You’ll Find Me Shining Just For You

Jinshi is not fucking around. In one episode alone, he scares someone so badly she poisons herself:

And the next woman he interrogates pisses herself in fear:

Jinshi and Maomao in LN 13/14 in a nutshell:

Jinshi, freaking out: we can't have sex right now because if we do, that means Maomao has the burden of birth control by herself and will be even more involved in politics 😱😱😱😱

Maomao:..Damn, I sorta wanted to have sex with him.

USE EARPHONE / HEADPHONE

ig: r5z0r.ds [was darthsoka]

ac: tsookiishima

⭒ xiao, zhongli, albedo, and diluc with a touch-starved s/o ⭒

request for anon: Not the anon who requested it but your last post about a short s.o made me super soft! May I have hdcs about a s.o who’s touch-starved but stays distant bc they’re very scared of overstepping the boy’s boundaries and bothering them if they indulge in their need? For the same boys pls ^^

i’m so glad you liked the short s/o post! as someone who’s constantly touch-starved (I MISS MY PARTNERS) but too shy to ask for someone to hold me… it’s my time to shine again. i hope you enjoy these!

⭒

pairing: xiao, zhongli, albedo, and diluc x reader (separately)

characters: xiao, zhongli, albedo, diluc ragnvindr

genre: fluff

word count: 971

⭒

xiao

⋆ xiao will never admit it, but he’s also touch-starved.

⋆ he might see that you feel that way, but it’ll still take a while for him to do anything about it

⋆ if you explicitly ask xiao to hold your hand, hug you, touch you in any way, he’ll scoff and roll his eyes, but his arms are open as soon as you ask

⋆ but if you’re really unwilling to ask—you know how he is about humans and their human things, after all—then pray to the gods he’ll figure it out on his own

⋆ he does, eventually, asking you what has you so on edge and distant lately

⋆ you explain that you’ve been feeling touch-starved, and he responds with “why didn’t you ask for me?”

⋆ and then you explain that you didn’t want to bother him or possibly upset him

⋆ you hear him snort, and then he pulls you—a little more roughly than necessary—into his arms

⋆ he gets better at recognizing when you need him to hold you, and you work on asking him for help whenever you’re feeling touch-starved

⋆ he’ll give in whenever you ask, it just takes him a second to relax whenever either of you touches the other, because he’s truly not used to it

⋆ xiao will always claim it’s ridiculous that you’re so needy for physical contact, but you can tell he enjoys it. although his gaze is averted from yours, he always blushes lightly and pulls you even closer to him.

Keep reading

my favourite part of the apothecary diaries is jinshi freaking out over maomao's impulsive freaky tendencies (but he's lowkey into that)

jinmao in a nutshell:

juNG HOSEOK 

such a tease

hey may i request headcannons for jean, beidou, albedo and xiao (seperately) giving touched starved reader hugs and headpats pls? 👉👈 tysm if u decide to write this <3

Touch Starved

GN!reader feat. jean, beidou, albedo, xiao

genre: fluff

warnings: none [unedited]

Jean

you had always admired her work ethic, she put so much time and effort into every task given to her, it’s really hard not to respect something like that

but sometimes you just missed having her around

no matter how long you’ve known each other, she’s still so shy with expressing physical affection and it’s the cutest thing ever because you can see her mentally hyping herself before holding your hand

but i digress!

you realized it was going to be another late night for her when you came home to an empty bed

but rather than getting ready for bed, you turned around and went straight for the knights of favonius headquarters

“(y/n)?” she asks when you barge into her office

“jean, let’s go home please. i miss having you around and holding you in my arms!” you whine

she’s a bit taken back by how forward you’re being about this, you don’t miss the way her ears turn red

it takes a bit to convince her to call it quits for the night, but how is she going to say no to her s/o after they came all this way in the middle of the night for her sake?

when you’re both finally in bed, you cuddle up against her and to your surprise, she pulls you into a close hug against her chest

she’s praying that you don’t hear the way her heart is fluttering as she gently runs her hand through your hair

“thank you so much for coming to get me, i don’t think there’s anywhere else i’d rather be right now.”

