reviledstorm

[reviledstorm]

✨ chara. study #7 — a brief inquiry into relationships doomed to fail ; a gift for @reviledstorm .

i.

keqing rarely smiles.

as liyue’s yuheng, she is well-read in the art of public appearances — in flashing her teeth in a dignified, albeit chagrined, manner. it’s akin to a reflex at this point, something that need not be rehearsed  … something as automatic as breathing and blinking.

that’s how she’s able to notice the differences when she’s around him. 

around him, respiration is a conscious process. inhale, exhale … breathe in, breathe out. her eyes feel drier. they tend to linger on him for too long, and it’s only when he glances up and catches her she’s able to force them closed. 

yet the ache of her cheeks, the strain of the facial muscles she’d long forgotten about … those occur to her easily … perhaps too easily. 

(she doesn’t realize that he has figured it out for himself, too — that when her eyes are slammed shut, he looks at her the same way she looks at him.

she won’t realize that until it’s a little too late.)

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#i fucking hate u #god #GOD WHAT THE HELL #bitch im supposed to be studying #& these taste like the dreams i used to devour ( saved ) . #& while my demons stay faithful in the city of angels ( re: royalstorm ) .

[reviledstorm]

yuheng .

Keqing doesn’t immediately register that she’s being addressed, having spent her past precious moments in thoughtful awe. It is only when the fireflies have completely vanished from her line of sight that she’s stirred from her reverie at last … though not as peacefully as she would have preferred. 

She should have figured a watchful, albeit unwelcome, pair of eyes would be boring holes into her skull, considering how she’d been marked dead on arrival. Still, the Yuheng refuses to submit to intimidation, condescension, and whatever else he is all too willing to project her way.

“Well, well. It seems that you do care,” begins her coy reply. Keqing turns on her heels so that she’s completely face-to-face with the other. What were once glazed, gleaming eyes narrow to match the shape of his — exuding all but half-lidded suspicion.

His own gaze refracted an unparalleled anguish. It’s a sharpness — a sadness — that Keqing had only seen on one other occasion, and it had belonged to a storm masquerading as flesh — a storm that loomed over Liyue at Rex Lapis’ behest.

Ah. So, that’s where she knew him from.

She dares herself several paces forward, folding her arms over her chest. “No matter. What currently ails me is nothing you can sympathize with —” Her entire body weight shifts itself to one side, so that a hip rests against the couch she had ended up next to. “ — That is, unless you are familiar with ‘ memento mori ’. Does that ring any bells, adeptus?”

xiao may have actually cracked a laugh at her question, that is if he didn’t know any better . instead he raises a brow at her and reciprocates her gesture, also moving in her direction . 

‘ so it’s true after all, ’ he confirms without bothering to actually answer keqing’s question . the tone of his voice is empty, no traces of emotion coloring it whatsoever . he mimics her again, also crossing his arms over his chest . ‘ you truly have no respect for the divine . this, i knew before this evening and even well before osial’s return a few months ago . ’ 

it’s in this moment xiao’s able to get an even better look at her . he will admit that he finds her beautiful pretty, but that was a common trait shared by those who held positions of power . that alone isn’t enough to make her special, especially not by rex lapis’ standards .

and based on how their conversation was going, he’s tempted to say that their temperaments didn’t align very well . though he’s willing to confess to being at fault for part of that .

‘ i advise against making assumptions about that which you know nothing of . ’ xiao could feel his tone getting icier . he suddenly turns his back . shutting his eyes, he let himself breathe in and out for a few seconds before continuing to speak, his back still turned . ‘ there’s no denying that you are an accomplished person . you’re smart . but you’re not that smart . i have been alive for thousands of years, so believe me what i say that you can never hope to understand us adepti the same way i have come to understand you mortals . ’

#god i hate these two #royalstorm #& duty is forever and a day ( main verse ) .

[reviledstorm]

me ?

Xiao looks the other up … down … then, from side to side. Aside from the disparity in height (he regrettably has the shorter end of the stick) and the minute differences in their ensembles, this may as well be his … mirror image.

