Mage's Muses

A fetish-focused RP account featuring all my favourite girls as fatties, as staffed by Mage. || Minors do NOT interact.

[magesmeatymuses]

Hello! My name is Mage/Melly. If you are reading this, you have stumbled upon my blog where I roleplay as my favourite women but obese.

You may find the rules here...

...the kinks I will write, here...

...and my muse list, here.

Please enjoy your stay, and don't be a stranger!

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NEW icons for the Raiden Shogun specifically...

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@caffeinatedoggy Well no shit he can’t do any card tricks, his fingers are too fat.

"Oh, yeah?! IS THIS YOUR CARD?!"

Melly grabs his credit card and slides it beneath Cafe's chins before she can even blink before poking her titrolls and making button pressing noises.

"Cash or credit, assflaps?!"

And then he promptly waddles away so he can try and avoid her wrath at a rate of 0.01mph...

[magesmeatymuses]

Despite being known as "Massive Mage", he doesn't actually have a lot of magical prowess in the sense that he can do card tricks or illusions or anything.

If he had any semblance of MP, he'd probably just cast spells a la Kingdom Hearts.

[magesmeatymuses]

⌈BIGMOUTH STRIKES AGAIN⌋?

Yeah, I can see it...

[ghostsnakesinmyhouse]

Like Pearls, like Swords

@magesmeatymuses

The Raiden Shogun isn’t entirely what’s come over her as of recent.

It’s evening, a warm glow setting over the mountains cradling their campsite for the night. The shoals burble and whisper with salty tide from clear beach waves, and the ruddy autumnal leaves of the great maples overhead catch the fading light like a sunbeam through water. They are, as ever, busy settling in; Xiangling is frying fresh-caught eel and churning butter for their supper, Noelle’s taken to a hum as she peels and washes shallots and leeks from their soil-stained crevices, Tighnari has his tail tucked around his slender, girlish waist to keep warm in the high boughs of the treetops as he scans for their travel route tomorrow. The Sho- Makoto (it’s taken quite sometime for her to rationalize this burning sensation in her core, that she has the wherewithal to be someone now. It’s foreign, and frightening) is meditating in seiza to steel herself as the group’s sundering vanguard, a position and station she takes to with relish and aplomb.

It’s as fascinating as it is bemusing to be allowed a preference. A freedom.

There are two missing and unaccounted for as the sun of Teyvat slips down into restful slumber- Ei is sleeping, the Archon’s concerns and stress leading her into a state of drowsiness that Makoto is more than capable of making up for. That leaves Ichiban, who cares little for the nightly rapport and prefers to hover at the edges of their encampment until the moment they start walking again…and Lumine.

It’s an odd thing to not have Lumine bouncing around the tents looking for something to do, for someone to tease and flirt and laugh with. The Traveler is just such an unavoidably bright presence that Makoto sometimes needs to look away from the golden brilliance that she exudes. The warmth is, however, incredibly welcome, and her mood feels poorer for its absence.

Makoto stands from her rigid kneel, artificial joints silently sliding across each other like a seamless mechanical puzzle. “I intend to find Lumine. Might you know where she has ventured off to?” She calls up to Tighnari, watching his ears twitch in acknowledgement. He points forward and to the right, which by Makoto’s internal compass means near south-southeast. 

“Said she had to go figure something out. I didn’t want to push when she’s been so wound up lately, but…” He runs his teeth along his lip. “I’m worried about her. Stay safe, and don’t do anything rash, alright?”

Makoto finds the notion that she’s some kind of rowdy blood knight (like some sort of Traveler) so ridiculous that she can’t help a snort. It’s frighteningly human. “Your concerns are appreciated and entirely unneeded. I will, for your mental comfort, endeavor to return before Liyue Harbor sleeps.” The man looks over the horizon, where the lanterns of the city glimmer like a mirage, and nods. As she’s about to leave the clearing, she hears a decidedly ungraceful noise like a goose honking and turns.

