#don’t be a stranger

[hearts4renaa]

DON’T BE A STRANGER.

summary: seeing him for the first time after the breakup. featuring kaeya and xiao. (separately)

contains: angst, post-breakup, one mention of the holiday season, gender neutral reader with the use of “you” as a pronoun

a/n: did you miss me? happy holidays from rena 🫶 listen to scott street by phoebe bridgers while reading

Nothing screamed holiday celebrations more than a couple drinks with friends at Angel’s Share, and that’s exactly what Kaeya did. Unfortunately, you had the same idea, sitting at the bar and sipping on a drink. The breakup was still fresh in your mind, and you just needed someone to talk to. Was your ex’s brother the best therapist? Probably not, but Diluc was the closest thing you had to a friend right now.

“It’s just…bad timing, you know?” You rant off to Diluc, who patiently listens as he polishes the plethora of cups in front of him. “I shouldn’t be this upset, I know, but-“ The bell above the door rings from behind you, and chatter of the new customers fills your ears. One of them chuckles, and you feel your shoulder tense at the familiar voice. It was Kaeya. Diluc shoots you a sympathetic look as Kaeya and his friends stride right by your seat to a table in the corner. You go silent as your eyes direct themselves to your cup, but in your peripheries, you can see the silhouette of the man you once called yours.

Even seeing someone who looks remote similar to him makes your heart ache, so actually seeing him brought upon a different kind of pain. You know it wasn’t anyone’s fault and that sometimes things just aren’t meant to be, but you’re confident that you’ll never love someone the way you loved him. You know you’ll look for him in everyone you meet, and that’s what really hurts. Most of all, you know that the two of you will probably never get back together; but a small part of you can’t help but hope. You shake your head to get out of your thoughts.

You down the rest of your drink, tapping the glass back down onto the bar. “I’m gonna head out.” You mutter to Diluc. He nods in understanding.

Diluc calls to you on the way out. “Y/N.” You turn back to listen to him. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?” Your throat tightens up, and you can’t conjure up a response. You nod, giving him a sad smile. Your eyes automatically drift to Kaeya’s table, and you find that he was already looking at you. He swirls around the drink in his left hand, not paying attention to the conversation of this colleagues.

He nods his head and gives you a small smile, and that’s how you know it’s really over.

—

The storms in Liyue haven’t been very kind to you lately. The thunder claps are booming, and the rain never seems to stop. You find yourself walking into Wangshu Inn, dripping from the rain. Verr Goldet waves cheerfully as you walk in. “Y/N!” She greets. “Here’s a towel. It’s pouring out there.” She tosses a plush white towel your way. You nod gratefully, placing the towel over your shoulders. “Head on upstairs,” She tells you. “Xiao might be up there.” You feel your stomach twist into knots. He didn’t tell her?

The two of you had been broken up for two weeks now, and almost every night, you tear up just thinking about it. He pushed you away, claimed he did it to protect you. That he was too dangerous, too troubled, too much of all the wrong things to be deserving of your affection. Xiao’s head told him it was for the better, but his heart was screaming for him to never let you go. You ultimately accepted his decision, and with a heavy heart, you said goodbye. You simply nod at the inn owner’s words, biting your tongue and heading upstairs. You weren’t really going all the way up to where Xiao normally was - instead, you figured you’d just find a table and sit until the storm passed. You found a little nook against a window and let your shoulders ease as you relished in the shelter from the storm. Your mind wanders as the rhythmic “pitter-patter” of the rain lulls you. I wonder if Xiao’s really here-

“What are you doing here?”

The voice makes you jump. You whip your head around, and you’re met with Xiao’s face. Your eyes widen, and your mind frantically searches for something to say, but you aren’t fast enough. Xiao keeps talking. “Didn’t I tell you that it was dangerous being around me?”

You swallow thickly and stand up from your seat. “It’s pouring out there.” You tell him matter-of-factly. “I’m waiting for the storm to pass.” Xiao’s face is emotionless as his eyes simply scan over your face. You notice the grip on his polearm get tighter. What you don’t know is the way Xiao bit the inside of his cheek. He was foolish for even hoping that you might have come back to him.

