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rishiguro · 7 months

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VERDICT - NEUVILLETTE

warnings: mentions of murder. mentions of minor character death. reader has a brother. 3k+ words

a/n: happy angstober people

angstober event

you’ve heard a lot of stories about the fortress of meropide growing up in fontaine.

a prison, not just underground, but underwater, hidden from everybody. a place to lock away the criminals, with barely anybody ever returning after they served their time. personally, you’ve never encountered anybody that actually went there, only a couple of imposters, posing for the media with some wild stories. and while most of these stories sounded like they were trying too hard to get people’s attention with some wild preposterous claims and grotesque details, no one could ever really disprove whatever was said.

an aura of mystery surrounded the fortress and its so-called ‘duke’, like a thick fog, and everybody who dared to enter it to find out what was on the other side would never come back to tell the tale.

who knows, you probably wouldn’t either.

because there was nothing left for you on the surface anymore. just like it was the case for so many people that you had briefly seen when you were given a small part of the fortress – your new home.

refusing to look at the man who was arguably the sole reason why you were in here in the first place, you kept looking up at the dirty ceiling above you.

could you really spend the rest of your life here? the label ‘criminal’ forever stamped on your forehead for a crime you didn’t commit?

tears welled up in your eyes as you remembered why you were in here, your chest tightening.

brother.

he seemed to notice your distress while sitting next to you, leaning his body slightly forward. “i’m afraid there’s nothing i can do,” neuvillette said, his voice sounding as apathetic as it did when he had sentenced you.

blinking rapidly to clear your vision, you shook your head. “there must be,” you answered, turning your head a little. he couldn’t just leave you here, there had to be something he can do, anything, even if it was using his position of power as a literal ‘get-out-of-jail-card’. he couldn’t just turn his back on you, could he? “i swear, i didn’t do it. i’m innocent”

the man sighed, you don’t know if it was in defeat or annoyance. “you were proclaimed guilty”

proclaimed guilty by him.

you clenched your jaw, pulling yourself up to sit upright on the bed, directly facing neuvillette now. “i thought you said you believed me”

for a long time, his belief in you was the only thing that kept you going. frankly, it was the only thing that helped you stay sane during your trial, the thing that kept you from bursting in tears as the prosecutor told some dramatic story to frame you for the heinous crime you were in for now.

crossing his arms in front of his chest, he looked down for a second, as if to gather his thoughts, carefully weighing his words in his mind. “this isn’t about what i believe in”

you had to stop your jaw from falling slack, replaying his words over and over again in your mind. not about what he believed in? was this supposed to be a bad joke? a shocked laugh escaped you. he couldn’t be serious. “you’re the chief of justice! of course it’s about what you believe in!” you tried you best to keep your voice calm, but couldn’t help but get a little heated.

“it’s about what’s factual,” he replied immediately, his tone clearly not allowing any kind of protests. his eyes narrowed as he looked at you coldly, clenching his jaw for a second. he took a breath before continuing, his voice back to a regular volume. “and all the evidence is stacked against you”

as he was talking you already shook your head in disbelief. “i’m innocent! why would i do such a horrible thing?” you reached out to him, grabbing his arm as he turned away, seemingly not wanting to see your outburst. was ist shame that was written all over his face? regret?

“tell me!” you demanded loudly, digging your fingers a little deeper into his arm in desperation. you had to stop yourself from shaking him as your voice grew unsteady and your breather grew a little flatter. “why would i kill my own family, my brother, when he’s the only person i had left?!”

it seemed like he didn‘t have an answer to that, not facing you while you looked at him, waiting for any kind of explanation.

he promised you that he believed you when you came to him with shaky knees and teary eyes, recounting the horrible accusations thrown your way.

he comforted you when you broke down crying, embracing you in one of his rare hugs unprompted while he muttered soft words into your ear, reminding you to breathe regularly.

he held you when you lashed out, angry at your brother for leaving you alone in this scary world and he held you when you fell apart later, feeling guilty for being the only one left and guilty for being angry at your brother in the first place. it wasn‘t his fault — and he certainly never wanted to leave you, you knew that.

the world was cruel and unjust.

but until now you believed that there was some sort of justice and fairness and neuvillette was the only reason you believed that.

even before you had met him you knew about him. his reputation was practically flawless — the people of fontaine spoke about him in a highly manner, a few maybe even more highly than they spoke of their archon: neuvillette was moral, just, fair, his verdicts always being the same ones that the oratrice mecanique d‘analyse cardinale would give, which made him seem infallible.

and you believed it too. until he became the reason why you believed that the kind of justice served in fontaine wasn’t true, proper justice.

until you lost hope in the only thing that helped you stay sane after you came across the cold body of your own brother.

a shiver ran over neuvillette‘s back when he heard you laugh after his long silence. quickly you let go of his arm, dropping it like it was replaced by hot coals. “i can’t believe it,” you scoffed, shaking your head in disbelief again. this had to be a joke. would he really lie to you like that when you were the most vulnerable? “you never believed me when i said i didn’t do it, did you?”

much to your dismay, he stayed quiet, only pursing his lips slightly before pressing them together into a thin line. would he really betray you like that? was he ever on your side? “answer me!”

only when hearing your desperate pleas did he look at you again with his determined eyes. “i did. i thought you had no motive” he cleared his throat, shifting slightly in his seat before crossing his legs like he always did. “as you said, i didn’t think you’d gain anything from murdering your brother”

you recognized this neutral look on his face — the very same look he always took on whenever he was in court, listening to the defender and the prosecutor and finally also delivering his verdict.

“what changed?” you clenched your jaw, anxious about his answer.

what would it be? did he let himself be swayed by the public opinion, listening to the voices booing your story out? did he trust the prosecutor's fabricated and seemingly flawless story? or were you simply not convincing enough?

“the facts changed,” he calmly stated, making you huff in disagreement.

“bullshit,” you spat, “you just found another story to believe in”

not waiting a second to retort, he leaned back slightly. “i told you, it's not about what i want to believe in, delusions aren’t what makes our justice. it’s fairness, facts,” he sighed. you don‘t know if it was in defeat or in a disappointed manner. his voice became sharper again its him putting his chin higher. “and that is what i represent”

“you‘ve convicted an innocent person,” you declared, mirroring his expression and posture.

he would leave you here to rot, by now you were sure of it. and yet to you it seemed like he didn‘t really grasp the gravity of this.

neuvillette convicted you of murder. and if this wasn‘t bad enough, he truly believed that you had it in yourself to kill your own brother, your flesh and blood.

the only person you had left.

“i don’t give the final verdict. that is out of my hands,” he claimed, clearly referring to the oratrice — the huge scale behind himself in the court‘s opera epiclese.

was he really pinning the blame on a machine, denying any kind of involvement in your current situation? like he had nothing to do with this?

wasn‘t he supposed to be independent and just? wasn‘t this why he prided himself in his position and why the people of fontaine trusted him? because their beliefs aligned?

“yet your decisions are always the same. how could you do this to me?”

instead of answering, neuvillette stood up, turning his back on you and taking a few steps towards the exit of your cell, well, dormitory.

could he really just leave like this and leave you behind? did he not feel any kind of remorse, pity, pain?

the echoing steps came to a halt a few moments after. you looked up at him again, only to realize he had already reached the exit. he had his hand on the dark wall, looking at you over his shoulder.

he couldn‘t even properly turn around to talk to you and face you after dooming you?

“i’m afraid there’s nothing i can do,” neuvillette stated in a matter-of-factly tone, “your sentence will be carried out accordingly, unless you wish to evoke your right to challenge a duelist”

so this was it? he would just go and leave you here?

“if there is nothing you wish to say to me, i’ll take my leave”

you knew neuvillette didn‘t exactly feel the way you did. he had troubles with emotions, often lacking the proper words to fully express himself and describing what was going on inside of him. and you used to pride yourself in being able to understand him regardless, possessing the ability to read him almost like an open book. you helped him navigate through the complicated world of feelings, taking your time and going at your speed.

but right now, you were second-guessing everything. was he even capable of any kind of emotion? did he just fool you all this time?

did he truly not feel any kind of remorse for what he did, for what he was doing?

you shook your head in disbelief. this had to be a joke, a sick prank someone played on you and somehow got not just the entire nation of fontaine, but also somehow managed to get neuvillette to play along. at least that‘s what you wanted to believe. “so that’s supposed ‘justice’”

neuvillette turned around, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “it is justice,” he stated, “it’s about facts, not fiction”

you almost burst out laughing as he said that, so convinced of the system he served in.

and truly, you once were too.

but you couldn‘t, not anymore. not after seeing how the trial against you turned into some sort of drama, like it was straight out of a book. journalists were publishing articles with grotesque headlines, bombarding you with horrendous questions that left you cringing uncomfortably.

you watched as the story the prosecutor told got more and more dramatic, pointing at you accusatory as he recounted the ‘true events‘ of the fateful night, completely ignoring whatever you said to dispute his claims. “it’s not about facts, it’s about convenience! it’s just theatrics and entertainment!” you yelled as you jumped on your feet, not being able to contain your voice any longer.

“whoever presents the story that convinces the most people will win. and the people of fontaine are so easy to be swayed,” you continued, not letting the man in front of you get a single word in, “so thirsty for some juicy drama that lets them forget about their boring lives”

you couldn‘t stop yourself from scoffing again before letting a condescending laugh escape you. “and they don’t even have the critical thinking to reflect on everything”

your trial simply proved what you just told him. your point of view, your truth, simply didn‘t matter to the prosecutor or to the public. their story seemed to convenient, something that could be right out of a criminal novel that they loved to devour so much. the headlines in the newspaper were too sensational to be considered factual, too virulent to make any person doubt it.

“the public’s opinion does not sway the sentence,” neuvillette claimed with a clenched jaw, starting to look agitated.

and it seemed like they managed to get neuvillette on their side too.

a sad smile appeared on your face. “then i guess you’re stupid too” stupid for not listening to your side, stupid to believe the prosecutor, stupid to not make a rational judgment.

too stupid to realize that your supposed motive wasn’t a motive at all.

money. why would you kill your own brother for money when the two of you never had anything to begin with? you couldn’t steal something when there wasn‘t anything in the first place. neuvillette knew that. he knew you came from nothing, he knew the two of you had nothing.

and even if it was a motive — no amount of money would ever be able to heal the wound you had sustained from losing your brother.

how could he be so stupid?

“you’re acting childish,” he stated calmly.

you were in jail and possibly would never see the light of day again. you were locked in an underwater fortress for a crime you didn‘t commit and nobody believed you.

and his worry was that you were acting childish?

