Quite on topic for my last post, but I have no less than fourteen mosquito bites at the moment, including one on my FOREHEAD and three on the SAME thigh.
I imagine most of the Liyue Ladies laughing at their S/O in a similar situation, except Shenhe and that's only because she's physically unable to (as sad as that thought is).
"Oh, I'm not laughing at you — I'm laughing with you!" They say! With you? You aren't laughing! This isn't funny at all! You're itchy and there's red spots and bumps all over your body! That's the last time you'll join Beidou when she's heading to Sumeru in the middle of summer. If you'd stayed in the Jade Chamber, you wouldn't have gotten bit by anything other than Ningguang.
See at least Shenhe takes pity on you. Except rather than taking you to Bubu Pharmacy like Yelan does since, what else is she going to do about it, Shenhe makes some wild concoction taught by Cloud Retainer to apply to the itchy spots. She also uses her Cryo to soothe the irritated skin, and yknow what? Works like a charm and you get doted on. Perfect, tbh.
[Y/N sits outside the Wangshu Inn, enjoying the afternoon breeze. Shenhe sits beside him, she actually came to Y/N when she spotted him sitting while drinking tea]
[Y/N taking another sip of his tea and Shenhe continues... Staring–
M!Reader : ...Shenhe?
Shenhe : Yes?
M!Reader : Why are you looking at me like that?–
Shenhe : I enjoy looking at you..
[That... That answer comes so quickly that he nearly spills his tea–
M!Reader : Oh...
[Shenhe tilts her head]
Shenhe : Should I stop?
M!Reader : ...No
Shenhe : Then I will continue...
[And continues she does... For the next twenty minutes... Without blinking...]
———
[A few hours later, Y/N carrying groceries through Liyue Harbor... Or rather–he's trying to. The bags suddenly disappear from his hands]
[Y/N looks up, seeing Shenhe carrying every single bag... With one arm, like they weigh absolutely nothing–
M!Reader : Uh–Shenhe, I can carry some of those
Shenhe : You can...
M!Reader : Then why aren't I?
[Shenhe looks genuinely confused]
Shenhe : Because I can carry all of them...
M!Reader : ....
Shenhe : ....
M!Reader : ...That's not the point
[Shenhe thinks for a moment, then hands him the smallest bag that contains exactly one radish]
I miss my wife(Shenhe) tails. For a request would you consider doing smth like
A character/s(Shenhe, Sara, or Eula or whoever else you’d like it’s ur blog) that maybe isn’t used to being complimented by their non close friends. They’re going about their day when they come across their S/O. They want to surprise them only to hear their S/O talking to someone. Maybe it’s a fear of jealousy or maybe it’s just wanting to let them finish their conversation but getting impatient and they decide to come but little did they know S/O was gushing about their gf and how much they love them and the things they like about them. Then they show up and S/O is like “oh hey”. What do you think their reactions be like? What other headcanons/etc do you think would happen?
Thanks for your request!! ❤️
Sadly, I don't think I can write for Eula 😭 I don't know her that well and so I can't do her character any justice. Shenhe and Sara, though? MY BOO'S, MY POOKIES, MY BABYGIRLS WHO SHOULD GET MORE COMPLIMENTS!! Also uh.. no surprises but yes walking into them. Enjoy!
GN!Reader — SFW — Fluff — Romantic — UTC cause longer post
"Hey, you see her?"
It's very often that Shenhe overhears the people of Liyue talking about her, most of the time when they think she's out of earshot. She's working, making her way up to an apartment along the pathways of Feiyun Slope with a few containers of food tied up in ribbons. Ever since the restaurant picked up catering for events, Shenhe has been delivering Wanmin dishes to various places in Liyue; including up to Wangshu Inn one time (why they'd ordered from Wanmin Restaurant when the inn had its own kitchen, she didn't know). Fortunately, this particular delivery is within the city, to a smaller event — some customer's birthday — and she arrives much earlier than needed.
"Yeah, wow!"
