call out my name

if a day comes where even you are taken by the darkness, it will be up to me.

[vigilantyxksha]

vigilantyxksha; selective & indie roleplay blog for xiao of genshin impact, penned by sep 🐟.

dossier // about // ask

notes under the cut:

as this blog was once affiliated with gnostic hymns, I will prioritize mutuals and others that were associated with the group, but I’m open to meeting new people :D feel free to say hi!

all of xiao's relationships, canon or no, will be strictly platonic. I am not open to any shipping at this time.

please be nice, respectful, etc or else I shall block

I also write venti over at @wind-blumes!

will update as needed - last edit 3/7/26

[vigilantyxksha]

[XIAO LANTERN]

A little ways away from the city, the dragon-child holds an unfinished lantern. Unfinished, of course, not because he doesn't know how to, but because he doesn't know what to put inside. He isn't alone, but he doesn't realize it at first.

The lanterns released in the city rise up above the water, twinkling like little stars. The dragon-child sighs, and smiles, because he doesn't need to steal them anymore.

"Ack!" Upon noticing the other presence, Durin jumps to his feet, quickly brushing himself off. "I didn't notice you there…"

But there was something strange about this new arrival, and Durin blinks at him curiously. "Oh, are you releasing a lantern, too?"

From his attire, he seems like a native. "Um... could I ask- what are we supposed to put inside the lanterns? I'm trying to think of something that could fit, but..."

Like mother, like son- his writing was best suited as a story, and not a statement.

There was something… odd about the figure that now stood on the mountain where Xiao kept his usual vigil. Mondstadtian attire, draconic features, Abyssal energy… and yet there was an obvious attempt to assume the guise of a human, and he could detect no malice from them. Even so, he watched the figure from afar to deduce their intentions.

And after a long stretch of careful observation, Xiao concluded that said intentions were endless hemming and hawing about what to write in a lantern.

He teleported nearby and approached the figure, noting the startled reaction upon the other noticing his presence—then was subjected to multiple questions. Was he releasing a lantern? Xiao had already released one. What are you supposed to put inside it? 

“It is tradition to write well wishes for the future,” Xiao said. The figure, who had the appearance of a young man, looked at him with wide eyes that betrayed a deep naiveté. It made Xiao... uncomfortable, but he brushed it aside. “Lantern Rite is about new beginnings. Your ambition, your ideal, your dream—write it down on the lantern, and let it guide your way forward.”

[vigilantyxksha]

HIDE N’ SEEK, ⠀ a cherished tradition the children of liyue take great pride in, many games growing shockingly competitive as seekers and hiders alike up the ante. if you find yourself roped into one of their games, prepare to give it your all! 

She’s not too sure how she got roped into this game, but she is beyond delighted for it. A combination between tag and hide and seek is what this particular group had come up with, as she’d come to learn. In no part thanks to the children that had come out of nowhere and declared her ‘it’ before scurrying off never to be seen again with no explanation, but she doesn’t particularly mind. It wasn’t too difficult to pick up on the context clues, anyway.

It’s a unique game; innovative, and fun. Everything she’d always wished to have the chance to be apart of since her birth. Though perhaps a bit on the difficult side, when in a city you’ve never properly visited before…

“Hmm…” Columbina hummed softly to herself as she glided through the streets. Where would someone playing the ‘hider’ go…? Perhaps near the outskirts of the city, rather than the heart. Away from bright lights that could illuminate their spot, or people that could give away their position by trying to talk to them. Just like…

…Ah. It’s that guy she gave a candy to before.

She can’t quite tell if he’s playing or not. He’s standing in a similarly appropriate position, though he’s not exactly hiding… Perhaps he’s like her from a moment ago, and simply doesn’t know the rules yet. Or perhaps he really isn’t part of the game. Yet, at least. He certainly is now.

Columbina sneaks up behind the semi-stranger as quietly as she can, just as she learned to do from all her times playing with Arlecchino in the Fatui — exposing herself with a light tap to his shoulder. “Tag. You’re it.”

And with that, she takes off again without waiting for a response.

The sound of laughter and footsteps echoed through the streets of Liyue Harbor. Xiao stood, albeit a bit awkwardly, concealed behind the side of a building. There was a game of hide-and-seek tag going on, but despite his position, he was not actually playing.

He had happened to actually be in the harbor, rather than silently observing it from above, for the purpose of making a Xiao lantern. Then the spontaneous decision to visit Wanmin Restaurant arose, and he had ended up walking right into the middle of the game.

