#mona fluff

“That won’t be easy. The world is vast, you know.” You gesture at the sky, a slow, sweeping movement as you speak. “First, I would have to leave this land of hills and orchards where plump, juicy, enticingly red apples grow. I’ll miss them on my journey, but there will be many tastes for my lips before I reach my destination.”

“Yes”, Mona cuts in, “Mondstadt has the best apples.”

“Mhm. My journey will lead down through the chiseled ravines of Liyue. The drop-offs might be vast, but the roads there are marked through delicate, peachy dirt. I’d bite into them if I could, I swear!”

Your fingers criss-cross repeatedly, moving like legs across the sky. “But not long enough to impede my journey down - the tallest mountains of Jeyun Karst await. Mount Hulao and Mount Aocang are curvy peaks, smoothed out by their benevolent creator into rounder, friendlier mountains for men and other mortals alike to climb. I could pass through the valley in-between, along the stream, but there’s plenty to find on their peaks. Legendary adeptal abodes with perky clumps of amber that, if stories are to be believed, accompany divine fruits, their skins so soft and juicy that they just beg to be enveloped by one’s lips. No offense to the apples of Mond, but adeptal peaches are the juiciest.”

Mona waves her hand dismissively. “Stealing fruits from talking birds? What villany.”

“Why would I bring the fight to our neighbours? I’m gonna go further away.” You move up a bit, resting your back against the bark of Windrise’s tree. “I will catch the Sumerians by surprise. I’ll take a boat through the perfectly even, sun-kissed waters of Nostoi. I’ll guide my hands over their soft surface, sending trembles and ripples through the body of water.”

You raise a finger. “And then - Aha! - I will arrive at the lush, dense jungles of Sumeru at Bayda Harbor. They will be expecting me - my journey would have divine-insulting effects, after all. No matter - I will wade my way through the moist underbrush and take the climate in with each of my senses, scent especially.” A deep, longing sigh. “It’s been too long since I caught whiff of the South’s damp forests.”

Mona raises an eyebrow. “Honestly, you should become a tour guide writer with this passion for geography. But not a good one, mind you. So much fluff and I still don’t know what you will do to be so powerful as to take over Teyvat.”

Unbothered, you continue. Mona meanwhile flips around and looks at you, clearly invested in your telling. “There, further down, is a secret. Secret guarded by the spirits of the forests, servants of the goddess of all life - the world itself - that only those chosen may access. To test me, the tight, winding caverns will be flooded. You know me though, I’m an excellent swimmer; their efforts to strain me will only make the journey more fun. Finally, once I reach the end of the tunnel, I will be able to feel the core of the world for myself. The birthplace of life, the cradle of the jungle where Kusanali herself crafted all we see and meet throughout our lives. I will get to poke this heart, probe it until it succumbs to my will!”

You raise your hands towards the sky, challenging the gods to stop you. Mona crosses her arms. “Bah, you can’t even remember constellations and you’re telling me you could bend something allegedly so powerful to your will?”

“Oh sweetest, you underestimate my power. It will bend to my will - after all, the Goddess herself did not stop me at any point throughout my journey. I believe she will comply with my demand and allow me to fulfill my dark plan.”

“Big plant monsters? It has to be.”

“Yes, but not quite. I’m gonna make copies of myself out of the fertile life essence within. They will be perfect symbionts between the beauty of nature and the strength of man. I will make more of them - first one, then two, then three, then five, then ten, then twenty, then a hundred, a thousand and more still. I will lead the army and conquer the world at the behest of the world itself” You bump your fist on your open palm as you finalise the evil scheme. 

Mona is silent for a moment before she bursts into laughter. “You? Hah! As if! Conquer the world, right…” She hides her laughing face in her arms. Your smile doesn’t falter and you let her have her fun. After a moment passes, she speaks again. 

“Whoa…” Mona takes a breath and rubs her eyes. “You really flew off the handle. But, I must admit, your knowledge of Sumeru legends is intriguing. Where did you learn all of this?” “From a book, but I don’t remember the title.” Your hands come to meet behind your head and you lean back, closing your eyes. “Do scry it from my memory, alright? I wouldn’t mind reading it again.”

She give you a quick ‘mhm’ and sits up. A complex circle of symbols and star formations appears before Mona. Her hand taps the middle a few times, causing your constellation to shift and turn. Your eye is cracked open slightly enough to spy on her, but not sufficiently to raise suspicions. Mona turns and twists the display until… She stops altogether. 