The two young men ogling her receive a harsh glare, and one flinches when he catches her eye. They're in her way — blocking the doorway to the very apartment she needs to deliver at — but then someone shoves right through the middle of them. "Move it! I smell Xiangling's fried fish!"
A familiar woman in a dazzling qipao — Shenhe recognizes the costumer within seconds — comes out and starts shooing them inside. "Get! Unless you'll help with carrying it inside, get out of the way."
She huffs and rolls her eyes when the two quickly escape the minor form of labor and turns to Shenhe. "Hey, good evening! Thanks for delivering so quickly — it smells so good!"
Shenhe nods and is about to hand over the containers, then realizes the customer is beckoning her inside. "Good evening," she returns the greeting as she follows, then quickly adds, "happy birthday."
"Ah, thank you! Could you help me set it up at the counter, please?"
It's technically not part of her job, but she's early so she may as well help. She merely has to unpack everything and follow the customer's instructions, right?
It's then that she once again hears someone talking about her, but the familiar voice is what catches her attention the most. Shenhe looks up to search for its source and sees you, barely two steps away, yapping someone's ears off. There's a small smile growing on her lips at how — despite having your back turned to her — she can see how animated you are.
"And then — get this — she swoops in like a badass, Cryo surrounding her in a whirlwind of snow and ice, and takes out this absolute unit of a mitachurl!" you tell your conversation partner, who's listening with rapt attention. "I swear, it's the most breathtaking sight you'll ever see. The way her hair, pure white, catches in the wind — and when she's swinging around that polearm of hers; insane coordination and grace!"
Oh. Oh, you're talking about her. She had no idea you'd talk to your friends about her like this, so excited and enamored. Shenhe quietly listens a little longer, unpacking containers as you start gushing about "her mesmerizing eyes" and how "super kind" she is. The amount of compliments you're unwittingly giving her spreads a pleasant warmth through her chest, and it travels up to settle upon her cheeks.
Your conversation partner's eyes dart up to her for a moment, and they take in the colour of her hair. It seems they connect the dots easily and gawk at her then, but you're too busy yapping about her to notice. Once Shenhe finishes, she steps up to you and gently places a hand on your lower back. You jump — whip your head around so fast she's afraid you'll hurt your neck — but then there's an excited, dazzling grin on your face.
"Shenhe! I didn't notice you!"
"Hello, my love," she says, feeling rather affectionate with you after all those compliments. Her hand travels to your waist and she pulls you closer to her side; she even kisses your forehead, which has you beaming brighter than the setting sun outside. Perhaps she'll indulge a little and stay just a bit longer than her job calls for.
Sara's on her daily patrol when she spots you on the road ahead, and it's due to her extreme professionalism that she only increases her pace rather than take off in a sprint. Not because she's that happy to see you — although she is, obviously, always delighted when she crosses paths with you. No, she wants to get to you as soon as possible because of who you're talking to.
She can hear Itto's obnoxiously loud voice far earlier than yours, and she takes a deep breath to calm the annoyance simmering below the surface. The fact that Shinobu is nowhere to be seen doesn't help; she just knows that oni would try and rope you into the troubles he causes, especially considering who you are to her. She's but a few steps away when something snags at the bottom of her robe — no, wait. Someone.
Looking down, a small child tugs at the fabric he's able to reach and looks up at her with big, sad eyes. "Miss, could you help me? My ball is stuck in the tree."
For a moment, Sara is taken off-guard. The civilians of Inazuma, children included, usually are too intimidated to approach her. Yet this child chose her over the various other adults around them. She reasons her height must be a factor and inclines her head.
"Alright, show me where."
Sara tries to soften her tone and voice, though it does nothing to remedy how directly she speaks. The boy doesn't seem bothered and rushes towards the nearest tree. A small thing, and the red ball sticks out through the green leaves like a beacon, wedged between a trio of branches a little ways over Sara's head. She can easily reach part of the branch if she stretches out her arm, briefly pulling it and letting it spring back in place; the ball is released by the movement and the boy catches it.
"Wow, thank you!" He gives her a toothy smile when she turns, and she finds herself returning it with a small one of her own. "That person was right, you are really nice!"
