Ayo Ig Im Gonna Simp For Myself

Ou? I got tagged again lmao

I still don't know anyone else to tag lmao I'm too shy to interact with anyone here

@astralnike

New picrew chain idea: yourself vs what you looked like as a kid

Free for anyone to join in

Link

reincarnation is really just god recycling humans

IM SORRY XIAO BRAINROT

Did you mention XIAO.

I just had to come in here like a crazy hawk because XIAO. Anyways,, Xiao being affectionate.. there's this other post of yours answering to an anon's screenshot of devs stuff? I think it's with Xiao being a gentle soul???

So yes, I'm going through that rn!!!! Like,, he's definitely having a hard time really adjusting to being that way again, if he ever finds comfort in you. He's like a hesitant moth with a flame, doesn't know what he's supposed to do -- run away from the one thing that can hurt him (like he used to), or embrace it quickly.

Brainrot might not make much sense,, but Xiao that finally uses his room in Wangshu Inn because you always came to visit, came to help him bandage his wounds, came to have dinner with him and he looks forward to it. He's not going to admit it, but he tries his best to let you know that he appreciates it. A lot. He's not a tsundere who denies everything, he's more of.. cautious. He's afraid, but he wants to try. It's different with things like that glowing orb because they're not people, he doesn't have to speak to let them know what he thinks about. He just,, basks in their presence. Only problem is animals / creatures feel his karmic debt, and people don't, and he has a hard time trying to really adapt to such. Don't think being an adeptus helps since the other adepti prefers their solace? What are your thoughts, Shiloh?

XIAO BRAINROT 🥳🥳🥳

there was that one line from the developer's notes... i know i mentioned it before and i can't remember it verbatim but it likened xiao to a beast circling something out of curiosity.

personally i think xiao is cautious because he's curious. does that make sense?

xiao may be a centuries-old adeptus, but if the way he reaches towards that little light is any indication, he's not immune to the act of pursuing something out of sheer curiosity. sure, he may know the consequences of indulging himself like that, but he's still capable of doing it, and i think that's what makes him so alert when it comes to you

other mortals don't approach him -- most don't even really know he exists. but not only are you aware of his existence, but you're approaching him — inviting him; you're asking him to give in to temptation and (possibly) endanger others for his own greed.

(that's not literally what you're asking and he knows that, but he's too aware of what happens every time he lets his guard down.)

and he can't even be mad at you because he likes it. loves it, even. unlike that orb, you're not shying away from him or fleeing from him or dying when he's around you for too long.

instead, you're nimbly working your fingers across his skin, wrapping bandages around gaping wounds that he already told you would heal on their own in a few hours; you're crying for him when he recounts a memory to you at your request; you're kissing his hands when he finally musters up the courage to show you; you're combing your fingers through his hair when he lays on top of you, your heartbeat lulling him into a much needed sleep.

you're everything xiao needed and more. he can never shake the fear that someday, his karma will catch up with him and that something will go horribly wrong, but until that day comes, he will be as greedy as you taught him to be -- as you allowed him to be -- and he will stay here, pressing barely there kisses against your cheeks as you sleep next to him while he keeps watch over you

Sheesh look at all of that angst mmmm

Broken Glass | Cyno X Reader

A/N: The man was not coming home after 76 pity, so out of my sorrow, I believe he deserves this. I was also conflicted between Cyno being the General Mahamatra or the former one. No worries, I got it eventually. Remember that constructive criticism is appreciated and enjoy!

Summary: Cyno’s regrets for your fall-out returned when the glass of a picture frame shattered.

Genre: Angst

Reader: Second POV. Gender-neutral pronouns if any. 

Warning: Argument. Falling-out.

Word Count: ~380

~

Glass shattered on the floor.

A picture frame had fallen off the bedside table when Cyno kicked the sheets. He frowned, moving himself off the bed to pick up the pieces.

His breath hitched suddenly once he found the photo of you and him, and his fingers stopped reaching out.

His eyes stared upon the photo— one taken for a time when you and he smiled. His chin was resting on your head while you leaned against his chest.

Oh, how sorrowful.

Keep reading

Mermay: Sumeru Edition!

Summary: Mermaid-themed content! Each character has their own different narratives/scenarios separate from each other - hope you’ll like these!

Characters: Alhaitham, Kaveh, Tighnari, Cyno, Wanderer/Scaramouche

Wordcount: ~700 each

My coworker is a mermaid?!

You’re one of the few merpeople who’s moved to the human city—so long as you avoided being submerged in water, you had enough control over yourself to prevent your legs from shifting back into a tail.

It’s an interesting life, working at a detective agency with Alhaitham as one of your co-workers. But one day when you’re feeling sick from the hot weather and skip a meeting, Alhaitham visits your apartment himself to deliver investigation files; it's the first time you guys have been assigned to a case together despite how long you’ve both been in the company, so he thought it’d be quicker to visit you himself and inform you as such, being the efficient man he is. (You also weren’t answering your texts so he was a little worried—you’ve always been a prompt replyer otherwise.)

…What Alhaitham doesn’t expect however is for you to ghost him at the door despite the lights indicating that you were definitely home. Did something happen? Were you safe? Within this line of work it was definitely possible to get mixed up with enemies of some sort, so with that in mind Alhaitham managed to find the extra key you kept outside (organized as ever, and also something Kaveh mentioned to him while the blonde was drunk) and entered your home.

He calls out your name a few times, at first hearing nothing in response—before the sound of something dropping against the ground echoes from another end of the apartment. Alhaitham follows the clue, bracing himself for a surprise attack if this was really the worst case scenario, and kicks open the bathroom door where he hears scrambling and water splashing—

The first thing he sees is your tail. Glistening against the light, more beautiful than he’d care to admit in the chaos of the moment. Then his gaze falls to your face, your eyes widened in surprise before shifting into panic, and it takes Alhaitham a moment to register that when you struggle to sit up and leave the tub, the tail that lashes water everywhere and flops against the cold tiles is yours. 