The adepti did not play very many games, and Xiao was no exception; therefore, feeling rather awkward about the prospect of joining the game of hide-and-seek tag, he had instead decided to simply observe the state of the game. Then, if he at some point desired to join—highly unlikely, but possible—he could do so without any trouble.

He had not accounted for the possibility of being tagged against his will.

Xiao stared in surprise as the foreign goddess he had once met before tapped him on the shoulder—“Tag, you’re it”—and skipped away. It was strange to be approached so casually. Different. But it was not bad.

In his momentary confusion, she had slipped away. It was no matter. He was supposed to chase after her, as per the rules of the game. 

“Very well. Ready or not, here I come,” he said, the words awkward on his tongue, and he disappeared in a burst of Anemo energy.

[vigilantyxksha]

[SNEAK AWAY]

Layla had wanted to take a breather from the festivities alone, so she ran off to the nearest secluded place she could find. It wasn't that she hated the festivities; she just wanted to take some time away from everything...

"Oh!" Layoa saw someone else sitting where she was planning to take a breather. "Are you... taking a break from the festivities too?"

At this point, it should not have come as a surprise to him that more people had become willing to approach him without any reservations—but Xiao was still unused to it. Then again, this mortal girl seemed to be merely seeking respite from the festival, and he happened to be doing exactly that; logically, a conversation would naturally follow. Perhaps it would have been stranger to have wordlessly taken a seat next to him. 

This was fine enough, he supposed. Xiao would humor her.

“I prefer to observe from afar,” he said. “This place has a nice view of Liyue Harbor. ...You may join me if you wish.”

[wind-blumes]

it's sad to see GH go, but venti will stick around! I plan to finish all existing threads, and if you'd like to plot new ones, feel free to ask! however, I will restrict this to muns/blogs that were affiliated with GH for the time being.

see you in the stars, gnostic hymns!

[vigilantyxksha]

and the same goes for xiao as well!

[vigilantyxksha]

a whale of a time

Commission Board: Elation | @seiljager

[seiljager]

“I’m aware of the danger. That’s why they hired me,” Kinich says sternly, arms crossed tightly over his chest as he stares warily at the new presence upon the ship, “If it was that easy to reason with the captain, I doubt I’d be here. Clearly someone already warned him and he thought the best course of action wasn’t to stop, but to hire a bounty hunter. Besides, he’s already paid me. Can’t exactly argue with that.”

He couldn’t, but Ajaw certainly could. Ajaw, who had been making his complaints about being forced out to sea to hunt extremely loud and clear since they had set off from the port. Ajaw, who was still complaining even now. Good thing Kinich had long since learned how to be able to tune him out, after all the years they had been bound by contract. The same could not be said for the crew members he was currently bothering.

“I don’t know about the rest of the crew, but if things go south, I can handle myself,” He smirks slightly, giving a dismissive shrug of his shoulders. He’d been handling himself since he was a mere seven years old, hunting and killing animals far larger than himself just to survive another day without his parents around to care for him - though his father had barely cared for him when he was still alive, “Of course, I could be convinced to make them turn around right now. That is, if you can pay me the amount given by the captain plus ten percent.”

[vigilantyxksha]

So this man was a paid contractor. Xiao had no need for Mora, and thus did not carry any on his person. When it had been necessary to procure in the past, he had done so by asking Rex Lapis himself; although now this would be impossible, for multiple reasons—one being that he was currently hunting down a whale far, far away from Liyue.

His eyes narrowed as he considered his options. Although the captain of this ship was foolish enough to continue this relentless search for the whale, he was wise enough to stay on the ship and outsource the hunt itself to a bounty hunter. If the captain had already prepared this much, Xiao doubted that he could be convinced further. 

It would be extremely inconvenient, but if he wanted to track down the whale, it was starting to appear as though the best course of action would be to accompany this boat—and its crew—on its journey.

“I do not carry Mora,” Xiao said. “Disregard my previous statement—I will instead join you in hunting down the whale.”

He dismissed his spear and peered over the edge of the boat, trying to sense where the whale had gone. The sensation of the whale’s godly energy had become weak—it had evidently traveled far during their brief conversation—but not weak enough.

Xiao pointed somewhere over the horizon. “It’s over there.”

[vigilantyxksha]

🕊️🍬 how do you do fellow bird

“Hello.” The moon goddess approaches the stranger with a gentle bow of her head; the polite thing to do when meeting someone for the first time, or so she’s been told. Though then again, there are many different greetings as she’s come to learn, all polite in their own ways. Hopefully she guessed the right one for this instance. “My name is Columbina Hyposelenia. Would you like a candy?”