“oh, i’m sorry for not being calm and collected like you after being unjustly sentenced for murdering my own brother!” you raised your voice at him again, angrily stepping closer to him. “and that by the one person that i thought actually believed me”

you had to swallow down the lump in your throat again, blinking rapidly before looking into his eyes again.

how could he do this to you? was he truly so heartless?

would he really leave you here, alone and heartbroken?

a familiar warm hand slightly caressed your cheek. “i love you,” he whispered to you, in the same loving voice he had always used with you. “but i cannot make any exceptions” he stepped back, the warmth leaving your cheek again, letting the cold creep up to you again. he looked almost hurt himself and you were almost willing to feel pity for him — maybe if he wasn’t the chief of justice. maybe if he couldn’t put a stop to all of this, “not even for you”

maybe if he had kept his promise to you.

your fingertips grazed over your cheek, longing for the warmth that neuvillette’s hand provided just a few seconds earlier. your chest tightened as you dug your teeth into your lower lip, feeling your eyes well up again. “so that’s it? you love me, but not enough to believe me? not enough to keep me safe? free?”

you clenched your fists at your sides, not noticing that he was doing exactly the same.

“this is about so much more than just you!” he exclaimed angrily, his voice practically booming off the walls, “you’re too self-centered to understand this!”

did not wanting to rot in prison after being framed for a crime really make you self-centered? was that all he thought of you now?

“it’s my duty! my promise to the people from fontaine, my promise to our archon and my promise to myself to uphold justice,” he continued his rant, his voice growing uncharacteristically theatrical.

was he really just a part of the theatrics of fontaine‘s supposed just court? was his equitable self just a ruse, an act he put on to fit in?

did you ever really know him?

“what about your promise to me?” your voice wasn‘t much more than a whisper as you spoke, looking up at him. not that you‘d be able to actually see him with how blurry your vision got from the tears in your eyes.

as childish and naive as it was, you couldn‘t help but wish for him to remember.

it was a late summer night, the first evening where you could finally go out. the past days it had rained with seemingly no end in sight and now you felt like you could finally breathe again.

you had been strolling around the city without any real goal, simply admiring how many people enjoyed the summer warmth after so many cold and wet days.

neuvillette‘s hand was entangled with yours, the two of you walking in silence, simply enjoying each other‘s company. you had been seeing each other for a while now and yet it was still early enough for you to feel slightly nervous whenever you were near him, stomach turning and feeling butterflies when you held hands, hugged or kissed.

it was on that day when he pulled you close to the fountain of lucine, wrapping his arms around you as the two of you spend some time listening to the ambience — the water running, the pigeons and other birds chirping and the few people talking around you, some whispering wishes to the fountain, some gleefully joking with each other.

most people had already left when he turned you around to face him, letting go of your waist to grab your hands, pressing a kiss on your knuckles before he spoke.

it was the first time that he told you that he loved you, finally revealing just how much he cared for you and cherished you. how he would do everything in his power to protect you, how he would always believe you and how he would always stay by your side.

how even when everybody turned their back on you, you would always have him.

and yet here you were now.

you didn’t know what you would prefer — him forgetting about that day or him remembering, but simply not caring enough to act on it.

like everything he had told you — promised you — has been a lie.

clenching his jaw, neuvillette turned around again.

no.

blinking away your tears you weakly called out his name, a part of you still expecting him to turn around.

don‘t go.

you hoped for a miracle, a change of heart. you wanted him to rush to you, to comfort you, to love you again.

maybe then everything would turn out to be okay again.

you stumbled, the back of your knees hitting the chair he had been sitting earlier, falling onto it.

don‘t leave me.

you still hoped that everything was just a big mistake.

you called out to him again, fighting against the tears that kept welling up in your eyes, leaving neuvillette‘s figure in front of you all blurred again. “what about that? why can you betray me like that, but not them?”

“i’m sorry” and with that he left, not even sparing you a single glance on his way out, as you pulled your knees up, hugging them while the tears began to roll over your cheek again.

reblogs are appreciated !

#₊❏❜ ⋮angstober ‘23 #₊❏❜ ⋮genshin #neuvillette x reader #neuvillette x you #neuvillette angst #neuvillette imagine #genshin angst #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin imagines #genshin x you #genshin x reader #neuvillette #neuvillete x reader #neuvilette x you #neuvilette genshin #neuvillette genshin

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carpbread0 · 1 month

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NPC Life is the best

(Genshin Impact x gn reader - sagau)

(second person pov)

part5 —> part6

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The light from the morning sun trickles between the cracks of the drawn curtains, waking you from your deep slumber. That was probably the best sleep you’ve gotten in ages! Must’ve been from all the walking you did the day prior. Glancing over at the well made bed stand, you remember that you were currently in the hospitality of Mr. Diluc himself. Slipping out of bed, you go into the restroom to start your day.

After cleaning yourself and dressing into your now clean clothing that Adeline had magically made shiny, you stretch with a satisfied smile as your appearance was put together one more.

you grab your magical bag and slip on your shoes before heading out the door. When you finally reach the first floor, you can tell that there is a presence lacking inside the manor. Turning around you see Adeline and another maid talking amongst themselves. Curious, you approach them.

“is somthing wrong?” You ask Adeline curiously.

“no no, everything is fine. Master Diluc is out on a short trip to Springvale so if you’d like to talk to him in person you’ll have to wait for a bit” Adeline kindly informs you. “Do you need to speak with him?”

shaking your head you sheepishly reply “not really, I just wanted to thank him again for allowing me to stay at dawn winery. But seeing as though he’s busy right now, I’ll just leave him a thank you note.”

Adeline smiles in agreement before going over to the small desk placed on the left wing of the manor. Returning, she hands you a piece of paper, a quill, and a small bottle of ink.

thanking Adeline quietly, you bring your supplies to the dinner table at the center of the living room. After a bit of thinking you finally finish drafting up your short thank you note.

dear Diluc,

thank you for your hospitality and kindness. I know it won’t be everyday that I get treated so nicely, so I’m happy to say that yesterday was great! Please remember to take care of yourself, and don’t forget to get lots of sleep.

from Y/n.

smiling with pride , you leave your amazingly written note with Adeline who promises to get it to Diluc as soon as he is home. after thanking Adeline for her hospitality, you step out of the manor to the crisp air of grapes and nature. Hmm where to next?

if you want to follow the story it would be, Mondstadt to Liyue, Liyue to Inazuma, Inazuma to Sumeru, and Sumeru to Fontaine. Tapping your bag lightly, you decide to just follow the traveler’s path since you’ll at least know your way through that.

the sun has risen but it is still early in the morning which means you might get to wangshu inn before nightfall. Might. Though you are an adult, your fear of the dark has never really gone away. Before hand, you were in the lit city of Mondstadt and after that you were in the protection of the Darknight Hero. So in all honesty, you’ve never truly walked alone at night in this world before.

shivering slightly at the thought, you push those thoughts at the back of your mind as you begin walking down the path to Stone Gate.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After a calm walk you spot the towering mountains and find yourself finally at stone gate! Smiling with new found energy, you make your way down to the wooden platform housing a small tea stall and other such things. Your eyes graze over the tea menu as you make your way down the wooden steps and back onto the gravely path. Although you know that the small tea stall was made for travelers to rest at, it was quite hard to forget your tight time schedule.

the sun had slightly shifted its position to one that seems to resemble a little over mid day and that was enough of a reason for you to quicken your steps. There could be slimes blocking the path or treasure hunters lurking the area to steal anyone’s goods.. that uncertainty made it your quickening steps all the more reasonable.

You find yourself drawn to the scenery of things but quickly remind yourself of the important task at hand. Your speedy feet manage to get you to dihua marsh quite quickly and you decide to give it a quick stop to admire the statue of the seven. Wiping away a little sweat that had accumulated on your forehead, you step up the aged stone steps to come face to face with the statue of Liyue’s beloved deity. Well, former deity but you get the point. It’s a wonder to you how people don’t see the striking resemblance between Zhongli and the human statue of Rex Lapis.

The stone of the statue looked so smooth and the features of Rex Lapis and um his rock hard abs were very captivating. What would happen if you touched a statue of the seven? Would you get powers like the traveler or would you alert the archon about you presence.. those 50/50 odds were not one you wanted to test so you decided to keep your hands from grazing the smooth stone.

Stepping back onto path you can’t help but feel a pair of watching eyes staring at you. Looking around you find nothing but the sound of chirping birds and playful slimes that for some reason aren’t bothered by your presence. maybe it was just your paranoia.

warily turning back to the path you find your steps to be more careful than they were before. The little voice in your head tells you that there is someone there, someone watching. But you tell yourself to be unbothered by the invisible gaze as you continue down the path.

another hour has passed and it seems that your fretting was for naught as the sun still looms in the sky when you approach the magnificent Wangshu Inn! You didn’t think it be such a game changer to see the tree building in person but seeing it as it is now is surly something to put on a bucket list. You finally let loose as the bustling sounds of people wandering about brings you the relaxing thought that you are no longer alone.

Stepping onto the wooden deck at the foot of Wangshu inn, you look around to see many tables, crates, and small stalls dotting the area. The smell of Liyue cuisine brought a smile to your face and a low groan from your belly. Right.. you hadn’t eaten since yesterday and now with the delicious smells wafting in the air you would understand your stomach’s impatience.

plopping down at a bamboo table set up for guests and diners, you look at the menu with wonder. Shrimp sounds good.. ooo but so does bamboo shoot soup.. mmm and crab sounds delicious.. too many to choose!

you continue looking at the menu before deciding to order the stir fry shrimp and almond tofu. After your waiter jots down your order you find yourself able to look around at the scenery. Calming waters, pretty trees, yellow plains, and green mountains drew the scenery. You never thought you’d be able to see a thing like this, but here you are.

as you stay lost in thought looking at the peaceful scenery, a graceful figure quietly approaches you.

“May I sit here?”

_____________________________ taglist thingy

@eliciana @kbar1013 @vianitry @iruiji @theunderneath @avalordream @juuuuuj101010

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school 😔

#sagau x reader #genshin x reader #gender neutral reader #genshin sagau #genshin impact #liyue

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genshin-scenarios · 8 months

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perhaps you've heard this before...

Summary: Assigning some trope dynamics/situations to the Fontaine guys! Gender neutral reader as usual.

Characters: Neuvillette, Wriothesley, Lyney

Back in a time when Neuvillette was still in his draconic form, you were a healer living in the outskirts who came across a mysterious creature that seemed to have an injury on its leg.

Suffice to say, Neuvillette was not open to a random stranger approaching him at the time, eyeing you warily as you did what you could to wrap up the wound. A glance was shared at the awkward bandaging, having used all your gauze because of his sheer size, before you sighed and backed away, giving Neuvillette a look that said “Don't run away, I’ll be back.”

And back you were, with proper medicine and an odd concoction that soothed pain. When you were satisfied you gave him a pat on his other leg and told him it should heal up soon. He didn’t place much expectations on the works of a human healer, but surprisingly enough it did recover sooner than he expected. Perhaps it was because it wasn’t a serious injury, but you seemed to be quite happy about it anyways.

From there started an odd friendship between Neuvillette and you, like passing neighbors that would sometimes share stories (you sharing the story, him wondering why you chose to speak to him instead of another human).

