Xiao, Albedo, Scaramouche Neglecting Their S/O

Thinking about marrying Aventurine and his face when he sees you walking down the aisle.

He's always so cool and confident. Always has an answer, a plan, a way out. Nothing can crack his exterior cover. Except for you.

He's never in his life cried in front of others. But here he was, standing at the altar, tears threatening to blur his vision as he watched you walk towards him.

You looked ethereal. Your white dress trailed behind you and gently sparkled in the sunlight. Your makeup accentuated all the features he already loved about you, and your hair cascaded down your back and framed your perfect face. You looked like an angel. Like salvation.

He did his best to keep his tears from flowing, not wanting to miss a single second of your walk towards him. Towards the rest of your lives together.

As you approached, he held out his hand to help you up onto the altar.

His purple-blue eyes glistened as he gazed into your own. Into his future. A future he never expected to have, at least until you came into his life.

With you he saw a future he wanted to protect and cherish. There would be no more staking it on risky gambles. Not anymore.

Instead, as he placed your ring on your finger, he also placed his most valuable chip in your hands: his heart.

It was all or nothing. And he decided to give you it all. His future, his life, his heart, it was all yours now. You were the best gamble he ever took, he thought, as he said "I do."

Their reactions to your death

As it says on the tin, the HSR boys' reactions to your death. This is pure angst.

WARNING:

Contains descriptions of death (nothing too graphic, though)

Suicidal thoughts in Aventurine's part

Mentions of Aventurine's backstory

No happy endings, this is pure angst

Characters: Argenti, Aventurine, and Jing Yuan

🌹 Argenti

Argenti knew that taking you traveling with him was a dangerous endeavor. You had some combat experience as a Nameless, and he admired your determination to improve your fighting skills by frequently sparring with him. He warned you of the frequent dangers he faced as a Knight of Beauty in his pursuit of THEIR radiance, and despite his common sense telling him to let you go, neither his heart nor you were satisfied to sever the tender bond growing between you. Against his better judgment, Argenti caved to your pleas to join him on his journey.

At first, the days spent journeying with you were some of his happiest. The love blossoming in his chest filled his entire being, and he often swore to you that you must have been blessed by Idrila themselves because when he was with you, the entire universe glowed with radiant beauty. The world was more beautiful with you by his side, for that was how much of an impact your presence had on him.

Argenti soon came to regret his weak will for allowing you to come along on his perilous adventure. You were making a rest stop on a small planet when the Antimatter Legion invaded, set on destruction. Overwhelmed by enemy numbers, Argenti focused on protecting the citizens and trusted you to handle yourself. Though you were not on par with his strength, he saw you improve during your sparring sessions, and he wanted to believe in your capabilities.

When the battle was over and the dust settled, Argenti couldn’t find you. While calling your name, he forced his battered and bloodied body to move as he searched for you among the rubble. He soon found you, collapsed on the ground in a puddle of your own blood. Quickly rushing to your side, Argenti scooped you up into his arms to inspect your injuries. The gashes in your torso were deep—Argenti knew instantly they were fatal. He didn’t want to accept your death, but no matter how much he called your name, hoping you would magically come back to life and open your eyes, you remained still.

Argenti was no stranger to losing friends, as their knightly profession resulted in many of them dying. He still thought about his fallen comrades with an ache in his chest, unable to fully make peace with their passing. However, you were someone he cherished even more than his fallen friends. You were the first person he grew to love from the bottom of his heart, dare he say even more than his beloved Aeon of Beauty. You were the first person to instill such overwhelming joy and adoration in his being with your mere existence.

Gently taking hold of your hand, Argenti brought your palm to his cheek, his heart shattering at how cold your skin was. He remained like this for a long time, hunching over your body and cradling you close while holding your limp hand in his. He wept. Tears streamed down his handsome face, leaving behind wet trails among the dirt and blood smeared on his cheeks as he kissed the back of your hand the way he did so many times before, only this time would be the last. Argenti quietly apologized to you for not being there to protect you, for allowing you to join him on such a dangerous journey and lose your life because he wasn’t strong enough to resist his love for you.

The day you died, the beautiful universe as Argenti knew it, withered like a decaying rose. The things he once found beautiful were now rendered without that same brilliant splendor. Everything appeared bleak and ordinary. No matter how he tried, Argenti found it difficult to summon the love and appreciation he once had. It was as if you had taken that ability with you to the grave.

Worse yet, Argenti found his faith in Idrila shaken, leaving him questioning his devotion to the absent Aeon.

After all, how can beauty exist in a universe without you?

🃏 Aventurine

After he returned from a mission, Aventurine wanted to spend some quality time with you, so he took you to the local mall with the promise of buying you anything your pretty heart desired, no matter the price tag. Walking hand-in-hand, Aventurine and you were discussing which store to visit next when a man emerged from the crowd and stood in front of your pair. The man looked familiar to Aventurine, but before he had time to place the face to a name, the man drew a gun and aimed it right at Aventurine’s heart, screaming that Aventurine ruined his life and he would get revenge on him today.

The ensuing moments happened too quickly for Aventurine to react. The man pulled the trigger and a loud bang resounded through the shopping center, resulting in a cacophony of screams from the nearby crowd of shoppers. The bullet didn’t hit Aventurine, however. As if in slow motion, he watched you shield him from the assailant and intercept the bullet in his place.

His carefully crafted personal of smug confidence crumbled when you fell at his feet, replaced with rarely-seen panic as Aventurine saw red bloom at the center of your chest like an ugly rose. The terror of losing you overrode any other concern in his mind, and Aventurine barely spared a thought to the assassin, too preoccupied with stemming your bleeding with his jacket, not caring if it became ruined with blood. Somewhere in the background, he heard the man’s angry shouts as he was apprehended and carried away by security, but Aventurine couldn’t focus on that. All he had on his mind was ensuring you made it out alive.

He was so focused on stopping your bleeding, that the only thing that snapped him out of his panic was the sensation of your hand resting over his. Lifting his gaze to meet your pained one, Aventurine watched you mouth “I love you” before falling still moments later. Your eyes glazed over, staring through him into the distance, and Aventurine’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach.

Just five minutes ago he was happily holding hands with you, excited to indulge in a rare day off to spoil you, and how he looked down on your lifeless body cradled in his arms. You were gone and he will never get you back.

The ensuing days were a blur of police interrogations and IPC meetings, but Aventurine was glad to be busy. It was the only thing distracting him from his grief and guilt. It turned out that the assassin was a small company representative he screwed over a while ago for the sake of a mission, and the man wanted to kill Aventurine in revenge. A few of Aventurine’s colleagues said he was lucky to be alive, but that phrase made his stomach churn. Could it be considered luck if he lost you in the end? If so, then he doesn’t want to be lucky anymore.

When your funeral came, Aventurine almost didn’t attend. He couldn’t bear to face you with the knowledge that you gave up your life for his. That he stood here alive and well, while you lay lifeless in the grave because of him. But Topaz and Jade coaxed him out and he went, tuning out the entire procession or risk showing vulnerability.

After the hectic days wound down, the grief came in full force. Once upon a time, Aventurine found solitude as a saving grace after a long day of faking and scheming. Then you came along and wormed your way into his scarred heart, bathing him in a love and gentleness he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Sharing his home with you was an unfamiliar yet joyous experience, and he found comfort in knowing that you were waiting for him to return each day. However, now his home felt awfully empty and lonely without you, and the silence sometimes choked him. Your things were still lying where you left them before that horrid day, and Aventurine didn’t have the heart to move them, much less throw them away. After all, they held memories of your happy times together, proof that you once existed.

Insomnia became his companion. The grief and guilt weighed on him like a boulder and kept him awake late into the night, turning over possibilities of what he should have done so you would have survived. When his exhausted brain forced him to sleep, all he saw were nightmares. Some nights he dreamt of his mother and sister, and the fires and bloodshed that tore through their little encampment. Other nights he dreamt of being shackled and watching blood run down his fingers while a lifeless body lay at his feet, beaten beyond recognition. Sometimes, he dreamt about being on a date with you, hearing you say “I love you” and then watching you fall lifeless at his feet with a bullet wound in your chest.

Aventurine woke in a cold sweat every time. Usually, when he had nightmares, you were there to keep him company until he calmed down, but now, there was nothing but empty space where you should have been. He did not fall asleep afterward.

