how did the date go?? (the previous anon) i hope it went really well and you had fun!!
Y’all I’m still in shock over this man.
Firstly, for context he’s 6’4, arms covered in patchwork tattoos, muscled, and the whole biker aesthetic going on. This is important.
So he pulls up to pick me up and gets out of his car to open the car door for me in the rain. He takes me over to a very very nice winery, once we get there he’s just being very sweet and disarming because he knows how intimidating it can be for a woman to be alone with a man of his stature/look. He even offered for me to take a picture of his ID to send to my housemates to help me feel more safe (not that I felt unsafe, but this was our first date). He’s doing all the gentlemanly stuff like purposely moving me so that he’s the one walking closest to the road, holding open doors, pulling out chairs etc. we get to the restaurant and I didn’t really realize how expensive it was, and ig it registered on my face when I first looked at the menu cause he kept insisting that I didn’t need to be bothered by it and could order whatever I wanted. Mind you, I’ve NEVER been wined and dined like this by anyone let alone on a first date. And usually I’m the one taking initiative and kinda ‘in control’/flustering my date (man or woman) not the other way around. So this is all very new territory for me. Anyways, he’s really attractively listening to me and complimenting not only my appearance but also my intelligence and passion. It was really nice. So, dinner ends and we walk back to his car, I teasingly comment “oh the only downside of driving a manual is you can’t hold my hand while you’re driving,” and he just goes “oh that’s not a problem” and takes my hand, puts it on the gear shift, places his on top, interlocks our fingers, and proceeds to drive all the way to my place that way.
Okok rest undercut cause spicy
So we get to my place and head upstairs. He’s just being so sweet and doing everything he can to make me laugh, and even going so far to continuously check if I’m comfortable (ie not intimidated by him cause now we’re alone). One thing leads to another and we get frisky. And let me tell you,,,,,, I have NEVER been bent into so many positions just for a man to continually and ravenously eat me out. Like, he folded me in half like it was nothing (I’m 5’7 for height context). He’s just so big my whole hand can’t even wrap around his wrist. At one point he drug me up against his body (my ankles by his ears, legs against his chest, and my back against his thighs) and it caught me off guard, so he asked if I was okay and I just said that I’d never been manhandled like this before and mf looked down at me and just lowly said ‘oh I’m not man handling you.’ HAISISOAKAJAISISJIXXIIZ
In conclusion, he is really REALLY fucking into me as well and I’m very shell shocked
as was foreseeable, you were more bitter than a radish over your lover’s affairs in sumeru; with the pesky follower he met in the midst of his search for godhood being the victim of your ire. she should be grateful for your show of mercy to spare her life, or else you would’ve jumped on the chance in a heartbeat.
it could’ve ended well if he didn’t dangle the idiot leech of a researcher’s devotion over your head, using it to his heart’s content to keep you obedient. “haypasia would not dare to behave so insolently,” and “haypasia would’ve done what i asked without question.”
I kinda wanna write a small fic where the MC ends up in twst but they don't understand shit because the guys speak a totally different new and strange language that they never heard before. But the thing is, the difficulty lies within the dialogue. How do I actually write that new language?? I don't want to go through the process of making one up, and I don’t want to just keyboard smash random things either. It's a dilemma, but oh well.
The whole reason I don’t want to write it normally, like with italics and such, is because I think that would ruin it. The whole point is for the reader to be just as in the dark as the mc, and if the reader can just read the italisized words, well then it's not really working.
Your sweet raven-haired classmate was currently speaking to his ginger-haired roommate while not so subtly peeking at you from the corner of their eyes; one pair expresses hesitation while the other has a glint of mischief.
A look you’ve come to expect and has become familiar with from your fellow freshman whose name you later found out to be: Ace(?), from Grim(?) who translated it in a poorly worded and broken version of your language.
