dervkurt

Flat shading, without anything removed.

Standard shading, without anything removed.

Flat shading, without cloak or shoulderpiece.

Standard shading, without cloak or shoulderpiece.

If you have any suggestions/requests, I take those as well!

you take xiao to applebee's after a rough day of trying to convince him to do so. you had to practically beg him, saying applebee's didn't have any bees, just food. he asks what kind of food. you say food he's never even thought of. that does not quell his worries at all

he has never heard of applebee's in his long lifetime. that is to be expected, as applebee's is sadly not in teyvat. you have to go there in a dream or some shit because applebee's is yet to be constructed in teyvat

so here you are now, 'friends' if you can even call each other that. he's terrible at expressing emotions, but maybe that's why you're so attached to him. that's why you picked applebee's, because you knew he needed a change of pace. you'd known him for what is a speck of his life, but what feels to be forever in yours

he's shy, cold, arrogant, angsty. he pushes you away at every opportunity, but still, you stick around him. that probably annoys him, you think, but whatever. the conqueror of demons simply cannot miss out on conquering this applebee's

you gently guide him into the applebee's and the thick smell of steak and oil washes over you. he scrunches his nose in what you think is disgust and you cast him a knowing glance. "it tastes really good, i wouldn't have picked it otherwise"

"mortals are so... unpredictable," he hisses, and you nod.

xiao glares at you through narrowed eyes as you walk him over to the receptionist or whatever. he's tense, so tense that you wish you'd taken him to a bath and body works instead. maybe you'll take him there next time.

you ramble off your order and he sits there like a deer in the headlights. when you finish your order, you cast him a glance. "xiao?" your voice is quiet, uneven, tense. he simply grunts in response. "fuck it, we'll just share a meal, thanks"

you lead him to a table, away from the crowd that you could've sworn just plopped into existence (just author things). he sits across from you, the table a feeble bering land bridge on the verge of being covered by ocean and separating you two fully, a glare written across your face.

"i don't know what this is all about, but it better be good," he hisses. "i don't have time to indulge in mortal pleasures"

"yet here you are." you sigh and note down how tense his posture is. really, dude? this is an applebee's. loosen up.

you can't just sit there with your arms crossed like that, you protest silently in your mind. dude, please, the waiter's coming.

and just like that, there's platters of food. applebee's specialties. you catch a glimpse of his eyes widening, but just like that, it's over in an instant. you dig right into those fuckers as he watches on in silence

"what... is this..." he mutters. the feast before the adeptus is apparently unsettling to him.

"applebee's." you grab a lemon, squeeze it onto a crispy piece of shrimp, and point it at him. "i want you to enjoy this, xiao, but-"

he snatches the shrimp from your hands and just like that, it's gone. he's eaten it. thank fuck, you were worried the man was going to watch you eat the platters of food all by yourself. he averts his gaze and rests his chin on his gloved hand, brow knitted.

"was it... good?" you ask softly. his eyes snap to yours and you nearly died right then and there because of how intense his gaze is

"yes." sharp, blunt, he's planted a knife into your heart, and oh boy does it feel good. you push the platter of shrimps to him and he wastes no time in getting to them

"wait-" he freezes, shrimp inches from his mouth, and what could be annoyance paints his face. you point at the lemon and a look of realization dawns on your face. "uh... they taste good with lemon on them. that's how i eat them anyways. you can dip them in whatever the fuck you want and they'd probably taste good"

"hm, i see."

it's a long while before you near the end of the platters. your heart is beating, fast and hard, and you have to fight against the urge to just. stare at him. god, he's so pretty. what the fuck. your heart must've been a demon because fuck did he conquer that. you just wanna lace your fingers with his and tell him it'll be alright, applebee's is free in dreams, you're beautiful, dude.

when the last of the food is gone, you lean back into the booth's comfortable backing, and pray your cheeks aren't as flushed as you think they are. god, it's so embarrassing, you don't ever want to wake up or leave the applebee's. it's too perfect. he's too perfect.

and so, your breath catches in your throat and you sigh. he darts his eyes up and you fight back a smile. "i... really enjoyed today," you choke out. "i hope this was a good way to spend time in the mortal world. i really do hope teyvat gets a chain of applebee's and soon."

he pauses, thinking. you suddenly feel small in your place and want to shrivel up and die. god, the things this angsty man does to you. "me too. it... was good, but do not think this will become routine."

"i don't think i could take anyone else to applebee's." the words fall out of your mouth and his shift in expression is the only thing that makes you aware you even said that

"you... i don't see what you mean."

you want to disappear from the face of the applebee's. he's eyeing you now with a look of confusion? hostility?

"i mean that you're probably the only one i'd enjoy eating applebee's with. or... uh, at any place for that matter. i... it's hard to explain."

god your body is flushed with embarrassment. you're going to have to go into exile after this one. he stares at you and closes his eyes and ponders. "i see. you're the one who drags me away from my duties. it can't be helped."

you stare at him, unblinking. "uh...?"

Standard shading.

If you have any suggestions/requests, I take those as well!

With mantle, standard shading.

Without mantle, flat shading.

Without mantle, standard shading.

If you have any suggestions/requests, I take those as well!