XVI

REGULATIONS

This blog is completely sfw, with a portion of the writings deviating towards mildly dark, suggestive, and triggering content.

Fanfiction pairings are F/M.

As I am a college student, updates are rather slow, so please no asks about rushing me! :(

Surely, it's because of the Spring Festival. It encouraged students to wear clothes other than their school uniform, it didn't matter what, as it was a time of cordial events, programs, games, and a fireworks show.

He and [Name] weren't keen on dressing up. As they were raised in a traditional household, they decided to take out their usual apparel from when their family was still wealthy.

He didn't expect the attention on [Name] to be this ridiculously big, though.

Was letting his sister visit his classroom a bad idea? He didn't think so, since she looked very happy fitting in the theme of their traditional cafe, serving visitors with a charming grin that had some falling to the floor with a lovestruck gaze.

He wished he was kidding, but he knew [Name] had that effect.

So what was his role? Well, he took to 'guarding' and 'welcoming' guests at the threshold of the classroom, a faux sword strapped to his obi.

“Thank you for your time,” he dipped his head in gratitude after waving off a pair of giggling girls that fussed over how the Kaedeharas fit the theme so well, one of them going as far as to blow him a kiss.

He smiled, half awkward and half flustered, waving as he fumbled with the guard of his sword.

“That's [Name], right? She's so pretty.”

His ears perked, but he didn't give them the time of day, playing oblivious as a group of boys passed his way, walking suspiciously slow, ducking their heads and peering through the windows.

“Hey, hey, I didn't know she looked this pretty. Hah, what about we...”

His brows furrowed.

Now, it wasn't as if he hadn't heard one or too many compliments about his older sister, he respected that. But when those whispers became a tad.. unprincipled, for a lack of a better word, he had to step in.

The group of boys was snickering, pushing each other around, and stalking closer to the entrance to the classroom. He leaned off the wall just as they were about to open the door.

“Heh, yeah, let's go and-”

“I'm afraid our tables are full, good sirs,” he quipped, cutting them off. “You may have to return a little while later.”

“Eh, no it's alright, we'll wait inside.”

He smiled. “That'd disrupt our servers, please leave and return at a later time.”

“Nah, we insist! We'd even help serve-” vermillion eyes snapped towards the hand that reached the sliding door, and he grasped the student's wrist with prompt attention, his smile tight.

“Leave.” his thumb pushed the guard of his sword from its scabbard, faux metal catching a bright scintilla from the sun, making them yelp. “Please.”

“Okay, okay! Geez..” with frowns and disappointed looks on their faces, they pull themselves away from the door and leave, hands in their pockets, nudging each other by the elbows.

Kazuha's shoulders sagged, breathing in relief. He heard a lot of things, not many were good good, but he managed. Filtering through them was a breeze, but not if it was against any of his friends or family.

The door opened behind him and [Name] popped out, looking bewildered. “I thought I heard some voices, did potential customers leave? We have a free table at the corner..”

Kazuha turned to her. He wouldn't interfere with his sister's social life throughout—he knew her classmate Ayato was interested—, but he wasn't going to have anyone with remotely dastardly intentions come close.

“Nee-san,” he smiled, “it's fine. They'll come back later. Is your shift done? You want to play, right? I think the games at the booths are open now.”

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— Neuvilette

Lo and behold, Hydro's Hearthleader in the very flesh.

A long, long time ago, according to accounts of the Hearthleaders, Hydro's authority had complications that led to the title being passed on to one after the other. Rumors even mentioned fraudulence and 'false' titles, who knew it had such a controversy?

Nevertheless, the past was the past, and all had been settled now. Kokomi mentioned that the issue was resolved a term before you arrived at the Academy, what are the odds!

Now, being the newest face around Septem meant being polite, so after your Potioneering class and after scrubbing away the residue of Lampgrass dew from your vest, you made a beeline to welcome the returning students along with Lumine and Aether.

Hydro's Hearthleader wasn't there, however, having reported to the Headmaster as soon as he arrived. Far from being chagrined, you make formal introductions with everyone else after an embarrassing trip down the stairs.

Your first official meeting with the one and only was during the Hearthleader's Assembly, a time of discussion over the next events, competitions, charity programs, festivals, and the whole shebang that takes place at the start of each semester.

Since there's no Hearthleader for the Nulls, Aether and Lumine take turns in attending; and since your enrollment, this happened to be your first Assembly.

Familiar faces you've gotten to know calmed your nerves, being in good standing with everyone else but that man who stared you down with inquisitive eyes.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss [Name]. I am Neuvilette, Hearthleader of Hydro, I've heard wonders about you, and I look forward to your presence in the Academy. Should you be in need of any assistance, or have been wronged by anyone, I implore you to seek me.”