Xiangling runs into Makoto’s replete rack like an airbag, bouncing off with a jolt. She’s carrying a large rucksack that she holds up to the Shogun- Makoto, in turn, takes the bag without a word. It’s heavy, at the very least a dozen kilograms, possibly double or more. “This is supper for Lumine!” The cook beams at the unasked question. “I won’t have her skipping meals on my watch, so get her chowing and give her a stern talking to for me, alright?”

Makoto gives Xiangling an amused look and a slight upturn of the mouth that could potentially be a smile. “As ever, Xiangling.”

---

It’s not hard to find Lumine at all, really. A brisk walk some fifteen minutes away from camp and Makoto already hears the telltale sounds of earth-crunching carnage. The area is marked by jutting spires of stone and paralyzed wood, worn smooth and thin by the erosion of thousands of years of wave action. The Electro-wielder steps gingerly onto the silvery sand seemingly just as the fight has ended, though her free hand remains ready to draw her blade. In front of her is Devasation- the timeworn beach is a smoking crater of Lector remains, limbs and fabric torn apart by a sword that sundered more than it cleaved. The figure left standing has their shoulders hunched, heaving breaths coming out in steaming clouds against the briny air. Golden blonde hair almost seems to spark and sizzle in the dim light.

Makoto unconsciously takes a step back, placing her bag down, as if the Traveler’s very existence is a warning not to intrude. There is something that cannot be put into words about her, but Makoto knows instinctually to tread lightly. “Lumi-”

There is a space between seconds where the Traveler is some few meters away, and in the next Makoto bars the Musou no Hitachi across her vision to block an impact that feels like a mountain falling upon her. The Traveler is almost entirely wreathed in shadow within the secluded sands, but her eyes seem to cast Makoto’s senses into frenzy. White hot, burning amber soaked in blood, pupils shortened into feral pinpricks, her bared snarl hissing steam that immediately boils and evaporates the moment it escapes from clenched fangs. Makoto grunts as her entire being roars with the sound of chirping lightning, and kicks the Traveler’s knee out from under her. The blonde beast stumbles for a fraction of a second, diving between the falling katana and the Shogun’s outstretched knee before jabbing the sword edge into the sand, turning on the hilt as a fulcrum to spin and slam her leg into the puppet’s shin. Makoto falls to one knee with a jolt, but her intense focus doesn’t let up, and the barrage of bladed strikes are parried with all the strength she can muster. Her sword finds purchase after a sloppy turn, throwing the Traveler’s weapon away, and she pushes off her downed leg to stab- and the Traveler’s hand grabs the legendary sword with bare fingers. Makoto attempts to wrench it from the woman’s grasp, but it’s like attempting to pull herself from the vast pressure of an entire ocean. The Musou no Hitachi is pulled like a string to one side, the Traveler’s other hand slams Makoto down into the soft earth. Supine on her back, the puppet stares into gleaming, dripping fangs, the razor teeth of an apex predator, lips peeled back in rage. And the eyes drift closer, the haze of a light so searing space seems to melt around it. The fangs close in, Makoto’s artificial breath hitches-

“Oh.” The spell breaks. There is a long moment of silence as the blonde’s head pulls up and away, viciously scrubbing at her eyes, and when Makoto sees those golden irises again, they’re full. Slits faded, and no longer did the Traveler pin her prey to the ground…Lumine was on top of the Shogun. “I…sorry, lemme just, sorry-” The girl frantically skittered off the taller woman and scurried to help her into a more comfortable position. “I really didn’t mean to-” Makoto held a hand up to silence Lumine. “It is nothing I was not expecting. I know intimately your state of mind, after what happened in your duel with Ei. When you saw me, you were in a state where I was indistinguishable from friend or foe, and your victory brought you back to your senses. I do find some fault in myself for losing yet again, but you are okay now.”

Lumine didn’t look relieved by the assurance; if anything, she looked perturbed and upset, her eyes pinched with worry and guilt and distress. “But- but you shouldn’t have had to! It’s not okay, right? That I get like that, that I just get so mad that-”

“That it takes over?” Makoto guesses, and Lumine nods in a sedate manner. “For what it is worth, you are not the only one that experiences such volatile emotions. I should well know- Ei’s grief has caused univoltine thunderstorms in the distant past. What matters is that I am present now when you need me most.”