The astrologist retracts her hand and furrows her brow. She blinks once, then twice. Her lips open to say something but she narrows her eyes and goes back to scrying. Whatever she saw causes her eyes to widen back up as she jerks back. Her face rapidly burns up into bright red. 

“Y/N you… Y-you… All t-this… I…” Her brain can’t seem to form words under the avalanche of the realisation. “H-how… Did you plan this?! I m-mean… Uuuugh!”

Mona turns towards you sharply, an embarrassed frown on her blushed face. “You went through all this effort to… To… I d-don’t know if I’d be able to look at a map the same after what you said! You’re the worst! You’re the worst,  you naughty-man-no-good-rascal you! You’re the absolute worst!”

She picks up her hat and tugs it over your head. Laughing, you lift up the rim to see Mona making desperate attempts to cover her face, trying in vain to maintain some dignity after being played like a fiddle. 

“But I said you are my world, remember?”

"but i want to be -- " he bites his words back at the last second, a hand falling limply to his side, and he watches you stand up, your hair blowing gently in the wind, wishing with all his heart that he could be a person you expected to always be beside you. but you don't bother to check behind you to see whether he's following, even though of course he is, he always is. and he could never fault you for being oblivious, not when it's his own fault that he's too nervous to speak up.

of course, it's not your fault you're his only weakness, the person that makes his breath hitch and him stumble when it matters most, and he wishes he could blame you for everything, the terrible words that choke him and the wish to forever be close to you, but he knows that it's only his fault. and he can't do anything about it because when you laugh, your eyes crinkling with mirth and happiness -- it's like the whole world disappears.

♪ YAE MIKO

she smirks, and laughs, and curls her hair around one finger as she speaks to you, and wonders if you know she's helplessly hyper aware of your reactions, that after so long of keeping her eyes on you it simply became muscle memory.

the hopeless truth that she scans you after every sneaky comment to see if you're turning red, the absurd adrenaline rush that it gives her to see you knocked off balance for barely a moment. it almost feels sadistic, how she loves the power she lords over you, wants you to feel the electricity in her fingertips when she brushes her hand over your skin.

but at the same time she wants you to be flattered, to see how hard she's trying, how much she's hoping that you'll return one of those tiny compliments she says as often as breathing, and she prays that you're catching on even with how you seem to brush off her comments like crystalflies alighting on your sleeves, so used to it that it seems more routine than sincerity at this point. what would she give for the same treatment from you ... ?

how embarrassing, she thinks, that she's memorizing every little part of your face so hopelessly, watching you when she hopes you're not looking because she just couldn't look away for a moment longer. she barely knows what she's searching for but she just loves how you light up in a blush when she startles you with a compliment, and she thinks that even if it is embarrassing she'd be able to put up with the mortification if it meant spending every waking moment with you.

♪ SHIKANOIN HEIZOU

it's hard for him to admit when he's wrong. after all, his role has been unquestioned detective for so long, his words always having been thought of as law, that after the initial feeling of adrenaline and superiority came a sense of lulling into boredom and security. there's never been a case he couldn't crack, an argument he couldn't win, no wall in his way as he walked down the path that he had easily carved out for himself, by himself.

but it's with unflinching confidence that you step up and argue, with a smooth charm and steadiness that rivals even his, and you knock the blade from his hand with one strike -- a singular piece of evidence he failed to consider, and force him to recognize his newfound laziness in this world where his verdict is final and taken without question.

he somehow loves it, loves the terrifying sensation of his breath being taken away, rendered speechless for the first time in who knows how long. that someone could finally counter his reckless announcements, his arrogant dependence on the irrational factor he called "intuition", brings him a heretofore unfound joy that he can't help but relish. a challenge, a race that he had previously been running alone, that makes him feel alive like nothing else.

the detective with no shame and no weaknesses, somehow brought to his knees after being graced with your presence, who runs like the wind itself and spends every waking moment on the move, finds himself slowing down for the first time. he can only reason that he must treasure his time in this waking dream so pleasing; knowing that someday it will end -- that it must -- but praying that the moment never comes.

