#collei

Freminet does not mind close physical contact with his loved one, but generally... simply sleeping facing one another, fingers intertwined and knees touching is enough for him. He may not fall asleep first. He'll likely be awake far longer than you will, watching you sleep with a tender gaze. He watches. Waits. Waits until he's sure nothing is going to happen to the two of you—only then does he fall asleep. Some mornings, you may wake up to him curled much closer to you than you remember him being before you fell asleep. He presses close in his unconsciousness, and he may stir a bit if you draw him closer, but he'll be quick to fall fully back asleep. Some mornings, he might be gone already.

Lynette, like her brothers, finds herself quite fond of being close to those she loves. She'll press close to you, a gentle rumble rising in her chest as she absorbs your warmth. Chances are, she'll either end up with her face pressed against your collar, or you'll end up with yours pressed against hers and with her arms wrapped securely around your upper body. She is much more like her twin in that she wants you as close as possible—she finds comfort in knowing that both of you are safe in one another's arms. However, she also is less likely to fall asleep first most nights. Her vigilance is admirable in many respects. She will not fall asleep until she knows for a fact that the two of you are secure, and she is quick to awaken if she senses something is wrong.

How Venti sleeps with his loved one is quite dependent on who is feeling what, and can generally vary. Some nights, he wants to be held by you, head pressed against your chest and arms and legs wrapped around your torso like a koala. A clingy koala, that is. Often times, he'll still be there when you awaken, kept asleep by the steady sound of your heartbeat. Other nights, he is more than happy to have your curled up in his lap against his chest as he hums a gentle tune, letting the calming melodies lull you to sleep. It is mornings after these sorts of nights where you might wake up alone with only a residual lullaby dancing at the back of your mind. He is fickle in that way, but you're sure to see him again in the coming days. He never allows you to miss him for too long.

Scaramouche isn't much of a cuddler. He may scoff at the idea, but if his loved one specifically requests it from him... he'll grumble and mutter about how needy you are, but he'll oblige you nonetheless. As a Fatui Harbinger, he is extremely busy—between paperwork and missions in other nations, he has very little time to indulge your whims, but he'll entertain you at least for a little while, and that is a privilege most others could not even dream of having. He'll lay on his back and let you curl up against his side. He might wrap an arm around you, muttering something that almost sounds… vaguely fond, beneath the layers of annoyance, though you cannot make out what he says. The vast majority of the time, he will not be there when you wake up. He might be in another nation entirely by the time you do, but… it's the sentiment—the willingness to let you have your way—that matters.

Kaveh is nothing if not touchy and affectionate, so cuddling is always on the table... if his loved one can coax him away from his work, that is. He's reluctant to stop working—he just has so much to do, he can hardly take a break now!—but once he does, he is all over you. Leg thrown over your hip, chest pressed firmly against yours, face tucked into the crook of your neck or vice versa... he is a cuddler, that's for sure. Kaveh is also fond of drawing little shapes onto your skin as he talks to you in a hushed and thoughtfully quiet tone. Most nights, the two of you will end up talking one another to sleep, murmuring about the day's events, the latest gossip he caught when he was at the tavern, his or your latest projects… anything is on the table. That is, until his murmurs trail off into little more than soft breaths as he falls unconscious against you.

Qiqi isn't particularly familiar with the concept. She thinks she can vaguely recall being held like that by someone a long, long time ago, but the memory is wispy and distant at best and she's honestly unsure if it actually happened or if she imagined it. This isn't to say that Baizhu has never held her—he most certainly has, and she found herself liking the closeness, it's just... she's unused to it. But if you so wish to sleep with her in your arms, she doesn't mind; she will find herself comforted by your warmth as it staves off the inherent coldness she radiates, both as a consequence of her vision and because of her bodily condition. She will eventually drift off herself after quietly watching you for a short while, little hands clasping your shirt, clinging to your body much like the child she is and the child she has not really been allowed to be.

Tighnari is quite open to the idea, even moreso if the two of you happen to be out doing research and find that it's gotten far too late to make the trip back to Gandharva Ville. It's an effective way to keep warm and it sates some deep-rooted instinct within him to keep his loved ones close. He doesn't mind if you want to cling to his side and sleep there while he is keeping watch; the fluff of his tail will prevent you from getting too cold, so that is no concern of his, and he is more than capable enough of fending off any threats. But if it's a more normal night, he's more than happy to cuddle normally. Tighnari prefers to hold you, but he doesn't particularly mind being held either—feel free to let him know if you have a preference. He won't mind accomodating.

