#26, What Is Your Favorite Character Story Quest?

Chapter 23? Perhaps posted in a reasonable time? Ayo?👀 also, guess who forgot to do a recap last time. I'll fix that eventually.

Guide!Au is a SAGAU inspired idea where the Player, instead of being seen as a creator, is seen as the only outworlder god who cares for Teyvat.

Masterlist

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

In the last chapter, [Name] woke up from their rest and looked over their room, not long later they heard whispers floating through the wind and Paimon explained the 'comprehend languages' setting allowed them to hear the wind. [Name] was stressed and simply decided to fall asleep, waking up within their serenitea pot. 

They're unsure on if it's a dream or not but we'll find out.

"Hello. Who's back?" A voice rang from the top of the stairs and [Name] shrugged. Speak of the devil they supposed.

[Name] went silent for a moment, now petting the animal and scratching its sides. They realized they should likely give the pet a name, if the inhabitants of their tea house had yet to do so that was.

Might as well face whoever lived in the tea pot.

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

The wooden stairs of the building and second level of the building blocked their view of the individual, so with a sigh they stood up and gave the dog one last pat on the head.

They felt their bones click back into place and took a moment to pop their bones, the click echoing through the empty hall made [Name] wince, especially as the voice from above them spoke again "Who is down there? Are you Alright?"

[Name] let out a groan and stepped closer to the staircase, getting close enough to look up and meet absolutely gorgeous red eyes.

The red eyes widen and [Name] gave him a slight smile. Kazuha wasn't exactly a character [Name] used often but his design was absolutely gorgeous. His hair looked even better in person, it appeared incredibly soft and fell across his face perfectly.

However, [Name] wasn't a simp so all they responded to his stunned face with was a small wave. "Good evening Kazuha. I hope you're doing well."

Kazuha stiffened and straightened up before giving his own form a hello. "Hello there. I'm not sure we've met. I apologize for my shock, I wasn't expecting a new vessel, after all, Their Grace hasn't been calling for anyone in a while."

[Name] paused for a second. "Excuse me? Vessel?"

Kazuha raised an eyebrow. "Yes? Ah, are you from the new nation that The Guide visited? What was it… Sumeru?"

[Name] chuckled, a vague idea of the source of the confusion between the two. Each character who had seen them so far had been told they were some sort of God, Kazuha had no such misconceptions.

It wouldn't hurt anyone to lie? Right?

With a smile, they nodded. "I think so? The best way to describe it is that I was summoned."

Kazuha nodded. "You and I are alike in that case. I haven't spoken with them in quite some time, they gave me access to this place but I don't think I've ever even seen them…"

[Name] took a second, guilt flooding their mind. That was what they did, wasn't it? It was a passive way to raise friendship with characters they thought were interesting to see their story, however they had never truly spoken to most of those within their Teapot… except for Xiao. Speaking of which, where is their baby?

"I see. Are there many other people around here?" 

Kazuha smiled warmly, taking a step down the stairs. "Please, come on up. Surely it isn't comfortable down there and everyone else are within their rooms."

[Name] thanked him and placing their foot on the first step, nodding towards the dog to invite the animal along.

Kazuha spoke up, "The Guide has placed him downstairs. I don't believe he can-" His words trailed off as the dog followed [Name] up the stairs.

"So," [Name] began "Do they have a name? The dog that is."

The Inazuman replied after a moment. "Most of us call him Post."

"Post? Where'd that name come from?"

Kazuha shrugged. "Well, he looks out for us. So we have Post, and there are two other dogs as well, one is upstairs and her name is Fence, the last one hangs out around the Adeptus's room and we call him Warden." As he listed out the names, he counted them on his fingers and paused at the end. "Though I suppose you could count The Adeptus as a guard dog himself."

[Name] chuckled, guessing he was likely referring to Xiao. "The Adeptus, huh?"

"That's what we call him. Saying his name gets his attention and he can be a bit much so I think you might want to meet the others first."

After being reminded that there were in fact others, [Name] nodded in response to end the topic and thought about their Teapot. Who all lived here again? Kazuha, Xiao… Thoma was one and who were the other two? Ah, right, Barbara and Yanfei. Oh, just the thought of the last two made [Name] feel a hint of guilt. Both had been on their team in the past and concern for their current social standing caused [Name] a spike in anxiety.

"You said the others here were in their rooms? Is everyone living here present at all times?"

Kazuha laughed. "Oh goodness no, we can go home if we so choose, we simply enjoy having an untouchable space to ourselves. Right now it's simply Thoma and I. Miss Yanfei had a meeting, The Adeptus prefers not to remain here much, and Deaconess Barbara is often rather busy."

"I see." [Name] was hoping Barbara wouldn't be free for quite some time in that case. The last thing they needed was the poor girl telling everyone that they were a god, like her older sister had.

Perhaps Yanfei on the other hand wouldn't be a bad idea. She was a lawyer, maybe she had some advice? [Name]'s face soured at the thought of the potential price tag to some legal consultation and shook their head.

"Are you alright?" Kazuha's voice drew [Name] back to the present and [Name] nodded. 

"I'm good. Just confused on my situation."

"I'll do my best to spread some light on it then. Have you recently come in contact with a blonde traveler by the name of Aether?"

Well, technically yes, [Name] thought to themself and so they nodded in affirmation.

Taking that response, Kazuha continued "Yes well, I'm sure you've experienced pieces of The Guide's influence in that case. They travel with Aether, influencing his decisions and actions. They likely decided you were pleasant and wanted to be able to Guide you as well."

"The Guide seems like… a major pain if you ask me."

Kazuha muffled his laugh and raised an eyebrow. "And what inspires that impression?"

[Name] huffed. "Well think about it, you meet this person once and then they decide 'oh you! I like you!' And flip your entire life upside down! Think about it, you don't really get a choice in the matter, you just get dragged along like a puppet on a string, dancing and fighting. No choice in what you do and only at The Guide's beck and call." With a sharp pain of realization, [Name] faced the fact that they were in fact The Guide, and that they had indeed done such. Forced people into a life they likely did not wish for. Changed everything about they way the lived. Could they ever play the game again with this knowledge?

Kazuha, leaning against the railing at the top of the staircase, looked around and nodded slowly. "I suppose you have a point, you and Xingqiu might get along… why did you accept their call then?"

"... What?"

"Their call. Them calling your name from the stars, why did you accept it?" Kazuha paused and then got real quiet, a pitying look making it's way onto his face. "Did it make you?"

People could deny the call? "I-... What do you by it?"

Kazuha straighted his back and inhaled deeply. "Don't worry. Why don't why continue on? I'm sure Thoma would love to meet you."

[Name] paused. "No, I… I think I need to be heading home."

"Fair enough. Go ahead and speak to Tubby then, I'm sure I'll see you again and we can talk in greater detail."

[Name] leaned down to pet the dog who still remained at their side. "You be good, keep Kazuha company okay?"

A bark rang out in the room and [Name]'s face paled as the bark sounded less like a bark and more like "Absolutely! Stay safe!"

They stood up tall and waved a farewell to Kazuha, quickly descending back down the stairs and out the door.

Tubby gave their troubled face one look and with a sigh, [Name] found their world going black.

As their world came back into color, [Name] once more found themselves laying on their bed in Mondstadt, the sun shining through the window and into their eyes.

[Name] released a loud groan. Was that another effect of the comprehend languages setting?!

____________________________________

As [Name] returned to their place in Mondstadt, Kazuha had a pressing question plaguing his mind. How did they know his name? Especially when they never even gave him theirs.

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

… Don't like this one, oh well.

If you didn't understand how this all went down/why. It'll be explained eventually but what I can say now is that there will be a lot more fun travel scenes whenever [Name] sleeps.

Tag list! Closed for the foreseeable future.

