Erison

Gold

Childe snickered, gently running a hand through Xiao's hair.

"All of Liyue relies on you, Xiao. You're their hope, you're their future, you're essentially their Archon. Not only will you live for a long time, not only do you have a vision but powers much beyond that. But may I add my successor?" He said softly, calmly, dangerously. Xiao knew the tone all too well; he'd experienced it all too many times before. "And what for? You have no purpose at the ports. You didn't even like them before, and now you run off every time you can?" Childe pouted, sliding his hand through Xiao's hair again. Xiao had to force himself not to shiver at the touch.

"I know," Childe frowned again, hands starting to get rougher as they slithered through like a snake.

"You always say that," Childe replied more sternly, grabbing Xiao's hair and tugging on it, forcing him to look up right into Childe's eyes. They were narrowed and lacked the usual shimmer they used to contain. "And yet you never listen." He sighed, tugging again, this time harder - Xiao's head jerked back and he had to suppress a noise of surprise. "Is this really how a crown prince should act? Rowdy, uncultured, impolite?" With every rude word, Childe pulled, again and again and again. Xiao desperately tried to keep his head in place but it was hard to do so when a hand the size of your head and forcing it back every time you recentred it. "Is this how I taught my future sovereign to act? My heir?"

"N-no, sir-" Xiao choked out and finally the tugging stopped.

Childe smiled, his eyes shimmer returning, he gave Xiao a few head pats before removing his hand completely.

"Good, good. But you know this means more time studying?"

"Yes, sir." He managed out. Stepping back and trying to stop his head from spinning. Childe smiled again, more teeth this time, a chill ran down Xiao's spine and his gaze lowered to the red carpets below him.

"Good. Go to your room. Keqing, make sure he doesn't run off."

And before he could even process the conversation and actions of Childe, before he could process the idea that Keqing just watched Childe rip and gnaw at his hair and did nothing about it, Xiao was already in the halls finally getting a grip on keeping his vision straight. Keqing followed behind him, not a word escaping her lips and Xiao didn't dare say anything in return.

Xiao walked inside his room and the door slammed behind him once he entered. Silence filled his ears, but his head was racing. He gently massaged the spot where Childe pulled at, it still felt somewhat numb.

It wasn't the first time Childe did that. In fact, it was one of the more lighter "punishments" he'd done.

If he was really upset, he'd hit Xiao with the blunt part of whatever weapon he had on hand, a handle if Xiao got lucky.

As of late, it was normally a bow's limbs, maybe its grip. That always felt worse for some reason, perhaps Childe was just hitting harder nowadays.

Xiao lit up his candles and lanterns. They glowed dimly, fighting against the darkness. He lit up an incense hoping to clear his mind, one that smelled like amber and cinnamon. Instead, it just clogged up the room and made the air thicker, forcing Xiao to breathe it in deeply. Xiao missed the incense Morax brought him once.

They smelt better; and were less heavy on the lungs - scented like lavender and jasmine. It reminded Xiao of the teas Morax drank, and Xiao felt a sudden desire to drink tea himself. Xiao couldn't ask for new scenes though, Childe brought them just for him... out of his own kindness.

He flinched when there was a knock on the door. He ran away again, Childe never let him eat after he ran away before. He opened the door and sighed with relief when he realized Ganyu was there. Thank Archons it wasn't Keqing. She smiled at him - a proper, normal, lighthearted smile. In her hand, a steaming bowl.

It wasn't almond tofu, but it was some kind of tofu - Xiao could tell.

"Evening,"

"I'm allowed to eat?" Xiao asked instead of greeting her in return. She frowned slightly.

"Technically, no," Ganyu replied "But you haven't eaten in days, so I thought I'd at least give you something," she explained, pushing the bowl into Xiao's arms. Now with a better glance at it, he could tell what it was. Miso from Inazuma - a rare treat nowadays - with chunks of tofu laid in it. It wouldn't be very filling, but at the very least Xiao could stomach it. "Quickly, if Keqing finds out I'm not in bed she'll rip my horns off,"

It was joking - of course, Ganyu was one of the few people Keqing liked. Keqing would never hurt her... on purpose. Another one of the rumours the maids would spread like wildfire was the premise that Keqing and Ganyu were in a relationship. Xiao wasn't sure if that was true or not, he never bothered to ask, he didn't want to disturb the relationship of one of the only people who cared for him like a real living creature and not an item of success.

Xiao wolfed down the soup. He'd forgotten how much he liked tofu or just food in general. It was silky and went down easily, he didn't care that his tongue burnt when he took the biggest bite he could with the soup spoon. He didn't care about anything other than the soup in his hands.
It was good, no, it was divine, Xiao didn't realize how hungry he was until he was allowed to eat something. Ganyu frowned as she watched him, Xiao didn't notice as he shoved in the last drops.