drown despair in the high tide at sunset

I write what makes me happy // 21 // she/her // pfp by 战斗田田仔

[goldfish-afterhours]

— I write what makes me happy

— Original stories, fanfics, headcanons, comics, etc.

— Requests: closed

.masterlist .wip list .rob them blind

Interactions from @soulsanta

[goldfish-afterhours]

interrupting my irregular writing by saying I’m so happy lnds can say ur name now so I can be so much more delusional

[goldfish-afterhours]

haven't played genshin in 3 years, don't know any of the new characters, at this point I treat and write the old genshin characters like they're my OC's

[goldfish-afterhours]

ROB THEM BLIND - FIVE

— Home // Genshin Impact Bank Robbery AU

Back in school, there was always that one student who followed all the rules as if it were the law. They would always be quiet at their seat by the bell, always have their assignments done on time, and, to everyone else’s annoyance, would remind the teacher when they forgot to collect the homework. 

The last person Lumine would pin as this type of person was Xiao, but right now, if being a bank robber was the equivalent of being a student, Xiao was a teacher’s pet.

“...got it? Everyone must be in their place. Do not change the plan, even if you think you see an opportunity. I don’t care if you think you’re able to get away—we stick to the plan,” Xiao said. Zhongli, Ajax, and Itto were on an overnight mission, so Xiao was now in charge of the remaining three members for this operation. Kabukimono sat on the couch, looking bored out of his mind. Lumine and Thoma were in two rickety chairs. Together, they formed a small semi-circle around Xiao, who was standing and lecturing as if he were a professor teaching a lesson. “Whatever happens, stick to the plan. No matter what. Does anyone have any questions?”

“I got one,” Kabukimono said, raising his hand. “Do you have to act like you got a stick up your ass?”

Thoma coughed. “Come on, guys, let’s try to keep things civil.”

Xiao crossed his arms. “Would you rather have a gun up your ass? That can be arranged, either by the security guards or me.”

“Now, now, let’s not get too feisty,” Thoma said, placing himself between the two shorter men. 

“I’d rather have a gun up my ass at this point than listen to you ramble on and on about your stupid plan.” Kabukimono stuck his tongue out. 

“Kabi-”

“Fine then, get shot and die, fucker. See if I care.” Without another word, Xiao stomped out of the room. 

Thoma sighed, rubbing his temples. “Kabi, couldn’t you have been a little nicer? You know Xiao’s having a hard time with this right now. He just doesn’t want anything to go wrong.” 

Kabukimono leaned back on the couch. “His bad memories are not my problem.”

Lumine had tried keeping out of it, but now she was too curious to stay silent. “What bad memories?”

Thoma opened his mouth, hesitating, before giving her a weary smile. “Xiao’s…spent some time in jail. I’m not sure if I should be telling you this, he doesn’t talk much about it. But,” his voice dropped to a whisper. “...I heard he went through hell there.”

Lumine’s eyes widened. “Jail? So he was caught for robbing banks?” 

“Nah, not banks. This was way before the Guili Assembly was formed. He joined up with Zhongli long before any of us, even Ajax,” Kabukimono said, yawning as if he was merely talking about the weather. He gestured in Thoma’s direction with a nod of his chin. “That innocent-looking guy you’re sitting next to has also spent some time in the slammer, believe it or not.” 

“Well, I wouldn’t really say I’ve ‘spent some time in there’,” Thoma chuckled. “I was in the custody cell for, maybe, two hours? That’s like nothing.”

“Maybe. Wonder how fucked up you would’ve turned out if you stayed there longer?” Kabukimono linked his hands together in front of him before stretching his arms towards the ceiling. “Maybe you’d turn out like that bastard. From what I know, he was in there for so long, who knows what kind of person he was before that.”

Lumine coughed. “So if he wasn’t in jail for robbing banks, what was he there for?”

“Murder,” Kabukimono said flatly, just as Xiao walked back into the room.

A vein bulged on Xiao’s neck. “If you’re going to talk shit, at least do it to my face,” he said, voice low but enable to suppress the anger spilling into his tone.

“What are you going to do about it, huh? Make me your next victim? Go crying to Zhongli again?” Kabukimono sneered. He leapt from the couch, ready to attack,

“Now, now, let’s settle down-” Thoma started.

“Settle down, my ass. I know you’ve been talking just as much shit as he has,” Xiao said, cocking his head in Kabukimono’s direction. Guilt immediately bloomed on Thoma’s face. Before he could respond, however, Xiao left the room again. 

“...Shit,” Thoma sighed. He lowered his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, Lumine, but do you mind going after him? He probably needs someone right now.”

“Sure,” she said. The chair groaned as she jumped to her feet and rushed after him. 

Despite the way the walls were peeling, they insulated sound well. It was only when Lumine left the room did she hear Xiao’s footsteps. He hadn’t made it far down the hall. He was no longer stomping, but his head was down and shoulders were slumped forwards.

Lumine quietly headed towards him and lightly tapped his shoulder. “Hey. Are you okay?”

The moment her finger made contact with his skin, his entire body tensed. He flinched hard and turned around. When Lumine saw the expression on his face, she almost felt guilty. His mouth was open in fear but his eyes were half-closed as he recoiled from her touch. It was like he expected that she had tapped him on the shoulder only to hit him after. 

But his expression quickly trickled away like water in an open hand once he realized it was Lumine. “...Yeah. Sorry,” he mumbled.

“No, I’m sorry. I was the one who asked.” Lumine looked down at her shoes. “I just wanted to get to know you better, that’s all…I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

She heard him take a deep breath. “No, it’s fine,” he responded.

Lumine looked back up at him, and to her surprise, he had a light dusting of red on his face. They exchanged glances for a second before Xiao immediately averted his eyes. 

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Xiao coughed, crossing his arms. “Y-Yes.”

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but…” Lumine leaned against the wall behind her. “What happened?”

Xiao’s face grew tense again. He pressed his lips together into a thin line, and for a moment Lumine thought she had gone too far. But he took another deep breath, chest rising before falling, and opened his mouth.

“Venti and I grew up in the same slums, about a hundred kilometres east from here. We decided to pool whatever money we had, try to get out.” Xiao started.

So he was a slum kid. Suddenly, his small stature—he was practically the same height as Lumine—and jumpy nature made sense.  

“...But there was no way for us to survive in the city. No one wanted to hire some kids from the slums. So we started b and e’s.”

“Breaking and entering,” Lumine said.