You look at your cat-like companion with a tilted head, a gesture of questioning. “Ace.” He motions to the now innocent-looking troublemaker. “Drag… you, trouble?” And you sigh, knowing that you’ll have to clean up after the messes of these one-brain-celled duo.
welcome to penpal service’s first ever collab event wherein writers are welcome to participate!
since october has recently started, i’d like to celebrate my favorite month by throwing a collab event that contains nothing but angst — oh the horror !
if you’re interested (which you should be) already, please make sure to read the rules and guidelines before participating <33
deadline for requests to join: november 10, 2022
deadline for fics: november 20, 2022
guidelines –
participants should only be genshin sfw and yandere writers
your goal? make an angsty fic! happy endings are not welcome here, make your readers cry 😈😈😈😈
the deadline for your fic is on november 20, 2022 so feel free to finish it before or on the date in your timezone.
minimum words should be 500, but there’s no maximum of words so feel free to go crazy.
there are no limits on how many characters and prompts you want to write. however, you’re not allowed to write child characters if it’s romantic.
it’s optional for you to use 1-5 prompts in one fic!
any kind of formats (headcanons, drabbles, longfics, etc.) are allowed, feel free to do whatever you prefer.
send a message to either in my inbox or in tumblr chat if you’d like to join and i’ll add you to the participants list! (will reblog whenever i update it)
if you want to suddenly change your prompt, character, or etc. during the event after being accepted — feel free to do so as long as you let me know about it !
rules –
fics should be genshin character x reader !
read my dni first in my carrd before participating.
please make sure to specify if you’re doing a yandere fic or a sfw fic when you request to join so i could label it in the upcoming masterlist !
nsfw is not allowed.
if you happen to see your name in the participants list, please reblog this post with the tag #farewell-love as acknowledgment.
make sure to tag me as well as use the hashtag #farewell-love in your work/s so i can add it to the masterlist right away !
no backing out once you’ve sent a request (i’ll only allow it if you have a valid reason to leave)
make sure to specify what contains in your fic (trigger warnings, spoilers to quests, etc.) so readers can know what to expect.
feel free to ask me questions or clarifications and i’ll happily answer.
instructions –
read the rules, guidelines, and my dni list before deciding to participate.
don’t care what y’all think of cyno, he is one of the biggest green flags in genshin. he sticks to his principles and would treat you right, however awkward and clumsy he might be. he’s willing to listen and while he’s very scary to others, he tries his best to be softer around you. very protective and would not let any slander against you go unpunished. will remember each of your dates and anniversaries — if he has a notebook for his lame jokes, you bet he’ll have a calendar and notes for your relationship.
july x — first date went well. ate the steak but didn’t touch the carrots - doesn’t like vegetables(?), will need more evidence. looked at a rose for five seconds - need to bring roses next date. laughed at my slime joke - remember to tell more in the future. (note to self: wear blue tomorrow to match outfit colors)
Riddle collars Yuu during his Overblot and now theres a permanent scar that shows where they were almost decapitated.
He can't look them in the eyes some days because the guilt is constantly there, constantly eating at him. He says he likes when they wear turtlenecks and high collared shirts because it makes them look professional and attractive, but in reality its him trying to avoid his guilt.
It never works and he can't help but think he should be the one with ever lasting scars for his crime
I'd imagine each blot gives a different scar.
Riddles is a nasty gash on their neck.
Leonas are crack-like formations from his UM that trail down your neck from Riddles scar and across your shoulders and chest as well.
Azuls encounter gives you a few nasty suction mark shaped scars along your back from where he tried to wring your body apart.
Jamil's scar is from where you were impaled on his projectiles. An entry and exit hole through your abdomen.
Vil's gave you a discoloration in your veins along your stomach and arms, making them black. You look like you've been poisoned.