@chihawari

@samuelftm

@mizuistrying

@karylles-world

@isaywhatiwant

@multifandomvoyage

@sayomiikaye

@peacesong02 (❤)

@chie-san

@magica-ren

@willburzone 

@brookeisqweer

@sadlonelybagel

@silver-the-pendejo (❤)

@rizakari

@eccedentesiast-sapphic

@nasidibakar  

@yue-caelum

@irisxiel

@detectivexheizou

@ello-its-me-ya-boi

@nin3ss

@uh-kay-shuh

@campanula-rotundifolia

@whispereons

@dontlookatmeprettyplease

@loveyasaraa

@shysbonesnstuff

@yoitslei

@trinketbeans

@a5ht-0

@B3ckisout

@anxiousazure

@poisened

@awoken-unbroken

@melveres (❤)

@bluemoonumbra

@yay-its-tj

@nassy

@local-mr-frog

@simpaghettits

@xiyou-gege

@yuulia-chan

@sunseton16

@etherisy

@genshin-impacts-me

Eula, Jean, Lisa, and Lumine with a Trevor Belmont-esque S/O

This is a reupload from the original Genshingorls, many thanks to the og anon who asked for this, and the others who were interested in it!

Eula was universally shunned in the beginning years of her time in Mondstadt.

Even trying to get groceries to eat was a major problem for her due to her clan's history.

Clan Lawrence was seen as nothing but monsters, and the people of Mondstadt treated her as such.

There were precious little people who treated her as an equal, disregarding her past.

Though, there was one person who she never expected to meet…

===

Eula's early years...

In Angel's Share, Eula stopped by the bar to grab a drink after a hard day's work.

But of course, it wasn't as simple as she wanted.

Everyone in the tavern looked at her with scorn, either scooting away or muttering behind her back.

Eula sighed, looking at the bartender.

(Eula) "Can I just get a drink? I'll leave as soon-"

(Bar patron) "Maybe you should just go."

Eula turned to her left and saw three customers who were obviously drunk.

The Bartender thankfully gave her the drink without a fuss, though it was most likely to get her to leave as soon as possible.

Eula grabbed her drink and prepared to leave before being stopped by the three men.

(Man 1) "Put that back, you don't deserve it!"

(Eula) "Tch, do you want me to leave or not?"

(Man 2) "You're damn right we do! But you don't get to leave with Mondstadt beer, Lawrence girl!"

Eula was about to say something else before the door swung wildly open, hitting two of the three away.

Everyone looked up in surprise, including Eula, to see who did so.

(???) "Whoops, pardon me."

The man/woman waltzed right in without a care in the world, ignoring the potential fight that was about to break out and sat themselves in front of the stool.

Though what Eula could notice, no one was any happier to see them than her.

…Now that she thought about it, who were they?

They had a massive fur cape on, completely concealing the clothes they were wearing.

Eula had never met them before, which was strange considering that their clothing would stick out like a sore thumb in the city.

Not even the Knights of Favonius dressed as flashy.

(???) "Barkeep, a mug please."

(Bartender) "Hmph. Surprised you haven't drank yourself to death."

(???) "Trust me, working on it."

One of the men pushed Eula aside while the other two blocked the door.

(Man 1) "Oh great, now we gotta deal with you."

The mystery man/woman paid no attention as they yawned.

(Man 1) "HEY, I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

The man shoved them nearly off the chair, making the person annoyed.

(???) "Hi yes, welcome to my personal spa-"

They stopped their sentence when they made eye contact with Eula.

(???) "…What, is it my turn to get harassed?"

(Man 1) "It's your turn to get the hell out! We don't want Lawrence or Belmont filth in our city!"

Eula's eyes widened at the name.

Belmont.

House Belmont?!

Back during Clan Lawrence's rule, they banished House Belmont for supposedly working against them.

To her knowledge, the Belmont's were monster hunters, taking down anything that was a threat to the city. But due to fear from Lawrence and misinformation, they were eventually exiled.

That was centuries ago, and everyone believed the lineage to be extinct.

Though, Eula supposed she must've missed a person if she's hearing about it now.

Getting a good look at them now, their hair was disheveled and greasy, their clothes looked grimy and most likely smelled horrible.

Their eyes had bags and face looked dirty and tired.

Where the hell were they living?

Her mind snapped out of thinking when she realized the Belmont was staring directly at her now.

(???) "Lawrence, eh?"

They got up from their seats, pushing away the man, making him almost trip.

The other two blocking Eula stanced up.

(???) "Back away from the lady, eh? Doubt she needs to deal with a buncha assholes like us right now."

(Man 2) "WHAT DID YOU CALL US?!"

The second man charged the Belmont, for them to step to the right and dodge.

Well, step was a strong word for what Eula saw. More like drunkenly stagger.

The man ran straight into a stool as they continued talking to her.

(???) "So you're the Lawrence everyone keeps whining about."

Eula furrowed her brow. She had no idea if this Belmont resented her for being a Lawrence, though this time it was much more of a justified reason.

(???) "Honestly? Not as scary as the city makes you out to be."

They turned to the third man.

(???) "Why's it you hate her exactly?"

(Man 3) "Like you, Belmont.-" spits "-A child of such an evil clan doesn't belong here!"

(???) "Mhm. Riveting. Attention everyone!"

It was clear to Eula the Belmont was being dramatic, since everyone was already staring.

(???) "(Y/N) Belmont and…Er, What's your name?"

(Eula) "Eula?-"

(Y/N) "-Eula Lawrence, will take our drinks and leave in peace! Now kindly stop riding our asses and piss off." (Y/N) grabbed their own drink after shoving the two men aside, then walked near the door past Eula.

Eula set to follow before the third man grabbed her by the wrist.

(Eula) "H-Hey!"

(Man 3) "WE SAID LEAVE IT-"

(Y/N) "Ugh, I'm sorry my beautiful beer-"

SMASH! Eula gasped when the man's head was hit full force with (Y/N)'s mug, sending them flying and hitting the other two.

(Bartender) "GET THE HELL OUT, BELMONT! I'LL MAKE SURE YOU NEVER GO ANYWHERE IN MONDSTADT AGAIN!"

(Y/N) "Yeah yeah, plague be upon my House and name and all that shit. Fuck off Mondstadt, and good night!"

They stormed away after kicking the door open, Eula standing there shocked for a moment.

After processing what happened, she ran after them.

(Eula) "H-Hey!"

(Y/N) "Oh for god's sake I'm-" They stopped midsentence upon seeing Eula.

(Y/N) "…Oh. You."

They looked at her wrist for a moment.

(Y/N) "They didn't hurt you did they?"

(Eula) "Thanks to you, no."

(Y/N) "There's my good deed for the year, nice talking to you, bye-bye!"

They continued to walk away but Eula still went after.

(Eula) "Why did you do that for me?"

They didn't stop walking towards the exit of the city, but continued talking.

(Y/N) "I just hate jackasses like those guys, that's all."

(Eula) "But…I'm a Lawrence."

(Y/N) "That you are."

(Eula) "Shouldn't you hate me?"

They stopped in their tracks, Eula running into their back and bouncing off.

(Y/N) "…I should, shouldn't I? It was House Lawrence that condemned my family to extinction."

They turned around and looked at her.

(Y/N) "They were the ones who made my ancestors stop protecting the people of Mondstadt, to make them forget we protected them from monsters, to make them hate us!"

Eula stepped back in a small amount of fear.

(Y/N) "No, you're right. I hate House Lawrence."

Eula looked down. She shouldn't have expected anything else-

(Y/N) "But I don't hate you."

(Eula) "…W-What?"

(Y/N) "Sure I wish your ancestors can fuck a dead dog in a ditch and kill themselves, but what's that gotta do with you?"

They shrugged nonchalantly.

(Y/N) "What would a descendant from House Lawrence be doing in Mondstadt if they weren't trying to get away from their family? You might be trying to make them not seem as bad anymore, but you do what you do. I don't care."

They waved goodbye as they walked out the gates.

(Y/N) "Gave that dream up ever since my folks kissed the dirt."

(Eula) "Wait a second, where are you going?"

(Y/N) "To sleep."