“Yeah. We usually watched the houses for a while, figure out their schedule, and wait for them to leave before going in.” Xiao twisted a thin silver ring on his pinky finger and his eyes darkened. “...But we messed up. It only took one mistake. Someone was home. And they had a gun pointed right at us, so…” His voice trailed off, but Lumine could guess what happened next. 

She put a hand on Xiao’s arm, right over his tattoo. He flinched at her touch, but he didn’t pull away. “You had no other choice,” she said, sounding as delicate and gentle as possible. 

Xiao nodded slowly. “‘No other choice,’” he echoed, his voice hollow. “Yeah…that’s what Venti said too, after he shot him.” His hands balled into fists. “Neither the police nor the court thought so, though. And Venti…”

“Were you two sent to different jails?”

“No. I left him alone for five minutes to hide the gun, and he was gone. The police looked for a long time too, but they couldn’t find him. It was like he disappeared into thin air.”

The two of them sat in silence, the elephant in the room crushing them against the peeling walls. Lumine considered ignoring it, but Xiao was finally opening up to her. Confiding in her, even. So she gave it a go. 

“Do you ever think you might have been betrayed?” she breathed, afraid the question would knock him over and shatter him like glass if she spoke too loud. 

To her surprise, however, Xiao was calm. “I’ve considered it,” he admitted. “That bastard left me for dead. But…”

“But?”

“...But I can’t bring myself to hate him. We had each other when we had nothing else. And he was my partner in everything. Partner in crime, partner in suffering, partner in life.” Xiao lifted his head to look at Lumine for the first time since this topic was brought up. And for the first time, Lumine noticed just how young he was and just how dark the bags under his eyes were, no doubt from the countless nights this troubling question weighed on his conscience. “You know, sometimes you remind me of him. He was also reckless, like he didn’t care for his own life. But he was kind and cared for the people around him, no matter how small or insignificant.”

At this point, Lumine could not stop the tears falling from her eyes. This man—no, this boy—had clearly been betrayed in one of the worst ways possible. And yet, he didn’t harbour any negative feelings towards the one who had obviously stabbed him in the back. Instead, he clung onto his naivety until his fingers bled.

How much Lumine wished that there was someone who thought of her the way Xiao thought of Venti. 

Her crying seemed to startle him. His lips parted as his yellow eyes widened in alarm. “Are you crying?” he asked.

Lumine wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “N-No. Just something in my eyes, that’s all.”

“Let me see.” Xiao used his thumb and index finger to tilt her chin towards him, gently pushing her arm away from her face. Her eyes burned and she tried to stop herself from sniffling, but she could do nothing to stop the tears from trickling down her face. 

Xiao swiped at her wet cheeks with his thumb. “Why do your tears fall for someone like me?” he asked softly. 

“Who else would they fall for? You went through such hard things. I’m sorry I brought up such a painful past,” Lumine croaked. 

Panic lit up Xiao’s face. He looked right and left of the hallway. When he confirmed they were alone, he wrapped his arms around Lumine. His embrace was warm and gentle, just barely touching her skin as if he was afraid that she would break if he hugged her too hard. 

“Please, don’t cry,” he whispered in her ear. “I’m okay. We’re okay now.” It sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince Lumine.

He flinched around her when Lumine grabbed his arm. “I’m here for you now, Xiao. We’re all here for you now. I know Kabukimono sounds harsh, but I’m sure he means well. None of us would betray you like Venti did, I promise.”

Xiao was still tense, but he tried to relax into her touch. “...Thank you, Lumine,” he murmured. “Even if you did betray me…I don’t think I could hate you either.”

“That won’t happen,” Lumine said fiercely. “Come on, we have a robbery to do, right?”

“Right.”

“And what are we going to do, no matter what?”

Xiao exhaled a laugh, and Lumine felt warmth bloom in her chest. This was the first time she had seen him smile, let alone laugh. “We stick to the plan.”

“That’s right. Let’s go.”

[goldfish-afterhours]

ROB THEM BLIND - FOUR

— Home // Genshin Impact Bank Robbery AU

It was early enough in the day that the bank was not officially open yet, but the employees were preparing for the busy day ahead. Zhongli had explained to her that, for this particular bank, the absence of customers was preferred because he could not guarantee their safety. 

Lumine winced. “Because there might be a shootout?”

“No. Our members are skilled enough that they can avoid civilians,” Zhongli responded. “But I’m afraid some banks are willing to hurt their own clients in order to protect their riches.” 

As terrible as it sounded, Lumine could understand why. Banks make up the most powerful organizations in New Liyue. It would be easy for them to pay out the costs of collateral damage. The damage to their pride after being robbed, however, was not a price most of them were willing to pay. 

The Nantianmen Bank was a grand establishment. On the outside, it looked like a place of worship, with marble columns and intricate stonework decorating the walls. It made the bank that Lumine had tried to rob a few days prior look like a corner convenience store. 

Zhongli led them to an inconspicuous, employees-only entrance. Amazingly, the door opened without any need for a password or ID card. Lumine furrowed her brows. What kind of bank has such lax security? 

Seeing her confusion, Zhongli merely said, “I consider this a part of our business expenses.”

“Gotta spend money to make money, right?” Itto remarked, ducking under the frame as he followed Zhongli and Ajax through the door.

The bank was even grander within. Chandeliers hung from the fifty-feet ceilings, bathing the foyer in a rich, warm glow. The floors were cool marble, so cold that Lumine could almost feel the frost biting through her shoes. A tall arch at the end of the hall beckoned people to walk through her, bending gracefully as she welcomed them into her lair. 

Lumine could not stop her jaw from dropping open. Never in her life had she ever stepped foot in such a beautiful and embellished place. Even the air felt different here: cold, regal, luxurious. 

“Do not stray,” Zhongli instructed in a low voice, as not to wake the sleeping beasts hidden inside the walls. “Follow my steps exactly.” He began to walk towards the arch, and they headed there in a single-file line. Zhongli led the front, followed by Ajax, who looked as if he was taking a stroll in a park rather than heading to rob a high-security bank, and finally Itto and Lumine bringing up the back. 

Lumine heard his words, but they barely registered in her brain. She was too dazzled by the grandeur of the interior, too busy drinking in every detail. She could see Itto getting further and further away from her from the corner of her eye, but she didn’t care. Her gaze was captured by one of the fresco paintings decorating the walls. It depicted a beautiful woman with long, white-blonde hair that appeared like threads of gold, the strands fluttering in a summer breeze. Her figure was voluptuous and alluring as she leaned against a thick tree, with red silk lazily draped over her supple flesh. She held a golden apple in one hand. A white snake wrapped itself around her arm, its forked tongue sipping at the air around the apple. The woman seemed to be coaxing Lumine towards her. Come closer. Come closer. Have a taste. 

