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two worlds apart

ft— anyone

warning — mentions of character death, angst, pretty much self indulgent lmao

a/n— i just felt angsty today :) also i wrote this like you aren't in teyvat? you're you (obv) in this universe and they're just your comfort character. ik shifting is a thing so this is for my #icannotshiftforthelifeofme girlies. listened to ykwim when writing this as well.

wordcount. 683

sometimes you wish you were dead. it sounds blunt and quite, dramatic, yes. but not really when you remember that reincarnation may or may not be a real thing.

we have all heard of the word "soulmates". the idea of soulmates has been present in various traditions for centuries. the "concept" suggests that there is a special connection between two individuals that goes beyond physical attraction and emotional compatibility.

it is believed that these two people are connected by an invisible thread or string that can never be broken, no matter the distance or time. this thread binds them together, and their souls recognize each other even before they meet.

it is said that when soulmates find each other, they experience a sense of completion and fulfillment that they cannot find elsewhere. love itself is a powerful force that can bring people together, even when they are from different worlds. when two individuals are soulmates, their love transcends time and space.

now, death is a natural part of life, and it is something that everyone will experience at some point. while death is often associated with sadness and loss, while some people believe that it can also be a time of reunion with loved ones or, finally being with someone they have loved for so long in another world.

for those who believe in reincarnation, death is not the end, but rather a new beginning. it is an opportunity for the soul to move on to a new life and continue its journey. for some, the idea of being reunited with their soulmate after death brings comfort and solace.

they believe that when they die, they will be able to join their lover/comfort character from another world and be much happier than they ever were in this world. this gives them hope and a reason to keep going, even when times are tough.

for some, some may think it is absurd to even think about death in this way. you really want to die/are waiting for your death just because you want to be happier with your comfort character? how.. weird.

the heart is a mysterious thing, and sometimes it leads us down paths that we never thought possible. loving someone from another world can be a lonely road to travel, but it can also be one filled with wonder and amazement. our hearts may ache for this person that we cannot touch or hold, but the love we feel for them can give us a sense of purpose.

the pain of loving someone who is not real can be overwhelming, it really can. the thought of never being able to hold them or feel their warmth can be unbearable.

but in times of sorrow, the comfort and solace you find in loving them can be the only thing that gets you through. it's easy to dismiss this kind of love as make-believe, but it's not.

the heart doesn't discriminate and doesn't see boundaries at all. even though they are not real, the love you feel for them is. it's a feeling that is deep and real and can bring joy to your life.

just how long have you been yearning to feel their touch, to know what their kisses feel like, to see them face to face? a long, long time. and you know that. how many times have you cried into your pillow, just because you love them so much and that they aren't real?

sometimes the pain in your heart can become unbearable. The emptiness and the loneliness can consume you entirely, leaving you with nothing but despair. it's in those moments that you start to wonder if death would be a better alternative.

you imagine that if you passed away, you could be reunited with your lover from another world, a place where love is eternal and pure. you know that in that world, you would find comfort and solace, and your heart would finally be at peace.

because even though you two are two worlds apart, the love you hold for each other goes beyond measure.

WHAT IS UP W ME AND ANGST NOWADAYS?!??!

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

SOB I DIDN’T NOTICE THIS IN MY NOTIFICATIONS but thank you Ophie <3

Okayyyy let’s see- I like a lot of things, but one of the things that would probably be forever in my lifetime is art. Whether it would be making art or seeing art, I believe that art is a way of expressing yourself- so whoop

2. Hmm, cats and friends of course jsjdjsjhs, my cats are a big comfort to me and my friends are there for me- so I do what I can to make them as happy as they make me

3. OOoh definitely things like psychology, theory- learning in general sjsjjs, theory is leaning a little moreeeee to game theories, mainly Genshin cause sheesh look at all of that lore, and psychology is really interesting, I would of probably researched more about it if I wasn’t lady and didn’t have shiet memory

4. Character making is something that i’ve been doing, consciously or not, ever since I was like… 8? I don’t know lmao, maybe it’s just the process of making the character since you could learn a lot of things along the way