Lumine looks unconvinced, but at least partially calmer. They sit in silence for a stretch, kneeled in the sand as the waves lap at the shore. Makoto is loath to broach the topic again when Lumine’s emotions are so raw, and there is something so much more pressing on the puppet’s mind. Something that slithered in her stomach as she looked at the golden-haired girl sitting next to her. It was something she’d suppressed since the moment that she’d watched Lumine, half-dead, roar and growl like a wounded wolf as Paimon begged for her life.

“Lumine. I want you to look at me.” Hesitantly, she did so, and was met with Makoto’s thumb entering her mouth for the trouble. Unable to do anything but gawp, Lumine’s stunned surprise only burgeoned as the puppet opened her mouth for her, running her fingers all along her teeth. “You have fangs.” Makoto said matter-of-factly. “Even your normal molars are sharp, and your canines are akin to that of a wolf or dog.” “Ahhih-” Lumine tries to interrupt, but Makoto shushes her gently, and the blonde sits back on her haunches obediently. The Shogun hums. “As I have learned of my own likes and wants and desires, the call of a life…and seeing you, as I have, in our day-to-day, has certainly affirmed something. I have something of an oral fixation, it seems- the mouth is an instrument vital to our expression. The way you talk, the way you eat, the way you react with my digits in your mouth. It fascinates me. Pardon for the inquiry, but Xiangling requested I bring your serving of the evening meal to you- may I feed it to you?”

It’s something of a challenge for Lumine to refuse, considering Makoto’s five free fingers were stuffed in her mouth and running softly along the points of her teeth. The puppet looks entirely sincere, her imperious gaze locked onto Lumine with a surety like steel. Slowly, quietly, Lumine nods, and Makoto makes a small noise of pleasure. She fishes in the bag for a moment, and a strip of braised eel dangles from her fingers, and she angles Lumine’s jaw, thumb on the lip, to chew on the savour of well-seasoned seafood. It’s delicious, expectedly, but just as the blonde relaxes, another strip enters her mouth. It’s a steady pace, Makoto watching severely as Lumine chews, her fangs slicing through meat fiber like hot knives. The sun is gone by now, the moon starting to show its pale face on the horizon, and they are silent for some time. At some point, Lumine’s head is nestled in Makoto’s lap, and she’s cradling her bloated stomach in her hands.

“Mff…alright, you can stop now.” Lumine mumbles, her vision of Makoto’s face obscured by the latter’s chest. “Really, genuinely. I’ve had enough.”

Makoto hums and begins to move Lumine off her lap, but the Traveler stops her. “...We can stay like this for a while.”

“I was under the impression that you were uncomfortable with your emotional outburst from earlier. Suffice to say you’ve relaxed?” Makoto asks rhetorically, but makes no motion to shift Lumine off her thighs. “I apologize if my interest in your teeth was untoward.”

“I- I don’t think it was that bad. It was…intimate. I kinda liked it.” It comes out of her mouth gently, but it feels like a flood when she says it. “Reminds me they’re not just for, y’know. Biting, killing.”

“They are good for that.” The Shogun agrees easily. “Your bestial way of fighting is a dangerous match for your strength. But you are a dear companion, and it eases my worries knowing your fangs bare for us rather than toward us.”

Lumine’s not entirely sure why, but it feels like she’s about to cry. Her eyes turn left, out at the distant swarm of billions of glinting stars in the sky. They feel so close in this moment, like they could fall into her open hands and she could hold them close.

They stay like this for a while. Eventually, Makoto urges them to return.

Paimon ribs Lumine over her stuffed state. Noelle and Xiangling titter like housewives at the way Lumine and Makoto come back holding hands. Tighnari sighs in relief before turning back towards the night sky.

