: NOT THE EXCEPTION . Yan! Isagi Yoichi / Gn! Reader

: ̗̀➛ NOT THE EXCEPTION . yan! isagi yoichi / gn! reader

you were the fool for thinking that he'd be the only sane one in a team full of batshít crazy athletes. now he has you cornered, and the look in his eyes tells you that you should have never underestimated a wólf in sheép's clothing.

+ happy happy belated birthday to the love of my life bbg (who shan't be named) AND happy new year to everyone!!

( HOW DO I WRITE KISSING SCENES????, forced kíssing, dúbcon, n/sfw mentions, mánipulation, hárem mentions [bc it's not yester without a hárem] )

You don't know why you thought he was the exception.

Maybe it's because, in a team full of egoists, Isagi seemed to be the only one to treat you like his equal. Shidou drapes himself all over you and leaves you icky with his séxual comments, Rin cooly glares at you and barely acknowledges your existence, you could nearly faint at the mere glare of Kunigami, and Bachira likes to play rough with your body as he clings and begs for your attention.

That's not even the complete cast. Even people like Nagi, Reo, and Chigiri came with their own set of problems. But not Isagi. You had thought it would never be Isagi. Sure, he had a tongue and attitude on the field, parading around his victory with a smug smirk and spitting poíson at opponents and teammates alike. Yet that side of his seemed to completely disappear whenever he stepped out of the field, his prédatory gaze softening into a fond look whenever you bounded up to him to congratulate him on a well-earned victory. He never tried your boundaries or let his touch linger like the others did.

He was a gentleman through and through, and thinking that was your first mistake.

Your second mistake was being alone with him in your living room. He's still wearing that soft expression and kind smile, but his hands are gripping your wrists too tightly.

"[Your Name]." He says your name in a hushed whisper, bringing up your trembling wrist to his lips so he can press a kiss on a new bruíse. You watch with wide eyes as those plush lips touch your skin and permeate an icy feeling of doom through the veins. His gaze meets yours.

"Don't you think I did well today?"

Though your gut is telling you that something isn't right, you're still a fool smitten with the gentle image Isagi had portrayed himself to be. You find yourself slowly nodding, entranced by those blue eyes that never look away from you.

"Why do you think so?" He presses another kiss on your wrist, before loosening the bruising grip so he can trail kisses up your arm.

"... Your metavision is still as keen as ever," you whispered. The television screen is reflected in his eyes, news of Japan's newest victory flashing on the screen. You can't look away. "You expertly led the others to victory; you instigated all the right chemical reactions for the perfect shot." You lick your dry lips. "... You were amazing."

He huffs a laugh into your shoulder, massaging your bruised wrist like he wasn't the one who left that mark. "You're not echoing Ego's words, are you? I want to hear your own thoughts, not that slimy bastard's."

"M... Maybe," you admit, tense with his grip on your shoulder tightening. "I don't know much about soccer, but I meant every word. You were amazing, Isagi, you really were."

His grip softens, you're still tense, and he hums contentedly. "Right. I was amazing. I devoured every single bastard on that field and left them gasping." Your hair tickles your ear as he pushes them back. "So, don't you think it's a bit unfair?"

"... What is?"

"That I have to share my trophy with the others." His hand feels cold on your neck. "Can't I have one thing to myself? [Your Name], look at me."

You follow. He smiles that gentle smile again. He thumbs your lower lip like a lover.

"Kiss me."

You read romances all the time. They had always described it as hot, passionate, fiery. But maybe you took fiction too seriously. Real life is always different, and the ice in your veins is proof of that.

You draw closer, breath hitched, and mustering all the courage and swallowing down the unease in your heart, you press your lips on his.

There is no fire like the ones described in the books. There is a heavy pit in your stomach. Is this what they call butterflies? You tremble under the scrutinizing gaze of Isagi, eyes still open even with your lips on his. Soon, he closes his eyes too and you feel his lips smirk against yours.

Returning the kiss, he pulls you in closer and takes your everything in deeply. You can't pull away, you don't pull away. In this very moment, he's devouring everything you can offer— for now, physically; soon, mind and spirit. You wince when he bites down on your lip, not even trying to be gentle about it. You flinch backward from the pain, but his hand on the small of your back allows you no escape.

"Kiss me back, baby," he whispers between kisses. "You're my trophy for the night."

You kiss with less passion than him, too nervous about making him happy. You match the softness of his lips with yours, lapping at his tongue like how he does. He laughs when he pulls away, finding amusement in the blushy and nervous look on you.

"Gosh, you're so cute," he sighs, grinning at you. It's no longer friendly, those lips. A bit swollen from your kitten bites, the way he's smirking at you feels too... smug. "Too cute. Those bastards won't have any chance now that I've devoured you."

You gasp when his hand tightens on your hip, and you shoot him a nervous look. "I– Isagi, what are you...?"

"C'mon, [Your Name], how could you possibly not have seen it?" He chuckles. "Bargin' into the locker room every time we're half naked, in those cute shorts, and you think that not one man in that room would think about taking you on the fuckin' bench? Think, cutie. But you've always been wary of them, good thing. They think they can devour you by intimidating and belittling you? Those fuckers don't know shit."

He catches your bottom lip between his teeth and laughs at their stupidity, vibrations buzzing your lip. "First, you gotta sweeten the trap with honey, you know?"

You are reflected in those captivating blue eyes, fluorescent lights illuminating your paling features. Taking you in again, he devours your lips once again, caring only for the taste of victory on his lips and your sweet sounds on his tongue.

Another victory snatched.

Hello! For your 700 followers event, can I request Cinderella au with Xiao? But as in, Xiao in a Cinderella-like role while reader is the princess/prince/royal(? Is that the correct gn term?) ? Preferably without an angst ending?;; Thank youuu and congratulations!!!

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛: 𝚇𝚒𝚊𝚘. 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚎: 𝙲𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚊. 𝙼𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝙲𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎: 𝙽𝚘𝚗𝚎. 𝙻𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚑: 𝟷𝟶.𝟿𝚔 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍, 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

𝙾𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚄𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝙰 𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎…

there lived a young boy named alatus, who spent his days in a humble settlement in the woods. he lived with his father, morax; a kind, knowledgeable man who was once a general in the royal army, and four older siblings. he never knew his mother, for she had died when he was very young.

together they spent their days gathering firewood, collecting wild berries and fruits, and playing music to the spirits of the forest. when alatus played his flute, it seemed that the very trees seemed to sway along to the melody, branches rustling gently as they did so. the breeze would brush past his cheek, whispering its words of praise.

occasionally, the royal family would travel through the forest on their way to meetings and celebrations, and the little boy would look on from the windows in his home with eyes wide in wonder at the many treasures they possessed. 

one time, when they were passing through the forest, morax allowed them to go outside and watch them as they passed by properly, after much pleading from all the siblings.

it was the first time young alatus had seen such a grand thing. there was a marching band playing drums and fanfares as they walked, followed by a procession of soldiers walking in the front, holding flags displaying the royal family’s insignia, and finally a pair of majestic, well-groomed horses wearing large plumes on their heads (their coats almost shining in the afternoon sun) pulling each individual carriage— made from solid gold, of course. 

though morax kept reminding him to shut his mouth, somehow alatus’ jaw kept falling open at this incredible sight, and he gawped shamelessly at each golden carriage as they passed by. 

