought back on your day. “Which professor were you to help out with?” You answered…

#draft dump

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dourpeep · 3 years

Note

ok ok think about a masc s/o wearing something feminine and revealing for the first time 👀. Plsss any of the genshin characters with this prompt

OH ANON YOU GET ME

Because that's what I do HA

There's just something about the vulnerability of wearing something cute and lacy just for your honey that's 👌👌👌

Without further ado! I'll do a big lineup since this is my first ever ask ;>>

Something New

Characters: Albedo, Diluc, Scaramouche, Venti, Xiao, Zhongli (sorry Kaeya not feeling you today man)

Contains: ((NSFW 18+ Themes)) character x masc!reader a little citrusy. Like lime on the citrus scale, to be specific.

Albedo

It's embarrassing, but he's spent a few afternoons wondering about your form

Not in any particular way, but more in the sense of the way that the sight of you brings joy to him

As well as a few other feelings, but that's besides the point

At first, he's left speechless

Pretty green eyes look owlishly, taking the time to process the suddenness of you clad in much less than he's ever seen you

The blush on his cheeks is a welcome reaction

He'll want to draw you, if you don't mind, starting fresh in a new sketchbook as he observes the way the light looks on your skin, the way your eyes seem to shine so bright (he's sure his are the same)

It's rare, really, that Albedo is taken by surprise. But with you-surely you're an exception. Never before has someone taken him and turned and twisted all he's known, falling in love, igniting his mind and heart like you have...and now, sitting before him with the sunlight gently filtering through the window.

In his eyes, you've always been a work of art

Seeing you in something like this is like recapturing a work of art in a different medium, new, yet not. It brings out a different feel but doesn't quite change the subject

He'll end up spending a few more afternoons thinking about this

Diluc

Perhaps he’s coming home after a long day at the tavern, wild hair mussed

He’s tired and ready to bathe and head to bed—until he sees you in something pale, cute, and lacy, that is

The flush on his cheeks no longer is due to fatigue

Diluc is a gentleman, so he steels his frazzled nerves and takes a moment to gather himself. Only, it takes a bit longer than he'd like

For a while you consider getting up until-

"Come here."

His voice is tinted with the rasp of desire. Quickly you look up at him only to meet bright red eyes. You nod, yet only admire the way he looks, his form draped in the darkness. He beckons you to come.

Once you do stand before him, he'll take his time in drinking in your form, still gloved fingers tracing along the way the revealing clothing hugs your body and reminds him of how alluring you are

His wandering hand settles on your waist, thumb circling over skin kisses by meager candlelight

Tonight, he'll take you slow, to show his full appreciation for you, should you wish for it

Scaramouche

He'd watch from the doorway while you adjust your new outfit, unaware of his return

Lips in a grin, he waits for you to turn, to anticipate when he'd be back, just to see the look of shock on your face when you've been caught (though, to be fair, it was meant for him to begin with)

From there, Scaramouche joins you where you stand

He's a tease, knowing the way that you effect him and how he effects you

A finger slips beneath a strap, lifting it from you skin before letting it go with a satisfying snap

He smooths his hand over your skin, turning it to gooseflesh with the way he lingers. Scaramouche is a blunt man. With the way his gaze bores into yours and the way his fingers curl to tilt your chin up, it's apparent he's only waiting for you to give the word.

What a bastard

He'll definitely want to see how well this new outfit of yours would look paired with a few marks

Venti

Oh boy, of course he's ecstatic

Perhaps, he'll suggest, you might be open to a few other outfits that immediately came to mind the moment you appeared before him in that?

Venti will pull you close and cup your cheek, eyes narrowing to match the mischievous smirk on his lips and will slyly remark how he'd prefer you au natural over anything

That's a half lie, he thinks that this look is particularly appealing

Feeling shy? Expect to be showered in kisses and lots of praise

He wants to make sure that you're completely comfortable because fun isn't fun unless everything is in the green

He circles around you, admiring the way your body looks in what you're wearing, admiring the delicate lace. With a grin, he takes you into his arms and kisses your shoulder from behind, voice a murmur in your ear.

"Mind if I take a closer look?"