(Eula) "But where?"

(Y/N) "Under a tree."

(Eula) "Not in a house?-"

(Y/N) "Are you going to be asking questions all night?"

(Eula) "…I can't just let you sleep somewhere so…barbaric."

(Y/N) "I sincerely doubt you want my gross ass on your noble couch."

…They weren't entirely wrong but-

(Eula) "At least for tonight. As thanks."

(Y/N) "I don't need thanks. I just need some sleep, and some more beer."

Eula looked down and realized she still had the drink.

(Eula) "Then how about we share?"

This caught their attention as they spun around at an honestly alarming speed, considering they were most likely drunk this second.

(Y/N) "…Okay, fine. You win. Now give me that."

Eula yanked it back before they could grab it. She smirked a little.

(Eula) "Share, Belmont. We're sharing."

(Y/N) "Bagh…"

They muttered something under their breath as they followed Eula her house.

(Eula) "Make yourself at home."

(Y/N) "Mug, Lawrence. Now."

She rolled her eyes and she gave them a mug and poured their half.

As soon as she was done, they yanked the mug and chugged it down in a matter of seconds.

(Y/N) "Ah, now that is a gift from Barbatos. You don't got anymore do ya?"

(Eula) "I'm afraid that was all I got."

(Y/N) "Shit, knew I shouldn't have smashed my damn mug…"

(Eula) "Thank you for that. Really. That's the first time a stranger has ever stood up for me."

(Y/N) looked surprised before clearing their throat.

(Y/N) "It's nothing."

(Eula) "…Before you go to bed, could you kindly take a bath? You admittedly do have a bit of a stench."

(Y/N) "Course I do, I've been sleeping in fuckin' nature all the time!"

(Eula) "So can you go?"

(Y/N) "…Dunno why I'm arguing against clean water, god I really am drunk."

They went into bathroom as told, making Eula worried.

Eula at least had Amber, Jean, and Master Varkas vouch for her.

The fact she had never even heard mention of them until now…

…

The next morning, Eula woke up and called out to Y/N.

(Eula) "Hey, Belmont. Are you awake?"

No response.

(Eula) "Belmont?"

After going downstairs, the room was empty.

The blanket she gave them was neatly folded on the couch, alongside a pouch of gold and a small note.

Thanks for letting me crash, Lawrence. Don't worry, the filthy Belmont didn't steal anything. You didn't have any alcohol for me to grab anyway. I checked the pantry and everything.

Here's something to pay you back for the trouble I caused. I don't know what you do but we'll probably see each other again.

Keep yourself safe, you hear?

(Y/N)

(Eula) "That idiot! I swear I'm going to enact my vengeance on them!…Huh. That doesn't sound like a bad phrase, actually.

===

Eula asked Amber if she knew (Y/N) when they met up.

Amber said that she had only seen them, but successfully managed to evade her everytime she called out to them.

She did know the location of where they seemed to frequent, which was near Starfell Valley.

So, Eula decided to perform her reconnaissance duty there.

Eula stealthily traversed the hills as she scouted the area for any potential threats.

Finally after three weeks of their first meeting, she found the Belmont again, walking the trail to Mondstadt.

She was going to call out their name before realizing something was moving in the trees.

A group of Treasure Hoarders came out to attack them, prompting Eula to move quickly to their location.

(Treasure Hoarder) "Hah, another Test Subj-"

(Y/N) spun around quickly, dropping their cape and a chained whip came flying out, hitting them square in the chest.

The whip suddenly ignited and exploded, sending the bandits flying back hitting stones, landing in the water, and some into each other.

The bandit who was originally hit couldn't be seen anymore, shocking Eula.

(Y/N) "Great. Now I'm sober."

Twirling their whip rapidly, (Y/N) spun around using the whip's length to attack in a circular motion, causing everyone to back up.

With one flick of their wrist, the chain went flying upwards before (Y/N) swung their arm down, causing it to land on top of another Treasure Hoarder making them explode.

When Eula finally approached them, she saw a small pyro vision dangling off the hilt of their whip.

(Eula) "BELMONT!"

(Y/N) quickly reacted and got the whip away from the direction of her voice as she came crashing down with her greatsword, breaking parts of the ground and causing some of the Treasure Hoarders to fly up.

They used the whip to fling it upwards hitting the left one, exploding and sending the bandit on the right to fly off behind a hill.

(Treasure Hoarder) "Damn it, picked the wrong subjects, LET'S GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!"

Seeing them run, (Y/N) turned to Eula with a smile.

(Y/N) "Lawrence, good to see you. Coulda handled that myself, you know."

(Eula) "I do not doubt that. Your skills with that whip is incredible!"

(Y/N) "I know right, it's a thing of beauty! 'The Morning Star' is what this baby is called, it was a family relic. It could make monsters explode in a single hit without the Vision!"

She saw the excitement in their eyes talking about the weapon. They probably haven't had the chance to brag about it in a long time.

(Eula) "Impressive. Though, what are you doing out here?"

(Y/N) "Just fulfilling a contract. Getting my pay for hunting down a couple Hilichurls bothering folks out here."

He held out a few broken masks.

(Y/N) "See?"

(Eula) "You're acting as a Mercenary? Why don't you come and work for the Knights of Favonius?"

(Y/N) "Psh, please. I'm not working with a bunch of goody two shoes. They take too long to get anything done."

(Eula) "Ugh, you're sounding like Diluc."

(Y/N) "Hey, he's got the right idea. So what are you doing-…Ah shit, you're a Knight aren't you?"

(Eula) "I am. Is that a bad thing?"

(Y/N) "Depends. You about to lecture me?"

(Eula) "As a Knight? No. But as Eula? I will. Why did you leave without saying anything?!"

(Y/N) "What are you- Oh right. Didn't want you bothering me that's all."

They walked past her again, making her angry.

(Eula) "Is that seriously the only reason, Belmont?!"

(Y/N) "…" sigh "I know what you're trying to do. I get it."

They turned to face her, that casual expression they had suddenly vanished.

(Y/N) "You want me to come with so people don't judge us based on our last names alone. But I'm done with that. The Belmont's are gone. I'm the only one left. There's no point."

(Eula) "What do you mean there's no point? You're still alive aren't you?"

(Y/N) "If you can call this being alive, sure Lawrence."

(Eula) "I'm not asking you to suddenly like the city of Mondstadt. But it has good people worth protecting. At the very least, you shouldn't do it alone."

(Y/N) "What makes you think I'm pro-"

(Eula) "What would a descendant from house Belmont be doing in Mondstadt if they weren't fighting to protect the city, just as their family once did? You had every opportunity to leave, but you're still here."

(Y/N) "…"

Eula walked up to them and held out a hand.

(Eula) "Besides, wouldn't it be fun to show these jackasses that a Belmont and Lawrence are working together for the sake of Mondstadt? At the very least it might cause some of them to have a mental breakdown."

(Y/N) didn't say anything before smiling.

(Y/N) "Know what? That does sound fun."

They grabbed her hand and shook it hard.

(Y/N) "I'm not working with the Knights, but working with you sounds good to me, Eula."

Eula smiled upon hearing her name.

(Eula) "Likwise, (Y/N)."

The two walked side by side, back towards the city.

===

Several years had passed and their relationship had grown even stronger.

Though (Y/N) was constantly asked to join the Knights of Favonius, they refused, instead always being with Eula.

The two had been living together, and Eula was only somewhat successful in trying to stop (Y/N) from getting shitfaced every single night.

When it came to her 'vengeance' talk, (Y/N) found it amusing, at that point she had also come to stop caring about the reputation of her name.

At this point, (Y/N) had finally met Amber, but found her a bit too energetic for their liking.

Eula had fallen for (Y/N) a while back, and was working the courage up to actually say something.

It was thanks to the Traveler and Paimon, Eula finally got the courage to tell (Y/N).

===

(Y/N) yawned as they walked towards the trail of Windrise, noting the big tree.

(Y/N) "Ah, hello old friend."

