My language intuition fails. What is 'last line'? Sentence? Paragraph? Because lines depend on screen size and such. I searched this game and some people post sentences, some paragraphs... OK. It is a short paragraph anyway, and spoiler-free.
From my long-in-the-working WIP which had spent 2 years stuck at 45k words before I was somehow able to continue working on it, and now it's at 147k words and growing.
“I don't think so, but, well, maybe I shouldn't be giving you advice on that. Anyway thank you. Very much. But if you change your mind it's fine too. I'll go get myself some of that cabbage thing.”
Vague spoiler-free context: Character A had long ago gotten a bunch of others including character B into a really bad situation which... ok let's just say that this situation still bites them. Character B had a lot of feelings about it (like: anger and such) and now due to recent events (soing a thing that was clearly forbidden) A is (as is assumed by them; I won't elaborate) soon going to have same kind of bad situation. And B is having complex feelings about it, including no longer being angry/upset/resentful at A, and assumes that this is a very selfish reaction (being comforted by the fact that A will suffer is selfish, right?), and this is generally character A replying to this
Tags: I don't know 37 people who I am certain currently write something! :( So I will be widely tagging everyone who seem like they might be writing something, moot or not. No pressure to do it.
@edennill, @starsofarda, @endless-natterings, @rains-of-eurus, @alexadelphia-official (your thesis counts!!! if you're allowed to share it), @saxifrage-wreath, @lanthanum12, @inthehouseoffinwe, @lyragoth, @saurongorthaur9, @thescrapwitch… ok that's 11 and I can't think of more. Excuse me.
If you read this and you have a WIP in making, please do feel tagged (unless you'd rather not).
A Strange Feeling (D/an H/eng snzfic, H/S/R, ft. C/aelus)
me: man I think I have writer's block again
also me: *writes nearly 2k words of horn*
anyway this is a valentine's post for @mochindayo !!!!!!! ur art is so good I wanna eat it and u deserve to have the best day ever every day!!! I hope you enjoy this fic I give as tribute to your amazingness :')
Caelus pressed on the button to open his door, wearily. It wasn’t like time was very clear if one were to look out the window, given that they were in space. Time itself was a little vague on the Astral Express. Nevertheless, he had been attempting to sleep for what felt like five years. Though to his exaggeratory mind, it was probably more like a few hours. But for some reason, his mind was running wild. No thought was consistent, only one random idea after another that captivated his attention and kept rest just out of arm’s reach. Eventually he got tired of trying, and decided to walk around the ship in hopes to tire out his body.
Or his mind, hopefully. Though it never really did seem to quiet down.
He walked past March’s room, and then Dan Heng’s. Just before he was about to turn the corner, he paused. He stepped backwards until he was in front of Dan Heng’s room again. Then back a few more steps to March’s. Then back to Dan Heng’s.
He likely would have seemed to be a lunatic in someone else’s eyes. But there was a strange feeling that he got when he walked past specifically Dan Heng’s room. An indescribable feeling. An emotion? Something that made him uneasy. Whatever it was, it made him pause. He reached a hand out, to test if the door was unlocked. It probably would be. Dan Heng’s ‘room’ was the archive, after all. And as private as he was, he didn’t really mind if someone came in without permission as long as it was for a good reason. Was feeling weird a good reason? Probably not, but who knows? Maybe Dan Heng was dying, or attacked, or something. Probably not. Unless Dan Heng refused to be loud even when dying.
Opening up the door, Caelus was relieved to see that Dan Heng was not dying. Though he expected the other to at least be asleep or something at this time(?) of night(?). But no, his fellow Nameless was up and about, at the archives, sorting through various documents and books they had collected over their journeys. Which, that was good, it wasn’t like Caelus could be bothered to remember every detail of all those wordy papers (he could barely stand to read a few sentences without getting bored) but when everyone else had already gone to bed? He could have done it earlier and avoided spending time with everyone.
Caelus had a feeling just standing there and not saying anything for an extended period of time would not give him any avoidance for creepiness, so he decided to speak up.
“Dan Heng?”
The other jumped, as if surprised by his presence. Kind of strange. The doors weren’t exactly quiet. Not a big deal though. Maybe he was just focused.
“Caelus…” Dan Heng muttered, relaxing. Maybe he was expecting an enemy too. Or for Caelus to be dying instead. In any case, he turned back to his work. “Is there something you need?”
Caelus stood for a moment. Not really. For the weird feeling to go away? But how was he supposed to describe that? “Uh… no,” he eventually replied. Dan Heng looked back at him, an eyebrow raised at his answer.
Silence stretched between them once again.