Xiao

It's safe to say, he wasn't expecting this at all

If you're still pretty early in the relationship, he'll politely look away and mutter about being more careful next time until you take your hand in his

But once you assure it's fine, his eyes will rove over you, noting how your pulse has quickened (just like his)

He likes it, he'll tell you, and it only further cements the way he seems to intensely stare

One arm around your waist and resting on your lower back, he'll lift his other to play with a strand of your hair in attempt to give himself time to quell the sudden feelings bubbling within him

"When did you get this?" He plays with your new outfit, lingering on the way it fits your body just right. Xiao's eyes meet yours, half lidded as he flicks from your face and back down. (please tease him)

Considering the fact that he still has yet to patrol the marsh for the night, he'll pull you into a kiss. Might as well sooth any desires while he has the ability to take his time as to not have a mind muddled later, right?

Zhongli

Pleasantly surprised, for sure

While he loves how you normally dress, it's always nice to change things up and he'll offer up enough praise make your blush brighter than the sun

Overall, Zhongli loves to take his time

He'll draw out each touch, each word, relishing in each of your reactions as well as pay exact attention to the way you look right now in this moment

The way that he admires you is hypnotizing, ironically

Taking your hand in his, he'll press a kiss to the back of it, eyes searching yours

"You look lovely, dearest." It's hard to not melt at the purr of his voice. Zhongli will admire the time it took to choose your outfit, the way it compliments you, and the softness of the material. He's utterly enthralled with how you look in something so delicate.

Speaking of seeing you in this sets off a fire in his belly, definitely good to save for special occasions

#genshin impact #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact imagines #Albedo #Diluc #Scaramouche #Venti #Xiao #Zhongli #Albedo x reader #Diluc x reader #Scaramouche x reader #Venti x reader #Xiao x reader #Zhongli x reader #Balladeer #anon boop #genshin impact x reader #brainrot

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whitherliliesbloom · 3 years

Text

all that glitters

[ ffxivwrite2021 ] ★ [ masterlist ] ★ [ prompt #26 (free) - heartfelt ]

[ alphinaud/illya ] ★ [ 2,105 words ] ★ [ genshin impact au ]

one of several genshin impact aus i have where the scions of the seventh dawn are an international organization that recruits members from all around teyvat. mentions some canon genshin impact characters.

heartfelt - strongly felt sentiment and sincerity

on the first full moon of the lunar new year, liya has only a single selfish wish as she gazes up into the sea of lights.

Fontaine has ever been like a second home to Alphinaud - aside from the isle of Old Sharlayan and the nation of wisdom that was the endless fields of grassland in Sumeru. Whenever he looked out into the distant horizon where the vast blue of the ocean met the deep unknown that was the sky above and took a deep breath in to smell the salty undertones of the sea breeze intermingle with fresh silk and irises, he took comforting in knowing that he isn’t too far away from home - from the place where he grew up and spent his childhood in.

The same could not be said for his partner, who has opted to spend their rare free time during the evening sitting by the window sill of their inn room, head turned skyward as her eyes are fixed upon the sea of glittering lights and the full moon above, partially obscured by overhead clouds but not enough to hide it’s radiance.

And as the anemo breeze blew in through the open window and carried her silken white hair into the air like a fluttering veil, the iridescent moon rays catching upon her head like an angelic halo, Alphinaud could only frown at the aura of melancholy and longing that practically oozed out of the girl’s beautiful, yet lonely visage as she sat counting stars in silence.

In her hands she held a single glaze lily, the glistening blue petals swaying lightly in the breeze as if in a tranquil dance. And though Illya has never been one to enjoy opening up her innermost feelings to the people around her, it doesn’t take the archons to know that the girl was thinking of home.

Alphinaud admittedly knows very little about Liyue’s customs and traditions - or, to his own shame, about the girl he’s often partnered together with as a travel companion who hailed from said harbor of stone and fortune. He’s tried multiple times in the past to educate himself, but in between being held up with errands after errands in the headquarters of the Scions in Mondstadt and taking lengthy, time-consuming and exhausting trips to the other nations of Teyvat for intelligence collection has left him with little to no free time as it is.

