TW: Mentions of eye gore: eye pierced, object inside eye
~~~
Actions speak louder than words.
-
He couldn't believe his luck. He had already crossed paths with the Creator in his lifetime, eagerly agreeing to gift them one of his belongings and was content with being as close as he had been with them. But he ran into them again.
However, it wasn't as doting and domestic as he had initially hoped for. His mind recalled the subtle mentioning of an uttering from them, questioning his intentions 'as well'. The Ley Line confirmed his distress.
He wanted to leave, to back away and keep the Creator safe for his own selfish reasonings. But he stood there, watching as they began to break from the scene. He wasn't sure how to comfort, especially the sacred Creator. What if he upset them?
I
t didn't matter now. He had to perform, and lock away the knowledge he has to help the world heal. But, as his assistant spoke of the Ley Line he saw, he couldn't help but send a melancholy glance to the fleeting Creator.
He had much to atone for.
◇◆◇◆
The silence sickened him. The cool air only lifted the sounds of misery from his friend towards him, demanding an explanation for his negligence as the snow fell heavier. Tor's eyes trailed the snow path, trying to ignore the emotional baggage around him as the Creator gathered their feelings. "Why don't you want to be worshipped?" His voice carried to them and he could see their movement from the corner of his eye.
They looked directly at him with sorrowful eyes. "Because I'm sick of people walking on eggshells around me." Their eyes dropped to the ground as they leaned back, watching the snow land on their modern clothing (silently thanking anyone that they wore their everyday clothes rather than sleepwear). "All my life," they began with a whisper, "the more I think back, the more I notice. I was never in an equal friendship. Especially my teen years, God... My teen years." Their eyes rolled as they scoffed, "I knew fuck all. I was just there because I had nobody else and then I was surprised every time I got treated like shit. I was nothing more than a number to them. Another one to add to the large group of friends they had, but I was never included in anything. I've always struggled making friends and, if I'm worshipped, it'll be even harder in Teyvat."
His silence was soon realised, causing them to lift their head with an apologetic look.
"Sorry," they sighed, "I do that a lot. You didn't ask for my life story and I-."
"You did nothing wrong." He muttered, "I asked, you answered. Nothing wrong with how you answered. I just didn't expect someone like you to have a hard time with friends." He shrugged a little at his own words, "but you were still valuable to them. Useless things are disposed of at the outset." Their expression shifted as he stood up, watching him with an indescribable sense of sorrow from his words. "Let's go. We still have a way to go and we may lose too much daylight."
Following his example, [Name] stood up and brushed off the snow from their clothing. Their eyes trained to the back of his head as they followed, recalling the words he spoke. He said the exact same thing in the event, but knowing the story behind it only makes it hit harder. They eventually dropped their gaze. Why does he have to say things like that so casually? I can't mother him if he does that. Damn him. They squinted their eyes in frustration, kicking the snow with each step for about four steps before they shook off their childish behaviour. He's not fictional anymore. You can't dote on him as much as you used to. This is the first thing you had to learn in the real world, you can carry it here.
But honestly? They didn't want to. They spoke to so many people in the community who shared their feelings on the matter. Although, everyone knew that they couldn't do that whether it was possible or not. Many of the characters didn't want that or would be weirded out by it. And Tor... He was so used to being alone, it's honestly surprising how much he helped. They couldn't stop the sigh that escaped them at the realisation.
Would anyone even want their unconditional support?
✧✧✧
The domain held a bright aura, causing [Name] to squint from how irritating the light was, as the two reached the border of the Dragonspine and Liyue regions. They took a step forward as Tor kept by the comfort of Dragonspine.
The two stood on different terrains. [Name] allowed the delight of Dendro to clear their shoes as Tor preferred the cooling from the Cryo surrounding him. He watched them kick at the floor once again, trying to pinpoint their reasoning for the insecurity as they sighed softly before turning to him. "Thank you," he looked up at their whisper, noticing they refused to look at him. "I mean it." The direct eye contact caught him off guard, knowing it was something they weren't comfortable with.
"It's nothing." He waved it off verbally, biting the inside of his cheek as they nodded at his words. Fuck it.
"Uhm," the hesitance worried him, "I know this is really... off-topic." They murmured, closing their eyes as they took the time to regain their courage. "But..." They inhaled as they opened their eyes once more, "you are worthy of being loved." He didn't get time to react as they continued, "and I know that... you may... I know you've..." They let out a frustrated sigh of the stumbling of words as their mind muddled their planned sentences, "what I'm trying to say is that... You're not a failure just because someone with higher authority said you were. You..."
They trailed off again, averting their eyes as he let them rewire their mind. He didn't know them very well, beginning to realise they knew him better rather than vice versa, but he could see the signs of a frazzled mind. He'd had one before, multiple times where he struggled with a plan of becoming something that anyone could be proud of. They needed time to think, and he had all the time in the world.
"Without you, I probably would've... froze or something, I don't know. And, I know that I sorta... Threw you into this situation without a word or any sort of reassurance, and I'm really sorry about that. I just... You've helped me more this week than anyone has in my world, like ever. And I genuinely don't think I'm exaggerating."