Caelus really had to stop chasing every feeling that interested him.
“Uh… so… still working? Y’know everyone else is asleep,” he finally spoke up again, the awkward energy starting to get to him.
“I could say the same to you,” Dan Heng responded coolly. It seemed like he dropped trying to figure out what Caelus was doing there, and instead turned back to the archives once more.
Caelus still felt weird. So, ignoring his own note-to-self, he approached to stare at Dan Heng’s work over his shoulder. To be honest, his eyes were so tired that the words sort of jumbled together into an incoherent mess. It was more so just to get his crew mate’s attention.
And get his attention it did. Dan Heng glanced over, turning to face Caelus again. “If you don’t need anything, why are you still here? You should be sleeping.”
“Y’know I could just… say the same thing to you, right?” Caelus replied, trying to keep an exhaustedly smug grin off his face. “You’re archiving this late? I didn’t know there was still stuff left to archive.”
“There’s always things left. Please leave me be. I have work to do,” Dan Heng requested again. Though, like he had the mind of a child, it was like being told to stop doing something just made the trailblazer want to do it more.
“I can help, if you want. I’m sure I can handle the, uh…” He picked up a random book, squinting at its title. “Underground Encyclopedia of Plants and Fungle.”
“Fungi. You’re not a child. You know how to read,” Dan Heng sighed in exasperation. Putting a hand to his head like the interaction was giving him a headache.
“Meh, close enough. C’mon, it’ll get done faster if we do it together.”
“It’s fine.”
“Look, I know you like it all to be perfect, but there’s gotta be some kind of autocorrect in this thing, right?”
“Please, Caelus, just leave me be.”
Dan Heng sounded desperate, which was strange. Typically Dan Heng would act annoyed but compliant, even more so when it came to March than him. But looking in the Nameless’ glassy eyes, it seemed like he was a few seconds away from begging.
Wait, glassy eyes? Oh, fuck. Was he actually dying? Was that his dying wish? His last words?
Caelus opened his mouth to apologize for making Dan Heng’s last moments so painful, when–
“heh’GKshu!” Dan Heng quickly turned away as soon as the sneeze rang through him. And suddenly Caelus realized that he wasn’t dying. In the traditional sense, anyway.
“Oh,” he said.
“What?” Dan Heng replied, turning back like nothing had happened at all.
“Uh, you’re sick?” Caelus stated, because it was obvious. After the evidence, anyway.
“I’m not,” Dan Heng immediately denied, turning his head away with arms crossed.
“Uh-huh.” Caelus’ eyes lidded disbelievingly, he had a small smirk on his face. “So why’re you still working, huh? To convince us that you’re not sick? Or to convince yourself? Because, just saying, I never would have seen you if I wasn’t already worried you were dying.”
Dan Heng scoffed. “Well, I’m definitely not dying.”
“You are sick, though.”
“heH’GXkshu!”
Dan Heng faced Caelus again after turning away to sneeze, about to protest for a second time. Caelus managed to shut it down before it started again.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re not sick, and the whole sneezing is just… a coincidence?” He waved his hand absently.
Dan Heng didn’t reply that time. His arguments had been effectively dismantled, and Caelus wasn’t stupid, just nonsensical most of the time.
He sighed, resting his head on an open palm, kept upright by the table. Caelus waited for a moment to see if anything more would be said, but he was met with silence. He took it as permission to carry out his plan.
He reached over and placed the back of his hand onto Dan Heng’s cheek, only to be met with his disapproving stare. “Wrong spot,” he muttered.
“Oh. Right,” Caelus recalled, moving his touch to the man’s forehead instead. He was met with a dry, hot temperature, something that he assumed was probably not good.
He pulled back, hands on his hips. “Yeah, in my very professional opinion, you should be in bed. Not at a desk.”
“But–”
“Nuh-uh, doctor’s orders, unless you want me to get a literal doctor in here.”
“Caelus–”
“I will call Natasha!” Caelus pulled out his phone, just to make his point entirely clear.
That seemed to shake the last of Dan Heng’s resolve. His shoulders lowered like he had given up all remaining fight. “Fine.”
Caelus smiled, pleased with his victory. “Good. Now, c’mon.” He took Dan Heng’s hand and started dragging him up without another thought.
“Wh- huh? My bed’s right there,” Dan Heng looked down at his blanket and pillow cluelessly, then back up and Caelus as he continued to be pulled away.
“Yeah, that’s not really a sickbed. Or a bed. Or anything other than a poor man’s attempt,” the trailblazer replied. “You need a real bed. A Trailblazer-patented bed, at that.”