Long silver hair with streaks of aqua, a passive expression on his features, a walking cane that screamed luxury, and a cloak that billowed like the current—if you thought Ayato had an imposing aura as Hearthmaster, then you were terribly wrong.

Hearthleader Neuvilette appeared to be a man of a few words, his gaze oft inexplicable as he firmly shook your hand after giving it a thoughtful look. You thought you were a moment away from interrogation, but he only turned your hand over and kissed its back. Wha-?

You could manifest a question/exclamation mark out of your head at the gesture, Hearth Hydro's chivalry flying off the charts and rendering you speechless. Ayato, he did it with some sort of 'gentleman cunning' if that was even a word pair, Xingqiu did it out of sincerity, Childe was more playful with it, and Dottore—well, that man was peculiar. [He was misplaced and transferred to a different Hearth.]

You didn't expect this tall, handsome, intimidating Hearthleader to do the same. But then again, with a position like his, he was meant to embody what his Hearth represented, right? You shouldn't have been so shocked.

Throughout the Assembly, however, the awe remained. He even his tea, saying it was only right to extend good tidings to the newest student in Septem. He barely smiled, but his eyes were—well, they were softer than you realized.

He even apologized on behalf of his Hearthmates 'in case they did anything to offend you', which got you shaking your head wildly and responding that they were most courteous. Childe was more of a playful menace, but you omitted that part. And ooooh boy, with the subtly proud look he wore on his face brought about by your answer, you didn't dare say anything about Childe's flirtations.

Huh! Perhaps the man wasn't so bad after all. In fact, he was mellow. You realized that the air around him and Zhongli was a little tense though, and not in the good sense. Thankfully, they were composed and tolerant of one another—but you couldn't shake off the feeling that they had issues running deeply that they didn't want to address. At least not of late. Oh well.

The long-standing tradition of Hearth Hydro's invitation for tea parties ensued. With their Hearthleader back in their ranks alongside other returning students, the long winding table in their great hall was finally complete. Insert a couple of chairs for you—and Aether and Lumine whenever they join in—and everything was solid.

Hearthleader Neuvilette's return also had a significant impact on the rest of the Hearths, mainly Hearth Dendro's residents... and particularly Kaveh, who showed a bit more restraint when contending with Childe. Their rivalries didn't disperse into thin air, no, but it became a tad 'quieter'. That alone was quite alarming, but the ladies in Hearth Hydro said that it was frankly normal; with Neuvilette back in the picture, the Student Council's Iudex was basically in his seat again.

No wonder everyone's rowdiness suddenly got tamer.

Being a Hearthleader and the Iudex—practically accounting for as the Head of the Student Council—commanded authority. You heard that it was previously Zhongli, but he has long since stepped down. While Zhongli managed with more order along with lax but well-managed funding for events and programs, Neuvilette was more of an adjudicator, valuing justice and equality.

Reading the records of his just governance made you gulp. Really? That same guy who personally pulled your chair for you to sit? Who permits you to have the first sip of tea during his tea party even when his Hearthmades say that he's never done that before?

It was common courtesy! Common courtesy, yes!

“Since Hearthleader came back, those Dendro know-it-alls can barely do anything during our debates during Incantations class, hah!” “Are you implying that you've both gone overboard with your Incantations when I was absent, Childe?” “Wha- hey now, I didn't mean it like that... Hearthmaster was with me the whole time.” “You don't want to tempt our Hearthleader, Ajax. Do you recall the last time you provoked them? We had to disturb Sigewinne from her shift in the infirmary.” “You speak as if you weren't a part of it, Hearthmaster.” “Now, where'd you get that idea, lady Mona?” “Well, the past is the past. Whatever happened, I'm certain you were all responsible enough to handle the consequences. Let us begin the tea party—.. where is lady Furina?” “I believe lady Barbara was last with her.” “Oh! I, um- I have slipped up; I accidentally told her that since she wasn't here for the Theater Program that was being planned for the public, Hearth Pyro had to take the spot. I think she's contending for the main role...” Ding! “Was that yours, lady Kokomi?” “Yes, I just received a message from Furina.. she says to come and help her because the casting director put her on a list, and the temporary manager for the Theater is Madame Arlecchino...” “... This tea party is paused.”

— Wriothesley, Freminet

You did not want to admit it nor did you want to condemn the sweet guy, but perhaps lounging about Hearth Pyro's dorm had Bennett's catastrophic bad luck rubbing off on you.