5. Don’t know if this counts since dancing technically counts as a form of art- but dancing makes me happy lmao, it helps since i don’t like staying still and standing straight, so what better way then to look like a flopping stick bug lmao

tHERE AREN’T MUCH PEOPLE IN MY NOTIFICATIONS, THERE’S ONE BUT IT’S OPHIE’S ALTER ACCOUNT AND I ONLY uSe this website to rEad and simp jsjsjJjaj

@astralnike

When you get this, please respond with five things that make you happy! Then, send to your last ten people in your notifs! You never know who might benefit from spreading positivity! ✨

Uhhhh- well let’s see-

1. My fandoms. This probably ain’t a big shot but I’ve managed to find comfort in plenty of series. And being able to project and just have good hearted fun always allows me to smile ^^

2. My dogs and cats. Honestly knowing at the end of the day I get to go home and see my fluffy children is what gets me through most days 💕

3. Bubble wrap. That’s it. I like the pop-

4. Dr Pepper, granted it’s not the healthiest but yes I drink it frequently and it’s my favorite drink. It’s like coffee is to others for me (since I actually can’t stand coffee..)

5. My town. I’ve lived my whole life in a relatively small, safe, quiet country town. I’ve grown up peacefully and maybe I’m just a homebody but I love it just where I am an have no intention to leave.

@firecurls-27 @nightmaretherabbit @marshmallow-biscuit-blog @cephalopvnk @bunskero @weirdgirl92 @rubiloveschocolaste @fanoffandoms23 @astral-riddles @salilaoceania and anyone else if you’d like too ^^

~ diluc x reader

~ reincarnation/soulmate au, fluff but mostly angst...

the moon is full and silent. her presence is comforting.

"here we are... again," his voice is quiet, steps slow as he sits beside you.

"again," you repeat. the word is bittersweet on your tongue. once, you might have rejoiced at the word. but now, all you feel is nothing.

"do you remember?" diluc asks aloud.

you turn your gaze to him. his hair is out of its usual ponytail, cascading like waves of muted flame over his shoulders and back. in the moonlight, he glows, set alight by the silver beams.

"i remember," you reply.

and you do.

you had been his princess, once. his muse, another. once you had been a sailor. you had been a queen, an artist, a warrior.

and you remember. in each of these lives and countless more you had met him, that crown of vermillion adorning his head as though the sun itself weaved light through his locks. his serious eyes, his baritone voice.

you had loved him in every one of your lives.

and he had loved you.

"i remember," you repeat. "when we promised our eternities to one another."

"when we swore never to love another," his voice is still hushed.

"when we dreamt of all our futures."

"when our hearts would intertwine, and when we would long for each other, and when we swore to meet again."

"when we still loved each other."

at this, diluc smiles. it's melancholy, this smile.

"how tiring."

you laugh, and agree.

"i wrote of your laughter, once." diluc says, holding a hand up as if to cup the moon. "it sounded like the rushing waters. it was clear like a bell, and beautiful like a siren's song."

you shake your head slightly, "and I had written of your hands. how you could hold the world if you wanted, how you could pluck the stars and the moon from the sky and play marbles with them."

there's a pause.

"why are we here, y/n?"

"because we are brought together."

"brought together."

"that is what it is to be fated for one another. but tell me, diluc. how long has it been?"

"too long. our love has already lasted many eternities."

your heart fills. you still love his man, but for a different reason than you once did.

diluc plucks a dandelion at his side. after a second, he blows, the seeds scattering in the wind.

"i will see you again."

"yes. let us meet again, old friend. after all, what is an eternity more?"

girlie you have no idea how much effort I had to physically restrain myself from squealing at 10am

Now Kiss (Part 2/Final) - F!Reader x Tighnari

Request Column - Genshin Impact

Cyno and Collei may be 'masters' of observation, but Tighnari’s hearing is sharper. Too bad Reader's still two kisses behind on the memo.

[Part 1] ✒️ Word Count: 2546 🏷️ Relevant Tags: Soft Fluff/Affection | Cyno Humor | "Secret" Relationship

The early morning mist was still present when [Name] reached the garden.