♪ MONA

before she met you, she had locked herself into an endless struggle, a perpetual purgatory of her own making that she regretted with every exhausted breath. she bore it alone on her own back, pained by the knowledge that this terrible, bland existence was of her own making. a pitiful story that kept her unable to ask for help, struck silent at the idea of explaining the result of the vain desire she had followed across the world.

she had seen it in herself, the glimmering of boundless potential like the reflection of a starry night sky in the sea, and reached grasping for her dream. far from her home, constantly barely scraping by, she found herself a stranger, somehow invisible to everyone who passed her by ... the brilliance that she upheld as her greatest belonging, the only treasure that she would always possess, going unrecognized.

but you had seen her somehow, understood the prideful astrologist who fights an uphill battle for respect, become the one person able to push past the waspish bitterness she had somehow rightfully harbored. you had offered your help, a hand up, wanting nothing more than to clear away the thick fog that had seemed to hide her true self from view. it was a gesture that said nothing less than "i care about you", a gesture she had silently hoped to see for so long.

and she took it; flushed with embarrassment, finally allowing herself to understand that she couldn't do it alone, and being set free by it; becoming finally able to showcase the erudite, archaic wisdom she was so proud of. you had presented her thoughtlessly and thoughtfully with what she needed and wanted most. you had helped her, refusing to let her feel indebted, and yet she would give anything in the world to make you happy, the person she loves most in the world and the person she thinks deserves all it has to offer.

♪ XIAO

it's an unfamiliar feeling, the complete lack of animosity and hostility and suspicion, the gaze upon him being a kind one for the first time in what seems like millennia. yours is a face he could never be tired of seeing, someone who clearly, truly cares for him. for so long he had been trapped in his strained, painful routine; an unshakable, constant underlying tension stole into every interaction, made him even seek a slight relief in the comfort of battle knowing he would return there eventually, no matter how long he was away.

now, however, that artificial relief is replaced with the truer feeling of admiration, maybe even a quiet adoration for you that he holds within himself, treasuring as the best version of him there is, understanding silently that he is capable of loving another person and that even after all this time he has not lost his humanity. you truly seem to bring out the best in him, and it means more than he could ever put into words.

he almost feels weightless, safe, like being with you is a shield that hides him from the world that demands his help in every waking moment, a softness that allows him to melt into the moments that he silently longs to spend with you forever. it's a gentle, serene exhaustion that overtakes him in a matter of moments, a silent pensiveness not unlike floating in the ocean and allowing yourself to be carried along by its gentle waves.

and he feels so strangely happy about it, finally somehow some semblance of normal, just another teenage boy with a person he likes. but he thinks this feeling must be more than the simple "puppy love" that everyone seems to go through, because with the way his breath falls away when his eyes fall on you, he can't imagine how anything in the world would ever get done.

♪ COLLEI

how could she ever allow herself to expect someone to love her? it's a question that she asks herself every day in disbelief at the way she settles into the motions of a relationship with you -- someone who offers a comforting eventuality that she thought would be difficult to ever find again. how ridiculous, such a question, that she would imagine there was someone willing to stay with her for so long, and yet you have, and it's almost a miracle to her.

she thanks the archon that she thought had forsaken her a time ago, but clearly that wasn't the case, because you became her blessing in disguise, and as you would tell it, she became yours. it still surprises and flusters and pleases and amazes her every time she hears your praise, your thrillingly sweet compliments, and she's more than a little embarrassed to admit that they make her feel so joyful to hear, but when she tells you this with a rose-red blush you simply smile and offer yet another.

it's shocking to her that you would accept her as she is, with her flaws, the huge deal breakers that she has always imagined them being. it was impossible for her to believe there was anyone in the world who could ignore them. the many that she has are so seemingly obvious to her, and yet it's like you don't even notice them, or if you do, you simply look past them and see the real her that she has only ever wanted people to love.

and you do, you love her, and she knows because you tell her so, tell her as often as you think she needs to hear it and as often as she wants to hear it. this is her happy ending that almost feels too amazing to be real, but it is, and she feels so heart-achingly happy that it fills her up with an almost chokingly powerful love that brings tears to her eyes, you are her one and only, someone she would be thrilled to be with until the end of time.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ｡ﾟ ⊹ㅤgorou !ㅤ

you really know how to mesmerize him, don't you ? your fighting style, though it shares some small components with other fighting styles' he's witnessed in the past, it still stands out as one of the most unique sequences to him.

the first time he lost himself in your grace was when you demonstrated some new attack sequences you've been training. his eyes traced every movement, every swing of your arm, every flick of your wrist, every sway of your body. if it weren't for the elemental blows that landed on the ragged targets set up around the area, he would've forgotten that you were demonstrating attacks, and not a dance you've come up with — if you told him at the end that it was actually a dance you simply infused with attacks, he would've believed you.

anytime he passes by the area and happens to see you on the training grounds, he will stop in his tracks, just to ask if you're planning to train, or to ask how training's going. but in all honesty, he just wants to watch you again.

his hectic schedule can spare a few minutes, he swears.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ｡ﾟ ⊹ㅤzhongli !ㅤ

it appears to him that you've never, in the time he's known you, failed to impress him. and it seems you won't be failing anytime soon.