Idia gave you some awful burn marks all across your back and legs.
it's in the little things {heartslabyul + savanaclaw}
OK SO. this started off as a "antithetical things they'd do when they're into you" but it turned into just. things that they do when interested. Some of them go along with the first inspo and are like "oh no they have feelings their world is upside down now" and others are just. cute. So just consider this me throwing offerings into the void so maybe the inspirations/motivation monster will come back to my brain <3
Heartslabyul
Riddle - in the way he fixes you up gently
Late! You were late!
Grim bounded ahead of you, eager to get a quick breakfast before the line closed until lunch. You were simply trying to keep an eye on him, already having resigned yourself to the few crushed granola bars in the bottom of your backpack. Barely catching the glass door as it shut behind Grim, you hurried down the halls and tried not to let your feet slide out from underneath you. Your effort was for naught when you nearly collided with a body the moment you turned the corner into the cafeteria. Riddle let out a surprised ack!, fighting to balance something held in his arms. You staggered back as well, apologies already falling from your lips.
“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry, Riddle!” You said breathlessly. “I know, I know, running isn’t allowed in the halls, but…we had a late start.”
Riddle gave you a quick once-over, expression flat but at least not angry. He sighed, handing you the container in his hands with a quiet, “These are for you.”
“Oh-?” You were able to open the container and spy a few homemade muffins before Riddle gently pressed against your chin.
“Chin up. I’ve told you before that you should maintain a neat appearance,” He murmured to himself. His chiding words were gentle, as were his hands as they freely adjusted the buttons on your blazer, straightening out the fabric where he could and fixing the way the collar of your shirt fell over the jacket. With deft, practiced fingers, he tied the ribbon around your neck too, stopping just before it constricted your throat. You swallowed when he leaned back half an inch to inspect his work, anticipating the way his face almost immediately darkened and he rushed to pull his hands away.
“Thanks, Riddle,” You said before he could stammer himself into embarrassment. He pulled nervously at his own shirt collar once.
“You should make sure to wake up on time…” He scolded weakly, voice trailing off before he cleared his throat. “I mean, ahem, the Queen forbids eating in class, so…you should finish those before it’s time to leave!”
He turned and left before you could respond, walking stiffly like a toy soldier. With a fond sigh, you looked at the box of Trey’s treats in your hands. At least Grim would be interested in this part of your story.
Trey - in the way he plainly lays out his intentions for you
Everybody depended on Trey, that much was obvious. The members of his dorm even called him mom on multiple occasions, only half-joking despite the grimace he tried to hide. It’s not like they were being entirely unreasonable, either - Trey was one of the most dependable guys at school. Yet who was there for him to lean on?
You, apparently.
You didn’t mind, of course. Through years of being the dependable one, Trey knew how to confide in you without it feeling like too much. Still, you noticed how he relaxed more and more, until he was no longer filtering his frustrations to you. Perhaps there wasn’t a genuinely mean bone in his body - just a bunch of tired ones, ones that yearned to rest in the solace you were happy to provide.
There was a funny domesticity to the whole thing that made your stomach twist in knots the longer you thought about it. Behind you, Trey was helping Grim through the last problem on his alchemy homework, the job you assigned to him to keep him away while you cleaned the last of your dishes. Perfectly in tune, Grim scampered away to put his paper with yours just as you pulled the plug in the sink and dried your hands. A moment later, you appeared behind Trey and let him lean into you, wrapping your arms loosely around the top of his chest.
“Thank you for helping him,” You murmured. “That’s one less thing I have to do.”
“It’s nothing,” He answered, and meant it. You were one of very few people he truly didn’t mind helping out no matter how many times you asked. “Besides, now that means I get you to myself.”
There it was again - something said so flippantly that made your heart do somersaults in your chest. Not quite knowing how far you could go, you leaned your head forward and placed the lightest of kisses to the top of his head.
“Do you really not know that I’ve been all yours since the start?” You ventured, keeping your face hidden behind his head even if he wouldn’t have been able to see you if you hadn’t. “It’s alright. I don’t mind reminding you.”