Lumine looks up at Makoto. Makoto looks down at Lumine. Lumine grins, her fangs making her look like a pleased Golden Retriever. Makoto smiles awkwardly, rusty with disuse.

It’s a good night.

[magesmeatymuses]

I have been giving it some thought...

But instead of using Makoto's icons for the Shogun when she gets her own body, I might choose to just make new ones outright using her Magatsu Mitake Narukami no Mikoto incarnation.

I thought that it would make sense for her to use the Makoto icons since she feels a kinship with her, but I have realised just a few moments ago that doing so flies in the face of her desire to be autonomous. She can be Makoto without being Makoto...

She is the Raiden Shogun... Nobody else.

[magesmeatymuses]

@feedeestreameroverload A game where the objective is quite simple.

"Butterslut Strikes Again... Thank God I don't have to worry about having an embarrassing nickname like that."

Thus spake Jigglepile, idly picking his teeth after horking down a sandwich that was 75% juice in terms of weight.

[magesmeatymuses]

I have been taking the time to listen to vaporwave albums recently, and I have been really enjoying the ones that slowerpace has made. Something about the way they make it is just so calming and honestly entrancing.

All this to say that Yomi would very clearly be fond of Butterslut Simulator, obviously.

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Also, I know not if this is normal for one to confess, but it has been a very long work week (not even the longest one so far, goddamnit), andI am coping right now by imagining laying on Rodion (soft and buxom).

And having her be my big sister/confidant/best friend that pets my head and listens to me as I unwind after a long day at work.

...I have needs for human connection and vulnerability, okay?

[magesmeatymuses]

"No, haha. There's always time for fun. It's Friday night."

"...Let's dance."

[magesmeatymuses]

The trek returning to Inazuma was a long and arduous one, and silence reigned across the deck on a warm, humid night.

Unlike the last time Lumine had travelled upon the Alcor with her party, Beidou had foregone her usual bombastic commands in favour of simply staring at Lumine's party with a bemused expression. Although Beidou had agreed to let them upon her ship, she wasn't stupid, and she knew that their newest guest was quite a celebrity nowadays, and having that information omitted from her when Lumine was chatting about getting a ride to Inazuma didn't exactly make Beidou the happiest ever.

"The Traveller is as the Traveller does... Tch..."

"Though the lightning strikes, all that remains will be one's dreams and memories..."

And even if the crew was uninformed about who their newest guest was, Kazuha could already glean that they had some kind of extreme importance—if not because of deeds, then because he was strikingly similar in appearance to the Raiden Shogun. (Little did Kazuha know that this enigmatic wanderer was far more intertwined to his clan's past than he was aware.) Kazuha's feelings on the matter were irrelevant, however; his perspective on the Shogun was infinitely more complex, and should he have any ill feelings, he would divulge upon them another time.

Ichiban stood alone in quiet contemplation as he watched the waves bob to and fro, ephemeral in their short-lived crashing, crossing his arms and focusing on nothing in particular. Much like the waters, his mind was rough and unsteady, and he was incapable of doing much but ruminate upon the future as Ei was busy playing oicho-kabu with Xiangling and Paimon to pass the time.

Not one for reading the room, Lumine walked to Ichiban's side, leaning upon the railing and looking out to the sea as well.

"...I remember that the Shogun was doing the exact same thing you were doing now. Standing right there, just looking out at the waves on the whole way back to Liyue."

"She was...? It must run in the family, I suppose."

Ichiban didn't look her way, instead huffing in amusement as he tilted his head downward.

"It must have been quite the ride. When I left Inazuma shortly after the whole Vision Hunt Decree ordeal, I had the privilege of having a few Fatui soldiers keep me company during the boat ride back to the mainland. Those times seem so far away now..."

"...And I'm guessing you miss them?"

"About as much as one would miss a pest buzzing around their head. Mindless sycophants, the lot of them."

"Guess that rotten attitude of yours hasn't changed since Sumeru, huh?"

Ichiban laughed, turning fully to face her with a wicked sneer on his face.

"Were you expecting me to be fully domesticated like some dog or something? Come on, Traveller. We both know you can't stand the sight of me at all, so there's no point in trying to make small talk."