Recently, you had a bout of stumbling into unfavorable circumstances that inevitably led to tons of false accusations. Of course, your innocence was easily proven given you had alibis and witnesses. But this time- ohoho, no.

It had been a relatively nice afterlunch and you were just about to head into the library for an arranged study group with Candace and the rest of Hearth Hydro's ladies when you chanced upon a waddling mechanical.. penguin? It had cute tiny gears for eyes and a winding key attached to its back.

You would coo—but that was if it didn't have a sword and buckler on and was terrorizing a frantic Itto and Gorou out of Ingenuity class. Thinking quickly on your feet, you cast a minor Cryo spell that froze the penguin's mechanical feet so it couldn't continue chasing after its victims. Then, you moved to pry the sword and buckler—but it was at this exact time that a cough came from the back.

Heizou and another student who looked far gruffer than expected looked on with equal parts amusement and disbelief. You only saw the latter in passing since he was a part of the last returning batch of students, but he had sped away to some office before you could get to him that day.

You did not think this would be how you'd officially meet him!

“Um.. good afternoon.” great, what a way to imply that you were not the perpetrator of chaos nor the inventor of a killing machine.

“Good afternoon, indeed.” Heizou mused, and the man beside him clicked his tongue with a shake of his head.

“I know you, miss [Name]. I need you to come with me though,”

There was a sound of metallic clinking and—hold on, were those handcuffs?!

“We can discuss this situation in a civilized manner in my office, yeah?”

Although Heizou promised that he'd do his best to investigate the situation with Cyno since you weren't the kind of person to have an incentive to end someone's life, you were far too restless sitting in what you could only assume was some kind of interrogation room.

What on Teyvat—the fact that such a place even existed was beyond you! What were the odds that this location was underneath the Academy? It felt like descending into a completely different environment; what with all the machines and metal that gave off a steampunk feel.

The man in front of you was fixing his cufflinks, unbothered by your presence. Wriothesley was his name, part of Hearth Cryo, and the Warden of the Student Council. Specifically the head of SC's Discipline Committee.

Septem's higher-ups loved designating lots of managerial roles to their students, huh? But well, you understood why; Vision-holders were preconceived to take on a majority of roles in their nations' government once they graduate, so this was some kind of field training for them!

.. Why did he have to go the extra mile and carry some handcuffs, though? And can a man look so stern and give off such a relaxed vibe? Somehow, he reminded you of a Hearthleader you met just recently.

Surprisingly, when the talk began, Wriothesley reassured that he wouldn't harm you—the handcuffs were just there to make sure you wouldn't be doing the harming. It was funny, you don't think you could even make a dent in his muscular—yeah...

He was also very accommodating?? Serving you tea and biscuits as if you weren't bound and were the primary suspect of a potential campus homicide. It wasn't true, of course, but still; if there were actual bad people that found themselves underneath the Academy, was he always this cordial?

Ah, well, he did say he liked things civilized. When Heizou and Cyno—who joined in on the investigation—entered the room and clarified that you were, in fact, innocent, Wriothesley was quick to offer his apologies... even sliding a few coupons he whispered gave a huge discount in Fontaine's restaurants.

“I certainly do apologize. I had to take precautionary measures. It eases me that Neuvilette's insight was true, though; you do come off as a good woman that likes to behave.”

ASDFGHJKL?? Boy, why was he smiling?

“I'm so sorry I dragged you into my mess... I shouldn't have left Thelxie alone when he was already malfunctioning. I ran off to get the tools I needed, but.. huh? You forgive me?”

A shy and downcasted student distracted you from Wriothesley's statement, and your attention was thrown off. The creator of the dangerous penguin machine was a guy who didn't even look to have any malicious intent. It was a misunderstanding with a dash of improper management and impairment.

He was carrying the recently tinkered penguin in his arms, which was free from its weapon and shield, and now that it was harmless, it looked cute.

The student shyly introduced himself as Freminet, and you recognized him as one of the boys that stood at the far back of the group when they returned a few weeks ago, willing himself to be invisible. He was Lyney's younger brother if you weren't mistaken. It was so amazing how siblings could be so vastly different in personalities.

Freminet was kind enough—or perhaps he did it because he was kicking himself over his blunder—to escort you out of the 'Fortress', leading the way back to the upper levels and to the ground floor of the Academy. He didn't say a word the entire while.

When all was over, he bowed his head and sped off. Feeling sorry for him, you didn't give chase. The guy felt so bad, you couldn't even be mad for today's fortune.