His heart takes control of him and he feels himself spewing words he doesn’t mean. “Good.” He spits out. “Mortals have no business being around an adepti. If it were a perfect world, we would have never met in the first place.” His words sting a little more than you’d like to admit. Xiao regrets the words as soon as they leave him mouth, and it felts painful for him to see the pain flash across your face. There is so much he wishes he could say to you. He turns away to leave, and you have to physically stop yourself from grabbing ahold of his cape.

“Xiao-“ His name falls from your lips before you can stop yourself. He doesn’t turn around, but he stops in his tracks. “Don’t be a stranger.” You whisper. He says nothing back. You blink, and he vanishes in an instant.

Only until after he leaves is when it really hits you: You will never say his name again.

#genshin #genshin impact x reader #don’t be a stranger #genshin x reader #genshin impact #xiao x reader #kaeya x reader #genshin angst #genshin imagines

[timetravelsong]

𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫.

excerpts from a book I’ll never write

#aesthetic #poetry #poets corner #poets on tumblr #quotes #writing #art #life #poem #poetscommunity #maybe in another life #in another universe #don’t be a stranger #I hope to see you again #one day #book ill never write #poems and quotes #distant future #relationship #breakup #love qoute #my poem #short poem #see you again #dead poets society #i miss you

[becky5203]

MatPat right now:

#I’m not crying YOU ARE #😭😭😭 #MatPat you will forever be missed #thanks for all the theories MatPat #don’t be a stranger #matpat #matthew patrick #game theory

[slfcare]

Hi!! I was just wondering how you tackle trolls and if you’ve got any tips, thank you <3

While valuing critique and being open to learn, you must always live and post from your own perspective.

Trolls are everywhere and they'll always find something to be unpleasant about. I'll never forget that when I was sixteen and had a positivity Instagram account, someone sent me a message that literally said, "you're so nice on here, you're probably a fucking bitch irl" ???? I think I responded to that with something like, "I'm sorry for the things you endured that made it so hard for you to believe in kindness when you see it." Because that's truly what it is. There always will be people who reject your message, and there will always be people who, rather than scrolling when they see something they don't like or relate to, will feel the burning need to add their own negativity to it. Negativity that stems from their past experiences and often has nothing to do with you.

You can't really tackle trolls. But you must deal with them intently. Block anyone who makes you feel less than, or whose additions you don't like. Don't spend time replying to messages meant to hurt you, like I shouldn't have done at sixteen. And recognise the difference between critique meant to educate you / help you do better, and comments meant to simply hurt you.

Is the internet ever going to be a 100% positive experience? No. But you can increase the odds by not sitting with the trolls, blocking them fast, and then moving on with your day.

#advice from a friend #don’t be a stranger

[reagsrush]

she’s all vectorized, and with a brand new silver variant! both are now available on redbubble :)

#pharbz #phoebe bridgers #phoebe bridgers design #phoebe bridgers quote #phoebe bridgers tattoo #stranger in the alps #scott street #don’t be a stranger #punisher

[calamitoustide]

do you feel ashamed when you hear my name?

#we never folded our laundry together #i’m never talking again #don’t be a stranger

[thefrankshow]

Don’t Be A Stranger

#photographers on tumblr #original photographers #don’t be a stranger #kfc #exit

[ificanthaveloveiwantpower]

well…..?

- scott street by phoebe bridgers

#phoebe bridgers #scott street #stranger in the alps #don’t be a stranger

[pixlerelish]

✒️

💚💚💚

💚

#🥹 #💖 #I adore seeing you on my dash and in my notes #don’t be a stranger #ask answered #✒️

[v333rbatim]

“anyway don’t be a stranger, don’t be a stranger.”

the audience by james hoff / scott street by phoebe bridgers / apart together by jeanie tomanek

#scott street #nostalgia #anemoia #messy academia #phoebe bridgers #don’t be a stranger #i hope we meet in another life #melancholy #stranger in the alps #bittersweet #abstract art #distorted faces #hanicore

[ssreeder]