Beidou

it was one of those rare instances where beidou wasn’t out on a sea voyage and you didn’t have your own responsibilities to focus on

you waited on the couch as she brought snacks for you guys to eat while the two of you caught each other up on everything

but something about seeing her in casual clothing, trying to balance all the snacks in her arms, made you realize how much you really had missed her

beidou places the snacks on the coffee table and laughs when she turns to see you on the couch with your open arms

“this isn’t funny,” you pout

but you really can’t help the way your lips curl into a smile when you hear that hearty laugh you loved so much

she’s so smug about this by the way, there’s absolutely no way she’s not teasing you

she’ll look down at you like “oh? asking so shamelessly are we now? i guess i can’t blame you for missing someone like me” or “wow (y/n) do you have a crush on me or something?”

you’ll have to pull her down and into your arms to stop her antics

with the jokes aside, she’ll tighten the hug and hide her blushy face against your neck because she knows that she’s missed you 10x more

since beidou refuses to let go of you now, you spend the rest of the afternoon in her arms as she pats your head and you guys share stories with each other

Albedo

seriously what is it with the work ethic of these people

also someone that has frequent late nights spent on doing work, a lot of the time you don’t even see him for few days

you’ve seen the wonders of his alchemy in person and you think it’s great, but you know what’s even better? actually being able to spend some time with your s/o

lucky for you, he was coming back home today and he would be staying for awhile

he always knew you were a more affectionate person than he was, but he doesn’t miss the tightness in your hug when he first returns home

albedo is more of a reserved person and many assume that means he’d be aloof, but he’s very attentive and not shy at all with showing you physical affection

throughout the day, he’d be pulling you into hugs, giving you headpats, and pressing gentle kisses everywhere

seeing the way your mood gradually improves definitely has him reflecting on how much time he’s spending away from you, he’ll make a point to try and talk with sucrose to arrange shorter trips to dragonspine

Xiao

he’s doing his best i swear

kinda like jean in the sense that he’s hyping himself up to make a move, but he doesn’t actually go through with it

he has a habit of freezing up or not returning any physical affection you give him

normally you would just continue to tease him about it as he blushes furiously (which you end up teasing him about too), but today you seemed a bit dejected when he became stiff after a hug from you

he definitely didn’t miss that change in your response

he could tell you were glancing at his arms every now and then, and he also understood why you weren’t saying anything

you had always been so patient with him when it came to this, you didn’t want him to feel forced to do it, but it does hurt after awhile of not getting the same affection back

xiao realizes that he needs to be putting in more effort to be meeting you halfway because he knows it’s unfair to you

“xiao what do you want to eat?” you ask, only to be met with silence

“xiao????” you turn around and see him standing at the doorway. he walks over to you and pulls you in for a sudden hug

he’s so blushy and you’re super giddy with happiness (a bit confused too). but it’s a really sweet hug and neither of you want it to stop

when you do pull away and he sees the smile on your face, he makes it a mission to keep it that way

expect a lot more of him showing physical affection and then getting super flustered as if he wasn’t the one to initiate it

he becomes an absolute dork under your smile

hananene teacher AU cont.

alright here we go

so every tuesday at school we had assemblies and my teacher selected a kid he liked to call “rock boy” to hold the flag. 

this was a mistake.

the middle school side is across the street at my school and so he ran across the street holding up the flag, “LONG LIVE AMERICA YOU DARNED BRITISH PEOPLE!!” because we go to a catholic school where swears arent allowed..

no joke, two weeks later, he found out from his brother that his grandpa’s brother was from the uk.

im still crying/laughing thinking about it.

❝ ## — 4UR4 0F TH3 ST4RS !! ❞

-> in which you attend a royal ball hosted by the ragnvindr family, and you dance with seven very odd men

-> full fic

-> female! reader, royal au

i’m going to blame the howl’s moving castle theme for the ungodly inspiration it gave me..anyways you can listen to it while you read for that visualization :D and female reader !! (no it’s not just because i wanted childe to say ‘hey girlie’ what are u talking about..) also does this even count as a royal au idk

— “diluc, of mondstadt,” he had said, bringing your hand up to his face to brush a kiss to your knuckles. “may i have a dance with you?”

