to gain the blessing of a kamisato .
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word count: 2.6k!
warnings : none!
pronouns used : they/them – gender-neutral.
inspiration / prompt used : @hiraya-rawr's lovely piece
pairing: various x gn!kamisato reader (includes xiao, xingqiu, ningguang, beidou, and mona)
A/N: i think it’s obvious i’ve never written for ayato / ayaka, and xiao’s kind of took an unexpected turn, though, so i’m hoping i wrote all of them well either way. i think my favouritism for some characters over others show through lengthwise, but i had a lot of fun with mona’s. regardless, enjoy! ^--^
p.s. – i had the fourth part of a gradum ad lumen written and was planning on posting it today as well, but google docs decided to delete it, so i’m in the process of rewriting it.
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xiao .
– the tortured yaksha zhongli had seemed to take under his wing? absolutely not.
– as a surprise visit back from liyue, where you had gone to continue your studies of adeptus’ lifeforms, you had brought your lover with you to inazuma, though you’d introduced him as your friend to avoid any fights your siblings may have started at the more intimate title. all had seemed to go well; ayato had seemed to take well to the fact that xiao had at least minimal knowledge of inazuman etiquette if the impressed expression that passed over his face when the adeptus had taken a seat on the floor after being asked to stay for dinner was any sort of sign.
– after getting over the initial shock of his curt responses, ayaka herself had grown extremely interested in the meaning of the tattoo-like markings that adorned his upperarms and his clothing. you were impressed by the way he had managed to bite back any facetious or cold remarks you know he was so used to making all throughout the meal and lingering conversation afterward, but it was when he bid his farewells to the two that you were most shocked.
– despite the tension that visibly coiled through his shoulders, he managed to shake ayato’s hand and kiss the back of ayaka’s palm, pulling away and, albeit a bit hesitantly, speaking fluently in the native inazuman tongue; i appreciate your generous hospitality.
– the sidelong glances and barely visible smiles your siblings had briefly shared before bowing their heads in return and responding in the same language had given you the impression they would have no issue if you were to ask for their blessing with him. the conversation that followed two months later after you hesitantly approached the subject contradicted those beliefs.
“what do you mean ‘no’? what could have possibly given you two such a bad impression of him?” you asked, slightly distressed by their immediate rejection. the two of them again exchanged a look, ayato speaking once again,
“you misinterpret us. we don’t like him, per say, rather. . . we’re worried that you would regret your decision later on. with a past such as his, we’re concerned that he might accidentally hurt you or inadvertently make you end up bearing the weight of it.”
your brow stitched together, finding yourself almost offended by what your older brother was insinuating.
“of course you sent one of your detectives to psychoanalyze every detail about him you could find. do you two trust me so little that i can’t even make friends without you sticking your nose into their business?” you snap back, hands whipping back and forth in hurried gestures alongside your words. “you had no right. both of you. and regardless, it’s my choice of whether i want to “bear that burden” or not. i trust him, is that not enough?”
it was ayaka’s turn to interject, her voice soft and assuring as she stood to her feet across the table from where you also stood, the smile she always wore when she acted as mediator in your’s and ayato’s arguments lacing her features.
“of course it is, n/n. we just want the best for you and to ensure your safety. please, just allow us to say our part, have an open mind and heart, and if you still don’t agree, then, well. . . we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
– you had slowly complied, finding yourself seated a few minutes later as the conversation slowly eased forth once more. the three of you eventually agreed that it was, in fact, your choice, though you could easily sense the moment of reluctance as ayato bowed his head in compliance to ayaka finally agreeing to give the two of you their blessing.
– while he definitely wouldn’t have been their first choice, your siblings came to greatly appreciate the safety and security xiao offered you and were more than content to welcome him into the family once they got to know him a bit more.
ningguang .
– you couldn’t have asked soon enough. they would be ecstatic if you introduced them to the closest thing to liyue royalty and asked them for their blessings. along with the fact that you two seem so happy together, the benefits that both sides would receive would be innumerable. with established ties in liyue, and ones with high influence and incredibly promising no less, they’d surely be able to make their family name known there with ease.