Suffice to say, he had a lot of explaining to wring out of you once you calmed down. Alhaitham hasn’t heard about merpeople being real since he was a child, and maybe a random conspiracy theory from an unreliable source—but the moment he realizes you’re running a fever, Alhaitham settles his doubts to tend to the matter at hand; picking you up and settling you back into the tub, he avoids your gaze and asks what temperature of water you needed to cool down.

It’s the first of many times that night Alhaitham calms you with his objectiveness. You don’t have to know that his heart was pounding the entire time, unsure if he’d finally gone insane from years of working in the field.

He leaves, promising to inform you about work the next day after you’ve gathered yourself together, and when you arrive at the meeting point Alhaitham almost forgets you weren’t human—dressed in your usual way, smiling like you always would, though with a nervous edge to your tone.

Everyone had their secrets. He wouldn’t benefit much from exposing yours right now—Alhaitham helps you with avoiding water, covering for you by volunteering himself at times. He insists it’s not from a sense of heroism but rather convenience for himself (having drama over your secret being exposed would only interrupt the case)—but how far can he stretch this excuse in terms of keeping an eye on your health, asking if you’re feeling well when the summer’s heat is blazing, and running to your rescue when the investigation’s been turned on its head?

Alhaitham was a resourceful man, but some things (or people) couldn’t simply be replaced by another so easily. He’d protect your identity and wishes and help you reach a happy end, so that you both might coexist like you've grown to desire.

…What a curious predicament he’s landed himself with indeed.

A familiar story...

Kaveh’s a merman that’s well-liked and recognized within his home in the sea. His feats in architecture are renowned, but it comes from a sort of fascination and appreciation for beauty—after all, why else would he seek to build better structures and strive for wonderful things?

And for a creative and genius mind like his, it’s not a stretch to say that Kaveh’s interest extended to the machines of the human world. During shipwrecks and other storms, items would wash into the sea and be scavenged by certain… opportunists, who would supply to merchants that would then mark up the prices for customers like Kaveh, who saw the good in too many things and had enough empathy to pay for more.

—Nevermind his sometimes empty pockets, but Kaveh also liked venturing out to find items by himself on occasion (times where he needed a break from the bustle of the underwater city, just to soak in the sunlight and sky for himself, and being brought to wonder what else was out there in the world above).

Kaveh would be lying if he said he never considered going to the surface, but the temptation only reaches its tipping point when he sees you for the first time at the beach—he’s seen many humans, but not so many that would ramble to their dog while pacing around the beach, throwing sticks for it and then settling down to sketch the scenery. It’s so… picturesque, of a situation, that Kaveh couldn’t help but stick around longer and enjoy the quietness with you. 

And after you'd left, the sound of jewelry tinkling still lingers in his mind—you were wearing accessories with the most charming gems and color. It’s a shame they don’t have that material on-hand in the ocean—though wearing jewelry in the water itself wasn’t that practical to begin with.

So of course one day, after a particularly tiring series of events, Kaveh travels onto land for the first time and explores; there are foods he hasn’t seen before in the marketplace and Kaveh buys a cloak to help blend in (yes, he borrowed surface-currency from Alhaitham, though he anguishes at the idea that he has to rely on that guy for this), and when Kaveh gets distracted while looking at a jewelry stall’s offerings, he startles at the sound of a voice he’s only heard from afar.

You offer Kaveh a smile as you ask if he’s looking for something—and within his confusion Kaveh blurts out that he quite likes the earrings you’re wearing, so you smile and invite him to the store where you got them. He’s surprised to learn it’s a pawn shop, but the mere idea that you frequent there makes him feel a little more comfortable; perhaps the both of you were scavengers in your own right, looking for something you haven’t quite found yet.

He doesn’t buy anything, but ends up being gifted with a hair accessory by you—because his hair seems like it could use with pinning up, from how he’s been fidgeting with the ends (hair floats in the water, it does not do the same on land)—and Kaveh flusters even more when you mention it’s on the house (you own this place?!) and that it matches the color of his eyes anyways, so he should keep it. 

Suffice to say, Kaveh becomes a regular visitor to the human world after that, forging a type of second-home in the visits to the markets and bringing trinkets he’s found at sea to you. You’re not the main owner of the pawn shop, but your senior is very knowledgeable about the items he’s brought in, even paying a high price for them. It’s all going well until a storm hits your seaside town during an event out at sea—and Kaveh, who had made an excuse to not attend the ship party—rushes to your rescue when you’re the one that falls off the deck—returning you to shore the next morning.

It’s a journey of worries, anxieties and doubts from there on; if you recalled your mysterious savior, Kaveh laments at the idea of you falling for a version of him he has to keep a secret. If you knew it was him, could he still visit the shore so casually again?

Despite everything, Kaveh still has the sense to prioritize the safety of himself and his people. Thus begs the question; did he have the courage to place his trust in you?

Fish in a pool, and a curious fox

It’s not common to find merpeople living in smaller bodies of water, far from the rest of the ocean, but there are exceptions in the town where you and Tighnari lived—where certain species different from humankind created a little haven of their own to coexist and thrive, adorned in nature and springs that one wouldn’t find elsewhere.

What would your friends from university say; you were living ‘cottagecore’ lives?

The first time you met Tighnari, it’d been as kids who wandered away from home. Not to say the town was that big, but there was a little intersecting river between the merfolk and land-habitants, where you swam toward out of curiosity one day, following a stray butterfly. It almost seemed to land on the surface of the water, fluttering before perching still - thus when you carefully tried to resurface from right below it, you hadn’t expected to touch noses with a stranger who sported fox ears and a tail.