But since that day, little trinkets would appear on your desk during Ingenuity class. You never got to see who left them there, but judging by the waddling mechanical penguin you spotted trying to escape the door one day... you had a feeling you knew who it came from.

Wriothesley had a knack for 'apprehending' misfits, and you only later learned that there was an apparent reason for his calculated 'hunts'. Hearth Cryo, in their weekly gatherings bundled around the fireplace, liked to chat about a lot of things going on in the Academy.

They didn't mean anything bad, really, but the Hearthmembers were keen on observing, opting out of any outward actions unless the situation required their intervention. So of course, the only outlet for such a bundle of news—read: 'innocent' gossip—was during their get-togethers.

It was a den of information—and daresay, you wouldn't forget the time you were invited for a sleep-over and got a firsthand experience of Hearth Cryo's scary number of observations.

You reminded yourself not to look stupid whenever any of them were nearby.

“The windows are broken in Elementals Class again, and it had just been repaired last week... it gets tiresome to look out for the perpetrator... I often fall asleep..” “Elementals... supernatural entities can harm physical entities, so perhaps-?” “I don't think ghosts are the issue, Chongyun. But I do have an idea... hm, do you recall that bottle we saw underneath the table, Charlotte?” “Yes, yes, sir Kaeya! I took a photo of the room for documentation to send to the Student Council. It was a wine bottle!” “Oh.. I also saw a wine bottle tucked in one of the drawers in Ingenuity Class.” “Ingenuity Class? Duly noted, Freminet.” “Alcohol consumption is forbidden on school grounds so that clearly violates one of the terms in the student handbook.” “Such irresponsibility.. not to mention the lack of accountability. Vengeance will come upon them, surely. Tsk. Are rules not being reinforced enough?” “Precisely, miss Ganyu, Eula. That is why it is only right to search for said students and have them come in for a little questioning, perhaps also give them a due punishment. It's only right that we stand by the given order.” “.. That wouldn't be easy, right? There are so many s-students in Septem, and this has already been going on for so long..” “Yes, but it isn't impossible, Mika, after all..” “Wait, hold on, has anyone seen Rosaria?” “Oh, miss Ayaka, worry not. She's scoping out the potential rulebreakers as we speak.”

— Lyney, Gaming

You remembered the day you rushed out of Potioneering class to greet the returning students—and now that you're actually going down memory lane, your attempt at decorum was met half-heartedly midway. By the time you arrive at the front gates, most of them have already gone off to their own agendas.

The only ones there were a pair of boys that goofed around with one another, and another shy-looking one with a quiet girl. It was such an embarrassing introduction, really. In your delight, you may have hurried down the steps a little too fast... and ended up tripping and stumbling on your way down.

Your shriek took their attention, and the guy nearest to the stairs was quick enough to catch you.

Safe to say, you went back to your dorm that day unable to talk to Aether and Lumine, opting to flop onto your bed, red face first.

Since then, meeting those boys would always trigger that moment in your head and you'd scramble or shy away against your better judgment. It took a long while before you were able to talk to them without feeling like you wanted to throw yourself out the window.

Before that instance, they took it upon themselves to approach—sometimes corner—you for a stroll outside the Academy. They expended such a ridiculous amount of energy that you thought you spent a decade's worth of magic reserve.

Students in Hearth Pyro were no joke.

“Woah there! Glad I caught ya, you're fine, right? Better in my arms than the ground. Trust me... it sucks.”

Gaming was the one that caught you that day, a relieved laugh escaping his lips as he held you in such a way that looked as if he dipped you in a dance, it was humiliating. He didn't tease you or anything, though, bless his good heart.

Very extroverted much like his hearthmates, he blatantly called you over to sit with him in the cafeteria one afternoon. It wouldn't be a problem if he hadn't called from across the place and every head had turned to look at the two of you. Quick steps led you to the table he shared with Xiangling, Hu Tao, Xingiu, and Chongyun, with the Cryo student looking empathetic.

Now, being with Gaming didn't spell tons of embarrassing moments, of course. If there was a student popularity ranking in the Academy—you heard there was one a long time ago, but that got scrapped because certain people got competitive..—Gaming probably would've gotten the lead, or he would've tied with either Lumine or Aether.

Everyone knew the guy! Apparently, it was because he acted as the bridge to the Academy and Teyvat, escorting civilians in and out of Septem for respective visits. Sometimes, he worked alongside Kirara from Hearth Dendro, who handled the delivery of tiny parcels and souvenirs to and fro.

Boy, the energy he had was endless! Students coming from Hearth Pyro had this uncanny ability to mingle with other Hearths and not get tired; Gaming was the same, but he was taking it up a notch when even the professors adored him.

