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I just saw Albedos new trailer. Quickly went to make this dumb short thing

Autumn bliss in the Aosta Valley, Italy.

👏🏾Education 👏🏾is 👏🏾a 👏🏾right,👏🏾 not👏🏾 a👏🏾 service 👏🏾

Pass along and use the shit out of them

A Soulmate Who Wasn't Meant to Be - Erwin Smith x fem!Reader Soulmate!AU

A/N ; Straight up this was the second thing I've ever written in the realm of fanfiction so it sucks and I mean that. But I was urged to post it. So. Here it is~! *jazz hands*. I still really like the concept, maybe I'll rewrite it in the future?

Warnings ; angst, fem!reader, soulmate!au, POV switching

Summary ; Soulmate AU - the name of your soulmate appears as a tattoo on your wrist. Everything else is the same. In which you're a pianist, and Erwin is married to his job and you find each other anyway.

Words ; 3.5k

You idly trace the words written on your wrist. You’d committed them to memory long ago, but still found yourself captivated by them. Erwin Smith. The name of your soul mate.

How cruel.

Like all children and teenagers, you were so excited about finding your soul mate, mind swimming with possibilities. I hope he’s tall, I hope he’s handsome, I hope he adores me.

But you never met him. Not after blossoming into a beautiful young woman. Not after taking up interest in learning piano and singing. Not after your friend noticed your playing and offered you a permanent job performing at her bar. You never even heard his name in passing, and gradually you started to give up hope.

Some things just weren’t meant to be.

So, you played your heart out, singing songs for the love you’d never have. Unable to look into the crowd, so you’d turned your back to them. The thought of seeing his face in the crowd, so close but so far out of your reach, was too much to bear. So, you kept your focus on the piano, the singing, the playing. Every night.

Your heart fluttered when you first read his name. Finally, after all this time. It was the headline in this week’s paper: Erwin Smith promoted to 13th Survey Corps Commander. You read that article every day for the first few weeks. It was finally something, some shred of hope that it wasn’t a fluke and the man whose name darkened your wrist was out there, somewhere. Tangible. Alive.

You were there for his first expedition beyond the walls, just like many other citizens. Truthfully, you’d never had much interest in watching the scouts, until now, but you found yourself in the sea of people. Eagerly scanning the rows of horses and green cloaks.

Your heart nearly stopped when you saw him for the first time. Gods, he was gorgeous. Even from your vantage you could tell how tall he was. Blond hair neatly party and combed, strong features, and the most stunning blue eyes you had ever seen. He was everything. He shone brightly like the sun. And you might lose him before you even get to meet him, you realized. The mortality rate of expeditions was…bad.

This point was driven home by the whispers all around you. Talk of how this new commander wouldn’t change anything. How they should just shut the scouts down. How someone’s son had been unfortunate enough to die beyond the walls… Your heart squeezed, and you said a silent prayer that he would return safely.

You were there when they returned, too. Beaten, bruised, morose, but alive. Whole…mostly. And you thanked the gods as you ignored the whispers. His features looked more ragged, the lines under his eyes deeper, exhausted. You wanted so badly to rush to him, to tell him…what exactly? Reassuring him? Anything to ease the hurt that was plastered across his face.

In fact, you started to before someone’s musings found you. “I sure am glad that Erwin Smith is the new commander, I heard the death toll went down significantly for this excursion. It’s a good thing he doesn’t have any distractions and can stay so focused. You know I heard he hasn’t found his soul mate yet, is it wrong for me to hope that never happens? That way he can devote all of himself to saving humanity. Maybe he could be our savior, maybe people will see the benefit of the Scouts with him at the helm.”

Your heart sank. Oh.

They had a point, and you froze. You would just be a distraction. You would get in the way. If he had his mind split between you and humanity…well. Humanity was more important, wasn’t it? Their goal of learning the truth and trying to save everyone from those damned Titans. That was more important. The needs of the many over the needs of the few, right? Humanity was more important than the night’s you’d soon spend crying yourself to sleep, or anxiously waiting for his return. It was more important than the heartache that would never go away, knowing you could never be together.

You steadied your resolve. Humanity was more important than just one person, you could do this. You could take this heartbreak for the greater good. You silently absolved him of any duty to find you, in your way this would be your first and only gift to him: freedom from you. Freedom from the shackles of your love for him, so that he could fight for humanity’s sake.

How cruel.