Being children, the both of you lacked the initial embarrassment that most people might have in response—instead you simply backed away in surprise, asking for the stranger's name.

There was a short reprieve in which you both spotted the butterfly again—which was flying away in a direction further onto land—but before Tighnari could tell you where it was heading toward, you were both interrupted by the calls of your families to return home.

The next time you met, Tighnari is quick to mention the thought that’d been hanging on his mind—he tried to invite you to the meadow to find butterflies (for you seemed fond of them), before belatedly realizing you couldn’t tread on land. His ears drooping slightly, you quickly told him that maybe one day you could, once you’d mastered how to shift your tails into legs when you were older.

Growing up in your town was a picturesque childhood indeed. The day you first tried walking on legs, you’d been clumsy and needed a hand from your family, who were watching over you that day. Eventually you’re able to run and jump and explore on your own, to which you find yourself attracted to a field of flowers. You haven’t seen so many up close before, and was surprised when a pair of ears peeked out from within them; Tighnari, who was watching ladybugs climbing their stems. 

That’s when your friendship properly blossomed, you supposed. As you were both interested in exploring, you and Tighnari would often go on trips together in your free time. You even brought him to the reefs once, teaching him to hold his breath just long enough to witness the beauty that lay underwater.

When you grew older, you learned that reading as many books as you had—absorbing knowledge—would come in handier than you thought. Tighnari is the first to leave the town to study in the city, a similar path his other family members took—and after a year of your own preparation, it was your turn to venture out to the Akademiya, where you heard Tighnari was.

You were independent in your own right, but becoming close friends with him (and maybe harboring a tiny crush) meant you wanted to at least be in the same city if possible. As luck permitted, you succeeded, and met Cyno during your first day when you’d become lost searching for your classes.

You’re surprised to learn later on that Tighnari has spoken of you before—enough for Cyno to ask if you knew of Tighnari based on your description of your home.

“He’d always talk about how beautiful the scenery was there, and exploring it with a childhood friend.” 

Figures that when you find Tighnari in person, you wouldn’t be any the wiser about his fondness for you in how he acts—or perhaps you’d become so used to his gestures that it’s now hard to tell. But to those that have met him since he’s been at the Akademiya, there is a clear smile in Tighnari’s eyes when he’s talking to you, and a sense of comfort that they haven’t seen from him anywhere else.

Involved in an underwater crime mystery… Mermaids are real?!

CW: missing persons mystery, reader gets kidnapped by a sea creature/villain (they’re fine though!)

Despite Cyno’s suspicions the first time he met you, you truly were just a wandering journalist that got into a lot of trouble; there’s been cases of people going missing near the seaside lately, thus when you ventured to the scene of the crime in hopes of getting some interviews, you end up getting caught by a mysterious sea creature and brought to the bottom of the ocean—at least, that’s how your story might’ve ended, if Cyno hadn’t spotted your kidnapping and intercepted it before it was too late.

The mysterious creature that took you was shrouded in shadow—some type of cloaking magic to hide its real form, but it had left a marked symbol on you from where it was gripping your leg to pull you under; unsure of what side-effects you may experience, Cyno had brought you to Tighnari first to get rid of any traces of magic before returning you to shore, only to realize that you were somehow breathing underwater, without the use of a spell on his part.

When you wake up, you’re understandably confused and perplexed. Unless you were hallucinating this entire thing, you’re now in an underwater city after being found by Cyno, a high-ranking merman guard, who had rescued you from the same creature that was probably behind the other missing persons cases.

Cyno places a hand on your shoulder in a gesture of comfort when he noticed your hands trembling, but your mind was reeling from the information (and sensory) overload.

One thing was clear: You weren’t going back to the surface until this mark was taken off you (which according to Tighnari, could only fade over time or be removed by the caster of the spell).

You had two options: stay here as a patient and wait things out, or join Cyno on his investigations. You weren’t particularly weak to pretty faces so as to risk your life for them, but the resolve that burned in Cyno’s gaze when he spoke of tracking them down helped steel your mind; you weren’t sure if you could hold on to this hope for long while stranded here alone, but perhaps you could be of some use to him with your intel from the surface, and maybe this decision would end with you having less regrets, for at least being moved to action within this crisis and confusion.

Your job was to document the truth, after all. You want to bear witness to this—to help put an end to the crime and mystery that has engulfed both your community and his.

You’re introduced to Cyno’s world and witness his dedication to protecting the underwater city of Sumeru. You hear stories from Tighnari, during your breaks, about how Cyno used to act back in their Akademiya days. It’s hard to imagine that Cyno could be invested in card games and stories of ancient magic when he was off-duty, but you honestly found the idea of it cute.

Perhaps when this whole ordeal was over, you could ask him to teach you about TCG. You get a glimpse of this other side of Cyno during one night when you’re camping out during an investigation outside the city, and he shows you a bit of elemental magic when you ask if he’s capable of such things too.

Admittedly, Cyno is more combat-oriented these days, but he tells you that he’s always liked the sound of adventures and playing a role different from what he’s used to. You think to yourself that out here, with this demonstration of magic that’s like stealing the stars from the night sky to a mortal like yourself, that he could be anything he wanted to be and you’d still follow him to the ends of the ocean.

But when all was said and done, where would your friendship go? It’s a little selfish, but a part of you is starting to wish that this adventure would never end.

Befriending a bad-mannered mermaid… Have we met before?

CW: Reader has trouble sleeping/insomnia. Mentions of drowning but it’s just a quip from Wanderer, not described or actually happening to anyone here. Uh… just him being mean but it's not from a malicious place. Reader technically presumed dead (?) — it’s a little complicated but I swear it makes sense once you read, it’s not angsty don't worry!

To start things off anticlimactically, you met Wanderer one day when you were walking by the shore at dawn, having had another restless night. With your eyelids finally growing heavy as you leaned against a boulder on the sand, you found yourself drifting to sleep…

…Only to be rudely interrupted by a pebble thrown your way, just narrowly missing your leg.