“i know who you are, prince diluc,” you answered. while some may have found it arrogant that he even bothered to introduce himself at his ball, you found it endearing. it proved he wasn’t the stuck up heir that you read about in the news, it showed that being born into royalty hadn’t corrupted his basic manners.

diluc had given you the gift of a small smile, gently guiding you in towards the center of the ballroom as the orchestra began another piece, his hair swaying in time with his footsteps. you felt the harsh pricks of the whole room staring at you, wondering why you of all people had been asked to a dance by the future king. it felt like barely any time had passed since king crepus died, yet plans were already being made for prince diluc’s coronation.

his gloved hands placed themselves on your shoulder and waist, the dark burgundy and red of his suit contrasting the ivory tile beneath him. it was clear he’d been trained and coached on how to formally dance his whole life. though his eyes were warm, his stance was stiff. it was sure and firm, but lacked the carefree buoyancy the rest of the guests had.

the piano’s keys echoed, and you could feel the music hanging loosely in the air all around you. diluc started a slow waltz, simply stepping the designated steps and lightly spinning you every so often. each time you saw a photograph of him, it became obvious as to why he was being offered so many women from other nations. he was striking in every way, from his dark attire to his fiery hair.

“prince diluc, are you alright?” you asked. it wasn’t a secret that diluc wasn’t the most sociable of the royal family, but he seemed lost, in a way. he navigated the dance floor with ease, knowing where and when to turn, but he looked unfocused and dazed.

“i’m alright, thank you,” he replied, short and to the point.

king crepus’ passing must have made quite the impact on the prince. ‘well, it’s not like he had any time to grieve,’ you thought. ‘he wasn’t prepared to take on all of this. he just woke up one day and found out he’d be king in less than a year.’

“your highne—“

“you may refer to me as just diluc, if that’s okay. there’s no need to be so formal,”

‘no need to be so formal.’ it was starting to seem like diluc wanted to be anything but formal, from his simple suit jacket to his mannerisms similar to those of a commoner. from his slow waltz to the way he purposely stepped too far back to accommodate your incredibly large dress.

‘who ever thought diluc ragnvindr wouldn’t want to be so formal? being the sole heir to a monarchy must’ve humbled him instead of doing the opposite,’ you wondered, so lost in thought that you didn’t even notice diluc picking up your hands and placing them back at your sides.

“i’m afraid our break must come to an end. i should be choosing a wife right now, as much as i’d rather stay and dance with you. you’re thoughtful. it can be hard to find that these days,”

stunned, you looked up at his gloves as he pulled them down to meet his wrists, your eyes flicking over almost all the guests watching you. “oh. i suppose even princes don’t have all the time in the world, do they?”

the ends of his lips curved, the smile not quite reaching his eyes. “no, i suppose they don’t,”

“my, my. don’t tell me you’re leaving this poor girl out to dry in the middle of a ball, diluc. surely you were taught better,”

prince diluc didn’t even tilt his head to check to see who had spoken. you stayed standing where you where, feeling like you were in the middle of something while watching the stranger as he approached you two.

“i am not leaving her, kaeya. you’d better confirm your facts before waltzing in other people’s space,” the redhead snapped.

kaeya laughed. “weren’t you supposed to be finding a wife? or have you just been stalling because you know grand master jean isn’t among the selected candidates?”

diluc didn’t flinch or flush at kaeya’s words. instead, he turned and dropped down his head, sliding whispers into the other man’s ear before stepping towards you. “i did enjoy our dance, y/n. i do hope i’ll see you again,” he murmured, promptly walking off the dance floor, leaving you with the blue haired stranger and questions as to how he knew your name when you couldn’t remember ever telling him.

— “that was awfully rude of you,” you told him, seeing a flash of an eyepatch under his bangs as he let out a laugh again, taking one of your hands and placing it on his shoulder as the music picked up, the once somber waltz turning into a charming one.

“my brother has always been so uptight. princes do have all the time in the world. in fact, i think we all do, don’t you?”

“you haven’t even told me your name yet,” you pointed out.

“kaeya alberich, cavalry captain of the knights of favonius. already interested in me, aren’t you? well, do i get a name?” confidence and charm seemed to radiate off of him, the way his dress shirt was mostly unbuttoned and the patterns on his coat only adding to it. you quickly scanned the room, noticing just as many other women staring at you as before. you knew this kaeya was apart of the knights of favonius, but was he really that important?