atop one such carriage rode the crowned heir to the kingdom, their age similar to alatus’. they caught his awestruck stare, and, rather unsure what to do, simply stared back, eyes wide and unblinking. (he could not help but notice that they looked extremely nice.)

when he found his stare mirrored back at him, alatus felt his face grow warm, though he did not know why, and their cheeks took too on a slight rose-coloured dusting. they shot him a tiny smile, and his eyes widened further. he felt quite disappointed when they finally tore their gaze away to stare back ahead of them, chin slightly raised as they went. (they really did look very nice indeed, he thought.)

when morax and his siblings saw the red flush on his ears, they laughed, though not unkindly. alatus was confused, and only grew even more so when they teased him about his ‘expensive taste’. he did not understand what they meant, and so took none of it to heart. 

sometimes, though not often, he would see them in the forest, hiding behind a tree and watching him play his music, before their exasperated parents would find them and tell them once again not to stray into the forest. they always shot alatus a sorry-looking glance when they left, to which he raised his chin, closed his eyes, and pretended to ignore them in a display of childlike hubris (but would then open one eye discreetly to watch them leave anyways.)

this was in the days where he still lived a happy life, heart full of naivety and childhood innocence. but things could not stay like this forever, and every child must grow up some day.

one day, when he was a little older, news of a war broke out, and morax was called back to his role as a military general. before he left, he gave each of the siblings a gift; these being various items he had acquired during his travels in the army.

to the eldest, he gifted a paintbrush carved from ivory; to the second eldest, a tiara of pearl; to the third, gloves of the finest silk; to the fourth, earrings of amber. to alatus, the youngest of the five, he gave a bamboo flute. it was the least expensive and impressive of the gifts, but nonetheless morax told him to take care of it well; for it belonged to his mother before her death. he also told alatus that should things in the future prove difficult and should he reach a crossroad in life, whereupon he does not know which path to choose or what to do, to play the flute, and the spirit of his mother would come to his aid.

alatus did not understand what was happening at the time, for it was not in his nature to know the ways of war, but what he did know was this: morax never returned from that war.

he and his four siblings drifted around for a while like wandering spirits, aimless and dazed, until another man one day took them in under his wing.

however, this man was not the kind, patient man that morax had been. he was cruel and unforgiving; most of all to alatus, for this man had once learnt the flute as well, but his music was always met with scorn and laughter, and so when he heard the boy’s talent which seemed to stir the very heavens and earth, his twisted heart was overcome with black jealousy, and he developed a hatred towards the boy.

the other four he showered with kindness and gifts, while alatus was left to eat scraps and work through the day sleep on the floor at night, with only a few short breaks every morning to scrape his breakfast from the fire’s ashes. when he finished his tasks, if he had time, alatus would go outside and play his flute, finding momentary peace in the solitude.

over time, the four siblings forgot the kindness of their first father, and the ugly hatred of the new man’s heart began to spread into their own, digging its blackened claws into their hearts and spreading like twisting vines. they soon began treating him no better than their ‘father’. 

realising that playing the flute brought alatus comfort, the man tried to break the flute time and time again, but no matter what he did— throw it into the fire, bend it with all his might, hit it against the wall— it would neither burn, not snap, nor break. in his growing frustration, he once day snatched it from the young alatus, hid it in the attic, and locked the door. though alatus searched high and low throughout the house, his search more than thorough, he could not find it, no matter how hard he tried.

and so, as time passed, he slowly forgot about the flute that lay untouched and gathering dust in the attic and the relief it would bring him in these troubled days.

the sparkle of childlike wonder within alatus’ eyes began to fade as he grew older, and his kind heart was frosted over with bitterness. because of his malnourishment and harsh conditions, he did not grow like his siblings. instead, he was small, with weak bones and frail limbs. because of this, his siblings began to call him xiao; a word that meant ‘small’ in their mother tongue*. a face with delicate features was the only reminder of the gentle, carefree soul that lay beneath layers of torment, only just out of reach. 

(perhaps one simple act of kindness would be enough to unearth this lost innocence and bring the light back into his eyes. but one must be a fool to think that, for no kindness was to be found in this company.)

now, some years later, when xiao was growing into quite the young man (for though his conditions were poor, through his labour he did put on a little muscle— though not too much height— and his face was as striking as it was beautiful, his eyes captivating shards of amber), the word came around of a series of balls, one each over the next three days, being held by the royal family to find a consort for the crowned heir, who was now of marrying age.

the mention of this ‘crowned heir’ sparked a long forgotten memory in xiao’s mind: an ornate carriage pulled by horses on a warm summer’s day, a young boy named alatus, a curious stare, and a warm flush on his cheeks. a brief smile sent to him from atop the carriage, and the feeling of butterflies in his chest.

perhaps… perhaps he should go? even if you did not choose him as a partner— because, let us be honest, out of everyone attending the ball, why would you ever choose him?— he could at least see you again… no?

…no. he would be foolish to consider even asking to go, much less attending the ball itself.

nevertheless, over the next couple of days, the thought lingered in xiao’s mind, constantly gnawing at his thoughts as he worked, like a nagging whisper that refused to go away. and, when the time for the ball drew near, he decided that he could not sit idly by and do nothing. 

so, one day, he scraped together all the courage he could muster, and when his father and siblings returned from an outing, their clothes shining with precious jewels, he sucked in a breath, and asked, in a voice timid and quiet, “may i go to the royal ball, father?”

the man scoffed at first, taking his words as a joke, but when he realised that xiao was being serious, a condescending smile crossed his face. “you want to go to the ball? are you certain?”

xiao gave a small yet clear nod. 

“and wear what? your working clothes, which are so torn and ragged that they could be mistaken for a beggar’s you would shame our family, child,” he spat. 

“i have been saving money for a suitable outfit,” he muttered quietly. the condescending smile sent down at him chilled into daggers.

“money? show me,” he demanded. xiao did not move. “show me, child,” he repeated in a hiss. reluctantly, xiao reached into the pockets of his dust-coated apron and pulled out a few odd coins of various shapes and sizes. his father seized the coins from his hand and inspected them closely for any signs of fraud. finding none, he turned his attention to xiao, who fought the urge to shrink under his glare.

“where did you get these?” his father said, and his voice was low and dangerous, like a puma on the hunt. he took a step forwards, causing xiao to stiffen, and he fixed his eyes on the floor.

“i have been selling bread at the market when you are away,” he said, before hastily adding, “but this is not bread i intended for you to eat and have sold; i made it from scratch for this very purpose, and i have not given away anything i made for you.”

his father grew livid with fury, and he pronounced each following word slowly and deliberately. “you have been leaving the house without telling me, and selling goods at the market?”

xiao swallowed, and mumbled something under his breath.

“what was that?” his father said.

“yes, father,” xiao muttered again, the words this time comprehensible.

“and you really think you can buy something with this, hm?” his father dangled a copper piece before his eyes with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. xiao swallowed, but nodded again.

his father’s face fell. “pathetic,” he spat, after which dragged xiao by the arm into the back garden and one by one threw each coin into the deep well that stood there. his siblings sniggered as they watched from the corner, finding the whole situation rather amusing. xiao’s face burned with embarrassment and withheld fury as he watched, slowly, as all his work went to waste.

after the last coin’s descent into the waters below had been heard with a low thunk, his father turned to him. “you will stay here, and you will tend to our outfits and our hair. you, on the other hand, have neither clothes nor shoes: if the guards were completely drunk they would still not let you enter the ballroom. have i made myself clear, child?”

xiao clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white; he could feel his nails digging into the skin of his palm. 