– they were immediately charmed by your elusive partner as well, and they likely would have been ready to sign any documents right then and there, but when they observed the tender gentleness that she interlaced your hands with and the way she offered you her fur coat the moment she saw you shivering from the cold, promptly followed by an unexpected and sharp clap of her hands that brought servants bustling through the open doorway, trunk after trunk filled with expensive gifts, silks, and hand ground spices being set along the wall beside the two siblings as a graceful thank you, ayato was practically uncapping his pen and holding his hand out for the dotted lines.
– it was finally after everyone had setted down and the conversation slowed that you slowly breached the topic, ningguang’s elusive and capturing smile present all the while.
“so, our main intention of coming here was to give you the opportunity to meet ningguang, but also personally invite you to our, uh, wedding,” you finished, your tense posture slowly easing as you felt ningguang dip her head in agreement. it only took a second or two for your siblings to process your words, ayaka exclaiming joyfully and reaching across the table to hold your hands in hers,
“we would be honoured.”
xingqiu .
– based solely on first impressions, while his social standing is more than appealing, he seemed a bit. . . odd.
– his sense of humour and mischievous smile that he couldn’t entirely suppress whenever he looked at you, even around your siblings when it was meant to be a time to make good impressions, while amusing, did have ayaka tilt her head in question a few times. he managed to charm them regardless, especially after they observed his poetic and eloquent speech and how well the two of you seemed to get along, even with the playful banter that seemed to be a common occurrence in your relationship.
– the four of you had met for a late lunch in the courtyard of the kamisato estate, various dishes of tempura, ramen, which surprised you with ayato’s particular distaste for oily foods, and sushi, along with a few sweeter delicacies such as mochi and dango, and while xingqiu was more accustomed to higher-end liyue dishes, he seemed to accommodate the unfamiliar dishes just fine and enjoyed them greatly, in fact. between the clatter of porcelain and click of silverware, the conversation drifted from xingqiu’s standing in the feiyun commerce and his responsibilities along with it to traditions among liyue such as the lantern rite festival and rarer specialties found solely in the harbour city.
– you yourself were impressed by the easy but still formal atmosphere after your siblings and and xingqiu seemed to slowly grow accustomed with each other and pushed past the formalities; rather than the interrogation conducted by ayato you’d expected to happen, it was an almost pleasant conversation that you would have commented more on throughout the changing of subjects had it not been for your worries about just what they would think of him.
– when it came time to bid your siblings farewell, xingqiu bowed deeply to ayaka and ayato, addressing them both with efficiency and ease, a polite smile adorning his features as they returned his gesture and insisted that he return. the offer made your head shoot up from where you stood off to the side, having already hugged your brother and sister with the promise of visiting again soon, and feel confident that they found him almost as endearing as you did. the notion settled well with you for the following months, and it carried over into when you prepared to ask them to allow xinqiu to visit once more with the intention of asking them for their blessing, so when you immediately detected their hesitance, you were a bit more than confused.
“I. . . thought you liked him,” you trailed off, practically withering away under their tentatives gazes that ayaka and ayato exchanged as though reluctantly contemplating your words. ayaka seemed almost panicked by your comment, hands fluttering every which way as she rushed to explain in your brother’s stead,
“ah, no, no, that’s not it at all. xingqiu was delightful, and he’s delightful company!” she exclaimed, silently gesturing for ayato to agree, something that didn’t go undetected on your end as you watched the two of them carefully.
“the two of you get along quite well,” your brother acquiesced before continuing, “we simply didn’t realise you were so far along in your relationship.”
you slowly nodded, fidgeting with the hem of your robes before forcing out a sigh and making eye contact with both of them, “i’ll take your word for it, but if you’re going to simply wait to say no while he’s standing here in front of you, then i’d rather you tell me now instead. xingqiu wants to earn your respect and has been stressed about it for the past month now; he insisted we proceed with formalities, so, please. understand that he is just as important to me as you two are, and i wouldn’t want anyone hurting either of you.”
ayaka and ayato both nodded, the former reaching out to you with her typical encouraging grin,
“of course, n/n. we would never lie to you, let alone about something as serious as this.”
–
the two kept true to their word, smiling and tipping their heads amiably once xingqiu had voiced his proposal a few days following your private conversation with your siblings, and even extended the offer to allow xingqiu to stay at the estate for a few days so he could get to know them a bit better before your two families officially intertwined.
mona .
