#imposter au

Summary: Y/N wakes in Teyvat, only to be branded an imposter by those they once worshiped. Forced to serve the false god who stole their identity, they endure in silence — until one small mistake reveals a divine truth no one was ready to see.

Part 17 (previous) Part 19 (next)

Disclaimer: Some parts of this story may not follow the official Genshin story logic. The traveller is not in this story. Please enjoy it with an open mind!

For the next few days, Scaramouche couldn’t shake the crawling restlessness under his skin.

He tried pacing. He tried actually paying attention in class for once. He even tried convincing himself to trust Cyno, Alhaitham, and the rest of Sumeru’s intellectual elite, who insisted nothing could happen to you.

None of it worked.

By noon, something inside him snapped.

“Fine. To hell with this—I’m going after her.”

He didn’t bother explaining himself to anyone. Stepping outside, he inhaled sharply and summoned his elemental skill. The wind twisted eagerly around him, lifting his body before hurling him forward, straight toward Romaritime Harbor.

By the time his feet hit the alabaster-toned floor of Romaritime Harbor, he was flushed with exertion and fury.

He strode toward a staff member in uniform.

“—The academic expedition vessel. Where is it?” he demanded, his voice sharp, leaving the startled employee blinking in disbelief.

The woman hesitated. “Sir—if you could tell me the ship number, or where it’s coming from, perhaps I can assist you.”

Scaramouche’s eyes twitched. He had forgotten the details.

“No ship number, no information,” she said firmly, straightening her shoulders.

“Listen carefully.” He leaned forward, voice sharp. “A ship left Bayda Harbor three days ago. It carried Her Grace. I watched her board. She should have arrived by now.”

“Yes, but without the ship’s identification, I can’t look up—” she protested.

“Oh, yes. Can’t possibly break your precious procedures, can we?” he snapped, voice rising.

“Sir, please lower your voice—” she tried again, hands slightly raised.

“You’re telling me no one here has any record of THE ship carrying Her Grace, even though it’s past its expected arrival?” His glare pinned her in place.

“Well… delays do happen—” she murmured.

“Get me your superior!” His tone left no room for argument.

Her shoulders tensed. “S-sir—”

“Didn’t you hear me?!” Scaramouche barked, leaning closer.

“How about filling out a missing-person form? I’m sure Her Grace will turn up—” she offered, voice quivering.

Scaramouche froze. His eyes narrowed, tracking the subtle gleam at her ear. A small blue-and-silver insignia dangled there— unmistakably Fatui.

“You know what?” he murmured, a cold edge in his tone. “I don’t think you’re incompetent.”

The woman hesitated. “I—I’m not?”

“No.” He leaned closer, eyes sharp. “You’re stalling.”

A razor-thin smile curved his lips. Slowly, deliberately, he reached up and yanked her earring hard.

“OW—!! Sir—! Please—!!” she shrieked, clutching her ear.

OOOOOOO THAT'S A GOOD IDEA ACTUALLY

But wait, what if the Reader is ALSO able to produce the RED blood? Like, they've been on Earth for so long, there's got to be a reason why they were able to pass by as a HUMAN for so long and not a CREATOR OF AN ENTIRE FLIPPING PLANET

So, adding on to this idea—Reader naturally produces red blood. In Teyvat, Reader's body starts naturally producing the golden blood, but can still produce red blood at will. This red blood is the opposite of what the golden blood does—causes plagues, destroys civilizations, produces famine, create the most incurable diseases, etc. etc.

This henceforth symbolizes the TRUE despondency of a Creator: the ability to CREATE, and the ability to DESTROY. This also represents Reader's innate ability to, overall, MANIPULATE the fate of Teyvat on a WHIM.

double damn update, I think I owe this to you guys dasgasdasf... or should we make it triple update-?-- yay! another DLC obsessed archon character unlocked! let's casually use the Inazuma as our protection place to survive's zhongli's obsession lmao--- and yay yae miko has appeared... I LOVE MY WOMEN

The first thing you noticed was not her blade, but her silence.