"Hm?" With a furrow of her brow, she briefly tilts her head in question. "What person?"
"Them!" He points directly at you. "That big guy was complaining about you to his friends, but then that person swooped in and started saying all kinds of good things about you!"
The boy tucks his ball beneath his arm to count on his fingers, oblivious to Sara's cheeks starting to resemble the colour of his rescued toy. "First about how strong you are, then about how pretty. Then they talked about your cooking, which they think is very tasty. Oh, and of course that you might look scary, but you're actually really nice."
He looks over his shoulder. "They've been talking about you since lunch!"
When he looks back up at Sara, she's on the verge of lowering her mask if only to hide her face from him. Children, however, don't seem to notice, or care, for how much she's blushing.
"Anyway, thanks for getting my ball, lady!" He says cheerfully, and perhaps a little too loudly; because as he dashes away and she looks up, you've noticed her at last. You wave energetically.
"Hey, beautiful!"
That might've been the last straw if that damn oni didn't turn right that second and nearly smacks you in the face with his own overly enthusiastic wave. "Hey, it's Kujou Chicken! We were just talking about you!"
You're briefly distracted by giving Itto a well-earned slap on the shoulder, giving her enough time to remember to breathe. At last she steps towards you with a measured calmness.
"So I've heard," she says, eyeing the stupid grin on your face and trying not to lose her composure again.
"Yeah — man, can they talk about you," Itto groans, his posture deflating into a slouch. "They've been yapping for hours!"
"Can I help it that I'm completely smitten with my girlfriend?" You say, and you ignore Itto's fake gagging. "I will repeat this for all eternity if I have to. My Sara is the most beautiful, wonderful and the loveliest woman in all of Teyvat!"
No, alright — there it goes. She buries her face in her hands to hide her blush, and her entire body is aflame. But then you point a finger directly in Itto's face and add; "and you will never beat her in a duel!"
"Challenge accepted! Hey, Kujou! Let's go, you and me! Oni VS Tengu!"
If she didn't know you truly meant it, she would think you did this on purpose.
GN!Reader — Fluff & Humor — Romantic (Even though nothing happens; Reader is just crushing a lot)
Note: Shy!Reader works at Yelan's teahouse as a regular waitress, though trained and aware of the spy's actual work.
A/N: It hath arrived! Based on a post by @angeliteeyes about a shy reader with Shenhe. It took me far too long to write, and I took some liberty with the conclusion but it's finally here! Enjoy! (UTC cuz it's loooong)
It's with a satisfying stretch that you start your lunch break, suppressing the noise trying to escape your throat lest you embarrass yourself in front of your co-workers. After you hang your apron up, and nod a quiet greeting to the two tactfully guarding the door, you exit the Yangsheng Teahouse and step into the pleasant afternoon sun. It's a regular day for you, and you wander across the sun-warmed stone towards Wanmin Restaurant. While the Teahouse definitely serves all kinds of delicacies — courtesy of your own culinary skills — no amount of snacks normally served with tea will be able to fill the current void in your stomach, nor do you feel particularity inclined to eat what you've been staring at since sunrise. Besides, you're a bit of a creature of routine; grabbing a plate of Xiangling's cooking for lunch is merely part of your day. Wanmin Restaurant is a familiar taste, Xiangling and her father familiar faces and even some of the other lunch regulars have become familiar to you.
And yet an unfamiliar sight greets you as you approach, your steps slowing down somewhat hesitantly. Xiangling is talking animatedly to a tall woman, her braided snow-white hair seemingly out of place within Chiyu Rock. Where Xiangling has her usual, excited energy in the way she smiles and talks, the woman stands nearly perfectly still, regarding the chef with her arms crossed. She occasionally nods, and loose strands of hair rustle with the movement.