(Eula) "What, going to play in it again?"

(Y/N) "Hmph, I might. This where you wanted to talk."

Eula took a deep breath and nodded.

(Eula) "It is."

The two sat down by the tree and looked up at the night skies, the stars glistening with the moonlight.

(Y/N) "Hm. It's a bit cold."

(Eula) "I like it personally."

(Y/N) "…You're blushing."

Normally, Eula would try to deny it or get extremely flustered.

Yet, she didn't do either. Instead she smiled. Eula knew (Y/N) could read her like an open book, so there was no point in hiding it.

(Eula) "Yes, I am…Do you know why I asked you here?"

(Y/N) "If I had to guess why you asked me to come to the single most romantic spot on a beautiful night…-"

(Y/N) opened their cape and motioned towards them.

Eula looked at them and smiled, getting closer and sitting comfortably with them, grabbing her knees.

(Y/N) "This is why."

(Eula) "You knew, didn't you?"

(Y/N) "Have for at least a little bit now, actually."

(Eula) "And you didn't say anything because?"

(Y/N) "…I was scared. Scared that you actually fell for an idiot like me. All I do is drink beer, scream, and hunt monsters. I'm not exactly what you call someone 'stable'."

(Eula) "And swear. Don't forget that part."

(Y/N) "Oh, definitely swearing."

(Eula) "I was afraid you wouldn't love someone so vicious as a Lawrence, swearing vengeance upon the townspeople and who steals a poor man's beer every night."

The two laughed softly as their heads slowly fell closer together.

(Y/N) "How could I not?"

Eula hummed contently as their hands wrapped around each others.

(Eula) "…You won't go anywhere, right?"

(Y/N) "I go where you go, Eula. Now, and always."

(Eula) "Then I swear eternal vengeance upon you by giving you the best life I can."

(Y/N) "I'm looking forward to it."

Jean was pleasantly surprised to see Eula had befriended the infamous Belmont.

While she held no personal grudge against them, S/O's reputation was similar to Eula's where they met prejudice wherever they went.

She did everything in her power to protect them, but their foul language and alcohol addiction did little to stem the issue.

Jean always lectured them, much to S/O's dismay but they knew it came out of a place for worry.

It wasn't until Jean personally asked them to join the Knights that finally got them to start behaving a bit more, if anything to stop worrying her.

But it led to patrols reporting less monsters were on the roads, and Jean knew it could only mean one thing.

Late at nights when Jean was still working to the bone, it would be S/O who came in to help her finally get some rest.

(S/O) "Come on, if you take away my beer, I can take away your work."

(Jean) "S/O, one is significantly worse than the other when it comes to overindulging yourself in it."

(S/O) "Yeah, you can't even drink paper."

(Jean) "You know that's not what I-"

(S/O) "Don't have a stick up your ass, let's just get yours in bed!"

(Jean) "Excuse me?"

(S/O) "W-Well, I mean you don't have a stick I just-…Er…"

…

(S/O) "And that Barbara, is why I need your help."

(Barbara) "You're not very-"

(S/O) "Good at talking to your big sis? No. No I am not."

Jean does find them endearing however, and admittedly began to fall for them.

How she fell for someone so rude? She honestly doesn't know entirely herself.

Barbara has to be the one helping them the entire time, because Jean is shy and S/O is incompetent when talking to people.

Lisa knew better than to judge a book by it's cover.

But she did honestly have a very rough impression of S/O.

They had come into the library smelling like piss and beer, and they were about to get their filthy hands all over her books.

(S/O) "Sorry, this the bathroom?"

(Lisa) "…Are you looking for Eula, Sir/Miss Belmont?"

(S/O) "K-Kinda. Said to meet her here but I needed to wash myself first."

(Lisa) "Well, at least you know that. Third door, on the right when you get out."

(S/O) "Thanks purple lady."

They stumbled out the door, making her sigh in relief.

They'd be cuter if they weren't reeking of dirt.

Later on when they were actually sober (mostly), they came in to apologize, this time being clean much to her relief.

(Lisa) "Ah, you look far more handsome/pretty without all that grime covering it up!"

(S/O) "Er, r-right. Anyways, I came in to rent a book from your forbidden section."

Lisa's eye was twitching now.

(Lisa) "Excuse me?"

…

Lisa smiled fondly on those memories. She actually went out to a monster hunt with Eula and S/O. It was admittedly fun.

It was also how Lisa got to know how much a softie S/O actually was.

There was a kitten that was almost crushed by a Ruin Guard, yet S/O rushed in to save them, which caused her heart to melt.

She still teases them about it, and recalls that the moment she began liking S/O truly.

(S/O) "How many people have you told that story?!"

(Lisa) "How many beers have you drank in your life?"

Lumine first met S/O when she, Paimon, and Eula were stopping Eula's uncle teaming with the Fatui to attack Mondstadt.

But it was when they went to Angel's Share to drink with Eula is when they truly spoke.

(S/O) "Ah, you're the Honorary Knight. Must be a pain in the ass."

(Paimon) "Jeez, you stink!"

(Eula) "You get used to it."

(Lumine) "Honestly they could smell worse considering how they look."

(S/O) "Psh, you try hunting monsters and smell good at the same time."

With how vulgar and different S/O was from Eula, Lumine only wanted to get to know them more.

It was after seeing Lumine in action that S/O began to take true notice of her other than a friend of Eula's.

Lumine frequently talked to S/O and actually brought them along for many commissions, asking them for advice on what monster or enemy they had the most efficient plan on.

Then, Lumine became their apprentice, to keep the Belmont knowledge alive.

And it was then S/O began to feel more of a connection with Lumine, even going along with commissions they didn't like.

But, love does that to someone.

(Girl) "…And that's why I need you to fight four Ruin Guards to get these delicious eggs!"

(Paimon) "…Seriously?"

S/O tried their best to look away to not get roped into the stupidest hunt they've ever taken.

Lumine looked at them with a bright smile.

(S/O) "…I'm not looking at you, Lumine.."

(Lumine) "You're going to!~"

(S/O) "I won't."

(Lumine) "You like looking at me!"

(S/O) "Still not looking."

(Lumine) "You're going to, and when you do, you'll crack like an egg!"

(S/O) "…"

…

(Eula) "I can't believe you actually made S/O hunt four Ruin Guards for an egg-"

(S/O) "Lawrence. Shut. Up."

(Paimon) "I know right? They're SO soft for-"

(S/O) "EAT SHIT AND DIE, PAIMON."

(Lumine) "They're so soft for me!"

(S/O) sigh "…That I am, dear."

(Paimon) "H-HEY!"

Godzilla vs John Carpenter the thing

Art by... I don't know who is the artist. need help, please!

Edit 1: thanks to @catzy88 for the information, an anonymous Japanese fan who made this art and posted it on a Japanese imageboard. if you want to see this there is a link down in the reply.

fun fact: Do you know that John Carpenter himself directed a Godzilla vs Gorgo fan film, I am going to let that sink in...

And here is another one...

Godzilla-thing!

Art by the one. And only. Matt Frank.

Please support the official artist.

---

Just got done watching Godzilla minus one and it was...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

AMAZING!

---

---

✧ Realms of Guile and War ✧

But have you thought about showing everyone color contacts!!? I mean albedo would have a LOT of questions and kaeya would probably want a pair

IMAGINE having ones that look like the khaenri’ans eyes!!!

OMGGG THE QUESTIONS WOULDN'T END WITH ALBEDO

He'd be so curious about how it was able to change the color of your eyes, and even the shape of your pupils, and how you're able to see with them on.

And Kaeya would definitely want a pair, although he'd probably never wear them. Same with Amber, too!

OMG IMAGINE JUST STANDING INFRONT OF THE ARCHONS WITH KHAENRI'AN EYES they'd be going through the seven stages of grief and my mind cannot be changed

Jean x Dark Knight!S/O MegaPost

This is a reupload from the original Genshingorls, many thanks to the og anon who asked for this, and the others who were interested in it!