The years that followed went by rather uneventfully. You’d been there for every excursion, and every return, always sending silent prayers for his safe return. You scanned the newspapers, clipping every article that so much as said his name, keeping them taped around your vanity in the powder room behind the bar. A solemn reminder. You watched as he addressed the gathered crowds, booming voice echoing in your chest and reverberating around your mind long after he’d stopped speaking. You loved him from afar, and that had to be good enough.

In all the world you only ever had eyes for him, and he was so far out of your reach.

This evening was the same as so many others. You sat at your vanity, putting your face on for tonight’s performance, trying not to reread those clipped articles for the thousandth time, when your friend approached you. She was tall and beautiful and quick of wit. You’d confessed to her your feelings for Erwin, and she’d supported your decision to stay away from him. She was the one who suggested pushing your piano against the far end of the stage, keeping your back to the crowd. You were so grateful to her.

“How was their return today ___?” she asked, placing her hands on your shoulders and looking at you in the reflection of the mirror. “Good. He looked good, whole. That’s as much as I could hope for.” You smiled weakly, remembering the somber and stoic look on his face. “And you’ve still not tried to even talk to him, huh?”

“No, you know I won’t-I can’t.”

“But you could. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to him, even barring the soul mate thing. I know your heart bleeds for him. You shouldn’t have to suffer because of this stupid idea you got in your head that you’d just be a burden or a distraction or whatever. You’re just as important as his job, ____. You deserve to be happy…” You ignored the tightness in your chest. “Humanity is more important. His job is more important. It’s better this way.”

“Then why don’t you try to face the crowd tonight? If you’re so resolved to suffer alone then seeing his face could bring closure to you.”

Maybe, you mused. But as you imagined seeing him watching you play the songs that were for him-always for him-you felt tears stinging the back of your eyes. Not tonight. Seeing him in person left you feeling too raw, the temptation to reach out to him and confess everything was too great. You couldn’t maintain your distance if you saw him tonight. So, you kept your back to the crowd, just like every other night. And sang all the songs you’d written for him, about him, just like every other night.

How cruel.

Erwin

He hadn’t intended on entering the crowded bar, even if it was a classier joint. Especially not since they’d just returned today, and he longed to rest his aching muscles and sore injuries. However, the divine sound that permeated the cool evening air drew him in. It was beautiful and sad, and he felt in his bones the melancholy of the words she sang.

Standing far back, just inside the door, he scanned the room. People crowded around everywhere, drinking and talking, roars of laughter and amiable chatter filled the room. The lighting was dim, a single spotlight trained on the humble stage where sat a lone pianist with her back to the crowd. She played beautifully, singing words of love and loss and longing that flitted through the crowd. Some were captivated, others uninterested. But he…he was enamored.

Without realizing it he’d pushed his way to the stages, eyes fixated on her. She wore a sequined red dress that scooped low down her back, revealing just enough of her feminine curves to keep him trained on her. On the subtle motions and breaths as she played. She never once turned to greet him, but he watched her all the same; entranced.

How long did he stay like this? Long after the crowd had dispersed, and the bar was quiet. Only him, the barkeeper, a few meandering souls, and her. He stayed until she finished her set and exited the stage. He had to meet her. This alluring woman that had so captivated him, made all the worry and stress and pain melt away as he watched her and listened to her songs. He had to know her name.

The barkeep stopped him as he wandered towards the powder room.

“Sorry, sir. Employees only.”

“Ah, apologies. Can I ask? Who is that woman?”

She gave him a pained smile and led him to the now empty bar. “What are you drinking, Commander?”

“So, you know me?” he questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

“Sir, everyone in this bar knows you.” He scoffed, brushing it off as because of his status as Commander.

“Whisky. Neat. Thanks.” She deftly poured him two fingers of the top shelf and slid it across the bar. Erwin downed the drink gratefully, letting the familiar burn take the edge off.

“She is our little songbird. Lovely, isn’t she?”

He nodded, “Yes but she…. she seems so melancholic.”

“She is. All her life she’d dreamt of her soul mate, as most girls do, but over the last few years she’s given up hope, resolving herself to a life of solitude. My heart aches for her.”

“I take it she’s shared the name with you?” He asked, idly thumbing the name on his own wrist.

“Oh, yes sir. Even despite herself she still looks out for him. Talks about his work and accomplishments, prays for his safety…”

“So, she does know him?”

“Yes. He is in the public eye, but he does not know her,” she said, trying not to give away too much, “How could he? What are the odds that someone of his rank would find themselves in this place, anyway?”

“If that’s true…why hasn’t she tried reaching out to him?”

