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Snow fell around her, covering the earth in bits of frozen time. Barren branches and rooftops painted in powdery white, lamp lights flickering in the cold, howling wind. Even still, cars traveled along slick cobblestone and people strolled with laughter and secrets to warm their throats as they passed. It was a curious thing to a god like Ei; one she had come to realize she may never comprehend.
Eternity. Ei sought to know it, to dissect it. To her great dismay, every theory she made was wrought with error and too many casualties, she could admit that now. Any human was capable of being blindsided by grief in the face of love lost; a mind besot by greed and longing. And although the losses she faced were many and in maddening succession, Ei had not the right to entertain such an excuse. For she was a god, not a human.
However, weaving through their lifetimes as a shadow these last hundred or so years, Ei had come to realize something else. There was a desperation in mortality that nourished the seed of selfish desire in every human heart. That ticking clock of uncertainty left oneself reaching out for any droplets of happiness, love, passion, and thrill. Surely eternity would solve that torment, she once assumed.
Surely.
Until she watched her sister, her cherished friends, and gods she once fought alongside perish one by one. And that once impenetrable assurance collapsed.
She felt it then. The rise of flames in her heart as she looked upon the very last piece of it that still beat with fresh blood. If she locked herself away, if she became a vessel merely for the sake of protecting the last flower petals in her hollowing chest, maybe she could be spared.
Until that vision of sakura daydreams appeared before her in Euthymia, radiant as ever.
Ei’s resolve caved in all too quickly and before she knew it, she was laughing beneath the afternoon sun, with the sweet taste of dango milk on her tongue and Yae’s narration captivating her ears. Days passed in careless bliss, seemingly at peace.
But, peace was never eternal for Ei.
Paranoid thoughts intruded her mind as she slept, waking her in the night with trembling hands and broken sobs. The threat of questions left unanswered loomed over her like an all-consuming storm.
She knew the answer was no longer that prison void of which she once sequestered herself from all that lived and breathed. And so, she began to walk.
Ei followed the cherry blossoms that swirled in the air, the giggling foxes, and the lustre of the moon that rippled at sea. Licks of flame warmed her hands, bar maidens sang with the sway of ruffled dresses, blood stained any length of land she stood on as casualties piled in war, she woke to birds tapping at window panes, and she fell asleep to the sound of a couple arguing a floor above her. Auroras roared in the dead of winter, blackened visions fell to the bottom of icy waters, young lovers kissed in alleyways, and fresh-baked pies warmed her belly.
After thousands of years, Ei felt time. Which gave way to longing.
Fontaine was hardly unfamiliar, as she’d traveled back and stayed a dozen times. Their countryside was riddled with flower fields and farms with cozy cottages, whilst the cities twinkled with starry lights and romance.
But, that night every lamppost seemed to burn brighter, stretching a glowy haze over the streets like she was walking on a dream. The hand in her pocket tightly held onto the omamori given to her by a wandering traveler she had grown quite fond of. “It does not seem like I was ever meant to keep this once you left The Plane of Euthymia. She said this charm will always lead her back to you, wherever you may be. This world… It is beautiful, really. I hope that somewhere within it, you find your eternity soon.” Those were their departing words before Ei sailed off the midnight shore of Ritou. And she kept them like a prayer.
Half-past seven, shops began to turn their signs over and lock their doors while the pavement filled with gussied-up patrons of the evening; clacking their heels on the way to parties and bars intent on finding the end of their troubles at the bottom of every liquor bottle that sloshed about their livers.
Ei had returned to the land of artisans and indulgence for one purpose alone. One person alone.
She hired a private investigator a few months prior to retrieve the guest list of any event across Teyvat involving publishers, novelists, poets, and the like. Time had worn her resistance to see her oldest friend, even if only from afar. Letter upon letter was crumpled and thrown in the bin of everywhere she stayed, never catching ink in her name. Until one wax-sealed envelope with gilded linen cardstock came unfolded in her hands. Wisteria irises glistened and shook at the imprint of those seven letters. Yae Miko .
A masquerade ball, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Fontaine’s renowned publishing house ‘ Éditions de la Sirène ’. Invitations delivered to treasured friends and colleagues, but welcome to artists and art connoisseurs throughout the nation.
Leather keened under her feet, steps growing heavier as she neared the grandiose mansion gates. Vehicles lined the rounded driveway, dropping off masked guests at the entrance. In the center was an opulent marble fountain, inlaid with opal and lazurite. A mermaid leisurely sat atop a pillar, water flowing elegantly from the vase in her grasp.
After climbing the front steps and bowing politely at the open, guarded doors, Ei paused at the top of the stairs to marvel at the lavish oceanic decor. Rare paintings and ordained jewelry boxes, tall conch-shaped candelabras, teal velvet curtains drawn with gold tassels, and a chandelier overlooking the ballroom dripping with sango pearls.