Yes, the sight of her here is unfamiliar but, you have seen her before. Clear as day in your mind's eye, the silhouette of the adepti disciple leaping through the air faster than your eyes can track; her movements graceful as she easily vanquishes a large vishap just off the beaten path in the mountains, before it has the chance to ambush any unsuspecting travelers — including yourself. And you couldn't help ogling her a little, watching the exposed muscles on her back as she wrenches her polearm free from the defeated creature. Until she turned, sharp eyes catching yours in the act and you scurried away like a frightened mouse.
(You didn't see the way her gaze darted about your retreating form, checking for any signs of injury and deciding you'd be fine on your own.)
And yet here she is again, and suddenly your feet are glued to the pavement. Xiangling spots you from the corner of her eye and excitedly waves you over. The woman turns then, and those same eyes stare into yours again — less sharp and more curious. Immediately, you flounder; your gaze darts away with a furrow of your brow at the way heat rushes to your cheeks. After an eternal moment of indecision — which really, lasted only a few seconds — you turn on your heels and flee (again), back to the Teahouse to fill yourself with small sandwiches instead.
This happens at least twice before you realize the woman actually works at the restaurant now, and you groan to yourself upon spotting her. You hide around the corner of one of the shops lining the street. Xiangling actually approached you later that day, asking if you were alright, and you made some flimsy excuse about feeling unwell. She immediately made you eat some soup, of course.
Another frown makes its way onto your face unknowingly as you stare at the busy restaurant. Shenhe — you learned her name from Xiangling as well — is dutifully serving customers their food, the many plates she carries weightless in her strong arms. You'd also caught sight of her effortlessly moving tables around to accommodate a bigger party, not to mention when she hauled a stack of firewood to the stove.
Right, you're ogling again. She's just so graceful in everything she does, and you can't help but —
"My, my," an alluring and familiar voice sounds right beside your ear; you nearly jump out of your skin, clamping a palm onto your mouth to keep from screaming bloody murder. It comes out as a muffled yelp instead and you quickly dash back out of sight, facing the cause of the spike in your heartrate. Emerald eyes sparkle in amusement. Yelan looks far too pleased with herself, a smirk on her pretty lips. She has you cornered just by proximity, one arm braced on the wall behind you, knowing full-well of your shy nature and taking advantage to render you completely helpless. She tilts her head when you look away to the ground in an effort to maintain eye-contact, and chuckles.
"Working off the clock? Or are you spying out of personal interest?"
"I — I'm not spying!"
She hums, clearly not believing you. Briefly, she looks around the corner to the target of your attention, and whistles appreciatingly. "Nice. She's hot."
"Yelan!"
As if your embarrassment of getting caught wasn't enough, your face only becomes more warm as you stumble through excuses. "I — I mean — That's not.."
She chuckles again and crosses her arms to give you a measure of personal space — far too little still, for your liking — and lets you flounder a little longer before speaking up again.
"Well, if you're not interested in her, perhaps I will go over and have a little chat," she teases, and you know she's teasing you, but you still can't help but frown. Then, you groan and bury your face in your hands.
"I'm doomed," you say quietly, and Yelan consolingly pats your head. "I can't even get my lunch with her in proximity, much less walk up to her and say hi."
Yelan suppresses the need to laugh at your antics, and steadies her voice to reply. "Yes, that is a problem. No wonder I've seen you inhale lotus crisps at an alarming rate lately."
You peek at her through your fingers. "I paid for them."
She gives a dismissive wave with her free hand. "Never mind that. Do you plan to just stare at her from a distance forever?"
"I hope not," you mumble before releasing your face and straightening a little. Yelan drops her hand from your head with the movement and watches you silently, though you're too busy hopelessly staring at the mountains behind her to pay her any mind. She fidgets some with a dice in her hand, and sighs dramatically.
"Oh, alright — I suppose I could spare an ounce of kindness and get a proper meal in you," she says — much to your surprise, as you blink blankly at her. The moment of surprise quickly passes as she flicks your forehead with her index finger. "But you'd better pull yourself together soon. Or I might just take her for myself."
The wink she follows that up with leaves you grumbling under your breath as she saunters off.