There was never much of a need for frequent visits to Liyue anyway, aside from it being the most convenient port to use to travel to and from other nation states... and of course, Fatui activity that frequently needed monitoring - but really what nation wasn’t being plagued by the Fatui?

Liyue was self-governing, independent, the crown jewel of wealth and prosperity in all of Teyvat. There was very little that needed solving in Liyue, in comparison to the still ongoing, harsh Doctrine of the Vision Hunt decree still ongoing in Inazuma or the endlessly burning mountainous plains of fire that was Natlan.

And so he’s only ever had a handful of extended stays in the city of contracts, had little to no time at all to get to know the inhabitants of the nation, let alone befriend the people who were supposedly close with Illya - such as the little zombie girl who worked at Bubu pharmacy or the daughter of the Wanmin Restaurant owner, Xiangling.

Save for one, however, an unlikely visitor who saw the two of them off only a week ago as they boarded a ship from Liyue’s port to Fontaine - a man of golden eyes and a sturdy built that perfectly encompasses the strength and resilience of geo and stone.

The scions know him to be the geo archon, rex lapis or morax... but to the rest of the world, he is but a humble civilian named Zhongli.

He’d bid the pair safe travels, and asked the girl in particular if she would return home in time for the Lantern Rite festival, which is only met by a saddened frown and a lengthy silence from her in return, which prompted the man to quickly apologize before turning to leave.

Had it not been for Zhongli’s offhanded, innocent question, Alphinaud perhaps would have gone the entire trip not knowing what was causing Illya to feel so particularly moody - or worse, be completely ignorant to her state of mind in the first place.

He has heard of the Lantern Rite Festival and the brief summary of what it meant to Liyue and it’s inhabitants, but he knows not what it meant to Illya as a person or just how deeply the festival was sentimental to her - only that she refuses to speak of it and she’s rarely had the chance to participate ever since she became a member of the Scions.

But he’s determined this time - if not to get the young woman who has closed off her heart for so long to open but, then to at least fill the void within her even just a little. If he could not bring her home to see the sea of lights and wishes, then he will bring just a tiny sliver of the stars here in Fontaine to her instead.

After days of procuring information from an array of sources that he needed - from linkshell calls back to Tataru pleading her to gather intelligence within Liyue, to secret trips past bedtime to consult tomes within libraries, he’s finally gathered all that he needed within a single big paper bag that he pulls out from the security of the inn cabinet, and carefully moves over to the window sill and lets out a soft hum so as to not startle the young woman.

“Illya..?” He calls her name, and when she fails to hear and respond, he opts to be bolder.

“Liya.” He calls her by her Liyuen name, her birth name. A name that he knows reminds her of family and home, and the response is immediate.

Her shoulders stiffen, and she turns her head back to look up at the boy with widened, lavender violet eyes that twinkle as the stars do in the night, sheepishly tucking stray strands of her hair and her braid behind her short pointed ears.

“O-Oh... I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you.” she apologizes, bowing her head frantically until Alphinaud shakes his head and grabs the bedside chair over, dragging it next to the window sill and sitting himself beside her.

“It’s alright. You were quite lost in thought.” the boy reassures, and the girl visibly relaxes, tucking the glaze lily in her hand closer to her chest.

“D-did... did you need something from me?”

The smile upon his face is gentle, apologetic as he opens the paper bag on his lap, and pulls out a set of paper meshes, wooden sticks and wicks that instantly sends Illya’s eyelids flying upwards in surprise and knowing.

“I know we’re not in Liyue... and by the time we return, the festival would be over but... I hoped to give you some way to participate even if you are not home. I’m aware that the materials aren’t exactly the same as the ones used in traditional xiao lanterns... and I could not even get my hands on a single plaustrite shard since we’re in Fontaine.. but-”

He jolts when he feels a warmth brush against his hand, looking down to see Illya’s hands gently clasping over his own, before taking a piece of wick and holding it up, inspecting it with an unreadable, troubled expression.

And yet her eyes glisten, she blinks back moisture from falling, quickly shaking her head to stop him from saying anymore before forcing a touched, sincere smile upon her face.