“y/n l/n. i have to ask, what’s a knight doing inside the ball? shouldn’t you be patrolling outside?”

“the knights are patrolling outside. the royal family is inside, entertaining the guests,”

“do you always speak in puzzles?” you asked, irritated that you weren’t given a proper answer.

kaeya smriked with stars in his eyes, obviously enjoying the mysterious façade he had put up. “i understand it’s not common knowledge, but i am in fact part of the royal family, miss y/n. i can see how being a step brother might not count as being royalty, though. fine lines, and all that,”

the pieces of the puzzle kaeya had made clicked into place. you had seen photos of the royal family with kaeya in it, but normally he had been standing off to the side or just looking so out of place that you never considered he was a part of it. king crepus and diluc had fair skin and brightly colored hair, their eyes drooping lazily but their posture tall and regal. kaeya was tanned and his hair was the same shade as the dusky sky in the background of most of the pictures. he didn’t stand like he was born to be in the photographs, he stood like he deserved to be in them.

now that you think about it, he was in almost all of the photos you’d seen of the ragnvindr’s. “how did you come into the family, anyways?” you knew you were being nosy, but kaeya didn’t seem like the type to reprimand you for that. he was whimsical in every way—he was probably just as nosy himself.

the cavalry captain kept up his quick pace of dancing, lifting you up in a twirl and gently setting you back down. “that’s a topic for another day. i don’t think we’ll be able to cover the entire history of a lost kingdom in the next couple seconds. it’s about time to switch partners,”

he really did know how to intrigue someone, how to get them roped in to where they were tied to the mysteries he held. what happened to his right eye? where was the lost kingdom was he referring to? how did he manage to steal the attention of almost everyone in the room?

"may i dance with you again?” you rushed, desperate for answers, both of you stepping away in tune with the music.

“of course,” he confirmed. “i would never push you away like diluc did, y/n. and i’m not one to break my word,”

with that, kaeya was gone—probably twirling other girls in the air—and your hands were being taken by a blonde with intricate braids in his hair, his gloves rougher and more worn down than kaeya and diluc’s were. they were casual gloves; ones made for working in.

— “hello,” he said simply.

“oh—hello,”

“sorry, i’m afraid i haven’t been to a ball in ages; it seems i’ve forgotten how strange it is when we switch partners. i am albedo, i work with the knights of favonius,”

“y/n,” you told him, not bothering with a last name since he didn’t. “does everyone here work in the knights of favonius?” you joked.

albedo had smiled a little, obviously not one for jokes but appreciating it all the same. “i don’t actually work on the front lines. i’m just the chief alchemist. i prefer to study life rather than take it from people.” he swiftly sidestepped to avoid stepping on you, not even realizing he’d done it. he seemed very spacey, like his head was beyond the clouds.

but he was graceful. the chains adorned on his coat looked like they were floating, stray pieces of hair passed over his eyes, his boots glided over the tile. it was hard to believe he was even human.

“i think that’s a lovely way of looking at it,” you said.

“life is lovely, isn’t it? it’s unbelievable, really, some of the things that exist,”

“is that why you practice alchemy?”

“no, not necessarily. i practice alchemy so i can study how life is made—similar to drawing or painting or creating something. i wish to know how everything in this world was created. being so high up in teyvat’s ranks help too, of course,”

‘he has a beautiful way of looking at things.’

“what about you?” he asked.

“me? your life is much more interesting than mine, albedo. working in the wine business isn’t very original in mondstadt,”

“it’s not exactly an easy business to get into, though. besides...you have the aura of the stars. i would love to hear more about you,”

the aura of the stars? was albedo talking about the stars that seemed to shine in kaeya’s eyes, or the stars that burned bright just above the palace?

it seemed you wouldn’t get to find out though, not with the orchestra slowing their music and you and albedo having to tear away to keep up with the other guests.

“thank you for dancing with me, y/n,” he said. always so polite, wasn’t he? “if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, i think i would like to draw you someday,”

“i’d like that. thank you albedo,”

too busy watching him whisk away, you didn’t realize the man behind you, startling yourself when you ran into him.