It's every post I've made for this AU put under one roof, so be warned before pressing Keep Reading, this is a VERY long post!)

S/O loved Jean, that much was clear just by looking at their interactions with her.

They respected her position as Acting Grand Master and what she was doing for the knights.

As much as S/O respected Jean and the Knights of Favonius, there was something Diluc was right about.

At times, they were too inefficient to be relied on.

S/O takes a note from the Darknight Hero's page, and decides to take matter into their own hands when the Knights are too slow, when a situation demanded action now.

S/O dons a caped black armor, a spear, and a helmet that completely covers their face.

Since S/O was very close with Jean and the other Knights, they knew if they ever uttered a single word, they would instantly figure out who they were.

To avoid that complication, S/O vows never to utter a word as long as they wear the armor.

Many Abyss Mage and Hilichurl attacks were halted by S/O, saving many lives in the process.

At first, the Knights mistook S/O's activities as the work of the Darknight Hero before realizing a third party was at play.

(Jean) sigh "As if one vigilante wasn't enough…"

(S/O) "There's a second one? I thought it was the Darknight Hero's work."

(Jean) "That's what we assumed too, but we've had reports from many citizens and knights that this second one fights completely different, not to mention ever uttering a word."

(S/O) "Well, I'm sure they have Mondstadt's best interest at heart."

(Jean) "I do not doubt that, but…I'm afraid that the people might begin losing faith in us…"

It hurt S/O knowing they were directly causing Jean pain like this. But who knew what would happen if S/O ever told her the truth?

As far as Jean and the rest of Mondstadt was aware, S/O was a gentle person who was sweet enough to not even hurt a fly.

S/O managed to hide a sigh themselves and held Jean's hand gently.

(S/O) "The people will never lose faith in you, or the Knights, Jean."

Jean smiled before standing up from the chair and kissed S/O's cheek.

(Jean) "Thank you, S/O. I have return to my duties, but thank you for this break."

(S/O) "Of course. Stay safe, Jean!"

She smiled and walked back to the Knights' Headquarters. S/O watched her leave, their smile slowly fading as she went out of sight.

(S/O) "Jean…"

(Diluc) "She'll be fine."

S/O didn't turn to face Diluc as he approached them. (Diluc) "Jean's resilient. Maybe too much for her own good."

(S/O) "I know, but I still can't help but worry about her…"

(Diluc) "It'll take a lot more than two vigilantes to break the Knights under her watch."

(S/O) "…Right."

S/O nodded and followed Diluc to Angel's Share. They were going to have some work to do tonight.

===========================

Jean and S/O had been together for 3 months when S/O took up the mantle as the second vigilante of Mondstadt.

While they greatly respected the Knights of Favonius and Jean, sometimes justice was too slow in their eyes.

S/O decided to speed it up a few times when nothing could be done, and tried to keep interactions with the Knights to an absolute minimum so they couldn't be discovered.

That was easier said than done, considering at this point, Jean and S/O lived together.

Luckily, Jean's tendency to overwork herself gave some time for S/O to return after a night and hide their gear.

No matter what though, they ALWAYS had to arrive home before Jean since officially S/O worked at Angel's Share under Diluc.

S/O had to keep everything locked up in a box and hide it out of sight by hiding it underneath their bed at first.

There was a point where S/O was in the middle of undressing and covered in bruises when they heard Jean come through the door.

They had just enough time to hide everything, but not enough to cover their bruises.

(S/O) Alright time to improvise. Guess it can't hurt anymore than the Abyss Mages did…!

(Jean) "Why is it so dark? S/O, are you home?"

(S/O's voice) "Jean, you're home!"

Jean went to light a candle, and S/O took a deep breath as they looked at her from on top of the stairs. (S/O) "WOAH!"

S/O pretended to trip down the stairs, though in reality they flung themselves off.

Jean quickly spun around as their body fumbled down the stairs, landing awkwardly at her feet.

(S/O) "…Hi, sweetie."

(Jean) "S/O!"

Concerned she immediately raised them up, seeing the bruises on them. (S/O) "Ow ow ow ow!"

(Jean) "I'm sorry, are you okay, is anything broken?!"

(S/O) "I-I think I bruised myself."

(Jean) "You'd be correct. Archons above, you need to be careful, your body's absolutely covered in bruises!"

(S/O) "Guess our stairs are harder than they look."

(Jean) "S/O, I'm being serious, what if it was worse?!"

(S/O) "Well, I can have you to kiss them better?"

…

Jean shot them a glare that told S/O she was obviously unamused. (S/O) "…So uh, how was work today?"

Sighing, she helped S/O up and they had a relatively light dinner before they slept, covering S/O's true cause of the bruise.

That would not be the first or the last time S/O would have to improvise like that, only a few weeks later asking the Honorary Knight to smash a door into their face to cover a black eye.

In other words, it was a chaotic beginning, which S/O had plenty of time to refine.

===========================

S/O winced in pain as Diluc sighed. Diluc was cleaning glasses at Angel's Share while S/O sat in the stool across from him.

The two had saved a group of Knights from an ambush but they didn't get away unscathed.

Even though S/O wore a mask, that didn't stop them from getting a massive bruise on their face.

(Diluc) "I told you to watch out for the explosive barrels, didn't I?"

(S/O) "Yeah yeah, I know…Ugh, this isn't good. I've been trying to make Jean take a little time off so she can take care of herself, and she wanted to get lunch with me today!"

(Diluc) "Isn't that a good thing, and what does that have to do with anything?"

(S/O) "Getting there. Now, normally it would, but I told her I work at the tavern. She would think something's up if a server just got punched and no knights made an arrest for assault!"

(Diluc) "Hm…I can't really think of anything that could help."

(S/O) "…Wait a second, the Traveler and Paimon are back in Mondstadt, right?"

(Diluc) "…Yes?"

(S/O) "I got an idea!"

…

Aether and Paimon looked at each other, extremely confused.

(Aether) "I'm sorry, what?"

(S/O) "When I get near the door, I need you to swing it and hit me in the face really really hard."

(Paimon) "And…there's no downside to this?"

(S/O) "You have my word Jean will not kill you."

(Aether) "Uh….Sure?"

(S/O) "Sweet! You guys are lifesavers!"

…

Jean came through the door and looked around.

She saw Diluc, Aether and Paimon, but no sign of S/O.

(Jean) "Oh, good afternoon."

(Aether) "Hey, Jean."

(Paimon) "Hiya, Master Jean!"

(Diluc) "Looking for S/O?"

(Jean) "Yes, I was told to meet them at the tavern before we went off. I figured that they were already here…"

Diluc cleared his throat, giving the indication that S/O was coming to the door.

(Patton's voice) "Oh, hey S/O. Jean just walked in."

(S/O) "Thanks."

(Paimon) "Oh, we can go find him if you'd like! Come on, Aether!"

(Aether) "Right."

The two got off their seat and hurried to the door.

(Jean) "O-Oh, no you don't have to-"

Aether grabbed the door handle and shoved it forward, Paimon helping as well and-

THUD!

(S/O) "HUARGH!"

(Patton) "WOAH!"

(Jean) "S/O!"

(Paimon) "O-Oh, S/O? How clumsy of us!"

(S/O) "Ack, my god! I think you actually broke something!"

(Aether) "Huh. Must've swung harder than I thought…"

Diluc facepalmed, he was getting second-hand embarrassment from S/O's plan.

Jean rushed over to S/O pushing aside Aether and Paimon.

(Jean) "S/O, are you alright?!"

(S/O) "O-Ow. Jean? Y-Yeah I'm alright."

Jean gasped.

(Jean) "Y-Your eye!…And nose?"

(Patton) "Er, I think the eye thing was-"

(Paimon) "-AETHER, do you not know how to control your strength you brute?!"

(Aether) "What?! You helped me push it!"

Jean was about to open their mouth before S/O waved it off by laughing. It was extremely awkward since everyone could tell they were in pain, but still they laughed.