While Wanderer would simply say it’s because you were interrupting his alone time (who does he think he is, talking as if he owned the beach anyways?!) It was really just a matter of safety. He continues to quip at you, making comments about how you clearly lacked self-preservation if you thought sleeping there was fine, and to not complain that he was a quiet bystander when you get dragged out by the current and drown.

You’re obviously confused and indignant at the same time—not to mention he’d just left immediately after that. But hours later you realize he was talking to you really casually. The next time you encounter him and ask as such, Wanderer simply says that all humans were the same, though some were obviously not a threat to him—like you. 

You had half a mind to throw something back at him, only to be interrupted when Wanderer suddenly asked for your name. He’s uncharacteristically silent after hearing it, before telling you his own and disappearing again.

When you couldn’t sleep, you’d go to the beach these days in order to let the sunlight lull you to sleepiness, or—if that didn’t work—you’d draw Wanderer’s name into the sand to be washed away by the waves again and again. You’re not sure who told you this, but there was a saying that whatever message was washed away by the sea would be delivered to recipients in the water. When Wanderer finds you that afternoon, he’s quick to call the belief idiotic—only for you to argue that he did show up anyways.

Perhaps it’s because of how unabashedly proud he acts, but you find yourself responding to Wanderer in a familiar manner as well. You’re not afraid to retort against his remarks, and over time you become friends, though he would hate to admit it so plainly.

…To start things off from a different point of view, your friendship had actually started long before you started having issues with sleep, and perhaps even before you started to live your life on land.

Long ago, Wanderer had a friend who painstakingly wore down his barriers and adopted him as a companion. That is, in the same way a cat and owner relationship might work—though he had no clue what exactly a cat was, for his friend was the only one between them to have ventured far enough into the human world to meet one.

Wanderer didn’t care much about humans, but his friend (who was a merperson), quite liked their creations and stories. They’d always found it amusing to see humans board their cruise ships and pollute the air with their noise, while Wanderer would constantly remind them to not get too caught up in human-watching. What was so great about those land-dwellers anyways?

After a series of events, said friend had gone missing and was presumed dead. So how many thoughts flurried through Wanderer’s mind on the day he saw you at the beach as if to taunt him? How betrayed and confused and annoyed had he felt after rationalizing things in his mind; that if you were a reincarnation of his friend, that you wouldn’t remember anything. That if you were his friend yourself, who’d turned out to have lived, you’d have your reasons for never attempting contact. And if it was neither of those, you were just a look-alike and fate had a really crappy sense of humor for making him stumble upon you like so.

He’d started venturing closer to the surface ever since his friend’s disappearance—partially as a way to get away from the city and the well-meaning but overbearing attempts to comfort him, and also as a little way to feel connected to them again.

Wanderer doubts he’d ever love humans the same way they did, but he’s at least able to appreciate the softness of the morning when the sun filters through the surface just right.

To summarize, yes - you are that friend, though whether you’d been reincarnated after an incident or simply had your memories erased eludes the both of you. The story starts here, and has much to explore henceforth; as much as Wanderer liked to complain, he was quite relieved to be able to adventure with you again. The more time he spends with you, the more he’s convinced that maybe second chances do come true.

Listen up!

You see a post like this? Where OP might hurt/kill themselves? You hit that button that I circled

Hit that.

Click Suicide or Self-harm Concern

Yes.

Fill in the rest of it, and hit submit. The "content you reported" will fill itself in

Tumblr will follow up and help them.

Warning: this is only for mobile. If anyone knows how to do this for desktop, please add it!

This could SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE.

YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE NOT TO REBLOG THIS.

I DON'T GIVE A FUCK IF IT DOESN'T GO WITH YOUR BLOG'S THEME.

And yes, REBLOG. Liking does no shit at all. This isn't ig.

You reblog, people see it. You don't, people don't see it. This shit's that simple.

This could save someone's life. It's not a joke.

LAST DAY OF SUMMER

SYNOPSIS: It’s the last day before your paths divulge, how will you remember it?

CHARACTERS: 5wirl

NOTES: I’ve started school so here’s one last fic before I inevitably die under the weight of assignments.

TAGS: Some angst, implied reincarnation in Venti’s and Xiao’s parts, pre-established relationships for all of them, gn reader

VENTI + ONE LAST SWIM

You are this close to punching Venti.

“Come on, (Y/N)! It’s the last day of summer, let’s do something fun!”

“Venti, I’m tired. I just want to take a nap.”

“Boo, that’s no fun! You’re such a killjoy!”

“And you’re a menace to my sanity,” you grumble as you put your phone on speaker. You hear Venti mumbling to himself on the other end before he comes up with an idea.

“Ooh, I know! How about we go swimming at the nearby lake? There’s no one there and the weather’s perfect today. Come on, what do you say?”

You’re silent for a few moments. He knows you can’t resist a good swim and you can practically see the shit-eating grin on his face.

He knew exactly what buttons to push, didn’t he?

“... Fine. I’ll be over in ten.”

And that’s how you find yourself sitting at the edge of the lake pier while Venti doggy-paddles in circles around you, a lazy smile stretching across his face. He dips beneath the surface and re-emerges after a few seconds, brushing his wet hair out of his face.

“Care to join me, Windblume? The water’s quite refreshing.”

He extends his hand out. The clear, smooth waters of the lake beckon you. With a leap of faith, you grasp his hand and he pulls you under the water with him.

After getting over the initial shock of cold water, you blink your eyes open to see Venti’s green eyes twinkling with mischief and love. Dappled light softly shines on him, making him look like an angel. He gently interlaces your hands together as he mouths something.

Close your eyes.