“Traveller, stop!” Itto’s loud roar broke her out of her trance, but it was too late. She hadn’t noticed, but she was now turned towards the painting. The moment Lumine set her foot down in its direction, a rumbling shook the ground. Her head snapped up, just in time to stare at the boulder plummeting towards her from the ceiling. 

Before she could scream, a massive force knocked the wind out of her lungs. They tumbled on the freezing marble floors. Itto’s strong arms held her tight against him, cushioning her fall. 

“Are you okay?” Itto asked her.

“Y-Yeah…” Lumine replied, scrambling to her feet. “But your mask…your treasure!”

A chunk of Itto’s mask was missing, revealing one piercing red eye. Blood trickled from his head where the boulder had just barely grazed him. “It’s fine. S’long as you’re not hurt.” 

The thundering of boots filled the echoed in the hall as guards streamed out from thin air. Within a few seconds, Itto and Lumine were cornered against a wall, barrels pointed towards them. 

“Not so unreliable now, am I?” Itto grinned a toothy smile. “Stay behind me!” He used one arm to pull Lumine back, the other grabbing the machine gun strapped to his back.

Before Itto could even flick off the safety, however, all of the guards crumpled to the ground.

“Huh?” Lumine cried.

Itto blinked in surprise. “Did…Did I do that?”

“No, idiot.” Ajax walked towards them, resting a long tranquilizer gun on his shoulders. “What, you think you just willed them all to sleep?”

“Maybe I have some super secret powers!”

Ajax snorted. “Sure, and the police will catch me someday,” he said sarcastically. “You okay?”

“Y-Yeah, thanks…” Lumine said. 

“Consider yourselves lucky that our leader had a bit of cash in his back pocket. Otherwise these guys would be a bit more difficult to deal with.” Ajax kicked at one of the knocked-out guards. “Come on. Warm up’s over. We have a bank to rob.”

The rest of the robbery went smoothly. No other guards moved to intercept them, and the bank staff were terrified but obedient. Lumine felt odd as she held out the bag, watching the bank tellers drop bundles of paper with shaky hands. No guns were pointed at anyone—just the presence of the machine gun on Itto’s back and the dart gun resting on Ajax’s shoulders seemed to be enough. 

Just as in accordance to the plan, the four of them were picked up by Thoma, who drove a winded route that included multiple sudden turns to throw off any pursuers. 

Rather than being praised for a job well done, however, they were greeted with a scolding from Xiao. 

“How can you be so careless?” Xiao hissed. “They will take that chunk of your mask as evidence. It’s incriminating.” 

Itto shrugged. “They also have footage of us there. Isn’t that also incriminating?”

Before Xiao could spit back a response, Ajax’s easy voice cut in. “Relax, Xiao.” His hands were folded behind his head as he leaned back against the couch, legs crossed and shoes on the coffee table. “It doesn’t matter. No matter how much evidence they have, doesn’t matter if they can’t physically catch you. What good is evidence against a man they can’t catch, eh? Worked for me.”

Ajax closed his eyes. “And even if we do get caught…” he said, voice round and mellowed as he let out a large yawn. He opened one eye, resting it on Zhongli, who was standing behind the couch. “Right, Morax?”

“As long as you all keep your head on your shoulders and perform your duty, I will do everything in my power to protect you all,” Zhongli said solemnly. 

“So that’s that. Just leave it, Xiao. We made it out alive and rich, didn’t we? It’s all good,” Ajax said. Even though his words were reassuring, his tone was taunting. 

But Xiao didn’t take the bait. Instead, he turned to glare at Lumine. She felt a chill spark at the base of her spine as his sharp gold eyes pierced her skin. “And you,” he said, voice low. “What were you thinking? You endangered the whole operation. You could have gotten them all killed.” 

Lumine hung her head. Before she could mumble an apology, however, she felt a hand gently pat the back of her head.

“Be more careful next time,” Zhongli said, soft as springtime. “You’re one of us now. You must take care of yourself.”

She didn’t raise her head, but nodded slightly. “Yes, sir.”

His smile was visible in his voice. “Good.” 

Without another word, he left the room, heading down the hall to his office. Lumine watched him go. The spot on her head where he had patted her felt warm.

[goldfish-afterhours]

ROB THEM BLIND - MASTERLIST

"You don't need to lower your expectations. You just need more money."

Home - Wanted Posters

.PART ONE

One - Two - Three - Four - Five - Six - Seven

[goldfish-afterhours]

ROB THEM BLIND - THREE

— Home // Genshin Impact Bank Robbery AU

For such a run-down hideout, they were able to fit a surprising amount of weaponry. 

Knives were shoved in the shoe closet. Handguns filled the broken dishwasher. Rifles rested upright against mops, right at home in the broom closet. It was a wonder that Itto was able to remember where everything was, breezily stopping at every hiding spot to clean and dust off each weapon. 

“First bank robbery with the gang tomorrow, huh? How are you feeling?” Itto asked, polishing a machine gun with a meticulousness she wouldn’t have expected from his large hands. 

Lumine passed him another cleaning cloth. “I’ve robbed stores and gas stations before. A bank robbery won’t be that different,” she said. “And I would have gotten that one last time if it weren’t for you guys.” 

“Sure, it’s the same, if the gas stations were rolling in more dough than a hundred bakeries. Ain’t much difference between robbin’ a high school kid who isn’t paid enough and a buncha armed guards.” 

“I guess that’s true.” 

“You know, you can hide behind me if you get scared. You can even call me ‘boss’ if you want!” Itto guffawed heartily. 

Lumine cracked a smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Itto put down the cleaning cloth, reassembled the intricate puzzle of a weapon, and put it back where it belonged beside the vacuum. “There we go. Just a couple more to go and we’re done.” He picked up the cleaning caddy and started heading to the next spot. “Thanks for helping me, Lumine. Would’ve taken me hours, and I’d miss tonight’s Ultimate Insect Championship episode!”

“No problem.” I’m just passing stuff to you, anyways, she thought to herself. She watched as Itto opened a drawer under the sink and pulled out the pistols resting against the toilet paper. 

Arataki Itto. With his towering height and bulging muscles, he was the picture of a bank robber. The red tattoos decorating his face and arms and poking out from under his sleeveless micro crop top didn’t help, either. 

But the way he disassembled each part of the weapon to clean it before carefully putting it back together again with a smile sharply contrasted the carefree smile on his face. He looked like a child playing with legos. 

“Hey, Itto.”

“Mhm?”

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.” Itto snickered, waving the pistol in his hands. “Get it? Like-”

“How long have you been robbing banks?”