— “my apologies for not moving out of the way, i’m afraid i was distracted.” if albedo said that you have the aura of the stars, this man must have had the aura of royalty. he stood regally, his hair long and pulled back neatly; his tie knotted perfectly.

“no, that was my fault. don’t apologize, please. i’m y/n,” you introduced.

“i tend to go by zhongli. it’s a pleasure to meet you, y/n,” he nodded in acknowledgement.

“tend to?” you wondered aloud. a pattern was starting to arise at this ball—one that hinted that almost every guest had a secret to hide.

zhongli was an excellent dancer. he stood tall and firm, as if he’d been invited to every royal ball in teyvat. maybe he’d even held his own. “as of right now, yes. exposing my other names might cause some...conflict,”

“there isn’t much conflict in mondstadt. we’ve learned to flow in whichever direction the wind chooses to,”

the man simply smiled, one that said he’d seen and heard that statement many times. “i don’t get the chance to visit mondstadt very often. a shame, really, since it’s so close to liyue. i must learn to make time to travel here. it’s quite peaceful,”

‘he must have lived in liyue all his life, to be so decided and sure of everything. here, we change our minds whenever we please; they keep the contacts they make for generations,’

zhongli did bring the reminiscence of liyue itself. he moved with such certainty, his eyes brightly lined with the same color as the festival lights you saw when you participated in the lantern rite years ago.

“what work do you do in liyue?” you asked.

he thought for a moment, deciding what exactly he ought to say. “i’m not as involved in the economics as i used to be. i worked very closely with the royal family, but was disposed of when i wasn’t of use anymore. now i simply make and sign off contracts. still an incredibly important job in the nation,”

“disposed of? that’s very cruel. i’m so sorry,”

“nothing to be sorry for. i still respect queen ningguang, very much. she had her goals set, and she sacrificed many valuable assets in order to reach them. it’s embarrassing to say i would’ve done the same,”

“at least you can admit that. i know some that wouldn’t.” the thought of a certain blue haired, faux prince crossed your mind.

zhongli nodded, considering your opinion while letting a silence fall between you two. you hated how quick partner changes were, even if the orchestra migrated to a slower tempo. you were still very curious. it was clear you’d leave the palace tonight with many more questions than when you’d come in.

“would you mind showing me around mondstadt, if you ever have the time?” zhongli proposed. “i’ve already seen many sights around here but...times do change, don’t they? people can look at the same sea and find different sights to admire,”

“may you walk me around liyue, too? i’ve only visited a handful of times for the festivals. i have a feeling you’ve seen just about all of it,”

his coat flipped up as he stepped to another young woman, his eyes still focused on you. “i don’t see why not, y/n,”

you followed suite and skipped into position with a bright eyed redhead, dressed in an odd combination of heavy layers and chains. his hair was ruffled, as if the wind had purposely played with it to look like that.

— “hey girlie, hold still—let me do all the work,” he grinned, gripping your waist and lifting you to the other side of him. did the orchestra plan their musical number this way? to take all the energy lost from the somber sections of their song and put it all into this one? the ginger was certainly taking advantage of that, his earring swaying with him as he spun, obviously here for a good time.

“oh—hi?” you gasped, almost tripping over the hem of your dress.

he smiled, a genuine one that told you he probably wasn’t formally invited to this ball. it was hard to stay stunned when he seemed to float in the air. “did i startle you? my bad. i got a little too caught up in that, didn’t i? my name’s childe,”

“child?”

“c-h-i-l-d-e. it’s just an alias, don’t worry about it,”

it sounded like he was giving out information he shouldn’t be. was it just to entice you, like how kaeya purposely drew you in with mysteries? or was it simply because he talked too much?

“i’m not sure you’re meant to be telling me that, childe,” you told him.

his hands dropped from your waist. his gloves were different than the other ones you’d seen that night. they were an odd design; nothing you’d seen before in mondstadt, or even liyue. perhaps inazuma? you’d never visited the icy region, but you’d heard of the strange customs from there. “it’s not like you can do anything; if you don’t know my real name then what good is knowing i use an alias?” childe said.

you supposed he was right. it was hard to keep your mind on that topic when he kept up with the quick pace of the music so well. he was quite swift.

“where did you learn to dance like this?”