“have i made myself clear?”

“yes, father.”

“good. now prepare our attire for the first dance, for it is tonight. you will stay here while we are gone, and if i find out that you have left the house in my absence, there will be consequences, child.”

xiao swallowed, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. 

“but father, if he stays here all night, he will not have anything to do, and will grow lazy,” one of his siblings piped in. his father considered this.

“you are right,” he addressed the sibling, and then turned back to xiao. “while we are away, you must keep yourself busy and clean the attic so that not one speck of dust remains, for it has been left unattended to for many years and must be covered in dust and cobwebs. i will check what you have done when we return in the morning, and if i find so much as one old string of spider silk…” he trailed off, but whatever was left unsaid did not need explaining. the message was clear: do it or you will regret it with your life.

that evening, after carefully dressing up his brothers and sisters, xiao’s father tossed him a tiny little feather duster and the keys to the attic. then they left for the ball.

xiao watched them go, his fingers clutching the feather duster so tight that it threatened to snap. when his family was out of sight, he turned back to the house.

how was he to get rid of every speck of dust and every cobweb in the attic? the task would take a week at the least, and he was to complete it in one night?

he forced out a sigh. standing here and doing nothing was not going to get him anywhere at all, so he may as well begin. 

he walked up the stairs to the attic, and placed the key in the lock. the heavy wooden door swung open with a long creak, and xiao stepped inside.

almost immediately, he felt a wave of dust assault his lungs, and he coughed, placing a hand over his mouth. golden eyes glancing around the room, he saw that a couple of crates and old furniture lay around in disarray. there were no windows, save a small round one very high up, through which a few beams of remaining sunlight streamed. the floorboards groaned quietly beneath his feet with each step.

he had not gotten far when an object caught the corner of his eye. when he gave it a longer look, he realised that it was long and thin, and carved from bamboo. 

he had not seen it for a very long time.

leaving his feather duster behind, xiao approached the flute and picked it up. it was light in his hands, and looked just as he remembered it. somehow, it remained largely untouched by the dust. 

he frowned. should he… play it? did he even remember how? 

but even if he didn’t, he could not simply ignore it after finally finding it.

and so, hesitantly, he raised the flute to his lips, and played a note. the sound was sharp and clear, and brought back memories of sunny days long gone by. 

xiao’s breath hitched. his fingers trembled, as if he were afraid to play on, though he did not know why. he bit his lip, but then drew out a long sigh, and let his worries melt away. he closed his eyes, and began to play. 

his fingers seemed to work of their own accord, weaving notes into melodies he thought long forgotten. his music drifted out of the attic, and the very birds in the sky seemed to tilt their heads towards the sound. 

soon after he had begun playing, a huge white crane landed outside the little window, stretching her long neck down to see better the boy who played this enchanting tune. feeling a pair of eyes upon him, xiao stopped, and looked up at the bird. 

there was a moment of silence, until the crane said, “please, my child, keep playing. your melody stirs this one’s heart and smoothens this one’s feathers. do not stop.”

just then, he remembered his father’s— his real father’s— words.

“are you the spirit of my mother?” xiao asked. the crane shook her head.

“no, this one is afraid not. but this one has been sent by her to come to your aid.”

xiao froze. his mother… really was watching over him? his heart became caught between soaring and breaking.

“well, my child? is there any way in which this one may assist you?”

xiao thought for a moment, before he nodded. “i must dust all of the attic so that not a single cobweb nor speck of dust remains before my siblings and father return from the ball tonight. i do not think i will be able to do it.”

“worry not, my child,” the crane said. “you needn’t do it alone.”

and then she let loose a cry and flapped her wings. clouds of dust billowed up around her, and after a short moment, another bird hopped through the window and joined her in the action, and then another, and another. soon, a flock of birds— including little sparrows, herons, hawks, and, of course, the crane— stood in the attic, wingbeats strong as a whirlwind and powerful as a hurricane. xiao closed his eyes tight as for the dust to not land in them, and when he opened them, the sound of wingbeats had receded, and the flock of birds had already left. only the crane still stood in the attic, looking upon the spotless floor as if satisfied with her work. truly, there was no single speck of dust nor thread of cobweb remaining. 

(if birds could have expressions, xiao would almost describe her current one as smug.)

speechless, xiao could only open and close his mouth, before finally uttering a delayed ‘thank you’. the crane bowed her head and turned around, spreading her large white wings, looking as if about to fly off.

and then she stopped.

“say, my child,” she said, “you do not appear to be satisfied yet. do you not wish to see the ball?”

“i do,” xiao admitted, although his heart was heavy— he knew he could not even see the ball, much less attend it himself.

“then follow this one,” she instructed, and flew out of the window.

xiao stood there, a little puzzled. he did not possess wings, and the window was far too high up for him to climb the wall to reach it. but then, a ladder leaning against the wall caught his eye, and once he positioned it beneath the window, he made his way up. the window was very small, however, and it was difficult to get through. 

the crane waited for him patiently, and once he crawled through the window, she instructed him to sit on her back. he did as such, and before he knew it, the crane took to the sky. her large wings concealed the boy that sat atop her, and so those looking up at the sky saw only a white crane. 

very quickly, they arrived at the royal gardens and descended onto the grass. xiao slipped off the crane’s back, thanking her, and moved to hide behind a bush, his amber eyes widening when he peered through one of the many large windows in the palace.

a huge crowd was gathered in the ballroom, every person dressed in exquisite gowns, frocks and suits, each more breathtaking and detailed than the last. he cast a glance down at his own clothes— a simple, old ash-coated tunic of a dull grey and a pair of trousers with frayed ends— and scowled. 

he felt a beak nudge his shoulder, and the crane said, “look there.” xiao looked to where she gestured with her head and felt his heart skip a beat.

he had no doubt that of all the incredible people here, you were by far the most stunning. your eyes seemed to glitter with stars under the light of a hundred chandeliers, a small smile tugging at your lips. though your face had matured, your smile looked the same, he noticed. you seemed to be making conversation with some young count, who leaned down to kiss your hand. xiao’s heart tightened, and a bitter feeling arose in his gut. he peeked out from behind the bush a little further, eyes glaring venomous daggers into the man’s back. 

after a long instance of glaring (and feeling slightly more satisfied when he saw the count shudder— perhaps the hairs on the back of his neck had been risen), he turned his eyes back to you. 

the next moment, you turned your head slightly, and your eyes briefly skimmed over the dark trees in the royal gardens. then they stopped on his own. 

xiao’s breath hitched and his heart began to pound. your eyes widened by a fraction in shock. seeing two large eyes, shining like a cat’s in the darkness, staring at you from a bush must not have been a comfortable sight.

were you about to call the royal guards to seize him? have him imprisoned— no, killed— for trespassing on royal grounds? countless possibilities, each more daunting than the last, flooded his mind. what was he to do? run now and take a chance? stay to see what happens?

however, none of these precautions showed themselves to be necessary. with a wary lifting of your chin, your eyes broke away from his and you surveyed the rest of the garden with a serene face, as though you had never seen him. you turned back to the count, saying a few words, and then walked away to meet the next guest. you cast a cautious glance over your shoulder as you went. 