Tighnari hadn’t noticed her yet, focused as he always was when he thought no one was looking. His ears were forward, alert but calm, the same way they’d been ever since that night. The same way they were when he pressed his forehead to hers after the kiss and said, We stop pretending it didn’t mean something.

And they hadn’t. Pretended, that is. Not anymore. But they hadn’t exactly… announced anything either.

Which was fine. [Name] liked the quiet parts, the wordless agreements, the warm tea passed into her hands without asking, the way his fingers lingered against hers when no one else was around.

She was fine with soft smiles across a crowded greenhouse and the quiet way he waited for her after patrol. She didn’t need grand gestures or labels. This was theirs.

“Good morning,” she called out.

Tighnari looked over his shoulder, a smile already tugging at his lips. “You’re late.”

[Name] grinned, walking over. “You say that like I’m ever on time.”

He handed her a small bundle of foraged herbs. “Then why do I keep assigning you morning shifts?”

“Secret optimism,” she said, brushing his fingers as she took the bundle. “Or because you like me.”

He didn’t answer, just blinked slowly as his ears tilted in a way that gave him away far too easily for someone who claimed to be composed. [Name] didn’t press, only offered him a half-smile as she turned toward the sorting table.

She laid out the herbs with deliberate care, arranging by preparation method, then by potency, then by whether or not they would need drying before storage. It wasn’t how he sorted—Tighnari favored categorization by plant family, sometimes even regional subtypes if he was feeling particularly detailed.

But [Name]'s system had just as much structure, just as much thought. She arranged with workflow in mind—what needed to be prepped first, what reacted poorly to proximity with others, what they’d use by midday.

Tighnari stood beside her, arms crossed loosely as he watched in silence.

“You’re resisting the urge to comment,” she said lightly, not looking up.

“I’m considering the merits of your system.”

She allowed herself the smallest grin. “So I'm finally starting to convince you my ways better?”

“It’s pragmatic,” he admitted after a moment. “Not standardized, but efficient.”

[Name] raised a brow. “Standardized doesn’t always mean superior. This gets us through the workload with fewer redundancies.”

He hummed, nudging a stalk of sumeru rose half a degree clockwise. “Still would be difficult to replicate without you.”

“Good,” she said simply. “I like having job security.”

Before he could respond, the door creaked open behind them.

“Morning!” Collei called out cheerfully as she entered, her satchel sliding off her shoulder with a soft thud. “You two are already halfway through the sorting?”

“Just finished prepping the drying bundles,” [Name] replied, brushing her hands off on a cloth. “If you want to start weighing the mid-strength roots, they’re in the basket on the left.”

Collei blinked. “You reorganized again?”

“I updated the workflow paths. Less overlap. Tighnari keeps bruising the rukkhashava mushrooms reaching past the drying rack.”

“I do not—” he started, but Collei was already laughing.

[Name] turned, hands on her hips, looking entirely unbothered. “I tracked it. I left markers. You brushed it three times yesterday.”

Collei stifled another laugh behind her hand as Tighnari stared at [Name] in silence.

“I've created a monster,” he murmured.

“A well-organized monster,” [Name] corrected, tapping his arm gently with the back of her hand.

Their eyes met for just a second longer than they needed to. A breath too long. But when Collei looked up from the basket, they had already shifted back into routine—[Name] folding cloth around a set of stems, Tighnari reviewing her notes with his usual focus.

Nothing overt. Nothing stated.

But Collei knew.

She hummed to herself, smiling as she took out the scale, and said nothing.

Because some things didn’t need to be announced to be obvious.

The late morning passed in a quiet, efficient rhythm.

[Name] and Collei worked through the herbs in companionable silence, measuring, binding, storing. Occasionally, Collei would ask a question—clarification about a new plant arrangement, a confirmation about dosage strength—and [Name] answered easily, no second-guessing, no need to defer. Tighnari only interjected when it was absolutely necessary, content to observe the new system in action.

And for the most part, it worked.

No bruised mushrooms. No spills. Fewer crossed paths.