The question didn’t seem to faze him. “Hm…dunno. I’ve just been taking what I can since I was a brat. My sister sure got pissed at me though—something about bail money gettin’ higher and higher. I told her that I’ll just rob more banks to get the money back!” Itto puffed his chest out. 

“Oh, you have a sister?”

“Well, I say sister, but she’s the daughter of the people who ran the orphanage I grew up in. If you want to count them too, I’ve got enough brothers and sisters to form my own gang. Because of that, we always had mouths to feed, and never enough money.” The expression on Itto’s face softened as he looked down at the gun. For the first time, Lumine noticed the heavy tear troughs that couldn’t be obscured by his face tattoos. He didn’t look like a child playing legos anymore—suddenly, he looked as if he had aged two decades on the spot. 

But Itto looked up at her, and the mature weariness was quickly replaced by a wide-eyed, determined expression. “That stopped being a problem when the great and almighty Arataki Itto became Robin Hood though!” he announced proudly. “Nothin’ scares me! Not even a hundred guys with machine guns! I’ll rob any bank dry!” 

Before Lumine could say anything, Thoma popped his head through the doorway. “Oh, there you two are! Finished maintenance yet? Get washed up for dinner, we’re having bean stew.” 

The corner of Itto’s mouth twitched. “B-Bean stew?” 

Well, at least one thing scares him, Lumine thought. 

On the car ride to the bank the next morning, Lumine couldn’t help but fiddle with the black mask obscuring the top half of her face. 

“Is this really enough?” Lumine had asked doubtfully when Thoma handed her the mask an hour earlier. 

“Enough to stop the facial recognition cameras,” Ajax responded, putting on his own red mask. “You don’t want anything too big and bulky or it gets in the way.” 

“But…Itto’s and Xiao’s masks both cover their full faces?”

“That’s ‘cause this is my treasure.” Itto had smiled fondly at the ornate oni mask in his hands. Large horns protruded from its temples and its scowl revealed pointed fangs. No doubt the mask was heavy. “Tried stealing it from a theatre shop when I was a kid, and after bailing me out of jail my sister bought it for me.”

“Wish she hadn’t. Not like you learned your lesson, and it’s such a damn eyesore,” Kabukimono said. 

“Hey! Who are you calling an eyesore!” Itto roared. The two had started bickering, with Kabukimono spitting insults with creativity that would stump the most razor-tongued person, and Itto resorting to names like ‘meanie’ and ‘butthead’. Thoma was trying to calm them down while Ajax threw his head back and laughed, but Lumine noticed Xiao quietly leaving the room without a word. 

“I see you are all excited,” Zhongli said. He was sitting at his desk, gaze fixed on a sheet of paper in front of him throughout the whole display. He must had noticed Lumine trying to secretly read what he was writing upside down, as he had beckoned her over. 

She peered over his shoulder. The neat, elegant cursive on the cream paper starkly contrasted the words that were written. This is a robbery. We are heavily armed. Do not alert the guards or the police. Quietly unlock all the safes and no one will be harmed. 

“The first time we rob an establishment, I believe it is common courtesy to provide them the opportunity to give up peacefully,” Zhongli explained. 

Lumine cocked her head. “...And has it worked?”

Zhongli looked towards the members of the Guili Assembly. Somehow, Ajax now had both Kabukimono and Itto in a headlock, with one arm around each person’s neck. Kabukimono was spitting swear words that would make even the most seasoned sailor blush. Itto was struggling to get out of the headlock, the muscles around his neck and shoulders rippling, but Ajax held onto him with ease, without a hint of a struggle. Thoma was tapping on Ajax’s shoulders, looking more stressed by the second. Xiao had returned to the room but gave no effort in helping. He merely leaned against the doorframe, looking slightly amused by the scene. 

Zhongli let out a great, heavy sigh. “Not a single time.” 

The car coming to a sudden stop brought Lumine back to reality. Thoma had driven them to a back alley near the bank. As per the plan, he would circle around the area until he received the signal to pick them up again. 

She shook her head hard. We’re about to rob a bank. I have to focus. 

“Here we are, then,” Ajax whistled, his boots up on the dashboard. “Shall we say our final goodbyes?”

“Huh? You plan on dyin’ in there? I thought we were gettin’ ice cream after,” Itto complained. 

“Nobody is dying,” Zhongli responded. He was looking right at Lumine as he said those words. “Remember, violence is our last resort. Ensure your own safety first.”

“Yes, sir,” Ajax, Itto, and Thoma said in unison. 

“Well then,” Zhongli said. “Let us begin.”

[goldfish-afterhours]

Just finished a standardized exam and I’m so sad n disappointed bc I messed up one part rly bad :((

[goldfish-afterhours]

OVER THE MOON I GOT MY RESULTS BACK AND I SCORED HIGH ENOUGH TO ATTEND THE TOP SCHOOL IN MY COUNTRY

[goldfish-afterhours]

update I have gotten into the top school in my country >:3 it’s never over til it’s over!

[goldfish-afterhours]

ROB THEM BLIND - TWO

— Home // Genshin Impact Bank Robbery AU

“Mind your step. We’re here,” Xiao said.

The blindfold fell from Lumine’s eyes, and she squinted, her eyes adjusting back to the sunlight streaming through the half-opened windows. 

When you think of bank robbers, you would usually think they would be rolling in cash. There would be briefcases upon briefcases stacked in the corner with dollar bills, golden statues, priceless art, the latest gadgets and toys. And for the Guili Assembly, the most well-known and successful bank robbery gang in all of New Liyue, they should be able to afford all the luxuries that money can buy with the way they robbed the highest security banks dry. 

But as Lumine looked around the run-down site that could perhaps be called an apartment by a cheap businessman who loves health code violations, she could only wonder how the most infamous bank robbers could be living like this. The paint on the walls was peeling off, and water stains splotched the ceiling. An old dusty couch sat in the corner of the main room with a flickering television set that looked at least thirty years out of date. A boy with dark hair was sitting on the couch, clearly having been watching TV before something more interesting strolled through the front door. 

“Home sweet home!” Itto exclaimed, running inside. 

“I wonder if dinner’s ready yet?” Ajax stretched leisurely, as if he had just come home from a regular office job and not from committing a felony. 

How pitiful…Lumine thought, and it must have been written all over her face, because Xiao let out a cough. “This isn’t our real base. No one with a brain would bring a stranger there,” he explained, but with the way an embarrassed blush coloured his face, Lumine had a hard time believing him. 

But she wasn’t in the mood to piss off anyone yet, not when she’s already come as far as visiting their base without getting her head blown off. So she just nodded. “Ah…of course,” she said pleasantly. 