“I don’t understand why you have sought me out, nor do I care. But … whatever charade this is — ” He opts for the slightest step backward, arms lifting to fold over his chest. “ — I haven’t the time for it.”

@reviledstorm· .

‘ i haven’t the time for this either . ’ xiao stares his shorter self down . ‘ so the sooner you shut up and listen, the sooner we can be free of each other  .’ he raises a brow as he further examines the doppelganger . the glaringly obvious height difference aside, there isn’t too much that’s changed...then again, he's looking at his self from over 600 years ago .

‘ currently you are asleep . i can only assume you have been refusing yourself that luxury for some time already . ’ he notices his younger self step back and so he steps forward . ‘ right now, you are experiencing rem sleep . this is your dream . one of your more peaceful ones. ‘ the adeptus pauses . he regards his doppelganger solemnly . ‘ but i myself am not a mere dream . i am your future self. what i’m about to tell you is important so heed my words carefully . ’

#& i'm not calling you a ghost so stop haunting me ( mirror verse ) . #god im PUMPED #guardaeon

[reviledstorm]

@royalstorm

Xiao/Keqing 

I’ve been daydreaming about these two for days now/ I can’t wait for Xiao, so I can draw and write some Xieqing (ik I named the ship already)

#🥺🥺 #two of the most intimidating ppl in liyue looking at each other like this #im gonna- #& while my demons stay faithful in the city of angels ( re: royalstorm ) . #& conqueror of demons ( xiao ) . #& driving thunder ( keqing ) .

[reviledstorm]

You came to me in a dream and hung my body up beside yours. Told me you were rusting and I only made it worse.  Told me that I made  the lonely seem like home. You shouldn’t have told me that. Why did you? I watched my body turn to face you. My hands felt cold. My hands feel cold. Everyone is always telling me that my hands are always cold. My body turned to face you  and I turned to face my body. (Why am I always writing  about my body like it is not me?) My mouth cracked open in a smile and inside there was a drought. You didn’t notice. You took my hands and told me they were cold. I know. I know.

Week 25 of 52 - MISSED CONNECTIONS by Darshana Suresh (via afterthelonely)

@reviledstorm

(via royalstorm)

#mars i fucking hate u #this hurts #& while my demons stay faithful in the city of angels ( re: royalstorm ) .

[reviledstorm]

?

The local flower shop had always been a comfort to Keqing.

Not only were the arrangements charming — captivating — but she could also tell that they’d been deeply cared for. Then again, she couldn’t expect any less from the owner, who’d been nothing but kind, if not fatherly, to her during her freshman year. Had it not been for Mr. Zhongli, she’s unsure if she could have withstood the novelty of this new country … or as she presently and proudly called it: her new home.

There’s a lithe spring in her step as she nears her destination. That last summer was spent without a moment of rest. Between her internship abroad, networking with various companies, and the unthinkable — dyeing her hair — Keqing hadn’t ample time to pay the shop a visit. 

Looks like Mr. Zhongli would have himself an earful that afternoon.

She can hardly contain herself upon reaching the shop’s stained glass door. Clutching her bags eagerly, Keqing jostles the handle upright. The shop’s familiar “welcome” bell squeaks out a greeting as she ushers herself inside.

“Hello? Mr. Zhongli?”

@reviledstorm​ .

xiao pauses mid-sketch as he’s alerted by the shop’s doorbell . he looks over the dot work he managed to get done the past half hour . not good, not good enough . he sighs as he quickly tidies up the art induced mess he’d made in the storage room . how long has his artist’s block been going on?

maybe a better question would be: how long has zhongli been dead?

he sighs again . now isn’t the time to mourn . he’s had plenty of time to do that, hasn’t he? slipping on a leather jacket, xiao emerges from the storage room to meet with the customer that had made themself known . he always takes his sweet, sweet time in approaching customers . partly because he’s annoyed at them for interrupting whatever he’s working on at the time, partly because he has to mentally rehearse what to say to them . it should be an autopilot sort of act by now but for whatever reason (the reason: he couldn’t be bothered), it never stuck with him .

xiao is about three-fourths of the way to the entrance when he first sees her . 

his initial impressions are ‘ pretty ’ and ‘ snobby ’. she’s all dressed up the way those uppity law firms like but somehow it isn’t as obnoxious of a look on her . what really caught xiao’s attention though, was her hair . a soft lilac . wavy and long . the outlier in her overall appearance .

he scoffs to himself as he nears her, and then is directly in front of her .

up close, ‘ snobby ‘ was definitely an understatement .

but wow . she definitely was pretty . really, really pretty .

