Eepy Girls - Ganyu, Yelan, Ei, Dehya and Their Sleeping Habits
A/N: A perfect fic after a long day of everything but relaxing. I bet all of us would love such pretty and caring company. CW: Male reader. As in all my fics, the reader always matches their S/O's lifespan - hence him being an immortal in Ei's part. Enjoy!
Ganyu
What could be better than sleep? Few things as far as Ganyu is concerned, fewer still - if any! - rival sleeping with you by her side. More precisely: with you to snuggle into. Being how she is, endlessly trying to be as inoffensive and timid as possible, it took some time to get Ganyu comfortable with being a bit selfish and needy whenever she wanted. She was afraid she would be a nuisance, oblivious to the fact that one loves their other half precisely because they are a nuisance in their life. After conversations were had and gentle assurances were made, Ganyu revealed her true self - a hopelessly adorable cuddle bug.
Having been deprived of an attentive, loving touch for most of her life, she still cannot conceive what magnitude of influence simple contact with you has on her. Intertwined fingers are enough to seemingly transfer energy from your body, and endless well of genuine feelings, to hers, invigorating her to face any challenge. In the bedroom however it feels different - in a good way. Your presence feels overwhelming, your heartbeat and breathing feels so loud, your body seems so much bigger and your devotion entirely disarming. When she slept alone, Ganyu would think about her troubles and plan for future issues, but with you? None of that. Protected by the exhausting and suffocating world, Ganyu's mind devotes itself solely to one thought - you. She wants you, whole; not in a base, primal sort of way (Though, um… She does think of that too… It's impossible to avoid when you're this close and this handsome!) but she simply wants to be with you, in that moment, tugged into your warm, strong embrace. Ganyu cuddles herself into you in the closest way possible, always facing you, always resting her head on your chest or belly, hiding her head in your arms. She curls up her legs, tightens herself around you, every move inviting you to hold her closer. Her fingers clasp around your back as if you were to vanish any moment, like a dream, a mirage. She doesn't want that; she wants to feel you, squeezing her, holding her, protecting her, loving her.
So strong is Ganyu's feeling of safety that her habits and instincts, practiced and engraved into her very soul, seem to break when you're around. Qilin are skittish creatures by nature - Ganyu being no exception - and prepared to stand up at the slightest disturbance and bolt. Ganyu might have slept in hay carts and other awkwards spaces, but never had she had a situation when she was ambushed out of a cozy nap - her senses are simply too good for that. However, when you hold her, there is no force able to pull her out of sleepy bliss, safe for you pulling away. Mountains would crumble around her, armies of the Abyss could gather around and the Jade Chamber itself might be going down, but as long as you stay - she stays.
What helps her clinginess a bit is her body, cool to the touch thanks to her Cryo vision. Overheating is never an issue thanks to her natural traits and, obviously, various cooling systems she can afford to have in your home. The bedroom is always well ventilated - and not just that. For Ganyu the bedroom is a sacred space, one she insists on tending to herself. Choosing not to employ staff (as she would feel uncomfortable with having somebody serve her), the cocogoat changes the duvet, sheets and covers herself. There is a constant rotation of seven sets, each in a different but matching pattern, changed every month to keep things fresh. Expect a massive duvet, lighter or heavier as the seasons change, the silk smelling of roses, vanilla, citrus or fresh coffee. However, Ganyu is also about rules - her doctor once told her that the bedroom is a space for sleeping and making love only, so there will be no reading, using books or other entertainment in the sheets. She keeps it dark, cool and welcoming. Ganyu will be very happy if you take care of it too.
As for sleeping getups, Ganyu has a selection of silken and cotton pajamas, each one in simple but vibrant, plain colours. She uses a different one each day, laundered and pressed to perfection. So too are her pillows and perfectly fluffy and always cool in summer, thanks to special, cryo infused threads made by Cloud Retainer. Or is it just her body temperature? As a Qilin, she wields the power of ice from birth, making her natural body temperature lower than that of ordinary people. She's a great summer cooler, but that makes her easily get cold during winter. Do give her a tighter hug when the snow falls, would you?
And watch out for those horns. They aren't big enough to force her to use a special pillow, but you can easily poke yourself on them if you're not careful - if you do, Ganyu will get sad and apologise profusely for being the way she is… Do silence her with cuddles and a gentle stroke of her hair.
Yelan
You never stop being a spy - that’s what every secret agent knows. So far, Yelan did not have to learn it the hard way. Not like she has to - this woman knows what she is doing and why. Whatever she does out in the field follows her home. Always. It’s only right to be ready if it actually comes.