if he were to make a comparison, he'd likely compare you to a graceful swan, for when he has the free leisure of the afternoon accompany you in training, he feels like he's watching a show. the way you almost look like you're gliding in water is what stems the comparison, and you could rival most professional performers if he does say so himself.

oftentimes, he'd dedicate a few hours of his daily schedule - that isn't that busy either way - specifically to spend time with you. be it to share his opinions and suggestions in your training, or a stroll around the beautiful sceneries in liyue when you choose to rest for that day.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ｡ﾟ ⊹ㅤmona megistus !ㅤ

what is there about you not to love ? you enchant her more than the stars, in a way she's never understood, but she's not complaining about it.

especially being a catalyst herself, your style surprised her, and the thought of how long you trained to perfect a graceful yet effective fighting style made her admire you far more. though she tries to make her own attacks graceful, she firmly believes she could never compare herself to you — and you never let her. sometimes, while you train, you would pull her in and forget all about training, and instead dance with her by the shore of the beach as the water graces your feet ever so often.

she analyzes all your sequences and always watches in awe when you demonstrate a new move you made. she would lose herself in a trance to all your movements, when you're finished, you'd often have to wave a hand in front of her face to get her attention.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ｡ﾟ ⊹ㅤkamisato ayato !ㅤ

this man right here, oh how he adores when you 'put on a show for him' - p.s., he's just watching you train and he acts like you're showing off for him - and applauds you whenever you finish a routine, chuckling at the blank stare you'd return to him.

but in all seriousness, no, he doesn't see your hard work as simply for show, of course not. he greatly admires the effort you lace into each move, entranced by how ethereal you look. and when he watches you in real time combat ? archons, would he be cruel to admit he likes to see you fight, and would like to see so more often ?

you can't blame him, for there's truly something enchanting about watching you barely break a sweat, dropping enemies around you, all while looking like an angel who descended from the heavens to bless him.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ© amaiaqt, 2023 ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤdo not plagiarize !

mona megistus |

mona's not sure how to explain the crimson flush that spreads from her cheeks to her fingertips when you're around, nor is she willing to.

she doesn't know what's happened; just a couple of weeks ago the two of you were hanging out every day, friends forever, but now it's like something's changed. she can't think of you without picturing your lips, or the sparkle in your eyes, and that throws her off so much she goes out of her way to avoid you.

sometimes from her window she can see you talking to someone in the square, the sun highlighting your face and it's like you've been bathed in an ethereal spotlight. when she thinks about talking to you, her mouth goes dry and she finds herself at a loss for words, and she's not sure how to carry a conversation with you anymore. she hates it, actually. she detests it. you? distracting her so much from her every day tasks that she drops a stack of books on her foot when she sees you sprinting after a cat? how dare you.

the last straw is when she takes a walk through the woods and ends up in a sunny clearing, and she starts to daydream-the sun is just so nice on her face like that, and she's needed a break--and her mind wanders to you. your hands, she can imagine them intertwined with hers. would they be callused, she wonders, with all the sword-wielding you do all day? and then she catches herself and her eyes fly open and she stands. this can't go on any longer. you're taking up too much space in her mind.

she never used to feel this way. what a curious thing.

tartaglia |

childe would rather saw off his own fingers than admit he cares for you, and that's quite a sacrifice, seeing as he needs his bow and arrow. he has tried denying it, going so far as to shoot you down when you ask him to go monster fighting with you, or telling you he's "busy" when you ask him if he wants to hang out.

the crease in your brow when he tells you no kills him every time, making him want to turn you around and shout, i like you!

but that's a childish move, and childe doesn't resort to such tactics. he's decided the best option is to squash down his feelings and act as though everything's okay, despite the fact that taunting you isn't the little game it used to be--the two of you firing insults at each other for ages. now he takes real digs at you, because maybe that'll convince his stupid heart that he doesn't like you. the wounded look in your eyes before the whip-quick insult you spit back makes him want to kiss you, and he's embarrassed to admit that your lips take up more time in his head than they should.

he has no words to say how much he likes you, and he doesn't want any words, either, because that would mean he would have to tell you. even if he didn't want to tell you, he's not confident that his lips would stay sealed around you--one quick smile throws him off his balance these days, and sometimes when you wink (you've always done that, how has he just now noticed how cute it is?) he thinks he sees stars.

jean gunnhildr |

jean's already busy enough without you bothering her. that's what she tells you when you hang in her doorway, complaining that you're bored and will she please hang out with you? she always felt like tearing out her hair when you bugged her, although lately it's been for a different reason.