Dan Heng sighed. “You’re ridiculous. There’s no changing your mind, is there?”
“The only person on this ship more stubborn than you is me.”
That was fairly accurate.
As soon as they had left Dan Heng’s room, its owner soon crumpled down into another sneeze.
“heH’IGHkshu! hih’GXKshih! hh- heh… hih-”
“Stuck?” Caelus wondered, glancing back at his companion. His expression was pained, one eye closed and the other watering. He panted, desperately waiting for the urge to take over once again, but it remained out of reach.
“Here,” the trailblazer spoke, opening the door to his room as the lights flickered on all at once. He dragged Dan Heng along with him. The result was immediate.
“hEH’KGhshu! heH’GKshih! heH- hIH’XGkhuh! huh…”
Dan Heng sighed in relief as the fit finally came to an end. He looked about fifteen shades brighter red, though whether that was from the fever or the embarrassment was anyone’s guess. Caelus, for all the satisfaction being helpful gave him, wasn’t exactly willing to let Dan Heng suffer for his weak fulfillment.
“Now, to bed with you.” He wrapped an arm around Dan Heng’s shoulders, practically carrying him the rest of the way to bed.
The other man had enough energy to cooperate by the time he was being lied down, allowing Caelus to tuck him in like a child despite his protests. He had to admit that it was comfier than his own room.
Caelus let out a breath, like he was exhausted from a workout. “Okay. Now, sleep.”
Dan Heng raised an eyebrow at him. “I can’t do that on command.”
“I’m pretty sure you can. You almost passed out as soon as we got in here.”
Had he? He must have been more tired than he thought.
“And where will you be sleeping? Sharing a bed with me wouldn’t be smart if I’m ill.”
“Yeah, ‘if,’” Caelus rolled his eyes. Then, he pointed his thumb down towards the ground. “The floor.”
Dan Heng stared for a moment. “...The floor.”
Caelus glanced to the side, then back to his companion. “...Why are you surprised? You do it.”
That couldn’t really be argued. For some reason it just felt inhumane when it came to his friend rather than him. Though that was something he could unpack another day.
“Try not to worry about it, Dan Heng. Maybe worry about yourself, for once. The rest of us are fine.” Caelus gave him a real, genuine and caring smile, before walking off towards what was probably a closet.
It was a bit hard to tell, his vision was starting to fade away, and unconsciousness was pulling at him. It was a little embarrassing to admit how relaxed he felt, in his friend’s room rather than his own.
But it gave him a feeling of safety.
And Caelus’ feeling had gone away too, he realized as he glanced back at Dan Heng’s sleeping form. He still didn’t quite have a name for it. Maybe… a feeling that something was wrong. But not just wrong in general. Something that was wrong with someone he cared about. And that was a feeling he wanted to hold onto.
nagi seishiro is the laziest motherfucker known to existence.
sometimes he simply doesn’t have the energy to take care of himself and you. so sometimes, he’ll slither over to you while your sprawled out on the bed playing on the switch, and ask:
“baby, can i please use you? i promise i won’t bother you, just keep playing your game.”
all nagi wants is to lie with his face buried in your pussy.
it’s really not a big ask. he wouldn’t be bothering you anyway, so of course you’ll oblige. of course you’ll slide your shorts off for him and lay back so he can flatten himself out the mattress with his head between your thighs.
nagi can’t even be bothered to hold his head up properly. his cheek rests on your thigh as he languidly makes out with your pussy, mouth and chin covered in your sticky slick.
as hard as it might be to believe, he was rutting his hips into the mattress at an even more lethargic pace than he was roving his tongue up and down your cunt. you could barely even tell he was doing it. not until 30 minutes in when nagi humped the mattress once, twice, three times and caught his aching cock just right, blowing his load straight into his shorts. he groaned so loud, so deliciously, that you had to finally glance down at him, and what a sight it was.
he's trembling ever so slightly, chest heaving and still coming down from his long, drawn out orgasm. he’s got this delirious smile plastered across his face, cheeks and chin covered in your sticky essence that’s glistening under the light. it smears across your skin when he crawls up and collapses on your stomach, too tired to move any further despite not having moved an inch the whole time.
Ever write a fic by accident? Because you were so caught up in a different fic you’ve only written tiny parts of and suddenly had an idea of how two characters met which informs how one of them behaves in the fic you actually want to write? Ever get so excited about parallel interactions between the main fic and the prequel you accidentally wrote but somehow made it to 7k words in one day even though you’re not even a huge supporter of the ship???