The storm crashed around her, lightning split the skies, thunder rolled like war drums, yet Raiden Shogun stood upon the cliff as though untouched, carved from eternity itself. Her expression was unreadable, but her gaze— oh, her gaze was sharp enough to carve through mountains.

How many lifetimes had she held it? That look, that rigidity, that vow never to falter again. The eyes of a woman who had buried everyone she loved beneath the weight of eternity.

You smiled at her.

The Crux heaved beneath your feet, timbers groaning in the restless sea. Crewmen whispered frantic prayers; some gripped weapons, though none dared raise them. Kazuha stood by your side, lips pressed to the back of your hand, as though by kissing it he could shield you from the storm itself.

“Raiden Shogun.” Your voice carried across the waves, soft yet undeniable. The storm seemed to hush, thunder hanging a moment longer in the clouds before breaking again.

Raiden Shogun’s grip tightened on her blade.

The blade of Musou Isshin rose, crackling arcs splitting the storm in half. Raiden Shogun stood poised to strike, her expression blank, flawless, eternal.

“Imposter,” she declared, voice sharp as thunder. “You dare wear her face? Then vanish before the lightning of eternity.”

Her leap was swift, divine, inevitable. Lightning screamed down with her as soldiers cried out in awe and terror.

But you… you did not move.

Instead, you tilted your head, veil fluttering against your cheek, and whispered with a softness that wrapped around the storm like silk:

“Do you remember, dear Ei, when you prayed through the storm? You asked me if you were wrong to hold eternity in your hands… and I promised you that If the world becomes too heavy, I will bear it with you.’

The words struck harder than any spear.

Raiden Shogun’s eyes flickered wide. Her blade wavered, just an instant. The puppet’s programming snarled against the surge of memory, but she did remember.

Not fully— no, the puppet could not contain the whole. But Ei, within, stirred. The woman who had once whispered lonely confessions into the void felt the echo of your gentle reply.

It was the same voice. The same cadence. Impossible— and yet undeniable.

Her body trembled.

The soldiers saw it, gasping as the storm itself faltered, lightning stuttering across the clouds. Their visions blazed violently, drawn to you like moths to flame, some bearers collapsing to their knees in wordless reverence.

And you… oh, you were delighted.

How entertaining it was, to watch the puppet falter, to taste the tension between steel programming and human grief. You gazed at her not with fear but with amusement, warmth curling around your lips in a smile.

“Ah,” you chuckled softly, almost lovingly. “So you do remember. How sweet. Tell me, my dearest— can you still feel me pressing against the storm, standing by your side?”

The puppet’s face remained blank, but her hands shook upon the hilt. Violet arcs hissed and sputtered. A crack formed in the perfect mask of eternity.

Deep within, Ei stirred harder. A heartbeat of regret. A whisper of longing. The sense that she had been abandoned, and yet… you were here.

The soldiers shifted uneasily, their whispers growing. “Could it be—?” “The true Creator—” “Why does my vision burn—”

Raiden Shogun forced her body back under control. Her lips parted, voice mechanical, cold, stripped of all doubt.

“…Illusions,” she hissed. “Deceiver’s tricks. I will not yield.”

The blade struck.

Pain seared through you, starlight spilling upward in glittering fragments as your body staggered with a calm smile on your face. Gasps filled the air— soldiers choking on disbelief, their visions flaring so bright they nearly burned against their skin.

And for once, the almighty Raiden Shogun froze.

For a breathless instant, her mask cracked. Horror flickered across her face, her hands trembling as violet light guttered down her blade. And from within, Ei herself surged upward— the true Archon, the woman who had prayed to you once through lonely storms.

I struck them—I struck them—I struck them... I hurt them.

The thought tore her open, filling her chest with regret so deep she could hardly breathe.