Your death weighed like a heavy boulder, suffocating him. It unearthed painful memories and reopened old wounds that never healed. Aventurine lost so much in his life: his family, people, planet, freedom, and now, the love of his life. Everything he treasured had been brutally taken from him, and the constant beatdown made it difficult to summon the will to go on. He might have pulled on a smile for his colleagues at the IPC, but in the solitude of his home, there were nights when he considered ending it all and joining you and his family in the afterlife. He probably would have gone through with those urges were it not for Topaz and Jade’s timely support. Their genuine concern for his well-being helped steer him away from such thoughts.

Having faced so much loss, Aventurine closed himself off from close relationships. He swore to never take another lover after you—he couldn’t bear to lose someone else again—but he does hold your memory close to his heart, much like he does with his family. He packed your things and stored them safely alongside his mother’s items, cherishing them as a memento of you.

Aventurine knows that one day he will reunite with you and his family. Maybe that day won’t come soon, but he finds comfort in knowing it will happen eventually. In the meantime, he resolved to push on and fulfill his goal of taking revenge against the IPC for the sake of everything they had so cruelly snatched from him. Just wait a little longer for him, alright? He will join you soon enough.

🦁 Jing Yuan

Having lived for several centuries, one would assume Jing Yuan had accumulated precious wisdom over the course of his long life. Though he remained humble, Jing Yuan liked to think so, too. Yet, entering a committed relationship with you, a short-life species, was not a wise decision at all. Compared to his long lifespan, your life was like a sparkler: beautifully bright but short-lived. Jing Yuan was fully aware that it would hurt him when he inevitably lost you, but love made people foolish, and he was no exception.

His long life and the loss of his beloved friends and mentor made him jaded, but being with you gave him that little spark of excitement he hadn’t felt in a long time. It felt good to come home to find you waiting for him, and it motivated him to finish his paperwork faster so he could hurry back to you. The lazy days of taking naps on your lap, going on strolls through Xianzhou, and drinking tea together were akin to a dream.

But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. In what felt like a blink of an eye, you started showing signs of aging. Your skin developed new wrinkles and your vision worsened, but otherwise, you were still perfectly healthy. Nevertheless, the sight settled like a heavy blanket over Jing Yuan. It was a reminder that you were slowly but surely approaching the end of your life span. The realization weighed on his heart, turning his time with you bittersweet, but he resolved to make the most of your remaining time together.

After a few more decades, you developed health problems and were no longer as active as you used to be, so Jing Yuan paid for the best doctors on the Xianzhou to care for you, all with the hope of extending your life by just a few more years. Even one or two more would do.

Over the years, you took many couple photographs to capture the fun times but also to leave something for Jing Yuan to remember you by. He used to look upon them with fondness, but now as he browsed through the photos on his phone, his heart sank as he saw how you progressively aged with each new picture while he remained unchanged. Though he knew it was inevitable for your species, it still left a sour taste in his mouth.

A couple more decades passed by, and your figure changed even more. Your skin was wrinkled and your hair white, your vision was poor, and the aches and pains in your body prevented you from being active. Jing Yuan sometimes caught your melancholic gaze on him when you thought he wasn’t looking, and he knew his youthful appearance bothered you. You must have doubted whether he still loved you now that you lost your youthful beauty, but he did. No matter how much you changed, Jing Yuan’s love for you never waned, and he proved it to you by faithfully remaining by your side, showering you in compliments and affections the same way he did when he first fell in love with you.

Time marched on. Jing Yuan watched you slowly waste away in front of his eyes as you grew feeble with every passing year. Your time would come soon, and he would have to say goodbye to you. He was no stranger to goodbyes. He’s lost dear friends in the past, but the longing for his companions and the good times they shared together never quite left. He knew it would be the same with you because despite the short time you had been together, you had left a big impact on him. Capturing the heart of the Luofu General was no small feat, as he often told you with a playful smile. Rendering him practically kneeling at your bedside and grasping your hand with the fear of today being your last was no small feat either, though Jing Yuan never told you that part.

When your time was almost here, Jing Yuan spent all his free time at your bedside, desperately trying to get a few more moments with you. His laidback smile was ever present as he chatted with you and held your hand, but that mask faded when he felt your hand grow limp in his at long last. Though he was heartbroken to watch you go, he was glad that your death was a peaceful one, at least.

He did not cry for you. He had decades to prepare for your death, but your absence did leave a hole in his heart. He sorely missed the playful banter, cheerful laughter, and comfort you provided. Life returned to the same monotony it used to be prior to meeting you, but it felt incomplete without you. His house felt too silent, his bed was too big for him alone, and he still caught himself brewing an extra mug of tea out of habit.

Falling in love with a short-life species was not a wise decision, but despite the heartache Jing Yuan felt whenever he looked at photos of you, he knew he would make the mistake of loving you all over again if given the chance. It just hurt knowing he could no longer make new memories with you.

Maybe if he’s lucky, the mara won’t get him and he’ll get to keep these cherished memories of you and the High-Cloud Quintet until his last days. At least, he hopes such a small mercy can be granted to him.

Stories

Kaedehara Kazuha/f!Reader

A/N: aah i’ve been working on this one for a while! i really hoped to get it posted today, so i’m sorry if it sounds rushed;; there are some intense scenes later in the story so please be aware if you’re sensitive towards that! i tried to write an inazuma setting so i hope i used accurate terms. it’s heavily inspired by teapot dialogue and kazuha’s character stories// the bake-danuki mentioned are the little tanuki who prank people and dance

warnings: swearing, light blood, violence, break-in, intense scene, ooc, reader mentioned to be smaller than kazuha

SFW

word count: 5.8k

summary: You live in a forest far from the city. When someone knocks on your door during a storm, will you regret opening it to greet them?

-

Crash!

Lightning struck nearby, its booming echo piercing through the dense rain. The night sky was pitch black, visible only when another flash of lightning sparked life into the thunder clouds. The intensity of Inazuma’s storms had been slowly increasing as of late.

Keep reading

Is It Wrong To Take Lunch To The Local Psycho Chalk-Man Living In The Mountains After Naming My Vagina Mondstadt?

crossposted from my ao3, albedossecretdiary

cw: very light angst, smut, dacryphilia, praise kink, dumbification, breeding, possessiveness, slight dubcon, semi-public sex, public sex, forced pregnancy (there’s no consent for him to cum inside and he wants you to get pregnant but he’s infertile so idk if it still counts)

a/n: italics my beloved (*´︶`*) this is very bad it’s literally just the product of a 2am brain dump!!

The day started just like any other day would. You woke to the usual sounds of the camp bustling around early in the morning. Somebody had made breakfast — the smell wafted into your tent and woke you up a little more. Speaking of food, today was Saturday, the day you trekked up to Albedo’s camp in the mountains and stayed for two days, researching as much as you could. After all, it wasn’t every day you could have access to the material and mind of a genius like him. You always tried to make the most of your time there, soaking up as much knowledge as you could before you had to go back for another five days.

Though, it had been a lot easier to focus before you’d started wondering what Albedo’s hair would feel like…soft, probably. And it was a harmless passing thought, until you latched onto it and didn’t let it go.

Speaking of soft, his skin looked soft as well. Maybe he used a special kind of cream…? You wouldn’t put it past him; he seemed like the type of man to take care of his body.

That was where the harmless part ended, though.

Thoughts are very fickle, you see, and sometimes even the most innocent thoughts about Albedo’s soft hair and skin can turn into wondering things like, you know, how big his dick was and all that. Definitely skipping a few steps, you were aware, but it couldn’t be helped. Curiosity was natural for humans; you’d studied that long and hard with Albedo.

“…what exactly are you doing?”

You jolted your head up to the sound of Iris’ voice, hands having stopped in the middle of packing ten bottles of water, “Oh, this? I’m going to see Albedo today, and water’s pretty essential so I —”

“No, you looked weird. Anyways, could you take this with you?” She handed you a softly glowing shard. “Orban found it and he wants Mister Albedo to have a look at it.”

“Oh, sure,” you cringed internally, making a mental note to reign your facial expressions in more when thinking about Albedo’s…skin.

Glancing up at the sky, you estimated that you had about an hour left before you should set out if you wanted to get there at noon. Now that you’d finished packing as much as you’d need for two days, you had to wait around for an hour. Maybe you could go over your notes from last time and prepare any materials you were able to carry.