You weren’t sure how you’d get him to believe you for real, but he reached up and squeezed your forearm, and you knew you’d manage it somehow for a shot at this being real.
Cater - in the steadfast attention he gives you
Riddle looked about ready to blow a gasket, face red and sharp glare on Cater. Or rather, on Cater’s hand as he scrolled mindlessly through magicam.
“Cater,” Riddle said through gritted teeth, “Do I need to remind you of the rules to start an Unbirthday party? Put your phone away. Please.”
“Are we even going to start before the Prefect gets here?” He asked, unamused. Ace peered over Cater’s shoulder and made a face when he saw that he was looking through your magicam account. Not only was his crush making him moody, it was apparently making him a lovelorn sap, too.
Before Riddle could respond, you barreled through the entrance to the garden, out of breath and holding Grim by the scruff of his neck. He wriggled and shouted, effectively drawing everyone’s attention from the punishment that was about to happen before their eyes.
“SO sorry I’m late! Grim started a fire just before we-” You looked around you and saw a handful of tense first years along with a very angry Riddle. “Oh, is this because of me? I’m really, really sorry, I was going to tell you but I thought I could make it.”
“IT IS NOT - ah,” Riddle started loudly before catching himself and taking a deep breath. “It’s not your fault, Prefect. Cater here-”
“Saved you a seat!!” Cater interrupted, pulling out the chair next to him and eagerly patting the cushion. You gave Riddle a small smile before sitting, finally releasing Grim from your hold. A gray blur darted around the garden before ultimately ending up on your lap while you chuckled at something Cater said. His phone was nowhere to be seen.
Deuce - in how eager he is to please you
Deuce was determined to approach his new school life openly, honestly, and with more effort than anybody else in the student population. Becoming an honor student was an entirely new experience for him, so he figured it’d be best not to complicate matters with unnecessary mind games. For similar reasons, he took the same approach to how to deal with you, his very first ‘oh-my-goodness-the-prefect-is-totally-out-of-my-league-but-i-think-they’re-WAY-cooler-than-everyone-else-and-i-can’t-just-lie-to-them-so-i’ll-win-them-over-with-the-hidden-charm-my-mom-said-i-have-when-i-lamented-to-her-in-my-last-letter’ crush.
It didn’t help that on top of being insanely clever and tough and attractive, you were also totally smart. You didn’t even have magic and yet, if it weren’t for Grim’s scores bringing down your average, you’d easily be at the top of the first year class on every test. He HAD to take you up on your offer to study; he’d get to spend more time with you AND he’d get the best tutor in the grade to make his honor student dreams come true!
An unexpected outcome to this, though, was the immense pressure Deuce felt to impress you. What if he failed a test? You would be disappointed in him, right? Would you feel like it was your fault? Would you hate him forever and never study with him again??? The thought kept him up later than his worries about the test did, though Deuce would never admit it. (Ace might, if he ever got the admission out of him.)
His worries were for nothing, though, as he walked out of the room with a solid 86 earned entirely on his own. Deuce’s first instinct was to run down the hallway hollering in excitement, but he kept that inside in favor of waiting for you.
“So, how’d you do?” You asked as soon as you saw Deuce standing against the wall. You could see Deuce consider tricking you and saying he failed, but the excited bounce in his mannerisms gave him away. Instead he showed you his test, cheering with you when you loudly congratulated him. “I knew you could do it! All that studying really paid off!”
Ace, who had followed you out of the classroom and went entirely unnoticed, huffed and waved the both of you off. “Alright, lovebirds, just meet me at lunch,” He grumbled, gesturing for Grim to follow him. Deuce let him leave, instead relishing in your praise while he had it. Not for the first time, he considered himself lucky to be able to hold your attention for so long.