sometimes when you come in and throw yourself across her desk, she can't focus anymore; she used to be able to tune you out, but now, for some reason, you've been a distraction, one that she can't afford. she's had so much paperwork lately, so many requests from the townspeople asking her to take care of this, look over that, does this sound good. she's just so tired of it all, and she finds herself looking forward to you coming in and throwing her off kilter.

there's something almost magical about the dust motes floating through beams of sunlight that cut across your face when you lie on the floor, an arm thrown over your eyes and paperwork strewn on the ground beside you. she can't put a finger on the emotion she feels, she just knows that on the days you don't pop in, it feels empty and lonely. on those days, she catches herself staring out the window, watching for you, waiting to see if you'll drop by with some sweet madames and an offer to go to the tree by the statue of seven.

thoughts of you won't leave her mind, and it irritates her to no end. her work's been sloppy for the past few weeks, and that's not her brand. she wants to yell at you for distracting her this way, but those arguments just end up with you taking her hand and kissing her on the cheek, which is a strange thing to be imagining about you.

and she asks herself every day, is it odd that she wants to kiss you?

zhongli |

zhongli prides himself on his emotional disconnection from this world, and the way he can stay stable in every situation. except, the other day, your arm brushed his when you were laughing, and his arm tingled. maybe he could've convinced himself that he's imagining things and you just shocked him, maybe, which sometimes happens between people when there's static, except it happened again, and this time when you were handing him a pile of scrolls and books you thought he'd like.

he had dropped them all, sending the scrolls unraveling and the books landing splayed on their spine, which he knew would bend them. you had flashed him a dirty look, but laughter danced in your eyes. and you'd helped him pick them up while he wondered what had just happened.

sometimes he thinks you've noticed that he's been stumbly and stuttery and a mess around you lately, but you choose not to comment and instead tease him about it, which irritates him, and makes him wish that he could fluster you the same way. unfortunately, you remain the same--irritatingly, frustratingly perfect.

he wishes he could invite you to dinner more often without it seeming strange, although you are his closest friend--it can't be that weird?

but he regrets it instantly when you show up dressed up, as though you were going somewhere else than his dining room. after apologizing profusely for not telling you that it was just with him, he feels bad the whole meal and decides to make it up to you by taking you outside to see the stars (although you don't seem to mind being overdressed).

☾      There must’ve been something in the air, because as the night came to a close, he reached for your hand, whispering that he believed that nature had caused your paths to cross, and he felt a strong connection to you throughout your adventure. It was melodramatic and thick with emotion, but with the lilt to his voice and the genuineness he beheld, you couldn’t help but be enamored, agreeing with every word. 

☾      When he escorted you back to your room, (you took buses and cabs the whole way back — an adventure all on its own) he brushed a loose strand of hair behind your ear, and with the softest expression in his eyes, bid you goodnight. 

☾      On your long journey home, you couldn’t help but feel the slightest twinge melancholy of what was seemingly a fleeting, brief almost-romance, but it dissipated, replaced with giddy joy at the slip of paper tucked in your jacket pocket, his flowery handwriting encasing a small note with his number. 

☾      Now that you’re back home, returned to your typical routine, the two of you talk often. His hometown isn’t too far from you, but he frequently goes on cross-country backpacking excursions in foreign countries or long vacations. It’s been difficult to meet up again, to your disappointment, but he swears that there will be an opportunity.

𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐞.

☾      You first met Scaramouche after work on the train ride home. It was bustling when you boarded, and the only spot available was beside a stand-offish dark haired boy around your age with a black turtle neck, headphones dangling from his ears as he stared out the window. Coughing into your hand, you’d snagged his attention, ignoring his glare and asking if he minded you sitting beside him. He’d just scoffed and waved his hand, turning back to the window with a wrinkled nose. 

☾      You’d sat tight, hands in your lap, taut as a bow, hoping he’d disembark early so you could relax, but as the sun had dipped below the horizon and everyone else’d progressively filed out of the car, that seemed to be a lost cause. By that point, the car had been dead silent, and it was too uncomfortable to move despite the plethora of empty seats (you were worried you’d offend him).

☾      Desperate to iron out the tension, you’d politely asked him for his name, watching as he’d peeled his earbuds out with an irritated furrow to his brows, responding gruffly. Finally, you’d gotten a decent look at his face: the way his violet hair curled around his ears, the drooping bags under his eyes, his strikingly pale skin. Truthfully you’d thought he was awfully pretty, and it flustered you more than you wanted to admit. Scaramouche must have noticed, because he’d scoffed half-heartedly, tilting his chin up and asking you what you wanted. When you’d responded, he was nothing but abrasive and rude, clearly seeing you as a nuisance and wanting to be left alone. 