You must've picked up some cursed object the past few weeks because somehow, you've managed to run into Shenhe on three different occasions — all of which ended up with you, red-faced and darting out of sight before you could embarrass yourself. Not once did you have the courage to even greet her. It is how you learn of Wanmin Restaurant's delivery service; for a limited time a day, Shenhe isn't at the restaurant itself but out and about, carrying numerous containers with food as if they weigh nothing. You swear you've even seen her take a shortcut over the rooftops. So, with a desperate craving for a Flash-fried Fish, you head to the near-empty restaurant.
"Welcome to Wanmin, can I —"
Xiangling's eyes grow comically wide and she interrupts herself to scream your name at an inappropriate volume. Immediately, heat rises to your cheeks and you frantically look around as you try to shush her.
"Where have you been?!" Xiangling asks, lowering her voice by the smallest margin. She continues fussing over you despite your clear embarrassment. "You can't have been sick for that long! Did the soup not help? Maybe you needed something less salty — or, I should've thrown in more herbs. I can —"
"Xiangling!" You interrupt the girl before she can run off to the stove and sigh. "I'm fine — I'm sorry for not coming around earlier. Something just.."
There's no warning before the soft fabric brushes featherlight against your arm, and every single thought in your head vanishes. Every muscle in your body tenses; your jaw is locked in place mid-sentence before you manage to clamp it shut lest you catch any flies. It's one of Shenhe’s wing-like sleeves that brushes you for only the briefest moment as she sets down empty containers on the counter. Yet it tingles strangely where it had connected with your skin, and you doubt you could blame it on any adepti magic.
You can't really focus on how Xiangling greets her with a bright smile, taking the containers off the counter to be washed later. She says something — you can't hear over the rush of blood in your ears — then turns to grab another pile of containers, tied together with a sturdy ribbon. Quickly, you dare take a peek at the beauty beside you and your heartrate spikes through the roof when Shenhe is quietly watching you already. Those iridescent eyes could put you in a trance, if only you're capable of looking at her for more than a split second without going into cardiac arrest. Your gaze darts away just as quickly.
Shenhe leaves again after taking the containers from Xiangling, and you listen intently at her receding footsteps. You release the breath you didn't even realize you were holding, and Xiangling gives you one of the most perplexed looks ever — not that you see it, as you're stuck staring at the wooden surface of the counter.
"What's up with you?" She asks. Giving up on decorum, you drop yourself onto your arms on the counter and groan. "Woah, hey! Are you alright?"
"Noooo," you whine. "She's so pretty..."
"Huh?" Xiangling blinks. "Oh. Ooohh!!"
When she starts giggling, you realize what just happened and — honestly, the blushing may just be a permanent feature on your face now. You right yourself and grimace.
"Don't worry, don't worry!" Xiangling says between giggles, gesturing deniably with her hands. "Your secret's safe with me! Customer-Chef confidentiality."
You should've worried. Not about Xiangling blabbing out your secret — she's a chef of her word, after all. No, you should've worried about her butting into your personal affairs.
Your heart pretty much stops when you see the woman who has taken over your thoughts step through the doors of Yansheng Teahouse, exactly two minutes before your lunch break. You've half a mind to dive onto the ground and hide behind the counter before she sees you, but Shenhe is far too efficient a worker and she spots you before you've got a chance to entertain the idea. She walks briskly towards you, carrying one of Wanmin's delivery containers in one hand, and you freeze like a Hydro slime in a field of Cryo Flowers — did that even make sense?
“I have a delivery for —” Shenhe quickly checks the note on the container, and your breath hitches when she says your name — “from Wanmin Restaurant.”
She looks at you expectantly. In an instant, time seems to rush back into a normal pace and your eyes dart down to avoid hers. It takes all your focus — brow furrowing in concentration and jaw clenching tensely — to remember how to do social things. Damn it, open your mouth and say thank you!
"T-thanks," you murmur. It's all you manage, heart thumping like an angry rabbit in your chest. Shenhe doesn't leave right away, leaving you to fumble to grab the note with shaking fingers. A little gift from the chef, it says in Xiangling’s hurried scrawl. There's even a little winky-face and a heart drawn on it. You swallow, even though your throat is dry. “T-tell her, I said.. thanks.”