Strange… the energy surrounding him is not one of kuuvakhi, instead something far too dark to possibly be mistaken so light, but it’s strong enough to sense as though it was. It’s an almost… painful feeling. Something she can’t imagine must be any more pleasant for him. Perhaps a lighter candy would be best to help counteract that?

Columbina sticks her hand into her box of treats, feeling around for a moment before finally returning with a candy covered in a white paper labeled ‘Pine Amber’, which she then holds out to him. It was one of the few the candy maker she commissioned had been more hesitant on… but in the wild, they tend to glow rather nicely under the moon. That means the candy version should do the trick just as well, right? “Here. I hope it helps.”

Xiao had sensed the goddess’s approach before he saw her. 

An ancient energy, one far older than he, radiated from within her. For a moment, he tensed, muscles ready for battle; but he waited, watching intently, as the goddess approached him, bowed, introduced herself, and politely offered him a candy—to help?

Xiao stared. Was she… trying to be friendly? A foreign goddess, offering a gesture of goodwill, for him? 

Perhaps some gods were as strange as humans, he thought, but he bowed in return and accepted the gift. It would be rude to refuse. “It is nice to meet you, Columbina Hyposelenia. Sugar will not help me, but the gesture is appreciated.”

He unwrapped the candy and held it up curiously. It was shaped like something he did not recognize—perhaps something from her homeland. Hesitantly, he put it in his mouth. The mild, sweet taste of honey coated his tongue; yet underneath it, there was something sharp and woodsy. Not unpleasant.

“Thank you,” he said again, and left.

[vigilantyxksha]

pitch black, pale blue

Commission Board: Elation | @naturesmessages

[naturesmessages]

Perhaps it, too, was fate for them to be here at this moment. They had been taking a stroll nearby, but the shouts of desperation caught their ear. Hard not to listen to such screams. Slowly, quietly, Kazuha moved towards the source of the sounds. It would be unwise to further endanger anyone should he make his presence known—ah. 

“We’ll give you everything we have—even turn ourselves in! Just let us through!”

Treasure Hoarders. Kazuha was familiar with their ilk, willing to risk it all for some treasure. Or so they thought, the scene before him betrayed that impression. He stopped in place, what could be so valuable as to cause even them to put their lives on the line? 

“Hey, are you listening to me? I told you, it’s too dangerous!” a guard exclaimed, clearly tired of the continuous begging. Had this been going on for a while? “And we’ve already searched the mines, so if they’re not there, well—I’m sorry to say but they’re probably long gone!”

‘They’? Oh. There were people trapped inside. More specifically, the thieves’ companions. Kazuha knitted his brows together, drowning out the rest of the conversation, whatever of it there could be. Now, the guards would be difficult to get around, but they must take breaks eventually. Or perhaps he could sneak on by while they were on duty…?

The wind shifted around him as they thought through their next course of action. Ah, someone else was around. Unfortunate, they thought themself to be well hidden. Kazuha glanced to their side, finding someone he had only caught glimpses of within the Harbor every so often. They hummed, looking back at the pleading thieves. Were they the guardian of this place?

“Is there a reason you say so? Is sightseeing not available to all?”

The winds are sure to be thin below, perhaps it does not even reach that far down. That would not bode well for their companions… the sooner I can get down there, the better.

“Are you familiar with their companions?” he wondered aloud, turning back to the one beside him. There must be a reason they were here as well, maybe they could work together?

[vigilantyxksha]

Was this sailor unaware of the dangers of the Chasm? And to suggest that he was acquainted with those Treasure Hoarders—ridiculous. Xiao frowned.

“Sightseeing? Go elsewhere,” he said. “This area is dangerous. Even for petty thieves such as these, there is nothing in these depths worth risking your life for.”

Even for him. Not anymore.

The wind whipped around the two of them, swirling along the edges of the Chasm. The Treasure Hoarders continued to argue with the Millelith. A stalemate.

Xiao opened his mouth to speak again. “Do you plan to stand here and watch—”

One of the Treasure Hoarders ran at a Millelith guard and tackled them; the two of them staggered into the Chasm’s entrance, falling headfirst into its maw. The other Treasure Hoarder, taking advantage of the moment of shock, jumped in after.

With a burst of Anemo energy, Xiao teleported to the ledge and lunged at the second Treasure Hoarder—the other Millelith muttered to themselves, stunned: “It’s the Conqueror of Demons!”—but his fingertips barely missed the back of the thief’s shirt as she too fell into the Chasm.