☾      When you’d gotten off the train (he’d stayed until your stop— why did he even bother taking the train this far?) you’d planned to forget the incident, it wasn’t like you’d ever see him again anyway, right? 

☾      Well, fate was always cruel (as your neighbor loved to remind you), and after that, you couldn’t seem to escape Scaramouche no matter where you went. Suddenly, you discovered that he frequented your favorite local coffee shop, had just started working on the same side of town as you (you shared many more uncomfortable train rides), and apparently was your coworker’s neighbor.  

☾      It all came to a head one morning when you went in to get your usual from the café and he slammed his drink onto the table you were sitting at, demanding to know why you were following him around and what your problem was. You explained that it was just coincidence, giving him a piece of your mind about his awful attitude, and he seemed to quell at that, silencing, his poisonous glare never faltering. He scoffed and left after your angered explanation, but now nearly every morning, he sits at your table, drinking his coffee and minding his business like you aren’t even there. Perhaps eventually, he’ll work up the courage to strike up a conversation.

𝐚𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐨 𝐤𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐳.

☾      Albedo is the pretty, pretty boy who volunteers at the local library. Truthfully, you’ve started going more often since you saw him, and he usually occupies the seat behind the front desk, his nose tucked behind a book, glasses sliding down his nose. The front pieces of his hair are braided back lazily, but it doesn’t stop strands from falling into his face — you wonder why he even bothers. 

☾      The other place he spends his time is amidst the shelves, organizing books and placing any returned ones. You know this because one time while you were looking for something specific, he came walking along in his pleated pants and button-up short sleeved, face impassive as the book-cart rolled behind him. You’d locked eyes, and he’d asked if you were looking for anything specific. Flustered, you’d stuttered out your response, frozen in place when he nodded, tapping his chin and turning to sift through the stacks of paper behind him. 

☾      You’d waited anxiously until he revealed the exact book you were looking for, the plastic protective cover old and yellowed. If he’d heard your breath hitch when he’d handed it to you (your fingers brushed), he hadn’t commented on it. 

☾      Instead, he’d asked if you were interested in the topic the book covered, a purely curious glimmer in his eye, and it sparked a conversation. 

☾      From then on, you visited when life allowed it, chatting with Albedo by the counter while he did his work. He revealed that he was a university student (chemistry major) volunteering on the weekends. He was fascinated with knowledge for knowledge’s sake, and knew so many random things and topics; your conversations never had a dull moment. 

☾      He wasn’t typically interested in fiction, but you strove to change that, introducing some of your favorite novels to him and getting him hooked. It was clear he was hiding his excitement every time you came in, slightly perking up whenever the door opened and discussing his thoughts on the content with you. 

☾      He was never as intrigued by the story and characters as you’d hoped, but he instead was fascinated by the development of the story and what went into making it. What inspired the author to make the decisions they did. Some books you knew the background of, some you did not. And the ones you didn’t Albedo seemed to do his own research on, filling you in during your next visit. 

☾      You also learned that he had a horrendous caffeine addiction, but you’d gotten him hooked on your favorite coffee shop after it was too late. It’d started after you brought him treats and a drink one time, and now the employees there always interrogated you on the mysterious “coffee man”. Of course, you assured them that Albedo was just a good friend, but secretly, you wished he wasn’t.

𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚.

☾      Thoma is your neighbor in your apartment complex! He’s super extroverted and friendly, and when you moved in, he was the first to welcome you, bringing tasty treats and a warm smile. You’d been bewildered, even more so when he told you he’d baked them himself. 

☾      Thoma doesn’t obnoxiously bother you like some people, but he goes out of his way to greet you whenever you cross paths. For example, one time at the mailbox he’d been walking his dog (a cute thing, and he loves you to death), fumbling through his mail and keys when he’d spotted you from across the way, doing a double take and brightening at your appearance. He’d raised his hand to wave, accidentally releasing the leash wrapped around his hand. The dog (Taroumaru, you learned) had bounded towards you, tongue out and tail wagging, headbutting your leg and barking affectionately. 

☾      Thoma’d apologized sheepishly, hand scrubbing the back of his head as he’d collected the pup, swearing he’d make it up to you despite your protests and reassurances, and sure enough, he’d come knocking at your door later that evening with baked goods. 