(S/O) "Don't worry about it, it was just an accident. Let's go ahead to Good Hunter, okay?"

(Jean) "B-But…"

S/O kissed Jean, making her blush.

(Paimon) "Eyuck, PDA you guys!"

(Patton) "Not to make a fuss Honorary knight, but uh…you're kinda standing in the doorway."

(Aether) "Oh, sorry. To both of you, Jean, Patton."

(Paimon) "Enjoy your date you guys!"

(Jean) "Thank you…?"

S/O held Jean's hand and they walked out of sight together, leaving Aether and Paimon sighing.

(Paimon) "Thank goodness that's over with."

(Aether) "Sorry 'bout the commotion. See ya later."

Aether and Paimon walked off, making Patton open the door and look at Diluc. He still had a hand in his face.

(Patton) "So…what was that about?"

(Diluc) sigh "Don't ask…"

===========================

S/O ran to a corner with the Darknight Hero, the Knights of Favonius hot on their trail.

(Knight) "Freeze!"

(Diluc) "Damn, they're catching up to us."

S/O silently motioned for them to continue on without them.

(Diluc) "What? But-"

A squad of knights rounded the corner, weapons drawn. Knowing there was no time, the Darknight Hero to leave, him climbing the wall and escaping while S/O stood their ground.

S/O was prepared to knock out of a few of the knights and improvise from there. Until they saw Jean walk in, sword drawn.

(Jean) "You are under arrest for disrupting the Knights of Favonius from upholding the law. Surrender now, and you will not be harmed.

S/O couldn't say anything, the moment they did, Jean would instantly know it was them. So, there was only one option left.

S/O drew out their spear and pointed it at Jean. She responded by motioning the knights behind her, weapons at the ready.

Jean's Anemo vision was going to be extremely difficult for S/O to counter.

They had no vision of their own and had to rely on gadgets. All of which were designed to kill or seriously wound.

S/O did not ever anticipate having to fight Jean, let alone any Knight, so they had no non-lethal tools to use.

They kept their spear pointed at her, waiting to see who made the first move.

The knights had their weapons drawn out too. The last thing S/O needed was to be fighting a group, with Jean leading the front.

S/O decided to take their chances and try to escape, or at the very least, force Jean to fight them one on one.

S/O jumped onto the walls and ran up to the roof, making their escape from there.

Jean quickly managed to catch up while the Knights remained on the floor.

S/O saw the gate and tried to make a run for it there, only for Jean to jump up and block their path.

(Jean) "You're not getting away that easy."

(S/O) Hard way it is…Sorry, Jean.

S/O said this to themselves as they got into a battle stance, charging forward.

Their spear thrusted forward, Jean sidestepping to the left and narrowly dodging the attack.

Her arm thrusted upwards, the rapier sliding across the shaft of S/O's spear and forcing them back.

As S/O was going backwards, they felt the air pulling them towards her.

(S/O) Damn it, she's going to-!

(Jean) "GO AS ONE!"

S/O knew what she was capable of with her Anemo vision, and had seen it in action before.

What they didn't expect was to be on the receiving end of it.

They were violently blasted back and rolled across the rooftop, stabbing their spear onto the roof so they can stop rolling like a ragdoll.

Looking up, Jean was already running towards them.

If S/O remembered how she fought, then she was about to swing the rapier to her right, then thrust upwards.

Sure enough, S/O saw her arm about to swing right.

S/O brought the spear upwards, the pole blocking the attack.

They moved forward before she had time to make the next move and headbutted her, making her stagger back.

S/O used this chance to start making their escape to the gate, Jean finally recovering to get back on their heel.

S/O knew it wasn't going to be long before she could use her Vision again.

-They had 2 choices. Either stay and stagger Jean one more time, or take their chances and keep running.

S/O Winning

S/O suddenly stopped and turned around, with Jean about to use her vision once again.

S/O had the blunt end of the pole strike her stomach, knocking the air out of her before swinging up and hitting the bottom of her jaw, making her fly upwards.

Before she could fall, S/O kicked Jean's head, making her body go onto the roof, and knocking her out.

S/O took the sword and holstered it and carried Jean in their arms. They were half tempted to say sorry, but didn't know if she could still hear anything.

Not taking the chance, S/O hopped down from the roof with Jean in tow, gently setting her against the side of a wall, with her sword nearby.

S/O sprinted out of sight before they could be tempted to look back and waste precious escape time.

...

Jean was angry at herself as she was returning to her home.

The fact a non-vision user was able to escape her was beyond embarrassing as the Acting Grand Master.

Not only that, it seemed that vigilante knew every move she made and countered perfectly.

…Now that she thought about it, that was a little too perfect.

How would a non-vision user, one she hadn't even seen before, know her moves and react in time to her Anemo abilities?

When she opened the door, she heard a warm voice call out to her.

(S/O) "Jean!"

They ran over to her and hugged her tightly.

(S/O) "I heard you guys were fighting the Vigilantes, is that true?!"

(Jean) "Y-…Yes it was. I was unable to capture them."

Jean wasn't able to look at them in the eye.

(S/O) "You're hurt…!"

(Jean) "It's nothing that can't be heal-"

S/O silenced her by holding her face, she winced in pain by their touch.

(S/O) "Oh, I-I'm so sorry!"

(Jean) "It's…" sigh "It's fine. Thank you for worrying, S/O."

Jean tried to calm them down by wrapping her arms around them, finally feeling them relax.

She kissed them, and when she pulled away, she noticed S/O had a bruise on their arm.

Not just one, but several.

(S/O) "…Jean?"

(Jean) "It's nothing. I'm just tired is all."

(S/O) "Then let's go to bed, alright?"

(Jean) "Of course, I will meet you up there when I finish getting dressed."

S/O nodded and went into the other room.

(Jean) S/O works at the Tavern. Why do they have bruises? …Actually, what are they doing this late up at night?

Jean made a mental note to herself to ask S/O about it.

She had a sinking feeling, but tried to ignore it.

- There's no way…

Jean Winning

S/O didn't want to take that gamble to see if they could stop her vision in time, so they kept running.

Jean concentrated her power, knowing what they were trying to do.

They were NOT going to get away.

(Jean) "Barbatos, guide us!"

The wind around them picked up violently, blasting the Dark Knight into the air, flailing helplessly.

Jean leapt forth and struck them down, shattering pieces of their mask as they fell onto the ground, knocking them out.

She landed gently on the ground and sheathed her weapon.

The Knights caught up and surrounded the area, ready to fight again at a moment's notice.

Jean frowned as she saw part of the face from the broken mask.

It looked a lot like…

Jean reached for the helmet and took it off, her blood going cold once she saw who it was.

S/O was battered, bruises everywhere and a bit of blood coming from their mouth.

But the fact S/O was under the mask.

(Jean) "W-…What…?!"

(Knight) "By the Archon…is that?!"

(Knight 1) "Quit gawking, cuff them!"

They locked S/O's hands tight and moved them away, with Jean still staring in complete shock.

(Knight) "Ma'am…your orders?"

Jean had to push that to the side for now. What matters is bringing back order.

(Jean) "Take them to the cell. We will question them once they reawaken."

(Knight) "At once."

Jean was left alone, her body going completely numb.

When was S/O this viglante?

…No, why?

Why did they not tell her this?

Why did they even go against the Knights in the first place? Against her?

She fought back the tears forming in her eyes and had to take a deep breath.

S/O had always said the silent vigilante had Mondstadt's best interest at heart. That was true, judging from their actions.

But…they still kept this a secret from Jean.

They did love her…or was that a lie told to her as well…?

She eventually snapped out of it and went down to the cell.

Kaeya was looking through the cell, his usual smirk gone.

(Kaeya) "S/O as the second vigilante…That's some sick sense of humor fate has."

Jean didn't respond as her hand slowly slid down the bar, staring at S/O's battered body.

(Jean) "S/O…"

Kaeya remained quiet as Jean's tears streamed down her face.