You do as you’re told and immediately you feel something warm barely brushing against your lips. The kiss is airy and cheeky, just like him. His enthusiasm is infectious and it soon rubs off onto you. You smile into the kiss, wanting to deepen it.

Venti feels so close yet so far away. He’s always there, just out of arm’s reach and tempting you. If you don’t find him in time, you feel he’ll slip away for good, disappearing into the wind.

The burning sensation in your lungs redirects your focus to more pressing, life-threatening matters, however…

You both resurface, gasping for air. Venti nips at your lips playfully before planting kisses across your face only seconds apart. You squeal and attempt to hide but he doesn’t relent and soon you melt into his arms. He knew how to strum your heartstrings like the master musician he is and you’d gladly dance to his tune again if only to spend more time with him.

You are his muse, his one and only. The time you two share is almost gone, so he’ll make the most of it before you head your own separate ways.

The sun is starting to set now. After drying you off, he gives you one last hug as fleeting as the kiss from before. Strangely, you feel as if this will be the last time you’ll see him.

“Our time together is running out, dearest. After today, we may never see each other again in this life or the next.”

Venti barks out a dry laugh. You look at him strangely.

Venti, who are you really?

“Even if this is our last time together in this life, I will always carry you in my heart and songs as my muse. You will be immortalized in songs that are sung across generations, telling of your kind soul and the endless love you had for others. One day, perhaps those tunes will be heard by you and you’ll remember the bard who loved you with his whole being.

“Now go. Travel the world and discover all it has to offer. Soar through the skies like the birds and lose yourself in adventure. I’ll await the day the winds lead me back to you again, but for now, please… forget about me.”

KAZUHA + POLAROIDS

“Why are you so obsessed with taking photos of me, love?”

A click from behind tells you your lover has yet again taken another photo of you.

“You look absolutely stunning, my dear. It would be a shame if I didn’t capture your beauty.”

He rests his head on your shoulder from behind. You feel him press kisses against your neck, smiling into the delicate skin. The camera hanging off his neck bumps against your back every time he moves and you find yourself reaching for it. He swipes it from your grasp and quickly snaps a picture of you two.

“Poetry and photography… you really are the most romantic man on this planet.”

Kazuha dives in for a kiss. He aims for your left cheek, then your right cheek, before attacking your chin, forehead, and nose. Finally, he lands on your lips. His white hair tickles your neck and you giggle against the kiss. He lingers for just a moment longer, allowing himself to take in everything that is you before pulling away, an enamored smile playing at the corner of his lips.

“Something tells me there’s another reason you enjoy taking photos of me. Is there?”

He falls silent, which is rare for your usually chatty lover.

“Taking photos is another way to preserve my memories of you. The seasons change, and so will we. There may come a day where fate does us apart and your memory of me becomes a hazy recollection lost to the winds of time.”

Your lover is an enigma, concealing his true meaning behind flowery words that you have to sift through and decipher. It would take a lifetime of practice to unveil his true self hidden under the expertly-crafted persona he’d perfected long ago.

And yet, he always lets his guard down around you. No concealing his emotions through poetry or downplaying his pain. Just you and him in your rawest, most vulnerable states, telling each other secrets and promises not even the gods would hear of.

“I want you to carry a piece of me as you go through life, so that you will remember me and know that somewhere out there, I’ll be searching for you.”

Kazuha looks down towards his camera before gazing back up at you with nothing but adoration and an unspoken promise in his eyes.

“No matter how far apart we are, I will always find my way back to you in some corner of the world.

“For the thread that binds you and I together is not one so easily severed.”

AETHER + WISHING ON SHOOTING STARS

“Isn’t it peaceful up here?”

A vast expanse of darkness greets your eyes with stars littering the sky like little pinpricks of light. Aether gently squeezes your hand in response.

“It is, but it’s about to get better.”

You don’t have to wait long. You see something white quickly streak across the sky, then another. Soon, the entire sky is filled with shooting stars, lighting up the darkness as they travel to their next destination.

“A meteor shower,” you breathe out. The grass and wildflowers tickle your skin as you shift closer to Aether’s side. He points to the sky at a particularly bright one taking its time traveling across the night sky.

“Quick, make a wish!”

You close your eyes. There’s only one thing you wish for: to stay by Aether’s side for as long as possible.

I wish to stay by his side forever. He is my sun, my sky, my entire universe. To take him away would be akin to killing me, so please, let me stay by his side.

I wish to stay by their side forever. You can take my limbs, my heart, my soul, but please don’t take them away from me. They are the reason I strive to live.

“What did you wish for?” you ask in a quiet whisper after a long while. The meteor shower has long since ended and you are playing with the end of Aether’s long braid. The sky above you is pitch-black so you can’t see the fond yet conflicted expression he makes as he pats your head.

“If I tell you, wouldn’t that jinx the wish?”

“Just spill it. I think I know what it is already.”

“The same thing as you. I wish to stay by your side forever.”

You grow quiet as you start playing with his hands. Aether falls silent too as he pulls you closer to his heart.

“... Is this goodbye? Is that why we both had the same wish?”

You tentatively asked the question in a hesitant voice, afraid that merely voicing it would ruin everything. To your surprise, he shakes his head.

“Don’t you see? We still have so much time left ahead of us. There's still so much we can explore together, so much we can do together that there’s no way this could be goodbye.

“This isn’t goodbye. Not for a long time. So let’s not call it that, for we will meet again.”

XIAO + BEACH VISIT

Cold water laps at your ankles as the waves splash against your skin, then recede. The wet sand dips beneath your feet, leaving footprints behind.

“Xiao, look at the setting sun over the horizon. Isn’t it pretty?”

He gruffly nods, silent and sullen as always. You gently tug on his pinky with your interlocked one, nudging him forward along the coastline. Seagulls land and peck at the sand for anything to scavenge and Xiao shoos them away with his foot.