Who would’ve thought then that many years later, you’d be reincarnated as a citizen in the current Fontaine, and cross paths with Neuvillette again?

What first started as a sense of familiarity soon turned into recognition, when Neuvillette saw you speaking to some of the local children playing at the fountain. The way the sunlight seems to derive its glow from you… it’s quite hard to forget.

This time however you were a little intimidated by the Chief Justice speaking to you, even if he’d just found an excuse to do so after scaring off some thugs that attempted to take your wallet. Though Neuvillette did have to admit - it was quite amusing to see you more nervous about his presence than the thugs. It was a far cry from your meeting those centuries ago, even if he was the only one to remember it.

After you warmed up to him though, you were comfortable enough to act like you usually did. Once you asked Neuvillette to guess what you changed about your appearance, only to reveal that you’d worn a ribbon to match his, but on your wrist - inside of your sleeve.

At his note that he’d only see it if he invaded your space, you boldly replied that perhaps that’s what you were trying to get him to do. In that moment, the afternoon had suddenly turned very bright, as if the clouds just suddenly evaporated from the sky.

Is this what happens when the Hydro Dragon gets flustered? You’re none-the-wiser, save for the way Neuvillette is pointedly trying to avoid your gaze.

You’re a reformed thief who now works under Wriothesley as part of your sentence (that is to say, you’re his all-purpose errand runner who already had a hand in things related to… the illegal sides of Fontaine, so this was a matter of resourcefulness on the court’s part.)

Though more often than not, Wriothesley says that you really don’t act the part of a criminal serving their time. Whenever you’re introduced to a newbie, you have fun saying you’re a detective, or assistant jailer, or some other job that doesn’t exist.

For all your evasive ways however, there was something about Wriothesley’s presence that seemed to ground you a little. Maybe it’s the way he manages to see through your lies, or the way he treats you the same no matter what atrocious things leave your mouth.

…Maybe it’s because you lack genuine malice. Maybe it’s because having grown up in a world where you didn’t fit in with the normal folk, nor the criminals, you found a bit of solace having a place to return to at the end of the day to Wriothesley and Waghild at headquarters.

…Not that you’ll ever say that outright. You’d rather retell the story of how you and Wriothesley met than confess something so vulnerable. (Read: you were trying to steal something from him, and he’d caught you by the wrist, immediately cornering you against the wall next to him. Suffice to say your heart nearly jumped out of your chest in more ways than one.)

‘You meet a charming stranger on the streets of Fontaine’, is how this retelling might go. But the first meeting in your eyes was simply a reunion in Lyney’s, who is the only one between you that remembers your encounter when you were still children, and you’d told him a story about a magician who could make flowers bloom from their fingertips, saying it was nothing short of a miracle.

Suffice to say, you were more than caught off-guard when Lyney asked you for your help during a street performance in the present time, and slipped a note into your pocket which told you to ‘follow the map’.

You recognised the Opera Epiclese as the X marked on the paper. As soon as you arrived, the map in your hands started to glow - seeming to take on a life of its own as it darted out of your hands and flew through the gap between the door, leaving you bewildered but intrigued as you followed its lead.

Through the entrance and the second pair of doors, the sound of Lyney’s voice echoed through the room. Was he rehearsing for a show?

The moment you opened the door to peek in however, you were immediately proven wrong by the seats that were occupied - VIP guests with a private show from Lyney and Lynette, with you somehow privy to it, grandiose lights, music and all.

The thing is, you couldn’t bring yourself to leave. Out of the corner of your eye the sentient map settles upon an empty seat at the back row before losing its magic, which held no other occupants (most of them populated the rows closer to the stage, private party and all).

From your peaceful place at the top, you sit quietly in awe at the impossible acts onstage. Flying birds, disappearing people, and the classic sawing-in-half trick that had the entire theater in stitches - it was safe to say that the twins commanded one's attention like no other.

As he closed up the show however, Lyney glanced up towards the rows where you sat, hidden away from the general view. Pleasantly surprised that his secret audience did in fact come to watch him, he wears a secretive smile as he bids the crowd farewell, making his leave.

The next minute, a breathless Lyney’s rushed to find you before you could leave. While the guests downstairs have just ended their time with the great magician, it seems that your evening with him has just begun.

#neuvilette x reader #lyney x reader #wriothesley x reader #genshin neuvillette #lyney genshin impact #wriothesley genshin #neuvilette x you #lyney x you #wriothesley x you #genshin x reader #genshin impact headcanons #genshin writing #genshin imagines #traveler wishes

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xcyphoz0a · 4 months

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pleasepleaseplease- sagau archons by your choice with dragon reader???

Possessive much?

Gender neutral reader, fluff TW/CW: you’re pretty possessive, soft sagau. Character(s): Furina, Zhongli Word count: 489 Proofread: nope | Possessive much? Maybe, but you can’t really help it, can you? | A/N: ehe <3 (slightly crackhead because i just am one)

Perhaps it was because she knew another dragon in Fontaine, so the fact that you were a dragon didn’t really affect her much– considering there were a lot of other ‘species’ in Teyvat.

Though you as the creator was a completely different story– and she found it quite interesting as well as a shocker.

Adding on, she wasn’t quite used to your possessiveness towards her– of course, she is one popular person after all– who wouldn’t? But this is the creator that we’re talking about– you.

Maybe you liked Furina before you somehow magically teleported in the world, but you’re pretty–scratch that, strongly, possessive of the faux hydro archon.

Your arm has to be around her at all times or else you’d start to become slightly irked.

Furina thinks it’s pretty nice to be cared for and to be loved by her true self, and you’re also the creator! Plus points./j

While you know that all the others in Teyvat love you to bits, you still can help but feel the teensy(massive) amount of jealousy when you see the white haired girl interact with another dragon cough cough poor Neuvillette, he doesn’t know what he did wrong to earn your glares.

And if your tail’s somehow always in sight, it wraps around Furina with such ease and gentleness, pulling her into your embrace as you bury your face into her neck.

Once Furina’s more comfortable with you, she teases you a little, but indulges your little dragon antics, patting the top of your head as you huff in content.

How nice :)

“I missed you…” “You always do…”

Another dragon! Which you already knew– of course.

Besides that, Zhongli is pleasantly surprised that you–the creator– is a fellow dragon like him!

He wishes to talk to you a lot, but then he remembers that you’re the creator, not someone in Teyvat, thus he doesn’t really talk to you, instead opting to converse with you in such respectful manner.

But when you start to show the miniscule amount of signs for the former geo archon to stay with you at all times, Zhongli gets the hint as he rests somewhere around your room, preferably closest to you.

At times when you pull him in an embrace, his eyes widen just the slightest bit as a blush creeps up his face, embarrassed yet happy that you found him as your ‘favourite’.

While it takes a considerable amount of time for him to be more comfortable with you, he isn’t against you being possessive with him, rather he reciprocates it in his own way.

And once he’s fully comfortable with you, not as the creator, the two of you are seen huddled up into little dragon noodles as Zhongli rambles on about his day, his voice lulling you to sleep as you both hold each other tight.

“About that Osmanthus wine, when are we going to have it again?” “Tomorrow, perhaps.”

#the jellyfish's work #astronetwrk #genshin sagau #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x y/n #genshin fluff #furina x reader #furina #zhongli x reader #zhongli

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kamisatomay018 · 5 months

Text

When the tide comes in, I Shall Return..

Neuvillette x fem!reader

Warnings: mentions of character death, angst with fluff, hurt/comfort, reincarnation

Reader is an immortal elemental being, events described may not match the official Genshin story so it’s fictional!

Honestly I cannot write only angst cuz I love happy endings, so this will be a happy story! Also this will be very lengthy so I hope you guys enjoy!

Thunder struck the grounds of Fontaine as the rain poured down unforgivingly, and dark clouds surrounded the city like a dense fog, making Fontaine seem gloomier than ever. Not a soul could be spotted outside, all seeking comfort and warmth in their homes. But where could he go? Where could he find comfort? There was only one man in Fontaine who dared to step foot in the merciless fury of the rain, and that was the Hydro Dragon himself. After all, this rain was his own fury, his own anguish and misery. Yet it could never come close to ever describing the way his heart twisted in agony, his soul hollow and his being feeling emptier than ever.

There he stood, in front of a beautiful big cottage in Elynas which now lay isolated and alone, yet he had made sure that not a single brick fell apart. Only he knew how many memories were tied to this beautiful place he once so dearly called home. Tears cascaded down his cheeks as he closed his eyes, once again allowing him to drown in the memories that never once faded away from his heart..

“Neuvi look!” He turned around to face you, looking as beautiful as ever, long white locks like his flowing down your back as you held beautiful pink and coral shells in your hands with an excited smile on your face. “Oh Mon Amour, these are simply divine. Your powers are truly magnificent.” You smiled at him bashfully, approaching him and sweetly pinned a coral shell onto his hair. The sun shone brightly as gentle waves crashed onto the beach, peace and serenity filling the air. “I’m so glad you like them Neuvi!” Oh how dearly he loved you, how dearly he loved your smile. In your beautiful cottage in Elynas, both of you had built a home, your love blossoming every passing year. Hundred years had already passed by since he knew you, and he had never been this happy. This was his perfect life, his happiness. You were his happiness, his light in the darkness.

How had everything gone so wrong? You both were so happy, and in the blink of an eye, everything he held dear to him had been snatched away from him. How was he supposed to move on like the entirety of Teyvat had? He had never been the same since you left him. Not once had he smiled in these five centuries, not one day had gone by where he didn’t remember you. He still had the shells you made for him so dearly, he would still dive deep into the waters of Fontaine to sustain the marine life you had created so dearly to honour your memory. But even as the Hydro Dragon, his powers were nowhere near as gentle and loving as yours. You were the epitome of peace and kindness which is why he had fallen so deep in love with you in the first place.

Opening the door of the cottage, he let out a shaky breath, trying not to break into sobs. All those years ago when he returned home, he would have your hand to hold, your sweet voice and embrace to find solace in. And now here he stood, drenched in his misery, all alone. As his eyes travelled across the beautiful cottage, he could see the memories of the beautiful past in front of his eyes, playing like a movie. How the two of you would dance and twirl together in the living room, how you would cook together, grow and pick beautiful flowers in your garden and cuddle with one another on the plush couch. Each moment he spent standing alone in the dark house, he was reminded of how all those memories are but the past that he can never relive, a time that he cannot reverse. He fell to the ground, crying in sorrow. Why did he have to pay the price for the folly of humans? What had you both ever done to be destined to a fate so cruel? The cataclysm was all because of humans and the celestial gods, then why had he payed the ultimate price?