‘ good morning . are you looking for anything in particular? ’

#xiao: oh shes cute #also xiao: ugh what do u want #royalstorm #& how does your garden grow ( modern verse ) .

[reviledstorm]

some modern verse thoughts:

xiao is a part-time university student, part-time florist, and a freelance tattoo artist .

he’s 22, non-binary (masc leaning), short 5’7” king with two full tattoo sleeves .

he inherited a local flower shop after his adoptive father (the modern verse equivalent of zhongli lmaoooo) passed away. he runs it all by himself with the occasional help of his older adopted siblings (the modern verse equivalent of the adepti) .

since his adoptive father’s passing, business at the flower shop was sporadic and pretty up and down . xiao would honestly be better off selling the space but downright refuses to since it’s the only remaining connection he has to his adoptive father, who loved his business so much .

xiao does decently at school . 3.2 gpa, anthropology major . he doesn’t really try and highkey wants to drop out but knows that both his adoptive father and his adopted siblings want him to further his education .

he has no friends to speak of . the most social interaction he gets is talking to the customers who visit him at the shop .

is only on campus for class and occasionally to finesse free food from whichever fraternities and sororities are hosting fundraising events .

hates said fraternities and sororities and all those involved in them and then he meets keqing but anyways sjdjsjsjs

he lives in a cramped studio apartment a block away from the flower shop but funnily enough, he’s barely there . xiao technically “lives” in the flower shop since he spends most of his time there even after hours . he’ll study there, practice tattooing there . he even sleeps there too a majority of the time (there’s an inflatable mattress and some blankets in the storage room) .

most of the revenue he gets from selling flowers goes toward the rent of his (barely inhabited) apartment and tattoo supplies (ink, needles, etc) . otherwise he doesn’t really live luxuriously . he doesn’t care for that sort of thing at all .

#ill add more to this for sure but i figured id write this #since kim n mars namedropped my boy 😜 #& the limit to one's power is self destruction ( chara study ) . #& how does your garden grow ( modern verse ) .

[reviledstorm]

債権回収

#& eleventh harbinger ( tartaglia ) .

[reviledstorm]

            𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐍𝐎 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄 !    𝐈'𝐌 𝐃𝐔𝐌𝐁 & 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃 & 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄.                        ( look hard at my stripes, there’ll be no more after me )                                                                      © 

#& those i keep close to my heart ( promo ) .

[reviledstorm]

chara study - chakras:

just want to throw it out there that xiao has a penchant for chakra work . 

note that this isn’t something he abides by for religious purposes . being an immortal yaksha, he thinks it would be inappropriate of him to be a follower of any mortal religious doctrine . 

chakra work is something that’s become important to him for his own sake . it’s somewhat of a ‘ grounding force ’ for him . not only is it one of the ways he was able to resist the darkness his fellow yakshas succumbed to but it has also helped him remember his purpose in the mortal realm .

it’s ironic how anemo is the element ruled by freedom and change but xiao walks a path completely opposite of those things . he is instead known for his strong sense of duty and wariness toward the way mortals and their environment have evolved, particularly liyue . because of this conflict between himself and his preferred element, his chakras are easily unaligned . spiritual dissonance is something that weighs heavily on him . it doesn’t help that xiao is stubborn and unabashedly bound to his sense of duty . 

of his seven chakras, his ajna (third eye) chakra and anahata (heart) chakra are the most susceptible to unalignment and the most prone to being corrupted .