She had no idea what things S/O told her was true and what wasn't anymore.

...

- Jean looked up from her stacks of paper and sighed.

- It's been nearly a month since S/O had left Mondstadt, though it wasn't to evade the law.

- An Abyss Mage had broken into Mondstadt and sent Ruin Guards after the townspeople the night they were arrested.

- Jean and S/O fought alongside each other, saving several Knights and Civilians.

- Some of the people called S/O a hero, even including some knights, but when it was over...

(S/O) "Jean. I'm leaving Mondstadt."

(Jean) "What? But-"

(S/O) "The people and Knights know my identity now...Worst of all, you do now."

(Jean) "..."

(S/O) "If the Dark Knight Hero hasn't gotten a pardon, then neither should I. I'm a criminal, but I won't be imprisoned just yet, not when I have so much to do."

(Jean) "But you could join the Knights, S/O! You could-"

- S/O put a finger on her lips and sighed.

(S/O) "I have to do this. I'm sorry, Jean."

(Jean) "Then...I will not stop you."

- She was about to walk away before she felt her hand wrapped into theirs.

- Jean was slowly turned around as S/O gently put their lips onto hers.

(S/O) "I'll always need you, Jean. But the people of Mondstadt come first. And they need their Grand Master. I promise, this blade will not break before I return to you."

(Jean) "And I will make sure Mondstadt has a home for you when you do return."

- They held each other for the last time before S/O quietly left Mondstadt, putting on their mask and leaving.

...

- Jean returned to an empty home, late at night.

- She went to the kitchen to fix herself something to eat before realizing something was wrong.

- She could smell fresh food on the table, but no one should have been home.

- Jean reached for her rapier before she turned on a light, and saw what it was.

- It was a pizza, with a vase of dandelions sitting next to it.

- Jean teared up as she smiled, knowing where it came from.

- She slowly picked up one of the dandelions and walked over to a window.

- Blowing gently on it, the seeds from the dandelion were floating away on the night's breeze.

(Jean) "I know our paths will cross again one day S/O...But...Hah, perhaps I'm a little selfish for wishing we could be together now..."

- Jean stared at the night sky, not saying another word.

===========================

A/N: Slight error here. From this point on the pronouns became male, but just pretend I meant for it to be gender neutral.

S/O was in self-exile after his identity was discovered.

It had been at least half a year since he left the city, wandering and helping those in need in the outskirts of Mondstadt.

He was certain that none of the Knights, not even Jean, could figure out where they were staying, until he saw a letter at their hideout.

S/O drew his polearm and looked around. After investigating the area, they checked the envelope and opened it.

"I have Jean. Come to these islands to save her, hero."

S/O didn't care if it was a trap, whoever sent this message knew how to get his attention.

They donned their mask and set off immediately for Mondstadt, but how would they even get there?

(S/O) Come to think of it, didn't Jean mention once that bard Venti being able to fly that dragon…?

…

S/O entered Mondstadt undetected and tried to keep that hidden as long as they could.

S/O walked to the tavern and sighed, knowing that Patton would be the first person to see him.

Bracing himself, S/O walked towards the door.

(Patton) "Uh-" !!! "S/O?!"

S/O held up a hand to silence Patton, and immediately showed him the letter.

He did feel a little awkward by the fact he still didn't talk, even though the people know who he was under the mask.

(Patton) "…Jeez, I'm sorry, I didn't know. Though, I don't know if going in there's a good idea-"

S/O slightly bowed to say thanks, and went inside anyway, hearing the familiar tune of a lyre being played.

The tavern went completely quiet, with the exception of Venti's song, when S/O entered.

He patiently waited for Venti to finish, ignoring everyone's stares and whispers.

(Venti) "Thank you for waiting, and you must be…Ah, Jean's lover!"

S/O was glad he had a mask on, he felt his cheeks heating up when Venti just called it out in front of the entirety of Angel's Share.

S/O was about to show Venti the letter before he was interrupted.

(Venti) "No need, I know where she went. Right this way, please!"

S/O was about to move before being interrupted, again.

(Venti) "Ah, but it's not free. Mind if you can get a drink for the road?"

The sound of his mask covered his sigh, S/O awkwardly reaching into his pockets and pulling out the remaining Mora he had.

(S/O) …I guess this is a small price to pay for Jean. Wait a second, why do I even have this on me when I'm fighting?!

S/O handed Venti a bottle, and THEN he followed Venti out of the city.

…

Dropping off Stormterror's back onto one of the many Islands, S/O had their weapon drawn.

He had no idea where Jean was being kept, but the longer he kept her waiting…

Landing on the sand, S/O twirled around and had their cape go against the wind, brushing off the debris on it and looking heroic, though no one was there to see.

(S/O) "Jean…I'll get you out of here."

S/O took their first step on the shore and realized the first of many problems.

He didn't have a vision so he couldn't skim across the water or build any kind of bridge.

And the island he landed on was barren.

He decided to examine the rest of the island and took his next step.

And saw a cute little red sphere hop into the air.

And immediately went flying backwards from the explosion.

S/O landed on his back, sand getting everywhere on his mask and outfit.

(Klee's Voice) "Oooh, I think I got some fish with that!"

(Barbara's Voice) "Huh? But I thought that bomb was a little too close to shore-O-OH MY GOODNESS!"

(Klee's Voice) "Hey, it's mister S/O!"

S/O could hear Klee's heart drop.

(Klee's Voice) "OH NO, DID I HIT HIM?!"

Barbara and Klee ran over to S/O who was still in the sand unmoving.

While there wasn't any serious injury, he just felt extremely stupid not seeing that bomb, and was taking a moment for his pride to recover.

(Barbara) "S/O, are you alright?!"

He slowly got up, nodding his head yes. (Klee) "Um, you aren't saying anything though…"

(Paimon's Voice) "Is everything okay?"

(Aether's Voice) "We heard an explosion and-….Oh."

(Jean's Voice) "S/O?!"

He immediately spun around, seeing Aether, Paimon, and Jean not too far away.

And Jean was completely unharmed.

S/O took off their mask, and his confusion was very apparent.

(S/O) "Jean, you're okay! And…Nice outfit."

(Jean) "O-Oh um…Thank you."

Jean awkwardly rubbed the back of her head before snapping back to it.

(Jean) "What are you doing here?"

(S/O) "Me? I thought you were kidnapped!"

(Paimon) "OOOOOOH! Paimon knows the issue! You probably got a letter right?"

(S/O) "You know something about it?"

(Klee) "Yeah, my mom did that!"

(S/O) "…Alice kidnapped Jean?"

(Jean) "N-No! Allow me to explain!"

ONE LENGTHY EXPLANATION LATER…

(S/O) "So we're all here cause Alice wanted us to have a vacation?"

(Aether) "Pretty much. We actually got done with the whole investigation an hour ago, actually."

(Barbara) "Yes, it was quite an adventure!"

Now he felt a little jealous.

(S/O) "Hmph. Alice couldn't have gotten that letter to me faster? Actually, how did she even know where I was?"

(Klee) "Cause my mom's the coolest and the smartest!"

(S/O) "So it would seem."

Barbara slowly inched her way to Jean and nudged her with her arm.

Realizing why Barbara did that, Jean cleared her throat loudly.

(Jean) "Well, seeing as you're here, would you like to join us on the main island for the festivities? We were here to let Klee fish blast."

(S/O) "S-Sure, seeing as I'm here."

(Klee) "Are you gonna go swimming in that, Mister S/O?"

S/O looked down awkwardly at his outfit.

(S/O) "…Do we have a change of clothes there? I was under the impression I'd be going into battle."

Jean couldn't help but chuckle, seeing how flustered S/O was, and in turn finally making him lighten up. …

When they got to the island, Jean and S/O spent time catching up, calmly watching Klee send a congregation of fish to meet god with her explosives.

After a little while longer, everyone left Jean and S/O alone on the far side of the island.

They both sat down next to each other on the sand, feeling the ocean's breeze on them and the moon rise.