She sighed heavily, “Commander,” she started, leaning in, “would you like to meet her? She plays here every evening. I could introduce you.” Erwin pondered this, tracing the rim of his glass with his thumb. It couldn’t hurt right? Maybe they’d find some common ground, there. After all he’d never met his soul mate either. Maybe they could come to keep each other company on lonely nights….he was getting ahead of himself.

“I have to return to work early. I’ve stayed way passed the time for me to retire. My next day off is Saturday, though. Could I arrange a meeting with her, then?” “Of course, sir. I’ll tell her you were interested in her playing and wanted to speak about the songs she’s written. She doesn’t often take visitors, but I’m sure she’ll warm up at that.”

Erwin thanked her and left. He should have asked for her name, but it didn’t matter. Not really. He’d long since given up on finding the one, his job took priority over everything else, and it was better that way. It had to be. For Humanity's’ sake.

But he did feel a twinge of regret for never having looked for her. Surely, she was lonely and didn’t deserve this. But he didn’t have a choice, he’d convinced himself he could suffer no distractions.

You

Despite telling yourself you’d given up hope on him, you asked your friend every night if he was in the crowd. IF she’d seen a glimpse of him or heard his name on hushed whispers. Tonight was no different, though the tone in her voice when she denied you made you suspicious.

You brushed it off, though. It was surely nothing.

You would think you’d get tired of playing, since you do it every night, but when you returned home to your modest rental, you set about finishing up the song you were writing. A song for him, always for him. You planned on debuting it this Saturday, the busiest night of the week, so it had to be finished and refined by then.

You played long into the night, only making it to bed once the sun tipped over the horizon. Late nights were no stranger to you, especially since you kept bar hours. That night you dreamt of ocean-blue eyes.

The next few days passed uneventfully, just as they always did. You skimmed the newspaper for news on the most recent excursion, finding nothing. You finished your song in time for Saturday’s performance, and even picked out a special gown for the evening.

Come Saturday you felt the familiar nerves of performing a new song for the first time. The gown you’d picked was a beautiful blue, it hugged your curves perfectly, making you look like divinity on earth. You’d chosen this specific dress because it reminded you so much of the color of his eyes. Erwin’s eyes. The eyes of the soulmate who wasn’t meant to be.

You stared at your reflection where you sat at your vanity. Stupidly you hoped he’d be there tonight, like you did every night. And just like every night you told yourself he wouldn’t be, that to continue hoping against all odds was childish. That this was the way it should be: him protecting and serving humanity, and you keeping your distance and loving him from afar.

How cruel, this fate of yours. You eyed the name written across your wrist fought back the tears. After all these years he still made your heart bleed. He still made you crave him, long for him. You just couldn’t help yourself. You supposed that was what soul mates were supposed to do, anyway.

Like every night, you strode briskly on stage, making a point not to turn to the crowd. You made a show of elegantly sitting at your piano, just as always.

Erwin

Tonight was the night. The night he’d learn her name, talk to her, get to know the woman behind the piano. So alluring, so tragic. He wondered if he dressed up too much and removed the tie from his neck only to then retie it just to remove it again. He opted for a white button down, black trousers, dress shoes, and his bolo tie. Surely this would be enough, right? But he wanted their first moments together to be memorable.

As he took in his reflection, he wondered why it mattered so much to him. It wasn’t like she was his soul mate. Right? It couldn’t be. Not here. Not now. Not after everything.

The bar was even more crowded than last time, and he was grateful when the bar keep waved him over. She didn’t ask about his drink preferences, having remembered from before. He downed the whisky in a single drink, hoping that it would take the edge off the nerves he was feeling.

Let him fight a Titan or run a coup any day. But talking to a beautiful woman? That he had no experience with. That isn’t to say he wasn’t popular with women, he was. But he’d never given them more than a passing thought, always married to his work. Until now.

He’d never even seen her face, but her music-her songs- touched him deeply. He didn’t have to see her face or know her name to know that he would burn down the world for her. Soulmates be damned.

He watched her play, and as his eyes were trained on her, the sights, smells, sounds of the bar faded away. It was as if she were the only other person in the world, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was nice to lose himself in something that wasn’t work, for once.

The music stopped, luring him out of his trance. He’d made his way to the stage again, leaning against his elbow.

“This last song,” she spoke. This was the first time he’d heard her speak, and it was just as stunning as her singing, “is dedicated to the man whose name marks my wrist. To the man who I know I can never have, who I have made peace with loving from afar. This song I wrote for him, about him, and I hope that some day my words will reach him. Thank you for listening to me play, tonight.”