his eyes still following your receding back, when xiao saw who the next guests were, his blood threatened to boil.

his siblings and father one by one bent down to kiss your hand, all the while sending you dazzling smiles. you returned their smiles out of courtesy, but yours didn’t quite reach your eyes. soon after a few quick conversations, one of his sisters— the older sister— began to dance with you, her pearl tiara and blue gown glittering like sunlight on ocean waves. 

xiao tore his gaze away, having seen enough. the bitterness in his stomach had only grown worse the longer he stayed. the crane said, “are you satisfied? would you like to return home?”

xiao only addressed the second question and said, “yes, please. i would like to return home.”

and so the crane took him back to the house, and once he walked through the door, she flew away. he put the flute back in the attic where he found it. because he did not have a bed, xiao lay down beside the fireplace, whose dying embers cast him in a red-orange glow. he pulled the cloth of a cut-up sack over him as a makeshift blanket and tried to fall asleep, but somehow the floor seemed colder than usual and he could not find a comfortable position. an ugly feeling was gnawing at his gut, and he tossed and turned until he could take it no longer. the sun was beginning to rise, and he picked up his feather duster, half-heartedly cleaning the table, but his work was not thorough, for his mind was on other things.

soon after, his siblings and father returned home, their faces glowing with joy. 

“the royal heir complimented me!” his oldest brother said.

“the royal heir held my hand!” the younger sister of the two said.

“the royal heir smiled at me!” the younger brother of the two said.

“the royal heir danced with me!” his oldest sister said. 

“you should have been there, xiao!” one of them said, and they all laughed.

as they laughed, xiao’s father walked up to him and snatched the duster from his hand. he inspected it closely, lips twitching into a frown. then he went up the stairs to the attic and searched the room, scrutinising each object for dust. when he found none, his frown deepened. xiao was not meant to have completed the task.

“you must have had help,” he snarled. “tonight, you will have to clean all the windows and the curtains in the house while we are away. if i find any dust or any dirt left, i will lock you up in the attic and never let you out.” he thought, not even ten people would be able to complete this task in one night, and felt satisfied.

that night, after his siblings and father left for the ball again, xiao climbed back up to the attic, picked up his flute once more, and played another tune. 

the crane appeared at the window again, and said, “may this one assist you, my child?”

xiao nodded. “i must dust all of the curtains and carpets in the house so that not a single cobweb nor speck of dust remains before my siblings and father return from the ball tonight. this time, i definitely do not think i will be able to do it.”

“worry not, my child,” the crane said. “you needn’t do it alone.”

and once again, she flapped her wings, and countless birds from the woodland flew into the house, the little sparrows and finches beating up clouds of dust from the velvet curtains, and the bigger birds leaving each carpet spotless. in the mere quarter of an hour, all the carpets and curtains in the house looked brand new, not a single speck of dust to be found on the fabric. and again, in a flurry of wings and feathers, the birds flew away, disappearing as quickly as they had come, so that only the crane remained.

but even though the work had been completed to an incredible extent, xiao could still not find it in himself to smile, for all he could think of (though he berated himself for doing so) was the shared glance he exchanged with you the day before, and how dazzling you appeared under the ballroom lights.

the crane must have noticed the heaviness settling in his heart, for she said, “my child, what is the matter? your work has been completed, and yet your face is dark as a stormy night’s cloud.”

xiao looked down at his feet. “i would like to attend the ball,” he admitted after a second, “but i have no clothes nor shoes for the occasion, and all my rags are old and worn.”

“then follow this one,” the crane said, “for this one knows a solution to your problem.”

and once again xiao climbed onto the crane’s back, but this time, instead of going to the royal gardens, they flew towards the forest. the crane landed by a huge yellow-leafed tree with a twisting trunk interwoven with crystalline blue. at the top of the tree, its golden foliage grew sparse, until a stretch of branches— or crystal, xiao could not tell— reached towards the sky, looking as though they were frozen. 

“your father had an old friend who was buried here, and after your mother died, she, too, was buried under the branches of this tree. go, my child, and reach out to her spirit by speaking these words: 

‘ashes to ashes, my mother of dust, a gift i request from you, and in you i shall trust.’”

xiao looked up at the tree. it was no doubt ancient, and as he walked beneath its canopy, he felt as if the wind itself was whispering to him as it weaved through the golden leaves. he reached out and placed a hand on the trunk. the wood was gnarled and riddled with bumps, but he could feel its robust strength; strength which had kept it standing to this very day.

sucking in a breath, he whispered the words.

“ashes to ashes,  my mother of dust,  a gift i request of you, and in you i shall trust.”

at once, the breeze grew stronger, and a flurry of aureate leaves came and danced around him, so plentiful that they were like a curtain, and he could not see through them. 

then the wind subsided, and the leaves fell to the floor, motionless. xiao looked down at himself, and was shocked to find that what he wore was no longer his dirty rags, but clothes fit for a prince. 

where his tunic should have been was instead a long black waistcoat, embroidered with swirling patterns of silver thread, and a dark cloak of midnight blue was slung over his left shoulder, similar thread patterns dancing along its edges. on his right shoulder was a golden epaulette, and a pair of black boots stopped short of his knees, their smooth leather untarnished. he wore navy blue gloves on his hands. 

he marvelled at these new clothes for a second, unsure as to whether this was real or simply a dream. 

“wait,” he said. “may i also have a mask? i am afraid that my family will recognise me if my face is not covered.”

“they will not recognise you, my child,” the crane said. “they will think you are a prince from a far-off land, and will believe that xiao is still diligently sweeping the house.”

“…even so,” he said. “i would like to be sure.”

“very well.”

and the next moment, a mask appeared in his hands. it was elegant, with wide eye sockets and decorated with fragments of gemstones that sparkled and caught the pale moonlight. he slipped it onto his face, and it fit perfectly, moulded flawlessly to the shapes of his features so that only he could wear it without needing any string to tie it around his head.

“now leave the forest. there is more waiting outside for you.”

xiao did not know what this ‘more’ was, but he did as he was told, and when he arrived outside the forest, a carriage was waiting for him, drawn by horses as black as night with white plumes on their heads. there were also people dressed in blue and silver uniforms who assisted him into the carriage and tended to his needs.

“this one has a warning for you, however,” the crane called as he climbed into the carriage. “you must be back here by midnight, or else the magic will be undone.”

“i will remember,” xiao promised, and departed for the ball.

even as he sat in the carriage, xiao could not quite believe his eyes. but the gloves on his hands were unmistakably made of silk, and he could feel the soft fabric so well that he also could not doubt it was true. 

however, in this grandiose procession, he felt rather obnoxious and noticeable— too noticeable for his liking. he only wanted to go to the ball; he did not need a whole parade to go with him. 

no sooner had he wished this did the long lines of soldiers vanish, so that only four remained, and the many horses pulling the carriage became two. 

it was in this manner that xiao arrived at the ball; riding in a carriage that looked like a round disc of moonlight and looking himself like a night sky embroidered with silver stars. the soldiers at the entrance to the palace bowed low and immediately let him through. it was just as the crane had predicted: they truly must have though he was a mysterious visitor from a land far away, not a slave boy who wore rags each day and slept on the floor each night, forced to scrape his dinner out of the ashes of the fire.

when he entered the ballroom, he was bathed in the the golden light of a hundred chandeliers, and it felt as though the whole crowd swooned the moment they laid their eyes upon him. 

you were currently talking with one of his brothers, and did not notice his immediate arrival. however, after a second, you turned around and saw him from across the ballroom. you seemed to hesitate. 

for behind his mask, you could see a pair of large, catlike eyes the colour of a gold coin. something about them struck you as awfully familiar, though you could not explain why. the next moment, xiao saw you excuse yourself from his brother’s company (who scowled when you walked away) and made your way over to him.

xiao swallowed. although he may be wearing the clothes of a prince, he did not know how to act like one. what was he to say to you? you were the sole reason he cared for this ball in the first place: suppose he made a fool of himself?

he did not have much more time to linger on these thoughts, however, for you soon arrived by his side. when you looked at him, your eyes seemed to question him, and he was thankful for the mask that covered his face, because his heart skipped a beat and a wave of heat rose to his face.