Halfway into reviewing them, your thoughts strayed to the object of your affections once again. It was a little childish, but to be completely honest, it was fun having a crush like this again. Lighthearted and fun, but something that would never be anything other than that: a crush. As long as it didn’t get in the way of your work with him, you could continue as you’d been until it passed.

Although it did make you feel a little guilty knowing you were thinking about him in that way without him being aware.

You drew your attention back to the papers spread in front of you. It sure was boring waiting around, and time was passing much too slowly for your liking.

Surely it wouldn’t hurt to go a little early today?

Deciding on this, you threw on your jacket and grabbed your pack, saying goodbye to Iris before heading out towards the path to his camp. You passed Joel on the way who was sitting at his usual spot, looking glumly at the mountain. Usually he would remind you to keep and eye out for his dad, but he’d been silent about it for a while. Maybe it had something to do with that new guild member who’d passed through the other day. You could clearly remember the two of them talking.

Turning your attention to the broken bridge, you picked up the spare plank everyone used to cross it until it could be fixed. Gingerly you made your way across it, continuing your journey up the mountain.

Running past a spare hilichurl or two, you made it to the crossroads and broken bridge number two. It wasn’t hard to cross that one, and Albedo’s camp was just ahead. As you rounded the corner, you saw a golden glow shining out of the mouth of his cave.

You’d never seen this before…could it be a new experiment he was working on?

The first thing you noticed was Albedo slumped over his desk in and uncomfortable position on his back.

“Albedo, what’s happening?” You rushed to his side to see what exactly was wrong. Obviously he was in a lot of pain, judging by his ragged breathing and flushed face.

He jolted away from you, holding his hand out in front of him as if to keep you away, opening his mouth to tell you something but no words came out.

You stepped away from him to give him some space, as he seemed to want, “Is there…anything I can do?”

“L-listen,” he managed to choke out hoarsely. “Run to Mondstadt and don’t look back —” Again, he convulsed and his hands went up to grasp his throat. “Warn everyone you meet that I —“ His face twisted into a pained expression, beads of sweat running down his jaw, “Warn everyone to run. Tell Jean to protect them f-from —“ He shuddered and the star at his throat glowed even brighter, able to be seen through his hands.

Albedo’s eyes went wide, “K-klee!” He took a hurried step forward but instead stumbled and dropped to his knees, trying to catch his breath. “Take her far away from here…please…”

This was so unlike his usually calm and collected persona. From what you’d gathered, Albedo had done something — and whatever it was, it was very dangerous. You could take a guess as to what it could be, and a million questions were racing through your mind but you figured actions would be a lot more effective than words right now. Your mission was to warn everyone, and protect Klee. Questions could come afterward.

Albedo didn’t seem to have anything else to say, too busy choking himself on the floor.

“…I don’t know what’s going on, but I hope we can fix this, Albedo.”

And you rushed straight out of there, back down the path you’d come, and into the camp to warn everyone.

In your head, at least.

Before you could even process what was going on, you were thrown into the research table, head hitting the side.

What?

An empty glass fell off the end of the table and shattered on a stray stone, startling you back to reality

Albedo had caged you against the desk, your back pressed hard against the wood as you dazedly looked up at him.

Was this really Albedo?

A glow emitted from his skin, the diamond at his throat nearly blinding. Jagged golden lines ran up his arms, neck and the sides of his face. But it wasn’t any of these that really caught your attention — it was his eyes. They no longer had their soft look; they were a sharp, glowing blue, filled with something very foreboding.

An expressionless look formed over his face, momentarily washed away by a pleading expression, “Run!” He begged. “Please!”

His entire body twitched and it was gone in a second, though, replaced by a look that drilled into your very soul and trapped you in place. His hands that held yours trailed to your shoulders and held them down.

You could barely move, and you were rapidly becoming more and more aware of the placement of his crotch.

Albedo tightened his grip on your shoulders and again, his expression changed. This time, however, his voice carried a different quality.

“Tell me to stop…” His hands were shaky — almost as if he was trying to hold himself back — as he pulled you into his lap. Before you could even try to predict what he did next, his hips jerked up into yours. A jolt coursed through your body, and, embarrassingly enough, almost forced you to let out the most embarrassing sound. You brought your hand to your mouth to muffle anything, and you felt your face heat up.

Albedo’s eyes fluctuated between his usual colour and the unnaturally bright blue, which caused him to have a strange, blank expression. It was hard to look him in the eyes, but when you did, his blank expression seemed more intense than ever, and whatever attitude he’d had before completely dissipated.

Worst of all, it was…exciting.

And not in the “having fun” way, either.

However, there was something off; you could tell this wasn’t exactly him anymore. A colder air settled around him, and whatever had been holding him back earlier was gone. A trickle of fear ran down your spine at this prospect, and you realized you knew barely anything about what was happening.

“…I can’t hold this back anymore…” he muttered under his breath, so very quiet you weren’t sure if you heard him right.

“What’d you say…?”

“You wouldn’t know the pain. The agony of never being sure when you’ll inevitably lose control and destroy something dear to your heart; the pain of knowing you’ll one day do something horrible beyond repair; the pain of always holding back, for others’ sake —” he paused to tilt your chin up. “But I can’t always be holding back like this, can I? Even now as we speak, the desire to ruin something is taking me over.”

“…it’s who I truly am; a selfish, reckless monster who can only think of himself. I only ever think of myself; I only ever want to take things for myself.”

Bringing your chin to rest on his shoulder, he whispered directly into your ear, “And I want to take you. I want to ruin you, taint you until you only think of me. And you’ll be mine alone; nobody will ever have you but me.”

“Why me?” You whispered, hoping he wouldn’t be able to hear the shakiness of your voice or sense how incredibly turned on you were at that moment.

“Because you’re so absolutely perfect. A masterful creation; so beautifully crafted I was surprised nobody had already taken you for themselves.”

Albedo’s deft hands trailed all the way down to your thighs to gently spread them apart, “You don’t know how hard it is for me. When you found me, I was about to do something devastating. Somehow, you stopped me,” right past the hem of your panties his hand went, stopping just before your clit. “But the desire to destroy is still strong. I’m not going to be gentle,” His lips found their way to your neck and down, down they went, resting on your clothed nipple.

Your words were cut off by him lifting you up and placing you on the table. The strange blue light was returning to his eyes, having dulled considerably while talking with you. His actions held more desperation now, hastily removing your bottoms and panties in quick succession.

His ragged breathing had returned, and his face rested in between your thighs, looking expectantly up at you for permission. You gave a small nod and averted your eyes, unable to watch while he went down on you like he was starving.

He spread your legs wider so he could slip a finger inside easier, and he placed a gentle kiss on your clit before pushing another finger in, slowly scissoring them inside to stretch you out a little. You kept a hand over your mouth so nothing would slip out, but it was proving to be a harder task than you’d thought. He curled them up just right and your eyes squeezed shut, clenching down on his fingers as a jolt of pleasure shot through you. A third finger provided an added stretch, but the slight burn felt nice. His fingers reached farther than you’d ever reached with your own hands, causing you to need both hands to brace yourself on the table.

“Mmmf —” you muffled your whimper by biting down on your lips, falling apart as his fingers and tongue worked to bring you closer and closer to an orgasm. He repeatedly dragged back against that spot, again and again and again, until you could feel the pressure building in the lower parts of your stomach and you were sure the most embarrassing noises fell out of your mouth; you wouldn’t be able to tell. You were too far gone to think about anything besides how his fingers felt inside of you, and how his tongue sucked on your clit all to bring you closer to your peak — until he stopped. Whining, you peeked through your eyes to see him sucking his fingers clean and hastily undoing his pants with the other hand.

Flipping you over so your stomach was on the desk, Albedo breathily asked one more time, “Are you sure?”

“I’m…I’m sure.”

And he slowly slipped inside you, your cunt stretching to accommodate him. He whimpered, desperately trying to be a little gentler for even just a moment — you deserved so much better than this, but right now he couldn’t give you much of anything besides his uncontrolled passion.

He let you adjust to his size for a minute, attentive to your every gasp and cry. It was a lot harder than he’d thought it would be, especially when every single cell in his body screamed at him to just claim, mark, to be the only one to ever see you like this — he involuntarily jerked his hips up and nearly came when he heard you moan.

He didn’t hold back after that, thrusting at a fast pace and watching as your hands gripped anything they could while you let out the most heavenly sounds. The sloppy sounds coming from where you were connected were downright lewd.