How long has it been since he lost you? 500 years. 500 years since he last smiled, since the day he had ever been happy. Did he even remember what happiness or warmth felt like? No, because the day he lost you, he lost his reason to live and breathe too. It had been 500 years since the region of Elynas which was once a beautiful and flourishing land, had been turned into a land filled with carcasses, ruins and pain. Traces of the cataclysm were still visible here, as rifthounds and ruin machines from Dahri were still active, along with markings of the abyss. Anger filled in his mind as he remembered the fateful day he lost you, a memory so vivid that it haunted him every single day.

“Neuvi..the sky..it’s red..” He frowned at your words, approaching you who stood by the window. “What..how is that possible..” Fear was visible in your ocean blue eyes, as you hugged him close. “Neuvi I have a very bad feeling about this..” He wrapped his arms around you in a protective embrace, shushing you. “Hush Mon Amour..everything will be alright. I am with you, I promise.” Suddenly, to your utter horror, the ground tore open as abyssal monsters rose, making you shriek in terror. Neuvillette gasped, standing in front of you protectively as he instantly fought the monsters. But to your horror, they just kept emerging everywhere making you both run outside the cottage. “Neuvi, please be careful, protect the Merusea village, I need to go underwater and alert all the creatures.” He looked at you with worry, a sickening feeling of dread filling his heart. “No mon amour, it’s too dangerous, let me be with you.” “Neuvi there’s no time, they’re dangerous and the melusines are defenceless!” Both of you looked at one another as he rushed to embrace you, an unknown fear taking over his heart. “Please mon amour, be careful..” You nodded as you hugged him tight, however you both were forced to part as rifthounds advanced towards you. “I love you Neuvillette..” Those words that once filled his heart with joy now gave him a feeling of dread unlike any other. “I love you more than anything Y/N.”

If he knew that was going to be the last time he’d ever get to hold you close, the last time he’d hear you tell him that you love him, he would’ve held on for longer, he would’ve never left your side. It was all his fault, all his fault that you were gone. As he sat there all alone, sobbing in remorse, the haunting memories kept flooding his mind..

“My dears, there is a grave danger on land, I urge you all to hide, to blend in with the seas and protect yourselves. I will lend you my power so that no harm shall come to you all.” Your eyes glowed as you used a great deal of your powers to create a protective barrier on every single creature in the waters of Fontaine, making you significantly weaker. You swam back up on land, hoping to meet Neuvillette near the entrance of the Merusea village. But something told you that things were about to go wrong, as if these were your last moments. Your eyes widened seeing how many abyssal monsters had emerged, as you fought them to the best of your abilities, just trying to reach near Neuvillette. You knew you had spent a great deal of your power in protecting the oceans of Fontaine and you needed help in fighting until you regained your powers.

Neuvillette’s heart felt uneasy, his stomach churning in uncertainty as you did not come to him. Something had gone wrong, he could just feel it. Leaving every other thought aside, he rushed towards the shore, searching for you while fighting the wretched rifthounds. He called out your name, as the red sky started filling with dark clouds the longer he could not find you. And the very next moment, it was pouring rain. He ran towards you, instantly killing the monsters that had harmed you, dropping to his knees. There you lay, blood staining the sands as deep gashes were visible on your body. He held your weak frame in his arms, hugging you close while tears flowed down his eyes. “Mon Amour!! Please, please no..” Your trembling hand cupped his cheek, tears dropping down your eyes too while you smiled sadly, knowing that you could not be saved. “I..I’m sorry..” He shook his head, and the way he was crying desperately hurt you more than the deep wounds the rifthounds had left on you. “I..I promise..I’ll come back..w..when the tide comes in..I shall return to your s..side once more, my Hydro Dragon..”

Neuvillette started sobbing even more, hugging you close while your blood stained his clothes and skin. “No..no please Y/N, don’t leave me..please I’ll do something, I’ll save you..” He felt your thumb gently wipe away the tears, your cracked voice whispering perhaps the most painful words he had ever heard. “Hydro Dragon, Hydro Dragon, don’t cry..I Y/N, swear on my soul that I will return to your side..I do not know how long it will take..but..I..I promise, this is just a temporary goodbye..Will you wait for me Neuvi?” He nodded through his tears “I will wait for you forever..” You gave him a soft heartbroken smile, leaning your forehead on his as your breathing turned into small gasps “then..then you have my word..when this body disappears, I will turn into water droplets…which will live in your heart…and one day, I’ll come back..I’ll…come..back-..” That was when your body fell limp, your hand dropping down lifelessly, your once warm body turning cold. Neuvillette roared in pain, his powers unleashing and turning every single monster on the land to dust. Storms raged, lighting struck as the Hydro dragon wailed in agony at the loss of his mate.

Your once beautiful self turned into pure droplets of hydro, and Neuvillette watched as they travelled to his chest, being absorbed by his heart. He clutched his chest, crying endlessly in misery. You were gone. His love, his mate, his wife had died right in his arms, and he could not do anything.

Neuvillette clutched his head, crying and begging for those memories to leave him. It was the most cruel form of torture that he had been enduring for the last 500 years. The only reason he was alive was because he had made a promise to you, and the remnants of your existence lived in his heart. Somewhere he still had a tiny sliver of hope that you would come back, but these five centuries of misery had left him scarred and broken. Ever since the day you had died, the oceans of Fontaine had been still as ever, the tides had disappeared completely, and no new life had emerged in the oceans. You were the elemental being that emerged from the purest waters of the ocean, having the power to control the tides. You were the guardian of the marine life of Fontaine, and it was due to your protection that they had been completely unharmed during the disaster. He placed his hand on his chest, begging you just like he had done all these years. “Please Mon Amour, I’m begging you, come back to me, I cannot live like this..I cannot be without you any longer. I need you back, please..Your dragon is broken without you..”

2 Days later, Neuvillette was walking alone by the beach, watching the sunset while memories of the two of you flooded his mind. Oh he still remembered the way your eyes would light up when you noticed how the ocean would reflect the pink and orange tones of the sky. For some reason he felt different today, as if a feeling of anticipation was in the air. He could not understand why, but he sat down on the sand just the way you both used to, watching the sunset.

Suddenly, he let out a gasp, as for the first time in 500 years, waves started forming in the waters, turning into tides that started crashing against the shore. He stood up hurriedly breathing heavily hoping this wasn’t just a dream. Could it be? He then looked down to see shimmering water droplets emerge from his chest, floating towards the water. Countless sea creatures came up to the surface of the ocean, circling around the droplets of water, and in front of his eyes, slowly but surely, the shimmering droplets turned into a beautiful young woman, a woman he so dearly loved, a woman he had been waiting for.

Tears filled his eyes, but for the first time they were because of happiness rather than the anguish he was so used to. There you stood, in all your glory, just as beautiful as he had remembered, if not more. He felt like he was dreaming, as he walked closer to the water. You opened your eyes, looking at the love of your life. You gave him a big smile, holding your arms open for him. “Neuvi..” This was the only thing that he needed to hear as he ran towards you, engulfing you in a desperate and loving embrace, his sobs being muffled in your skin. Light rain fell upon you both, as you caressed his hair, relishing the feeling of his embrace. You knew he had been in so much pain, you had felt it due to your conscience living in his heart. “Oh my love..I’m sorry it took me so long to return to your side again. I know you have suffered so much, but I promise you, nothing will separate us ever again.”

He pulled apart to look at you, lilac eyes scanning every inch of you as if still afraid that you’ll leave him. “You’re really back..oh gosh I’ve missed you terribly Mon Amour..” you placed a sweet kiss on his forehead, hugging him close as every creature in the waters of Fontaine celebrated your reincarnation, waves crashing merrily against one another. “Forgive me for taking so long my heart..But you’ve been so brave, and now I promise I won’t go away again.” After what seemed like ages, your lover calmed down, his tears slowing down as his gloved hands cupped your cheeks softly, his siren eyes filling with love and tenderness. You gave him your sweetest smile, kissing his cheeks as you also took in the warmth of his embrace. Your separation had been too long, and both of you had missed one another terribly.

“Hmm..I never knew you were so sophisticated Neuvillette~” baffled at your sudden playful remark, he ends up laughing at your words, shaking his head. Ah, so this is what happiness felt like. Yes, he remembered now, he remembered how much joy you would always give him. “Oh mon amour..you have no idea how much has happened in these last 500 years..” “Well then I suppose we will have a lot to talk about hm?” He nodded, embracing you ever so protectively. “Yes, but all of that can wait because all that matters to me is you.”

“I’m right here Neuvi, always and forever. These long and painful years shall be our first and last separation. I am bound to you forever..” He looked at you, a beautiful smile adorning his features. “This time, I’ll protect you with all my strength..” As the two of you gazed into each other’s eyes, intense emotions filled your hearts- Love, relief, joy and everything in between. Words were no longer needed, your souls were now complete, hearts full and minds at ease. You both were once again together, after having passed the ultimate test of time and love. Not even the long drawn separation could ever erase the love you both had for each other.

Overwhelmed by these emotions, you both leaned in, closing the gap between your awaiting lips and let them collide with the same intensity as the waves colliding with the shore. The kiss was tender and filled with pure and unending love, with promises of forever being sealed permanently. Now, nothing would ever come in between you both. Now, Neuvillette’s once dark world had been lit up by you again, and he would make sure it would always stay this way.

#genshin fanfic #genshin impact #genshin fanart #genshin imagines #neuvilette x you #genshin impact neuvilette #neuvillette fluff #neuvilette genshin #neuvilette x reader #neuvilette #neuvillette angst #genshin fluff #fluff #genshin angst #neuvillette fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction

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shiningfremi · 5 months

Text

freminet teaches you how to swim!

[ the pro-diver x the not-so-coordinated y/n ]

wc: 1.9k

enjoy the story! ≽^•⩊•^≼

❀ you adored your blossoming relationship between you and freminet. but the problem is, you can't swim. how will you accompany him in the water if you can only manage to go two feet in? ah.. this calls for swimming lessons! will he give them to you? you wanted nothing more than to spend time with your boyfriend doing the thing he loves most. plus, you've been needing to be taught this skill for a long time coming, not only for freminet, but for your own safety! no more floaties, y/n~!

❀ you were on a date with him one day, well, it was more of you tagging along with him as he went to dive and log his discoveries, but he enjoyed greeting you at the shore and playing in the shallow end with you at times. freminet would pop up out of the water just to see your pretty face and hang around you for a bit until he went back in again.

❀ you usually loved to pick out the best seashells for him, digging them out of the warm sand. he would end up keeping every single one and held them in a keepsake box. your heart just fluttered thinking about it, but you wanted more than to just stay behind and find trinkets on land.

as the two of you were on the way home for the night, you asked him the question.

🏖✨️🌺

"hey, freminet?" you pique his interest.

"yes? is something wrong? i apologize if you were getting bored.. we can do something else tomorrow." he sighed, instinctively putting his walls up.

“not at all. in fact, i wanted to ask you a favor. can you please teach me how to swim?” you asked him, hopes high and eyes gleaming. you were so excited to finally try and learn, and who better than him to teach you? he’s the best diver in all of fontaine!