Nah me neither, in other news watch out for the grant/marco 1966 au fic I totally planned to spend my weekend on
Imagine falling asleep to Black Sabbath’s Solitude while cuddling Eddie and falling asleep together, a storm raging outside but the both of you so, so peaceful in his bedroom. Nothing else exists except the two of you. Eddie’s leg tucked tightly between both of yours, his fingers on the back of your head, his other hand across your waist, fingers spidered to touch as much of you at the same time as he can, his plush lips against your head, whispering the lyrics. You smile, close your eyes and lean into Eddie, and you both find yourself thinking that your solitude is as peaceful as spending time together. It’s real and true, the bond you’ve cultivated between you, and neither of you are ever going to let go of the other.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Rating: Explicit
Relationship: Crosshair/Echo
Words: 6,708
Summary: A new mission brings Clone Force 99 to a planet with very particular customs. Forced to blend with the locals, two of them find out that they may fit in better than they thought.
note: thank you for 700!! this was long overdue, but i hope you enjoy nonetheless! i was really worried that i wasn’t able to write anything for a long time, but i’m glad that people still seem to read my work, even when i’m away. the last time i checked i was still at 500 and now i’m at 700!! it’s Wild. thank you so much!
The boundary between mortal and adepti should never be crossed. That was what your mother told you, back when you were little. Two small feet rooted firmly in front of the arching canyons and towering cliffs of Jueyun Karst, whilst you gripped your mother’s hand tightly as unforetold power echoed through the mountains. A resonance between body and earth.
That same feeling pervaded you no matter where you went in Liyue, whether it was in the quaint ambiance of Qingce Village, or the sprawling waterways of Dihua Marsh.
The adepti were the chosen guardians of Liyue, revered and praised by all loyal Liyuen citizens. And yet, you’ve never seen one your entire life. Perhaps you were born a skeptic, or as someone too curious for your own good, but how could you believe in something you’ve never seen before?
But that was all in the past now, and you’ve moved forward ever since, carrying those odd facts and realities and forging them into your foundation.
The moon shone upon Liyue brilliantly, illuminating the small islets dotting Dihua Marsh. A gold brooch emblazoned with the Geo sigil shone amber as you roamed the plains, carefully padding around Hilichurl camps and elemental hotspots prime for slime spawning areas. The expedition to Wuwang Hill went exactly as planned, save for a few unexpected adjustments to your overarching plan. It was never a problem, in any case. As gloomy and grim that place is, you’ve been there so often that the spirits don’t haunt you anymore.
It was much worse when your mother and father died.
Regardless, you pressed on, like always. Soon becoming an unsurmountable mountain capable of weathering even the harshest storms- becoming a near-eternal pillar to your loved ones. Not even the bygone gods could shake your will, the elders praised. Such steadfastness was rewarded with a Geo Vision, a blessing from your own god. You didn’t think much of it, but you were grateful nonetheless.
High-pitched clangs of metal hitting metal ripped you from your thoughts, and your hands instinctively notched an arrow, aiming at an open glade with a concerning amount of wind churning the trees’ branches.
A horde of Anemo slimes, you mused.
Diving into the fray, you fired an arrow into the whirlwind, hoping to pin the biggest Anemo slime down and disrupt the cyclone. What you didn’t expect, however, was for the wind to dissipate immediately, causing an artfully-crafted jade spear to split the swimming gales and pin you to a nearby tree.
Your hands frantically scanned the area for your trusty bow, but by the time you realized that your weapon was out of reach, a figure emerged from the darkness, bearing sharp golden eyes that pierced the souls of mortals and demons alike.
You knew immediately that you were in the presence of an adepti.
He tugged the polearm from the bark effortlessly, twirling it around by his side, before looking at you expectantly. Adepti didn’t need to give explanations to mortals, but for you, it was a different story. What could a mortal be doing, wandering the golden plains of Guili at this hour? The adeptus quirked an eyebrow, inviting a bit of the moonlight’s luster into his gorgeous, gorgeous eyes.
Your throat was dry, and your hues, lackluster in comparison, blinked owlishly. A gentle wind blew through your hair, and you could have sworn you heard the distinct trill of a flute. You could have said anything. Anything at all: pleas for mercy, praise for the illuminated adepti, thanks of gratitude, and yet... you simply cocked your head curiously.
“Huh,” you thought audibly, eliciting a distrustful stare from him. “So the adepti can look human after all.”
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
It’s been so many years since then.
Your vision was hardly the shining beacon it used to be. Pulsing weakly and glowing faintly amongst the evening lights of Liyue Harbor, it was a harbinger of your eventual fate. Dust gradually tipping the hourglass from the inside, until there was nothing left.