In a completely unexpected gesture, he lifted you up to press his back against your chest firmly. Why would he —

The ground began rumbling underneath your feet, important vials and books falling off their shelves to smash on the ground. Flowers bloomed in lines all along the walls, and it would’ve been beautiful if the walls didn’t start crumbling to golden dust. You really had no choice but to hold onto him and hope nothing would fall on the two of you. All while this was happening, he kept up his brutal pace, maybe even going faster, causing you to gasp out, “A…albedo…! We shouldn’t b-be so exposed like this —,” a particularly hard thrust forced an obscene moan from you. “Someone could see us…!”

Albedo’s voice sounded right next to your ear, causing a shiver to run down your spine, “Do you think I care? Let them see. Let them know who you belong to. Scream, and tell them who you belong to, now.”

He never let up, arms wrapped around your midsection, holding you against him as your thoughts began to turn to mush; his fingers slipping to your mouth to open your pliant lips.

“Hmm? Why get shy now? You had no problems screaming my name a moment ago. Go on; tell them. Tell them who’s ruining your sweet little cunt. Let them know the one making you feel this good. Tell them.”

It seemed impossible, but his pace increased further, causing your whimpers to get louder and more drawn-out.

“A…albedo…”

“Louder,” he crooned. “I can’t hear you.”

“Albedo!”

You could feel the pressure building again, much faster than the last time, “Albedo…Albedo…! Please…please…pleasepleasepleaseplease…!” You didn’t even know what you were begging for at this point, you just let whatever slip out of your mouth. Tears tracked down your checks and drool slipped out the sides of your mouth. “P-please!”

He watched as your pussy sucked him in again and again, groaning at the sight, “I’m going to cum, darling…I’ll cum inside you…breed you until you’re stuffed so full with my cum you can’t even remember your own name.”

Unable to comprehend anything other than his thick cock ramming in and out of you, you nodded vigorously, cunt clenching hard around him.

“Albedo…I’m cumming…I’m cumming —!” Your eyes rolled back into your head and you clenched hard, pulsating around him. He continued thrusting into you, nearly reaching his peak himself. Overstimulation began to seep into you, fresh tears trailing down your cheeks.

He threw his head back and moaned as he came, fucking his cum into you as far as it could go.

“S-stoooop… ’s too much..!” You whimpered pathetically in his arms, squirming weakly.

“No. It’s never enough. Never…I need more. I want more. I’m going to fuck you so full of my cum until it’s the only thing you’ll be able to think about. I’m going to mark you until everyone knows that the only one who cums inside of you is me. We’ll…create life,” His words didn’t seem to fully register with him until his eyes widened, like he’d made a groundbreaking discovery. “I’m going to breed your sweet little cunt so full you’ll have to have a baby.”

By now he’d already fucked you through two orgasms and was rushing you towards a third. Overstimulating himself in the process, his hands gripped your hips harshly. Tears were streaking down your face and leaving tracks as the constant stimulation turned your mind to complete mush.

You were so out of it you barely noticed him rolling you over again so you were on your back.

His eyes made contact with yours, admiring the expressions your face made.

“Beautiful…” he whispered. “So beautiful,” his second orgasm was fast approaching, he could feel it.

“Look at me, darling,” he pressed your legs up against your chest, knees reaching beside your forehead. “You’re mine. Only mine, forever. You are mine. Say it,” he commanded, eyes blazing.

“I…” you gasped out, “I’m yours, Albedo!”

He came with a loud whine, burying his cock so deep inside he brushed your cervix. For the second time, a warmth flooded inside you and your head lolled back, eyes nearly closing.

You both leaned back to catch your breath, Albedo catching his first and looking down at you with an unreadable expression.

“Let’s relocate, we still have much to do.”

“Wha —!” You wailed as he whisked you off, away from the rubble that was once his camp.

~

Jean and Kaeya burst around the corner, shock filling their eyes as they stared at the rubble.

“What happened here…?”

im gonna try and send the whole thing but make the text small !! i hope this works (｡･･｡)

—

being a traveler , you’ve had your fair share of injuries. some worse than others. some … you weren’t quite sure how you healed from them.

some injuries were sourced from carelessness , ignorance , or pride. you did take more care to not get injured after falling in love with kazuha , though. he means the world to you , you can’t imagine leaving him alone in it. you knew he had his worries about you , and as much as he wishes he could follow you into battle .. sometimes you just traveled where he could not follow. he was a wanted man , after all. but you always returned home. always on time , or earlier. you were never late so .. why were you late ?

kazuha paced back and forth, nibbling at his fingernails in his worry. you were supposed to be home from this commission hours ago .. where had you gone ?

his pacing is interrupted by a deckhand knocking on the door of your shared quarters , the place you two had been calling home for a while.

“ kazuha , you have a letter. it’s important. “

he doesn’t say anything other than a quiet thanks as he unfolds the delicate paper , reading the words scribbled down. you can almost see the moment his spine stiffens and his blood feels like ice in his veins. kazuha is out of that door and jumping off the boat in a second , using his anemo vision to aid him in his sprint towards a certain inn.

he’ll be damned if he cares about getting caught. you have docked in liyue anyway , the chances were slim. all he cared about was reaching you in time.

the letter had been delivered to inform your fellow crew of your condition. you’d taken a hit from the blunt side of a mitachurl’s axe. it broke several bones on impact , but your arm had shielded most of the damage away from your ribs. you’d be extremely lucky if your arm healed back completely , though.

you’d been ushered to one of the upper floors of the Wangshu Inn by several adventurers who had found you on their way home , laying unconscious. your arm was obviously broken , making even the seasoned adventurers wince at the sight of it. verr goldet had convinced the green-haired adeptus living at the inn to deliver the letter , your condition was critical and your companions and loved ones needed to be notified of your whereabouts. after running the errand , however , he went back to his anti-social tendencies and disappeared against the mortal eye. he had no reason to be physically present with you .. but maybe he could watch over nearby and make sure you were breathing. just got verr goldet , of course…

you can hear kazuha’s voice pierce the thick fog of your unconsciousness.

“ where are they ?! [ name ] , i- i got a letter they were here and hurt , where are they ?! “ he calls , voice hoarse and you can almost hear the way his heart shatters in it. you don’t have the strength to open your eyes , but you can hear his light footsteps approaching the cot you’re resting on as the door opens.

kazuha falls to his knees beside you, grabbing your unwrapped hand with his and holding it close to him, mumbling incoherent prayers to some god that you’re okay. you peek at him through your eyelashes , moving your hand to pet his hair.

“kazu , you worry too much.” you speak.

a held breath leaves his body , and you can see his shoulders relax. unshed tears shine against his eyes , a shaky laugh leaving him.

“you worried me sick. what happened ? are you hurt ?”

you laugh. a weak sound leaving your beaten body, your hand once resting on kazuha’s hair moving to your shattered arm. “ … yeah.”

kazuha’s eyebrows furrow , and he stands to get a better view of your other arm. With how heavily it was bandaged , and the makeshift splint peeking through the layers of fabric and gauze , it wasn’t hard to figure out just how bad the injuries were. You had other bandages and bandaids scattered around your body , a few small ones on your face. kazu wordlessly presses soft kisses to each of the wounds on your upper body, scooping you into his arms. he’s mindful of your injury , keeping any and all pressure off of your arm.

..

oh how you wished you were in his arms again. the blue sky above you seemed to dull as you laugh. laugh at the gods for cursing you this way. left to bleed out on an expedition in jueyun karst. your previous break had left you with permanent injury in your arm , and though you could move it just fine , the range in which you could was not as good as it used to be. meaning , your entire side was exposed to enemy attack.

you knew how kazuha beat himself up that time. when you first broke your arm , he didn’t leave you alone until you had completely healed. apologies spewed from his mouth for the first few days. he was sorry he wasn’t there to protect you. how long it took him to get to you. sorry for not being the one to find you.

knowing that , you almost hoped he didn’t find you. it would shatter him more than you just not returning home. ah .. home. it was such a warm place. you and kazuha shared many memories there. you grew closer there.

you let your eyes close , the blood loss making your eyelids feel like lead and your limbs feel like ice. maybe it wasn’t your delirious state that made the sky seem dull , as soft raindrops patter against your face , making your spilled blood travel with the water. does death feel warm , you wonder ? as warm as kazuha’s hands around you ? what you’d give to feel his arms around you one last time.

you’re too far gone to realize a warmth does embrace you until you’re physically shaken into conscious. your eyes flutter , and reveal a certain ronin dressed in red clothing. tears stream freely down his cheeks , his words nothing more than gibberish to you. you smile to yourself , cursing the gods once more to give the love of your life the pain of watching you die.

the downpour grows heavier , drenching both you and kazuha as it washes away every feeling from your body. with the little strength you have left , you lift a shaker hand and hold kazuha’s face. a smear of your own blood is left from where you rub your thumb on his cheek , trying to reassure him with what you have.