the ajna chakra rules tangible, worldly matters . it’s the balance between a person’s spiritual self and physical self . xiao’s sense of duty causes him to sometimes get too lost in mortal affairs even when he isn’t needed in them . he can become disconnected from his divine purpose and more ‘ spiritual self ‘ as a result, instead bearing the burdens of the humans he watches over . then the anahata chakra rules relationships and emotional vulnerability . because xiao has a tendency to be over-involved in the mortal world and its struggles, he’s easily jaded . although he’s meant to be a protector of the people, he is distrustful toward them as a whole . the part of him that does in fact care for liyue and its population is buried beneath that jadedness and mistrust . he’s usually in the midst of drowning in that and isn’t attuned to himself enough to pull himself up most of the time .

meditation and deep reflection is how xiao tends to heal and re-align his chakras . he also wears a bindi and a talisman (see his splash art fit) as a way to keep the more vulnerable chakras better ‘ protected ’ . think of it like sigil work almost .

#shoutout to mars for bouncing ideas back n forth w me #and to their hindu cousins u wont see this but ur appreciated #& the limit to one's power is self destruction ( chara study ) .

[reviledstorm]

nuisance .

If there’s one thing the bard is known for, it’s his increasing perseverance for bothering people. “Well now ! That’s no way to treat someone you haven’t seen for a few centuries. And now you’re going to deny a bard his singular pleasure of singing?” He fakes a pout at this, lip jutting outwards in a very over-exaggerated manner, arms crossing in front of his chest. “You are always so cold!” It’s, of course, not meant as an actual insult and is intended as a good-natured jest; hopefully even Xiao can pick up on that. Venti plays down how observant he can be, but he didn’t miss that shot of curiosity in Xiao’s eyes–greedily, he jumps on the moment as an excuse to go ahead and play his tune.

Venti leans back against the side of a nearby cliff, the rock cool on his back, then pulls out his lyre. “This is an old one I heard shortly after the war. I heard it back in Springvale, or…what would later become Springvale. I think even a stick in the mud like you will enjoy this tale. It would sound better on a flute, but unfortunately, I don’t have mine with me!” And before Xiao can protest or ‘tune Venti out’ like he claims he will, Venti’s fingers begin to pull across the strings. The song that follows is sweet, somber, and a little nostalgic–a relic of music long since forgotten, a story few people bother to remember anymore. The story of looking to the future and letting go of a war-torn past / rebuilding what has been lost in the face of a new day / of leaning on each other and making a new home amidst the ashes. But Venti remembers. Will always remember. Ensures future people will remember. Music is the heart of the past, and for that, the archon refuses to let such a thing die.

‘ ah, no flute today? for shame . ’ xiao pauses and then bites his tongue, not wanting to be any more dismissive than he’s already being . it isn’t that he’s overly concerned about hurting the bard’s feelings . he just figures that the more accommodating he is, the more likely he’d be left alone . he’s not sure if reverse psychology would even work on someone as nosy as venti but it’s not like anything he’s done in the past turned out well for him either .

he mimics venti’s posture, also leaning against the cliffside, only his arms are crossed and his eyes are glued to the ground . it doesn’t take too much for him to deduce that at this point, venti’s taken out his lyre . the bard is talking his ear off about . something .  a war song . sticks in the mud . xiao presses a singular hand to his forehead as if waiting for a headache to hit .

only, it didn’t . if anything, the adeptus feels lighter once venti starts playing his lyre . his posture visibly loosens . both arms fall to his sides . the spot where his heart should’ve been didn’t feel so empty either . is it because the melody is that beautiful? familiar even? while xiao hadn’t been opposed to music, he also wasn’t the type to cherish it the same way venti or even mortals did .

there had been only one other moment he felt this captivated by a song . but that had been so long ago that, some days, he questions whether or not it truly happened .

after a few notes, he lets himself sneak a glance at the bard . his solemn expression and the carefree way his fingers move across the strings only served to make him feel lighter . warmer even . 

lifting his head fully, xiao now openly watches the bard . he can feel himself humming along, albeit very very softly, to the tune .

#oh rip xiao #jgdsklgjsg #songscrawled #& duty is forever and a day ( main verse ) .

[reviledstorm]

@royalstorm

" HEY! I did not need your help!!