Tighnari, of course, still paced as he read—still hovered by the drying rack with that pinched look he got when mentally rewriting his entire classification system—but he didn’t say a word about changing it back.

[Name] noticed, but said nothing.

By midday, they were breaking for lunch. The usual courtyard table beneath the woven canopy had already been set up by someone else—Cyno, likely. Tighnari never asked him to, but somehow the table was always set when they got there, and the tea was always steeped just the way Tighnari liked it.

When they arrived, Cyno was already seated, sipping quietly and pretending not to see them.

[Name] sat across from him, biting into her rice cake. “How long were you watching us this morning?”

Cyno blinked. “You assume I was watching.”

Tighnari answered without missing a beat. “You always are. No one can escape your sight.”

Cyno sipped. “Fair.”

Collei slid into the seat next to [Name] with a grin, plucking a few berries from the shared bowl. “Your new layout cut prep time by almost half. We finished ahead for once.”

Tighnari glanced toward [Name]. “See? You might convince me.”

[Name] tilted her head, mock thoughtful. “I should start charging you a consultation fee.”

“You’re already paid. I—...make you tea.”

“Hmm. I’d like to renegotiate my contract.”

Across the table, Collei hid a smile behind her cup, and Cyno gave Tighnari a long look. One of those looks. Quiet, plainspoken, dry as the desert.

Tighnari didn’t meet it.

Instead, he said, “We’ll resume with seed inventory after lunch. [Name], can you take the southern storeroom?”

She nodded. “Already cleared shelf three yesterday. Just need to sort the spring sprout capsules.”

Cyno raised a brow. “You know his systems better than he does.”

[Name] shrugged, mouth full of rice. “That’s why he keeps me around.”

This time, Tighnari did glance her way—but quickly. Quiet.

Collei nudged Cyno’s arm under the table. He said nothing, but the faint curve at the corner of his mouth said everything.

Later that afternoon, the sun dipped just far enough for the light to soften through the canopy. [Name] stood alone in the southern storeroom, bent over a wooden crate of seed capsules, carefully labeling by germination date and rarity. Her sleeves were rolled to her elbows, fingertips dusted with dried root powder, and she was humming just under her breath.

Tighnari entered the room without announcing himself. She heard the creak of the door behind her and glanced up over her shoulder.

“Looking for something?” she asked.

“No.” He walked toward her with easy steps, clasping his hands behind his back. “Just checking on your progress.”

“I’m a third through.” She tapped a neat column in her notes. “I’ve rerouted the spring sprouts to the upper shelf. They’re more fragile than the label suggested.”

He scanned the page, then nodded once. “That’s a good call.”

[Name] turned to him fully, brushing a lock of hair from her cheek. “You could just say thank you.”

“I was getting there.”

“Mmhm.”

For a moment, they stood in silence—close, but not quite touching. Tighnari looked at her, and she looked back, the quiet between them warm and known.

Finally, he said softly, “You really don't mind that we haven’t told them?”

[Name] blinked. “Told who?”

“Cyno. Collei. About us.”

She tilted her head. “No. Do you?”

“No.”

And it was true. He didn’t. He didn’t need to. Cyno and Collei knew, had known for weeks now, and had never once pushed. Maybe that was why it felt easier to let it unfold like this, with no announcement, no dramatic reveal.

Just shared glances and easy silence. Just belonging.

He watched her go back to labeling, the lines of concentration softening her expression. The sun caught in the edge of her face as she worked, and something in his chest shifted.

“You missed one,” he said quietly.

[Name] didn’t look up. “No, I didn’t. It’s in the next stack.”

Tighnari smiled.

He leaned in a little—enough for his shadow to fall beside hers on the crate lid, enough for her to feel the warmth of him even through the gap between them. She finally looked up, brow arched like she already knew he wasn’t actually checking her work anymore.

“You’re hovering,” she said.

“Monitoring.”

“For what, exactly?”

“Quality control. Emotional wellbeing. Your general presence.”

[Name] bit back a laugh, even as her cheeks pinked. “You’re very thorough.”