Her song started, dreamy and emotional. Her vocals were soft and powerful. She sang about watching him for such a long time, and how enraptured she’d been with the blue of his eyes. How his passion and drive not only made her fall more and more in love with him, but also how it broke her heart, knowing they could never be together. She sang about being afraid to feel this way, but that she wouldn’t have it any other way because despite it, she still loved him.

As he watched her, he ignored the single tear that streaked down his cheek. He could feel the pain in her words. Feel the sorrow in her voice. He wanted to leap onto the stage and crush her against himself and kiss away all that melancholy. It was not lost on him that the man in the song had the same color eyes as him, though he didn’t have the mind to process that in the moment.

He snapped back to reality when he saw her shudder.

You

You couldn’t help it. This song you’d written for him, the words you’d sang, they still tugged at your heartstrings. The emotions behind it were still too raw, and as the song ended and the lights faded, you succumbed to the sobs that wracked your body. You prayed that nobody would see.

You steadied yourself, you didn’t want to show this kind of weakness to this size of crowd, and stood to leave.

“Wait!” A voice called to you from the opposite side of the stage, stopping you in your tracks. It sounded so familiar…too familiar. Your heart leapt into your throat as you slowly turned around.

You audibly gasped when you saw his face. Erwin. The same Erwin you had been watching and loving and longing for. Your soulmate, Erwin. He’d called out to you, climbing on stage to jog over to you. Your mouth gaped as you tried to find words. Any words. What was he doing here? Why was he here, now? Did he listen to your song? Did he know you were his soul mate? So many questions flitted through your mind that you didn’t even notice the hush fall over the bar.

All eyes were trained on you two.

“I-“he started, looking down at you. He was so tall, gods so much taller than you could have imagined. He cleared his throat. “Why are you crying?” he said finally, reaching up to gently wipe away the tears that streamed down your face. You blinked, searching his eyes. The eyes you’d just sang about.

“B-Because…” you drew in a shaky breath. How could you explain it all? Was now even the time for that? Why had he reached out to you so suddenly, anyway? You didn’t even really know what was going on. One thing could make him understand, you realized. One thing could say more than your words could.

You stretched your arm out to him, watching his expression change as he read his name on your wrist. His eyes widened in realization, his expression softening. The crowd was completely silent now, watching the scene unfold.

“You’ve been waiting for me,” he said softly, cupping your cheek and holding your hand, “All this time, you were here. And you’ve been waiting for me.” “Erwin,” you breathed, and your heart soared with the way he smiled at hearing his name on your voice.

Softly, gently, as if you were made of glass, he leaned into you, planting a ginger kiss on your soft lips. You melted into him, and you wanted nothing more than to get lost in him. The applause that ringed out through the bar startled you both out of your moment. They’d been waiting for this. There wasn’t a regular in this bar that didn’t know the name on your wrist, and your sense of duty to remain in the shadows. And there wasn’t a soul in this bar that wasn’t glad and relieved that you’d finally found each other.

Blushing, embarrassed, and giggling like schoolchildren, you and Erwin made your way off stage and into the powder room.

“We have a lot to talk about,” he beamed at you, making your heart flutter. “Yes, we do.”

He didn’t tell you that the smile you gave him that night nearly brought him to tears.

I'm surprised by how little love and affection pics there are for Genshin but I just wanted to send you an appreciation post! I hope you're doing well and that your day is going great. Be sure to hydrate and take care of yourself! 

Who sent this I wanna say I love you

Byron in Venice, Ivan Aivazovski (Russian, 1817–1900)

It was over from the start

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Characters: Ayato, Ayaka & Thoma

Including: Angst

Warnings: Blood, Violence, Death (can be triggering)

Summary: They never came back, it was already too late.

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Words count: 4.1k

Blank blogs dni

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How sweet was it to fall in love with the head of the Kamisato Clan, the dear older brother of your friend, Ayaka. You knew her for years, since she was a child while you were a bit older, since she couldn't see her brother most of the time, she would hang out with you. She was someone dear to you, that you would protect for anything and anyone, she was your first friend, and you were cherishing her.

After some years, her older brother grew curious about who Ayaka was seeing whenever she was going out, and that's how you met him. You spend hours talking while drinking tea, Ayato listening closely to everything you were saying while you share memories you had with the younger sister, from years ago to now, games you played, books you read together, Ayato could see how fond you were of his sister.

That's when he decided to trust you completely with her, not wanting to take away one of the people that were making his dearest little sister happy. You got the approval of coming to the Kamisato Estate whenever you wanted, granting you the honour of spending as much time as you wanted here. And slowly but surely, you grew closer to Ayato, and Thoma. Which was making Ayaka more than happy.