Lumine's brow furrowed as she instinctively went to retaliate, but she took in a deep breath and exhaled to calm herself down.

"...No, I've got to at least try. Noelle's the reason why I wanted to give you a chance for Ei and the Shogun's sake, after all."

Ichiban scoffed.

"This might come as a surprise to you, Traveller, but some people just can't get along no matter what they do. I might be cordial with the others, but I don't have any incentive to extend that courtesy to you specifically."

"Well, you can do whatever you want, but I do what I do because I want to do it. That also means playing nice with you because you're Ei's son, so be grateful I didn't vaporise you when I had the chance."

"Hah! HahahaHAHAhahahaHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

So the Balladeer cackled, putting his hands on his hips and leaning forward as he looked at Lumine with barely-disguised malice.

"As if you could even do that as I am now! Last I checked, as the God of Wisdom, I flung you to the side like a worthless insect! All that bluster and all of those rumours about you being some kind of hero, and you couldn't even save that worthless human friend of yours—"

Ichiban stopped. That grin on his face died, and he took a step back.

The look on Lumine's face had gone from mild annoyance to downright inhuman fury, bloodthirst etched into her features as she glacially turned around and looked deep into the puppet's soul. She looked as if she were practically snarling, ready to pounce upon Ichiban and maul him to shreds—and the only thing holding her back from destroying him was a promise that she made.

"...Don't you ever... ever... call him worthless. Do you understand me? You don't get to talk to me about him being worthless! You don't get to say ANYTHING like that about him!"

"...And just what are you going to do about it, Lumine?"

Ichiban bit back, regaining his confidence after being tripped up.

"You couldn't beat me back then in the Delusion Factory, and you won't do it now—!"

"I DON'T NEED TO."

Lumine bellowed, causing everyone on deck to stare at them and Ichiban to shrink back slightly. Walking forward, she jabbed a finger into his chest and stared at him with a blazing, indignant fury in her eyes.

"Ask your mother what I was willing to do when I fought her in the Plane of Euthymia! Ask everyone who knows me what I did to La Signora in Tenshukaku! It's a shame you didn't ask Childe anything about me, because I'm sure he'd love to tell you which walls of the Golden House were splattered with his entrails when we fought! The only reason that you're standing here talking to me like you can even lift a finger against me is because the Shogun fought tooth and nail to save you. You wouldn't even be a faint whisper in the wind if I did what I should have done when I first saw you in Sumeru..."

"...H-Hah! Go on, then!"

Ichiban scoffed, spreading out his arms and exposing his middle to her.

"You may as well strike me down, in that case. I can see you hate the Fatui and want us all dead, so why not get it over with? There's no good from keeping me around, after all."

"...I want to. I already told Ei this, but my instincts tell me you should die for what you've done to everyone. Even still, I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it."

Lumine shook, clenching her fists.

"I hate you... so much. Less than Signora and less than Childe, yeah, but your posturing to me isn't even a candle in face of the burning hatred inside me for you at this very moment. I hate you so much... but I can't do anything about it."

"Because of that promise...?"

"...No. Not because of that promise. Once upon a time... I told myself I wanted to be just like my brother. I wanted to be just like him in every way I possibly could, but I can't. No matter how hard I try, I'll never be able to be anything like him."

Lumine hangs her head low, looking back towards the see and putting her hand against the railing.

"He told me so many stories about daring knights saving princesses or someone managing to save the day, and he'd tell me that we were heroes just like them—but I know those people don't exist at all in reality. The only thing that I can trust is my own judgment and the people I believe in. Everything else—eternity, wisdom, godhood—is just an excuse for people to abuse their power and act like they're better than every other person weaker than they are. You're no different in that regard... You just wanted power so you could get vengeance against the universe for making your life as miserable as it was."

"Don't speak as if you know me, you lowly cur!"