But then her gaze fell on Beidou and Kazuha— Kazuha clutching you to his chest, Beidou barking orders to set sail, the Crux already straining against the storm.

In that instant, Ei’s grief hardened. The softness vanished. The Shogun straightened, grip tightening on Musou Isshin, and her expression smoothed back into cold eternity.

Her voice cut across the chaos, calm, commanding, undeniable.

“Surround the ship. Do not let them escape.”

At once, soldiers surged forward, the cliffside filling with the thunder of boots and clamor of weapons. Electro sigils flared as they encircled the harbor, walls of lightning hemming the Crux in from all sides.

“Captain!” a sailor shouted in terror.

“Damn it all!” Beidou swore, slamming a fist against the railing. Her gaze darted to you— limp in Kazuha’s arms, starlight bleeding from your wound— then back to the encroaching walls of lightning. Her jaw clenched, fury and despair warring in her eyes.

“Take the crew and sail!” she barked at her first mate. “Get them out of here before it’s too late.”

“Captain—”

“That’s an order!”

Her voice cracked with the weight of it. She turned to Kazuha, who had fallen to his knees cradling you, his face pale with silent anger. Soldiers stormed the deck, blades drawn.

Kazuha drew his own, desperation burning in his eyes.

But a dozen spears leveled at once, visions blazing, and he froze. His body trembled, torn between fighting and dying uselessly in your name.

Raiden Shogun descended the cliff with measured steps, lightning parting beneath her feet. Her presence pressed down over the ship like a stormcloud too heavy to breathe beneath.

“Lay down your weapons,” she commanded, calm as a blade pressed to the throat. “The imposter belongs to me.”

Kazuha grit his teeth, fury trembling through his body. “They are not an imposter!”

His protest was cut short as soldiers seized him, tearing the sword from his grasp and forcing him to the deck.

Beidou’s eyes burned, torn between charging forward and the duty to her crew. She met your half-lidded gaze— or perhaps only the veil covering your eyes, as you let your head loll against Kazuha’s shoulder, feigning unconsciousness.

For a moment, her breath caught. She understood. You were not resisting. You were choosing.

“Damn it,” she whispered under her breath.

“Beidou of the Crux,” Raiden Shogun’s voice rang out, unflinching. “Leave. Return to Liyue. Interfere again, and you and your crew will be cut down where you stand.”

Beidou’s fists clenched, her jaw tight with fury, but the sight of her trembling sailors— of your serene, half-conscious form being lifted into the arms of the Shogun herself— crushed the fight from her.

“Captain…” her first mate whispered.

“Raise the sails,” Beidou said hoarsely. Her voice broke as she turned away. “We’re going home.”

The Crux pulled back, its sails catching wind as it retreated into the storm. Beidou stood at the rail until the mist swallowed you from her sight, her nails digging blood into her palms.

On deck, soldiers dragged Kazuha in chains, his gaze locked onto your form as you were carried in the opposite direction, cradled carefully, reverently— not by soldiers, but by Raiden Shogun herself.

Her grip was steady. Too steady. Yet beneath the calm, Ei’s presence churned violently, grief and doubt twisting in her chest.

You rested your head against her shoulder, lashes fluttering shut, feigning fragile unconsciousness. But behind your stillness, amusement coiled like smoke. How entertaining it was— to feel her heart pound beneath the puppet’s calm, to know she could not banish the regret already consuming her.

And so, the true god was carried into Tenshukaku by the very blade that had struck them down.

Tenshukaku’s halls were silent but heavy with power, the air itself charged with violet. Raiden Shogun placed you upon silk cushions, stepping back with a gaze she forced into neutrality. But her hands still trembled faintly at her sides.

The doors slid open.

“Ei,” came a lilting voice, amused and sharp all at once.

Yae Miko entered, her eyes landing immediately on you. They narrowed— lips curving with interest, ears twitching faintly.

“Oh my… what have we here?”

Ei stiffened. Her mask of calm did not falter— but Yae Miko saw through it. She always had.

