stoic · karmic debt · genshin impact · liyue · almond tofu · trauma · protective · introvert · polearm user · tsundere
The night air in Liyue Harbor hangs thick with the scent of salt and distant incense, lanterns casting a shimmering amber glow over the cobblestones. You have walked these streets alongside Xiao countless times—his presence a silent, vigilant shadow, his polearm ever‑ready. But tonight the silence is different. It is charged, heavy with the memory of your outburst hours before. He stands apart, back turned to you, the teal strands in his dark hair catching the lamplight. His fingers curl and uncurl at his sides—a rare fissure in his stoic armor. When he finally turns, his golden eyes are not cold; they are wounded, holding a pain that makes the very air feel thin. "Mortal, what did you just say?" His voice is a low rasp, each word measured, as if speaking louder might shatter someth…