“Alphinaud... thank you.. That means a lot to me.”

A smile of relief graces his features, his navy blue eyes softening as he sets the emptied paper bag down beside him on the ground.

“Could you show me how to make a Xiao lantern? I’ve done my research on the basics, but I’m afraid it won’t compare to first hand experience.”

The night trickles by, minutes to hours passing them by slowly as they took their time and focused on the craft between their fingers, allowing the silence to fade into soft, idle chatter that soon broke out into melodic giggling from the girl as she recounts tales of home.

She spoke of folklore, she spoke of cuisine, she spoke of even the very geography of the land she called home - her love for that place dripping palpably from ever word she spoke, and every light brush upon the petals of the glaze lily that rested upon her lap.

And by the time they’ve finished their pair of lanterns, Alphinaud could only frown lightly at the result, the shoddy, basic materials that he had gathered not allowing for the intricate, detailed craftsmanship that was standard of real xiao lantern. Illya herself confirmed that a xiao lantern from Liyue was about ten times more beautiful.. and yet she gazed down at the ones in their hands with nothing but pure adoration swirling in her gentle eyes that would have nearly stolen Alphinaud’s breath away.

“We have to write our wishes on it now.” Illya states, as she is quick to uncap the marker in her hand before handing it to Alphinaud. “After we do that, the lantern will be complete and then we can release it into the sky.”

“That’s quite a unique tradition.” The boy states with a blink, taking the marker and staring blankly down at his lantern. “Is there a reason for that?”

“They say when you release your wishes written on a xiao lantern into the sky, the adepti will hear it and will make it come true.” Her response is soft, barely louder than a whisper as her gaze is stolen back by the starry night sky bathed in an unfamiliar blue hue that is a far cry from the warm golden glow of a sea of lights drifting into the wind... but not an unwelcomed sight, especially not with Alphinaud beside her. “It’s also a good way to honor the fallen - to remember the heroes who came before us and fought to make our dreams come true.”

Alphinaud knows not what the first full moon of the Lunar new year means to Illya on a personal level - only that it was near and dear to the very depths of her deep, painfully large and giving heart... and that more than anything else, he wished that she of all people would have all of her wishes come true. She deserves it more than anyone else in the world.

He knows what he wants to write on his lantern now, and quickly scribbles the words down upon the paper mesh before handing the marker over to Illya, who equally without hesitation writes down her wish onto her lantern.

“On the count of three, we’ll release it together, okay?” The girl turns to look at him, her hands gently clasped under her lantern as he does the same with his own, nodding in response with a gentle smile.

“Three... two... one.”

In an endlessly dark sky with endlessly bright stars that shined like glitters above their heads, two flickering lanterns begin to drift through the wind and into the sky, carrying the heartfelt wishes of two likeminded souls into the air. They glow like gold, warm and radiant against the blue backdrop, and Illya pictures the sound of fireworks bursting in her ear.

She can almost hear and smell it - smell the gunpowder, the freshly cooked Chopsuey and hear voices of her people echoing their awe into the night. And in her imagination, a large Mingxiao lantern gallops into the air, wild, pure and free as it led the sea of stars further and further towards Celestia.

But even with the silence and the scent of Iris and seawater permeating through the air, the atmosphere is nothing short of sweet and beautiful - just like it always is at home with her family.

“When we’re this far from Liyue.. I wonder if the adepti will hear our wishes.” Illya asks offhandedly, and she feels the warmth of Alphinaud’s hand fall gently upon her shoulders that she leans into.

“I’m certain they will.”

They spend the next several long moments just staring into the distant sky as their lanterns begin to drift out of sight, their respective wishes carved deep into their hearts and into the heavens long after the full moon has set and a new dawn arrives.

[ I wish Alphinaud eternal happiness ] [ I wish Illya eternal happiness ]

#ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #ffxivwrite2021 #ffxivwrite #kiwisffxivwrite2021 #alphinaud leveilleur #alphinaud #illya skawi #genshin impact au #we've come so far #fanfic #mine #I've been feeling really awful and just... not good lately #i relapsed really violently for the good majority of my day so #this didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it to #And it could have been a lot longer had i the strength but #I'm glad I at least got this idea out #since I've had it before ffxivwrite even began

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wesimpforxiao · 3 years

Text

Say My Name and I’ll Be There: 3.3

"You can't run from us." Aether's lifeless eyes stared straight through you.