Xiao caught himself on the edge before he fell in. Small bits of rock crumbled below his fingers, joining the three mortals’ descent into the depths. The three of them would be in the mines—humans could only run so far—it would be a quick trip in and out, but why was he hesitating? 

He was falling.

Why did his body refuse to move?

The Fantastic Compass soared towards the light—which grew smaller and smaller in his vision.

“Conqueror of Demons,” one of the Millelith ventured hesitantly, “is everything alright?”

“I am fine,” Xiao said, but he did not move, even as the sound of the sailor’s footsteps approached from behind him.

[reachforthetruth]

stand on fragmentum now i'm 6'6"

commission / elation | 'so much for keeping back the fragmentum huh.' | bronya / xiao

[reachforthetruth]

   The remnants of the Destruction that wreaked havoc in the tail-end of Belobog’s festival was felt even as more days passed since Donnie’s weak ‘thank you’ speech. God knows that Bronya still felt the weight of the Fragmentum’s toll, though it was likely more accurate for her to say that there was a sort of mental weight rather than a physical weight.

   Guilt at the inability to protect was all consuming, especially for someone who sought to do all that she could to protect. Maybe that was why she still remained in Belobog to assist in the relief efforts, though it wouldn’t be hard to argue that she’d still be here even if she hadn’t felt guilty for her perceived failures. The Fragmentum, and the Destruction by extension, were too similar to the Honkai for her to ignore. ‘Belobog was impacted by a Stellaron too, if I remember from that Museum… that’s why the Fragmentum is here.’ Bronya recalled a conversation with Mei regarding the Stellaron on the planet Empyrea, ‘Empyrea’s destruction and the Fragmentum here both feel similar to a Honkai Eruption… but I cannot be too sure.’ Because of that, Bronya found herself ready to take a closer look at the Fragmentum, even if that may have been a considerably bad idea.

   She wouldn’t allow herself to go alone, though. There was benefit to exploring in numbers, especially when it came to the Honkai. She fought far too many battles against it over the past decade to underestimate something even slightly similar to it, even if that similarity lies in concept more than anything. However, as she waded through the crowd of Belobogians offering relief aid, no one seemed to stand out at attention to her – they all seemed frail, in the event of a battle. 

   That was, of course, until Bronya spotted an unfamiliar head of dark-green hair. The stature of one not too significantly shorter than she, but still carried a significant fierceness in their eyes. She approached, bowing before the unfamiliar figure in the crowd. “Excuse me,” her voice was polite – perhaps that was unbecoming of a warrior, but that did not matter to her, “I plan to investigate more of the Destruction out in the field it… reminds me of something from back in my home. Would you come with me? It would be considerably dangerous to go alone.”

@vigilantyxksha hi xiao

[vigilantyxksha]

Xiao gazed over the vast expanse of snow, the frigid wind biting at his exposed skin. Strange... he had never been in such a place before. And yet it was all too familiar: great shattered pillars of ice, crushed by blade and force; discarded equipment and weapons buried in the snow; and most of all, the quiet save for the howling of the fierce winds. A battlefield.

He wandered the frigid expanse until he spotted movement. In a clustered, makeshift shelter, soldiers in uniform barked orders, directing a motley bunch of people—conscripted fighters, perhaps. Xiao lingered on the outskirts, catching bits of conversation. There was some sort of ongoing fight against something called the Fragmentum, though what exactly caused this Fragmentum and what it did, he didn't know. But as this was a battlefield, it could be worth investigating to see if his skills would be useful here—and if they were not, he would simply leave.

Ultimatum reached, Xiao turned to return to the snowfields. Before he could, he heard a voice address him. Xiao turned around to face a human girl with silver hair: one of those conscripted fighters, requesting him to accompany her.

He studied her expression. From her words, it was clear that she did not know who he was. For what reason, then, would she choose him in particular? Perhaps it was something beyond his comprehension; but regardless of what reason she had, he would not refuse her request.

"If you wish for my assistance, I will accompany you from afar," he said, carefully. "But I cannot guarantee your safety. I am no human. Do not assume as much."

Having sufficiently explained himself, Xiao waited for the girl’s answer.

[vigilantyxksha]

pitch black, pale blue

Commission Board: Elation | @naturesmessages

[vigilantyxksha]

The sand and gravel crunched around Xiao’s boots as he walked along the edges of the Chasm’s walls. After learning about Bosacius’ fate deep within its depths, he mostly stuck to the outskirts of the cliffs during his patrols, only venturing towards the maw when necessary. There was nothing else for him to do there, after all.