“kazuha , I love you. don’t you ever forget that.” you murmur , and one of his own hands goes to cover the one holding his face.

“dont talk like that. I’m going to save you , I won’t let you die here.” he speaks , but deep down you both know there’s no saving you. the edges of your vision go blurry as you lose strength to hold your own hand up , and kazuha does it for you.

“swear to me. swear that you won’t forget how much i love you.” you whisper , and you can feel yourself letting your eyes close. if you have any hope of living , you know you need to keep them open. kazuha does too as he ushers you to look at him , to reopen your eyes , to say something. anything.

he can feel his own will draining from his limbs as he hugs your dying body close to his. you’re cold , colder than any cryo beast he’s ever fought. colder than the rain falling down on your bodies. you’re already gone , he realizes. pulling your body into his lap, he wraps an article of his clothing around you as he leans against a rock. letting the rain soak through his hair and into his clothes , he holds you close to him.

“i swear it.”

—

-kreide 🪶

(':

I am gross sobbing-

(aventurine x reader /// continuation of this concept)

"explain to me," the good doctor demands, "why do you need my help?"

"because." you fumble around you're words. your lips feel cold. herta's space station, especially this deep in it's bowels, is an unpleasant place to have any conversation, let alone one that is also unpleasant. "i don't have time."

"and you assume i do?"

"partially?" you rub a hand over your cheek. "throw me a bone here, doctor."

ratio has been sizing you up for the better part of half an hour, scrutinizing your intent in any way he can. you have been skillfully attempting to dodge most of those attempts, but veritas ratio is as diligent a man as he is intelligent. which is to say that he is not letting up until you divulge the truth.

you sigh.

"you will explain to me," he says outright, gaze piercing. "how one of the intelligentsia guild's most esteemed researchers needs help with an algorithm that is far below both of our skill levels. it's insulting to both myself, and yourself."

you sigh again, deeper and harder, "i, once again, do not have time. i have the 'full time job' of handling aventurine's odds, and those calculations don't run like any other odds i've ever worked with, and he is a variable constantly in motion. i need help making this algorithm so i can have some assistance with my main job at hand."

the doctor scoffs, and walks a circle around you, "i'm sure he's just thrilled with the company."

"we— he manages."

more than. but, veritas doesn't need to know that. you're sure he'll figure it out eventually.

veritas tagged the briefcase on a nearby table. it's gleaming, with a discreet ipc logo embossed on the side. the sight of it makes you nauseous with anxiety.

"is this bribe from him?" he asks.

"no." you've stopped aventurine anytime he has tried to intervene and make things easier for you. he rarely listens, but your relationship with ratio and the guild make him somewhat neutral territory. "higher up."

"i assume diamond wouldn't bother to dirty her hands. so, jade?"

"yes."

dr. ratio, for the first time, seriously considers your offer. then scowls. "it would be a waste of my time."

you sigh. there was a 67.22% chance of this outcome. luckily, you have gamed out the conversation from here.

"so you can't?"

"you know i can."

then, you laugh, and shake your head. "yes, i do. sorry to tease. i'm quite tired."

"you should go find your gambler." veritas crosses his arms, looking sidelong at the briefcase.

"i will, eventually." you turn your back to veritas as you begin to leave the open atrium. the air is hollow and frigid. "i'll just ask some other intelligentsia guild members about the project first. i'm sure they'd be happy to help."

you only take a few steps before dr. ratio grabs your arm. his grip is far too strong.

(chance of failure to secure dr. veritas ratio's assistance: decreased by 31%.)

"don't bother them."

"someone needs to help." you turn back to look at him, expression schooled. "and if you won't, i'm very sure someone else will be happy to work beside 'one of the intelligentsia guild's most esteemed researchers'. or, does such a title not truly apply considering i've been ousted from my previous position?"

he frowns, but before he can speak, you interrupt him. you haven't seen veritas since being tied down to your current post. you haven't let him have it. he deserves it, maybe.

"i heard from jade that i received a glowing recommendation from another well-respected scholar. apparently, the position was being considered for either one of us. somehow, with that recommendation, i drew the short end of the stick and now play handler for a man with a death wish and a statistically measurable chaos quotient that's ever-changing in multiples of three."

veritas's face is unmoving. unchanging. but you know you've struck something. it was to be him or you in this position. and you don't have the pride he does. you place your hand over top of his, posed to speak, to tear him apart—

a shrill ringtone shatters the tension. it's yours. you already know who it is.

you flip your phone open with one hand, still staring at ratio.

"hello," aventurine's voice beckons from the other side, smug and smooth. "where is my favorite, most brilliant mind hiding out? we're due to leave soon."

"sadly, with another one of your favorite, brilliant minds. i'll be finished up shortly and meet you at the docks."

"aw, did he not get onboard? that's quite the choice for him to be making. do you want me to give him a talking to you?"

"no, it's fine. i'm working something out."

"you sound upset."

"i'm tired." you rub at your eyes and break away from veritas with a yawn.

"you can nap on the ship. we have quite the journey."

"that we do. i'll see you in a bit?"

"see you there." you can hear the smirk in his voice.

sending you down to veritas alone was aventurine's gamble. one that is working out, predictably. never mind the damage your reputation will take after these next moments. you close the phone with a sigh and begin toward the grand elevator.

"veritas," you call his name. "i forgive you, for what it's worth. try not to do it again."

"i couldn't."

you laugh and shake your head as you ascend. by the time you arrive at the docks, the ipc's premier vessel is packed away and priming its engines. lights and sirens echo from it. aventurine's idles outside, waiting for you. he beams when he sees you.

"so," he whistles, guiding you with a hand on your lower back. you let him. "was the good doctor as prickly as ever?”

"if not more so" you admit. aventurine gestures with a sweeping hand to your shared quarters for the time being. there's a single bed, but you're used to this. you've come not to mind it. "i think i bruised his ego."

with a genuine laugh, “i don’t think that's possible."

"want to bet on that?" you ask.

your phone's text tone chimes and you shoot aventurine a sharp smile.

aventurine's odds are ridiculous. ever changing, constantly moving. none of your perceptions and calculations that are usually steadfast and unmoving can keep up with him. not with efficiency, anyways. it's exhausting work. however, the likelihoods of everything but aventurine? the predictions of a man like ratio?

easy. simple. you could do them in your sleep.

aventurine squishes against your side as you open your newest message.

[SENDER: Doctor Ratio <intelligentsia guild>]

> here is a first draft. forgo payment. i do not need to be in the stonehearts’ pocket.

[file attached: STONE ALGORITHM DRAFT 1.0.spqxxxiun.pqo]

aventurine laughs, muffling it against the side of your neck. his teeth are sharp and his breath is warm. it settles something in you. you lean into him and deflate, sliding down into your lap so your head is pillows there. a gloved hand cards through your hair.

"you're quite good at the game, when you choose to play." aventurine reminds you. he tells you this often.

"i know." you turn your face into his hand as the ship rumbles. "but it's your job."

aventurine pauses his pets, then thumbs over your lips. he looks sour, only for a moment, before resuming his motions, a bit rougher this time. you relish the feel of it, sinking into it.

"one of us has to, right?"

"right."

"and the other," he taps your lips. your sputter, indignant. "plays support."

"one of us has to." you remind him.

it's silent between the two of you as the ship whirs and bellows, taking off from herta's space station without reverie. onto your next destination, wherever aventurine is deigned to be needed, with you by his side, dutifully.

you press your face into his stomach, letting the smell of linen and his cologne envelope you.

neither of you have a choice to play this game. the cards are stacked, and you best not loose count from aventurine's side. you'll be damned if you do.

(there is a 98.769% chance that you are damned regardless.)

at least, at least, you have each other, you think as aventurine bundles you up closer, and you wrap yourself around him. you'll take that, for as long as it lasts.