The amount of effort it takes to drag the words from your tongue is ridiculous, and you only briefly look up to see Shenhe nod before she walks off again. It's only when she's left the building that you notice you've been holding your breath, and release the tension in your shoulders with a sigh.
“Oh, you are doomed,” you hear Yelan say behind you. Yes. Yes, you are.
They say the third time's the charm! Well, in your case, it's more like the thirtieth — but still. You've been trying to work up the courage to walk up to Shenhe and say hello all week, to the point where one might say you're borderline stalking her. Okay, you're not — it just so happens you work near each other and you have a glimpse of her quite a few times a day. But every time she so much as looks in your direction, you chicken out! And you work for Yelan — Rex Lapis knows how many times you've heard whimpering coming out of that interrogation room of hers. Asking out the most gorgeous woman you've ever seen in your life should not be that scary to you.
You're leaning against a railing and looking out to the horizon, the ocean’s waves calm and the sky grows darker in twilight. The sun sets behind you, beyond Mt. Tianheng, and you can't help but let out a sigh. Another day has passed without progress. The sound of footsteps is lost to the waves until it's nearly beside you — someone clears their throat.
“Hello.”
Your relaxed demeanor shatters in an instant in recognition of that voice, and you turn —
“Don't run again,” Shenhe says, quickly reaching out a hand as if to physically stop you — your breath hitches at the thought of her touch — but she doesn't move closer. Her even tone makes it sound like a warning, a command. Even with the open space around you, and the space between the two of you, you feel pinned just by her presence. The way the sunset colours the sky behind her, her white hair faintly aglow with a mix of orange and pink. It's as if she stepped right out of a painting.
“I’m not going to harm you,” Shenhe continues after it's clear you're not fleeing the scene, though possibly unaware of the reason why. “I know many people think I look rather intimidating, and I usually don't mind. But you're a friend of Xiangling, so I’d rather you're not one of them.”
It takes a second longer than normal to process her words, but then it's as if the entire world comes to a stop. “Huh?”
“I've seen you turn tail and run whenever I'm around,” Shenhe explains, completely glossing over the embarrassment you feel — the way your face burns hot and must look extremely red — at being caught for such a childish thing. “There's no need for that.”
“O-oh, I..”
“Is my word not enough?” Shenhe interrupts unintentionally. She likely doesn't realize how you're stammering over your words, thoughts seemingly in a race with your heartbeat. “You still seem uncomfortable.”
She's glancing down at your hands, fidgeting with the ends of your sleeves nervously. Besides, you've hardly made any eye-contact with her since it's causing your entire soul to nearly vacate your body whenever you look at her eyes. Archons, this is ridiculous.
You take a deep, deep breath to calm yourself — even closing your eyes for a brief moment. Shenhe thinks you're scared of her, and it couldn't be further from the truth. No more running; it's now, or never.
“I'm not afraid of you,” you manage in a single exhale, the words quick but firm. You see confusion on Shenhe's face through the furrow of her brow — it almost seems like she's scowling at you, but you know through the grapevine she doesn't express herself very well. You struggle in that aspect as well, now that you think about it.
Shenhe actually tilts her head in question. “Then, why —”
“I, uhh..” You quickly try to interrupt her before she could bring up the whole running away like a scared chicken thing, hands waving frantically to cut her off. It's rude, yes but you really can't afford to blush more than you already are, or your head may actually explode. “It's like.. still intimidated, I guess.. but — but in a good way!”
“A good way,” Shenhe echoes.
“Yes.” There's a bit of a relief in getting that out of your system, even if it doesn't explain your behavior to her at all. “It's kind of.. difficult to explain, but .. well, I wanted to properly meet you so badly, I kind of started overthinking it..”
You should probably keep the whole concept of a crush and liking people aside for now; you're not even sure you know how to explain that, and it may actually kill you if you try.
“What is there to overthink in meeting someone?”
“Um.. a lot, actually..”