At some point, he breaks free from your grasp and wanders off without you knowing. It’s only when you’re in the middle of building a sandcastle and need his help that you realize he’s gone off somewhere.

“Xiao? I kind of need your help-”

When you notice he’s not there, you look behind and see he’s some distance away from the shoreline holding something. He seems to be… speaking to it?

Abandoning your sandcastle, you walk over to see what he’s up to. The tips of his ears are strangely flushed red and when you place a hand on his shoulder, he jolts, startled by the touch.

“What’re you up to, Xiao?”

There, you see he’s holding a seashell. A Starconch, to be exact.

“Here,” he mumbles, holding it out to you. “There’s an old Liyuean legend that if you speak into a seashell, it’ll record your voice.”

You hold it to your ear and listen. There, you hear something you thought you never would.

“I’ve seen many people come and go throughout the years, yet the thought of never being able to see you again makes me feel… conflicted. I have been thinking about this for a long time now and I have finally arrived at a conclusion.

“Many years ago, I was given a name. You showed me the meaning behind it. I was given a second chance to live. You gave me the will to live. I could not dream; I only had nightmares, yet my first dream was one of you. In times of peace, I found myself unable to put down my spear. You showed me how. Stuck in the past, I was unable to adapt to changing times and continued to be haunted by lingering regrets. You led the way and showed me how to let go of the past. I owe a debt of gratitude to you, (Y/N), that I can never pay back. All I can do is be there when you need me.

“If you wish to see me again, simply call my name and I will be there, no matter where or who you are. That is my vow, and one I will fulfill until my dying breath.”

HEIZOU + CATCHING FIREFLIES

Inazuma is unusually warm and humid at this time of year.

The tall grass still wet from today’s rain tickles your ankles as you run through the open field catching fireflies. Heizou leans against the side of the large tree, counting how many he’s collected already. One of the city’s many stray Shibas rolls over onto its back, asking him for belly rubs. He quickly obliges and ruffles the soft fur as the Shiba barks happily while wagging its tail.

“Man alive, I think you’ve beaten me! Just look at how many you’ve caught.”

He holds his jar out to you for examination. There’s a lot, yes, but yours beats him by a long shot. Fireflies occupy almost every corner of space in yours, vying for space against each other.

“As a reward, I’ll answer any question you want me to!”

You shoot him a look. He quickly (and wisely) responds with an “Honestly! I’ll answer anything you want me to honestly, whether it be about my childhood, who the latest suspect I’m chasing down is, or who ate the last dango yesterday.”

You glare at him after the last part.

The sun has fully set and the moon is high in the sky now. Fireflies gently brush against the sides of your jar. You pop the lid open and the cool sea breeze scatters them, blinking and lighting up the darkness in fluorescent green. Heizou does the same, the fireflies escaping into the sky like a sea of glowing lanterns. They twinkle and blink intermittently, resembling the shimmering sea. Your constellations gleam brightly overhead as the fireflies disappear out of your sight, blending in with the stars themselves.

Long after the fireflies have disappeared, you come to a question that’s been on your mind lately.

“What’s your opinion on fate and destiny?”

From the look on Heizou’s face, he must’ve known that you were going to ask him that. You see him thinking underneath the moonlight before he smiles once he reaches a conclusion.

“The gods do not predetermine fate and destiny, nor are coincidences simply coincidences. Rather, they are the cumulation of all our choices leading up to a single, decisive moment. While our paths may divulge for now, I will work to ensure that they cross again someday.

“Even if we are worlds apart, my intuition will always lead me back to you. Because you see the reason why I strive to create my own destiny.”

oh i see now- i think i confused you two for another LMAO

did someone with a degradation kink get turned on when they join for military training

this was going to be all angst but i wanted comfort sooo.. i still want to write angst though lol

albedo is easy to be around. he's attentive and understanding, slowly navigating what it means to love with each waking day. his teal eyes are almost always filled with warmth whenever he looks at you, gentle smile curling upon his lips as his hands reach for yours. he's perfect, like a prince, ready to sweep you off your feet whenever you desire and whisk you away on an adventure that will probably take place up in the snowy mountains of dragonspine.

he's warm when the snow blows around you, snowflakes nipping at exposed skin and the wind howling in your ear, threatening to throw you into the midst of a snowstorm without help. but albedo is there, hand tangled with yours as he tugs you in the direction of the cave where his works are filed away. his arms move to wrap around you, body pressed close to yours as he mumbles sweet nothings in your ear and offers comfort as the sun sinks into the shadows.

he's bright and teasing, a familiar smile warming your heart as his eyes light up at the sight of you. he ignores the teasing words of kaeya as he sweeps you up in his arms, face tucking into the crook of your neck as he pulls you close to him. he asks about your day, intrigued by the little jokes and side stories that seem to distract you. all while his eyes never leave your face, as if he was trying to memorize every little feature.

but archons, albedo can be hard to love. there are days when you wish that he wouldn't compare every little thing to an observation. relationships aren't an experiment, they're not something that can be documented on paper with hypotheses and data, bound together by a conclusion at the end of the day.

he's uncaring stares as you try to pull him away from his work, tone bland as he tells you to stop worrying about him. he'll spend hours on end, his time spent on his work now bleeding into days spent locked up alone in his office, poring over notes and observations from his previous expeditions. sometimes you won't hear from him for a week before he's pushing open the door to your home, tired footsteps dragging along the floor before he collapses onto the bed to rest.

he's sharp words and half-hearted apologies when you try to confront him about the thoughts that are clouding your mind. he doesn't quite get why you're upset that he's only allowed sucrose to visit him in his office, nor does he understand why his chest flares with annoyance whenever he sees you walking through the knights of favonius headquarters with a bright grin on your face as kaeya pokes fun at you. arguments with him are hurtful and cruel, bringing you to the verge of tears before you're slamming the door and grumbling that he can sleep on the couch for all you care.