“Welcome back, you three!” a man with fluffy blond hair popped his head out from the next room, a big smile on his face. A pink apron was tied around his neck, and he was holding a spatula, wet with oil on its blade. “Oh, who’s this?”

“We were wonderin’ what took you guys so long. Thought you got caught by the police or something, but it looks like you guys caught one yourself.” The boy got up from the dusty couch. He walked over to them with an air of arrogance as he looked down at Lumine through large dark eyes. “Welcome to the demon’s den, little girl. Regret playing hero yet?” He threw his arm around her shoulder, smirking. 

Lumine pushed his arm off of her. “I’m not a police officer, and I wasn’t playing hero. I’m here to talk with your boss.” It was hard for her to keep from smiling in satisfaction at the boy’s surprised expression. Unfortunately, he quickly recovered. 

“And what makes you think our boss would want to talk to someone like you?” he scoffed. “The pockets of that jacket better be filled with cash if you think—”

“Hush, Kunikuzushi.” A soft, low voice from behind made the hairs on the back of Lumine’s neck stand up. She whipped around, but suddenly jerked to a stop when she felt something familiarly cold and metal press against her temple. 

“No sudden movements, girlie,” Ajax said breezily. “We’re all a little jumpy here.” 

Lumine felt sweat dripping down her back and her heart pounding in her ears, but it wasn’t because of the gun against her head. 

No, it was because she did not hear the door open, did not hear any footsteps, did not even feel the air move around her. This person, this man, was able to avoid even Lumine’s attention, the most sensitive person to sounds and presences she knew? 

Who the hell is this guy?

“Stand down, Ajax,” the man behind her said. “She’s unarmed.”

“As if that ever stopped anyone,” Ajax responded, but he immediately lowered his arm to his side. Though he did not put it back in the holster around his thigh. 

Slowly, just in case someone thought she was a threat again, Lumine turned around. The man behind her was tall, with long brown hair tied in a low ponytail at the base of his neck. He had eyes the same colour as sunsets, and though he wasn’t smiling, there was a softness in his face that took her back even more than the elegant tailcoat he donned. This man looked more like a financial consultant or a bank manager than a robber. 

“What is your name, brave one?” he asked. His voice was low and melodious, as if he could be reciting a poem. 

“...Lumine.”

“It is nice to meet you, Miss Lumine. Shall we go to my office? It seems we have something to discuss.” The man gestured around the corner. 

Without looking at the other men, Lumine followed him. It led down a narrow hallway, much longer than she expected for what had originally seemed like a cramped one-bedroom apartment. Another hallway broke off to their left, with what looked like a bathroom on the other end. The one they were walking through eventually ended at a row of doors, and Lumine followed him inside the last door at the end of the hall. 

The leader of the Guili Assembly did not have a luxurious executive desk, nor did he have fancy furs covering the dents in the floorboards. Instead, a low wicker table sat in the middle of the room. There was no chair, but a pillow was placed behind the table. Perhaps the most expensive part of his office could be the floor to ceiling bookcases filled to the brim with books and scrolls. Even then, Lumine found it to be run-of-the-mill. 

The man gestured at the single pillow. “Have a seat,” he said. 

“No thank you, I prefer to stand.”

“If you are more comfortable to do so, then I will not insist. So,” the man folded his hands behind his back. “I do believe there is something you would like to discuss with me.”

Lumine swallowed a lump in her throat. Despite his mellow appearance, the hair on the back of her neck was standing up. His face expression was relaxed and mild, but something about the way he looked down at her through amber slits made Lumine want to dash right out the door.

They were the eyes of a dragon looking down at its prey. 

“...You owe me.” She had to keep her voice from trembling. “At the bank. I was just about to rob it when your group broke in.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “I see. I offer you our humblest apologies. But surely you did not follow my men for an apology, did you,” he said. It did not sound like a question, and he clearly did not mean it as one. 

“No, I didn’t.”

“Then you must be looking for monetary reparations.”

“I don’t want your money. I want to join your group.” 

The man’s amber eyes widened in surprise. Lumine could see the thoughts swimming behind his pupils. He stared at her, unblinking, and for a moment she felt like she was going to be swallowed whole by those amber slits. 

“Interesting.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “And for what reason are you selling your soul for money?” 

Lumine clenched her fists. “...My brother. He’s been missing for years, but no one has seen or heard of him. It’s like he vanished into thin air. I need money so I can find him. All the money I can get my hands on.” 

He studied her face, and Lumine stared right back, determined to not back down. 

Finally, he turned to one of the bookshelves and pulled a piece of parchment and pen from one. He elegantly sat down at the wicker table. With grace befitting a musician plucking a guzheng, he wrote on the parchment with a flourish. 

“Here you are,” the man said, drawing the last period before setting the pen down. 

“This is…?”

“A contract.” He turned the paper around so it was the right orientation for Lumine to read. “You will become one of us, a member of the Guili Assembly. You will earn a percentage of everything we obtain, regardless of how much or little you participate during the heist. In exchange, you must assist us in our endeavours, as well as never betray us.” 

Lumine squinted her eyes at the dignified characters on the page. She expected flat-out rejection to her request, a physical test at best. She did not expect a contract, as if being a bank robber required a legal contractual agreement. 

“What happens if I break the agreement?” she asked. 

“Then you can expect a visit to court in the future, who will certainly levy a hefty fine. But I’m sure that would be an inconvenience to both of us,” he answered charmingly. 

That doesn’t help at all, Lumine thought. Still, she picked up the pen and signed her name at the bottom of the page. She spun it back around to face the man, and he leaned forwards to sign his name. 

Zhongli.

“Well, Miss Lumine, I formally welcome you to the Guili Assembly.” Zhongli held out a gloved hand to her, and she shook it. 

“Thanks. Looking forward to working with you, I guess,” she said. 

“I will introduce you to the rest of the group. But first—” Zhongli pointed a finger at Lumine’s torso. “I believe you have something in here of interest.” 

Did he notice my gun? The alarm bells started ringing in her head as he pointed. But then she realized he wasn’t pointing at the holster around her waist, but the pocket of her jacket. 

She reached into her jacket and pulled out a blue charm. 

“Ah, there we are. Would you mind giving that to me? I’m sure Ajax will cease his moodiness once it’s returned to him,” Zhongli said pleasantly. 

This guy could be a big problem, Lumine thought. Still, she achieved her goal—she’s been welcomed to the Guili Assembly. The largest hurdle is over. 

She put the blue charm in his open palm, hoping he couldn’t hear how fast her heart was racing through it. 