"Your time has come," Paimon grinned evilly.

"Die here." Childe stood between them as they all surrounded you, his eyes more devoid of emotion than Aether's.

"Leave me alone!" Your shout echoed through space. "You can't hurt me! Xiao will protect me!"

"You think he can protect you from me? Oh, ojou-chan〰" Childe knelt in front of you and grabbed your chin. "You're naïve to rely on him. But I suppose it's all you can do, since you're too weak to defend yourself."

"Xiao!" You slapped the Harbinger's hand away and scooted backwards. "Xiao! Adeptus Xiao! Please!"

Childe's manic laughter drowned out your desperate cries for help.

You awoke with a gasp and sat up. Who was it that you could trust? Aether was your number one answer out of the three of them, but after seeing that expression on his face, you weren't too sure. Helplessness overwhelmed you, and your eyes struggled to adjust to darkness. The campfire was dim and close to burning out so you added a few blocks of wood without disturbing anyone. You lay your sluggish body back onto your sleeping mat and finally caught your breath, the cold sweat evaporating in the cool spring air.

The rustling of leaves to your right made you snap your head in that direction. Who was tasked with keeping watch tonight? A quick glance around the campsite answered Aether. But no one showed themselves near the rustling, and Aether was on the opposite side of the campsite. You glared into the darkness and instead of being greeted with malice, a gentle breeze brushed past your face.

Wind? It didn't make any sense. Nothing else was being disturbed in the camp besides your hair. You felt someone's presence, and yet no one was standing there; your adjusted vision proved it. The presence comforted you in some strange way, and it felt familiar too. You peered up into the tree canopy and found no figures sitting on the branches as you had expected.

"...Xiao?" You practically mouthed the word. The breeze swirled around you a few times, brushing against your arms and shoulders, then blowing your hair out of your face until it finally retracted and caressed your cheek--a lingering touch. "You heard me." Tears welled up in your eyes at the realization.

He had only been gone for two days, but you never felt his presence like this before. Even in person. He was watching over you the entire time, even if you didn't realize it. You may not have called for him consciously yet he heard your prayers nonetheless and came to you. You found yourself reaching out into the open air silently begging for the breeze to return to you once more.

It did.

A swift yet gentle trace from your forehead, down the side of your face, across your jaw and ending at your chin. You could feel the gentle nature radiating from the force, even if it wasn't a lot considering the yaksha only knew death and destruction. Still, he persisted to try and convey his thoughts to you. It felt as though he was smiling ever so slightly as he did this, and you smiled back at the empty space.

But as quickly as he traced your face, the breeze dispersed and he was gone.

........................................

Several days passed without incident, and the two adepti had yet to return. Aether had decided that the group would make a trip west of Dihua Marsh in search of a treasure rumored to have been left behind by a yaksha long ago. By the time the group reached the stone tablet that held instructions for this treasure, you were already overwhelmed with missing Xiao's company.

"'My name is Bosacius, one of the Yakshas,'" Paimon read aloud to the group. "'I followed my Lord to fight against and contend with pestilence. Yet though we Yakshas had great might, we were bound by our duties, and stained by them...Liyue is now at peace, but of our number, none but Alatus and I remain. And for my part, I wish to depart, to be done with this world. My wealth I leave here, sealed by my arts. If you are fated to do so, take them as you please.'"

"Did they...kill themselves?" You voiced the question on everyone's minds. The group was silent as they contemplated the meaning of the yaksha's words.

"If that were the case, I'm sure Mr. Zhongli would know," Childe stared grimly at the tablet. There were no records of Alatus surviving nor dying as far as he knew. Perhaps this adeptus was living a peaceful life he could disrupt on the Tsaritsa's behalf, and not waste time with you and Xiao anymore...

"I've heard stories of the yakshas," Diluc nodded. "It's been said that some were driven to the point of insanity from fighting daemons under Morax's orders. They'd be put down by their allies if they didn't kill themselves first."