You start listing things: “What if you stutter or trip over your words? Or, what if you say the wrong thing? What if you're not making a good impression, what if they don't like you?”
Then you realize Shenhe is staring at you somewhat dumbfounded, and you nervously laugh, head ducked down to hide from her gaze. “Just, things like that.”
Shenhe hums. “Perhaps you shouldn't focus on things beyond your control. Master says a simple introduction is sufficient enough, and if desired, a question could be introduced to continue the conversation.”
You look up at her. In a sudden, unexpected burst of confidence, you smile and straighten up once more. “In that case,” you start, bowing as you introduce yourself. “It's nice to officially meet you, Shenhe.”
Much as we all want to play with/braid Shenhe's hair (and other ladies with long hair, ofc ofc), as someone with decently long hair myself that I absolutely loathe washing/brushing, I wouldn't mind in the slightest if she wanted to play with mine.
Kinda like how birds preen each other's feathers, since she was raised by a crane (and other adepti beasts, but mainly the crane). And yes, one of my favorite Shenhe x reader posts mentions this, which only makes me think of it more. I imagine it's quite calming to her, as well. A social bonding thing that's as universal as it is instinctual, so it's far more natural than her usual semi-awkward social interactions.
Pure Funny Fluff, ft Shenhe, Beidou + Ningguang, and Yelan.
A cute, little bunny! (Shenhe)
Shenhe does not know what she's looking at. When she woke up that day, she turned to your side of the bed — as she always did first thing in the morning — to take in the details of your face in peaceful slumber. Except, you weren't there. The covers slid away as she abruptly pushed herself upright, revealing your abandoned clothes underneath; simply laying there, as if you've vanished from existence. If not for the small, moving lump within your shirt, Shenhe would've leapt out of bed that instant. Instead, with the careful hand of someone fully prepared to flatten whatever creature crawled into bed instead of her partner, she tugged the cloth away and there you were. With a wiggly nose, ears flat against your head and eyes wide, your tiny chest heaving with quick breaths of panic. You'd been struggling to get out of the maze of clothing since you'd woken up, and in the open air — uncovered and exposed — you realize just exactly how small you were. Especially compared to Shenhe, who stared at you with the most confused expression you'd ever seen on the adepti disciple. Does she even realize it's you? Or does she think you're some wild rabbit appearing as if out of a magician's hat?
The thought she might not recognize it's you makes you want to bolt off the bed and hide away — and you do, startled by the sudden movement of her hand. You don't even realize until you see her feet touch the floor in front of you, followed by the rest of her as she kneels down to peer under the bed. Her long, white hair falls onto the floor like a localized blanket of snow, and it's distracting —
Then she calls out your name, and your ears propel forward much like how sunflowers face the sun. She holds out her hand, fingers curled and palm downwards to show no intent to grab you, and you find yourself trudging forward, rubbing your chin against her knuckles. Now that your scent lingers on her hand, your newly acquired rabbit instincts seem satisfied enough to consider your normal-but-giant-sized girlfriend a safe space. So, you crawl out from under the bed and hop onto her lap — familiar and comfy — and stare up at her with beady eyes.
Shenhe simply stares back, thoughts racing through her mind. As far as she's aware, humans don't tend to shapeshift into animals, and you're certainly not an adepti — you would've told her, right?
Well, it seems a trip to Cloud Retainer is in order. And since she's not about to leave you alone in this state, you'd better be ready to be carried around in a makeshift bunny-pouch strapped against her chest.
A VERY fluffy cat. (Beidou + Ningguang)
(someone remind me to combine their banner nameplates)
Normally, Lady Ningguang is ecstatic whenever you and Beidou return to Liyue Harbor. It's not always that you join the Crux Fleet on their trips, but since the Sukoku Decree ended, you couldn't resist the shorter voyages to Inazuma. This is why the Tianquan had gone down to the docks to welcome to the two of you — except, neither of you could be found on the deck of the Alcor.