Everyone grew used to seeing you everywhere Ayaka went, and it wasn't rare for Thoma to join you. Especially since you had one particular thing in common, which is the both of you coming from Mondstadt, it made you become closer than ever. Thoma was someone you trusted greatly, and you would go see him when you ended up missing your nation. Sometimes, in the middle of the day, he would come to see you and share some memories he had there, with his friends, and you could hear how much he was missing it too.

Despite both loving Inazuma so much, you were longing to go back to Mondstadt. But for now, you would push this need aside, because for you, Ayaka mattered more, and for Thoma, his Lord mattered more too. At least, it was the official reason, because on one drinking night, with you two sitting on a bench, watching people passing by, you admitted something. How badly you fell in love with Ayato after some months, and then, Thoma admitted that he had feelings for the younger sister.

You knew you couldn't do anything about this, you grew up and lived in a different world, position, and your future would never be as bright as theirs. You agreed to never talk about it again, and time continued to fly as if nothing happened, the secret will only stay between the two of you. Until on another night, you voiced out your love for the head of the clan by accident, and he replies positively. This changed everything.

You learned soon after, that Thoma admitted to Ayato what he was feeling, and surprisingly, he agreed for him to court his sister, on the condition that he needed for them to both hit their 18 years old first. Since they were both born the same year, one in January, and the other in September, he would have to wait 9 more months, but he was willing to do that.

Everything was going well, for the better, Thoma hit his 18th birthday, and you all celebrated together, and then, 9 months later, it was Ayaka's turn. Nothing changed much between all of you, except for your closeness with Ayato, and Thoma being subtly sweeter and more attentive with Ayaka.

You were sure that the joy and happiness would last long, or so you thought until the news came in, Ayato was going to marry a woman for political reasons and someone from another clan proposed to Ayaka. You weren't worried at first, you knew he liked you back, and you were closer than ever. But then, one day, while leaving your house, you could hear everyone talking, saying how happy they were that Kamisato Ayato accepted the marriage with this woman, that was perfect in their eyes for someone like him.

The news crushed you, your heart breaking into pieces, but you didn't dare to say anything, knowing it wasn't your place to. You decided to just slowly put distance between yourself and the head of the Kamisato clan, reassuring Ayaka that it will never impact your friendship with her. It pained you to see him talk with someone else, forgetting you, but you focused on what was important. After all, you weren't living in the same world, it would have never worked out.

Ayato talked to you once after this, but instead of giving you a reason, he just told you it was for the best. Since then, you never talked with him again, except if it was related to Ayaka. You could see him try to call out for you, but this woman was showing up at the same time every time, and he couldn't do anything but watch you walk away. You didn't hate this woman, she was just doing what her clan asked her to, creating a link with another clan, and so, you treated her as greatly as any other guest.

Soon after, the other news hit you, Ayaka accepted the engagement with this man. The same night, Thoma came to you, crying in your arms, whimpering and stuttering words out with difficulty. It was unbearable for him, after months of trying to win her heart, Ayaka just accepted someone that she knew nothing about, as if he never existed in the first place or never mattered in her life. You comforted him the best you could, understanding the pain he was going through more than anyone else. This night, none of you slept, too heartbroken to even think about trying to rest.

The next day, you both agreed to stay away from the one person breaking your heart, which means also seeing the other less, but it was for your own good. Ayaka was confused about why Thoma hasn't come to talk to her today, but you didn't reply, knowing there was no good answer to her question.

Your happiness and joy fell drastically, the pain overtaking any good emotions left in your heart, you couldn't bear to see his face anymore or hear his voice. You were sleeping less, your mind filled with bad thoughts, your chest hurting as your heart was squeezed painfully, and you felt awfully bad. The simple act of going there, and spending your hours in between these walls, remembering everything you did with him, was adding to your suffering, breaking the rest of the mental strength you had.

You couldn't imagine the pain Thoma was going through, as he knew Ayaka for years, living here since he was a teenager. And on one of your nights, the one when you would just rant to Thoma, and he would do the same with you, he let out a sentence you couldn't forget.

“I want to go back to Mondstadt.”

You knew Mondstadt was suffering from a war against monsters right now, and it was one of the worst periods to go back here, but was it really worse than staying in Inazuma? The thought couldn't leave your mind, you wanted to stay here with Ayaka, but at the same time, you knew it would only make you suffer more. You kept your feelings in, and decided to push them aside until you had to face them for real.