Ichiban stormed up to her, taking her by the collar and dragging her towards him so they were face-to-face. He looked haggard, shook by her words, desperately attempting to convince her (himself?) that she was speaking utter nonsense about his true motivations. His pupils dilated, his teeth chattering, he looked about ready to explode.

"My story is mine and mine alone to tell! You couldn't dare comprehend what I've been through—you don't know anything about me at all, you're just some stupid, vapid mutt who attacks everything in her sights like an unrestrained bloodhound—"

"I WASN'T FINISHED."

Lumine didn't even give him the chance to finish before she lifted up her elbow and whacked his arms out of her face, causing Ichiban to let go and yelp in surprise from how strong Lumine was. That, too, appeared to be restrained—and even still, Lumine was controlling her immeasurable anger.

"...The only reason I'm as cordial as I am right now with you is because you were just like me, once upon a time. You wanted to believe that there as good in the world, too, right? But time passed, and you found out that life was harder than you thought, and you just couldn't bear it anymore. You were a child just like I was, way back when... Weren't you?"

"...!"

Ichiban suddenly found himself at a loss for words, unable to look her in the eyes or create any coherent rebuttal to her. All he could do was sputter indignantly, glance everywhere but her face, before looking down at the deck of the Alcor in a mixture of guilt and shame.

"...I... I have nothing to say to you...!"

"...I thought so."

Turning away, Lumine walked past Ichiban and glanced over her shoulder.

"Even if I do hate your guts, I made that promise with Ei and Noelle that I would at least try to see your point of view. And... I guess I already do, in a sense. Now you're one of us—and no matter what happens to me, and no matter what happens to you, I'll fight for your right to stay with Ei and see what tomorrow brings if that's what you want to work towards. At least you can trust in that much."

"...Don't expect me to thank you for that."

"Don't bother. Your thanks are worth less to me than the breath you wasted to say them."

And so Lumine left, opting to get fresher air elsewhere.

While that boy named Ichiban could only stand there, unsure of what to say or even think after what the Traveller had said to him.

...The shores of Inazuma were only getting closer and closer by the minute.

[magesmeatymuses]

And so the journey expanded.

[magesmeatymuses]

Thank you sincerely to all of the people who read my blog and enjoy Fallen Stars. This story is a sincere labour of love for me, and it always makes me happy to hear people say that they have enjoyed reading it. Your kind words mean the world to me in ways that could never feasibly be expressed.

Despite the amount of plot stuff occurring at present, this isn't actually its own "chapter" of sorts like Interlude I. In fact, we are heading towards Interlude II at present, which has a lot of important story requisites first before we get there. Once we vault past that point, we move onto Interlude III, which I have been waiting to write for a very, very long time.

I can only hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all.

[magesmeatymuses]

Fallen Stars Ending: Wind

"...No matter what happens to me, and no matter what happens to you... I'll be by your side no matter what. I promise."

Cultivate your hunger before you idealise,

Motivate your anger, make them all realise—

Climbing the mountain, never coming down,

Break into the contents, never falling down...

My knee is still shaking like I was twelve,

Sneaking through the classroom, by the back door—

A man railed at me twice, though, but I didn't care—

Waiting is wasting for people like me.

Don't try to live so wise, Don't cry 'cause it's alright, Don't dry with fakes or fears, 'Cause you will hate yourself in the end...

Don't try to live so wise, Don't cry 'cause it's alright, Don't dry with fakes or fears, 'Cause you will hate yourself in the end...

You say "dreams are dreams",

I ain't gonna play the fool anymore,

You say "'Cause I've still got my soul!"

Take your time, baby, your blood needs slowing down,

Breach yourself to reach yourself before you gloom,

Reflections of fear make shadows of nothing... ...Shadows of nothing.

You still are blind if you see a winding road, 'Cause there's always a straight way to the point, you see—

Don't try to live so wise, Don't cry 'cause it's alright, Don't dry with fakes or fears, 'Cause you will hate yourself in the end...

Don't try to live so wise, Don't cry 'cause it's alright, Don't dry with fakes or fears, 'Cause you will hate yourself in the end...