SREEDIE MY GORGEOUS EX-WUSBAND

(this one is possibly my longest comment ever so uhh good luck)

no fr I saw the update I was like fucking FINALLY I’m getting some good enrichment in my enclosure how do you always have perfect timing???

and just like.. 30k?? IS IT MY BIRTHDAY ALREADY WTF you’re honestly insane ilysm

fuck you I don’t love you “zuko didn’t return that night” looking ass >:(

okay ik this is a sad emotional scene but the spirits not giving a fuck about sokka is like so ironic lmao bc in the show they never leave him alone even tho he tries to avoid them at all costs T-T

bruh not sokka thinking hakoda is annoying for breathing- he’s finally experiencing a normal teenager experience :’)

oh nooooo sokka if you tell hakoda you’re in love with zuko and hakoda reacts badly fuuuuuuck

YES SOKKA SOB OUT THE SADNESS EXPERIENCE SOME CATHARSIS BESTIE WOOOO

hakoda said toxic masculinity get rekt that’s so girlboss of him

THANK YOU BATO FOR BEARING THE BRUNT IF HAKODAS ACCIDENTAL HOMOPHOBIA SO SOKKA DOESNT HAVE TO SUFFER ANY MORE THAN HE ALREADY HAS YOURE DOING THE LORDS WORK TRULY

idk how you intended this to be read but I’m picturing hakoda saying “no.. not the watch tower” like this:

but also not hakoda doing reconnaissance on zukka-

yes sokka when it’s a question of how information gets spread the answer is always fucking reho (and I love him for that how else is anyone supposed to get anything done with everyone else being too emotionally constipated to talk to each other)

I cannot express to you how fucking frustrated I am by the communication being compromised bc of the fucking dai li bc ykw??? it’s such an incredible plot point by you since it is 100% in character for the dai li to interrupt messages bUT I HATE IT SO MUCH I’m literally going to have the time of my life when Somebody finally gets a clue about what’s going on

lmao katara something really did happen after you left but lucky for you it was a good thing!! and a bad thing bc everything always goes to shit but oh wellllll

katara you moron why did you tell them you’re leaving T-T

uh yeah no I can promise you jet is anything BUT bored jet is scheming jet is raging jet is challenging firebenders to duals he can’t win JET IS MAKING FRIENDS (well one friend and he doesn’t want to admit they’re friends but reho still counts)

oh fuck. jet you’ve really done it now.

BUT ALSO I FUCKING CALLED IT I KNEW ZUKO WOULD LEAVE JUST IN TIME IM SCREAMING THE STARS ARE ALIGNING THE PLOT US UNFOLDING THE DAI LIS PLANS ARE RUINED

oh hakoda I love how smart you are we really need a good tactician and here you are saving the day <3

also quon is a fuckinf asshole I hope he gets decked at some point xx (but it’s kinda a slay too that he just has so much audacity like it’s honestly lowkey impressive ngl)

yes bato act dumb and pretty we fully support lying and trickery in this household

also I’m placing my bets on zuko returning at the most inconvenient time in the most dramatic way possible fyi (and I’m going to eat it up bc I live for dramatic zuko)

uh yeah jet bby you’re definitely ashamed of what you did hate to break it to you HOWEVER I really do get why jet did do what he did bc he’s traumatised and also a teenager and so he was never going to think maturely and rationally (which like yes obvi that means he caused the problem BUT ALSO it’s not his fault he’s problematic) I just really need him to get some therapy dude

OKAY can I just say I love you showing toph as being affectionate outside of playful physical aggression?? it’s been ages since I’ve read a fic where toph has shown some form of affection that hasn’t been a punch in the arm! and I feel like that’s so important bc in the show most of the female characters are insanely talented in the art of combat and so often they then get reduce to Just being aggressive (like toph) or being overly emotional (like katara which is super ironic considering the ember island players tragic performance and how that was supposed to actively argue against katara being so one dimensional) WHEN REALLY they ARE BOTH tough and have feelings bc they’re literally human beings

yeah I have many opinions oops

I FEEL SO VINDICATED I LOVE YOU KATARA AND YOUR BIG SMART BRAIN she’s such a good actor my heart is squeezing in satisfaction oh lordy

shit. appa. fuck. goddamnit. REALLY?