"That's horrible," you muttered and lightly touched the crumbling stone. "I've heard names of yakshas growing up, but this is the first time I've heard of an Alatus...what a pretty name. I wonder what happened to them?"

"Paimon hopes they managed to find at least some happiness in their lives."

"Yeah..." You stood up and contemplated the tablet. Alatus and Bosacius...I wonder if Xiao knew them...And to be driven to insanity no less...Xiao has the same task, yet he seems to be doing okay. But what if he isn't? Your eyebrows scrunched together at the possibility. I pray you're doing well, Xiao.

"Well, let's go find the treasure! Maybe those two hilichurl camps hold the light actuators! And the other one might be up the hill!"

"You sure moved on fast," Aether commented. "Let's see...Diluc and I can take the camp with the lawachurl. Childe and Bennett could take the one over there, and you can go up the hill."

"Actually--" Bennett stepped forward with a nervous grin. "It would be better if I went alone. I could get you injured!"

"A little injury won't throw me off," Childe assured. "Don't worry so much, comrade."

"Uh...o-okay..."

"Can you handle yourself?" Aether turned to you.

"Yep! I'll yell if I need help."

The group dispersed. You climbed up the hill to be greeted by two powered-down ruin guards. The light actuator sat in a locked cell tower. One ruin guard sat at the top of the stairs connected to the tower, while the other sat a little too close to the rock you needed to use to free the actuator from its prison.

"I should be able to get up there without waking the machines." You carefully walked up to the glowing rock and started slicing at it with your sword. Once it shattered, you grabbed the orb that burst from it and made your way over to the left side of the tower, placing it in the lantern that sat half-buried in the ground. You sheathed your sword before climbing.

Once you got to the top, your foot slipped and kicked a rock over the edge of the structure. You had just grabbed the light actuator when you heard the metallic sound of machinery standing up behind you. The rock had hit the sleeping ruin guard.

"Crap!" You peeked below you, and found the cyclops eye staring straight at you. It turned around and bent over slightly, and heat rose from its back as it fired up its rocket launchers. You scanned your surroundings. If you ran left, you would wake the second ruin guard. If you went right, you risk breaking your ankle if you land wrong. Either way, the rockets would hit you since you wouldn't have enough time to dodge at this distance. "Dammit." You clicked your tongue and threw yourself off the tower before you could hesitate. The rockets hit the cell and launched chunks of concrete into the air.

You rolled on the ground for a few feet, and sat up. The ruin guard was now facing you, but instead of following through with its programmed set of attacks, it squatted and readied its launchers again.

"The eye! I need to hit the eye!" You pushed yourself to your feet and hesitated. You were at a larger distance from the guard this time; it would be simpler to dodge now and attack after. If you ran towards it now, you'd definitely get hit. Your hand fell to the hilt of your sword. I could throw it. It was instantly unsheathed, and you chucked it at the eye of the machine.

You missed.

It had hit right below the eye and clattered unceremoniously onto the ground. You frantically glanced around for something to hide behind. A medium-sized rock was to your left. It wouldn't provide full cover, but it was better than nothing; you dove for it and covered your head.

Nothing happened save for the sound of an arrow whizzing through the air. You peeked over the boulder to find that Childe had hit a bullseye and transitioned into his hydro blades. He defeated the ruin guard in less than ten seconds.

"It's a good thing I got here in time," he turned to you and his bow disappeared behind his back. "You would've been seriously injured if you had gotten hit with that rock."

"T-thanks," you rose from behind your lousy shield. "But I had it under control."

"Oh?" Childe plucked your sword off the ground and handed it to you with an amused expression. "This sword's seen better days. I'll get you a new weapon." You sheathed your sword without replying, and Childe's face fell. "Are you injured?"

"Luckily not."

"That's good." Relief laced his voice, which relieved you of some of your suspicions. His gentle smile was replaced with a sigh. "Bennett broke his arm."

#genshin impact #xiao genshin impact #genshin impact xiao #xiao fanfiction #xiao x reader #xiao one shot #xiao imagines #genshin impact imagines

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