“wait.. really?” freminet seemed as if that was the last question he was expecting.

“i thought you weren’t open to the idea, seeing you never strayed far from the shore.. so i never pried. are you s-sure?”

“of course! i should’ve learned when i was little, but i’ve always been afraid to drown. now that i realize it, i need to be properly prepared.” you cleared your throat. “i want to explore with you. i truly want to know more, but my lack of ability is holding me back.” you confess.

“alright y/n, i will try my very best to help. i promise to keep you safe.” he gratefully sighed with a small smile. “say, when would you like to start?”

“tomorrow!” you beam cheerfully. >ᴗ<

🏖✨️🌺

❀ when you told freminet that you wanted to learn to swim, he was over the moon. he hoped that you would enjoy the realm of possibilities that would unfold as a result. but for now, he was lazer focused on your well-being, and when you guys reached the secluded beach where your first session would begin, he told you over and over again that you shouldn't push yourself. swimming can be difficult at first.

❀ you reminded him of how greatly you wanted to do this, and so he simply gave you a tiny nod, happy knowing that he is able to share his knowledge with you. he loves you whether you are able to swim or not, but the fact that you’re taking the initiative.. warms his heart.

❀ when you two were taking off your coverups, freminet’s swimsuit was revealed and your jaw dropped. it was a change from his thick diving suit that concealed his entire body, and you had never seen him in such a tight fit up until now. it accentuated his muscle tone and his broad shoulders. you willed yourself to stop your heart from beating out of your chest.

🏖✨️🌺

“that swimsuit looks perfect on you!” you’d compliment him.

although you could tell he felt a bit insecure.

“ah, it does? thank you.. i'm glad you like it.” he looked away, his face heating right up. your kind words felt very significant to him, but it is difficult for him to express his gratitude without feeling like a horde of butterflies forced their way into his stomach.

“anywho, where do we begin, my dear teacher?” you tease. this makes him blush even more. hey, you just have to give this boy all the admiration that you possibly can! he deserves it~! even if he isn’t used to it.. ;^;

“p-please y/n! you’re making my heart melt.” he blurted out.

“i’m overjoyed that i am.” you gave him a thoughtful grin, and turned away to dabble into the water. “whew, it’s cold!”

freminet followed closely behind you, and both of you began wading in until the water was up to your torsos. that’s about how deep you were able to go without a struggle emerging.

“it will warm up after awhile.” he assures you, whilst he has no reaction whatsoever to the chill.

you stretch your arms and get prepared. "a little cold won't hurt!" you respond in determination, letting out a sharp breath.

“alright, the first step to swimming is knowing how to float. so, we’re going to start off on your back. it will greatly help with keeping stable in the water…” freminet directed.

“okay, that doesn’t sound too difficult!” you excitedly respond. you sink down and slowly lean back, but the sensation puts you off. you didn’t know the first thing about proper form.

as if freminet was reading your mind, he quickly comes to your aid. “i-it’s fine y/n, i’m right here to hold you up. lay down, and i’ll adjust you.”

you trust his guidance, and so you continue to lean until the back of your head touched the surface of the water, and suddenly, you feel one hand under your head and another one holding up your lower back area, stabilizing your body.

“there we go, n-now just breathe how you normally would. you can loosen your legs so they dangle..” he told you. “the thing about floating is that your center of gravity is in your upper body."

you listened in, and looked down at your center to make sure you were balanced. but instead, your body was feeling heavy and you were a bit lopsided. "ohh, gotcha!"

"i'll give you some pointers, uhmm, so you'll want to point your chin up to the sky. if you focus on what your feet are doing, you won't stay afloat because your stomach will sink."

you'd adjust your chin, obeying his instruction. "got it!" you spotted a pretty cloud in the process. what a beautiful day~

"and, you'll want to lift your chest and your hips up. that will arch your back and help tilt your body to break the surface." he helped you out to find the perfect positioning, carefully making small adjustments.

"that's a lot better!" you mentioned, your spirit building. "what next?"

"you're doing a great job, y/n.. now you just need to spread your arms out and pretend you're a swan, propeling yourself backwards. i'll be holding you the entire time. would you like to try?"

"mhm!" you began to move your arms, and glided through the gentle waves. it felt surreal, you were totally weightless with freminet moving you along.

"yes, that's good!" he applauded. "okay, can you use your legs next?" a glint of confidence was revealed within him.

you then used your legs, but flailed them about and accidentally created some splashes.

"a bit more gently, and you've got it. try to keep your calves under the water, then kick on again." he instructed with the smallest hint of a chuckle. this feeling.. his love for you, and your company, it made him feel so giddy.

you took his advice, and tried again, making sure to avoid disrupting the surface of the water, and then you stood up straight with one of his hands boosting you up.

“that's correct. can you.. try using your arms and legs at the same time?”

you were determined, but you paused for a moment to try and figure out how you were going to stay coordinated.

“don't worry about staying afloat yet, we will get to that. my hands are right under you at all times.” he nodded earnestly, patiently waiting for you to try it out.

“i got this!” you pump your fists in the air, then you prepare yourself, angling your frame backwards as freminet hovers his arms near.

“do everything that i’ve taught you so far.”

taking a breath in, you kick your legs, and once you were consistent, you then propelled your arms, making large, controlled movements, grateful for his help to keep steady.

“you’re doing it, you’re doing it y/n!” freminet praised.

“i am?” you beam, and continue on. “i really am!” you couldn’t believe it. this had to be the first time if your life that you properly swam.

you travel for a couple feet, before you look up at freminet's face to notice that he has on the biggest, most adorable smile that you have ever seen.

“it's all thanks to you.” you tell him, before slowing down and coming up once more.

“i've got to say, you're a natural.” his expression was so sincere that you couldn't help but get flustered and beam.

🏖✨️🌺

❀ after some more practicing with freminet, you were tired out. but it was a great feeling, because this only marks the beginning of all the progress that there is to come! you were helped to realize that swimming wasn't so scary after all. as long as you had the best teacher by your side, you could accomplish anything!

❀ something else that you were loving was that freminet tended to put his hair up into a ponytail before swimming. occasionally, he lets you put braids in his hair~ what more is there to love?

🏖✨️🌺

it was getting dark, and so you both decided to dry off and start walking home together. but as you made your way out of the ocean, a wave surged your leg forward in the shallow end and caused you to trip on a rock.

“ack!” you call out in surprise, feeling yourself losing your foothold. before you could brace your hands forward to hit the ground, you feel a cradling sensation.

you fell right into his arms!

“y/n, are you alright? I'm sorry! i should have warned you about the rocks over here.”

though, his words weren't what you were focused on at the moment. he had a hand on your waist and the other grasping your shoulder, and he was staring down at you in concern, blond locks flowing with the light wind.

“yes.. i'm okay.” you finally speak, and notice an endearing spark in his gorgeous eyes. you swore that you could find a thousand hues of blue in them, getting lost in his dreamy gaze.

you were totally frozen in place, and it wasn’t because of the chilly water.

by now, the dusk had begun to settle, and in the twilight, you find yourself yearning for a kiss, his captivating features inviting you in.

without another word, you pull your head up until you were inches away from his face. freminet blinked a few times, then closed his eyes in anticipation.

your lips met with his, and you both melt into the soft, sweet kiss. the waves crash by your legs, but you weren't going anywhere with the way freminet was holding on to you like no tomorrow.

what a pleasant end to your lesson~

#fontaine #genshin fluff #genshin impact #genshin x reader #gn!reader #fremi #genshin headcanons #freminet genshin #freminet x reader #freminet fluff #freminet headcanons #freminet #freminet x reader fluff #freminet x gn!reader #ily fremi #shiningfremi

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xie-xan · 4 months

Text

Under the mistletoe

Pairings: Neuvillette x gn!reader

warnings: nothing, just pure fluff

Furina decided to throw a Christmas party for everyone in Fontaine and it was being held in the opera house. Everyone was of course having fun.

Neuvillette felt a tad bit overwhelmed by all the partying, Don't get him wrong, he enjoys seeing the people of Fontaine having fun and enjoying themselves but he needed some privacy.

And so he decided to sit in his office as he drank the dark hot chocolate made by the melusines themselves. He wasn't particularly a fan of sweets but since the melusines spent their time making the drink, he couldn't say no. It was dark chocolate anyway so it wasn't too sweet.

He sat there in silence allowing himself to relax in the warm and quiet atmosphere. There was a sudden knock on the door which snapped him away from his trace.

"Monseiur neuvillette?"

A soft muffled voice called.

He set the cup of hot chocolate down on his desk stood up and walked towards the door and opened it.

He opened the door and saw (Y/n) standing there, in their hands was a small gift wrapped in a blue ribbon. He and (Y/n) were close as they would sometimes help them with paperwork, (Y/n) was also the person to whom his heart belonged but they don't know it yet.

"Ah, Greetings, please come in, It is cold outside," he said opening the door to let them in.

(Y/n) entered the office and Neuvillette closed the door behind them. His office was very warm and comfy.

"What brings you here?" he asked once he closed the door and fully faced them. "Ah, I wanted to give you this" (Y/n) said with a soft smile as they handed him the present.

Even by the small gesture, it was enough to make his heart flutter as his eyes softened a bit and he smiled ever so slightly, truly a rare expression to see on his face. An expression that he's only willing to show them and not anyone else. (also the melusines)

His hands brushed with theirs and it was enough to bring warmth to his cheeks with the small contact he muttered a small "thank you" with his cheeks tinted pink (which looked adorable)

(Y/n)s eyes wandered around the office when they looked up and saw a beautiful mistletoe hanging on his office door where the two of them stood.

Neuvillette followed their gaze and saw the mistletoe as well as she cleared his throat "I wonder who put that there…"

"It must have been one of the melusinses" (Y/n) said with a light chuckle that warmed his heart. "Do you know the story behind it?" they asked.

Neuvillette thought for a second "Oh, you speak of the Christmas mistletoe, it's quite a popular tale around Fontaine especially during the Christmas season" he spoke as if his heart wasn't beating so loudly through his chest, he even started to wonder if you could hear it.

"Do you believe in it?" (Y/n) asked. "Not particularly, it seems like a silly tale in my opinion" he muttered as he admired the way (Y/n) looked.

They wore a scarf that was wrapped comfortably around their neck preventing them from getting cold, their nose were a bit red and puffy due to the cold weather outside, and their figure was illuminated by the warm light of the fireplace near them.

They let out a soft chuckle at his response.

"You're right, but yet again.." (Y/n) trailed off

"Bad luck does sound rather troublesome.."

"Let's not be cursed by bad luck then."

"As you wish, ma chérie…"

(A/n) Happy holidays everyone! I'm currently working on a short venti x reader series that will probably be posted next week or earlier^^

#neuvillette x reader #neuvillette x y/n #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin imagines #genshin impact x you #neuvillette #neuvilette genshin #christmas special

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catcze · 8 months

Note

i know we don't know much about wriothesley but

con man reader x wriothesley tho

MANNNN that would be, like, one of the most satisfying slow burn enemies/rivals to lovers with Wriothesley ever HAHAH

(I,,,,, got so carried away with this. So very very carried away with this oh my god.)