– ah, you’d like them to meet the renowned astrologist of mondstadt? certainly! she’s also your lover? that’s fine as well. but you’d also like to marry her? allow them to. . . revise her spending patterns a bit more thoroughly.
“the stories of the yashirou clan’s feats have stretched far and wide across teyvat,” mona stated as you introduced her to your siblings, silently praying that the interaction didn’t go sideways just yet. “the stars indeed seem to be on your side. i’m honoured; anyone worthy enough to captivate their attention so greatly will have my respect.”
“your flattery is appreciated but unneeded,” ayato responded, sparing a quick bow and fleeting smile. “your ability to read others’ fates has become something of a popularity in inazuma as of late. to be so popular, i’m sure you must find yourself with sufficient enough funds to support y/n? if your intentions to take their hand are still present, that is.”
had is been anyone else, they likely would have faltered at the cloaked jab, and you certainly shot ayato a glare that he’d certainly become accustomed to over the years but typically managed to stop even him in his tracks nevertheless, but mona remained unaffected, her cool gaze remaining on him as she spoke, sidestepping a bit closer to you as she did, “it’s quite impossible for a revered astrologist such as myself and of such calibre as well to suffer financially, if that’s what you so wish to insinuate. while i made a habit of. . . overindulging before y/n and i became close, i’ve made adjustments to comfortably satiate both our needs and wants.”
ayato seemed impressed by her unaltered demeanour, shifting his arms in an almost impressed manner as he took note of the confidence behind her words.
“very well. would you care to join us for dinner then? i’m sure you must be at least peckish from your travels, and i couldn’t imagine wanting to plan something as grand as a wedding on an empty stomach. come, i believe thoma has just finished with the last of the sushi.”
beidou .
– ayato and ayaka are at least slightly familiar with beidou, especially since she imports a lot of foreign goods from liyue and mondstadt when she’s in inazuma, so introductions wouldn’t be as prolonged as they might be with other characters. that said, respect for her would also be present, as they would find her dedication to her crew and ship admirable as well as her amiable and willing personality, seemingly untouched by the harsh conditions of the salt-laden seas and harsh storms that she often faces.
– while they’re not crazy over the prospect of you constantly moving around, they also acknowledge that beidou is more than capable of protecting you should danger arise, and you’ve always had a certain passion for travelling, and it wouldn’t take much convincing should the sea captain ask them to bless her in her pursuit of you.
“ah, a pleasure as always, captain beidou,” ayato greeted with a bow of his head, offering his hand for her to shake across the table after he saw the two of you enter his office, ayaka, who’d intercepted you in the courtyard, leading the way. “y/n. i hope the two of you have been well.”
“it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” beidou mused as she shook his hand before her other arm wrapped around your shoulders and pulled you closer to her, eliciting a soft giggle from you as you stumbled sideways, to which she grinned along with, “anyway, we’re still here on business, just not the typical.”
ayato seemed intrigued by this, tilting his head curiously before his eyes flitted between the two of you. “is that so? what may i help you with?”
by that point, ayaka had already joined your group, lingering by the side of ayato’s desk, smiling to herself as if she’d already pieced together the puzzle but stayed quiet nevertheless. you and her shared a brief smile.
“you wanna take this one?” biedou questioned, glancing down at you, only for you to nudge her encouragingly as a sign for her to continue. her smile returned. “well then, we were hoping to make things a bit more official before we left for our return to liyue. nothing too fancy, but we also figured you two would wanna be involved.”
ayaka shouldered ayato gently but gleefully, the reaction enough to make you feel yourself grow more excited by the second as you watched ayato break into a slow smile as well.
“we would be honoured and appreciate your thoughtfulness. shall we begin tomorrow morning? i’m sure i could clear my schedule.”
“sounds great. i’ll take you guys to breakfast; my treat,” she complied, the arm around your shoulders slipping to your waist. while it had been much easier than expected, you could barely contain your own glee by that point and would have leaned up to peck her lips right then had it not been for the expectant gazes of both your siblings on you. you nodded in agreement when you realised it, grinning like an idiot all the while,
“thank you, it means more than you know.”
