•°☆.Vandal.☆°•

He was just being clingy, they would laugh. But constantly hovering and watching your every move made you uncomfortable. And if he wasn't there, someone else will take watch duty over you. Yesterday was the Calvary Captain and today the Outrider. Somehow tomorrow, the Acting Grand Master will manage to assist you in grocery shopping despite the workload waiting for her afterwards.

For all you know, the Anemo Archon might be even watching you in Varka's favour.

Lately, you found him lurking around your house at night. Afterwards, he would leave. You replaced your curtains with darker colours, only to find them thrown and torn apart.

New pale curtains now decorate your window frame. Giving him a better view as you sleep.

And the worst part was how he made it obvious. The suspiciously shaped key on his side looks like yours. And it works too. Remember when you locked yourself outside the house only for him to open it for you.

"Just in case.", he said, a large smile stretched on his face as you contemplate his actions in horror.

You truly did like him. Well, tried but you couldn't. Not when he acted like this.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot accept your confession.", you said quietly. "I don't believe that I can possibly be the one you want."

You gently laid him down. He is the Grand Master and the last thing you wanted was him becoming outraged at the rejected, even if you knew he wasn't like that.

Varka nodded, the smile on his face slightly pained but held no anger. But the people of Mondstadt didn't.

Disappointed faces when they heard the news. The people's sad faces as they saw him trying not to let it get to him. But once they learned the culprit was you; it all spiraled.

It was first the comments.

"Can't you just give him a chance?"

"C'mon! He's the Grand Master of Mondstadt!"

"Rejecting the Grand Master, quite the bold move you did there.", Kaeya once told you while circling the drink in his hand. The cold air stepped in Angel's Share as many conversations quieted.

About you and Varka.

You don't even know why you were here. But his stare and the onlookers made you wish that you were able to sink into the shadows.

He chuckles, "Just kidding, yeah?", he takes a swing of his drink, allowing the hearty vibe returns once more. However, the stare from him and sharp eyes from Diluc as he cleans the glass of a customer does not do you any favors to calm you.

It seemed like the whole of Mondstadt hated you.

Suddenly, your tab on groceries increase drastically, despite buying the same items. "Sorry," Sara says, her palm out, "It's going to be more than that."

Sure...

The knights are quick to charge you for minor offenses — I mean, what even is 'Staying out too late'? The bards sing songs about how you humiliated their beloved Grand Master, exaggerating the entire thing. The crowd of people sneering as you walk by.

One person almost spat at you, had you not dodged in time. But the knights said nothing.

Even the winds were angry at you. You almost fell face first into the mud. A small laugh from a bard by the name of Venti; his eyes having a mischievous twinkle as if he was the cause of it.

Sister Rosaria — if you can even call her that — has taken a liking to follow you at night, almost scaring you half to death at her sudden appearance. She would occasionally mutter under her breath, a thinly veiled threat you presume.

No longer could you live in peace without someone judging you.

So when Varka confessed to you one last time, you accepted. Reluctantly, but just wanted it to end. Either this or a life of torment.

And should he go to Nodkrai with broken heart, who knows what will happen to you?

Joy spread through the people as they all celebrated the relationship. Cheers and flowers given to him and tight smiles delivered to you. Varka clinged to your side, drink in hand as he retells the story of how he won your heart.

"Hardwork my men! My dearest didn't want to make it too easy for me, I'll tell you.", the tavern erupts in cheers and laughter, his voice the loudest of them all.

On your side, Amber chats with Eula about how stubborn you were. The captain of the Reconnaissance Company gives you a side-eye, before nodding.

You wish you could throw the drink Varka bought at them. All of them.

Varka's laugh interrupts you from your thoughts, "Apparently, the knights have been helping you try to be interested in me, is that so my dearest?", he asks you. Before you even have a chance to speak, Kaeya steps in.

"Oh nothing, just a little encouragement from the people of Mondstadt."

Yeah, encouragement. You don't have the energy to fight.

You nod in agreement, taking a sip as Varka laughs once more.

Nostradomas

Do you want to commit mass destruction or do you want to commit mass destruction?

Being a vessel is one thing, but of ancient and forgotten god?! You're just asking him to stir up trouble.

For him, this is a great opportunity to get to know you and AG as he has more reason to piss off everyone in the room.

He's awfully curious on how you even became a vessel and why AG was sealed in the first place. After hearing how the gods of the previous era got paranoid over the power AG was getting and in retaliation they decided to seal them, he has a new reason to oppose them other than just for fun.

To your surprise, AG gets along with him better than you do with them! They find him funny, indulging his whimsy manners and curious self.