[goldfish-afterhours]

oh I genuinely forgot I had tumblr LMAO

[goldfish-afterhours]

me: *dreams of being a published author, writing books, etc.*

also me: *never fucking writes*

[goldfish-afterhours]

ROB THEM BLIND - ONE

— Home // Genshin Impact Bank Robbery AU

“Welcome to Minlin Bank. How may I help you today?”

As the line shuffled forward slowly, Lumine felt her throat becoming tighter and tighter; the note stuffed in her jacket pocket growing heavier and heavier. She was sweating—partly from the thick jacket engulfing her body, its hood flopped to her eyes to obstruct her face—but also because of what she was about to do. 

‘This is a robbery. I am armed—do not think about resisting or alerting anyone. Put all the money in this envelope and you will not be hurt.’

Lumine had scrawled those words on a piece of lined paper last night, ripped straight out of a notepad. Multiple discarded drafts littered her hotel room from all her attempts at obscuring her handwriting. 

“Next! Good morning, sir, welcome to Minlin Bank.”

The person in front of her left for the desk, and Lumine shifted forwards, so she was now the first in line. All of a sudden, she felt very exposed, as if all eyes were on her now that she was at the front of the line. She clenched her fists. I can do this, she told herself. I have to do this. 

“Next!” A cheery clerk waved her over. She looked young, even younger than Lumine, with bright eyes and black hair braided in two loop pigtails. For a moment, Lumine felt dazed. How would her actions affect this young bank teller? Would Lumine be able to sleep soundly tonight, knowing that she had threatened someone so innocent? 

The young lady’s voice broke into Lumine’s thoughts. “Welcome to Minlin Bank. How can I help you today, ma’am?”

Lumine took a shaky breath. Before she could back out, she pulled her hood tighter over her head, plunged her hand into her pocket, and—

“Get on the ground! Get on the ground!” a deep voice bellowed. Gunshots sliced through the air, embedding themselves into the walls like meteors with a sickening bang! Glass shattered, and the poor clerk serving Lumine screamed. 

“Last chance unless you want your head blown off! Get on the ground!” another voice shouted above the chaos of people crying and bodies falling to the floor. 

Lumine felt someone tug at her clothes. “What are you doing? Hurry and get down!” a woman whispered, looking up at her with eyes wide in terror.  

She crumpled the note back into her pocket and dropped down with everyone else. Most people were cowering on the floor with their hands over their heads, but Lumine was bold enough to tilt her head up slightly to catch a glimpse of what was going on. 

There were four—no, five of them. All male, all wearing some sort of mask to hide their face. The man who had shouted first donned a sinister red mask, with bared teeth and horns sprouting out of its head. He was so big he made the machine gun in his hands look tiny. Red tattoos ran down his arms as he tapped the muzzle of his weapon against anyone who held their head too high. Two men leapt over the counters, bags in their hands. A loud thump and the shriek of metal against metal meant they had successfully broken into the tills, and Lumine could hear the rustling of paper as they stuffed the cash into their bags. 

Curiously, there was a man standing at the front entrance of the bank. He had no visible weapons on him, and his arms were crossed. He was clearly not acting as a lookout—his back was to the front doors. Yet he made no effort to subdue or intimidate the people either. He just stood there, watching, white hood shrouding his face. He almost looked like a grim reaper dressed in white. 

“Hey, girlie. You’re holding your head a lil high. Got a death wish?” a playful voice breathed down Lumine’s neck. For a moment, she contemplated turning around and punching him right in the middle of his elaborate crimson mask, but that would surely draw too much attention. Instead, she covered her arms above her head like everyone else, even pretending to tremble. But in reality, her blood was burning through her veins. 

The groan of the counter and the sound of boots hitting the ground alerted Lumine that the robbers had obtained their goal. It was only a matter of minutes now. 

“Okay, okay, you can all get up now,” the man in the red-horned mask said. She craned her neck up to peek from her hood, and several customers were also starting to stir. The loud bang of a gunshot, however, made everyone drop to the floor once again. “Just kidding~ Stay down and count to a thousand. Any person who moves before that gets a bullet in their tongue.” 

‘One, two, three, four…’ Lumine could practically hear everyone counting under their breaths. But if she waited to one thousand with all of them, the criminals would definitely slip away, and she could not let that happen. 

‘Twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight…’ At this point, the thundering of boots faded away. The only sounds audible in the bank were heavy breathing and muffled sobs. 

As quietly as she could, Lumine slowly got to her feet, careful not to rustle her jacket. No one paid her any notice. Lightly, she stepped around the shaking bodies on the floor. Shards of broken glass sprayed the counter and floor. Bullet holes decorated the walls and the ceiling; surprisingly, the fish tank in the corner of the room came out unscathed. A bright red goldfish flicked its tail in the water as it changed direction, unconcerned with the violence that had just taken place. 

The police had not yet arrived, but Lumine could hear their sirens in the distance. And if she could hear it, that meant the robbers would hear it soon too. She had to leave, right now. 

Lumine carefully stepped through the giant hole in one of the glass entry doors. The road was deserted, all pedestrians having fled the moment the armed robbery began. 

She shut her eyes. Wind whistled past her ear. She could hear the street lamps humming lowly, a cricket chirping, the soft paws of a cat leaping onto a fence, and—

Heavy boots. 

Lumine’s eyes flew up and she broke into a run to the back of the building, down an alleyway, towards the direction of the sound. The footsteps were soon joined by the low rustles of paper money being jolted against a moving bag. Right before voices became audible, Lumine slowed to a walk, then tiptoeing on the cobblestone walkway.

“...talk too much. You think this is a game?” a voice snapped, his voice dripping with annoyance. 

“What’s wrong with that? I might as well have some fun with it!” 

Lumine pressed her back against the wall, summoning the courage to peer past the corner. Three of the five robbers were walking down the alleyway. A large bag was hoisted over the biggest man’s shoulder, while the ginger-haired man who had threatened Lumine was walking beside him, one hand in his pocket while the other twirled a gun around his finger. The third person with them was unfamiliar; she must have missed him during the chaos. He was much smaller than the other two, but he seemed to be scolding them without any fear, despite the largest man’s bicep being the size of his entire head. 

“C’mon Xiao, let Itto have a little fun with it! What’s the problem?” the ginger-haired man said airly. 

“The problem is he acts like a stupid oaf. Him just being there makes us more likely to get caught,” the one called Xiao retorted.

“Hey, I don’t act stupid!” Itto exclaimed indignantly. “In fact…you act stupid! Stupid!”