and yet, for all the stumbles along the way, the tear stained cheeks and petty words, you can't find it in yourself to pull away from him. because with each argument, each slammed door and muffled cry, albedo once more, learns what it means to be human, to love as a human, to allow that little blooming feeling in his chest to blossom and wrap around him.

he still makes mistakes and so do you, but at the end of the day, there isn't anyone you'd rather love, than albedo.

reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated! <3

teyvat academy

pairings: childe, kazuha, albedo, xiao, itto, scaramouche, zhongli x gn!reader

summary: they say high school is the most memorable point in a person’s life, you’re more than inclined to agree. or, genshin men as the different types of people you meet in high school! (all of them can be connected if you squint)

note: gender neutral but implied afab for itto’s part only, no pronouns, mentions of weed and smoking in kazuha’s part, scara’s part is def my favorite

CHILDE

Adrenaline junkie. Gets into fights almost everyday, to the point where everyone wonders how he hasn’t been expelled yet. His family is filthy rich and pays the school hush money disguised as donations.

Seeing him beating someone up is such a common occurrence that most students just walk by whenever it happens. Which is why he’s completely surprised to see you approach him after he lost a fight, sitting by the water fountain and sporting a busted lip and yellow bruises all over his face that’ll turn purple tomorrow.

Turns out it’s not because of some misplaced sympathy that made you approach him that day, you just wanted to ask him if he knows where your friend Yelan went after she beat him in a fight earlier. He tells you he doesn’t know but he heard her mutter something about going to the restroom to clean up the blood on her knuckles, so that’s a good place to start looking. You thank him for his help, eyes lingering on the injuries caused by your friend for a moment before taking your leave.

Maybe it’s guilt at how uncaring you must have seemed in the face of his injuries, at leaving so quickly without even asking him if he’s okay, but the next time you see him after another fight, you give him a box of bandaids with cute heart designs. It was the only box left in the store so you had no choice but to buy them, better something cutesy than nothing. You say it’s for the cuts in his face and split skin of his fingers.

When he opens the box and sees the heart designs, his face lights up like a christmas tree. He thanks you with a grin and says the bandaids remind him of the ones his younger sister always gives him.

The next time you see him is across the cafeteria, wearing the bandaid designed with hearts despite the teasings of his friends. When he catches you looking his way, he sends you a wink and gestures to the bandaid on his cheek before returning his attention to his friends. Yelan asks you what that was about, but you smile and tell her it’s nothing.

KAZUHA

The school’s local weed dealer. Completely unexpected given his friendly and calm demeanor, but in hindsight, that’s probably the reason why he’s never been caught. Word has it that if you’re willing to pay enough money, he can contact a few of his friends and get you some coke.

For some reason though, he never allows you to buy anything from him, nor does he let you take a whiff when he smokes.

You first meet him while walking through the back of one of your school’s buildings to avoid getting detention. It’s there that you see Kazuha leaning on the wall, roll in hand as he blew smoke into the air. Maybe it’s the fact that you’re both going to detention should you get caught, you for cutting classes and him for smoking something that’s probably weed, but you walk right up to him, plop yourself beside his legs, and ask him how shitty his day is for him to be smoking out in broad daylight. He laughed as a response, and the rest is history.

Not once in all your time as friends has he ever let you take a hit, even just for a brief moment. Going so far as to refuse even when you offered to pay double the price. His only explanation was that smoking is a bad habit you should never try. When you called him on his hypocrisy, he only smiled that familiar smile that somehow made him look like a gallant knight and told you he doesn’t want his friends to form an addiction.

Pointing out that his usual customers mostly consist of his friend group, he looks at you with something you can’t quite read. Amusement? Fondness? Or maybe he’s just high. When you ask him why he’d sell weed to Heizou and Yoimiya but not you, his only response was, “Because they aren’t you.”

The next time you meet up with your shared friends and recount the conversation you had with Kazuha, they laugh and clap you consolingly on the back, all while calling you oblivious.

ALBEDO

Top student. Completely effortless in getting the highest marks.

“Oh, the test? No, I didn’t study for it,” he tells you, and you think you finally have a companion in the ‘surely failing because they didn’t study team,’ but then the test results come out and he singlehandedly scores perfect marks.

He offers to tutor you when he sees you lamenting over your failed chemistry test. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be taught by the smartest student in your school, so you immediately take him up on that offer. He’s surprisingly good at teaching, doesn’t use complex words and tries to dumb down an explanation without sounding condescending.

It shows in the form of your next test result, showing only two mistakes out of fifty items. In your excitement, you ask him what you can do in exchange for him teaching you. Surprisingly, he asks if he can sketch you. Seeing nothing wrong with the request, you readily agree.

He doesn’t let you see the sketch until after it’s done. It takes bugging him in the middle of class, sitting next to him at lunch, and a lot of canoodling on your part to let you take a peak at his drawing. Still, he remains stubborn, so you’re left to wait until he actually finishes it.

When he does show it to you, it’s during the end of class just as everyone’s leaving their seats after the bell rings. The sketch depicts you with the happiest grin you’ve ever seen on your face. You’ve never once thought of yourself as anything but average in terms of looks, but Albedo seems to have a way of making people more beautiful than they are.

When you say so to him, he blinks at you and says he didn’t modify any features on his sketch, he just drew you exactly how you look in his eyes.

XIAO

The one people think is a delinquent. His aloof nature and the perpetual frown on his face don’t exactly help with his reputation. He’s your classmate, but he always keeps to himself and rarely engages in class activities unless necessary.

Your teacher partners the two of you up for a class project. You notice him looking distinctly uncomfortable at having to work as pairs once the announcement was made, so once you’re able to, you propose the idea of working on your own respective parts and compiling your works at a later date because he seems to prefer working on his own.