Time was kind to you, and you aged gracefully, whilst the vigilant yaksha looked the same as he always did: eternally young, eternally blessed. A mournful smile bloomed on your thin lips.
Or perhaps cursed.
You remember how scared he became, as time went on. How he couldn’t abide by human customs of love, or how he could not forgo his contract with all of Liyue to be with you- how he could not fully devote himself to being your beloved.
All of these little, insignificant things did nothing to weaken your bond. To him, it was all the more reason for you to leave- but you never did.
In the beginning, your encounters were tense. Conversations led off into nothingness, and idle touches seemed to burn, as if contact with your shoulder skin did nothing but blister his own. Hints of despair swam in those gorgeous eyes, and you wondered again, about that so-called boundary.
But those fears amounted to nothing, in the end. As he learned forbearance, you learned patience.
Small affectionate gestures became the world to you. A bouquet of Qingxin flowers here and there, intertwined fingers amongst the cloudless skies of Liyue, and shared secrets in the moonlight. The first bunches of Qingxin flowers were always slightly crushed, you noticed- yet, after a mere couple weeks, you were dumbfounded to find a bouquet of them perfectly picked; carefully maintained to the point where the dewy petals found no disturbance on their journey from the clouds.
“For you,” he spoke, the scent of mist permeating the air. You took them generously, tenderly tracing the flower petals as its distinct fragrance embraced you.
“In Liyue, these flowers represent purity.”
On that day, you remember vividly, you shared your first kiss with him.
The sun was slowly approaching the horizon, spreading luminescence across the land as it descended to kiss the earth. He was looking away from you, a vexed expression painted onto his features. As you slowly rested your palm upon his cheek, you swore that his ears grew tinged with the faintest pink.
Your eyes met gold, and the stars fell silent. The world was in awe- with the wind as your witness. Time slowed to a crawl, and as heaven and earth came together- so too did your lips meet.
Even as you grew older, tiptoeing closer to the afterlife with each passing moment, those memories steadied you on the worst of days. Closing your eyes, you breathed heavily, the summer air filling your lungs and rattling the emptiness in your chest. Back then, it seemed as though those days would never end.
The trill of a flute alerted you to his presence, as he stood on the parapet of your balcony. Though your face strained to smile as wide as you used to, his heart always fluttered at the sight.
“Xiao.”
Immediately, he was by your side, a hand placed on your shoulder and another on your wrist, guiding you to the nearby sofa. Shakily, you sat, leaning back on the cushions while he chose to poise himself on the armrest, intertwining his gloved fingers with yours.
The two of you sat in silence- a comfortable one, at least. But underneath the belly of unspoken emotions, it was laced with a solemn melancholy.
“Look at you,” you laughed. “Just as beautiful as the day we first met. I look like I’m about to wither away.”
It was a lighthearted joke, but Xiao tightened his grip on your hand, but with enough sense to mind his strength. At first, he always held too hard, clenched too strongly- seizing your arm incredible force enough to dislocate it, when he only meant to grab your attention. Restraint was something he learned from you too, amongst the plethora of other things that he never cared to learn about, not until you.
“Nonsense,” he chided, voice soft in a tone he reserved for you and you alone.
Humming thoughtfully, you took another heavy breath, the smile falling from your lips and tumbling onto the ground, crumbling into dust.
“I’m getting old, Xiao.”
His heart quailed.
“But those years I’ve spent with you, from the moment we met...” The scent of Qingxin flowers filled your senses, calming you as Xiao moved closer, half hugging your form. The nights were certainly chilly, but he never seemed to be cold. Nor did he seemed to be bothered to embrace your elderly form.
You shook your head. “I wouldn’t trade those years for anything.”
Xiao was silent.
“You shouldn’t speak as though you’re going to die,” he finally responded, voice wavering. For the first time in centuries, despite the pain and suffering that clouded him like a malicious aura, it was a human’s death that drove his heart to feel this way. It was this warmth that made his heart feel at peace for the first time in millennia, and he so desperately wanted to chase it.
“Xiao,” you called his name exasperatedly. Though your voice was nothing like it used to be, he feared the day he couldn’t hear it again. Time-worn orbs met vivid gold.
“I want you to promise me something,” you spoke with finality. That unyielding spirit of yours was still in there somewhere- the Geo Vision thrumming with what little power it had as it rested upon your hip.
Something was brewing within him.
“Of course,” he said, effortlessly. Holding his breath as you closed your eyes, Xiao feared that they wouldn’t open.
“Promise me that you’ll live.”