“I try.”

The crate of sprout capsules was mostly forgotten now. [Name] turned toward him fully, brushing her hands on her apron. Her eyes flicked down, briefly, to his lips. Just once.

The silence stretched, not tense, just… still.

Tighnari tilted his head, slowly leaning forward, his voice barely above a whisper. “Do I have clearance for a quick kis—”

The storeroom door creaked loudly.

Both of them flinched apart like students caught cheating during an exam.

Cyno stood in the doorway, holding a small tin of salve in one hand and a basket of dry bark in the other. His expression was unreadable.

Tighnari straightened with expert calm. “Did you need something?”

“Yes,” Cyno said. “I came to offer assistance.”

[Name] cleared her throat. “In here?”

“You’re doing seed inventory. I thought I’d drop a few hints.”

She frowned, confused. “Hints?”

Cyno held up the tin of salve. “These are spring bloom rubs. Known for encouraging… sprouting relationships.”

Tighnari blinked. “Is that supposed to be—”

“Metaphorical,” Cyno said flatly. “And literal. In case you both want to stop ‘planting doubt’ and start ‘growing publicly.’”

[Name] stared. “What?”

Tighnari sighed into his hand. “He’s making jokes again.”

“I got that part,” [Name] muttered. “Sort of.”

Cyno stepped further in, setting the basket down by the shelf. “You both move through the village like two trees growing from the same root but pretending you’re different plants.”

There was a long pause.

“…Was that a joke?” [Name] asked.

“I don’t know anymore,” Cyno replied frankly.

Tighnari pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’re not hiding anything.”

“You’re also not saying anything,” Cyno replied.

[Name] opened her mouth, then closed it.

Because technically, he wasn’t wrong.

They hadn’t told anyone. They hadn’t lied—but they hadn’t shared, either. And while [Name] hadn’t thought much of it before, Cyno’s blunt delivery left her strangely… aware.

She glanced at Tighnari, who looked remarkably calm, if slightly resigned. His ears twitched faintly.

“We were going to tell you,” Tighnari said finally, “when we were ready.”

Cyno gave a slow nod. “I’m not rushing you.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” [Name] muttered, but the corners of her mouth twitched.

“I just like efficient communication,” Cyno added. “And plant metaphors.”

[Name] crossed her arms, laughing softly. “You’re so weird.”

Cyno gave her a blank look. “I’ve been consistent.”

Tighnari exhaled. “You can go now.”

“Message delivered,” Cyno said, and walked out with the kind of slow, purposeful turn reserved for dramatic exits.

The door clicked closed.

[Name] stared after him for a moment. “…You think Collei put him up to that?”

“No,” Tighnari said. “Cyno's meddling is entirely self-directed.”

She turned to him again, softer now, her fingers brushing his wrist. “So. Where were we?”

Tighnari didn’t need to say anything. He stepped back into her space—closer this time, his head dipping, ears flicking once more as his hand slid gently along her waist.

The kiss was light, careful, given the interruption. But then her hand rose to the back of his neck, and his other found the small of her back, and the quiet of the storeroom turned into something shared.

No announcements.

No metaphors.

Just a kiss—theirs.

And for the first time, [Name] wondered if maybe sharing it with others wouldn’t be so bad.

The next morning, the sun had barely cleared the treetops when [Name] walked into the main prep room, satchel slung over one shoulder, and Tighnari’s gloves adorning her hands.

They were more protective after all, though the sight of this caused Collei to pause before she could even greet her.

“Good morning,” [Name] said, entirely unbothered, setting her satchel down and adjusting the gloves to be more snug. “Sorry I’m late. Tighnari wouldn’t let me leave without breakfast.”

Tighnari walked in two steps behind her, holding two mugs of tea—one of which he handed off to her with easy familiarity.

“Next time, eat slower,” he said. “You inhale bread like it wronged you.”

[Name] took the tea without looking up. “Says the man who lectures mid-chew.”

Collei blinked between them. “…Wait.”

[Name] looked up. “Yes?”

“Are you two—?”

“Together?” Tighnari supplied helpfully. “Yes.”