Like imagine the reader being a con artist, but in a robin-hood esque kind? Like, they scam a lot of the corrupt nobles and the residents of the higher-end of the city that wouldn't even feel a few hundred thousands of mora leaving their pocket, all for them to use it to support the residents of Fontaine that the rich don't often bat an eye at.

And the reader is good at sneaking around and being a criminal (being an antihero, you would argue) but the authorities of Fontaine are also good at their job, and you've been caught once. For your first transgression, you had been sent to the Fortress of Meropide for just a few months. Then, Wriothesley didn't think much of you. You were just a convict under his care for a bit. Attractive, maybe, and perhaps the first time he saw you he couldn't help but think that you're his type. In your time in the fortress, you even converse with him a little bit, and he learns about you and your motivations and who you really are. He won't lie and say that he doesn't enjoy talking to you, or that he won't miss the way you both easily fall into conversation like puzzle pieces. But for your own sake, he hoped that he wouldn't see you in this prison ever again.

But then, when your time is up and you're let out back into society, it isn't even three weeks before news reaches his ears about your newest scam, and how the guards are on the hunt for you once again. When he hears the news, his hand is already reaching up to cover his eyes and massage his temples. He sighs, deep and frustrated at your antics because what the fuck.

You're caught sooner than later, and once more toted back to the Fortress of Meropide, and Wriothesley is there to chew you out for being an idiot and landing yourself back there again, this time with a much longer sentence.

("Oh, don't be so mean to me, Wriothesley. You're going to make me think you're not happy to see me!"

"Well I'm certainly not happy to see you practically on my doorstep in handcuffs. Again." )

But to his utter bewilderment, you somehow manage to escape the fortress. He doesn't know how the hell you did it, and no investigation that anyone tried to do over the coming weeks turned up any signs to how you did it. It's like you just upped and vanished out of the Fortress one day. You even managed to snag your weapon and your vision from their storage room on your way out! If he wasn't so flabbergasted that you pulled it off, Wriothesley might have actually been impressed.

You con more people, you continue to rob from the rich to give to the poor, and Wriothesley reads all about it in the paper. Then you're caught just like before, and Wriothesley is once again receiving you at the entrance of the fortress, though he can't help but think that you look much too happy with yourself to be there.

("Should I be expecting an escape attempt from you anytime soon?"

"I only just got here and you're already planning for my leave? Looks like you missed me much less than I missed you."

"Just–" He sighs. "Can you not escape again? I'm not exactly looking forward to greeting you a fourth time, you know."

"No promises, warden!")

No promises, indeed. You escape a third time, and a fourth, and a fifth, and a sixth, and a seventh. Each time, you do it without leaving a trace and without much fuss. You're just there one day and gone the next. No surveillance or maximum security measures hinders you at all.

Each time you come back, a wide grin on your face, calling out your greeting to him before he can even begin to scold you. Each time you're back, you have new stories to tell him of the things you'd done in your freedom (in-between gathering funds for those under your care, of course.) You tell him of travelling to Liyue and sampling their food. Of going to Mondstadt and learning of their culture. You're even gone to Snezhenaya, and felt the chilly air freeze you to your very bones.

The eighth time you're brought to the Fortress, however, you seem a little different. When you talk to him, it's not about how you pulled off your latest endeavor or your newest discovery in a far-off land that doesn't know your name.

("The people that I provide for... they've told me they're happy now. That I don't need to risk myself for their sake anymore."

Wriothesley remains silent, and you shoulder on. You don't look at him, eyes towards the ceiling of the fortress, gaze locked on some far-off view hidden beneath the miles and miles of ocean that traps you in.

"They told me that I should be living my life for myself now, and that I should look for my own happiness."

"And?" he asks. "Will you?"

You look at him then. You're deep in thought as you stare at him, mulling the thought over in your mind. Your own happiness. For once, the look in your eyes is unreadable. Wriothesley can't make heads or tails of what you're thinking in that moment, all he knows is that this is possibly the most somber he's ever seen you.

"...I don't quite know if i should.")

You escape again, because of course you do. But unlike every other time, there is no word of you even a week after you're gone. No mention in the papers of any of your newest schemes, no indications of anyone in Fontaine having sighted you. The only mention is how you've escaped and the authorities are on the prowl for you once more.

Even after another two weeks, then a month, then several months, you don't pop back up again, and your deeds eventually fade from the forefront of public concern. For some reason though, Wriothesley can't help but still search for your name in the papers every day. Because, and against everything telling him that he absolutely should not hold sentiments for you, he does, in fact, miss you. Quite a lot, actually. But above all else, he's glad that you're somewhere else, hopefully living a better life, hopefully looking for your own happiness now. And secretly, even though he shouldn't, he still hopes that he can meet you again one day, and that you'll regale him of even more stories of what you've been up to while you were gone.

(Years pass. Many of the Fontaine rich have forgotten about you. What you've stolen from them was easily made back, after all. Wriothesley, however, has never once stopped wondering about how you're doing.

It's during a bright spring day in the city while he passes by a new cafe. He's heard this one originates outside of Fontaine, and that had been popular enough to open a branch here. It's still early enough that no one has yet entered, and he thinks to himself that it wouldn't hurt to learn what all the fuss is about.

When he enters the counter is devoid of personnel, and he thinks that they must still be preparing supplies in the back, so he takes his time in looking through the menu.

"The Valberry Black Tea is one of our bestsellers. Just the right flavor combination of the fruity sweetness of the berries while still holding onto the mild bitterness of our black tea. I think you'd like that one."

And there you are, leaning over the counter with a wide grin that's all too familiar to Wriothesley. To his relief, you seem happy. Brighter, even, than before. These last few years have been kind to you, is a thought that brings a smile to his face and a skip to his heart.

"I made that one specifically hoping that you'd try it one day, and that it would be to your liking," you tell him, straightening up and readying all you need to make his drink. Over your shoulder, you flash him a fond smile, and he can't tear his eyes away. "Grab a seat and I'll be right with you. There is so much catching up we have to do.")

#「 🐈‍⬛ 」 strawberry.cupcakes #Wriothesley x reader #genshin impact x reader #「 🍓 」 Fave Flavor !! brazo.de.mercedes #I don't even know how this concept came to be i told myself i would make it short and it somehow became /this/ hakdjanjs

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hydrasra · 1 year

Text

The wind knows

SYNOPSIS: trust and rely on teyvat. it'll always help you out.

DISCLAIMER: NOT FROM THIS WORLD's fourth and before last part before it goes on a hiatus and I get to experience fontaine so I know what to write for that region to further continue my story. ooc moments. probably swearing here and there, I forgot yet again. I'm serious about the fact that if I see someone's rewriting/stealing my story, I'll stop posting. just asra going crazy in this part. this part is probably shorter than the previous ones ngl.

TAGGING: [4/30] @bloop-booop @sunsethw4 @neverlandlostchild @code-roevember

v. SAFE FOR NOW

as soon as you were calm, paimon immediately took hold of your hand and gently tugged on it, "come on, you need to breathe some fresh air!"

and you meekly protested, saying how you didn't want people to see your tear stained face but lumine soon joined in and took your arm in hers, smiling from ear to ear, "so what? tears are no signs of weakness!"

nahida followed behind, giggling, "I agree with lumine, tears are no signs of weakness and crying is a normal emotion," she was walking by your side in mere seconds, "though, here," she gave you her handkerchief, "if you still don't want your people to see your tears, it's all right."

already thanking her for it, you would have taken her handkerchief if one of your hand was free and seeing this, lumine let go of your arm, grabbed nahida's handkerchief with a big smile and gently wiped your face, stopping paimon in her tracks.

"there! no need to complain anymore, or else, paimon will get angry," paimon joked and you couldn't help but giggle.

paimon prided herself in the fact that she made you let out a happy sound.

"you... are still alive?"

those words should have put the former geo archon on high alert, however... he simply nodded, bowing his head once more.

"yes, your divine eminence."

and everyone in the room, the servants entrusted by the liyue qixing to their 'creator' sitting on your throne, stared at the bowing man.

their 'creator' crossed their arms, a brow raised while they stared.

the silence was uncomfortable.

what were they waiting for?

after a couple of minutes, they spoke again, "rise, former geo archon," they paused, contemplating their next move, "we have a contract to make."

after the 'creator' has gone public, thanks to ningguang, many went to see them with offerings, gifts and went to them in hopes of finding cures or blessings from their 'creator'.

and, after their visits after requesting blessings and cures, those people... either mysteriously disappeared or nothing happened, making them turn their backs on the one they used to worship.

if they couldn't help out their own people, it only meant that they were fake.

"a trip to mondstadt would do you good," lumine had said.

"and it'll be loads of fun!" paimon added.

so why were you running for your life, following the two ahead of you while ducking and turning right then left on your trip to mondstadt?

what they forgotten was that: outside of sumeru's vast desert and forest, you were seen as an impostor in liyue, maybe in the other nations as well, you were not certain.

and to get to mondstadt, you had to go through liyue either way.

despite lumine choosing the safest, less populated route, after you voices out your concerns, you ran into some millelith.

"don't let the impostor escape!" one of the men yelled, a few feet behind you, prompting you to turn and look at them.

another mistake on your part.

nahida was against you going to mondstadt, for your own good and you'd agree with her. but you couldn't stay in one region only. this was the game that had you look up to something in life after all.

you agreeing to the traveler and her companion then convincing nahida to let you go and that lumine, who puffed out her chest in pride, promised to protect you, nahida couldn't do much... was the first mistake.

wanderer has suggested to go along with you but he could not, for he had duties awaiting for him and those duties could not wait.

you stepping in liyue was the second mistake.

their shouts were bound to attract the attention of nearby... authorities? threats? you no longer knew.

but seeing at how they were chasing you as soon as you walked by them, stating that 'their grace' was in liyue right now and tending to the people of liyue's matters, they immediately assumed that you were an impostor.

and a part of you agreed with them.

though, you knew that this was your face, the one you were born with, it was not your fault.

"halt, in the name of the liyue qixing!"

"eat shit!" the words were out of your mouth before you could even think about it and, somehow, that made lumine and you laugh, paimon nowhere in sigh yet you could hear her muffled laughter.

the path in fron of you seemed void of obstacles, yet, when you looked back again, the millelith were further than they previously were and you noticed that there suddenly were obstacles.

looking forward again, you noticed that you were nearer to the traveler, who, upon noticing your presence, grabbed your hand and made a sudden turn to the left.

strange.

that's when you noticed the waypoint.

and once she was near enough, she laid her hand on the teleportation device and mumbled, "the city of freedom!" in a hushed whisper.

then everything went white.

not before one threw their polearm at you, which cut your forearm and made it bleed, leaving behind a few drops of gold.

however, at the time, no one noticed.

for the first time in a long time, beidou had docked the crux in liyue harbour, having been summoned by ningguang whom, speaking of which, had been waiting for her friend's arrival.