You passed away the next morning.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
“A kind soul, weren’t they,” the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor’s consultant mused, arranging a bunch of Qingxin flowers in a vase as he prepared for the upcoming funeral. Xiao said nothing, resting upon a wall as your lusterless vision rested in his hands, devoid of its original power. No longer did it bear the same vivid color as before- it was lifeless.
“You blessed them,” Xiao spoke hoarsely. “Why?”
A question lingered in the air unspoken. Why couldn’t they ascend to become one of us?
Zhongli paused, offering a thoughtful hum to fill the tense atmosphere. When his gaze shifted to Xiao, pools of amber and divinity swirling within them, the yaksha straightened himself instinctively as the presence of pure power filled the room.
“They preferred to stay close to the ground. They did not care for what potential recompense lie in store for them in the heavens, for their heart and home were here.”
Xiao glowered, anger brewing in that cursed soul of his, even though he knew deep down that the God of Contracts never lies.
“Humans always think selfishly. Living with reckless abandon, with no concern for the world around them,” he growled, bitterness spilling from his mouth as darkness clouded his vision. “Never once thinking to consider the consequences.”
“And it is for that reason that they live the way they do.”
Xiao blinked unshed tears from his eyes as a steady hand rested upon his shoulder.
“Time is... inconsequential for beings like us. A hundred years is all they are able to have, so they insist on making the most of it. For humans, living ‘selfishly’ is to live life to the fullest.”
His vision began to blur, the details of the room melting into incomprehensible objects. Touching his face made the fabric of his gloves wet- and he felt lost. Xiao’s seen you cry several times throughout his life, and every time you did, he could only look upon you with a puzzled look, for the adepti do not cry. They do not grieve, they do not regret.
And yet, tears ran down his cheeks in endless streams. In the furthest depths of his being, a thorny vice wrapped around his throat, filling his chest with petals of the purest white and sealing his heart’s hopes away.
“Why did they... choose me?”
Tumultuous storms raged in his very soul, as anguish ravaged the edge of his heart and crushed and crumbled and pummeled it all into oblivion.
“Xiao.”
The former Archon looked upon a solitary glaze lily perched on the window sill, soft blues accentuated by the filtering light.
“The cycle of time is relentless,” Zhongli smiled, a bit somberly. “And yet, some things still persist."
Xiao followed his former master's gaze outside the window, where it fell upon the Tianquan, smiling happily amongst a group of children as the sky dabbled drops of luminous sunshine in her platinum locks, like scintillating fragments of dust.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
“So? How has time treated you?”
An elderly voice snapped Xiao out of his thoughts. The raspiness in her tone reminded him of you, right before you departed this world. But that was... how many years ago?
A few days had passed since Osial was sealed beneath the Sea of Clouds, just outside of Guyun Stone Forest. It took the combined efforts of the adepti and the Qixing to seal the vortex god away. Uncertainty pervaded Liyue Harbor: first, it was the departure of their three millennia-old god, then the arrival of another, one capable of leveling Liyue to the ground with a single tidal wave. And yet, within the hearts of mortals, they find the strength to move forward.
Madame Ping gazed at him with knowing eyes, making him squirm a little. Both of them knew that she wasn’t simply asking about the recent battle, but rather...
“Sometimes,” he begins, grimly. “Their voice blends in with the others that haunt me.”
His fellow adeptus hums, and Xiao’s inclined to fold his arms defensively, one second from disappearing and returning to Wangshu Inn within a moment’s notice.
Wisely, she chose to move to a different topic. It’s been a while since the Conqueror of Demons himself came by for tea. A surprise indeed, especially with how uncomfortable he looked by simply standing on some inconspicuous edge of Yujing Terrace.
“The Lantern Rite is soon arriving. Won’t you come see the sights?”
Madame Ping pinned him down in a manner of subtle grace that could only be observed by her. It seems like she, along with another, had mastered the art of being human. Xiao’s heart clenched in that familiar way again- it’s been a full millennium since you passed.
He never once took another lover, for immortals never forget their first love.
Each memory of those sky-borne lights pricked him like thorns, relentless and unending. And on the worst of days, a single lantern brought him to his knees, chest heaving with unforetold pain. Gentle touches and whispers in the starlight, and oh, how he missed the feeling of your hand upon his cheek, holding him as if he were the most precious treasure in the world.
Though he never truly understood, he was willing to try- just for you.
Memories he plucked from his heart and sealed away tightly behind a lock and key, never to see the light of day.
“The lanterns, huh,” he scoffed. “How absurd.”
And he was gone without a trace.