Layered over the sound of wind whipping through grass and dry brush, shouts pierced through the air: “Please! I’ll do anything!”

Xiao stopped and glanced at the source of the shouting. Two Treasure Hoarders faced the Millelith guarding the Chasm’s entrance. “We’ll give you everything we have—even turn ourselves in!” one of them begged. “Just let us through!”

Xiao narrowed his eyes. What would be so valuable to these petty thieves as to voluntarily surrender their livelihood for it? Slowly, he made his way closer.

“Hey, are you listening to me? I told you, it’s too dangerous!” one of the guards replied, exasperation lacing their voice. “And we’ve already searched the mines, so if they’re not there, well—I’m sorry to say, but they’re probably long gone!"

“No!” the other thief demanded. “They’re holding on, waiting for us! I know it!”

Xiao turned away, silently agreeing with the Millelith. Any human who had wound up alone within the Chasm’s depths would be facing their certain death. For their companion’s sake, he hoped their demise was quick and painless.

As he left, something caught his eye in the distance. A figure clad in red stood, watching the scene from a ways away as Xiao had. Their garb was Inazuman, but Xiao had seen them before, accompanying Beidou’s crew in the streets of Liyue Harbor—though a name escaped him at the moment. He observed the figure for a moment longer, then teleported beside them.

“If you have no business here,” he said, “then leave.”

[vigilantyxksha]

a whale of a time

Commission Board: Elation | @seiljager

[vigilantyxksha]

It was not often that Xiao left Liyue.

He would not have left at all, if he had noticed this earlier, and this would have not been his problem, had it not originated in Liyue, but both of these things were true, and so now here he was. 

Just as often as the buried remains of old gods seeped through the land, corrupting those who walked upon it, those that were laid to rest in the sea would surface upon Liyue’s shores, brought by the tide or by animals— in this case, a whale who had devoured these remains and in turn grew to four times its normal size. Xiao had been preoccupied with other matters and hadn’t been able to exorcise the god’s remains before the whale escaped the waters of Liyue and swam towards Fontaine. As such, it was his responsibility to track it down and deal with it. Not that it was an easy task—the ocean was deep, and Xiao did not swim. 

And so he watched and waited, on the shore of a small island near where he’d sensed the whale last. The tide lapped at his boots. 

Being in foreign soil, the easiest way to remove the threat would be to simply lure it back to Liyuean waters, using himself as bait. Tainted with karma as he was, he still held the power of an Adeptus, which he could use to his advantage alongside the whale’s primitive greed—

His senses alerted him to the approach of the whale, and he stood ready, spear grasped tightly. And then he heard something else.

It was a boat. Some mortal fishermen had found the whale before him. But it was no matter; Xiao would simply warn them to stay away and if they had enough sense, they would listen.

He teleported onto the deck of the boat. (There was a yelp and a clatter behind him, but Xiao paid this no mind.) Xiao gave the humans standing around a cursory scan, assessing who looked the most capable of efficient communication. 

“You,” he said, approaching a young man clad in green. “Tell the captain of this ship to stop pursuing this whale. It will put you in grave danger.”

[vigilantyxksha]

plotting call!

hello hello xiao is here and so is my first ever plotting post!

before I say anything else, I'd like to state that I'll be busy with schoolwork for the first two weeks of december and will be unable to write anything until after, but I'd be happy to write starters if you're willing to wait!

teyvat prompts:

Sailors from Fontaine are coming to Nasha Town talking about a massive whale in the waters. fontaine happens to be next to chenyu vale which is convenient to help xiao get involved. he'd probably be tracking the whale himself if it was a sort of consecrated beast, but feel free to rope him into sailor/pirate hijinks along the way :crunchy: with kinich!

Fools! Bumbling, greedy fools! xiao knows the chasm well and isn't keen on the bandit intruders. he wouldn't be unwilling to pair up if your muse would like to help him out. with kazuha!

sea of quanta prompts (requires sea of quanta muse):

So much for keeping back the Fragmentum, right? xiao can hang out in belobog, as a treat. I don't have any particular ideas for this one tbh other than the fact that this will be his first trip out of Teyvat, so your muse can teach him how the world works, or something. with bronya!

you can reach me over discord @/septimusfish (either through DMs or the GH discord plotting channel) or DM me here on tumblr!

[kovir]

GENSHIN WEEK DAY 1: Favorite Character

Trouble means nothing to adepti. There is no trouble that can last for a thousand years.