Days passed again, and your state was only getting worse, Ayaka could see it, and she tried everything to make you feel better, also bringing you to your favourite places. But it was only making you feel worse, as in every place she was bringing you to, you had memories of Ayato there, and it was making you feel sick. You weren't sleeping correctly anymore, eyebags appearing, and you grew colder. Your joyful personality has disappeared as everything was too much for you right now, these feelings you had were making you die inside.

Thoma was watching from afar, worried and sad for you, which would catch the attention of Ayato, that also grew worried. He didn't know what was happening to you, but it was driving him crazy to not be able to just ask you, as if something was pulling him back before he could step forward. How stupid of him to not see he was the one inflicting you this much pain, unknowingly making you agonize in this place, trapped between these walls. He thought your love for him wasn't serious, how wrong was he. If only he knew.

The day ended, and without knowing it, you missed Ayato waiting for you on the other side of the Estate, himself not knowing you weren't walking in front of his office anymore, to avoid seeing him. As you were leaving for the day, closing the door behind you when you noticed this woman waiting for you, looking a bit embarrassed. She dragged you gently away, asking you if you had any idea of a gift she could give to Ayato, since you were closer to him and knew him better. It was the final straw. You felt your heart break and being crushed under her feet.

You replied to her softly, giving her the best idea you had, and you watch with gentle eyes as she brightens up. She thanks you over and over again, before bowing and walking away happily, not knowing that you gave her the gift you were planning to offer Ayato for his birthday. But you knew you will never give it to him anyway, despite knowing you talk about it with him before, he surely had forgotten by now, so it wasn't important. You took your decision.

The same night, Thoma was waiting for you at your house, and he confessed that he was thinking about leaving soon, only comforting you in your decision. He looked at you with wide eyes when you announced that you were leaving the next day, you had left a letter of resignation under Ayaka's office door, and you would take the first ship leaving from the port the next morning. Your bags were packed, nothing was holding you back now. You were suffering too much here, everywhere you were going, memories were swarming you, memories of you and Ayato, crushing your heart and making you suffocate.

Thoma was sharing your feelings, suffering as much as you if not more, and without a second thought, he decided to come with you. The only reason he was holding up, was because you were here, if you leave him now, he would be completely destroyed. And that's how you helped him pack his bags, bringing them to your house and sleeping here for the night.

The next day, when the sun came up, you were admiring the sunrise from Inazuma one last time. Knowing you weren't coming back.

You went to the port, greeting the crew as they helped you carry your bags and then, the ship was leaving. And you watch as the land was becoming thinner and thinner until you couldn't see it anymore. Meanwhile, Ayaka has woken up, and found your letter, reading it with tears in her eyes before running to her older brother. And as he read, his heart stopped, an unknown feeling spreading through his body as he stared into the void, not knowing what to do. When Ayaka reached your house, alone, you had already left and there were no traces of Thoma left.

You observed the clear blue sky, admiring the few clouds you could see as you relax outside, Thoma sitting calmly beside you with a small smile, watching as you seemed much happier than before. You enjoyed the sounds of the wave hitting the ship, the fresh air of the sea and the calm, for the first time in weeks, you were feeling at peace. The tension and responsibility weighing your shoulders evaporating with the salty water, all the pain going away slowly, as you get away from Inazuma. Away from him and those unwanted memories.

You were so thankful to Kazuha, your long-time friend, that managed to convince Beidou to take you with them on the ship. He understood how much he was suffering, and the physical state you were in was only proving how hard it has been for you recently. He almost cursed out loud when he heard about what happened, and he couldn't help but feel furious about how Ayato and Ayaka just dismissed your feelings, as if it wasn't important in the first place.

The ship should bring you to Liyue and then, you had to find a way to reach Mondstadt, even with the war going on, but you reassured Kazuha that everything would be fine, and he had no reason to worry. And without another word, he just smiled at you, holding out his hands to you before motioning to Thoma to follow you, bringing you to a higher place on the ship, where nobody could go except the captain and him, so you could enjoy your travel as much as it was possible.

Soon enough, you saw the land, not far away from you, and a warm feeling was spreading through your heart into the rest of your body. And for the first time in three days, you saw the brightest smile on Thoma's face as he held onto your shoulder, watching excitedly as you grew closer to the other nation.

And finally, after three days, from being on Beidou's ship to reaching Liyue and then asking merchants to bring you to Mondstadt, you were there. You were both exhausted, but the thought of finally being away from what was causing you so much pain was just, so refreshing. The fresh air, all the tension leaving your body as you recognize your home, the city you grew up into, everything was perfect. And the smile on your face was so natural and true, filled with honesty and hope. You were finally here, the city of freedom.