"hey, ning!" beidou said, putting an arm around the tianquan's shoulder as kazuha jumped off the crux and onto the wharf before walking to the two women.

"captain beidou, I surmise that you have already gotten the letter I sent out to you while you were at sea," ningguang said, making no move to remove beidou's arm, having grown accustomed to it by now.

"what letter are ya talkin' about ey? there's lots," the captain of the crux said, laying her head against the tianquan's shoulder, and moving her arm to now rest on ningguang's waist, once kazuha was close.

"about the creator-"

the inazuman bowed in greetings once he stood in front of the tianquan who nodded at him in acknowledgement.

"ah, yes, yes! I remember."

"they've requested to see you."

somehow, at the same time, both of their blood ran cold, making the two exchange glances. which the tianquan noticed. she frowned and asked, "is something the matter?"

beidou pulled away and plastered on a fake, albeit convincing smile, "what are ya talkin' 'bout? nothing's the matter! we'll meet 'em shortly."

the always elegant woman nodded, gave them instructions on how to reach the 'creator's palace in the sky, almost the same way one was to reach the jade chamber before she left.

and once ningguang was out of earshot, beidou turned to kazuha who was staring up at the sky, the wind blowing gently around them.

"so? what's the wind sayin'?"

kazuha stayed quiet, eyes closing as he listened to the things the wind had to tell him.

══ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══

he opened his eyes once more and looked at beidou, nodding,

"the true creator is in mondstadt and the one currently sitting on their throne is a fake."

the beidou main in me is so happy rn.

#sagau #impostor au #sagau impostor au #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin sagau #genshin impostor au #kazuha x reader #beidou x reader #lumine x reader #wanderer x reader

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enden-k · 8 months

Note

Archon Quest Spoilers:

Hurt: Kaveh goes to Fontaine and hears about The Serial disappearances and thinks his mom died in them since he can't find her.

Comfort: He doesn't know the whole story, and since she isnt from Fontaine, she was never in danger. But she wasn't in Fontaine because she was going to Sumeru to visit him. So on the trip back, he sees her on the water bus.

Bonus: he's so happy, his Dendro vision makes flowers bloom on the water.

ooooooo

the bonus makes me so happy omg, what a pretty mental image it gives me 💚💚 makes me wanna draw it, flowers blooming with every step like when youre inside nahidas burst 🌼

(rlly makes me think of him losing control over his vision whenever hes overwhelmingly happy or emotional in general, flowers sprouting until hes like "oh not again")

#im gonna draw this actually #when im back from work tho #reply #4.0 spoilers

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icypenguin · 5 months

Note

genshin men Xiao, Neuvillette, Alhaitham, Wriothesley, (sperate) x y/n??

How about them meeting a teen (14 -16) y/n who is like Kairi from kingdom hearts and always saw how they always kept a diary with them full of writing and some small doodles??

(this is platonic ofc I RLLY wanted to see their interactions with Kairi from kingdom hearts also I would search her personality because I don't know how to describe it sorry!! 😭😭)

★~ Words and doodles!

HELLO ANON, OFCOURSEE I’LL BE HAPPY TO!!!!! I HOPE I GOT KAIRI’S PERSONALITY RIGHT… but anyway i hope you’ll like it so please enjoyyyyy!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

★~ Xiao: you accidentally bumped on him while rushing to get the new limited edition sticker collection! he’ll be quite grumpy but he doesn’t really care about it anyway (mehhh). “oh! sorry sir, here you could have this doodle i did earlier! byebye!” you gave him a sticker as an apologize. he only stood there, not knowing what to say. the second time you met eachother is when he was strolling around at a park and you were doodling and writing in your diary. he noticed you but he pays no mind. but ofcourse, you noticed him and walked to him. you were very sorry for that incident so why not offer him a doodle? “hey, sir! i’m really sorry for our past events. as an apology… let me doodle you!” “uh.. i- um.. sure?” he was quite confused ofcourse. but after 5 minutes he was happy to see your doodle of him smiling and not have a grumpy face.

★~ Neuvillette: he was you wondering through fontaine a couple of times always holding that precious diary of yours. he was going to work, he stumbled upon a familiar diary. as he thought of it again, he remembered you. he bet you were looking all over fontaine for your diary. he took it and took a great peek inside. he saw your variations of doodles and writings. he was amazed by your style, well he’s never seen something like this on the newspaper. as he continued walking, he saw you asking everyone in the street about your missing diary. then, it was his turn to be asked “hello, chief of justice! have you seen a diary that i always carry around? please tell me you’ve seen it!”. your worried expression faded as he pulled out your diary. “i believe this is what you’re talking about?” he handed you the diary. “yes! thankyou sir! thankyou thankyou! how can i repay you?” you took the notebook and hold it close. “well.. i took a peek of your diary and your writing amazed me. perhaps you could write a biography of me?” “ofcourse! i’d be happy to”. you wrote him a biography and made some doodles of him. he was delighted to see the results. he’ll be sure to hire you as his assistant someday.

★~ Alhaitham: he’ll be.. i guess pretty interested in a girl always bringing around her diary? well, he does like books and writing. as you were exploring sumeru city, a page from your diary fell. al-haitham was the first one to notice. he took it and read the page about your day with a doodle of a spinocrocodile. he tought, perhaps you could be a journalist. he catched up to you and gave you the missing page of your diary. you thanked him and he told you to maybe publish a story in a diary-a-like style about your day that someone will enjoy (if you don’t understand, search up marcy’s journal from amphibia). you thought of the idea and perhaps you should. “well, if you need any help, just find me” he said before he walked away. some weeks later, you passed by him again and took the chance to ask something “h-hey! uh- sir al-haitham, could i ask you something?” “go ahead, i guess it’s about the diary book?” “yes! yes it is”. he invited you for lunch at a café and you asked him multiple questions that he was happy to answer. as time pass, you finished your book with his help and published it. the citizens loved it ofcourse! now, he’s like your mentor. he helped you in any problem you had.

★~ Wriothesley: he would catch you writing in your diary and scribbling doodles with sigewinne every thurday afternoon. sigewinne told him about you too, how you both like to write down what happened in your day and doodle some random things. he was glad that sigewinne was having fun with a friend, it catched his interest. the next time he saw you with sigewinne, he decided to join in. “hey! having a lovely afternoon?” “oh! hello, duke! are you sigewinne’s friend? she told me about you”. he chuckled at your sunny and cheerful personality “yes that is correct, what are you both writing?”. “oh we’re writing how our day went..” sigewinne decided to join in the conversation. he looked to the doodles and writing you both made- and certainly he approved that it is adorable. “hey y/n we should make stickers for the duke!” “oh? you’ll let me do that? awesome!” you and sigewinne started to doodle for the stickers. oh well, i guess wriothesley will have 2x more stickers around his office or in random places.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

THANKYOU FOR READING! ANON, IM SO SORRY IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED… BUT I HOPE YOU’RE SATISFIED WITH IT 😞😞😞 ANYWAY THANKYOU FOR THE 300 LIKES ON MY PREVIOUS FANFIC BTW EHHEHEHEHEB HAVE A NICE DAYYYY! ADVICES ARE ACCEPTED, THANKYOUUU!

#genshin impact #genshin x reader #wriothesley x reader #wriothesley x you #genshin wriothesley #alhaitham x reader #alhaitham genshin #alhaitham x you #xiao x reader #xiao genshin impact #xiao x you #neuvillette x reader #neuvillette x you #neuvillette genshin #kairi kingdom hearts

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odyssean-flower · 6 months

Text

The Winding Path of Fate Chapter 6 - End of Spring: When a Planted Seed Sprouts

Masterpost

Pairing: Neuvillette x Female Reader Summary: You and Neuvillette hash things out. Warnings: None except for restrictive gender roles, also for some reason Fontaine’s regency england (sort of) now? Note: I update this story on AO3 first so please subscribe to the fic there if you’d like to read it faster Note 2: If you want to be on the taglist for this fic, please make a reply to this post, send a message or send a private ask

Have a pic of Neuvillette standing in Enkanomiya (they should really set another event here)

Previous | Next

“Monsieur Neuvillette should be back around this time…”

You were sitting in the kitchen, working on your embroidery again. Normally, you would be doing this in the garden, but there was a trial this morning, which meant rain was coming.

The sky was already covered in gray, low-hanging clouds. It looked like there would be quite a storm today.

“Pardon me, Madame?” Marie said. She was cleaning the countertops.

“I was just saying that Monsieur Neuvillette should have been home an hour ago. I wonder if something happened.”

Marie turned around and looked at you. “Are you worried about him?”

“Well, not exactly worried, but he’s usually home around this time when there’s a morning trial.”

Maybe it had gone on longer than expected, but from what you read in the papers, today’s trial was a run-of-the-mill thievery case, so it shouldn’t have taken very long.

When you explained your reasoning to Marie, she stared at you thoughtfully for a few moments.

“What is it?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking how similar the two of you are,” she said, smiling. “Unexpected things tend to happen in his line of work, but if you are concerned, why not go and see him?”

“Go see him? Is that…okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Well…” you couldn’t think of a good answer. “I’m not sure if he’d be happy to see me.”

“And how would you know that, Madame? Personally, I think seeing a familiar face after an arduous day at work would lift anyone’s spirits.”

You thought about arguing that you and Neuvillette had barely had a conversation since you moved in and that it might do more harm than good if you went to receive him, but Marie was already shooing you to the door and bringing you your coat and umbrella. It looked like you had no choice.

“One last thing, Madame. I’ve worked for Monsieur Neuvillette for many years, and I can tell you a few things about him. For one thing, if you don’t make the first move, he will not do anything either.”

You stared at her in confusion. “…Okay?”

“Go to him,” Marie repeated, then opened the front door for you.

And just how am I meant to do that when I don’t even know the way? You thought as you wandered the streets of Fontaine.

You knew that Neuvillette went to the Opera in a private vessel, but you had no idea where the docks were.

Just as you passed by the Café Lucerne, a familiar-looking Melusine in a Marechausee Phantom uniform greeted you. “Good afternoon, Madame! Out for a walk?”

“Good afternoon, Officer…uh…”

“It’s Menthe, Madame.”

“My apologies, Officer Menthe. I’m looking for the docks where Monsieur Neuvillette’s boat would land.”

“Oh, then allow me to take you there! I believe Monsieur Neuvillette will be arriving there shortly.”

“Thank you, Officer.”

As you followed Menthe, who was skipping ahead of you, you felt raindrops land in your hair and opened your umbrella.

Truth be told, you had no idea what you were going to do once you got there.

Things between you and Neuvillette were as awkward as ever, and though you tried to convince yourself that things were fine the way they were, a feeling of dissatisfaction and frustration grew day by day.