As such, truly deep and relaxing sleep is a luxury for Yelan. It is not easy to close her eyes when the possibility that the next time she opens them, she’ll could be be in a torture room with the Fatui, Eremites, Treasure Hoarders or any of the other hundred or so groups she crossed over the years. That absolutely reasonable, lingering fear combined with the frequency of nightly missions makes her a natural night owl with a very fragile sleep. Even the slightest of suspicious noises wakes her up and immediately puts her mind into alertness. This has only gotten worse when she became yours, taking a very significant risk of dragging you into whatever shady business she has to deal with on that occasion. Yelan makes sure to put on a mask of confidence at all times in the bedroom to, hopefully, keep you from becoming equally wary of potential dangers. It appears to be working for now.
Fears aside, being her man means sleeping where she sleeps. It’s not a necessity when she’s out for a day or two, of course, but longer trips abroad often land you in hotels and safehouses that have less than ideal sleeping conditions. She doesn’t mind - she’s used to this way of life, after all - but if you’re uncomfortable, she’ll spend no expense to make the space a bit more cozy. She’s loaded after all, and very happy with the fact that her line of work comes with a protective umbrella for you. If anybody tries to get to you while she’s gone, they will have to make it past at least one guard. Even when they do, the incident will be noticed in less than a couple hours and she would be able to jump straight into the action.
But what if somebody comes for you both, right in the middle of the night? That’s the nightmare she’s had more than a dozen times, no matter the precautions she takes; and there are very many safety measures around the bed. There is a loaded firearm in each of your night drawers, a knife under her pillow, many additional bolts and locks on potential entry points and magical early warning systems - lawn sprinklers are enough as her Vision training grants her the ability to “feel” through water, somewhat - that give her a chance at responding early. Yelan usually dresses in sports wear for the night: shorts, a sports bra and socks with toughened heels to let her run with no shoes is needed. If anything comes, she’ll be ready to go; it will be a matter of picking one of the many escape points she always keeps in mind.
So far, however, nobody came for you or even just for her. This precedent, or lack thereof, is what lets her get any rest at all. Yelan, being quite tall for a woman, prefers to be the big spoon. The sensation of your warmth and your breathing under her palms is comforting. It reminds her you’re here, safe, alive and happy. That’s the only thing she wants in this dangerous, unpredictable world - to keep her better half living a good life. As long as you get some rest, she could stay up all night, making sure nothing comes close to you.
While she neglects her own sleep - sometimes resting for just two or three hours, your habits are very important to her, especially if you are overworked… That’s something she can really relate to, especially in terms of mental strain. If you take overtime or work late hours, she’ll talk your ear off about how unhealthy it is and try to talk you out of it. When you return late into the night, don’t even think of working, cleaning or gaming; you’ll be pointed to the bathroom, fed a glass of warm milk and tucked into bed. You’re not a kid? Too bad: as long as you have her, you’re not allowed to tire yourself out like her. If she has the opportunity to, she’ll make sure you fall asleep against her chest, thighs or belly as she strokes your hair and hums gently, lulling you to sleep in a matter of minutes. If work calls, she won’t wake you up no matter how tangled into her you are. Yelan is adept at moving unconscious people without disturbing them. Now that you think of it, she could carry you anywhere she wanted when you sleep… How’s that for a scary thought? Luckily, she happens to love you to bits.
Sometimes there is a chance to sleep undisturbed, usually occurring during daytime or in especially secure places. Yelan has a special set of nightwear for these occasions - an almost see-through silken shirt, always worn to compliment a both fancy and comfy set of lingerie. She knows she’s one hot piece of gal and will shamelessly flaunt that fact in front of you. After all, what man could resist the temptation of nestling between two big, soft and oh-so-fluffy chest pillows after a long day of work?
Ei
For the longest time, the beds in the Tenshukaku stood empty, doomed to collect dust by the Shogun's divine character. Gods don't need to sleep - they don't need any physical maintenance at all, for that matter. Makoto though, wanting to feel closer to her mortal subjects in every way, devoted a part of her day to doing what humans and other critters do: taking baths, eating and sleeping through the night. Despite being simply a pleasant experience, this routine also served to humanise her in her subjects’ eyes, making her further beloved by the people.
Ei, however, didn't do any of that. She loved her sister, yes, but she viewed her indulgences as unnecessary slackery. While Makoto cuddled up to her pillows, Ei honed her skills, managed the military, patrolled or meditated to pass the time. She didn't want to know humans and yokai better ever since her sister died - in her eyes, all of them are as fleeting as mayflies. Even Miko would perish long before Ei’s soul would dissipate. Getting closer to their experiences would thus be pointless at best, and deeply depressing at worst.
