Red Is Not Your Color, My Darling

✧ Author: sunsetlovers ✧ RED IS NOT YOUR COLOR, MY DARLING ✧ Genshin × Handmaid’s Tale AU — dual timeline, angst, omegaverse ✧ Updates Saturdays at 9PM EST ✧ Read On AO3

[sunset-in-red]

Red Is Not Your Color, My Darling

A Genshin × Handmaid’s Tale AU by sunsetlovers

“Red is not your color, my darling. It never was.” A dual-timeline dystopian AU exploring power, obedience, rebellion, and forbidden tenderness.

✧ About the AU

Genre: Dystopian Genshin AU · Omegaverse · Dual Timeline (Past / Present)

Themes: Oppression · Survival · Political Intrigue · Trauma Bonds · Heavy Angst

Main Ships: Childe/Scaramouche · Alhaitham/Kaveh · Cyno/Tighnari · Zhongli/Venti

POV Style: A rotating ensemble cast with emotional depth and character-forward storytelling.

Updates: Biweekly — Saturdays at 9PM EST

AO3:

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

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✧ Start Here

🟥 Chapter Directory — coming soon

🟥 Meta & Worldbuilding — coming soon

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✧ Tag Navigation

Main Tag:

#red is not your color my darling

Chapter Updates:

#red is not your color update

Aesthetic Posts:

#red is not your color aesthetic

Quotes & Excerpts:

#red is not your color quotes

Meta & Lore:

#red is not your color meta

Characters:

#red is not your color characters

Author posts:

#red is not your color author

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✧ Ask Box

Questions, screaming, theories, and emotional damage reports are welcome.

(Polite interactions only — this is a comfort corner of suffering.)

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✧ Notes

This AU contains heavy themes inspired by The Handmaid’s Tale and mature omegaverse dynamics.

Please read chapter warnings carefully.

Thank you for being here.

Your thoughts, reactions, and comments mean the world. ♡

[sunset-in-red]

“Do you wish to touch the sky again...”

Visual atmosphere for a dual-timeline dystopian AU exploring power, obedience, and clipped wings.

[sunset-in-red]

“I will keep the peace until it breaks.” “Breaks the nation, or breaks you?”

— Red Is Not Your Color, My Darling

[sunset-in-red]

Sunset (looking at the date): Oh wow... my schedule actually aligned with my birthday? That's crazy... not a coincidence right? Definitely not. Venti: It's your birthday?! Sunset (looks over, flipping the calendar around): NO! Of course not! Wait! Wait—wait—there's really no need to— Venti (scurrying off): EVERYONE IT'S SUNSET'S BIRTHDAY! Sunset (closing their eyes): tell everyone...

[sunset-in-red]

“Do you remember that promised ache...”

Visual atmosphere for a dual-timeline dystopian AU exploring power, obedience, and once upon a times.

[sunset-in-red]

“The Martha… makes superb cookies. Would you like some?” It was like offering a treat to a stray. Expected a spark in the eyes, a little hope. There was none. “Would you like some?” It didn't seem like a question. “I…” There was a tremble in the single word, “I have done nothing to warrant a treat, Commander.” “Don’t be silly... Five children is… it… warrants many. Many.” A sentence that could not be finished. “I am not worthy.”

— Red Is Not Your Color, My Darling

[sunset-in-red]

“White caps, red veils, hidden eyes that never meet...”

Visual atmosphere for a dual-timeline dystopian AU exploring power, obedience, and necessary vigilance.

[sunset-in-red]

“To remove a sense is to remove a burden.” — A.G.

— Red Is Not Your Color, My Darling

[sunset-in-red]

Sunset (works hard on a moodboard; uses faces, uses blurred references, uses statues): Ah, finally another one dow—down? What the heck is that?

*clicks on a white banner at the top of the post*

Sunset (leans in reaaaaalllllll close): Content... label... review? Content label review? Review for what? What did I do?

*looks at the board again*

*tries to find a solution without tearing it down*

*nothing*

*looks back at the forced mature rating*

Sunset: But... the aesthetic, the colors, the beauty of my mind spilled onto a page. Is it—Is it the faces? The dancing legs? No—it can't be. Not the statues? Is it the statues? Listen here Tumblr Gods, I refuse to change this board because a few stone figures are being aesthetically pleasing in the backdrop of my story! You can take everything from me! My money! my home! My English degree! But not this! Not my fanfic aesthetic! Not my eye candy! I'm not changing that—

Tumblr Bot (sitting in a chair smoking a pipe, legs crossed): Your lose.

Sunset (taken aback, now looking at the ominous figure perpetuated by mood lighting): Pardon you—algorithm?

Tumblr Bot (smirking from beneath a fedora): I said. Your. Lose. Mere mortals don't get to choose what I deem unsafe within this community. I have a job, and a very serious one at that. Just like you have a job scheduling posts and feeding a community of hungry gremlins.

Tumblr Bot (sighing): Sure my mistakes sometimes ruin people's days. And sure I always hear the sigh when I appear—Pish posh, suck it up and deal with it. The statues are dangerous I tell you. Dangerous—

Sunset: That's a little... absurd... dramatic... art is supposed to be admired en masse. Don't be weird about it...