-You play a stripping game with Aventurine! See how much you can win?

cw: yandere, dub-con, manipulative behavior, naive, drunk reader, reader has female reproductive system, creampie, getting stripped naked after playing games

"What? Did that customer really say that? This is so silly!" You held a wine glass with ice in one hand and giggled drunkenly. And Aventurine is sitting next to you now. He confirmed your question, causing you to snicker again. He adds the sweet golden liquid to your cup. "That's right - I always advised them not to… Who would have thought that that business would become so exaggerated?"

"Hmm, that's enough, that's enough…" You took another sip of wine, leaned on his table, turned your head, smiled, and looked at the outline of his face. It's been weeks since you talked to Aventurine like this, in his villa. But once you meet him, there is an endless stream of things to say, maybe this is the precious friendship.

"Anyway, how about playing a game when you have free time?" he suggested.

You got interested and asked him what his game was. Aventurine held up your palm and explained the rules to you several times. You nodded, but you didn't really understand. "Okay, okay, how many credits should we bet?"

"It's vulgar to talk about money all the time, my friend." He smiled and held up a finger. "How about taking off one piece of clothing after losing a round?"

"Take off… clothes?" You tilted your head… closed your eyes and shook your head. "ah?"

Aventurine said in surprise. "It's a popular game. Didn't you know?"

"I-Of course I know!!" You raised your voice, pretending you already knew everything. Thinking of the value of his outfit… "Hmph, I can take away your hundreds of thousands of outfits soon."

"1, 6, 2!"

"6, 6, 6!"

"It's time to take off your clothes." He raised his chin and reminded. You snorted, removing a jacket and throwing it on his couch.

"4, 5, 6!"

"6, 6, 6!"

"What?" You picked up the three dice, checked and struck them from different angles, but there was nothing strange about them. "Did you cheat? Why are the results always so incredible?" Aventurine chuckled and shrugged. "I told you before that I'm very lucky, don't you believe me?"

"Ah, okay…" You reluctantly stared at his exquisite attire, which he had never taken off, and then looked down at your own graphic t-shirt and shorts, which were pulled up so that the bra and the breasts wrapped inside were exposed to the air. Embarrassment tugs at your heart and you try to fight back. "Next round! I don't believe you can beat me!"

2, 1, 1.

6, 6, 6.

If question marks could pop up in reality, a thousand question marks would have popped up above your head. You stare at the results in disbelief. How could Aventurine be so lucky? You can't even take one of his watches or rings? And are you so defeated now that you have to take off either your bra or panties?

"I-I won't play anymore. Boring game!" You bluffed, asking to get your clothes back, but Aventurine raised his eyebrow. "Awwww, it seems there is a coward here…"

"Who are you calling a coward?"

"You didn't keep your bet."

You are not a coward! You took back the hand holding the clothes and tremblingly touched your underwear and bra. Which one should you take off? If you lose again, will you really be completely naked? How do you get home? In the midst of your thoughts and drunkenness, you settled on a bra, but then covered your bare breasts with your hands. "Humph, now is the beginning of my victory!"

Victory? Aventurine almost laughed out loud, holding back the ridicule rising in her throat, knowing that you might leave in a huff, and all the previous arrangements would be ineffective. You open a dice simulator from the Internet to avoid possible cheating from Aventurine.

5, 1, 3.

6, 6, 6.

…It’s really…BEYOND WEIRD. How on earth is this possible? Is Aventurine walking on some lucky path you don't know and being protected by the lucky Aeon? But anyway, now you have to take off your panties and keep your promise. Now you were completely naked, in his villa, in front of your friend.

"Hey! You... don't have to do this... " You watched as Aventurine put them all in a box and locked it up. These clothes…are no longer your property. "There's no way I'm going home naked!"

"Didn't someone just say they were going to take my clothes away? I thought you were serious?" He chuckled, pulled your arm, and guided you onto his lap. With your brain like a drunken fog and embarrassment, you knelt on the sofa in confusion, your legs spread apart, and the luxurious sofa sank. A gentle kiss. Bring some hot air. Like an electric shock. "Umm…"

"Too bad your clothes won't come back, but you can win a new set by…"

Aventurine's thumb rubbed against your hot cheek for half a minute before he reluctantly unbuttoned his pants and took out his long, swollen and erect cock, the glans teasing your slit. You whimpered, placing your hands on his chest, and the glans stretched your folds and the warm inside of your vagina. "I…"

This is really more incredible than these rounds of dice. You were bouncing on his cock, moaning and sobbing in ecstasy. His hand cupped your ass, occasionally slapping it in exchange for you squeezing his cock unconsciously, while rubbing your clit with his other hand.

As the cream spurts into your body, ecstatic bliss fills you. You tighten your limbs, your butt trembles, and you wrap your hands around his neck, gasping for air.

"You win. I'll give you a new set when you wake up, okay?"

“ it’s a shame Albedo is a geo unit”

They said look at all that shame

I said bitch where

They said under all the geo

I said bitch where

Vigil ✤ Kazuha

V i g i l

A/N: Here is the Kazuha angst, sweeties :')) I wrote this with my prepared angsty playlist hehe- I.. well, my heart cracked..

✤ She/her

Words: 3.9k

"Text in this format means dialogue in flashback!"

≿————- ❈ ————-≾

The memory of peering into the crib with excited blabbers remains fresh, untarnished with the passing of time.

It feels like it’s just yesterday when your mother reached for the wailing baby laying inside to hand him in your caring touch.

“This is your little brother, [Name].” you squealed when the boy clung unto your finger, “His name is Kazuha. Be a good sister for him, understand?”

“Yes!”

Ah, that did feel as if it was just yesterday.

“Nee-chan!”

Dropping the basket of laundry, you frantically looked around.

“Nee-chan!”

“Kazuha-!?”

He was sprinting, arms flailing as tears spilled past his eyes and panicked exclaims left his lips. His friend was chasing him from behind, laughing as he waved an undercooked fish—your brother’s worst nightmare.

Comedic but understandable.

“Tomo’s making me eat it!” your younger brother mumbled behind you, pointing accusingly towards his friend who sheepishly spluttered excuses at your stern gaze.

Taking the skewered fish in Tomo’s hands, you hummed, patting his and Kazuha’s heads.

“How about I cook something for the both of you, instead? How’s that sound?”

“Yes, please! Nee-chan’s cooking is the best!”

You can never get tired of cooking for the two of them, even if your sibling eventually asked to be taught, you find yourself still taking over cooking duty. Lovingly whipping up dishes is your forte.

It stuck around when the household eventually lost the attending servants following the fall of the Kaedehara clan. It even stuck through the grim times of your parents’ passing.

Kazuha had went through so much at a young age, changed little by little—and you aren’t oblivious to it. With his growth, you are a witness to his budding shell of maturity.

Single years fold into a decade and all of a sudden, the mirthful silverette who doesn’t last a day without calling you ‘big sister’ has grown up.

Far too quickly, to be honest, but who are you to hold him back?

“You don’t call me ‘nee-san’ nowadays,” you laugh jokingly, “My, you’ve grown so much, Kazu!”

He stares at the plates of food you set on the dining table, his sigh small and feeble as you continue gushing. Albeit he has a smile on his face, it appears tight. Forced.

But you turn a blind eye to that—you’ve always been doing it.

Now, however, it seems that your brother has grown tired of humoring you. It has been going on for too long.

“I’m not some child anymore..” his monotonous voice is so unlike him—it’s as if he no longer is the person you grew up with.

Having him address it bluntly prompts you to pause, the only sound being the sizzling of unagi meat, frying to perfection. The richness of its color, however, dulls when you process what your sibling has mentioned.

As if its vividness is an illusion meant to shield you from present-day reality.

Still, you shake it away, keeping the smile on your face as you set the fried meat on a new plate, turning to put it down on the table beside the other dishes.

“Oh, Ka-“ you stop, seeing the look in his eyes.

The way his carmine optics bore against your [c]s is foreign.

It’s scary.

It’s different. It’s new.

You sit down in front of him, trying not to show how restless you’ve become. Such an attempt is futile, of course, since you’re in front of the person you’ve been with for years.

“Kazu-“

Thud!

Silence zips your lips when he lays his chopsticks down. It isn’t by any means a slam—but someone like Kazuha doesn’t need to be outright with anything in order to express a negative opinion.

“So please refrain from initiating unnecessary coddling,” he cuts you off with a swivel as he leaves for the door. “I have grown up now, sister. I... need you less.”