As they bickered with each other, Lumine took the chance to creep closer and closer behind them, darting into the next alleyway or behind corners to remain out of sight. They were talking so loudly to each other, she was sure they did not detect that someone was trailing them.

Until her foot hit a pebble. It barely made a sound as it fell back on the cobblestone paths. 

But these robbers were better than she had given them credit for. Xiao immediately stopped in his tracks. “Shut up.”

“No, you shut up!”

“We’re being followed.”

Lumine held her breath, but the footsteps became louder, as if they knew exactly where she was. She waited a few moments—maybe they would dismiss it as their imagination and be back on their way—but they came insistently closer. 

Okay, too close. I have to go, she thought. But before she could even move a muscle, a hand flew between her shoulder and neck, trapping her against the wall. 

“Now, now, what do we have here? Someone trying to play the hero?” The elaborate red mask was now resting against the side of his head, revealing his face. This is never a good sign—it meant he had no fear of her seeing what he looked like, since dead men tell no tales. His voice was playful and smile teasing, but his blue eyes were void of anything, as if they barely registered Lumine in front of him. “Didn’t you hear the big, scary man? You want a bullet in your pretty face that badly?” He leaned closer, but she did not flinch. 

“No,” Lumine responded. “I want compensation.” 

Before the man could respond, she pulled out the crumpled note from her pocket, unfolding it with one hand and shoving it in his face. “I was just about to rob them when you stole my target.”

The man squinted his eyes at the note before scoffing. “So what? You want us to open our bag right now and hand you a stack?”

“Just one stack? Don’t play. I want to talk to your boss. I’ll negotiate with them.” She put the note back in her pocket.

His lips curled into a sneer. “And just why would we let you do that?”

“Because you’re going to want this back, won’t you?” Lumine spun a blue charm around her finger. 

The man seemed to do a double-take. He looked down at his belt, confirming that the blue charm that was hanging from a chain on his belt loop was indeed gone. He looked back at Lumine, no sign of surprise on his face, but she could see that he was now clenching his jaw. 

Lumine winced as the cold metal muzzle of the gun made contact with her cheek. He was still smiling, but any trace of amusement was gone. “Give that back, girlie,” he said smoothly, as if chiding a toddler, “and I promise you’ll still be able to see out of one eye after.” 

Itto, who had been listening quietly behind him the entire time, finally broke his silence. “Hey, wha—? Didn’t Zhongles tell us not to hurt anyone if we can help it? You can’t shoot her just for that, Ajax!” 

“Watch me,” Ajax responded, clicking off the safety of his gun. 

The shortest one who had detected Lumine in the first place tugged at Ajax’s arm, the one holding the gun against her face. “Don’t,” he insisted. “Just bring her to him. He will decide.” 

Ajax’s eyes flicked to glare at Xiao, and for a moment, Lumine thought he was going to turn the gun on him instead. But instead, the ginger-haired man sighed and lowered his arm. 

He stepped away, and Lumine let out a gasp of relief, her heart threatening to leap out of her chest. 

Ajax shrugged. “Alright, alright, I can’t argue with my brothers, can I?” he said. “Count yourself lucky, little lady. You just earned yourself an audience with the Guili Assembly’s head.” He shook his head at them, as if they had just convinced him not to buy an ice cream cone instead of murder. “But watch yourself.” His empty eyes flicked back to Lumine, and she had to will herself not to flinch. 

“One wrong move and you’re dead.” 

[goldfish-afterhours]

ROB THEM BLIND - WANTED POSTERS OF THE GUILI ASSEMBLY

— Home

Below is what is listed on wanted posters distributed around New Liyue for all known members of the Guili Assembly, in order of most to least wanted. 

The following information are all part of an open investigation, and as such may be subject to change

If you have any information regarding these individuals, please report to the Liyue Qixing for a monetary reward. If you see any of these individuals, DO NOT ENGAGE. CONTACT THE MILLELITH IMMEDIATELY. 

Morax

Wanted: Dead or Alive for robbery, criminal conspiracy 

Priority: Extremely high 

Adult Asian male in his mid to late 20s, around 6 feet tall and 160 pounds, dark brown hair. 

The mastermind behind the Guili Assembly. However, little is really known about him 

Frequently seen wearing a long white hooded coat with black sleeves that obscures his face.

Nothing is known about his real name, occupation, or past criminal record

During robbery, he can usually be seen standing near the front entrance, giving orders to the others and acting as a lookout 

Has not been spotted with a gun, but the Millelith still strongly advise against approaching him 

Tartaglia

Wanted: Dead for armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, first-degree murder 

Priority: Extremely High 

Real name Ajax. Adult Russian male, 22 years old, 6 feet tall and 185 pounds, short ginger hair. Wears a red mask during robberies. 

The vanguard of the Guili Assembly. Usually one of the first ones to enter the bank at the beginning of the robbery. 

The most successful graduate of the former Childe Program run by the Millelith Brigade. Highly trained and proficient in all areas of martial arts, weaponry, and espionage. 

Extremely dangerous. Civilians are not to approach him under any circumstance.

Note to bounty hunters: It is highly advised to shoot on sight, as capturing him alive has been deemed impossible. 

Alatus 

Wanted: Dead or Alive for armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, burglary, second-degree murder

Priority: High 

Asian male in his late teens or early 20s, around 5 feet 2 inches and 110 pounds, chin-length teal hair. Wears a deep-green nuo mask during robberies. Has a green tattoo of a bird on his right arm. 

Nothing is known about his real name or occupation.

Former burglar with partner Barbatos. Alatus was originally arrested for the second-degree murder of a man whose house he was robbing, however he escaped from custody before his trial and has been on the run ever since. Barbatos was not found at the scene and is still missing. 

Note to bounty hunters: Alatus is extremely nimble. It is advised to immobilize him first before capturing him. 

Arataki Itto

Wanted: Alive for armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, vagrancy, theft 

Priority: High

Adult Japanese male, 24 years old, 6 feet 4 inches and 220 pounds, waist-length white hair, red eyes. Wears a red oni mask during robberies. 

Has been arrested in the past for minor crimes but was bailed out each time by his sister

Witnesses report he has a tendency to say his full name during robberies

Has robbed banks alone before joining the Guili Assembly 

Note to bounty hunters: When caught, please inquire about the Pokemon cards Arataki Itto stole, as they will be returned to the boy he stole them from 

Skirmisher

Wanted: Alive for armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, theft 

Priority: Medium 

Asian male in his late teens or early 20s, around 5 feet 4 inches and 120 pounds, short indigo hair, blue eyes, handsome in appearance. Wears a red mushi no tareginu with a black cloth that obscures his face. 