Tumblr Bot (stands and waltzes over to look at the flagged post): Hmm... let's see here... How long shall we say then... mmmmm... content review label... smaller staff... more frequent flags by people who aren't you... at the very least... a month? Best I can do.

Sunset: What kind of logic is that!? It's a moodboard with rock people!

Tumblr Bot: That you made on your own time and decided to share on my website. I don't owe anyone anything. Especially not you and your blog.

Tumblr Bot (under its breath): Though... I have seen worse... and I guess desktop users won't be bothered by the flag... BUT STILL.

Tumblr Bot (clapping their hands): Listen, our team is working hard to get this—and the thousands of other daily content review label backwash—seen to.

Sunset: I guess the smaller staff and the constant flood is... understandable.

*pauses*

*looks back*

Sunset: Do you like it at least?

Tumblr Bot: I adore it. And when the team gets around to it, I'm sure they'll love it. And when it's finally available to be seen 'en masses' (as you say) they're sure to like it just as much as everyone else. But, for now, I have to avert the most innocent of eyes from your wonderful masterpieces and stone bodied atrocities that have the audacity not to touch.

Sunset (defeated): Well shit... see you whenever I guess. Please do not come back.

Tumblr Bot (headed into the shadow realm): Toodaloo, darling <3 I'm sure we'll meet again... your statues beckon.

[sunset-in-red]

“To being lovers when the world was against us...”

Visual atmosphere for a dual-timeline dystopian AU exploring power, obedience, and finding love within a cracking system.

[sunset-in-red]

“If I did that, there’d be no one left to—” He stopped, swallowed. “I can’t.” “Or you won’t?” Not accusing, just tired. “You can’t keep saving a world that only punishes you...” “Maybe I like a little punishment.”

— Red Is Not Your Color, My Darling

[sunset-in-red]

“This was supposed to be unserious. I failed...”

Visual atmosphere for a dual-timeline dystopian AU exploring power, obedience, and April fun.

[sunset-in-red]

"I’m simply… nervous. Surely you can understand that." "Oh well, excuse me for not being able to read your mind." She clapped. "Oh, what a lovely time indeed. I just hope our little girl comes out looking... normal.” He sighed. “Why don’t you and the Eye go get baby things? Pink, blue—whatever. Just be open to a boy.” “A girl.” “My genes will decide.”

— Red Is Not Your Color, My Darling

[sunset-in-red]

Sunset (looking over unfinished university work): Okay... but like... I wouldn't need good grades, a mountain of student debt, and a crippling job if fanfiction was like—could become—an actual job. You know?

Neuvillette (observing bottles of water in the background): Well, fanfiction is a job in some sense of the word. It is just something that brings you joy rather than forcing you to work until it is finished.

Neuvillette (pops a cork, sniffs, puts it back): It has the want to be posted on time; work goes into word count and plotting; and you can always swap over to a different project if you get tired of this one. Not likely to happen, thank you, I do not do well with being abandoned. Things like this, however. That don't usually take place within a regular nine to five job.

Sunset: Well, yeah. But what I mean is... it's more like a hobby. One that I don't really have time for... You know?

Neuvillette (picks out a bottle): Well, that is what a hobby is after all. Something that you do not particularly have a lot of time for, but brings you joy nonetheless.

Neuvillettee (pouring two glasses of water): Think about it this way. If fanfiction became something you could do all the time, you would eventually find it to be not as enjoyable as you do now. Not because you fall out of love with the thought of it, but because it becomes just another chore within such a busy life.

Neuvillettte (swishes then lets the contents settle): And chores beg work, and thought, and that one hour timeframe of meandering before you eventually, begrudgingly start. If fanfiction replaced your crippling job and became something that you relied on to bring in revenue... that would make you an author of original fiction. Not doing something out of joy for a fandom, and characters you connect with, but out of necessity. For others, this truth does not apply. But for you—

Neuvillette (places a glass on the desk): Let's be honest, writing original fiction, while fun, does not bring you as much joy as this hobby you take such pride in. It remains something that feels like breathing despite the crowded, crippling job and workload from school. It is something you come home to; ready and waiting for you to continue on writing. Because all day was taken up by other meaningless tasks that need doing to survive. Especially in this economy...

Sunset (looking up at the block of text): Yeah... I guess you're right. I'm glad I still have you guys to talk me down then. And my readers. And my ideas. And this brain that is so smart, but can be so overwhelming sometimes...

Neuvillette: And we are happy to have you. All of you. Now, good luck with your work. Stay hydrated... and please... out of the kindness of your heart... give us a happy ending eventually. We deserve it.

Sunset (sipping the water): I'll get to it... eventually.

[sunset-in-red]

“We almost learned how to be us...”

Visual atmosphere for a dual-timeline dystopian AU exploring power, obedience, and the thoughts leant to gentleness in another time.

[sunset-in-red]

"No." She raised a finger. "Don’t." "It is now queen to a commoner such as yourself."

[sunset-in-red]

“Was I ever good enough for someone like you?”

Visual atmosphere for a dual-timeline dystopian AU exploring power, obedience, and loss of autonomy.