omg this is so not gonna happen but imagine if zuko turned up in ba sing se and then all communication Issues are solved and he can help find appa like in the show :D

well not all communication issues but a fuck ton of them

YES RASU he’s such an icon I actually love him with my whole entire heart my flirty baby boy

lmao zuko had a crush on rasu

same.

shit. idk why but it’s so jarring to have be explicitly said that zukos death (even tho it’s fake news) is a casualty of war. like OBVIOUSLY but to have it put so bluntly is like damn. it’s like as a casualty of war, it matters fuck all that he was a prince or why he was hunting the avatar and everything that made (makes) him integral to the war effort bc in reality he really just is another kid who died in the war. and then THAT just makes you think, yeah he’s not all that special because the horrific reality is that so many people were casualties of the war and while they’re anonymous numbers on a large scale, in life they Mattered and now it’s all for naught. jesus crispy sreedie you’ve really got me grieving

FUCK YEHA QUON IS SUCH AN ASSHOLE HES DISMISSING JETS INTEL ALL BY HIMSELF THIS IS A WIN TEAM

sokkaaaa now is not the time to be bad at readying facial cues T-T

aang has so much more emotional maturity than people give him credit for fr. like there’s no way in hell I would’ve been able to regulate my emotions half as well as aang when I was 12 even WITHOUT factoring in the genocide of his nation

holy shit reho DESERVES SO MUCH FUCKING LOVE I WILL PERSONALLY FIGHT EVERYONE WHO DARES TO INSULT HIM AFTER THIS

also he’s so fucking wise “evil people don’t only belong to one nation, they are everywhere” LIKE PREACH they really fucking are war provides a platform for the worst people to shine

real talk if shen dies I’m gonna be devastated

ohoho nice like fic name drop right here

omg not zuko popping up at the MOST convenient time in the least dramatic way possible??? shocked but also not surprised bc it’s making perfect sense narrative wise

wheezing at zuko being consistently unpredictable bc ykw the only reason nobody can figure out what he’s planning is bc my boy simply does not have one!! ever!! and it’s legend behaviour actually I think it might be the reason he’s my fav character

okay okay okay at least sokka and zuko have bato with them for child wrangling purposes bc they need an adult. but oh no hakoda is aloooone

zuko you dumbass motherfucker did you just SURRENDER YOURSELF

ykw I take back what I said about him never having a plan being my fav thing about him I have come to my senses and have reconsidered.

ZUKKA KISS??? it’s tragic.

it’s so fucked up that ara and sokka are gonna become friends again bc their bfs got taken hostage but I’m here for it

HOLY FUCK SHIT YEAH SUKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

MAI AND TY-LEE OMG MY GIRLS ALL MY GIRLS ARE COMING ITS HAPPENING ITS NOT A DRILL OMG SREEDIE YOU DONT UNDERSTAND IM GOING FERAL

A Z U L A

okay so obviously appa is under lake lagoli right

and yes I’m very relieved that shen and zuko are together at least BC NOW WE CAN GET SOME MORE QUALITY BANTER AND THATS ENOUGH COMPENSATION FOR THE TRAUMA RIGHT

RIGHT??

reunion soon :3

anyways why did I think this would actually end okay with zukka and bato off frolicking to ba sing se?? how am I that delusional?? it’s like I don’t know you

I HOPE YOU TAKE A REFRESHING NAP AND RECOVER FROM THIS DOOZY OF A FINALE BUT ALSO I AM WAITING IN ANXIOUS ANTICIPATION FOR THE NEXT BOOK ITS GOING TO BE THE LONGEST AND MOST HORRIFIC JOURNEY TO A ZUKKA REUNION EVER AND I CANNOT WAIT also bc you don’t write zuko pov that means we’re gonna get a lot more shen pov?? which I think will be really fun so that’s exciting too

LOVE YOU TO BITS AND PIECES

leekie <3

OH MY GOSH, if you keep flirting with me we might just have to tear up our divorce papers and move in together.