Don't try to live so wise, Don't cry 'cause it's alright, Don't dry with fakes or fears, 'Cause you will hate yourself in the end...

'Cause you will hate yourself in the end...

'Cause you will hate yourself in the end...

'Cause you will hate yourself in the end...

...'Cause you will hate yourself in the end.

[magesmeatymuses]

The night is late in Liyue Harbour, and though the hustle and bustle of the city's people made things feel alive, Ichiban sat alone and watched the waters bob up and down in isolation.

In a sense, it's one of the greatest paradoxes one can ever experience. Despite being surrounded by so many people, Ichiban had spent so much of his life alone or with people that simply did not care about him that it was impossible for him to feel as if he were part of one "whole". There was a certain undercurrent of anxiety in his everyday life now; he was under no illusion, knowing he had nowhere in this world that he could go where he could feel safe ever again. Even when he was with Lumine's party and even when he stood alone in the presence of Ei and Zhongli, that nagging sensation in the back of his mind that he was a wanted man spoiled any kind of peace he tried to cling onto.

Rejected by his homeland to defect to Snezhnaya, only to reject the Fatui once his plan to ascend fell through before defecting to Lumine's party... His life seems to be one of constant betrayal, so it appears. It's probably only a matter of time before he betrayed them too.

"...Heh."

Ichiban couldn't help but chuckle at the futility of it all. He was once again where he was a few nights ago when talking to Xiangling. If he had to keep regressing all the time before he could get over it, maybe he ought to cut his losses and get out while he still can just to avoid the pain yet again. Sure, it'd probably end in his untimely annihilation, but no one would miss him anyway. (Part of him wondered if he "inherited" this trait from his mother.)

Just as he was about to plan it out, however, the sound of a few footsteps approaching him caused him to lift his head up. He had expected it to be the Fatui or the Millelith to apprehend him, but much to his (begrudging) relief, it was only Tighnari and Noelle, who were both looking at him expectantly.

"...I presume that this seat is free?"

Ichiban sighed, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head.

"So long as you don't pay the ultimate price of boring me to death..."

"How kind of you!"

Noelle smiled, sitting to his side while Tighnari sat on the other.

"It's just as well that we found you. We were just looking for you, you see."

"Everyone is nowadays... So what is it you needed me for, hm?"

"Collei."

And with that word, the hustle and bustle of the street faded away as Ichiban turned to look at him in surprise.

"Collei told us about how you went out of your way to save her when you didn't have to. I never thanked you properly for that... so there you go. Thank you for saving her when you did."

"...Is... Is that it?"

Ichiban rolled his eyes.

"I already told this to Lumine and the Shogun. I helped her out of pragmatism, and last I checked, it was Nahida who kept her alive once I was dethroned from being the God of Wisdom. Your thanks mean nothing to me."

"Believe what you want. I'm just not the type to leave things unsaid. You never know when they'll stay that way."

Tighnari barely even reacted, instead crossing his arms and closing his eyes.

"Also, thanks might mean nothing to you, but you should be thanking Noelle. If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't even be here right now."

"Hardly so. You make it sound as if I were the deciding factor for Lumine accepting him into our party."

"That would be because you were. Your words... Lumine felt their weight. She can be stubborn, but when she makes an effort to understand things, she can be surprisingly introspective."

Tighnari looked to Ichiban.

"Ergo... you thank Noelle. Now, preferably."

"...Thanks, I guess."

He looks up and around.

"Why aren't you guys with the Traveller, anyway? Where is she?"

"She's currently waiting for Beidou to arrive so we can use the Alcor to travel to Inazuma."

Noelle looks out to the docks.

"Though Inazuma only recently abolished the Sakoku Decree, travelling vessels that chart routes there are few and in-between due to a lack of information on the weather and the roughness of the waters. Given that the Crux is the only fleet that has strong, seaworthy ships that can traverse Teyvat's waters, waiting for the Alcor is the most logical choice."

"...Okay, that's nice and all, but that doesn't answer why you aren't with her?"

"She needs some alone time."