“i’m sorry, have i… seen you somewhere before?” you asked. xiao opened his mouth, mind working furiously to find something to say; but his throat was closed and he could not squeeze out any words. he closed his mouth and shook his head once. it was better you didn’t recognise him.

you nodded slowly at his answer, but did not seem quite convinced.

gods, you were stunning. it took effort for xiao to pull his eyes away from you so you would not catch him staring.

“i do not remember seeing you on the guest list,” you continued. “where are you from, again?”

“liyue,” he immediately blurted. it was the first word that had come to his mind. you lifted an eyebrow.

“liyue? i haven’t heard of it before.”

“it’s, uh. far away from here.”

“so i see,” you said, and an amused smirk tugged at the corner of your lip. xiao swallowed and forced himself to remain calm, but his heart had accelerated to speeds he did not know were possible. “well, you’ll have to tell me all about it,” you continued. you reached out an arm— an invitation for him to walk with you— and he wove his own around yours so that your arms were interlocked. 

“tell me, then. what’s liyue like?”

more heat rose to his cheeks, and xiao cleared his throat. he quickly lied his way through the first thoughts that surfaced in his mind.

“it’s a shipping city. i mean, a harbour. port. with lots of boats. and it… trades things.” (the quizzical look you sent him seemed to say, it ‘trades things?’ wow.) ignoring your teasing gaze and turning his eyes away, xiao continued. “we also have a lantern festival every year. we, uh, light up lanterns to celebrate our… guardian deities?”

“fascinating,” you smiled. “i’d love to see this lantern festival some day for myself.”

“yes. it’s… very nice.” xiao grimaced at his words and fought the urge to slap himself. however, you did not seem bothered by his somewhat inarticulate descriptions. on the contrary, you seemed quite amused.

you walked on in silence for a moment, before you said, “may i inquire as to what your name is?”

his name? he could not call himself xiao in front of you, but calling himself alatus felt equally as wrong. and he could not bring himself to lie to you any more than he already had.

after a long pause, he said, “…what is yours?”

you gasped, feigning offence. “my goodness! you have the audacity to come to a ball thrown to find a consort for me without even knowing my name?”

“i. uh.” xiao fumbled around with his speech, unsure how to cover up his error. when no answer came to him, he began to grow panicked. you must have noticed this, because you stepped in to spare him from his embarrassment.

“i was joking. i apologise for distressing you. many people who come to these balls do not know my name, either.” you seemed to sigh as you said this, and your eyelashes lowered. “they are merely attracted by my status and power, and do not much care for myself as a person.” 

“oh,” he replied intelligently.

you were solemn for a moment, before raising your eyes to meet his again, a forced smile on your face. “but i have grown used to it, and it does not trouble me as much as did in the past.” you paused, before adding, “but that begs the question; what are you here for, prince of liyue?”

unsure what else to say, he stated his true intentions as bluntly as he could. “i came here to see you.”

you let out a soft laugh at this, and xiao’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “what’s so funny?”

you cleared your throat and composed yourself. “let me understand this: you say we have never met before, you are from a distant land i have never heard of— you don’t even know my name— and yet you’re here to see me?”

fearing his voice would betray him, xiao only nodded slowly, muttering a string of internal curses and praying dearly that you would let this absence of logic slide.

“well, in any case, i’m flattered that you came to see me for that reason. it’s not often that such a thing happens.”

he released an inward sigh of relief, a brief moment of calm washing over him, before his nerves suddenly spiked again: you had taken his hand in yours and moved to stand in from of him.

“say, then. do you know how to dance?”

he shook his head.

“i see… it seems that liyue is not too keen on dancing, then?” xiao could not shake the feeling that you were teasing him again.

“no, it isn’t. but we do have… opera.”

“interesting… but unfortunately, this ball was not thrown to opera sing. in which case… would you like to learn how to dance?”

“w-what?” he stuttered, taken by surprise. “how?”

“i’ll teach you,” you said, and before he had the time to react, you intertwined your fingers with his and led him onto the dance floor.

“just follow me,” you instructed, already beginning to sway with him to the music. “do what i do.”

“what if i mess up? uh— make an error, i mean.”

you stifled your snort of laughter, and said, “should you make a mistake, pretend it never happened, and nobody will notice. i can always cover up for you if i need to. and besides,” a mischievous smile made its way onto your face, and you whispered, “so far, you aren’t half bad.”

“uh.” xiao swallowed, his heart pounding in his eardrums. “thank you.”

you smiled again and said no more, now only focusing on the dance. xiao’s mind, however, was racing, and all he could think about was that you had complimented him, and that he was holding your hand, and that you had smiled at him, and most of all, that he was dancing with you, under the light of a hundred chandeliers.

he cast a spare at the other people in the ballroom; most eyes were fixed on the two of you, the majority of them joyful, but a few guests here and there— his siblings and father, for example— had their expressions painted with sourness. 

however, for the first time in his life, he did not care about the way they looked at him: if you looked upon him with such mirth, why should it matter to him if others didn’t?

he heard the crowd murmuring questions of who this prince was, where he was from, and what was under his mask. if only they knew who he truly was, he had no doubt that these expressions of awe on their faces would twist into ones of disdain and disgust. perhaps even yours.

his eyes swept over to one of the many large grandfather clocks lining the palace walls. it read eleven forty-five.

xiao cleared his throat to get your attention. you tilted your head.

“i must go now,” he said in a hushed voice. 

“oh? why’s that?” you frowned. (was that a hint of disappointment in your eyes?) “the ball lasts until sunrise. if you are uncomfortable dancing, we can stop, and move to talk somewhere more private.”

“no, that… won’t be necessary. i just have to go.”

you sighed. “if you must. i suppose it’s not in my place to demand you divulge your duties to me, anyhow.”

xiao inclined his head to you and turned to leave. but before he got far, you called out, “wait.”

xiao paused. “yes?” 

“will i see you again tomorrow?” you asked.

xiao hesitated for a long moment. he was not sure. would he be here tomorrow?

…yes. he would. he nodded once in reply to your question.

you smiled. “then i look forward to it.”

xiao’s ears flushed a furious red as he hurried down the stairs and into the palace gardens, where his carriage waited for his departure. he climbed into it and rode back home. when the clock struck twelve, he found himself back in his old rags, and the carriage and horses outside were nowhere to be seen.