On your way there, you met with Diluc, his red flaming hair catching your attention immediately, and you feel the emotions taking over. You couldn't help but run forward and hug him, unknowingly bringing him to tears as he was so sure he would never see you again. He was the one that helped you to reach Inazuma after all, ignoring his feelings for you as he just wanted you to be happy. He was also so relieved to see Thoma with you, and he offered to let you stay the night.

This night ended up being three days, talking and sharing what happened during you weren't here, also telling you how the war was going before moving back to lighter subjects. As you talked, you started to regain memories you never knew existed, and it was so sweet to remember how happy you were to live here, when you were playing with Diluc and Kaeya or purposely annoying the merchants in the city. Everything felt so nostalgic, and you were feeling better than ever, your own happiness affecting Thoma, that couldn't help but watch you go back to your old self with gentle eyes.

Soon enough, you told your old friend that you were going to go to the city for the day, and he offered to bring you there, afraid that the monsters could attack you. And he was right because on the way, near the walls, a group of monsters jumped on you, thankfully you defeated them easily but turns out they were attacking the city and the knights were struggling to protect it. Without a second thought, Diluc grabbed his claymore and jumped into the fight, with a nod, you and Thoma joined him.

And after hours of intense fighting, and some cuts inflicted on your bodies, you managed to defeat them and make the rest give up. You looked over to Diluc, worried as his palms were burned by his vision, and you run to the nearest shop to buy something to heal him. By the time you were all more or less okay, it was too late to do anything else for the day, and Thoma rented a room instead of going back to the Dawn Winery Manor.

One day became a week, and then became two, and you ended up staying more than you thought in the city. As you agreed to leave the next day in the afternoon to see Diluc again, sadly, an attack ruined your plan. You woke up to loud noises and screams, the monsters invaded the city and were destroying everything along with attacking the citizens. You watched in shock from your window how a Mitachurls send a man flying into the wall, blood splashing everywhere.

Screams were resonating through the city, chilling you to the bone as you watch in horror everything getting reduced to flesh and broken pieces. Monsters were running into the city, bursting doors open, attacking anything that was moving, and the knights were struggling to protect the population. Thoma shoots up, grabbing his polearm ready to fight, but you weren't so sure about it being a good idea. Yes, you knew how to fight, but the knights were trained for this but were already struggling, your guts were telling you to not go in here.

But at the same time, you couldn't let Thoma jump into this battle alone, and when you hear him open the door and run down, you didn't have the time to think. You grabbed your weapon and attacked the first hillichurl you could find.

Everything was going well, they weren't strong enough to put you in difficulty, that was until two Mitachurls showed up. Not only one had a shield protecting him from your attacks, but the second had an enormous axe, and it was almost if not as big as you. You struggled to dodge every hit, the monster in front of you forcing you to back up into a wall, leaving you no opening to escape. And before you knew it, your back hit the brick wall harshly, and the Mitachurl was raising his axe over his head.

You managed to dodge the first attack, stepping to the side as the axe grazed your left shoulder, still creating a deep cut into your skin that was bleeding profusely. But as the second one was coming, you heard a scream, you turned your head on reflex to see Thoma surrounded by abyss mages, he was bleeding, and his left arm was frozen. Before you could move or process what you were seeing, his eyes meet yours, panic reflecting through his expression, terror taking over. And then he was burned in front of you, his screams echoing into your ears, your name dying under the pained cries. And it went silent, everything was unmoving around you as if the world stopped for almost a second.

Sadly it didn't last, and only an instant later, you heard something cutting through the air. The axe was falling down on you, breaking your bones, cutting through your skin and flesh, organs spilling out of the gaping cut. And then, it was over. You were dead on the spot, unable to hear Diluc screaming your name in desperation, witnessing your body cut in half and falling to the ground in a disgusting wet sound.

He killed them, unable to contain his rage, burning through his body, burning his hands as he kills everything he could see. But deep down, he knew that whatever he was doing now, he couldn't bring you back, he couldn't bring Thoma back. He would protect the rest of the population, doing his best to forget the scene he saw just an instant before, even if he knew he won't be able to sleep anymore after this. Your empty eyes and face covered in blood would haunt him forever. How cruel was it to come back, spend days with him, bring back memories and then die in front of him this way?