(S/O) "-…And that's how I got here, after getting Venti that bottle of wine."

(Jean) "If I may ask, why did you have Mora on you? Would anyone even let you buy supplies?"

(S/O) "Yeah, I was wondering that myself…"

Jean laughed again, S/O turning to face her.

Jean's smile was something he had missed dearly these past months.

Being able to see it again was all he could ask for.

(S/O) "By the way, who got you that outfit? It looks great on you."

Jean began blushing as she shyly looked away.

(Jean) "Oh, you think so? Hah, well Barbara and Lisa helped me pick it. In all honesty, I was wondering how you'd think of it when I put it on the first time."

Jean leaned onto his shoulder and spoke softly.

(Jean) "I'm glad you like it…"

S/O's hands wrapped around Jean's, both of them quietly enjoying each other's warmth.

(Jean) "…I've missed you, S/O."

(S/O) "…I've missed you too, Jean."

Jean raised her head and gently put her hand on his face, slowly turning it to face her.

Their lips connected as they closed their eyes. There was no telling when they could be able to do this again.

(Klee's Voice) "Yuck!"

(Barbara's Voice) "Aw!"

(Paimon's Voice) "HEY, YOU'RE BLOWING OUR COVER!"

(Aether's Voice) "No, I think you just did…"

(Jean) "HUH?!"

Both Jean and S/O quickly stood up, seeing the four of them on the hill watching.

(Klee) "T-THEY MADE ME WATCH!"

(Paimon) "D-DON'T YOU BLAME PAIMON!"

(Jean) "Barbara!"

Jean began pouting as she marched straight for them, S/O just stood and smiled.

(Aether) "RUN FOR IT!"

(Barbara) "GO, BARBARA, GO!"

The four of them sprinted away with Jean hot on their trail.

S/O smiled as he took a deep breath.

(S/O) "This as entertaining for you as it is for me?"

(Diluc's Voice) "Apologies, I did not mean to eavesdrop."

Diluc stepped out into sight and stood next to S/O.

(S/O) "Kinda hard not to with a small island like this."

(Diluc) "Indeed. It's good to see you well, S/O."

(S/O) "Likewise. Thanks for looking out for her while I've been gone."

(Diluc) "She's been worried sick for you, you know. Plan on coming back anytime soon?"

(S/O) "I'm not sure, I've been hesitant to…I guess I can't believe she still loves me after what I put her through."

(Diluc) "If you can't believe it, then go see for yourself. Sounds like she needs you, anyway."

S/O began to walk after Jean, still being able to hear her chase the four of them.

At the very least, S/O would get to enjoy a few days with Jean again.

Though what Diluc said stuck with him for the rest of the time.

S/O smiled.

Maybe, he'd be able to come back, and enjoy days like these with her again.

===========================

Before identity reveal

(Jean) "S/O and I are in a relationship. Hah, I think all of Mondstadt knows with how much they talk about me. They're the sweetest person I've met, and I'm truly blessed to be with him."

-

(Kaeya) "Ah, the only other person besides Barbara that can talk some sense into the Acting Grand Master. He seems to be…hiding something."

-

(Diluc) "S/O works for me at Angel's Share as a server. They're a little clumsy, but their drive to work is second to none. I know that for a fact. Well, the only thing that tops that is their worrying for Jean."

-

(Amber) "Yeah, I've met S/O. He seems like a pretty cool guy. I can see why Jean fell for him!"

-

(Barbara) "Jean seems so happy with them! And S/O is truly a kind person as well!"

-

(Rosaria) "S/O? I've seen them a few times here and there. Don't let that ditzy look of his fool you. He leads an…interesting life."

-

(Lisa) "Jean's sweetheart? What a kind young man. However, he seems to be on edge talking to the other Knights, from what I've noticed. Maybe its because he feels intimidated, since he's just a civilian dating the Acting Grand Master?"

-

(Klee) "Mister S/O is the best! He helps me get out of trouble by talking to Master Jean. He helps me make bombs all the time!"

-

(Venti) "The plucky young man in Angel's Share? He helps me out whenever I perform there! I'm also aware of his budding romance with the Acting Grand Master, it's quite adorable isn't it?"

After Identity Reveal

(Jean) "Ah…S/O…We do not speak much anymore but, I know he still loves me. Although he's acting as a vigilante, I know he has the best interests for Mondstadt at heart. So I'll make sure this city is still standing by the time he returns. I…still miss him terribly. And he must feel the same…"

-

(Kaeya) "To think he was the second vigilante helping the Dark Knight hero. Personally, I think he should've worked for us to begin with so he could stay in Mondstadt."

-

(Diluc) "So you heard about that? He only got discovered so I couldn't. I owe him a debt. If anything, I think his conviction has become stronger than ever. Though, his love for Jean remains thankfully unchanged."

-

(Amber) "I totally didn't see that coming, S/O being a vigilante! I think I sometimes see him when I'm out scouting. I try to talk to him, but he always disappears when I try to approach."

-

(Barbara) "Jean has been worried for him ever since he left Mondstadt. To be honest, I am too. I get letters from him, asking if me and Jean are alright…It's sweet, but he needs to come back so we can be reassured, you know?"

-

(Rosaria) "Figured there was more to him than meets the eye. It's always the ones you don't expect that can fight well. Honestly, its pretty impressive how well he can fight without a vision."

-

(Lisa) "Poor Jean was heartbroken to find out S/O was a vigilante. But, it looks like we don't hsve to worry about them hurting us, he seems to fight to protect the city. Especially Jean."

-

(Klee) "People say that Mister S/O is a bad guy, but thats not true at all! He may dress a little funny, but he beats up the bad guys! How can he be one of those jerks?"

-

(Venti) "Ah, love has no bounds. The law nor evil can separate S/O from his dear Jean! I should write a song in his honor, and I will be certain to play it for him upon his return."

S/O's thoughts

"Jean…I can only imagine how much I hurt her when she saw me under the mask. But even so, I put it on so I can protect her, and the city she loves.

And I'll be damned if my identity being revealed is gonna stop me from doing that. Anything for the one you love, right?"

-

"Kaeya honestly scares the hell outta me. Feel like he knew who I was the moment we spoke. He's got that…I don't know, feeling to him?"

-

"Diluc is a good boss. Pretty nice guy too, except when he speaks about the Knights and especially Kaeya. Oh, he gets pretty pouty around Venti too, heh.

Still, sometimes he should stop being so…approachable? Mostly cause every girl he speaks to immediately goes weak in the knees upon sight."

-

"Amber's pretty damn fast. I'm always sure when I try to escape her she's just going to perfectly land in front of me. Nice enough from what I heard from Jean about her."

-

"Barbara is a sweetheart. Me and her always made sure Jean wasn't overworking herself. Though she's a bit of a hypocrite, working herself to the bone in the church. Honestly, sometimes it's a handful making sure they're both okay.

…What? She'd be my sister-in-law once I marry Jean? L-Let's not get THAT far just yet."

-

"Rosaria…I've seen what she does at night, and I'm damn sure she's seen me. Good fighter, and seems to have the same idea as Diluc and I, she's a lot better at hiding it though.

But whatever the case, she's earned my trust, despite the fact we've never really spoken directly."

-

"Lisa, man oh man. She used to tease the hell out of Jean and I. Real nice lady, though I wouldn't piss her off. Especially if you touch her books.

I've seen it only once, and I swore to NEVER rent a book in Mondstadt ever. I'm pretty sure not even my armor would save me from her wrath."

-

"Klee was a sweet kid with a love for explosions. Normally that'd be pretty bad, but its thanks to her that I know how to make my utility bombs. I helped her and she helped me.

Hah, Jean and I are practically second parents for Klee considering how much trouble she gets herself into, and how we've had to step in."

-

"Oh yeah, Venti's that bard who drops by the bar all the time. I don't see him drink often but damn, I ended up serving at least 10 drinks to him!

As for his musical skills, not my preference. I don't tell him that, considering the tips he gives me."