(what he did not know was that you, in your curiosity and suspicion, had followed him as he left the palace, and watched his procession vanish into the woods. a few minutes later, when you traversed the road he would have followed, you found no trace of his presence; the carriage, which should have still been in sight, was nowhere to be seen, and its tracks and the hoof prints in the path stopped abruptly, as if the whole thing had vanished into thin air. you asked the guards on duty whether they knew where he went, but they did not know, either. frowning, you returned to the palace, your mind lingering on these thoughts for the rest of the night. you did not dance with anyone else.)

that morning, xiao’s family returned, though not in the high spirits of the previous day.

“little brother, wake up!” they called, and xiao rose from his sleeping place on the floor, rubbing his eyes. (he had not actually been asleep, however: how could he when his mind was racing over the events of that last night?)

“did you enjoy yourselves again today?” he asked innocently. his older brother scoffed.

“no, actually. it was terrible. this prince arrived halfway through the ball, and all the royal heir would do was talk to him. when he left, they refused to dance with anyone else.”

an unfamiliar feeling welled up within him— smugness? satisfaction?— but xiao kept his expression flat and disinterested.

“…oh. do you know who the prince was?”

his sister shook her head. “no. he wore a mask over his face and didn’t take it off, not even once.”

“was he the one who was in a silver carriage pulled by horses?”

he may be tempting fate, but it was too difficult to resist the urge to smear his victory all over his siblings’ faces.

“how do you know?” his other sister demanded.

“i saw him pass by when i was sweeping the leaves in the front garden.”

overhearing this remark, his father stormed over to him. “foolish child! i told you to dust the curtains and carpets, not to tend to the garden! have you forgotten?”

xiao shook his head. “no, i did not forget. i dusted the curtains and carpet, and once i finished, i thought i could tend to the garden.”

his father scowled, not believing that xiao had managed to finish dusting the curtains and carpet so thoroughly so that not one speck of dust remained as well as tending to the garden, and so he checked the inside and outside of every curtain in the house and the top and underside of every carpet in the house. he had been looking forwards to giving xiao a scolding, but seeing that the work was indeed completed and to such a high standard, his mood grew even more foul. 

in his anger, he sent xiao to his little broom cupboard in the basement, and told him not to leave until they were to get ready for the ball in the evening, and locked him inside for the rest of the day. but despite the cramped conditions and near pitch-darkness of the room, xiao did not much care for this treatment, for the darkness and silence only allowed him more time to remember the previous night, and as long as he had those memories to hold close to his heart, no amount of punishment or berating could dampen his spirits.

when evening came, his father unlocked the door to the broom cupboard and said, “today you must dust the whole house. every chair, every table, every light; everything. if you do not manage to complete this task by our return in the morning and i find a single speck of dust remaining, i will kick you out onto the street and you will have to fend for yourself. do you understand?”

xiao nodded, and when his family left that night, he once again made his way to the attic and played a melody on his flute. no sooner had he done this that the crane flew down through the window and landed beside him. 

“how may this one assist you today?” she asked.

“while my family is gone, i must dust the whole house and everything in it. if i do not manage to do this before they return in the morning, my father will kick me out onto the streets.”

“this one understands.”

she released a cry and the birds came again, in all their shapes and sizes, beating their powerful wings and flapping their wonderful feathers, until throughout the whole house, not a single corner was left untouched. even the floors seemed to sparkle, looking like the polished marble tiles of an expensive mansion. 

and once the task was complete, the birds left, dispersing into the night sky like a gust of empty wind. 

“may i go to my mother’s tree again?” xiao asked. the crane nodded, and together they flew back to the forest, where the ancient tree was standing. he approached the tree as he had before, and said:

“ashes to ashes,  my mother of dust,  a gift i request of you, and in you i shall trust.”

this time, when the flurry of golden leaves parted, he wore a long green cape that swept his ankles, teal embroidery painting patterns of wind and clouds in the dark material. other streaks of green in the form of emerald and turquoise gemstones could be found on his gloves and mask— a mask which was now also gilded around its edges, the gold lining matching the shade of his eyes. his trousers this time were white, the legs of which were sprinkled with fragments of pale crystal and diamond. a pendant of delicate aquamarine beads hung at his neck. 

when he exited the forest, the carriage waiting for him was carved from a dark oak wood and whittled into the decorative patterns of deer and cranes dancing across the surface. the horses were a deep chestnut brown, the plumes on their head a rich teal, and the soldiers’ uniforms were black, green and gold.

when he arrived at the palace, you were already waiting for him, somehow even more stunning than the day before. he took your outstretched hand, and you walked into the ballroom together. 

“so, i take it your princely duties went well yesterday?” 

“…yes, they did.”

you sniffed a laugh. “i’m glad.” then, “will you have to leave again today?”

xiao nodded solemnly, and your shoulders seemed to sink. he felt a pang of guilt in his stomach at causing you disappointment, but pushed it away.

“i suppose, then,” you said, “we’ll have to make the most of the time we have together, no?”

a smile made its way onto xiao’s lips, and before he could anything more, you were already heading for the dance floor once again. you took his hand and placed it on your waist, the other intertwining fingers with his own. “remember how to do this?” you asked. he managed to force out an ‘mn’ from behind the heat blooming on his face, and as if you could the see vibrant red colour behind his mask, you let out a little laugh. “good. then, like yesterday, just follow me.”

and so he did. he followed your steps, slowly gaining confidence as the music went on, and you blinked in surprise when he jumped on an impulse and spun you around, before a wide smile broke over your face.

as you danced, xiao soon fell victim to the rhythmic sway of the music and let his mind wander. he was vaguely aware of the countless eyes on his back, gazes filled with every emotion from jealousy to admiration to flustered shyness, and the dull chiming of a bell in the back of his mind…

it was then that he was dragged out of his blissful fantasy, and a sharp stab of panic cut through his heart. 

midnight. he was out of time. he had to go. now.

as painful as it was, xiao tore himself away from your arms. “i lost track of time. i must go now,” he explained hurriedly, and walked as fast as he could while still retaining some dignity towards the exit. 

you called out for him to wait, but he pushed away your voice (and the ache in his chest when he heard it) and walked on. 

when he left the palace building, he broke into a run. his carriage was not waiting outside for him, for it must have already vanished. as absurd as it may sound, he could feel the magic on him ebbing away. he had to leave before anyone could see him as he usually was.

(in his panic as he ran through the forest undergrowth, his mask was pulled off by some snagging thorns, but he did not have the time to go back and retrieve it. if anything, perhaps it would give you something to remember your short time together, if you were to find it.)

when the dull echo of the twelfth chime faded into silence, xiao stood, panting, in his old rags, barefoot and alone on the cobbled woodland path. he caught his breath, pressing down the regret that twisted like vines in his stomach, and set off at a brisk pace towards his home.

he arrived shortly before daybreak, and only a few mere minutes before his family burst through the door, their faces even darker than the previous day. 

“the royal heir didn’t even spare us a glance today,” his sister muttered miserably, hanging her head. 

his brother added, “they only danced with that prince. i don’t even know who he is.”

xiao fought down the urge to smirk, and instead focused intensely on wiping a cloth over an already-clean table.

his father walked over and grabbed the cloth from his hands. he inspected the house, from top to bottom, and found it clean as anything; there was nothing he could complain about, for just as he requested, not a single speck of dust remained. 

“what games are you playing at, boy?” he snarled at xiao.