"I didn't do much..."
"But you did more than anyone would've. Our first meeting, you made me feel more... normal than anyone has."
"I Iaughed at you when you tripped, I don't really understand..."
"That's what I mean, Tor." They whispered, stepping closer to him as they held their hands close to their body. "You've been calling me by my name, you've laughed when I was being stupid, you called me out when I hesitated. You didn't act condescending to me because I didn't know my title, and you didn't try to baby me or coddle me because I'm so out of place here." They lifted their gaze, meeting his eyes with an intensity that he hadn't seen from anyone. "You admitted when you didn't know something, and you could've just easily lied because we both know I'd believe it instantly. So believe me when I say this."
He hesitantly nodded for them to continue.
"You are more than what anyone said, or what anyone will say. You're more than a failed prototype, and you don't need to be born to be human. You've treated me better than anyone from my world, and it's never crossed my mind how you came into this world. Whether you were artificially made, or you were naturally born: you're still someone who deserves better than what you've experienced."
Another hesitant nod. His throat clenched as he felt his eyes sting. The warm feeling was back, but they hadn't put their hands on him. He hesitantly lifted his hands to his chest, feeling the synthetic heart he had beat slightly faster than it had before. "Thank you..."
The grass tattled on their movement as they stepped forward again, letting impulsive decisions lead their actions as they pulled him close to them once again. His hair tickled at their face as they rest their temple on his shoulder, hanging their arms loosely as he reciprocated the embrace. With an increase of confidence, his hands laid on their waist as he sent a teary gaze their way. Although he was more confident, it didn't mean he knew what he was doing. "I'm glad it was you who I could talk to first." They muttered honestly, fluttering their eyes closed as he slowly sunk into the hug more. "I mean it."
"I know." He hummed, pulling them closer to his warming body. "I'm... glad too." He could feel their beating heart as they held onto him, reluctantly loosening his grip as they began to pull back.
"I should probably find somewhere in case someone is doing a patrol around here." They murmured, glancing around as he nodded slowly at their words.
"Uhm... just-just be safe, okay?" They turned towards him, sending him a delicate smile that he felt the need to read between the lines. They didn't look sure of their own capability of surviving.
"You too." He barely caught the whisper, "don't... don't put yourself in harm's way."
"I won't." He promised, crossing his arms hesitantly as they nodded. He nudged their shoulder gently, urging them to continue the journey without him as they sighed. With a final nudge, they got the picture and began to walk down the slope towards the beach. He watched the Pyro Hilichurl observe them, slowly making his way back into Dragonspine as the Hilichurl cheered. They didn't need him anymore.
✧✧✧
Sending a hesitant wave towards the Stonehide Lawachurl that rests at the bottom of the slope, [Name] continued to make their way toward the beach before they stopped with a groan. "They don't have boat waypoints in Liyue..." The sand beneath them giggled, pushing a Cryo Whopperflower that was listening in. The creature watched them as [Name] blinked at the sight. "I don't suppose you can carry me across the water, huh?"
"No. Whopperflowers can't." A shriek got caught in their throat, resulting in a silence that made it awkward for both parties. Slowly turning, they caught eyes with amber hues that simply blinked. Xiao closed his eyes from the awkward contact, lowering himself to a simple bow as he tried to find the words to say. [Name] rose an eyebrow at the endeavour but hesitated to say a thing as the Cryo Whopperflower bounced over with urgency.
"What-?" Their question fell short as a soft thwip filled the silence, followed by a harsh thud. A pained cry left their lips as they curled up, feeling Hydro soak through their clothing. The wet feeling was overridden by the freeze covering those areas. Xiao lifted his head quickly, standing himself up as his eyes caught the situation.
An arrow had been launched straight into their eye with precision, and the Cryo aftereffect confirmed his suspicions. He observed the area, capturing the fleeting figure of Ganyu as she lowered her Amos' Bow from across the water. His eyes narrowed but his thoughts were cut by another cry of anguish from the Creator. Another thwip caught his ears, an arrow landing an inch from the Creator's face as he let out an irritated growl.
His polearm fit into his palm, using the edge to knock the arrow away as another launch of Cryo formed. He tossed his polearm to the side, feeling the weight of it on his back, as he prioritised the Creator. His arms lay beneath them as Hydro soaked his gloved, using his strength to lift them into his arms. With one last look towards Ganyu, he let himself leave the area with [Name] in his arms.
As his karma followed his disappearance, Xiao could feel the shift in weight as their consciousness faded. The faint of their heart soothed his worries very little, drowning his mind as the anger of the Gods he fought picked up. His feet hit the ground of a mountain, letting him place them down carefully as he searched the area.
It'd be no good going to Mt. Hulao, Mt. Aocang or Qingyun Peak, fearing the consequences of the other Adepti seeing the Creator. Wangshu Inn was also out of the question considering the owners would report to Ningguang and, thanks to Ganyu, he was aware of the feelings the Qixing held towards this particular Creator.
With a soft sigh, Xiao found himself stuck. Who could he go to for help?