Ace - in how deeply he allows himself to feel for you
Ace wasn’t shallow, but he wasn’t exactly the deepest sea, either. He could understand many of the deep, complicated feelings his classmates often lamented, but he preferred to coast on the surface, floating cheerfully in his little bird-shaped floatie with a drink in hand. That is to say, Ace was usually much happier just accepting things as they were. If somebody didn’t like him, fine. If something was fun, do it again until somebody came around to ruin it. Then, move on to the next thing. Life didn’t have to be that deep - or, at least, his life didn’t need to be. It didn’t seem too fun down there anyway.
But then you reached up and pulled him down by the ankle, forcing him to sink to emotional depths he never bothered with before.
It wasn’t dark or scary like he was expecting. Actually, he was having fun with what he was experiencing. The way his heart pounded out of nowhere was close to an adrenaline rush, and the warmth that spread through his body wasn’t the worst thing. But he was definitely sinking, a pressure building on his lungs that was getting harder and harder to ignore. Would he acclimate? Would they burst? Ace didn’t know, and he found when he opened his mouth to ask he was only met with bubbles.
There wasn’t much of a difference between the way he acted before and after you turned his life upside down. Nobody really paid close enough attention to notice the way he held on to your hand a little longer while leading you around campus, or how his laughter faded out a little quicker in favor of watching you. When he allowed his thoughts to drift and he remembered there might come a day you have to leave forever - a day that could be just around the corner, for all anybody knew - a dark feeling settled in his gut that stubbornly stuck to his insides. There were little things he began to notice, little moments he began to collect, and they made him sink faster like pebbles in his pockets.But..being down beneath the surface really wasn’t the worst thing. Not if you were the one pulling him down.
Savanaclaw
Leona - in the ways he can’t quite play it cool
There were a lot of subtleties within Leona that you didn’t yet understand. It wasn’t for lack of trying, of course. You were simply still learning, and Leona proved to be just as difficult as you expected. He was guarded, everything he gave you was purposely an inch short of what you wanted, and what you were beginning to understand about him was telling you that he would never, ever give you a straight answer for any of your questions.
You only knew Leona for a few months, though. Ruggie has known him longer.
It wasn’t entirely your fault that you seemed to be grasping for hints in every direction. You weren’t even familiar with beastman mannerisms, so how could you be expected to dig even deeper than that? Ruggie, on the other hand, lived with lions for a while, and one in particular has been the main receiver of his attention for a while. Even without his knack for reading people, Ruggie would be an absolute fool not to notice how utterly hopeless Leona was when it came to you.
Leona’s ears were always perked up, one part of him alert even when the rest of him was dead asleep. Catching Leona unguarded was almost impossible, as his ears were always listening. Ruggie thought Leona was merely protecting what was his, making sure that when he helped himself to some of the prince’s items he wasn’t taking something Leona particularly treasured. What Ruggie was beginning to realize, though, was that they were listening for you.
Ruggie asked Leona about once, in a round-about way that they both knew was intended to preserve both their prides. Leona claimed he was merely bracing himself for the annoyances that trailed behind you at every turn, yet the way his ears lowered slightly, relaxed when you greeted him, gave him away.
More obvious than his ears was his tail.
Leona was not a touchy person. In fact, he preferred to be left alone entirely, whenever possible. The only person who could get away with even being close enough to touch him was Ruggie, and that was only when the only option to get Leona off the mattress in the morning was to push him off of it. You were the exception, as Ruggie was learning. You normally had his tail wrapped around your wrist like a bracelet, and half the time you didn’t even know it.
Ruggie watched with curiosity as you sat between him and Leona at lunch. That was another thing you could do - force Leona into rooms he normally wouldn’t bother with just with the promise of your premise - and a few seconds later, you had a tail wrapped around your back and resting on your lap like some sort of seat belt. Ruggie gave a breath of a laugh, looking away so Leona couldn’t prove exactly what amused him so much. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why Leona was so obsessed with keeping you close, so interested in making sure you couldn’t be taken away. You just hadn’t yet learned where to look.
Ruggie - in the things he shares
Ruggie didn’t have a lot.