[Name] took a sip of her tea. “We were going to announce it formally with a bulletin board posting and parade, but then someone eavesdropped.”

Tighnari’s ears twitched pointedly as he turned toward Cyno, who was seated cross-legged in the corner, sipping his own tea with uncharacteristic innocence.

“I said nothing,” Cyno offered quickly.

“Which is almost impressive,” Tighnari replied, “considering you whispered your entire reaction that night from behind a poorly concealed shrub.”

Cyno blinked. “...You heard that?”

“I have excellent hearing,” Tighnari said evenly. “I heard everything. Including Collei gasping and nearly knocking over the watering can.”

Collei made a squeaking noise. “I did not.”

“You did.” He took a slow sip of tea. “I simply chose the path of least resistance.”

[Name] raised a brow. “You knew they knew and still let me go on not knowing they knew?”

Tighnari didn’t blink. “Yes.”

Collei let out a strangled little laugh. “You’re worse than Cyno.”

Tighnari tilted his head. “That feels unnecessarily cruel.”

“I think it’s fair,” [Name] said lightly. “You’re both bad at being normal.”

“Good,” Tighnari replied, slipping his hand around her waist with zero hesitation. “We’ve just made it easier to stop pretending.”

Cyno set his tea down calmly. “Thank you for removing ambiguity. It was becoming distracting.”

[Name] snorted. “Was it really that bad?”

Cyno nodded. “I’m used to silent tension. Yours was twitchy.”

Collei was beaming now, bouncing slightly on her heels. “So this is official now? Like, you’re together together?”

Tighnari gave a slight nod. “Yes. Publicly. Casually. Permanently.”

“That’s a lot of adverbs,” [Name] murmured.

“I had time to rehearse.”

[Name] laughed, leaning against him with ease now. “Well then.” She turned to their friends with a grin. “Satisfied?”

Cyno raised his teacup. “Very.”

Collei gave a little cheer under her breath, then quickly tried to hide it with a cough.

Tighnari’s tail flicked once, slow and content, and he murmured just loud enough for the two of them to hear, “You may stop planning your interventions now.”

Cyno didn’t answer—but he did smile.

And Collei? She just whispered to herself, “Finally,” before returning to her notes, eyes bright and cheeks flushed.

'Now Kiss' was initially only a lil self-indulgent story for fun, but seeing that there was interest, I wanted to add more to this little plot to conclude everything nicely. Hope you all enjoyed!

I don’t have a lot of nice clothing so I’m just putting the dress I used for my last year’s school Christmas party 🥲 aLSO I STILL DONT HAVE ANYONE ELSE TO TAG SHJSBAJ but thank you avaunt??? Parent?? Mod??? @roveyne

i decided not to gatekeep it CAUSE IT'S SO COOL AND INCLUSIVE!!! It has different hair types and all that jazz and there's even a version for plus sized!!

Picrew

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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

SOB IM IN LOVE- ESPECIALLY WITH TIGHNARI'S PART I LOVE COTTAGECORE AND THE "Fish in a pool, and a curious fox" IS SI CUTE AND JSGSJWJSVAN

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.

Why boob

I’m tryna get all comfy, reading those delicious fics I then decide that I wanna lay on my front and when I do my boob go s m o o s h like ow why

Goodbyes II

• A silent goodbye in form of calming them down when they’re dying. feat Diluc, Xiao, Ayato • Genre: Angst • Warnings: major character (implied) death, mention of blood.

•   DILUC; The Dark Side of Dawn

He never wanted to lose someone close to him, not again - the only loss he had to witness first hand left him broken, with a permanent scar that had healed but never disappeared. Diluc made sure to never have to go through this again - but why seeing you taking this role hurt even more? 

Desperate, fist clenching; fingernails biting the skin, only adding more blood onto his body. Survival instinct was silenced, secondary to his need to see you again; one last time - reasonable side added. Burning desire couldn’t always be enough though, especially when it was already small and weak, burning out as Diluc collapses right by the first line of grapevines. 