“i don’t get to dance much where i’m from. my work isn’t exactly as free spirited as this, either,”

you found yourself missing albedo. he had given you straight answers to your questions. but he was all the way across the dance floor now, playfully spinning a small girl in red. a family member, maybe?

childe stopped again, crossing his arms as he studied you, the rest of the guests continuing to dance away. it’d been barely thirty seconds and you were already tired of his games.

“you intrigue me, y/n,” he admitted. had you told him your name yet? “not many women dance with royalty and pass it off as not a big deal,”

“prince diluc’s a person, too. i’m sure he doesn’t like to only be seen as the future king of mondstadt,”

“oh, diluc? i wasn’t even talking about him, but i like your viewpoint.” he set his hands on your waist again, continuing to dance to get out of the way of others.

not diluc? was he mentioning kaeya? zhongli? surely not albedo—he was the chief alchemist, he told you himself. childe definitely knew much more than he was letting on.

“humor me, childe,” you began. “what work do you do? is it in inazuma?”

“my work takes me all across teyvat, actually. it’s something i quite enjoy, travel. of course, working with the fatui wasn’t my top choice—i wanted to work in toy crafting, believe it or not,” he laughed, throwing his head back, the light from the chandelier turning his grey suit golden.

“fatui?” you panted. you were dancing with someone of the fatui! childe wasn’t from inazuma—he was from snezhnaya. and you weren’t supposed to be entertaining two-faced fatui from snezhnaya. “why are you telling me all this? shouldn’t i go and report you?”

he pondered for a moment, humoring you. “you could. i was invited here through someone quite powerful, though, so they’d probably just kick you out. it’s not a secret i’m with the fatui. i don’t plan on just killing everyone in here, either. why can’t a man waltz in peace?” he sidestepped and spun, enchantingly charming. it’d be so easy to fall for him if he hadn’t told you what he did.

they all were. every dance you’d had that night had been nothing short of magical.

“as for why i’m telling you, y/n,” he continued. “i’ve already told you that. you intrigue me. i do hope you’ll continue to. i trust i’ve intrigued you, as well,”

‘he has.’

“you have,” you agreed. “a fatui who’s just here to waltz...i have a hard time believing that,”

childe gave you another grin, twirling you to the right and into someone else’s grasp. it was certainly hard to hold a grudge against someone that danced like that, even if it gave you an awkward encounter with your next partner.

— “if he comes knocking at your door, don’t be afraid to call me. damn fatui...always in other people’s business, aren’t they?”

“it seems so.” you quickly adjusted your stance, realizing the music had slowed back down. looking at the man standing across from you, you noticed he was much different than the other men you had danced with that night.

his suit was loosely fitting, the purple and green accents bright against the white of his jacket. he watched you through heavy eyes, his expression unreadable.

"i’m y/n l/n,” you introduced, trying to start conversation.

“xiao,” he returned simply.

“xiao? what an interesting name. are you from here?”

“no. i come from liyue. i’m simply here to aid an accomplice.” you trailed his eyes to the left. was he motioning towards zhongli? he was certainly to the point.

it was clear he wasn’t here to dance like childe was. all of his footsteps felt unsure, like they were heavily thought out before hand. it was endearing, seeing him put so much effort into such a little act.

“i guess almost everybody is here for work-related purposes. it’s so sad, seeing everyone have an underlying motive. it’s a ball, for archons sake,” you admitted.

xiao sighed, the dark hair hanging near his face flying up with his breath. “it’s nice to find somebody who thinks that way, too. i’ve been called a...work driven person, but even i don’t deceive others for a little more mora or power. another reason why i dislike the fatui. i’m sure the ginger had a deeper reason for being here other than throwing you up in the air,”

to the point. to the point and harsh. it was obvious he wasn’t very social. you sensed there was quite a bit of backstory to his viewpoints.

you weren’t used to the orchestra playing this slowly. kaeya was probably throwing a fit somewhere because of it. every movement you made seemed like it took eons. it was peaceful, but starting to drag. too busy trying not to waltz too quickly, you caught yourself on the hem of your dress, sending yourself falling backwards and in the direction of harsh tile.

wincing your eyes shut in reflex, you didn’t see xiao dashing forward to catch you, his hand supporting your back and his hair falling down into your face, exposing the light blue hidden underneath the top layers.

with the light surrounding him, he looked immortal. immortal and experienced—but different in the way zhongli had looked. zhongli was wise because of everything he’d done; xiao was wise because of everything he’d seen.

xiao didn’t seem to realize grabbing you before you fell could be taken as romantic. instead, he quickly got you back on your feet and absentmindedly fiddled with the buttons on his jacket. he really was here just to aid an accomplice.