Having a partner was what opened Ei’s eyes to the idea that ordinary mortal activities are not simply technical in nature. The first time you asked her to sleep with you was confusing to her. Why would you, as a fellow immortal, waste time like so? It took a few months for her to learn that it's about intimacy, not just regeneration. That was a way of spending time Ei understood well, previously having satisfied that need to be together without words throughout mutual meditation. Sleeping, though, was far different - while meditation is about self discovery and emotional discipline, resting in bed has no demands and lets the mind focus solely on the partner. It's just her and you.
Your hand on her belly, your breath against her ear, the warmth of your body against hers… They are calming to Ei. Who knew the tempests of the cold hearted warrior-shogun of Inazuma could be tamed by kisses and cuddles? Miko did, actually. She always thought Ei was immensely lonely not only in the existential sense, but emotionally too. She would love to see you lovebirds together in bed, but alas, she can only imagine. And what an image it is - Ei and you, face to face, your hands intertwined on the bed, gazing into each other's eyes as you drift to sleep.
Ei doesn't care that much for the bedroom’s design, but she does enjoy a nice romantic touch - sakura petals scattered around, scented candles, something to deliver a bit of white noise to make falling asleep a bit easier. She commissioned a special fountain from Fontaine for this exact purpose - it's small enough to fit on a bedside table and runs on electro crystals, pouring water against a few rocks to mimic the sound of a flowing river. If she could sleep out in the wilderness, she could. Alas, that does not befit the shogun, nor her husband. Her sleeping gowns are all the same, rich, silken robes with gold thread woven in, dyed purple. The loose, too long sleeves and the precise design of the whole set, letting it appear as if barely holding on and exposing lots of skin to cuddle make her, the ever utilitarian Ei, appear truly divine. She does not need them - she even initially thought using sleepwear to be a waste of time and materials - but just seeing the dreamy expression on your face makes her wear every robe with pride.
But keep in mind that sleeping next to the goddess of thunder always results in waking up with messy, electrified hair.
Dehya
Just as the desert follows its own special laws, so does Dehya’s sleep. Her job wrecks rest time in basically every way imaginable - from odd hours, thanks to keeping watch or nighttime operations, to not bathing before sleep or sometimes resting on simply a carpet strewn across the hot sand. Time, place, circumstances all change, but the only constant is you. As such Dehya has built her bedroom around you; you're as pivotal to a good night's rest as a pillow. Truth be told, Dehya could (and does regularly) replace everything but the bedding with you. If she needs a place to rest her head, your stomach, back or manboobs work perfectly and come with a calming rhythm and a firm kind of softness that no other material has. If she's cold, she doesn't need a blanket - not only is her body much warmer than an ordinary woman's, thanks to her vision, but she also has free access to a great, walking, talking furnace she can cuddle to. With all these lovely benefits of sharing a bed, a cot or hammock with you, it's no wonder she gets achy and cranky when sleeping alone. Seriously, how could she have lived like this? Why didn't she find herself a hot, comfy piece of man earlier? Dehya is a very low-maintenance gal in terms of living conditions, but your presence became non-negotiable after the first time she scooted over to make space for you.
Tough work makes for deep sleep, so don't be surprised when Dehya just plops herself on top of you and dozes off within a minute or two. You never know when the enemy will strike, right? Gotta catch every z you can. This on-and-off schedule and her natural body heat, preventing you from cuddling too closely else you start to get stuffy leads to some really awkward dancing positions. It's not a rare occurrence for messengers to arrive at the sight of her casually splayed out across your back, head right on the buns. What? They're soft, you know. Make for good pillows, they do.
Desert life is tough; constant travels amongst sandy dunes, no water in sight makes for very sweaty, very smelly people. She has basic underwear to change and some simple hygiene products, true, but don't expect her to smell of flowers when she crashes next to you - it will be more like sweat, some blood and woman smell, you know the type. Only on rare occasions can she allow herself a bath, or sleeping in an actual bed for that matter. She has one back at Aaru Village, rented out as a neat rest-and-recovery spot for waiting out wounds or just unwinding. It's a solid frame with a slightly tough mattress supported on springs and boards. Why such a structure in particular? Well, in her own words, it “makes cool sounds when you rail her”. Besides these structural aspects you can expect the softest of furs to line the bed, collected over time from various creatures (mundane and sacred alike).
Dehya's sleeping attire is perfectly suited to the environment - when out on commission, it's just her armour with none of the metal and some unnecessary parts removed; the bra is a good example. You've seen, groped and done almost anything a guy can do with her jugs, so why be shy? Might as well let them breathe. When she has that rare privilege of dedicated sleeping clothes, it's usually nothing more than a plain croplet tank top and some pants. Don't get her wrong, these are functional two - they are infinitely simple to slip on and out of, ideal for a rest period. You might not be doing much to the outside world during days off, but such a rare moment of peace and comfort is not something she could pass up on - prepare to get busy!
Thanks for reading!