_Sure... I'm going to assume you were just screaming at the birds then... "

#LISTEN #I- #& conqueror of demons ( xiao ) . #& driving thunder ( keqing ) . #& while my demons stay faithful in the city of angels ( re: royalstorm ) .

[reviledstorm]

starters  /  prompts taken from various characters starring in the game   fire emblem : three houses .  feel free to change pronouns  /  tenses as necessary .

“  feel free to say hi whenever you like  ”

“  don’t hold back for my sake  ”

“  you think I’m so clumsy that I need someone to watch over me ?  ”

“  you act like you’re full of regret  ,  but I know you don’t really mean it  ”

“  you actually look more handsome to me with honesty on your face  ”

“  don’t be ashamed of crying  ”

“  could you keep quiet for a bit ?  ”

“  you’re actually kind of amazing  ”

“  do you mean to imply you have no intention of acting a bit more respectably ?  ”

“  stop acting so nonchalant about getting hurt or killed  ”

“  naive and uptight is no way to live your life  ”

“  you’d better watch that temper  ”

“  i am absolutely disinterested in spending any time with you  ”

“  your lack of self-awareness is deeply troubling  ”

“  I’ll just be straightforward about taking advantage of you  ”

“  when will you tire of challenging me in pointless competitions ?  ”

“  you expect me to believe that ?  ”

“  i’ve had enough of your foolish antics  ”

“  i wish you would not sneak up on me like that  ”

“  before you reprimand me  ,  take a moment to consider your own failings  ”

“  it is like hearing a snake sing an aria  ”

“  am I hearing a deathbed confession ?  ”

“  i never have any idea what you’re talking about  ”

“  don’t walk away when i’m talking to you  ”

“  you’ll be the death of me for sure  ”

“  i do not intend to die  ”

“  i can’t believe you put yourself at risk for my benefit  ”

“  i don’t think i’ve ever seen you smile  ”

“  i do not desire your gratitude  ”

“  you’re surprisingly strong for how slender you appear  ”

“  perhaps i was flustered needlessly  ”

“  i had forgotten how charmingly ethereal you can be  ”

“  you’re going a little overboard  ”

“  you have shaken me to my very core  ”

“  so this is what death is like  ”

“  if you get sick of me  ,  i’m sorry ahead of time  ”

“  i’m embarrassed just thinking about it  ”

“  you’re like a little brother to me  ”

“  spending the rest of my life with you doesn’t sound so bad  ”

“  if our roles were reversed  ,  I don’t think I’d be able to forgive you  ”

“  you actually hate me  ,  right ?  ”

“  you haven’t stabbed me yet  ”

“  i want to be more like you  ”

“  i actually envy the size of your heart  ”

“  i don’t think you can solve all your problems by throwing a few punches  ”

“  there aren’t a lot of people like you in the world  ”

“  sorry I’ve been so oblivious to your needs  ”

“  sometimes you just can’t afford to wait around for someone else to notice ”

“  yesterday’s enemy is today’s ally  ”

“  you have to abandon old feuds  ”

“  learn to protect yourself before trying to protect me  ”

“  i always trust that you’ve got my back  ”

“  if only people could be more like flowers  ”

“  if you promise not to resort to violence  ,  I’ll do whatever you want  ”

“  i can’t stand the sight of me either  ”

“  i would be even more impressed if you hadn’t been screaming the whole time  ”

“  i did what was necessary to get you to comply  ”

“  you have so much power in you  ,  just waiting to be unleashed  ”

“  i’m hopelessly terrified of you  ”

#FIRE EMBLEM!!!!! #& see you in your dreams ( ask meme ) .

[reviledstorm]

“tell me you love this, tell me you’re not miserable.”  /   lines from richard siken poems prompt .

Embedded in those sentiments is a viscerality that softens the edge normally found in Xiao’s tone, one that is noticeable enough to humble the Yuheng into a silence. In fact, it’s as if their environment had grown quiet, as well — the sharp hum of the stratosphere but white noise, the singsong of birds migrating farther and farther north. 

She tears her eyes away from his, opting to study the newfound tremble of her hands instead. “Why would I be miserable?” It is a query intended for him but one that did not quite reach … not while it’s something she’s yet to answer for herself. 