There were lots of good things about him - he was hard-working, straightforward, more clever than he gave himself credit for (even on days where he gave himself plenty of credit). As long as you were not the target of his jokes, he was funnier than most of the people around him. The more you thought about Ruggie, the more you could decide was wholly good about him.
But, materialistically - so, in the way that mattered - Ruggie didn’t have a lot.
He neither hid nor flaunted that fact. It was just something everybody knew, to the point where every move he made was reasoned away with “he never had a lot.” Ruggie’s hunting in the kitchen for food about to go bad? He’s resourceful like that, because he needed to be. Ruggie’s running to and fro on errands others should be doing? Probably collecting IOUs for the next time he finds he needs something. Truth be told, the assumption got kind of annoying at some point - while he can play very easily with others underestimating him, it did settle uneasily that people associated him with lacking something. It was like someone rubbed his fur the wrong way; not the end of the world, but definitely not ideal.
Ruggie spotted you sitting against a tree one day and instantly sighed in relief at his search being over. He had a lull in jobs, a time slot saved just for you - but he walked like he was on a mission, just so that people would leave him alone. Efficiency, and all that. As he approached, you smiled at him before turning your attention back to a textbook open on your lap. With little grace, he dropped a few plastic-wrapped food items in your lap and stood in front of you, his shadow stretching past you and up the trunk of the tree.
Your writing stopped and you blinked at the food a few times. When you looked up at him, the grin on your face was wider than it had any reason to be. Ruggie briefly wondered which would weigh heavier on his mind: the idea that you wondered why he gave this offering to you because it might be all he had, or the idea that he just wanted to make sure you, specifically you, were taken care of.
You looked hungry, was all, and Ruggie knew how to fix that. But you didn’t need to worry yourself with the details.
Jack - in the ways he shys away from you
“You won’t be able to carry all of that,” Jack said bluntly. You peeked at him from the side of the stack of boxes, blinking as if processing his audacity.
Professor Crewel sent you to the botanical garden to fetch a few boxes for the next class’ lab. It seemed a simple job at first, until you realized the boxes were full of heavy bags of fertilizer. Still, you put on a brave face and tried to heft the boxes up yourself, only able to make it a few steps at a time before needing to take a rest. Jack, who had been in the garden checking on a plant for a project, had half a mind to leave you alone to struggle. But the idea didn’t sit right in his stomach, turning in a way that was worse than just disagreeing with his personal honor code, so he decided to offer his help.
In a…roundabout, unintentionally-so-yet-still-semi-insulting way.
Your arms gave out and the boxes fell to the ground with a thud that drowned out your sigh. “Okay, yeah, you’re right. Do you think you could give me a hand?”
Of course he could. You knew he could. You did know he could, right? Jack lifted the boxes with ease and shook his head in disbelief, turning to the exit. “Lead the way, prefect.”
“Wow!” It took you a moment to marvel at his display of strength, your eyes practically burning the path your gaze took down his arms. After a moment, you scurried to match his pace. “Sorry, I’m just…always so amazed at how strong you are! It’s really impressive.”
You didn’t give him any time to embarrass himself with the visible shock that dawned on his face. With a soft exclamation, you ran to hold the door open for him, allowing Jack to collect himself for a moment. The only problem was his tail, wagging a mile a minute and showing no signs of stopping before he walked in front of you.
Just before he crossed the threshold, Jack stopped, pretending to adjust the boxes while willing his tail to at least slow down. It took longer than he’d like, but he eventually got it to a pace where he could pretend his tail was just swaying with the way he walked.
There were a lot of things he wished he could be more honest with you about, but the mere thought of even starting that conversation froze Jack’s blood. The ice in his veins burned more than the shame of taking such a cowardly way around things. He wished his tail would get the memo to stash all his feelings away, but alas, it was always too honest for his own good. Perhaps it was a sign…but for now, it was just a burden, one that you were getting too close to discovering each day.