What?

A multitude of emotions hit you at once, all coming from his sudden statement that feels like it can tear you apart. But oh—who were you kidding?

You know that this will eventually come.

The very day where he admits that he is capable of being alone. Without you.

The opening of the door causes you to stand from your chair, “Wait!”

He does as you said but doesn’t look back. His hand remains on the handle of the knob, unchanging of his decision to leave.

You tug the black and red scarf from your neck, inching close to the man so you can wrap it around his neck. “It’s cold outside.. won’t you at least eat something?”

It takes him a moment to respond—but his decision does not change.

He detangles the fabric on his neck and, without looking you in the eye, sets it in your hand, rejecting your offer.

“Later.”

And he’s gone.

≿————- ❈ ————-≾

Nothing changed much after he left with that declaration.

Often times he still returns in the dead of night, a smile on his face. It will only ever droop when you come in the room greeting him a lovely evening, and he will sigh.

“I told you not to wait up for me.”

He will depart for his room before he can hear your explanation.

It leaves you hanging, hollow with bitter hope and refusal to believe that you both have reached that time in life where he doesn’t need you as much.

Each time he turns his back, you are filled to the brim with sorrow you didn’t know you’re capable of holding.

Retreating to the upper floor of your home, you will stay at the balcony sighing your concerns away to the stars. To the place where you believe your parents are staying, listening to your bouts of frustration and worry.

“Was I a good sibling for him, mother? Father?” you’ll sometimes mutter as you play with your silver locks, the only thing you share with your sibling other than the forgotten name of a once esteemed clan.

And as you vent all these to the stars, you remain oblivious to the lone figure hiding by the shadows in the adjacent room. His frown is tiny. Sad, but not guilty.

Kazuha will leave once again before he’ll hear his sister’s frustrated cries.

Sometimes, he will chew over it when he is wandering Inazuma—thinking, pondering if perhaps there could’ve been a way to say it without hurting his sibling. But as he contemplates over and over, he finds that there is no easy method to admitting the truth.

His friend Tomo, albeit not being told anything, is naturally cognizant of the things revolving around the silver-haired siblings. The older sister’s presence has been diminishing and he can count her appearances at Kazuha’s side getting less.

He has implied several times to make up with the female even if they had no outright argument, and when faced with a baffled question of ‘why’, Tomo only smiles.

“Because you’re family.”

So simple and yet—when Kazuha thinks of the matter a minute longer, the taste in his tongue becomes acrid.

“What upsets you?” his friend questions as he coos over his white feline, “You’re not the Kazuha who’s always crying for big sister, heh.”

The silverette cannot even find it within him to send a retort. His silence, to others, is a message that typifies a want to be alone—but to Tomo, who has known him since they’re both children, that silence is different.

With a hum, he stretches his limbs, yawning as his cat rolls around the grass.

“You know, [Name] won’t hate you for wanting it,” he starts, “You want to wander, don’t you? But you feel like you’re tied down. You’re grounded—because [Name] is here.”

Kazuha flinches and his friend snickers.

Spot on.

“I’m just going to repeat what I said because I meant it, Kazuha. Tell her the truth. She’s literally the most understanding person I know—it’s not like she’s going to despise you for wanting something.”

“… I’ll think about it.”

Tomo sighs. It’s not what I was hoping for but it’s a start.

Remembering something that moment, Tomo lets out a loud scream that nearly sent his friend toppling in the nearby stream of water. Kazuha looks on with slightly wide eyes as the other man jumps to his feet, violet eyes gleaming.

“Oh, right! I plan to initiate another challenge!”

Another challenge…

Kazuha closes his eyes with a hum, “I do hope you’ll last another. You’ve been faced with the worst of the worst.”

The chuckles that leave his friend’s lips are excited and sort of expectant.

“It’s going to be the ultimate one of all! So if you’ll excuse me~”

≿————- ❈ ————-≾

Perhaps a talk with your brother will do you both good.

You’ve both been acting like strangers walking on eggshells underneath the same house and it is driving you insane. He’s not even looking you in the eye anymore!

Given his quiet personality, confrontation will be difficult, but he’s a cooperative person. Besides, he always hears you out.

There isn’t any reason for him not to when he knows that this will be done only for the betterment of the future.

So, with a nervous disposition but eager heart to settle things right, you lift the basket from its place with plans to head over to the market. It’s an hour or two before dusk, just the perfect time to shop for dinner.

“Mm.. some dry-braised salted fish for tonight sounds lovely.” You muse, remembering how the dish is your brother’s favorite.

Ah, the number of tries he takes to perfect and stylish it into his own can’t be forgotten.

It doesn’t take too long to cook it, but you’ll be making tons of other side dishes and dessert, so it’s best to start early!

You exit the abode, the smile on your face present as ever even when you’re greeted outside by a couple of Shogunate Soldiers. Their features appear sterner, their hold on their naginata rock solid.

“Are you Kaedehara [Name]?”

Hm?

“Yes. Can I help you?”

The soldiers lunge forward, spears falling to a position pointing at you from all possible angles, cutting any means of escape as you furrow your brows. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Your brother has defied the Decree of the Shogun and was hereby declared a criminal. Going against an Imperial Decree results in punishment inclusive to his immediate family.”

Your basket falls to the ground.

Thud!

Kazuha’s feet create a loud sound following his landing, a breath of panic expelling past as he rushes away.

The warmth in his hand escalates to a scalding degree, burning and searing like the fading power of Electro held within the golden casing.

To think that that was what Tomo meant.. !

He does not feel anger, no, just the burn of desperation and want to hide his friend’s Vision because he doesn’t want it to be taken away—to be placed in that statue that displays the lost ambitions of many others.

He’ll be damned before the Shogunate can take it… !

The criminal evades those at his tail, making swift maneuvers on rooftops and alleys without a second thought. His limbs are answering his every command, be it to duck, to jump—or to even draw his blade.

He is still ways away from the port but getting there won’t prove to be too complex for someone like him. He’s cut down plenty of the samurai in his escape from Tenshukaku,

Tomo…

“You’re family. Tell her.”

Family—

“This is the first one in a long time I’ve heard of it being extended-! To whom again? The clan that has lost its prestige a decade ago, right?” he almost trips in his sprinting, darting to an alleyway so he can further eavesdrop.

Did I hear that correctly?

A relieved sigh escapes when those chasing him run past his hiding spot.

Sucking in his breath, the silverette tightens his grip on the faded Vision of his best friend as he listens in the hushed conversation.

“Be quiet!” someone hisses, “If someone overhears us, what next? Still, I do feel bad.. they lost so much already. I can’t believe they’d drag an innocent person into it, too..”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do. The Shogun issued the penalty to immediate families, right? As far as I know, there are only two Kaedeharas left—”

Kazuha feels his heart stopping. Kaede..hara?

There’s no mistaking it.

But why—?

Why would a punishment meant for him extend to her?

She’s innocent!

Going off-course, he sprints in the direction of his house. The house that he lives in with his sister who takes great care of him—the same sister he’s willing to leave in favor of chasing what he wants in life.

He’s willing to, but he doesn’t.

Because perhaps—perhaps if he stayed and buried his desire, then he will amount to the same greatness she has done for him. But he cannot stand it, either. As patient as he is, as kind and ‘gentle’, [Name] can always see through his face.

He’s always been antsy—always itching to wander and he’s stumped that his sister is well-aware of that fact. Still, she’s always playing the ignorant one, pretending not to care- still coddling him as if he’s little and he’s had… enough of it.

But now that the situation has pinned this misfortune upon them, the ronin realizes that she’s only pretending for his sake, as well.

“Cut that out, I don’t need it. I fear that.. you will only embarrass yourself.”

Wasn’t it him who refused to tell her of his want to roam free in the first place?

“I understand that I am your brother—but there is no need to worry over me all the time. I can look after myself, [Name]. Do worry about something else, instead.”

Wasn’t it him who stuck around, still?

The bitterness in his tongue increases with each leap of his feet. He doesn’t even process the race of his heart as he’s carried through the same path that leads him home. To his family—to his only sister.

Everything seems to pass by slowly, in a blur, like the specks that decorate his vision the more his mind throws stacks and stacks of memories. This is madness.

Complete and utter madness.

He rounds the corner to see the figure of his only sibling, her back turned to him—she cannot see him, but he can see the armed soldiers flanking around her.