☾      His outgoing nature nurtured a friendship over time, and now you spend many nights in your apartment watching movies and cooking together. Thoma always chastises you for any messes in your house (playfully, as he does), and cooks the best meals, sitting beside you on the couch and forcing food into your hand as he puts on a movie. 

☾      He’s usually too preoccupied with work to indulge in movies (even spending evenings with you is a stretch), so you have the opportunity to introduce him to all your favorites. He gets roped in every time. Edge of his seat kind of invested, green eyes wide as he inhales the film. He always catches the smallest details you’d missed, and it makes watching movies with him so fun. 

☾      Thoma is always extremely busy, so it makes any time spent with him precious. Not only does he do a lot of work for a prestigious family, but he does volunteer work a lot, and during the summers teaches a swimming class to young kids. Sometimes he’ll invite you to those sessions, but to be honest, you mostly go to see Thoma in the skin tight swim shirt (not that you’d ever tell).

𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐬.

☾      Mona is another person from your apartment complex. You aren’t quite sure where her room is, but you do know that she is the world’s worst night owl. 

☾      You and Mona were introduced on the third week she’d sat outside your window with her telescope, mumbling to herself all night and rustling papers. If the walls weren’t paper thin, maybe it wouldn’t have been an issue, but you’d had too many sleepless nights as a result of her habits, and it was only a matter of time before you’d confronted her.

☾      The fated conversation happened on a night you’d gotten home from work late, wound tight from a certain individual on the train to find Mona with her entire setup on the grass outside your window. Frustrated and exhausted, you’d finally said something. 

☾      She hadn’t taken it well, insisting that it was her home too, and she was entitled to be up whenever she felt like. She reminded you that you could just sleep in another room. You’d countered that she could do her stargazing elsewhere. She’d bristled at that, huffing and insisting you’d never understand. 

☾      And thus started the passive aggressive rivalry, but as things dragged on, she seemed to get self-concious about the bother she was causing you, and it truly became apparent the day you were behind her in line at the same old café, watching with an unimpressed gaze as she fumbled through her coin bag, swearing up and down to the disgruntled employee that she had another dollar. 

☾      Out of the kindness of your heart, you’d spotted her the change, eager to get your morning caffeine and start your day. She’d approached you afterwards, but rather than just returning the money, she’d “payed you back” by agreeing to move her astronomy elsewhere. 

☾      She’d explained that she was studying a specific celestial object for a project and the spot by your window was the ideal spot to view it at. Of course, she’d assured you that this was simply because she refused to be “indebted” to you.

☾      Regardless, after the incident, the two of you grew closer. Occasionally, if you had the day off the next morning, you would spend a few hours stargazing with her, asking questions about her research, brushing off her haughty responses with a contented hum, falling asleep on her shoulder more times than you could count. 

☾      She’d always shakes you awake with a pink blush, refusing to meet your gaze while chastising you for staying up later than you were able.

☾      Now, she invites you to her astronomy group that she goes to on Wednesdays. It’s just a bunch of egocentric nerds gushing about the stars, but Mona looks so adorable when she’s in her element, you can’t help but be supportive.

part two featuring....

xiao: the disgruntled café employee,

childe: xiao’s least favorite co-worker,

zhongli: owner of the café,

diluc: your boss’ son (he left after the management changes),

and kaeya: diluc’s brother, your co-worker (stayed after the management changed) 

But if they were to beg so badly to know of their future, why would they also spout cruel words and invalidate her credibility when they learned of something unfavorable? To call her a liar and a fake, even for someone so great, it was far too much for a mere human to handle.

The truth of people’s lives were held in the palms of Mona’s hands, but it was too heavy to carry alone. Years of knowing the happiest and darkest moments of so many people’s lives came crashing down on Mona’s shoulders and she couldn’t take it anymore.

So she broke.

Sometimes Mona felt like a star herself. Burning so brightly that people couldn’t resist wanting to seek answers from it. But stars burn out too, their flames extinguish and people want nothing more to do with them.

Similar to the stars above as Mona was, she was still different. Because while stars often burned out after the burden of shining for so long, Mona would always have a second chance to light her flame again in a way the stars couldn’t.

She found that flame in you, her lover. In times where she felt the other stars stealing her flame away, she searched for you among the brightest ones.

You were like her sun, the brightest star of them all. One who could relight her flame even in the coldest of nights, the only star she could ever truly rely on.

“It’s too much for me to handle, y/n. The fates of the world…I can’t bear to hold them much longer,” Mona had cried to you one night as she laid her head carefully in your lap, red cheeks and clammy hands tucked away from your view.