Unlike Hades, he likes to explore your new abilities in a rather devastating manner to indulge his own curiosity as well as to boost your confidence. Why limit yourself and wouldn't it be fun to give the gods a taste of their own medicine? Prescribed by him of course.

Occasionally, he likes to use his poems to prophesize the events that could take place in your life. He even adds a little twist to his poems, so you can never be sure if what he is saying is true.

You would ask AG, but they're busy laughing how inaccurate he is. So they can scold you but can excuse him for his actions? Talk about favouritism 😔.

"So, care to tell me on your thoughts on my latest poem~"

"Darling Nostradomas, I'll humor you only if you write me in a better light than (Name) here."

"That's all you care about?!"

Nikola Tesla

You wouldn't mind he does some tests on you, would you?

Not in an evil scientist way, but like a child experiment of some sort.

You, a HUMAN who is a vessel for an ancient forgotten god is good enough reason that humanity can overcome the gods. He finds it so fascinating that not only are you still standing, you can even use their abilities as your own.

You quickly become enamored by his childlike wonder for you, that you can't help but allow him. With your consent and boundaries in line, he wouldn't want an unwilling subject. Or partner in this matter.

AG is willing to participate in the experiments only if they too can look at the results. They want to see if you can improve the use of their abilities much better. You see, deep down they do care!

Throughout these experiments, he loves getting to know you more other than just the human vessel. He desires to get to know the real you beyond your title and your supposed given purpose.

Please don't ever feel like you have to be careful around this man. You don't want to hurt him with your powers? If I may remind you, this is the afterlife and you're talking to the Nikola Tesla who believes in science not magic. He might actually be a little offended, go all out as you wish. Do be mindful of AG's warnings, else the both of you will get the lecture of a lifetime.

Other than that, expect late night ramblings on the discovery of your abilities with him. You can't help but get flustered at the amount of praise he gives you.

"Dearest, you were absolutely spectacular, you should've seen yourself!"

"You really think so?"

"Of course he does, you nuked the entire wall."

You shudder as his grip on your hip digs deeper through the dress. A silent way of urging you to listen to his command, "My lord, I'm afraid I cannot obey your request.", you hands clutch tighter. You feel him drop the jewel back onto your chest, the cold metal now warm from his hands.

"How come, did I not ask you nicely to look at me?", his hands move to grasp your neck, feeling you swallow. "It is tradition that a bride may not see her groom moments before the wedding my lord.", you try to reason, despite the cold wind from the outside blowing into the room, making you clutch your hands tighter from the cold.

He hums, "I'm not particularly fond of tradition, rather I tend to dislike the tales that we carried over from the dead.", the pressure from his hold lasts only for a moment before loosening. "Don't you agree, my dearest?", he leans to whisper in your ear, hot breath contrasting from your completely frozen ear. You shiver from the contact, your mind telling you to pull away, but your body ignores the instruction.

Both his hands move to rub your bare shoulders, "One believes tradition sets a foundation for the future of our people, despite how it is portrayed.", you answer as confidently as you can, eyes opening slightly just to look at the floor beneath your feet.

He moves the sleeves of your dress lower, "Is that so, any reason why you may think that?", his face in your neck, "Does it stem from your parents, friends or that loathsome community that claims you as one of them?". Despite the cold air, you could still feel the harshness in his voice, yet you felt warm inside.

He takes your silence as an answer, pulling himself away from you and exits the room. You breathe a sigh of relief, before opening your eyes, until shutting them closed as he walked right in.

Metal scraping the floor irritates your ears, getting louder as it comes closer. A loud 'thud' stops in front of you and you feel his hands on your shoulders. The gloved hands holding you still and close.

"My beloved, I ask that you only submit to my request. And that is you to open your eyes. I simply wish for you to see how beautiful you are.", he massages the flesh beneath his hands, almost trying to ease you and to his credit, it did.

Slowly, you open your eyes. Your reflection stares back at you, the white glowing dress adorned on you, but not his silhouette behind you. Lifting your chin upwards, he stares at your gaze. Your eyes almost as dull as his other than the fact that their yours. He chuckles.

"It wasn't so hard was it?", you shake your head.

"Good. Now let's have those wedding vows."

He sweeps you off your feet, as he held you I a bridal carry towards the exit. You knew the wedding ceremony was for show, but what would you expect. You knew that your groom would be turning into dust with a stake logded in his heart even before you even reached the altar.

My usual headers weren't working so I had to improvise. I just thought of making a drabble of Vampire/Reader for the month since I haven't been posting as of late.