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He found every aspect of you to be curious: how could a human possess such strength and gentleness all at once? Fury in the face of danger, but empathy to a monster who killed and knew nothing else. Mercy, to a merciless killer of demons. How could a mere mortal make his heart race just by tucking a stray strand of hair away, when he’s faced gods capable of eradicating all life on Teyvat?
Gritting his teeth, he plunged his spear into another cursed hilichurl- another tainted soul created as a byproduct of his own karma. The remains fizzled and disintegrated into infernal dust, feeding the celestial atlas as time marched on relentlessly.
A flute rang clear through the reeds of Dihua Marsh, and he whipped his head around to find a bard, clad in green, kicking his feet whilst the winds whispered secrets into the night.
“Lord Barbatos.”
The Archon in question turned and tilted his head curiously, cerulean pools filling with mirth as a merry smile grew on his face.
“Ah, so you were listening!”
“Why have you come?”
“Is it so unbecoming for me to visit a friend in his time of need?”
Xiao narrowed his eyes.
“Need?”
Resting his knuckles upon his hips, Barbatos sighed, head hanging low in exasperation. Aquamarine hues bore straight into gold- the Anemo Archon’s expression was pinched with worry, but Xiao was adamant on abandoning those memories.
The adepti do not grieve.
“The eve of glowing lights grows near; will you forsake yourself another year?”
“Lord Barbatos-”
“The wind will carry your sorrows away, clearing skies that were once grey. But for some reason, you hold onto this burden. Many years later, and you still do.”
Xiao unknowingly tensed under the divine presence of the Anemo Archon entirely. From the moment he descended upon Dihua Marsh, he knew that he came under the guise of his Archon title, one that he championed for over thousands of years, not as the carefree bard that chased the scent of dandelions on the wind.
“If you are so willing, dear Yaksha, tell me- who were they to you?”
The adeptus clenched his jaw, painfully tight. You were... his respite. His sanctuary. His home. You were a multitude of things that he could never describe within his immortal lifetime- a multitude of memories that slipped from his fingers like dust, destined to fall beneath the living world and be buried with everything else.
A dream that wasn’t meant to be.
“I heard the traveler roaming back and forth between Liyue’s vast lands, carrying wishes and dreams,” Barbatos sang, his form becoming incorporeal as the thousand winds carried his soul back to Mondstadt. “Won’t you join them?”
The Archon decided to let Xiao make a decision of his own accord. The embodiment of freedom indeed- though Barbatos gave every sign that he should, he never excluded the idea that he shouldn’t. And perhaps... just this once...
A mournful sigh wracked Xiao’s body, echoing nothing but emptiness.
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In the end, the traveler brought him along to Liyue Harbor. After some shenanigans and scuffles with some rambunctious mortals, he escorted them and their fairy companion to the outskirts of the city. And against all odds, he lingered along that edge, indulging in a sight that was once forgotten deep within the sea of karmic binds.
A small smile blossomed on his face, and it became painfully aware that he nearly forgot how to smile after you died. It was you who taught him so, you who took him by the arm and ventured down to the starlit shores of Yaoguang Shoal to collect starconches and dance under the brilliance of the moon.
Sorrow filled his heart. He never truly fulfilled his promise to you, did he? A promise to live, when all he’s done is drown, drown, drown in the abyss.
Distantly, the adeptus saw a few port workers setting up lines of fireworks, and took it as a sign to leave. His senses were keener than most, and he would prefer to not be bombarded with colorful lights and loud noises.
As soon as he rose, however, a voice ripped him out of his thoughts and filled it with intense trepidation.
“Wait!” Golden eyes traced tendrils of amber as his head whipped around at lightning speeds.
Xiao has lived for an impossibly long time, surmounting many gods of ancient times and outliving countless adepti. He has come to expect certain things from humanity, learned their cunning tricks and mannerisms as Liyue was continuously reforged into something new with each passing year.
But... he never expected this.
He never expected you, or- not you, as you donned a young visage instead of old, breathing heavily as if you ran a million miles to catch up with him. But Xiao met your gaze, and his heart stopped beating.
Never in a million years did he think he would see your loving eyes again.
“I finally... got a chance... to meet you,” you huffed, leaning on your knees as you caught your breath. To your surprise and relief, the yaksha seemed to be paralyzed in place, frozen by memories, if that wide-eyed look on his face was any indication.
A few awkward minutes pass, as the sounds of festival cheer began to dull his sense against his deafening heartbeat.
“Wow...” You breathed. “You’re just as beautiful as I remember...”
Xiao was torn.
By all means, he should leave. He should do a heel-face turn and never look back, never crossing that boundary between adepti and mortal, never thinking once to approach those memories. He should reprimand this mortal for even daring to imply that they were anything more than strangers, for implying that they resembled a loved one and returned from the dead to find him. The Conqueror of Demons loved no one.