“thank you for catching me. that tile wouldn’t have been the best landing,” you said.

“part of the price i must pay. don’t take it personally—it seems i’m used to catching people. there aren’t many people like me nowadays here to do that,”

‘like you? who does he mean? what price is he paying? he’s so vague.’

“xiao, what exactly do you do? what do you mean, ‘like me’? i don’t mean to intrude—i really don’t, i’m used to abnormality in mondstadt—but it’s—“

— “partner switch! sorry, adeptus xiao, but you have to keep up with the music, you know? fancy an evening dance?”

xiao was thrust out of your grasp and into someone else’s, leaving you trying to match the pace of the quick moving stranger who’d taken your hands.

he had elfish features; two short braids the color of a lake hung close to his face, and the top of his hair was ruffled beyond fix, as if he’d quickly thrown a hat on and decided not to wear it at the last minute. his attire might as well have been for a child. rather than dress pants, he had shorts and tights. instead of formal gloves, he had long sleeves.

who was this guy? and why’d he call xiao an adeptus? from what little you knew about liyue’s culture, you thought the adepti had passed long ago.

“i hope you don’t mind my being rude,” you promoted, matching the stranger’s mischievous attitude. “but who are you?”

he laughed a bubbly, genuine laugh. “you can just call me venti. what brings you here tonight, y/n?”

‘this is the third person tonight to know my name without me telling them,’

“how’d you know my name, venti?” he spun you in loose, intricate turns, obviously having no care for the odd stares he was attracting.

“it’s a bards responsibility to know his audience, don’t you think? i also have...other intel, you could say. but alas! you never answered my question. what brings you to the ragnvindr’s palace?”

you gave him the grace of a smile. his was so contagious it was difficult to not return it. “the ball, of course. what about you?”

venti nodded his head and hummed along to the piano. “i’d have to say the same! i suppose i came here to meet up with old friends and discuss some important matters, but i stayed for the music. the orchestra turned me down when i offered to play the lyre with them, though. seems they don’t know talent when they see it.” he sighed like he was thinking the moment over again.

“old friends?”

“yep! you probably danced with at least one of them earlier. mr. zhongli, prince diluc, xiao. oh, and that one alchemy guy! albert? albedo! yes, that’s it,”

you’d danced with all of them...who were these people? diluc was royalty—but how important were zhongli, xiao, albedo, and this bard that they had a meeting with him? on the night he was choosing his wife, no less. “what’s happened that involves the prince in all of this?”

“oh, just some silly fatui disturbing the stone gate. it’s a border issue, really. but we gotta have some archons present in case it all spirals out of control. it usually does. i mean, the city of freedom and the city of contracts trying to work together? you can believe that has some disputes!”

you were lightheaded from all the dancing, you must be. “archons? what do the archons have to do with anything?”

venti’s braids seemed to glow, the little cape on the back of his coat flipping up with the way he danced. he gave you a wink. “well, tonight has been magical, hasn’t it? surely you didn’t think it felt like that just because of the atmosphere,”

he was right. the cool touch of kaeya’s charm, the warm way diluc introduced himself. the free-spirited attitude venti and xiao shared. the steadiness of albedo and zhongli’s perspectives and the flexible, challenging aura childe presented himself with. most of them weren’t commoners, but that couldn’t be the only reason why they felt different from anybody you’d ever met before.

in disbelief, you tried again for confirmation. “are you saying that their are archons here? at this ball?”

venti shrugged offhandedly, the hint of playful smile ghosting his face. “only they themselves and the land of teyvat will know, right?”

THIS WAS SO LONG ??1&.&-)!:1@26/?>]<.>_£ FOR WHAT ???? KATE WHO DO U THINK IS GONNA READ THIS FAR DOWN ????🤨🤨