pairing: xiao x gn!reader. reader is the pyro yaksha — though it isn't directly stated.
synopsis: it was all just a dream.
warnings: angst, mcd (reader), mentions / hints of death, slight spoilers for xiao’s backstory / lore & pyro yaksha's lore.
genre: angst (+ a very tiny bit of fluff.)
format + word count: fic + 1k
notes: another xiao fic i had in my drafts for a while / reblogs are appreciated :] // masterlist
the air was thick, it was cold. and the environment mirrored the feeling, heavy with melancholy. it appeared as only various shades of grey - as if darkness had taken over day for all eternity.
although xiao had been in liyue for millennia performing his duties as an adeptus yaksha, he had never been anywhere like this.
he only recognized the moon, full and bright - which brought slight peace to him.
attempting to focus, xiao became aware that something felt off, but he was unsure of what was causing such a sentiment. of course, one would feel uneasy if they were in an unknown location, but this felt different.
the moment he started to survey where he stood, his gaze was drawn to a figure on the hill close by, who was sitting and, appeared to be, silently watching the moon. xiao's body tensed as the moon cast colored rays onto the figure's clothing.
the person was you.
he wondered if he was dreaming, and thought of possible reasons why you would be here at this strange, unfamiliar spot. but chose not to dwell on it for too long.
as he slowly edged closer, he noticed that the being was indeed, you.
what were you up to, staring at the moon? did you not have more important duties to do? you were a yaksha, after all.
he quietly examined your figure. you were there, but somewhere else at the same time. like a corpse, almost.
xiao mustered the courage to speak to you, but you beat him to it. you redirected your gaze from the moon to his amber eyes and offered a soft yet sad smile.
it felt like time froze for a moment.
"alatus," you said, "it’s been a while." your gaze shifted to your hands, which you had gathered in your lap, then flickered back to the adeptus.
your eyes held but a flicker of warmth.
"[name], what are you doing here?" his voice tense.
the possibility that you weren't there, the consequence of yearning to see you again but knowing it was impossible, was concealed by his confusion.
you smiled again, turned back to the moon, and let out a small breath, "the moon is beautiful, isn’t it?"
you caught xiao's attention for a long moment, but he quickly averted his gaze and turned his focus to the moon, "…certainly."
he seated himself down next to you. but, the warmth he longed for was not there. he felt nothing but a cold, blank feeling.
you chuckled softly, "how have you been faring?"
he stayed silent and thought. you were right there, in his presence, so how was he faring? he would have said he was fine. but this moment felt so slow, so... surreal.
you seemed to have read his thoughts and frowned slightly. his mind, clouded with confusion, believed that you were here.
with no response from him, you quickly changed the subject, "how is your contract going?"
you didn’t wish to recall how the contract was also practically your demise. the karmic debt tainted your soul, it caused you to lose yourself.
he remained silent.
protecting liyue was just one of a yaksha's responsibilities. a duty shared by all the yakshas, written in their contracts. however, in the end, alatus - the last yaksha standing, had all the burden placed on his back.
“i want to sincerely apologize.“
"what are you apologizing for?" he replies.
you looked directly at xiao, "for not being there to help you. the contract made me corrupt, and now you must bear all the burden."
xiao locked his gaze on your empty eyes. he did not understand, why were you spewing such nonsense?
you knew he didn't get it at the moment, but you knew he would eventually.
you gently placed your hand on his, then returned your attention to the moon again. he stiffened, but allowed you to keep your hand there, gazing at the moon as well.
silence.
the wind blew gently as you peered out into the slowly fading distance, which was relatively close. you blinked.
you had to admit that it was the end, everything had an ending. but was it selfish to want a few moments more?
all the words you wished you could have said to him, the unexchanged conversations. all in three words.
not enough, but it was that could be said.
you squeezed his hand, "i love you, alatus." you said, barely a whisper. tears singed at your eyes.
xiao snapped his gaze from the moon to you. oh, how he loved you. after decades of waiting, he could finally say it back. he gently cupped your face, took a shaky breath and opened his mouth to respond. but suddenly, you started to fade. not just you - everything.
he looked around frantically, but all he could see was darkness. it was pitch black. you weren't there. no, he thought. his eyes began to slowly close as he struggled to resist something that pulled at him through the shadows, almost like a hazy mist.
after a few minutes, his eyes opened, and he began to scan the area where he was seated. color slowly returned to his vision.
he stood promptly, and his muscles tensed. the steady breeze seemed to know what had just transpired and carried the same sentiment in the wind from before.
he saw you - he knew he did. therefore it had to be true. you were right there, speaking to him while gazing into his glistening amber eyes with a soft smile. you even told him you loved him, but he didn't get to reply.
xiao looked over at the moon overhead, the wind slightly blowing his dark hair. he thought back to everything you said. why were you saying such nonsense?
he snapped his gaze back to the ground, his breath hitched.
warnings: angst, mcd (reader), mentions of death, graves, suffocating, slight spoilers for kazuha’s lore.
genre: angst.