What if mc is done with Octavinelle and their shit so they serve takoyaki and a whole grilled octopus to azul.
And for the leech twins unadon or unagi kabayaki
I have nothing against jamil but I would serve him Snake soup or stew as a thank you for the damn overblot <3
also octavinelle + jamil please
WOAH !!! I LIKE YOU AND YOUR ANGER LET'S FUCKING GOOOO
Content : mc has had enough with everyone's bullshit and they decide to get their revenge by slamming food of themselves into their FACES. This is absolute CRACK, so if you wanted angst, this ain't it. Also this is rather short because besides being ABSOLUTELY STUNNED I don't know what to tell you.
Warnings : Cussing, a lot of cussing. If you don't want to read about the boys getting hilarious fucking trauma then don't interact with this. If you do then enjoy !
Part 2 with a lilia version : here
Mc being done with Octavinelle and Jamil's bullshit decides to traumatize them like their childhood wasn't enough
OH BOY WAS THIS SURPRISING FOR AZUL
his head probably went : "oh, so this is how it feels to have YOUR OWN FUCKING KIND SERVED AS A MEAL"
and reader, why would you go and say "Bon Appetit" like this was ok ?!
Reader : Death Stare Intensifies
.......
*decides to not ever fuck with you again cause he feels like the next thing on his plate will be the head of his own mother*
Looks at plate, looks at shrimpy, looks at plate and then looks back at shrimpy again.
Repeat the process until his neck decides to crack and fade into nothing but ashes.
He is surprised and absolutely-
I have nothing else to say, he is surprised what else do you want ?
and also why are you looking at him like that and for some reason he hears boss music-
"Bon Appetit"
.....
*Proceeds to look around him awkwardly only to spot azul with the same case*
Woah.. shrimpy is bold
This dud turned into the shocked pikachu meme right then and there when you gave him unadon.
he just stands there.
.....
I MEAN IT WOULD BE A WASTE IF HE DIDN'T EAT IT-
Oh OH OH
YOU HAVE HIS RESPECT GOD DANG !
Freezes completely upon realizing the soup that you gave him had snakes in it.
"I thought about you while chopping their heads of !"
will not mess with you ever again in his life.
THAT WAS BRUTAL-
he knows he probably deserves it for being a dick and all but that was UNEXPECTED-
sees you two days later and starts to speed walk away from you with a very confused kalim.
: ̗̀➛ He misunderstands the situation when he finds you on the ground with Tighnari on top of you.
As you were making your way back to the rangers' camp after your usual patrol, you jumped upon feeling something tiny crawling along your back. The feathery yet prickly sensation reminded you of an insect, prompting you to make a beeline for Tighnari who was just leaving his room.
"Tighnari, help me! There's a bug in my clothes!" you cried, frantically patting around your body. Tighnari's eyes widened as his ears stood upright in surprise.
"Don't move around too much! It might bite you," he said, grabbing your wrists. You squealed in shock upon feeling the bug crawl up towards your nape, and impulsively crouched whilst pulling him down with you. "(Y/n), calm down!" When you showed no signs of cooperating due to your hysteria, he sighed sharply and tore your shirt open, mentally apologising to you as he did so.
"Take it out, take it ouuut!" you screamed with tears in your eyes. Tighnari's hands roamed around your body in search for the annoying bug and the moment he felt it skitter over his fingers, he quickly caught it and pulled his hand out.
"Got it!" He then showed the bug to you, a smile of relief spreading over his lips. "Good thing it's just an ant-" He stopped abruptly when he felt an ominous aura behind him, and the ears of the shadow looming over the two of you immediately gave away the person's identity.
Cyno was going to check up on Collei today and had heard your scream. Worried that something terrible was happening to you, he bolted in the direction he heard your voice come from only to see Tighnari straddling you on the ground. One of Tighnari's hands laid flat against your bare torso, and it looked like your shirt had been ripped open by him.