But... something was compelling him to stay.
He remembered this feeling, once. An surge of frightful elation, paired with a mixture of tension and anxiousness that made full circle with something you called happiness.
Should a being like him, blackened chains wrapped around his arms, legs, and even his soul- be able to hope?
“You’re mistaken,” he responds, fear lacing his guarded tone. And to his absolute terror, you stepped closer, voice frantic.
“I released a Xiao Lantern every year, in hopes you would find it. Every year, I wrote the same wish, so you’d know it was me. And every year, I released it in the same place so you’d know it was coming from, and I even stayed up all night to see if you’d respond, but-”
The yaksha felt a familiar strain of anger stirring in his veins. It was the one primal emotion he was familiar with- one that he embraced wholly whenever he sought to obliterate demons. Without fear, what else did he have but anger?
“You should not be speaking with me. Leave now, before you are punished for your transgressions against the adepti.” He swept his arm, wisps of anemo billowing from his shoulders as he braced to teleport away.
“Wait, please!” You fully grasped his arm with a light grip, but Xiao writhed under your touch, as if he was being burned alive.
“I saw you in my dreams.”
Xiao stiffened.
“I... don’t know how long it’s been, and I don’t remember everything, but... I remember bits and pieces. I remember the Qingxin flowers and the starconches and the almond tofu, and- and-” you were chasing your thoughts, words flying from your mouth a mile a minute.
“I remember you.”
You grimaced, choking on your words as he refused to face you.
“Do you... remember me?”
Xiao’s eyes raked your body with a vindictive, menacing gaze, and for a moment, you worried that he would slip through your fingers again.
You looked different, now. Your hair, face, clothes, even the way you carried yourself seemed different- and it was all the more clear by the Pyro vision tied around your wrist. But your eyes... those brilliant, gorgeous eyes, oh Archons, how he’d missed those eyes, they gleamed with as much vigor as he remembered.
He remembered everything, even when he denied it so.
“Yes,” he rasped.
An eternity’s worth of distress seemed to disappear as you relinquished your grip. His arm fell to his side sluggishly, as did yours. You stepped forward, decisively, and Xiao was happy to accommodate. Fireworks exploded in the background, filling the sky with thundering roars, but his embrace silenced the world around you as his arms wrapped around your new form with pure, unabashed love. The scent of mist and Qingxin flowers flooded your nostrils as you buried your face into his shoulder. He seemed taller than you remember, or perhaps you were shorter in this life.
He hugged you even tighter, arms snaking underneath your shoulders to pull you closer, as if you were a phantasm that would disappear by daylight. Though he never spoke once, you knew what he wanted to say.
“This isn’t a dream, Xiao,” you say, fingers combing his jet-black locks. “I’m here.”
His shoulders trembled and never stopped shaking. You spent the next few moments simply relishing in the other’s presence after a million years. Only when his rationale returned did he decide to pull away.
“But... how?”
You shook your head.
“I’m not really sure. But... Everytime I tried to come back to Liyue, something always got in the way, and... I never made it.”
Your voice cracked, shattering as Xiao tenderly wiped your tears away, his touch lingering on your temple as you nuzzled into his hand, pressing a chaste kiss to his gloved palm. The weight of lifetimes past grew heavy on your shoulders and it pained him to see you burdened by Celestia’s thread of fate, bearing scars that were dangerously similar to his.
Immortality was a cruel, vicious thing.
You reached up to trace the edge of his cheekbone with your thumb, his eyes softening as you stood on your toes to press another kiss to his brow. His ear grew tinged with an adorable shade of rose-pink, just like you remembered.
“Xiao,” you spoke, the syllables rolling from your tongue as if you said it many times before, committing it to memory as you traversed the scorching deserts of Natlan or the bitter permafrost of Snezhnaya.
“Xiao.”
He nodded slowly, drinking in your words. Your eyes glittered with an unfathomable emotion.
“I love you.”
And his too, shone, like beacons in the night. Growing emboldened with a perplexing mix of elatedness and love- something that made his heart cave and burn- he intertwined his hands with yours, leaning down as his eyes fluttered shut while heaven met earth once more. The shackles wrapped around his heart had loosened their deathly grip. And for once, he could breathe again.
He understood why you chose him, for all the same reasons he chose you.
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Somewhere, in the crown of Wangshu Inn’s gingko tree, lay an empty lantern ensnared by its branches.
The flame inside had long since burnt out, but it seems to have carried a wish from far, far away.