“i am not playing at anything, father,” he replied. “i only did the task as you requested it.”

gritting his teeth, his father found he had nothing left to say, and cursed under his breath.

while this was happening, you had found xiao’s mask tangled in the undergrowth of the forest outskirts. you ran your finger over the porcelain, and flipped it over. the mould was so detailed, so meticulously crafted, that it must have been made specifically for that prince and cast from his own face; otherwise, he would not have been able to wear it without needing any thread or ribbon to tie it to his head. 

which meant that it would fit him, and only him. you furrowed your brows in thought. 

you knew that he must still be in the country, at the very least: for this particular series of dances, only those from your nation received invites. you had only been teasing him when you asked the nation he was from, but the poor man must have been unused to such lightheartedness, for he accepted your words without a doubt and formulated a whole nation on the spot. 

it was rather endearing, to be honest.

“guards,” you called, and two men donned in armour quickly hurried over. “issue a proclamation to the state: i will personally be visiting the house of everyone who attended the ball, and everyone will try on this very mask. whomever it fits will be the one i marry.”

one of the guards said, “are you sure you will be able to manage this? will it not take very long?”

“it will, but i am willing to wait if it means finding the right person.”

the guards exchanged an unsure glance, but soon went off to tell the king. 

you looked back down at the mask in your hands, eyes narrowed, and swore under your breath that you would find him again, no matter what.

and so the news came to pass that the royal heir would personally be visiting the house of every guest to attend the recent ball. this task took many days and nights until you finally arrived at xiao’s house. it was one of the last houses you were visiting, and after so long without any luck, your hope was wearing thin. 

xiao’s father was more than happy to invite you into the house (which was scrubbed clean until it shone, and decorated with the finest furnishings they had— all of which had been attended to by xiao, of course. however, xiao himself had been sent to the basement and forbidden from showing himself while you were here; he would disgrace the family, his father had reminded him). 

his father told you about his four children whom you had met at the ball, and inquired as to whether any of them may be in line for your marriage decision. you smiled politely, and said, “perhaps, but i have yet to make up my mind.”

(this was a lie, of course: you had made up your mind, and it was now only a case of finding him.)

while you talked, xiao had crept up from his small room in the basement, and peered at what was happening from behind a crack in the door.

after a few exchanged pleasantries, you took the mask from your robes and showed it to the father.

“i would like all of those in your household to try on this mask,” you explained.

the father was sceptical, but called all the four siblings over. when the two sisters tried it on, their faces were either too long or too short, and did not fit the mask. seeing that this was not going in his favour, the father pulled aside his other two children. he said to the older brother, “your nose will be too big to fit in the mask. take this knife, and cut some of it off. it will hurt, but that won’t matter, for you will become the royal heir’s husband.”

so the brother bit his lip and cut off a section of his nose, and then tried the mask on. it fit perfectly, and you hesitated for a moment.

just then, a large white crane flew by and landed on the windowsill. she said:

“look, look, there, at the mask he wears. there’s blood on his skin, look at it fall. he is not the one you met at the ball.”

on closer inspection, a stream of blood had indeed begun to trickle from under the mask. you dismissed the brother.

so, the father turned to the little brother and said, “your chin will be too long to fit in the mask. take this knife, and cut some of it off. it will hurt, but that won’t matter, for you will become the royal heir’s husband.”

so the little brother took a deep breath and sliced off a piece of his chin. when he put the mask on, it also fit perfectly, but this time you were wary. the crane from the windowsill repeated again:

“look, look, there, at the mask he wears. there’s blood on his skin, look at it fall. he is not the one you met at the ball.”

you dismissed the second brother as well. disappointed, you placed the mask back into your robes. “are you certain there is nobody else in your household that attended the ball?” you asked the father.

he thought for a second. “well, there is a nasty xiao, but he would not have gone to the ball and the mask will not fit him.”

“i will see him nonetheless,” you stated, and the father begrudgingly rose from his seat and walked to the basement door. xiao leapt away from his spying place and pretended to be busying himself with dusting.

“clean yourself up,” his father hissed and tossed him a wet cloth. xiao quickly washed his face and hands and then went into the main room where you were sitting. your eyes widened slightly when you saw him, but you forced yourself to calm down. many people you had already visited had golden eyes just as he did, and the mask had not fit any of them, so you must not get your hopes up. nevertheless, a feeling of excitement began to flutter in your chest. 

you gestured to a seat opposite you, and xiao sat down. he kept his eyes fixed on the wooden table, finding himself unable to meet your own.

“if you could try on this mask, please,” you said, and passed the mask to him. he gulped, hands shaking slightly as he held it. he did not know what he feared more; if it didn’t fit him, or if it did.

if it didn’t, that was okay. he may not be able to marry you, but he would always treasure these past few days in his heart, and you could keep on believing the fantasy of him being some mystical prince from distant lands who stole your heart before vanishing into the night.

if it did, he could marry you, but his father’s glare digging into the back of his neck made him tremble at the thought of facing his wrath. but what scared him more was that you would finally see him for who he was; not a powerful, elegant prince worthy of someone such as you, but a little boy covered in dust and rags who had only ever told you lies; and he would not blame you if you hated him.

“are you alright?” 

your voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he realised that he had been gripping the mask so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. he cleared his throat and nodded, before lifting the mask over his face. 

whatever was to come would come, he decided.

there was silence after he put it on. his siblings were speechless, his father horrified and silently fuming, and you simply stared at him, eyes wide, as if you could not quite believe that you’d finally found the right one.

“so it was you…” you breathed. xiao gulped and gave an almost imperceptible nod, the looks of his family members digging into his back like knives. 

“no, this… this can’t be,” his father mumbled, and almost in a daze, walked over to xiao and tore the mask off. “how did you cheat your way through this test, you street rat?” he demanded, grabbing xiao’s wrists in an iron grip that xiao struggled to free himself of.

“i didn’t cheat, father,” he protested, trying to pull his hands back to his side.

“liar! there’s no possible way you could have been the one at the ball!” his father spat.

“clearly it doesn’t matter that there’s no way he could have been at the ball,” you said calmly, coming to stand beside xiao and fixing his father with a cold glare. “the fact remains that, by whatever means, he was, and if he so desires, he may return with me to the palace. now, if you could release him, i would be very grateful, and forget this incident ever occurred.”

his father clenched his jaw, meeting your cool gaze with his own furious one. his grip on xiao’s wrists did not falter.

“i’m waiting,” you said, a dagger lying behind the patience in your voice. “i would not recommended getting yourself into trouble with future royalty.”

his father swore under his breath and looked away, finally letting xiao go, almost pushing him away as he did so. xiao rubbed his wrists, on which nasty bruises were already surfacing.

“thank you,” you smiled, but it was a smile devoid of pleasure. “i will make sure to keep your actions today in mind— not only this, but the blatant abuse of those in your care— and decide what will come to you later.”

his father’s face paled. 

“i will be going now, then,” you announced to the household, and turned to address xiao. “would you like to come with me, my prince of liyue?”

xiao felt heat rise to his face at the mention of that title— whether from flustering or embarrassment, he was unsure— and looked away, as if that would hide the furious red burning on his cheeks. 

“i would like that,” he admitted in a small voice, and this time, your smile radiated with joy. 

“but there is something i need to get first, and something i would like you to promise me.”

you hesitated. “and what would that be?”