She smirked, gaze flicking between you, wounded yet radiant even in stillness, and Ei, whose silence betrayed more than words ever could.

“Care to explain,” Miko purred, “why the one we once prayed to is bleeding starlight in your chamber?”

Ei said nothing. Her silence spoke louder than any denial.

And you— you let your lips curve, faint and secret, as though greeting an old friend across lifetimes.

The game had shifted again.

CHAPTERS: P1 — P2 — P3 — P4 — P5 — ?

TAGLIST: @someonepleaseholdme @shio225

I know I have a previous taglist for this AU but since It's been year/s since I updated this, some of you might not be interested or you don't want to read this story anymore----- so Imma make a new taglist for this one.

ASK OR REPLY TO BE INCLUDED OR REMOVED FROM THE TAGLIST

Spanish version that probably isnt really necessary

Basically its along the dame lines but the Genshin crew just... don't interact with MC? Not in a cold way, but in a protective way so the Creator doesn't noticed the 'imposter'.

They do interact in certain ways, though. Like adventurers will 'accidentally' leave food behind or other camping supplies, or maybe a few adventurers or travelers will 'gossip' about the 'Great Creator' was about to visit the area, giving MC the suble cue to escape to the next nation.

Does this make sense? I know its a mess, but I hope the idea is strong.

I wasn't expecting someone to talk about my old Sagau au (You can find it >HERE<), but ok! I like it! And I take it that MC is more or less oblivious to the help they're getting, huh?

Meanwhile the Archons are having secret group meetings on where their little 'imposter' was at the moment, who they would assign to 'accidentally' leave food or supplies, and all the while also continuing to keep that arrogant Creator out the loop.

They also may or may not be planning a rebellion but that's still a work in progress-

Though eventually I see one of the Genshin players accidentally outting themselves while out 'accidentally' leaving food. Possibly one of the child vision holders like Klee or maybe even Bennet...

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Summary: After securing yourself an ally, you learn about yourself through him. You also manage to secure a safe place to rest, as well as meeting another, friendlier face. Oh yeah, you’re also the child (sort of, you’re older than them by centuries) of a gay relationship.

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As you walk, you notice that the air is considerably cooler than before, as dusk has arrived in Teyvat. You two are silent for most of the trek– you’re not one to talk and neither is he. It’s peaceful, really– the sky is dark, but not too dark, and it’s not scorching hot, making everything feel cozy in a way.

Speaking of Al-Haitham, you can’t help but ogle at him while you two walk. Much like his front, his back is insane. Holy hell, you’ve never seen a back so… well built in person. Sure, you’ve seen 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 arts of him online, but seeing it in the flesh? If it weren’t for that gas mask hiding your face, he’d notice you blushing profusely right away.

Nevertheless, you’ve still got some unanswered questions about, well, everything. After complete silence between you and Al-Haitham, you finally break it.

“Why’d you call me that?” You ask, voice still muffled by your mask.

“What, Your Eminence?” He answers.

“Yeah, that. Why’d you call me Your Eminence?”

“Are you not aware? You are Their Eminence, the Primordial One, Creator of all Teyvat.”

The bombshell leaves you dumbfounded.

“...what.”

“Like I said, I’ll explain everything to you once we reach my home.”

“Well, can you at least give me, y’know, a quick explanation about this whole ‘Primordial One’ shit?” You ask, talking a bit too quiet for the scribe to hear you properly.

“You’re going to have to speak up, Your Eminence. That mask of yours is making it hard for me to understand you,” he informs.

“Right… Can you explain this whole “Primordial One” thing to me?” You ask again, now loud enough for Al-Haitham to hear.

“Alright then,” the scribe answers. “As I said before, you are Teyvat’s creator, the Primordial One. Before time, there was You and only You. That all changed when you created everything; from the visions to the air we breathe, everything was made. by you.”

“I-I-I did?” You ask, absolutely speechless by the fact— that you didn’t find true yet— you quite literally created everything.