One time, he was showing you the ropes of Wushu Dancing when he tripped over a prop and ended up stumbling over you to the floor with his huge dragon head prop and all. Needless to say, Charlotte and Childe chanced upon you at the wrong time, and.. well, it was a hassle to dispel whatever rumor and gossip sprung then.

“What a stroke of luck that was, wasn't it, miss [Name]? Oh dear, you must've been frightened, here you are, a little magic to distract you~ Tada! A rose!”

This Academy wasn't so strict with its uniform policy, you realized. So long as they wore the standard fit with either the vest or the blazer, they could add whatever flair they wanted. And Lyney, well, he wore a top hat, selling the point of a charming magician quite well with his twin sister Lynette.

You never forgot the way he mischievously leaned over when Gaming had caught you in your first meeting, rubbing his chin and musing about 'a maiden having fallen from the steps of heaven'. It was flustering because he wasn't entirely off; the corridor you went from previously led to the Mirror Court, where the entire environment was the very sky.

Some days, you wondered if Lyney was misplaced like Dottore was. With how he was acting, it felt like he belonged in Hearth Hydro. He wasn't a student who actively exhibited an interest in rivalries, but you learned that his smile served well in magic shows as it did with passive-aggressive goading. He liked playing innocent.

This guy also loved leaving roses on your desk. The first time it happened, you mistook it as something that came from Ayato or anyone from Hearth Hydro [the men there had a tradition of giving flowers to women]. They didn't really give red roses, but still.

Long story short, Lyney bounded up to you after class with Lynette and Freminet in tow looking so excited, only to have his eye twitch when you spoke about your due thanks to someone from Hearth Hydro.

He got so melodramatic over it that he reasoned the only way to make up for punching his heart was to—surprise surprise! Go see a movie with him on the weekend. You didn't have any problems with it—but you didn't know he meant it as going outside the Academy, to a mall. When certain people heard of it, well... suddenly there were other invites to the movies, too.

There was never a lonely day in Hearth Pyro, and the arrival of the rest of its members seemed as though everyone got twice as exuberant in their day-to-day activities. Alternatively, it also meant a lot more managing from Dehya and Diluc.

Lyney and Gaming offered another layer of elation and intensity in the Hearth's hosted events for Septem, and both had audiences even outside Septem Academy. They have tons of followers on their social media that they could almost pose as celebrity students, especially Lyney, Yoimiya, Xinyan, and Diluc. Hu Tao was also famous but.. for a completely different reason.

Anyway, Hearth Pyro was hosting a Theater Program that keyed on Romeo and Juliet, with musical scores and scenes held in collaboration with Yunjin from Hearth Geo. Anything theatrical was often hosted by Hearth Hydro, but given that Furina wasn't present in the making, the duty fell upon the hyperactive, exuberant group in the Academy. Amber invited you to sit in on their casting discussion, but never thought you'd actually get roped in the production process...

“Where's Amber? Oh, and Yanfei?” “Amber's fetching [Name]. Yanfei is passing on the documents for estimated expenses and all the jazz for this Program we're hosting.. say, lemme help ya with that, Diluc.” “No need, Dehya. It's fine—where's Bennett?” CRASH! “I'm here!” “Oooh, [Name]'s coming, is she? Are Aether and Lumine coming with?” “I don't think they're going to come knowing how you pulled them into one of your advertisements for your funeral service business, Hu Tao...” “Teehee!” “Chevruse, do you have prospects for our lead roles? Miss Arlecchino waits for the list. She appears quite fond of this play.” “Ah, Thoma. Lyney here was very vocal about wanting to try something new outside his magical shows, but he'll still have to audition for the role along with Venti, Xingqiu, Kaeya, and Ayato.” “Sir Kaeya and the Hearthmaster Ayato? How- well, the compensation for the lead roles is pretty big.” “I'm just as confused and weirdly excited, Xiangling.” “Hey.. sir Kaeya's trying out. Diluc, don't cha want to try and audition for Romeo, too-” “M'afraid not, Xinyan.” “Lyney's only choosing to audition because he made a bet with Lynette and lost. It wouldn't hurt if [Name] gets to be Juliet, though, right?” “Gaming, my friend, what's got you assuming? Ahaha...” “Hold on, why are there so many prospects, anyway? The last time a Theater Program was held, no one was this interested in acting. What gives?” “Huh? I thought Yoimiya and Hu Tao said that they got [Name]'s consent to be Juliet. Wasn't that why Amber was getting her?” “WHAT?” “Thoma, you ratted us out! D:” “I- I didn't know that they didn't know!”

a/n