To your surprise, he says no to your idea. He tells you it’d be more difficult to complete the project that way and that he doesn’t really mind working with you.

The deadline for it is two months away, but both of you agree on getting an early start. That’s how you find yourself sitting beside him in the library everyday after school, typing away on your laptop and taking notes on your notebook. He’s actually a great partner, always asks for your opinion and gently corrects you whenever you make a mistake.

It isn’t until you’re working late at the library and he returns with snacks and drinks—your favorite snacks and drinks that he sheepishly admits he remembered from a passing remark you made weeks ago—that you realize that Xiao isn’t the aloof person you initially thought he was. He can actually be very thoughtful, he just doesn’t get much chances to show it to others.

On one particular day, after you spent the day away in the library until the sun came down, he offers to walk you home. He then realizes how presumptuous that must have sounded and mutters a quick ‘never mind.’ But before he can leave, you tell him you won’t mind if he walks you home.

The walk home is quiet, but it’s a nice sort of quiet. Comfortable. The only incident that happened on the way was when you encountered a drunk man, and before he could make a step towards you, Xiao was already looking at him with a cool glare that managed to scare the drunkard off.

He offers to walk you home again the next day, and the day after that, and so on. Even after you’ve submitted your project, he continues to walk you home. One day, when you get the courage, you hope you can finally ask him out for coffee sometime.

ITTO

An actual delinquent. He and his gang can usually be found loitering the hallways or spending time in detention.

You once run into him and his gang when you were out of class for a restroom break, all of them crowding outside the entrance to the girl’s restroom. Apparently, Shinobu, their gang’s second in command, is on her period but they don’t know where to get any tampons and pads ‘cause she forgot to bring some with her. You offer to give her your spare.

Itto thanks you by buying you lunch, saying you saved the Arataki gang from total destruction because they would’ve never survived without Shinobu. You think he’s overreacting a bit, but free food’s free food.

You feel a little bad once you find out he spent all his money on the meal he bought you, so you offer to buy him something in return. He tells you he owes you for it, and the next day he’s right outside your classroom holding a plastic bag full of take-out. The next time you walk past him in the hallways, you give him a muffin from the box you just bought.

It becomes a routine, giving each other food whenever the two of you see each other. Sometimes, you even sneak into detention just to give him some sweets, and sometimes he disrupts your class by barging in just give you a candy bar. He always gets detention afterwards.

When you ask him why he keeps doing it, he said he likes the surprised smile that always brightens your face whenever he shows up at your classroom unannounced.

SCARAMOUCHE

The principal’s son. Incredibly spoiled and thinks he owns the place. Never gets in trouble because his mother’s the principal and everyone is too scared to report him.

Until you did.

You can still remember the shocked look on his face when he turned around after deliberately tripping poor Bennett and saw Miss Yae, your school’s guidance counselor, right behind him. You don’t know the exact details, but you heard he was sent to the principal’s office and given a severe lecture by his own mother. Word has it he came out the office looking like he was ready to murder something.

Somehow, he finds out that you’re the one who reported him. He instantly makes it his goal to make your life a living hell. Unfortunately for him, the faculty has been keeping a close eye on him so he can’t do anything too incriminating. From glares in the hallways to pretending not to see you as he ‘accidentally’ bumps into you on the bustling corridors and making you drop your stack of papers to the floor.

When your friends found out, they immediately urged you to report his behavior directly to the principal, so that’s what you did. You were on your way to the principal’s office when you hear a sniffle coming from the closed door of the nearby stairwell. Concerned, you open the door with the intention of comforting whoever might be crying behind it, only to come face to face with the surprised expression of Scaramouche.

He quickly wipes away his tears and fixes you with a glare that could have killed anyone on the spot. But the damage has been done and you’ve seen what you’ve seen, so his glare barely has any effect on you, not when his eyes are still red and there’s dried tear-tracks on his cheeks. You stare at each other for a few moments before you offer him your handkerchief and tell him you don’t know exactly why he’s crying but that it’ll get better. He tells you to get out but not before accepting the handkerchief you offered.

Needless to say, you don’t go to the principal’s office after.

He stops bothering you after that incident, but you once catch sight of him with his friends outside school. One of them starts talking about you, badmouthing you in front of him in an attempt to cater to the well-known fact that he hates your guts. He doesn’t even get to finish his sentence before Scaramouche snarls at him to shut up.

The next time you pass him by the hallway, you give him a small smile. He hastily turns his head away, but not before you catch sight of the redness at the tips of his ears.

ZHONGLI

The handsome senior everyone’s developed a crush on at least once in their life.

The two of you didn’t exactly meet at school. It was back when you were still a freshman and Zhongli was a sophomore, though even then he was already popular. The coffee shop near your school was packed and the only seat left was the one in front of you, so naturally, that’s when he comes in asking if the seat’s free.

You were still relatively friendless back then, no familiar faces yet since it was only the beginning of the school year, so being approached by a popular sophomore felt like a dream to you. He was kind and patient, even going so far as to help you navigate through school during the first few weeks of adjustment.

You developed a silly crush on him during those weeks that only faded when you became closer to him and realized how much of that popular persona he had were just for show. You’d lost count of the amount of times you had to pay for both your meals just because he forgot his wallet at home, or how many times you almost fell asleep once he went off on a tangent about one such thing or another.

But even so, he’s one of the best friends you made in school.

You’re the one he goes to for help in choosing a university for college, and the two of you spend an entire night at your house brainstorming and writing down the pros and cons of each school. You have differing personalities and opinions, but by the end of it, you’re both satisfied with his decision regarding the school he chose.

And then you pass out on your couch after pulling that all-nighter. When you wake up, there’s lunch laid out on the dining table and a handwritten note from Zhongli.

To my beloved dearest friend, I hope you enjoy the meal and have a great day :)