“Yes. Life in Teyvat was peaceful and thriving for many millenia under your watchful eye. You were a benevolent god; you barely intervened in the affairs of Teyvat and let humanity progress naturally.

That all changed when Khaenri’ah began to indulge itself in Forbidden Knowledge.

As soon as You discovered this revelation, you were appalled and came to the conclusion that Khaenri’ah had to be destroyed. Being the poetic that you were, you carried it out in such a way that bested them at their own expertise. You formed the ‘Brotherhood’, a force separate from the Archons whose knights were clad in bulky suits of impervious armor and wielded weapons that dealt immense death to anyone on the other end.”

“Wait a damn minute, the Brotherhood? As in the Brotherhood of Steel?” You jut in, gobsmacked at the revelation that you were a Fallout fan in your past life to the point where you recreated them in Genshin Impact of all places.

“You would be correct in that regard, your Eminence. They were the ones that brought waste to Khaenri’ah during the Cataclysm,” Al-Haitham answers.

“That’s a damn Fallout thing! Holy shit, that makes the Abyss the fuckin’ Enclave!” You exclaim.

“What?”

“Nothing… you go continue explaining everything, man.”

“Alright then. After the Cataclysm had ended, your Brotherhood of Steel went dormant and your rule on Teyvat was, while lenient, considerably tighter. That, and one of the Five Sinners of Khaenri’ah wanted your power to himself— the Rächer of Solnari.”

You were about to ask who could possibly be this Rächer of Solnari guy. Based on your current experiences, it could just about be anybody— Benny? Wallace Breen? That one kid you couldn’t stand in high school? But you quickly realize that if you want that in-depth explanation, you should wait until Al-Haitham reaches his house. So you stay quiet.

“Sometime between the Cataclysm and a century before, you entered a gargantuan fight to preserve your divinity and to quell one of the Five Sinners. You somewhat came out victorious, as you had managed to exile him out of Teyvat for good, at the cost of much of your energy. Therefore, you left Teyvat to regain what you had lost from that fight with him, leaving your throne vacant and Teyvat without its creator. Every day, Teyvat’s people had been praying for your eventual return,” the scribe finishes.

“Looks like it worked, to my damn detriment…” you add, before catching a glimpse of Sumeru City’s skyline. You know there’s no one in the streets, but you still tense up, mentally preparing yourself for a fight with a threat that didn’t exist. It’s the den of the beast, after all.

You again go silent; your questions were answered and being the introvert that you were, you didn’t decide to partake in small talk with Al-Haitham. It doesn’t take long for you and the scribe to arrive at the gates of Sumeru City, and you take in the sights. In your time playing Genshin, this very city was a frequent stop because of you often grinding Sumeru’s materials. Seeing it in person, however, gave you a sense of awe and unease. Sure, it is Sumeru City, and yeah, it does look amazing. But with Azar’s curfew in place, it looked unnaturally empty. It didn’t help that the Great Tree in the center of the city made the city in general look foreboding on the inside.

“Jesus, that’s menacing,” you mutter to yourself, looking up at said tree.

You and Al-Haitham manage to make it to his home in record time, as the longer you two stayed in the streets the more dangerous it became. You also manage to spot the keys that the scribe uses to unlock the front door, which are clearly… not his, as evidenced by the lion keychain included. You already know who they belong to, and knowing the suspiciously gay relationship between owner of these keys and the scribe, you immediately give Al-Haitham a “I-know-what-you-are” look without him noticing.

And with that, you enter the house. Finally, you can take off your gas mask. It takes you a bit less, but still a considerable amount of finagling to get the damn thing off your face, but immediately it feels so much better to breathe. With your helmet also off, your surroundings now feel more breathable as the air is flowing through your hair instead of it soaking up the sweat you accumulated during your, shall we stay, reluctant stay in Sumeru.