Without context, the risqué sight no doubt caused Cyno to misunderstand the situation.
Gaze darkening, he swiftly summoned his spear as he said, "Tighnari. Don't move."
"W-wait, it's not what it looks like! You've got the wrong idea!"
Most Akademiya scholars, for all their pride in being well-read intellectuals, have little to no clue on how a person like you managed to have a relationship with the intimidating Matra. You were… well, in most circumstances, they wouldn’t hesitate to judge you based on your background—or lack, thereof, in terms of your studies—but as stated earlier, Lord Cyno is Intimidating.
They watch you bid him goodbye with an embrace and a far too large grin on your bubbly-looking face. Cyno, for his part, returns your embrace stiffly, a rare smile brightening his usually stoic expression. The scholars watch the interaction with barely hidden interest, pretending to read a book or, in one woman’s case, pretending to sweep the floor.
They all collectively cringe inside when they see you trip on your own robes and nearly fall face-first onto the floors if you hadn’t managed to grab onto a table for support. You were just so… they hastily flick their eyes to Lord Cyno in case he magically heard their thoughts, only to see him watching you with a fond, out of place look in his eyes.
Right. There’s the issue of that too. He’s soft when you’re around, less unapproachable to others. But then there’s the issue of you and your general… you-ness.
You’re by the archway leading to the exit a few feet away from him, waving your hand in the air like a child. Then you stop as if an idea has formed in your head, and within this moment and the next, you bring your palm to your lips and blow a kiss in General Mahamatra’s direction, an exaggerated mwah! sound echoing through the chamber.
Most scholars have agreed to never speak of you in a bad tone after seeing what Lord Cyno did to the last person who did so. It’s best to just turn a blind eye to most of the things you do that would normally have them raising an eyebrow like the haughty intellectuals they are.
But this thing they’re seeing right now? It’s absurd enough in their eyes that a few don’t manage to contain the scoff that spills from their lips. (Cyno sweeps a chilling gaze over them and memorizes each face frozen in horror over what they’ve just done.)
Much to the shock of everyone within vicinity of such a display, Cyno doesn’t turn around and ignore your childish act. Instead, he brings his hand up and pretends to catch your kiss, bringing it to his lips before blowing one right back at you. All of this is done with a straight face that would have normally sent a young student running in the opposite direction.
You catch it with both hands and place them right in front of your chest, pretending to swoon as you slowly walked away. It brings the smallest of smiles to Lord Cyno that doesn’t disappear until you’re gone from eyesight.
They have a brief moment to sigh in relief at the thought of them being in the clear.
But then he turns to them with a dark look that has their knees shaking in fear.
“I heard those scoffs.”
They all send a short prayer to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
ZHONGLI never carries an umbrella around, even when it’s raining incessantly on the busy streets of liyue like now. his body doesn’t get sick after all, he doesn’t find a need for umbrellas and whatnot. but you seem to think otherwise, as the moment you open the door for him you’re quick to go grab a towel.
“you’re soaking wet! did you forget to grab an umbrella?” you nag at him, while drying his hair.
“no, love. i don’t have umbrellas,” he replies, calmly. you raise an eyebrow at him. “i don’t need them.”
“what do you mean you don’t need umbrellas? what—oh. is it, is it because you’re immortal? but you will still feel cold, right?”
“but i won’t fall ill, love.” and zhongli sees how evident you disagree with what he said.
you don’t say anything, it scares him (he prefers it when you are scolding him, when you’re not quiet). instead, you leave the towel on the table and take off his gloves, his hands enveloped by yours. and when you start blowing hot air onto his hands, zhongli feels his chest about to burst.
when the color returns to his hands, you embrace him, face hidden in his neck.
“please take care of yourself,” you whisper, softly.
“i will. thank you, love, for everything,” he whispers back.
zhongli reminds himself to buy an umbrella tomorrow at bolai’s. but tonight, he’s staying in your arms.