“whatever is done to my father, please ensure that no harm comes to my siblings. they may have not been kind to me in the recent years…” he glanced over at his siblings, who were all stood in a corner, and they all shuffled awkwardly and averted their eyes in shame. “but it is the influence of this man that has made them so. i would not like to see them hurt.”

after a moment of consideration, you nodded. “understood. i will make sure that nothing happens to them.”

thought it was small, xiao smiled. “thank you,” he said. “can i go and get what i needed now?”

“of course.”

he climbed up to the attic and retrieved his flute before joining you downstairs once again. 

“shall we go, then?” you asked. he nodded, and you walked back hand-in-hand to your carriage which waited outside. 

as you walked, you glanced down at the flute in xiao’s hands and said, “have i met you before?” xiao frowned. “before the ball, i mean. i could have sworn i’ve seen you some time in the past.”

“…my father was morax,” xiao said, and let you piece together the rest. 

“wait— morax? so that would make you…” your mind worked to remember the right name. “…alatus?”

xiao stiffened when he heard the name. it had been so long since anyone had called him that. it almost sounded foreign to him, and the memories it brought back… they were pleasant, but his heart ached when he thought about how his siblings used to laugh and play together without a care in the world, and how morax would look upon them with exasperated joy. 

you noticed his complicated reaction, and frowned.

“i apologise sorry if using that name startled you. i can keep calling you xiao, if you pref—”

“no.” xiao shook his head, and a small smile spread across his face. how long he had dreamed of you calling him by that name. “no, alatus is… good.”

“very well, alatus,” you teased. 

it was then that it struck him that he still did not know your name. 

“what should i call you?” he asked.

“hmm, let’s see…” you said, and began listing titles off your fingers. “your highness, some day ‘your majesty’, your unparalleled wonder and grace, your brilliance, your radiance…”

“i meant your name,” he said bluntly.

“i know, i know,” you chuckled. “i was joking again.”

“oh.”

and then you told him your name, to which his heart seemed to soar in his chest, and he rolled the name around his tongue, as if tasting it. after some careful deliberation, he announced resolutely, “i like it.” you laughed.

outside the carriage, a large white crane flew overhead, singing:

“look, look, there, at the mask he wears. it isn’t too big, it isn’t too small. he is the one you met at the ball.”

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

*in chinese, xiǎo (小) means small. xiao’s actual name is a different character  (魈) with a different tone (xiāo), but the pronunciation is similar enough to be able to make the joke. 

Intimacy

Xiao x Reader

Intimacy for Xiao is a hard thing to come by.

Intimacy with him is

when you gently slip off the glove from his hand.

Tenderly, softly, delicately holding your fingers against his.

He is reluctant, repulsed even. But not from the gesture, not from you.

Never from you.

It is his own hands that bear the darkness. Or rather the vessel of the darkness. It’s his hands he considered the root of his inner corruption, his hands that have killed and slayed down and diminished countless lives.

His scarred hands you now hold so delicately as if they were something incredibly divine in your eyes. Something worth appreciating. Something worth saving.

That was the way your eyes are constantly looking at him like he was something worthy of salvation.

And when Xiao looks up, instead of repulsion or sorrow he is met with a soft smile that makes something sing where his heart is supposed to beat.

𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃 . .

Old account: @/cupids-chamber a/n: examples of personalized comfort letters <3

My dearest, Y/n.

A few days ago you told me you loved me, for the first time . . and yet for some reason I couldn't say the words back. It was as if a lump had formed in the bottom of my throat, the words were so hard to get out. And I'm aware that must've hurt you, when I remained silent.

I'm not sending this letter in an attempt to redeem myself, I've made a mistake and I'm doing my best to own up to it. . . but to be completely honest, I was scared.

I was afraid, that may sound pathetic—However, if I said those three words to you, at that moment . . I'd be vulnerable, I'd be admitting I . . Loved you, and that's hard, it's scary, all bit sad and pathetic, but it made me feel weak, the idea made me feel torn open, and . . I ran away . . But I don't want to do that anymore, because, I do . . I do love you and I want to say those words to you in person, I want to be vulnerable . .

I want to be vulnerable with you. Signed, AZUL ASHENGROTTO, Jamil Viper, Riddle Rosehearts, TREY CLOVER, Sebek Zigvolt, Jack Howl, ACE TRAPPOLA, Eula, Kaeya Alberich, CHILDE, Chiori, Scaramouche, XIAO, & etc . .

My dear, Y/n.

A couple days ago you asked me why I loved you . . but I didn't answer. After that you've been distant, and I truly understand that silence is an answer at times. However, this time it wasn't.

My love, I love you for a plethora of reasons that I can't explain, words cannot calculate the feelings which you make me feel, the colours you allow me to see. If I were to list them all, I'd be wasting pages on pages of ink and paper . . Well I suppose it wouldn't be an waste, if it was for you?

Well to be entirely honest, another, more selfish part of me doesn't wish to detangle the threads of my feelings and present it to you. You make me feel vulnerable my dear, which is not something I often allow myself to feel around others, but that's what I love about you. You make me feel adored, like everyone in this world loves me. You make me feel cherished, and when I look at your face, I feel weak.

What I feel about you isn't something that I can just purely write or explain, it's complex, it's pathetic, it's so unlike me, and . . I enjoy that, I enjoy that you love me, knots and all. You my dear make me someone I want to be, and . . these are just a few reasons as to why I love you.

Signed, VIL SCHOENHEIT, Malleus Draconia, Cater Diamond, JADE LEECH, Leona Kingscholar (kind of), Diluc Ravinger, LYNEY, Clorinde, Neuvillette, KAZUHA, & etc . .

@ devosin , do not repost, plagiarize, translate, or adapt my work/theme without prior permission and or confirmation.

he won. he won. he won with his last goal. his brain stopped working in the heat of the moment, not thinking about what he was going to do next.

and out of reflex, he ran to you. he effortlessly jumped over the barrier which separated field and tribunes and ran to you. you immediately jumped at him in joy, knocking the remaining air out of his lungs with a crushing hug.

“you won!” you cheered.

without thinking, he picked you up and hid your face in the crook of his neck. after he made sure you were properly tucked in his arm, he jumped over the barrier again and ran to his teammates. when he stopped in the middle of the field, he sat you on his shoulder, holding you like a trophy— his trophy.

the whole ceremony over, you were on his shoulder, being shown off to the whole world to see. and when he got the trophy handed, he gave it to you. holding it up in the air, you looked down at him, smiling and giggling. your gaze went up to the shiny trophy in your hands, knowing it was your husband who shot the winning goal.

and after this little action of his, you found plenty enquiries of from modeling agencies asking you to model for them.

— ITOSHI RIN, Isagi Yoichi, Mirage Reo

© reonaissance | dividers by @/cafekitsune

YO I LOVE YOUR BLLK TEXTS would you consider making some for the boys w an unathletic, studious reader? I'm thinking more like they're college aged and the reader is studying something like psychology cuz that involves reading a lot for hOURS and they've never touched a sport unlike the guys haha, only if you want to ofc!!! Drink water and take care!!

NO TIME FOR RUNNING! - you're an unathletic, studious person

THIS includes : texts genre: crack NOTE: TYY i also hope you drink water and take care as well its hot where i am so i always drink water almost all the time!

PAIRINGS: ISAGI, BACHIRA, NAGI, REO, RIN, SAE, SHIDOU, AIKU, CHIGIRI

IMRAESPACE masterlist