Something in her heart of hearts tells her she should do that soon.

In her mind, she’s worked out the basis of it: they had been spending an inordinate amount of time together. 

That couldn’t be helped. Now that the Qixing played a bigger role in Liyue’s safekeeping, Keqing had devoted even more of her life to working her days away. Most of the adepti had acknowledged that and acted accordingly, growing more and more absent by the minute … that is, all but one.

When Xiao wasn’t tethered to Wangshu Inn’s rooftop, he was hovering over the Yuheng — closer to her than her own shadow. He would make it known some days, manifesting in the Jade Chamber with a plate of almond tofu sat in his lap and Ningguang at his side, notifying him of the Qixing’s current developments. Then, there were days when his presence was but a passing thing — something she would catch wind of during her lunch break or on her walk home. He’d deemed it his obligation as a guardian Yaksha, and as unnecessary as Keqing felt it was, she’d coerced herself into accepting it.

After that is when she’d draw a blank. 

Keqing tends to the nape of her neck, head still dipped and eyes hanging low. Her days off had normally been spent in solitude. All she’d ever known was loneliness, which she’d curbed by working clandestinely even off the clock. Spending time with other people, or rather an adeptus, had been a tossup in her routine. Normally, she would accompany him aboard his favorite rooftop, almond tofu and shrimp balls in tow — and if not that, then he was fixed in a lotus pose upon her kitchen counter … watching her cook, listening to her read, toying with her belongings (to her chagrin).

Today, when she posited that nothing could compare to a mountaintop view, Xiao had sought to prove otherwise. Cue the pair perched atop a cloud several hundreds of feet above said “mountaintop view”. She’d been up in arms to start, critical of the pressure ringing in her ears and the goosebumps invading her skin … but it wasn’t long before a vibrant, streak of orange permeated her line of sight. Following suit was a mosaic of purples and reds and pinks that scraped every corner of the sky — some but a backdrop to the other clouds surrounding them, others caressing layer upon layer of Liyue’s stone forests.

The past few hours they’d spent there, Keqing had wanted to speak — to say something more profound than “It’s so beautiful up here”. To be speechless is all she seemed capable of nowadays, or at least where Xiao was concerned. 

Until he’d severed the silence himself just moments ago, she was under the impression that he had not noticed.

That’s also when she noticed something crucial about the answer to what she’d been thinking circles around: it could be helped, after all.

Slowly lifting her head, the Yuheng dares her eyes to return to where Xiao is sitting. Given his age, he had never struck her as somebody who appreciated the magic of a view. 

It’s only when she really — really, really — drinks in the golden flecks gleaning his amber eyes and the contrast of his teals and greens and blues to the setting sun that she realizes how utterly wrong she was.

“No, I don’t think I can be miserable.” Keqing lifts her legs and hugs them close to her chest, both arms draping themselves over her kneecaps. She feels a warm light engulf her as the sun begins its descent into the night.

“Why, I’m up here sitting on a cloud … having spent several hours reminded of just how beautiful Liyue is — ” The warmth stretches past her, casting itself onto Xiao next. 

Her eyes widen. Her heart skips a beat … several beats.

“ — And I’m up here sitting on a cloud … ” The faintest of laughs spills from Keqing’s lips. She averts her gaze once more, cheeks a rosy red. “ … With you.”

@reviledstorm​ .

#im going to LOSE MY MIND #& these taste like the dreams i used to devour ( saved ) . #& while my demons stay faithful in the city of angels ( re: royalstorm ) .

[reviledstorm]

“you still get to be the hero.”  /   lines from richard siken poems prompt .

All Keqing can do is scoff, incredulous. “Really? Is that what you think this is about?” Her voice rings out at a reasonable volume reminiscent of her prowess — her oratory ability, her status as the Yuheng of the Qixing. And while that had been her edge all these years, it’s as if that edge had completely dulled, been effectively hacked away, by the being who stood before her.

Now, she simply sounded petulant. Obtuse. The caliber of soft and scared that she vowed she would never allow herself to be.