Hahah Hakoda’s reaction to the watchtower is exactly how I envisioned it. Sarcastic & pretend shock lol.

Katara’s honesty is finally catching up with her, getting her in trouble with the Dai Li that is. But she is a strong girl and she can hold her own, I know she’ll be ok!

Ok I love that you brought up toph because sometimes I feel like fics make her out to be a lie detecting, punching, sarcastic person and just leave it at that. But she is so much more than that, all the female characters are! I hope I can do them justice.

Zuko does have a plan!!! “Don’t let Sokka get hurt” - that’s it, that’s the plan. Haha.

I hope Shen doesn’t die… but also, I can’t make any promises.

SUKI IS ON THE WAY TO HELP SOKKA!!! & azula is on the way to bomb him lol.

Im sure it’ll be fine, I love you! You’re amazing. But I also hate you because we are divorced and GRRRRRRR, but secretly we’re still hooking up and it pretty obvious but shhhh don’t tell anyone. ;)

:D

#I’m sorry I didn’t respond to every point #but I picked my favorites #Shen is a dick #but we do get more of him in the next series #super excited to get that part going #I mean I have #but we are SO CLOSE to the reunions #it’s scary haha #I love you leekie #I’m happy you liked the last part #& ahhhhh your brain is so beautiful #I wanna pop open your skull and kiss your brain #keep being you #even if we aren’t married anymore #we are still in love #we both know it #MWAH MWAH MWAHHHHH #don’t be a stranger #come back soon #*waits patiently* #leekie tag #leekie my ex wife #or… ex…. husband? #I’m not sure our gender roles #liab #ria #ask

[xoxodestany]

when i’m listening to i was all over her by salvia path on repeat, no one talk to me.

#salvia path #sad core #help #hell is a teenage girl #i was all over her #stress #grades #im crying #cry for help #don’t be a stranger #sad quotes #sad girl #lana del slay #lana del ray #couqette #coquette #pretty in pink #adventure #tumblr #tumblr girls #dying

[xoxxjk]

Hello beautiful? How is Canada? Lol I’m tryna escape the US

Hey sweetness! why don’t you come find out? 😋 compared to the US, its kinda nice out here lol

#anon #so sweet #youre too cute #and made my day #don’t be a stranger #answered

[slfcare]

this blog's color scheme reminds me of clay like for a face mask at a spa. v relaxing <3

ah really?! I’ve never been to a spa before but that’s so cute, especially for a blog named after the word ‘selfcare’ :)

#don’t be a stranger #all my love

[littlemisslipbalm]

You’re my fav Greta writer on tumblr also I love all the nods to phoebe/boygenius in your fics…….. also I secretly think we are soulmates

Ummmmm hiiiiii ??? This means so much bc if you know me I’m so hard on myself so thank you! But also, phoebe and boygenius —those are some of my primary loves. I was a phoebe girl before all of this so thank you, I can’t help but include her (there’s a fic that I haven’t finished that is heavily influenced by her so that’s wild that you mentioned this!)

Soulmates you say ?

#don’t be a stranger #Abi replies #I always forget what my tag is for asks #Abi answers #? maybe

[trashmouth-richie]

We don’t know one another well so Imma sit on anon for this. I’m sorry for what’s going on and your feeling are valid. HIH is honestly one of my favorite series and I know that one chapter in particular had to be hard to put out there. And I’m sure people were assholes about it bc people are, well, assholes for no reason sometimes. I like the chapter. You gave us heavy warning before hand and it furthers the story. It’s hard not to worry and put pressure on yourself when writing a series esp one people love but the most important thing is you. Your mental health. The way you write the story is the way you write the story, and I completely understand the feeling of wanting people to like the chapter. But again the important thing is you. I think your writing is amazing and I think you’re amazing 🖤 and thank you for the content of our collective metalhead bf

I would love to get to know you well, pls jump into my DM’s I stg I’m just a normal loser.

Your words are so very kind to me I appreciate it. Mental health is such a slippery slope. I feel okay some days but others I am not. I’m glad that you enjoy the series it truly means so much to me that people like the dumb shit I write. ❤️🤗

#don’t be a stranger