format + word count: drabble + 0.4k
notes: i wrote this back in 2.1. it is now almost 2.4. oops. reblogs are greatly appreciated ! // masterlist
the wind carries the feeling of whatever is happening in the world at that moment. if one felt sorrowful, the air felt heavy, suffocating. if one was content, it felt light. but today - the day was dark, and the air - stifling. a moment completely stopped in time.
kazuha was sitting at your grave, his mind clouding - all because of guilt, perhaps? though he didn't do anything wrong.
but at the same time, he wasn’t there. he wasn’t there to save you.
the vision hunt decree was a vicious thing. how could the raiden shogun be so ruthless? stripping people of their ambition, their pride, causing death, in your case. (at the time, kazuha did not know that someone else was behind the vision hunt decree)
he watched as you lost all your memories, watched as you slowly died. and he couldn’t do anything about it. he just had to watch.
and he took all the blame. losing a friend once was already hard to adapt to, but losing someone again, just after learning to trust once more… kazuha did not know what to feel.
a samurai never cries. what was the point? there was no reason to show their emotion to the cruel world. it was best to stay put and keep the thoughts in one's head.
but kazuha wasn’t a samurai anymore. he could feel freely.
but he wouldn’t allow himself to, he wouldn’t allow himself to be vulnerable for even a second - he could not afford it.
he sighs, the wind gently ruffles his hair.
"i’m sorry for not being there. for not protecting you." his voice barely a whisper.
you couldn’t respond, of course. but it felt nice to get a bit of the burden off his chest.
“kazuha! you coming?” the captain of the crux fleet’s voice rang out from afar.
he nods but realizes that beidou, the captain, could not see him at the moment. so he raises his voice to reply, only slightly - so that it wouldn’t disturb the tranquility of this place.
his attention shifts back to your grave, and he smiles sadly. gently, he takes his scarf and wraps it around your tombstone.
“i’ll come back someday, so i can take it back, alright?”
kazuha waits for a second, not expecting a reply. but the wind became lighter, and he realized that you had heard him, even if you weren't here. he smiled to himself and stood up.
pairing: ningguang x gn!reader (no pronouns mentioned)
warnings: none.
genre: fluff.
format + word count: drabble + 0.3k
notes: this was supposed to be for ningguang’s birthday but it’s a tiny bit very late <3 also i put this together in like an hour and proofread it like 20 times :') this isn’t really my best work but reblogs are greatly appreciated ! // masterlist
ningguang had taken time off for herself, a rare occasion. especially coming from someone who played a very important role in protecting liyue. why - you may ask? the reason was you.
a quiet day away from liyue harbor, in the presence of your lover, exactly what you (and her) wished for.
sometimes, you wondered how lady ningguang’s interest had settled upon you, how she became so interested in you.
perhaps it was the time when you first met, you happened to bump into her and apologized, as you realized who you were talking to the moment your gaze set onto her. her ruby red, intimidating eyes piercing into you - questioning.
of course, her being ningguang, she didn’t say much - she just happened to shrug it off.
she seemed to have taken a liking to you though, even if she knew close to nothing, and your meeting being so awkward didn’t help much either. so she asked around, and you both became closer as she went.
or perhaps it was when ningguang had finally realized that her heart had settled on you. but she didn’t know how to address this feeling. was it just a friend thing? or was it something else?
whenever it was, you were eternally grateful for having someone like her in your life. and you knew she felt the same.
“the view is beautiful, isn’t it?” you inquire. the wind gently caressing your skin.
ningguang smiled, her normally serious composure that she held when she resided in liyue had left - now she was just her.
“that’s the first time i’ve ever seen you smile.” you say.
she chuckles, one of the rare things you’ve never really heard - but again, were thankful for.
ningguang wondered how you made it look so easy, how you made her heart skip beats, and how you loved her despite all her unknown flaws. how you didn’t love her for her status, but for her. her being ningguang.
synopsis: love is for fools, and it is never for eternity.
warnings: major character death, dying, lying (?).
genre: angst
format + word count: drabble + 0.3k
notes: i actually wrote this back around the end of may but i never posted it — thank you @izukxnnie for proofreading :D - reblogs are appreciated <3 // masterlist
eternity.
promises made by mortals are almost always false. deceiving. perhaps they say these words for their own comfort, because they do not know what will happen next, or the complete opposite - they do know.
you knew what was going to happen.
your promise? it was a lie.
you were not here.
you were gone, never to return.
it was his fault that he fell in love with a mortal. an adeptus, falling for a mortal. an act of foolishness. you were going to die regardless of what you said. he would have to move on, and you would be forever lingering in his heart, his memories of you would follow him wherever he went, no matter how hard he tried to forget.
he hated himself for it. he absolutely despised himself. for being so naive, for being so in love with you, for forgetting that he was falling in love with a mortal. someone who would end up dying anyway.
adeptus xiao had once fallen in love, and he vowed never to fall in love ever again.
you ruined love for him.
for all eternity, you promised. you said you'd stay with him for all eternity.
that was a lie,
a lie that you uttered, since you did not wish to hurt him with the truth. even if you told him, it would have still ended up harming him the way it did when you lied.
because love is for fools, and it is never for eternity.