The Alcor's chief mate Juza hurriedly beckons her aboard and into the Captain's quarters, where —
Captain Beidou is stuck on her bed with a rather large, affectionate cat laying on her stomach. She sheepishly explains to Ningguang what happened; how you'd drunk a mysterious potion on a dare, courtesy of her crew; how at first, nothing seemed to happen until slowly, a pair of fluffy ears and a tail appeared — followed quickly by fur, fur and more fur. Upon the call of your name, one of your ears flicks. You open a single eye, not moving an inch from your warm, comfortable Beidou-shaped bed. Perhaps it's also a little payback, for making that bet in the first place. Somehow, Beidou left out that little detail in her explanation.
However when Ningguang catches your eye, you languidly yawn and stretch. With a grace you normally don't possess (you leave that to Ningguang), you jump down onto the Alcor's floorboards with a light thump, then start curling and purring around Ningguang's legs. You're not really sure why you're doing it, your feline body moving out of instinct at the familiarity of your other partner; but it doesn't seem like either of you mind.
You don't complain when she picks you up, nudging your head against her cheek with another purr. Within her arms, you shoot Beidou a look — but she's too busy approaching the Tianquan for her own hug and kiss. She promptly gets a mouthful of tail for her efforts, and you feel a sense of pride at the laugh rumbling through the chest you're pressed up against. Satisfied, you close your eyes at the Captain's hand scratching just behind your ears.
A tiger (Yelan)
When a random group of suspicious characters suddenly surrounded the spy, the last thing she'd expected was to hear an angry roar echo through the air. Both she and her adversaries turn quickly, just as a large, feline beast leaps from the thicket and —
Promptly kisses the dirt by tripping over its own paws. Clearly the others thought it intimidating despite that, as they'd ran off and left Yelan to deal with the tiger herself. She wastes no time in cloaking herself with Hydro, disappearing out of sight. With the quick summon of her bow, she nocks back an arrow and.. wait.
As soon as she'd vanished, you mewled pathetically and used one of your big paws to rub your nose. There are bits of torn cloth hanging from your body — notably your neck and hips — and there's just something entirely non-threatingly about you that makes Yelan drop her cloak. When you look up at her with sad, but familiar eyes, it clicks.
"My, my," she says, a smirk growing onto her lips as she approaches you; apparently not all that bothered by your new, ferocious appearance. "Now what have you been up to?"
You whine, though it sounds more like a growl, and push yourself up into a sitting position. Yelan laughs.
The manner in which you sit looks rather comical; your two hindlegs straight onto the ground like a human rather than an animal. She shakes her head, finally dismissing her bow in favor of petting your muzzle. If anything, she's amused by the whole situation. And as an added bonus, now she can intimidate people even more. As soon as she gets you to act like an actual predator, and not an oversized housecat.
A/N: So ngl, these have been sitting in my notes app for months and I've been icky with writing lately, so.. voila. Hope you enjoyed that!
Okay, join the self-indulgence that is Imagination with me, and picture the following:
For any particular reason, the Ladies of Liyue (aka Shenhe, Yelan, Ningguang and Beidou) seem to be very keen on keeping you safe at all times.
Whether this resulted from the Tianquan's orders of keeping an eye out to ensure no one goes after you specifically to hurt her, or perhaps Beidou started it by asking Ningguang to make sure nothing happens to you while she's out on voyages. Maybe Shenhe saved you once or twice from dangerous situations, and is thus convinced you're someone who needs constant protection. Or Yelan uncovered a group of criminals intent on harming you, but you're not aware and she'd like to keep it that way.
However it came to be, one of them is always close-by, if not in your company. The Millelith know who you are, and the entire Crux Fleet regard you as one of them; an unknown number of secret agents have your features memorized.
They give you space and privacy, obviously. Ningguang knows better than to try and keep you at her Jade Chamber, and Yelan tells whoever keeps the vigil of your home to never enter the premises. Beidou doesn't try and convince you to go with her more than once, and even Shenhe — possibly the most overprotective of them all — won't object if you ask to be alone.
What do you think? Is it nice to know these women are looking out for you? That they'll be there in an instant, should you need them? Or is it stifling, suffocating perhaps, to know you're never truly alone?