His face has been caught on security cameras multiple times. He usually appears alone or with Fixer a few hours before the Guili Assembly robs the bank, so it is assumed he is a scout. 

There are multiple files of a boy wanted for theft and aggravated assault who matches his description. 

Fixer 

Wanted: Alive for armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault 

Priority: Medium 

Adult male of mixed-Asian descent in his early to mid 20s, around 6 feet tall and 160 pounds, blond hair tied in a ponytail. Wears a black metal mask with horns during robberies. 

Nothing is known about his real name, occupation, or past criminal record. 

Usually appears alone or with Skirmisher a few hours before the Guili Assembly robs the bank, so it is assumed he is a scout. He does not wear his usual black metal mask while scouting, but wears a regular black face mask instead. 

Nicknamed ‘Fixer’ by a security guard who witnessed him covering for his crewmates’ mistakes. 

According to a witness, he was very polite, using ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when asking him to get on the floor. 

[goldfish-afterhours]

ROB THEM BLIND

“You don’t need to lower your expectations. You just need more money.”

Summary: Welcome to New Liyue, where the bank is the church and money is the religion. Cash is the lifeblood of this society, and there is nothing that money cannot buy.

Here, people strike rich or die trying. And in the case of the Guili Assembly, the most infamous bank robbery crew in the country, this certainly rings true. Even in the face of armed guards, they’re not afraid to rob the most secure banks dry.

But what exactly are they risking their lives for? What are they planning on doing with such a ridiculous amount of money?

Home (here) - Wanted Posters - Masterlist - Taglist -

Send an ask to be added to the taglist.

[goldfish-afterhours]

love wins all mv affected me in a way i can’t even describe

[goldfish-afterhours]

Realization Upon Termination

-- aka Diluc hunts down Childe in the mistaken belief he had killed his brother

Characters: Diluc, Childe x Kaeya

Type/genre: Bulleted headcanons, angst(?), comedic at the end i guess

Warnings: Not proof read at all

A/N: This is acc my outline for a fic I was gonna write but I still haven't written it 2 years later so I'm just posting it like this lol

Kaeya doesn’t come to the bar for a long time. Diluc is used to seeing his annoying face everyday, and despite how many times he’s kicked him out, Kaeya always comes back the next day, so Diluc’s given up 

Recently, he had been coming in with his boyfriend, Childe, a Fatui Harbinger deployed to Mondstadt. 

Childe was only in Mondstadt for a short period of time, and every time Childe would visit, Kaeya would seem a little brighter, his laugh would be a little louder

Diluc, of course, hates Childe. Not just because he’s a harbinger—but it’s a reminder that Diluc himself is alone, while Kaeya was able to move on and be happy with his life

Despite all that’s happened, this is when Diluc is jealous of Kaeya. Diluc has his money and family name, but he’s inexplicably tied down to them while Kaeya is free to do whatever he wants. It’s only when he’s roaming the streets at night does Diluc feel free from his chains of being the esteemed Ragnivindr Head. 

Childe and Kaeya visit the bar one night. Kaeya is as easy-going as always, but Childe seems off. He doesn’t drink the alcoholic drinks Kaeya buys him, and seems to be pushing Kaeya to drink more, drink more.

Diluc wants to step in, but he feels odd doing so. He never showed much care to Kaeya before, and it’d seem weird if he did now, so Diluc just watches it happen. 

The next night, however, Kaeya doesn’t come to the Angel’s Share. Diluc thinks that perhaps he’s on a date somewhere else with Childe, when Jean comes in, asking him if he’s seen Kaeya

Diluc says he hasn’t. It turns out Kaeya did not show up for work that day. She went to look for Childe to ask him, but Childe wasn’t in the Goth Hotel. None of the Fatui were giving her any answers either, and were being weirdly defensive about Childe

Rosaria, who was drinking at the counter, mentions seeing Childe just outside of Mondstadt, alone, bow in hand without his gloves when she was heading to the bar. She thought it was weird, but didn’t say anything to him, as he was leaving Mondstadt. However, she tailed him to Whispering Woods, where he just seemed to be going on a leisurely walk, so she left.

Diluc’s first thought is that Childe must have done something to Kaeya. He sets down the glass he was polishing and grabs his claymore. Jean asks him if he’ll need backup, and Diluc refuses, saying this is something for him to do

As a brother? As the Darknight of Mondstadt? He wasn’t sure

The sun was starting to go down. Diluc scored the Whispering Woods but found no sign of the harbinger. It’s only when the stars could be seen in the sky does Diluc find him, wading in Starfell Lake. 

“Ah...so the big brother’s found me.”

“What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? Well, you could say I’m erasing the evidence. You know, water washes away all sorts of things.”

“Where’s Kaeya?” 

“Hah, well…who knows?” 

Diluc takes out his sword. Surprisingly, Childe doesn’t want to fight him, saying he was tired and wasn’t in the mood for a fight for once. 

Diluc lunges at Childe, filled with anger, not only at him but at himself. 

Why is it only after everything is over does Diluc realize what he actually had?

Kaeya was trying to mend his relationship with him, but Diluc was too absorbed in what he had lost that he didn’t realize Kaeya was the only family he had left 

Diluc knocks the harbinger to the ground, water splashing as he falls. 

“Such a protective older brother, aren’t you?”

“You…you bastard…”

“Well, can’t say I blame you. If Tonia ever argues with her boyfriend in the future, I’d want to beat him within an inch of his life as well.”

That’s when Diluc stops, claymore above his head in mid-swing, confused. 

Suddenly, Kaeya appears from the woods, having been sent by Jean and Rosaria after he walked into the Angel’s Share later that night, wanting to be comforted by alcohol 

“Diluc, what are you doing?”

“...avenging your death?” 

Childe laughs, explaining that he was looking for calla lilies and fishing for Kaeya as an “I’m sorry” present 

“You thought he killed me? Really? I may only have one eye, but I certainly don’t have that bad an eye for men.”

“He’s a harbinger. There’s nothing about him I can trust.”

The night ends with Kaeya and Diluc helping Childe back to the cathedral for first-aid (for his hurt feelings)

Diluc and Kaeya’s relationship still feels a little strained, but perhaps Diluc has the Fatui to thank for helping him realize what he still had 

[goldfish-afterhours]

Just finished a standardized exam and I’m so sad n disappointed bc I messed up one part rly bad :((

[goldfish-afterhours]

OVER THE MOON I GOT MY RESULTS BACK AND I SCORED HIGH ENOUGH TO ATTEND THE TOP SCHOOL IN MY COUNTRY