The battle ended only some hours after, many were dead, innocent people or knights, many lost loved ones and the population was devastated. Diluc left without a word, only stopping on your corpse to close your eyes before disappearing. With an unknown reason for most, he never came out of the Dawn Winery Manor again, refusing to go out and see anyone, too broken by the view of his loved ones dying again. It was only a week after that Ayaka reached Mondstadt, without his brother as he was celebrating his marriage, leaving her alone to discover the destroyed and bloody city. Despite searching everywhere, she couldn't find you or Thoma, she was getting desperate, almost crying in the middle of the street until someone came to help her. When she told the unknown person whom she was searching for, they became silent and simply led her to a calm area.

In front of her, was standing a tombstone, with thousands of names written on it. She was confused until she reached the middle of it, graved inside the granite, along with the names of the knights and the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, were yours and Thoma's names. Ayaka froze on the spot, hands shaking as she raised her fingers, touching the tombstone to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, it was really your two names here. You were dead. You weren't coming back to Inazuma, never.

She stood there, tears sliding down her cheeks as she couldn't let any words out. She needed someone to comfort her, she needed you or Thoma, she needed her brother, but none of you was here. She never had the time to say goodbye, the last memory she had with you was your broken and cold self, the tired and hurt Thoma. Without a word, she left the city after placing your and Thoma's favourite flowers in front of the tombstone.

On the way back, Ayaka didn't exchange any words, and even if she wanted to, each syllable she tried to murmur out was destroying her throat, as if it was burning from the inside. When she came back to Inazuma, she didn't speak a word to Beidou or Kazuha, unable to announce the news. She simply reached the Kamisato Estate, and broke off her engagement, throwing the ring away as she sits in the corner of the room, holding the letter you left against her chest, crying.

Ayato wasn't here, and she was all alone to deal with her pain. The next day, she sent one of the servants to deliver a letter announcing the terrible news to the people you knew, omitting the cause of the death. She only said that you died as a hero, saving the citizens of Mondstadt during the war. She sent a similar letter to Ayato, that was still celebrating his engagement at this time, telling everything that she knew, from the reason why you were being so down, to why you decided to leave Inazuma, to finally announce your death, insisting on how painful your death was.

In another letter, that she sent a day after, she told him everything she was feeling, from the pain to regrets and how much she hated herself for not doing anything before everything went down. The news shocked the head of the Kamisato Clan to the point he left during the celebration, running back to his younger sister in hope she would tell him it was a joke.

Unfortunately, the journey back took an entire day, and when he reached the Kamisato Estate, it was already too late. The only thing he found, was the corpse of his dearest sister, her royal blue kimono was now completely red, and in her hand, was resting your letter along with a picture of the four of you together.

Ayato was all alone now, his wife will never be able to compensate for the void he had in his heart, if he still had a heart. Everything was cold and grey around him, he lost his sister, he lost his most trusted servant that he considered a close friend, and he lost the one he truly loved. If only he didn't put his political marriage before anything else, or at least explained why he did this. But he did not, and he lost everything he was living for. Is the tragedy really over, or?

One thing is certain.

They never came back, it was already too late.

As requested! A tutorial on faces will be coming soon as well.

I DO GET 50/50 BCS I GOT DILUC ON ALBEDO'S BANNER JDJSJSISISKDJJSJS PLS XIAO BABY COME HOME OR I'M GONNA SUCCUMB INTO THE WORLD OF WHALING

WE FUCKING DID IT AGAIN LADS!!!

AHHHHHH GOD IS FUCKING REAL YOU GUYS!! XIAO BANNER IS SO FUCKING NICE. MY LUCK HAS BEEN SO ASS SINCE ZHONGLI BANNER. MY LUCK LITERALLY WORKS ON A PITY SYSTEM. I GET SOMETHING GOOD THEN ITS A FUCKING 6 MONTH LONG BADLUCK SLUMP. I WAS FUCKING SCREAMING IN VOICECHAT WHEN XIAO SHOWED UP. THEN FUCKING DILUC CAME?? I LOST MY VOICE ISTG. 

ZHONGLI BANNER GAVE ME ZHONGLI AND KEQING IN ONE TEN PULL. XIAO AND DILUC CAME IN ONE 10 PULL. THANK FUCK IT WAS DILUC. THE ONLY 5 STAR THEAT I SERIOUSLY WANT CONSTELLATIONS ONE. I WAS SO SCARED BECAUSE I WAS ON A 50/50 AND I WOULD HAVE FUCKING CRIED IF I DIDN’T GET HIM. THEN DILUC CAME NEXT SO MY NEXT 5 STAR IS GUARENTEED. 

but seriously, good fucking luck to you all. I believe in you. Xiao banner is so nice from what I’ve seen. 

one of my best friend’s response to my dysphoria last week

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