I would like to be on friendly terms with him.

Maybe it was from all the covert observation you were doing, or just from the fact that you lived in such close proximity with him, but you found yourself becoming more interested in him as a person.

It's impolite, the voice of reason in your head said. You shouldn’t get too curious. It’ll only end in him pushing you away.

You thought of your debutante days, when you would try to learn more about the young gentlemen who interested you. Eventually, you stopped trying after so many failures and heartbreaks.

But with Neuvillette…somehow, you wanted things to be different. Perhaps it was because he had chosen you of all women to be his wife, even if it was partly because you were in a desperate bind. And, embarrassingly, it was also probably because he was the first man to take an interest in you.

What’s more, a part of you suspected that he wanted you to approach him as well. There were times when you would catch him looking at you out of the corner of your eye like he wanted to speak with you. And sometimes, when you were still awake in bed after he returned home, you could hear heavy footsteps stop in front of your door before turning to the other side of the second floor.

You couldn’t prove anything. But what if?

This relationship had a predestined end. Your paths were only intersecting briefly before their inevitable separation. But until then, why not turn this into a pleasant memory you could smile back on?

You were chosen for this role, as vague as it might be. You should fulfill it by doing things the right, proper way.

You walked down the brick-paved streets with resolve in your heart.

Menthe led you to the private docks. There was already a vessel stopped there, and a tall blue figure was disembarking.

“There he is!” Menthe shouted suddenly. “Monsieur Neuvillette! Madame is here for you!”

The blue figure stopped and turned in your direction.

Then, she turned to you and said, “I must return to my station now, Madame. Good luck!”

“Hold on a minute!” you said, but the Melusine was already skipping away, leaving you all alone.

Taking in a deep breath, you turned around and found Neuvillette standing a short distance away. You couldn’t read the expression in his eyes.

“Um…hello there, Monsieur Neuvillette,” you said. As if on cue, it began to rain. Great.

“Did Marie send you here?” he asked. His voice was quiet, almost blending in with the rain.

Your heart sank a little. You really messed up. But hopefully, it could still be saved.

“No,” you shook your head vigorously. “I came here because I wanted to see you, sir.”

The rain, strangely, seemed to intensify at that moment.

“You need not force yourself to go out in this weather,” Neuvillette said. “It’s better to stay home than to risk illness for my sake.”

“Well, in this season, if you’re going to stay home because of a little rain, then you shouldn’t go outside at all,” you said. “Besides, I’ve never walked in the rain before. It’s such a novel experience. I can see why you like it so much.”

Neuvillette didn’t say anything, but you could detect bafflement in his gaze. You couldn’t blame him. You would feel the same way if someone who had been avoiding you for weeks suddenly started acting friendly with you.

“Are you going to the Palais, sir, or back home?”

“Home,” he said. He was even less talkative than usual. Presiding over trials probably took a lot of energy out of him. Maybe being in the rain was a way for him to recharge.

“Very well, then,” you said. “Shall we be off?”

The two of you walked in silence. You noticed that Neuvillette chose the more secluded roads with fewer people before he looked down at you.

“My apologies, we should be taking the quickest way home.”

He then proceeded to double back the way you came before stopping again.

“Or perhaps we should travel more discreetly…” he murmured to himself.

All around you, people were either running for shelter or clustered under awnings.

“Where did this storm come from?” you heard a man complain.

“My laundry’s still outside!” a woman moaned.

Neuvillette looked around at all the commotion, then closed his eyes, as though resigned.

“The shorter way back, then,” he said, walking faster.

You hurried to catch up with him. No one had noticed the two of you yet, but they would soon.

“Is there a reason why you prefer more secluded roads, sir?” you asked, even though you could somewhat guess the reason.

You didn’t really expect an answer, but Neuvillette said, “I simply find it tiresome to refuse the umbrellas people would offer me whenever I decide to take a stroll in the rain. I don’t know what’s so strange about the sight of it.”

The genuine confusion and annoyance in his voice made you giggle a little. Marie was right after all. Who knew even someone like him would be affected by the opinions of others? It was endearing, in a way.

“What is it?” he asked when he heard you laugh.

“It’s nothing,” you said. “Oh, here’s an idea. Why don’t you hold my umbrella for me? That way, people would say, ‘Look at the Chief Justice being such a gentleman, holding an umbrella for that homely-looking woman,’ and no one would think anything of you being in the rain.”

“You are not homely,” he said, but for the first time, the ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. He took your umbrella and held it over your head.

The two of you continued walking in silence. Not exactly like the awkward kind of silence that was often between you two at home, but something more hopeful, like you both knew what the other was going to say and were waiting for the other to voice it.

You decided to take the first step.

“Might I guess what is on your mind, sir?”

“Please, go ahead.”

“Well, perhaps I am being too presumptuous, but I would wager a guess that my current strange behavior is one of the things bothering you?”

It was a daring guess, but you were seemingly proven right when Neuvillette didn’t say anything and turned his head.

“You must be wondering if I’m being possessed right now, or if I had eaten something strange.”

Neuvillette still didn’t say anything, but you caught the corner of his lips turning up again.

“I am a bit baffled by you,” he confessed. “You present yourself like you wish to have as little contact with me as possible, but then you would do things that seem contrary to that behavior, almost as though you’re interested in me. I am still lacking in terms of understanding human emotions, or how to make myself approachable, it seems.”

“No, sir, you've done nothing wrong!” you said, the words coming out louder than you meant it. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. Would…would you care to listen to my explanation?”

Neuvillette nodded.

You took in a deep breath. “You see, sir, I know you said that there’s no need for us to act like a couple, but it felt wrong for me to not learn anything about you, so I decided to do some, um, covert observation.”

“So that was why you…”

“Yes, that was why I’ve been watching and avoiding you at the same time. I didn’t want you to find me a bother, or to dislike me. But that clearly was the wrong choice. I deeply apologize for that. It must have been very discomforting for you.”

Neuvillette said nothing. He stepped over a large puddle, and then helped you over it. His legs are very long, you thought idly, then caught yourself staring.

“I can relate to the covert observation part,” he said after a while. “Although I must confess, it is perhaps for the best that you have not chosen to pursue the profession of detective.”

He’s making a joke? Maybe you should have been offended, but all you felt was relief. “You were probably expecting me to be a more sensible, mature person when you chose me as your wife, didn’t you?”

And you were those things. But when it came to Neuvillette, for whatever reason, you acted completely unlike yourself.

Neuvillette stayed silent for a moment before saying, “…it’s not always unpleasant to discover new sides of a person one finds interesting.”

You weren’t sure how to respond to that. “…I suppose?”

“This does explain why you were staring at my mouth during dinner that one time.”

You felt your cheeks turn red. Honestly, you were surprised that Neuvillette hadn’t thrown you out of his house because of your weird behavior. “Please don’t talk about that.”

“I thought I had something stuck in my teeth.”

Sorry, sorry! “Can we just pretend the past month never happened and start with a clean slate?”

A small chuckle escaped from Neuvillette’s lips. “I would love nothing more than that.”

You let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, sir.”

Your heart felt lighter than it had ever been in the past weeks. As though mirroring this feeling, the steady drumming of raindrops let up a little, and you could see rays of sunlight shining through gaps in the dark clouds.

“I’m curious, sir, what did you think of me while I was doing all those things?”

Neuvillette put his hand on his chin. “I thought I had scared you in some way, which was why you always left the rooms I entered and watch me with that cautious look in your eyes.”

All you could do was force out awkward laughter and stare at your feet. You were so lucky that Neuvillette’s heart was as broad as the sea itself.

“And also,” he added after a pause. “You always call me ‘sir’ and ‘Monsieur Neuvillette,’ even though we are married.”

“Is there something wrong with that?”

“No, but...” Neuvillette cleared his throat. “Never mind.”

You felt bad that Neuvillette seemed a bit disappointed, but you just couldn’t bring yourself to call him by only his name (which was also your last name now, albeit temporarily).

You two continued to walk in silence. You were near the house now. The rain seemed to have stopped completely now, but Neuvillette was still holding your umbrella over your head.

“Also,” he suddenly said, quietly. “I could never dislike you.”

Your heart skipped a beat. “...I see. Um, thank you, sir. I’ll try my best to be worthy of it.”

"And do you...dislike me?” Neuvillette stopped, looking right into your eyes.

You blinked. This man, you realized, could be clueless about some things sometimes. But on the other hand, wasn’t it good to have verbal confirmation of things, instead of constantly guessing and hoping?

“If I disliked you, sir,” you said, meeting his gaze. “I would not be coming out into the rain to talk with you like this.”

A full smile appeared on Neuvillette’s face this time. A light seemed to radiate from within him. You never knew that someone’s face could change so much from a simple change of expression. It took your breath away.

“I hope that I am worthy of that as well.”

“You know, I’ve always been curious about that favorite drink of yours. What is it?”

After getting home and drying off, you sat in the parlor with Neuvillette. His silver goblet was sitting on the small table, filled with that mysterious liquid like always.

“Would you like to try it?”

You hesitated a moment before nodding. You could hold your drink pretty well, and you doubted that Neuvillette would let you drink anything dangerous for you.

“Very well then, I shall get another cup for you,” Neuvillette said, before leaving for the kitchen. If you had to describe his gait with a literary expression, then he would be walking “with a spring in his step.”

He quickly returned with another silver cup and placed it in front of you. You peered into it. It contained that same clear, odorless liquid.

“Shall we make a toast?” Neuvillette said, sitting back down.

“To what?”

“To our new friendship, of course.”

Friendship. You weren’t strangers, but neither did you have romantic feelings for each other, despite being married. But there was something warm there. Friendship was a perfectly adequate, broad term to describe what you two wordlessly wanted with each other.

He raised his cup to yours, and you clinked yours with his. You took a sip of the drink. It’s surprisingly flavorless. Refreshing, but flavorless, just like water. Wait a minute, this is water!

“How is it?” Neuvillette asked, watching you.

“This is just water!” you said. “I thought it was some kind of fancy alcohol, but it’s really just water. No wonder I didn’t...”

You were about to say “Smell anything back then,” but decided to keep it to yourself. Some things should remain unknown.

“Just water?” Neuvillette raised an eyebrow. “This is pure water from the springs of Mondstadt. It’s an exquisite delicacy. Is it not so very different from the waters of Fontaine.”

You racked your brain, trying to recall the taste of Fontaine tap water. “I can’t tell the difference, really.”

“I see.” Neuvillette said and looked down. He sounded vaguely disappointed.

“Demonstrate it to me, then,” you found yourself saying. “I want to understand what you like, since we’re friends after all.”

Neuvillette looked at you then, his eyes widened imperceptibly. “Of course. Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

When he returned with several carafes full of identical-looking liquid, you thought to yourself, What have I gotten myself into? But somehow, as you listened to his voice, more animated than you’d ever heard it, you couldn’t bring yourself to feel too annoyed.

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