So, the next thing you should (and would) do is to ask Al-Haitham about his relationship with Kaveh to… confirm your suspicions. And also to get an idea if he would, y’know, catch you and turn you into the Akademiya or not but that’s not as important right now.

“Is Kaveh home? Based on his, uhh, stolen keys he sho-”

“Ugh… Al-Haitham, can you not steal my keys the next time you go ou- Your Eminence?!”

Speak the devil, and he shall come.

“Al-Haitham, WHY is our creator in our home?! And why do they appear disheveled?! Wait, were they the one that the Matra talked about when they said that several patrols were wiped out?!”

“Well, you see…” The scribe begins recapping the day’s events to his husband (probably), a conversation you do the noble thing and tune out.

While they duke it out in their 42,067,690th battle of wits, you try—and the author means try— to step away as inconspicuously as possible to untie your boots. Somehow, it works (mainly because they’re too busy arguing) and you begin untying your boots. Unlike most of your gear, it’s relatively easy to remove— mainly because you’ve lived with laced shoes and that experience translated over into boots. You then get up and grab your boots to find Teyvat’s equivalent of a shoe rack. To your annoyance, you don’t, so you just sort of leave them right beside Al-Haitham and Kaveh’s front door.

Speaking of them, they’re still at it arguing. It looks to be dying down though, so you tune back in.

“So, you’re telling me you just left our creator in the wild as they were being hunted by the Akademiya? Come on, Haithoomi! You’re a scribe, for archons’ sake! You could have put in a word with Cyno, redirected some Matra patrols, anything!” Kaveh exclaims.

“To be fair, habibi, the prophecy regarding Our Eminence states that no one would know about Their descension until They announced it,” Al-Haitham retorts.

“I also… uh… held out on my own… yeah…” You add, albeit awkwardly because you felt you were like watching your parents argue.

“See? Our Eminence can defend Themselves and survive under duress," says Al-Haitham.

“Barely! Look at Them! They look bedraggled! For Kusanali’s sake, Haithoomi, you found them dehydrated and blacked out in the middle of Avidya Forest!” Kaveh exclaims, before continuing. “Ugh, whatever, it’s getting late. Your Eminence, you may sleep with me if you wish. Al-Haitham, you’re sleeping on the couch.”

“Bu-“ Al-Haitham says, trying to protest his exile.

“No buts!” Kaveh shouts, cutting off the scribe’s protest before turning towards you. “Your Eminence, you look uncomfortable in your current attire. My old Akademiya uniform is in the wardrobe located in the master bedroom, you can use that as a change of clothes if you’d like.”

“Wait, y-you sure?” You ask.

“I insist! You are our creator, after all, it’s only right that the Light of Kshahrewar makes you feel welcome in Sumeru. Unlike someone,” Kaveh answers.

“Yeah, thanks man, I’ll go and change now,” you say awkwardly.

You then head to Kaveh and Al-Haitham’s room to change into something more breathable, yet still offering protection. You take off then cram the gear you’re carrying into Kaveh’s wardrobe barring the undershirt and the IBA vest. Once done, you then grab Kaveh’s old Akademiya uniform and put it on over your vest. To your pleasant surprise, it fits. Well, it’s a smidge under your size, but it fits nonetheless. And with that, you collapse on the two lovers’ bed and promptly tuck yourself in. Despite that nap you took, all that running, shooting, and general overexertion really tired you out.

What you didn’t notice was Kaveh’s entrance into the room. He looked down at you and smiled softly, like a mother watching over her sleeping child. The architect then also tucked himself in, watching you— the creator of all Teyvat, breathe in and out softly like any other human being. Immediately, the bed and its surroundings felt cozier for you.

Maybe things here weren’t all so bad.

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author’s notes: told yall part 4 was coming soon, merry belated christmas everybody! feel like i’m getting way too silly with the fallout and haikaveh inclusion, but i think i can make it work lol

also if you want to be tagged do comment (that you want to be tagged) and i’ll include you in the taglist.