That was how you found him, bleeding and pale, mumbling “I’m home.” when you cradled him - head resting on your shoulder, his arms loosely holding your sides, ground dirtying your knees. 

Diluc wanted to hold you closer, skin to skin to feel your warmth, so close it would be suffocating as if his breath wasn’t shallow already. Despite his fire getting dim, why did it feel like he was the one losing you? Only now it dawned on him how little time he gave you - always making sure you had money to spend, a roof over your head and safety in Mondstadt, in any creek and mountain. His side of the bed was always cold, leaving you night after night just to return at dawn with the softest kisses - you felt his warm lips against your neck, followed by cold tears. 

“I’m so proud of you.” Your voice soft and gentle just like your embrace - wound on his chest not allowing you two to be as close as you would like to. “You worked so hard, you deserve to have a day off.” Diluc doesn’t answer, but you feel his lips bending into a smile. “Let’s get some grape juice and rest at Windrise.” Yes, he would like that. Just one day off, just one more day to spend by your side… 

The first rays of the sun sparkle in your tears.

•   XIAO; Vigilant Yaksha

Yakshas were fated to suffer, sooner or later, during or after war, alone; with others. There were many ways Xiao expected to die, only unsure for who or what he will sacrifice himself - seeing your tears-stained face brought him solace, knowing he threw away his life for you. 

“You should go.” His voice was stern as always, but there was no strength left to force you to leave - all Xiao could do was lay on your tights. He loved you, so, so dearly. Your strength, your smile; even when tears flew across it. 

“No, no, I… I’ll stay with you.” There was no more danger, only Xiao’s spears filled the field, slowly disintegrating into black-green particles. It was beautiful - playing with the wind, sparkling in the evening air, but for you, it was nothing compared to Xiao. His golden eyes still open, wanting to look at you as long as he could, and many wounds, seeping with mist, hurt body shimmering with deep green. 

Your thumb ran across one of them, Xiao doesn’t flinch nor groan; only leans into your hand. Your lover was always hard to understand, what he was feeling and needed, but you always knew how to calm him down. 

“You really should—” You shush him, and he complies, seeing how your smile wavers, breaking. 

“You know your karma can’t hurt me, I’ll stay with you as long as you need.” and Xiao allows himself to fall for this lie, blatant but so sweet. He didn’t want to die like his friends - alone, maddened or by a comrade’s hand, he wanted his last minutes to be by your side.

Your humming was like that blessed music from years ago - comforting, warm.

•   AYATO; Pillar of Fortitude

If the roles were reversed, several heads would fall for the mistakes of Shuumatsuban; incompetence, negligence. You could already imagine seething Ayato, whenever his anger would show as a mad storm or petrifying calmness. You would rather experience this than his tear-filled eyes and desperate grip on your clothes. 

“You’re safe… you're…” He whispers, his hand grabbing any part of you, moving frantically as if you were the one splattered with blood. As if you were the one that littered the forest’s path with bodies of Fatui. His body was a collection of angry red lines, most of them invisible, but eager to show by blooming like red flowers on snow. 

“Yes, I… I’m safe.” His head falls on yours with a sign of relief as he hugs you closer, blood mixing with your wet clothes; his technique still creating rain and beautiful water flowers. Although you couldn’t awe at them like you always do, your face was hidden in Ayato’s chest that was moving slowly, heavy. 

“Kamisato… the clan and… and… Ayaka…” You could barely hear what he was saying, his speech slashed by deep breaths and the haziness of his mind. 

“I’ll take care of everything, my love.” Caressing his back, brushing his hair; his body becoming heavier and heavier. “Clan is… is strong now, and I’ll stand by Ayaka and help her.” You sounded confident enough to calm Ayato’s nerves. How will you tell Ayaka? How will you help her when others attack? Ayato worries, unsure if he did enough, if he… 

“You raised Ayaka well, you deserve to have a bit of rest." 

"Just a… just a little…” He mumbles, the same thing he said every time you urged him to bed. Just a bit of sleeping, a moment, just a second - having you by his side enough to lull him to sleep. 

The rain stops as Ayato’s eyes close.