"Ei's satisfied after speaking with Zhongli and is simply browsing around, Xiangling is catching up with her father before she departs again, and Paimon is accompanying Lumine."

Tighnari huffs.

"Doing what, I don't know. She could be spending money, gambling it all away, perhaps flirting with anyone she fancies once again... Paimon tries, but she just gets swept along with the ride as Lumine does as Lumine pleases."

"...I see. She sounds... very unreliable."

"Far from it. On the contrary, it's that very spirit that makes her someone I trust deeply."

Noelle giggles, putting a hand to her mouth.

"Perhaps it's not the most heroic behaviour, but I have learned over time that one's actions and one's intentions can be completely different. Why, I've heard tales of Grandmaster Varka drinking on the job, and still is he one of the greatest Knights of Favonius Mondstadt has ever seen!"

"So you're saying that Lumine would be a better hero if she was drunk around the clock?"

"Good God, no! Don't give her ideas!"

"HAH!"

Ichiban clamps a hand over his mouth before he can stop himself from genuinely laughing, and this does not pass by unnoticed. Though he blushes a faint red from the embarrassment, Tighnari seems amused and Noelle can't help but nod.

"...And that principle is why I convinced her to see how the Shogun felt about you. There is no denying that you have made many mistakes, but I should like to believe that there is a place for you in this world should you wish to find one."

"...Get real."

Ichiban shakes his head, looking down at the ground and sighing.

"Do you seriously think anyone around here actually wants me around? Ei does to make up for her mistakes creating me, and Lumine barely tolerates me—and you guys are the same, just tolerating me because Lumine does. I mean nothing to no one."

"I want you around."

"W-What?"

"You heard me. I want you around, because I believe that you will find all the things that you want in this world so long as you continue seeking them. Whether it's here with us, or maybe somewhere in Inazuma, or beyond Teyvat—I have every bit of faith that you will someday. That's exactly why I wanted to believe in you."

Noelle looks up at the starry sky with a soft smile on her face.

"...One day, I want to be a real Knight of Favonius. I want to be a hero, just like Lumine is. And part of being a hero means that if I see someone that needs help, I will do whatever I can to help them. On my pride as a person... my pride as a maid, and as a prospective Knight of Favonius... I couldn't help but support the Shogun in saving you."

"...Even in spite of everything I've done?"

"Even in spite of everything you've done. No matter what you did back then, and no matter what you do in the future, there is a place for everyone in this world."

Ichiban could only look at Noelle in boldfaced awe in that moment as he soaked in her words. She didn't even look like she was lying... on the contrary, she was saying those things as naturally as she breathed. All of that, and she was a prospective member of the Knights of Favonius? Ichiban had every reason to believe that she was saying this just to butter him up, but she sounded truly genuine. It was... nice to believe in those words, for once. He felt like he had with Xiangling at camp so long ago.

Right as he was about to answer, though, the Traveller's voice broke through the air.

"HEY, GUYS!"

Lumine called out at the far end of Liyue Harbour, waving towards Ichiban and the others with Xiangling and Ei behind her.

"THE ALCOR'S FINALLY DOCKED! WE'RE READY TO GO AT ANY TIME!"

"Coming!"

And with that, both Tighnari and Noelle stood to their feet and began to walk forward. While Tighnari was busy walking towards Lumine and starting to lecture her about the state of their finances—for he noticed that Paimon's crown was suspiciously decked in bling—Noelle looked behind her and put out a hand for Ichiban to take.

"...Your home awaits. Shall we go?"

Ichiban stared at her for a moment, only to smile as he took her hand.

"Sure... Why not? We shall go together."

And the journey continued.

[betainthebetafinalmix]

I know you are there Melly

Fat fuck.

We all know you are there, you are blocking the sky of Oceania.

[magesmeatymuses]

(Hey, fuck you, man! It's not my fault that I got a bit hungry over the weekend!)

...is what he would have said if it wasn't for the fact that his cheeks alone are the size of literal mountains, so it mostly comes out as the world's most petulant "Prrrfrfrfrppprrrtttt...!"