Archived

@visionbled

As Zhongli stepped out of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, finished with his work, he strolled down the main street of Liyue amidst the still-working street vendors peddling their wares, and of course the ever tireless Millelith guards patrolling the surroundings. A whole year had come to pass, and Liyue continues to remain a beautiful harbor city. Just as he and Guizhong had envisioned millennia ago.

And that also meant he was yet another year older. Ah...his own age was but a number to him at this point. Frankly, as long as he could be able to enjoy his day today, he did not really have much high expectations for this day. No things like a grand festival or even a holiday solely for this reason were necessary. With his work now finished, there was one thing he looked forward to: Lumine.

One could only imagine the small surprised look on Zhongli's face as she had once again prepared a nice birthday dinner for him at her Serenitea Pot. This time, there was also a small cake, adorned with sugar glaze lilies and a dragon design. Lumine never ceased to amaze Zhongli, and all he could do was pull her into a gentle embrace.

"Lumine, my love," he began with a gentle smile on his face, "I am...unsure of how to repay you this time. But trust me that I will in due time. I hope this will suffice for the time being." And with that, he pulled her into a kiss.

@visionbled

Lumine had asked Zhongli to meet her at Mondstadt for their holiday dinner, and of course he looked forward to seeing what she had come up with. Hu Tao had thankfully let him off early for the holiday, and he made the trek up to Mondstadt from Liyue in a day's time. Upon arrival, he smiled warmly at the city being just as bustling as Liyue was for this special occasion. It was nice to know that these people of freedom were truly living freely and happily like this, just as he himself wished to do...

Lumine waved at him from underneath one of the city's windmills, and he greeted her with a kiss and a hug, happy to see her here. She seemed very cheery and festive today, a bright smile on her face as she pulled out her Serenitea Pot. The pair were then transported into her home inside the pocket realm, and Zhongli was pleasantly surprised to see what she had prepared: a fabulous dinner for the two of them, complete with his own specialty.

"Ah, I see you have some slow-cooked stew for us," he noted with a smile and patted her head. "You've learned very well~" This alone Zhongli was already satisfied with, but Lumine had one more present in store for him. It was wrapped in shiny red paper and a silver ribbon, not too small in his hands. After Lumine urged him to open the gift, with the ribbon coming undone, he saw to his delight a beautiful glaze lily hair pin, sculpted and shaped from the finest noctilucous jade and glowing a brilliant hue of deep blue. A most pleasant surprise indeed, and Zhongli was taken aback at how Lumine had obtained something so beautiful.

"I...I am a little lost for words, love," the former Archon spoke. "But...please allow me to thank you by doing this." He then took the hair pin and placed it in Lumine's hair, making sure the flower was on full display on her head. "You truly are my most precious gem, my dear Lumine. It certainly suits you well," he said before leaning in to kiss her on the lips.

@pyrokissed

"Oho? A present for me? I wonder what it could be~?"

Childe was playing up his surprised reaction, but he genuinely was surprised to see that his junior had thought of bringing him a gift. Wrapped up in shiny dark blue wrapping paper and adorned with a silver ribbon, whatever was inside must be something of great value. He would be the judge of that, of course.

Childe tugged at one of the silver ribbon ends and undid the wrapping, revealing a shiny new Polar Star bow. It had a beautiful silver finish with blue gradient trimmings. On the front is a carefully crafted four-pointed star, in the same blue gradient as the rest of the bow. Elegant, intricate...and lethal...just like him. It was a perfect gift for the Fatui Harbinger, and Katerina was kind and thoughtful enough to gift him such a thing.

@lyriccl

Zhongli warmly welcomed Emma's cheek kiss and embraced her as well. He was certainly happy to see her, especially in this festive time of the year. The streets of Liyue were more crowded than usual as tourists flocked in from outside to take part in the festivities. Crowds of people that Emma could perform for, which was a good thing for her.

He was about to ask her why she wasn't performing for them now when he saw that she had brought him a gift: a gold necklace, fashioned with a similar design to his usual attire. Each link was woven into an intricate pattern, and it was made of very fine cor lapis and gold; it must've cost a pretty penny. As Emma placed it over his head and let it rest on his neck, Zhongli looked down at the necklace, shimmering in the light, and embraced Emma again.

“  Winter is so beautiful, don’t you think?  Sure, it’s a little colder than usual, but I think that makes for a good excuse to sit by the fire with hot chocolate.  It’s such a comfortable time of the year…  ”

Winter time had come once again...and that usually meant business at the Angels Share would pick up once again in the weeks leading up to the winter festivities. Typical Mondstadt.

Diluc would worry about that later. For now, he was kept company by Yuko who had come to the tavern early to see him. He let out a small grunt of approval as he went through his daily setup procedure and listened to what the lady had to say.

It’s officially Christmas season! Prepare to be spoiled.

“And leave all the fun with you? Come on now, Emma~ You can’t just leave me out of the fun~”

Kaeya,

Happy Birthday, my prince charming ♥ I know you hate the thought of working on your special day, but Jean told me you could finish come noon. Don't push yourself too hard, alright ? I'll be waiting to meet you at the place you proposed.

Love, Olivia.

P.S. I have an extra present for you to look forward to ♥

@constellaris

Another day, another set of problems to resolve for Cavalry Captain Kaeya. And by that, it meant finding something to do other than the usual patrols around Mondstadt to help out its citizens and investigate anything suspicious. Grand Master Varka had his work cut out for him in taking all the horses on his expedition, and this new routine he was made to take on was already wearing thin. At the least his marriage to his dear wife Olivia did away with much of the daily doldrums he faced. He was treated to a sumptuous breakfast this morning for his birthday before he went to work (unfortunately), so this day was off to a good start.

He returned to his office to pick up his belongings before heading to where he had asked Olivia to meet him. His eyes caught a neatly wrapped box on his desk, along with a handwritten note. His lips curled into a small smile as he read his wife's letter for his birthday, and he let out a chuckle as he opened the box saw what was inside. The small heart sewn at the wrist of these gloves looked very charming; only something Olivia could do for him.

What a beautiful looking flower, he thought to himself. He picked it up and examined it closer, admiring its vibrant contrasting colors and the faint fresh scent it gave off. There was no note accompanying this small gift, and he knew that none of the other Knights would have even thought to give him such a flower.