His throat tightens and certainly, he wouldn’t have been able to utter a word due to how it feels like his throat has been crushed.

“[Name]!”

Yet, the furious scream that tears past his lips denies all kinds of ‘impossibility’ the instant he sees the female falling to the ground, the sight of red splatter making him draw his blade.

Whoosh!

The summoned wind is opposingly gentle to the brewing storm in someone’s beautiful carmine eyes.

“[Name]-.. !”

That voice.. Kazuha?

Sometimes, the depth of emotion in Kazuha’s eyes is too deep for you to understand. Despite being so silent, he’s so, so expressive with his stares.

That even when he isn’t trembling when he lifts your torso, you know how much he’s quaking from within.

“What are you.. doing here? You have to go,” you cough red when he adjusts you in his arms, the sight of the fallen soldiers reminding you of the situation at hand. “Quick—before they.. catch you.”

He shakes his head,

“I’m taking you with me, I have a boat prepared, come, let’s—”

“Don’t lie to me, Kazuha.”

He pauses, flitting his gaze down to meet yours. You hate how you can’t seem to focus on him, though. Your sight is blurring in and out, only providing small intervals of clarity where you can see the panic in his features.

A sight you didn’t think you’d see on him until now.

“I know you made it for yourself. You’ve been planning to leave home, weren’t you? I’m not..” you’re not oblivious to his wish, “I’m not mad. I was only holding you back, wasn’t I?”

He sucks in a breath.

“I-I-“

What was he supposed to say?

Weakly tapping his arm, you start taking quick breaths—just to take in all the air you can while tolerating the gaping wound from being impaled.

It hurts. You want to scream. It hurts.

But you don’t—because you do not want to appear weak to your brother.

You promised mother and father that you will not cry when faced with problems—he mustn’t see, Kazuha mustn’t see. But at this moment, you just want to break apart. Disbelief is kicking in, you can’t believe this is happening.

When—where did everything go wrong?

“Besides, I’m not of use to you anymore. As if I’ll last the journey to Liyue-“

“Don’t say that!”

You blink owlishly, gasping out in pain when his hand presses against your wound, futilely attempting to hold back the bleeding.

“K-Kazuha?”

Your own hand shakily plants itself atop his own, helping him press—as if his hand isn’t heavy enough to stop the flow—it down. It will hurt, but you can’t say for sure. You’ve already grown numb and your head is swimming.

Still, you focus on him.

Still, you help him apply pressure even if you know—even if he knows—that it’s too late.

“Don’t say that. You’ve..” his voice cracks, “You’ve done so much, [Name], you-“

You took over the clan household when our parents died. You struggled to make ends meet for both of us. And yet.. all I do.. all I do is… !

Kazuha angrily bites on his lip, his hold on his composure beginning to slip as his mind throws in a reel of olden days.

“I’m leaving, [Name]. Please don’t wait up, I may take longer.”

“I’m grateful, but I don’t need that anymore.”

“Stop that, already.”

He dips his head with a muffled cry. All I do is wander and desire for a future where I can roam freely. I haven’t even thought of you..!

“You’ve grown, Kazuha,” he snaps back into this harsh reality when he feels the hand atop his disappear, presently moving to brush his messy locks.

He doesn’t know why all of a sudden his sight is becoming misty, but perhaps—perhaps it is because he remembers when his sister used to brush his hair the same way with a loving smile.

It is the same touch he flees from nowadays.

The same touch now—the same loving smile.

“As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right—you’ve grown so much.. and I’m still clinging onto the past.”

So lively, so beautiful and yet—

“You’re strong now..”

Yet it’s dying.

He presses harder on his sibling’s wound, almost sadistically—as if he’s hoping that it’ll ignite a painful reaction. “[Name], please, let me-“

Because if it hurt—then it means she’s still okay. She’s still responding.

“So capable.. so independent, you are.”

So why—? He almost chokes out a sob. Why are you not reacting to it!?

“Mother and father would be so proud of you. I am sorry if I was lacking in any way.”

“Please, [Name], you can’t do this.” He trembles, the composure he created so, so close to breaking as he gives up on endeavors that are pointless, to begin with. Instead, he tilts his head up, wishing to curse the heavens above.

For everything.

“I’m happy to be your sister, and.. I’m proud of you… Kazu..”

“Wait-“ he stumbles over his words, catching the falling hand of his sibling and registering how deathly pale she has gotten in a matter of seconds. “Wait, please—I-“

As much as he wants to voice out he’s sorry. For many things; for turning his back on her, for being distant when all they have is each other, he’s unable to find his voice when he sees the tears dripping out of his sister’s [c] eyes.

His strong older sister—weeping. It’s the first time he has seen her cry.

Her smile trembles—

“I love you. My nice.. little.. brother.”

—And her [c]s are then hidden forever.

The way she endearingly called him in her dying breath has him freezing, his heart pausing as if he had died along with her. But then the spark of pain welcomes him back to reality—to life.

And then he is leaning over her.

“[Name]..” breathless whispers escalate into panicked murmurs. “[Name]?”

His heart is pounding in his chest as he tries to shake her awake, like when he’d do when he’s eight and awake from an awful dream.

“Nee-san.. can I sleep by your side tonight?”

And although her [c] eyes are tired, she will still smile. “Okay.”

And she’d keep watch over him the whole night.

He’s reminded of it when he hopelessly shakes her awake, to no obvious avail. But he keeps grasping her arms, anyway, like he used to many years ago.

But things are different now.

“[Name]—[N-Name]!?”

He said it himself—he’s no longer a child.

“Please, don’t leave me- I- you’re all I have left!” The ronin’s composure finally breaks loose and his tears begin landing like a profuse waterfall. His uncontained sobs remain unheard.

This time, there is no one to wake him up from his nightmares.

“No—no, no- no, please..!” Kazuha weeps as he holds his sister’s cold hand, shakily pressing it to his forehead, imitating the sweet action she has always given him. A hand on his head, on his shoulder—or on his cheek if he’s tearful. “You can’t!”

She’ll tell him not to be sad because it’ll make her sad, too.

And he’ll hurriedly wipe his tears because ‘no! big sister mustn’t feel sad because of me!’.

Then [Name] will muster a smile as bright as the sun and hold his face in her warm hands, and press a kiss on his forehead. He’ll get red and thrash around, whining, ‘onee-san!’. And about how embarrassing it is so she mustn’t do it anymore.

Now, he is holding her hand in his own, trying to remember the same warmth it emitted just a day ago. Just a few hours ago. How long has it been?

And when he doesn’t feel the warmth—when he doesn’t remember the warmth, when all he feels is the cold and the obvious lack of love, Kazuha breaks apart.

His heart squeezes and his tears spill more, his lips parting to release the honorific he has dropped a long, long time ago. “Nee-san!”

“You don’t call me ‘nee-san’ nowadays,”

“Onee-san!”

“My, you’ve grown so much, Kazu!”

“Onee-san!”

I’m calling you. He cries, like a picture of misery. So why aren’t you waking up? Sister! He cries, like a heartbroken child.

The winds around him pick up, warning him of incoming men sent to apprehend and penalize him the same way they did to his sibling. It’s suffocating—maddening, even, and he wants to tear them all down himself.

But [Name] wouldn’t like that.

So, with a muted cry and bolster of willpower, he tears himself from the body of his kin, trembling.

He can hear the thundering steps of the samurai as he hurries to untangle the same black and red scarf [Name] has once attempted to give him. The same fabric he has rejected.

“I’m sorry.. I’m so sorry.” he hugs her with all his might, with his soul, and with his heart before he’s back up on his feet and running. I love you, too, nee-san.

“Get him!” someone roars from behind.

And although he wishes to turn and slice them away, he couldn’t—because he’d be seeing the fallen figure of the same person he had neglected to cherish. So, instead, he nestles the scarf around his neck whilst clutching onto the Vision of his friend.

Down the path, he runs.

Years ago, he will be accompanied by the people he loves, chasing a faraway future.

Now he is running on the same path alone, running after a dream that can now be turned into reality.

Far from Inazuma.

Far from home.

≿————-　❈　————-≾

a/n: did it hurt-

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　Return to the Scrying Glass　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

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@lehra @melkxsh

Good luck to everyone pulling on Zhongli’s banner, I hope he comes home for all yall! To those who may spend money on his banner, please spend responsibly and don’t be like Zhongli.