Both of her fists are clenched. Her teeth are wearing down the shallows of her cheeks. She shuts her eyes for one, two, three seconds, and then, opens them only for them to shut … two, three, four … all over again.

“If so, then just know that you are wrong.” Keqing gulps down the lump in her throat — a lump she didn’t realize her throat had been holding captive all the while. “I don’t want to be a hero. I never wanted to be a hero. My devotion to Liyue does not stem from a desire for recognition … nor glory … nor profit.”

It is then that she forces herself to turn away from the adeptus. While that action alone would be a chip in her armor, it surpassed being stripped bare of that armor altogether; there’s no way Xiao would ever be allowed to see her like this, quiet hurt and all. Their mutual misunderstanding of the other was all based on polarity. Where she was bright and burning, he was colder — kept away. When all she’d ever wanted was to proceed forward, he insisted on being tethered to the past.

The difference is that Keqing was willing to settle on acknowledgement — the knowing that archon and adeptus alike had fought tooth and nail for centuries to preserve the dignities of their namesakes. Even if she can’t pardon humanity’s resultant complacency, she can, at the very least, accept the good that came out of it all.

To Xiao, however, it seemed that her work was for naught. She was nothing.

Keqing exhales a stunted breath, rummaging both hands through her hair. Lilac tresses sway in the wind, untamed. “The extent to which I’m devoted to Liyue has to do with duty — not ‘ duty ‘ in the sense of simple obligation, however. It is a duty that comes from a place …” She pauses. Her hands crumple back down to her sides. “ … A place of love. My duty is to love Liyue unconditionally … its people, its legacy, its shortcomings … its past, its present, what I hope to be its future.” 

Another pause. “In embracing that love, I have accepted my role as the farmer who sows the seeds but cannot celebrate their harvest. Still, that doesn’t diminish the value of my contributions, nor my desire to see my duty to its end.” She cants her head to side, only slightly … just enough so that she’s able to lock eyes with her companion.

“I understand that your duty is to protect Liyue, but where does that duty come from, adeptus?” By now, Keqing has assumed a lax posture. The whites of her knuckles aren’t so white anymore. Her tongue is gently tending to the swollen interior of her mouth. “Does it come from that place of obligation? Or maybe a place of love? Or hate?” She takes a moment to study him. It felt like drinking from an empty chalice — engorging on the remains of something that was once great and sacred and hopeful. 

“Actually, never mind. I don’t want to know.” One more glance his way, and then, her gaze has returned to beholding the grass they walked upon. She gingerly fiddles with the loose threads of her ensemble, and then the fit of her hair pin, and then the fastening of her vision, and then —

 “Because I don’t think you want to know, either.”

@chthonicstorm​ .

#me sitting here like be nice to ur future wife xiao smh #JSLDGJGJDS i- #i love ur writing sm #& these taste like the dreams i used to devour ( saved ) . #& while my demons stay faithful in the city of angels ( re: royalstorm ) .

[reviledstorm]

@wanmins​:  ' i started something, but i don’t think it’s very good. '

‘ surely it can’t be as disagreeable as you believe it to be . ’ the adeptus cranes his neck to admire the soft blocks of almond tofu cooking on the stove . 

he suddenly notices a certain ingredient tossed along with the others that normally wouldn’t belong there . at first he can’t help but crinkle his nose . how unusual . was there really a need to experiment on what is already good as is? xiao guesses that even the divine were creatures of habit . but when he thought about it longer, he reached a more rational conclusion .

‘ all almond tofu is good almond tofu .’ xiao says this so seriously, it’s almost comical . ‘ it’s a delicacy to be savored for better or for worse . ’ he pauses for a moment as if he’s about to say something profound . ‘ i believe that you mortals feel similarly about pizza? am i right? ’

#this thousand plus year old dumbass i- #wanmins #& i will be here when you call ( answered ) .

[reviledstorm]

PLEASE LET THEM COME HOME MIHOYO I AM ON MY KNEES I AM ON BOTH MY KNEES

#& vago mundo ( zhongli ) . #& conqueror of demons ( xiao ) .