Xiao is a bit opposed to the idea at first, especially if his loved one is a visionless mortal who would easily be affected by his karmic debt. He does not wish to hurt you—that is, in fact, the last thing he'd ever want to do. He doesn't know what he would do with himself if he did. At first, he'll most likely just watch you sleep, ever-vigilant, ever-protective. Not a single thing would dare to touch you when he watches you so diligently. You'll sleep at peace, at the very least, knowing that he is watching over you. Then, he might stiffly sit at the edge of your bed… still watching, of course, but he approaches you with a slowly-growing understanding that he will not hurt you. It is unlikely that Xiao will ever let his guard down enough to hold you properly (or to let you hold him, for that matter). Nevertheless, some nights, you may wake up in the morning swearing you could've felt a dip in the bed that certainly didn't come from someone sitting on the end.

Nahida isn't really opposed at all! She finds it very sweet that humans enjoy one another's company so deeply that they'll hold one another in their sleep. Perhaps Nahida also needs that kind of comfort, even if she doesn't realize it at first. She hasn't ever really been held; she's spent all her years alone and isolated. At first, it might begin with your head in her lap until you drift off (a natural position for the ever-wise and guiding goddess, one she has taken on with many people before you in an attempt to comfort them), though eventually it will turn into you holding her until she does. It really doesn't even have to be at night for it to happen—if the two of you happen to be spending time together, she might find herself soothed by your presence, lulled into a peaceful sleep that she has not been able to experience for centuries.

For Collei, it depends both on how close her loved one is to her and how she is feeling that night. Please don't get her wrong! If she says no, it isn't because she loves or trusts you less than others. She just... finds prolonged contact like that a bit suffocating, a bit difficult to manage. You would surely never hurt her. She knows that. Still, some nights, the contact might be a little too much. If you're willing to compromise, she's more than happy to sleep next to you (similarly to how Freminet prefers to sleep with his loved one). Sometimes, though... sometimes she needs to be held. She likes to be held, takes comfort in being able to press herself into your torso with your arms around her drawing soft shapes on her back, when she wants it. Don't make assumptions, though, and give her the freedom to decide what she wants and when.

Furina is very touch starved—that much is a given. For five hundred years, she was completely and utterly alone. There was no support. There was no-one to whom she could tell her story, tell the truth to, but now that she has completed the role she had to play... she doesn't have to be alone, but it's also quite hard for her to fit in. Therefore, she cherishes all those who welcome her with open arms. She's a little bit hesitant at first in that she doesn't know where to put her hands or her legs or… herself as a whole. It's been so long since anyone has offered to hold her like this. She doesn't remember how to be held. However, once she figures it out, she is quick to melt into your side, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to her. She'll relax into you, calmed by your warmth and your love for her in a way she has not been soothed in a very long time.

Neuvillette is not especially familiar with the idea (though, that isn't to say he's never done it… the melusines can be quite clingy in that way with him). That said, he's very much open to it—there is a certain draconic possessiveness he has over his loved ones, so opportunities to be close to them are very gratifying to his inherent instincts. He's more partial to holding you than any other arrangement. He likes the feeling of having you secure in his hold. It isn't exactly uncommon for him to settle in for the night with a book, using one arm to keep a firm hold around your waist as you drift off to the calming rumble of his voice reading you to sleep, gently rubbing a hand over your back. Other nights, nights during which he's not particularly busy, he might simple settle on laying down with you, tucking your head under his chin and squeezing his arms around your waist, almost as if he fears you'll disappear if he lets you go.

Arlecchino, for all her methods and mannerisms, does care for her loved ones. It's an unconventional care, perhaps, but it's there—present and enduring, the very beating heart of why she operates the way she does. For someone close enough to her, she may grant such an indulgence, though only with the disclaimer that she is extremely unlimely to stay the night. She is busy. She is needed elsewhere, always, but for you… she can spare a moment or two. She'll let you wrap yourself up in her arms, head against her chest, the hum rumbling in her ribs and the warmth pulsing off of her skin in waves soothing whatever anxieties or tensions that carried over into the night from the day. Her nails drag up and down your spine in a strangely comforting rhythm. She'll switch to scratching your scalp after a while (something many of her children seem to take comfort in, she has noted)—gently, as to not draw blood. It's only once you're thoroughly asleep that she'll slip away, skillfully silently, to attend to whatever duties she was neglecting in favor of you.