You smiled down at her gently as you brushed your hands through her hair. You knew of the way people had treated her and always tried your best to shield her from it, to keep a smile on her face as she professed her love for the stars to you.

“You don’t have to, Mona. It’s alright to cry sometimes, you know? I’ll be here when you need me…I’ll be here forever with you.”

Mona could never forget the way you held her that night. The words you had spoken to her that night stood out in her mind stronger than any fate or cruel speech of the people ever had.

Mona loved you so much, more than the stars could ever convey. She had only wished she could stay with you forever, just like you had promised.

Albedo  

Expect late nights where you're on a cold mountain isolated with just albedo and sucrose for company.  

Since you were so extroverted, you'd be the one doing most of the talking 

I feel like Albedo could multitask very very well, but you wanted someone to talk to you as well and he'd be so quiet 

You often ask if he was actually listened, hugging his shoulders and pulling him away from his work which annoyed him a bit, but as your loving boyfriend he had to fulfill your needs as well 

He loved to listen to you day and all. 

He didn't love when you invited him out. To parties and dates. Didn’t you spend enough time together at work? He just didn't get why there had to be other people  

So you'd go to the party alone, only to be joined by him later  

And because of you, he found himself hanging out with friends more  

And at first he thought you had a healthier habit at work than he did, but then he realized just after parties and gatherings, you'd head straight back to the lab to finish work 

So he'd usually have to convince you to rest after such a long day although you tried to insist you still had plenty of energy  

So he'd drag you back home and make sure you took care of himself, which ultimately made him take care of himself as well. Win win situation! 

Mona 

She would usually visit you at your work, bringing you the lunch you'd regularly forget  

And today in particular she came to you when you had just made a breakthrough. And you were ecstatic and kept ranting about molecules, atoms and reactions that she didn't understand  

But her pride would never let her admit that she didn't understand. So, she simply nodded along, pretending she did  

Then she'd ask if you want to eat lunch together, but in your excitement you waved her off saying you weren't hungry. Nuh uh, you skipped breakfast. She would make you stop working and eat with her 

She knew what it was like to go without eating for long periods of times and how weak it would make you  

So it was up to her to take care of you. Sigh. What would you do without her? 

She'd also not like it when you were so loud and outspoken in public. It made her hairs stand on edge.  

Like when you started talking with everyone and she just stood there a bit lost...it was so awkward! 

But she still loved being around you so she'd withstand it, not to mention this got you out of work and walling around for a bit  

Yanfei  

You were smart and workaholic. So you instantly clicked with her.  

Due to both your busy schedules and late nights still at work, you rarely see each other 

She found you knowing almost everyone in Liyue very convenient, so to kill two birds with one stone she'd take you along with her 

It'd get you out of your lab and outside walking, you'd get to spend time together, and you would also give her little tidbits of information of people she was supposed to be questioning  

She liked being able to have intellectual conversations with you, but she sometimes couldn't understand a word you were saying, so she'd sometimes settle to just listening  

You also had to go out for in field research many times, so she'd come along with you. That way she'd get out of work for a while.  

Almost like you'd keep each other in check when it came to not resting for days on end  

Ei 

Loved listening to your cute little lectures you'd give her. She already knew about everything, but she'd fake not knowing just to see your enthusiasm  

Your knack for overworking yourself always concerned her. She'd often find you passed out on your desk, pen still in hand writing down your findings  

And she always called you out when you would wake up. But you'd often ignore her 

So she finally decided to bargain with you . Get away from your work for a few hours and in exchange, you'd walk around Inazuma city in search for new desserts to try with her 

And she felt very safe going around with you out in the open, because if anyone approached you knew exactly who it was and why they might be there 

Once you'd return back to your work, she'd try to help you, but you'd often take over what she was doing and do it yourself, so she tried to stay out of your way  

Overall she found your obsessions over sciences and alchemy very cute.  

Ninggaung  

If she ever had gatherings with nobles and such, she'd take you along to do the talking instead of her. She'd be exhausted with work, and you would somehow still have energy, so she'd leave it up to you  

Also, you both had a habit of overworking yourselves, and neither of you pointed it out in each other. Instead, you both stayed quiet in a mutual agreement of I don’t mess with your work you don't mess with mine 

She knew you were smart and knew your limits, despite ignoring them many times 

But she knew full well that it was a hard habit to break out of. And it was exhausting  

So  

How did you have so much energy!!!!!!!!!!!!????? 

Ninggaung was convinced you'd come up with a secret serum that gave you unlimited energy because right after work she would see you hanging out with friends and such  

She could never. Highly respected you for that. It was truly extraordinary