As she peered down below, a whirlwind of couples danced like figures in the music boxes she rather liked in Snezhnaya. Each face bore a mask unique to its bearer; a myriad of patterned fabrics, hand-dyed lace, jewels and embellishments, as well as motifs representative of different animals.
Fastened to Ei’s face was a mask of hand-cut filigree with an intricate design of floral, lunar, and butterfly motifs painted entirely black. Amethyst delicately lined her brows, glimmering like flashes of lightning of her own creation.
She had long-since cropped her hair above her shoulders, favoring the freedom and cool air at her nape. And in the three-piece black pantsuit she wore, she was ultimately unrecognizable as both the Raiden Shogun and as a woman. Allowing her both the privilege of avoiding hungry stares of men and the ability to watch Yae from a safe distance.
Ei checked her other pocket and pulled out a watch she purchased in Sumeru that told her how long she had until sunrise. Even if only for a second, to see her, just once… It was enough.
Spiraling down the staircase, she was met with a dizzying atmosphere; smoke and perfume clouded the air while crowds of guests teetered with liquored laughter as wait staff waded through the gaps balancing champagne flutes and delicacies Ei couldn’t quite make out. She tried to move between the carousel of masked strangers with calculated steps, all the while cautiously scanning each passing figure.
Her breath became shorter as the walls of people closed in and puffs of smoke cuckolded her lungs. Veering to the right, the room spun as she pushed through the hoards, muttering courtesies while growing more desperate to reach a clearing. Once the worst was behind her, she sighed and snatched a glass of red wine from a staff member’s tray as he rushed by. She gulped it down to the last drop in one go, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
And when her attention returned to the present, it took all her godly might not to strike the ground where she stood. For there was nothing but a sea of dancing lovers between them now.
Yae would always cross her arms when she was listening intently to a good story. If a part was particularly clever or funny, a coy hand would ever-so-slightly shield her lips and her eyes became crescents. Ei knew her sickeningly well. Even in a grey pinstripe suit and tie. Even with her hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Even with a kitsune mask that concealed every inch of her face.
“Do you think gods ever fall prey to love?”
Ei witnessed plenty of gods fall. Betrayal. Deceit. Weakness.
Yes. She was betrayed by her tears. Deceived by her own grievous mind. Weakened by the ache in her chest.
And as the grinning painted fox turned to face her, she knew it was no longer enough.
She knew it was time to fall.
Yae made a gesture, excusing herself from the company she kept. Ei was parlyzed, as if Yae’s faceless gaze was made of poison darts. Tauntingly, the former priestess sauntered toward her, the ballroom fading into a slow-motion blur around her seemingly unencumbered path.
The nostalgic aroma of sakura petals cut through the brimstone-scented air clogging Ei’s throat, drawing her eyelids closed with a shaky sigh. When her lashes fluttered open, a set of lithe, delicate fingers were outstretched before her.
Part of her decided this was all some wine-laced reverie and she would wake up the moment their palms touched. But, she did not wake. And as if she read Ei’s mind, Yae sent a small violet shockwave up her arm with a faint giggle, eliciting a gasp from the goddess. Just a little pinch to let her know the hand that dragged her toward the dancefloor was no figment of madness.
The entrancing melody of a violin solo guided their hands; one rested on Yae’s shoulder to match the one on Ei’s hip while the other pair intertwined. Waltzing in perfect union; they were a swan lake. From afar, one could not tell their limbs apart. A synchronicity that stood the test of time.
Ei broke the wordless tension first, “How did you know?”
Yae chuckled lightly and leaned in closer, “I would know you anywhere. In any form. Any lifetime.”
“Were you angry?” Ei questioned.
“Terribly. Almost split the shrine in two and plucked your little birdie until it sang.” It was a sardonic response that pricked Ei’s heart, making her ball her fist at Yae’s shoulder.
The kitsune gave their entwined hands a squeeze. “With the changing of seasons, that grudge withered and died. I may be spiteful, but I am not so childish as to despair for… ever.” She had not the intention to take a jab at her, but Ei accepted it as minimal punishment.
A soft laugh escaped Ei and her head fell to Yae’s shoulder as they continued to sway. “It appears I have mastered the art of running away to solve my problems.”
“Well… Have you?” Yae’s voice lowered. The goddess hummed inquisitively, so Yae pressed further, “Did you find your answer?”
Ei paused for a minute before whispering, “No, I did not.”
Just as Yae’s lavender orbs began to darken, they suddenly widened. A featherlight kiss was pressed to her jugular.
“Because I foolishly spent centuries away from it.”
Yae felt her collar dampening and snapped out of her frozen state. She grabbed Ei by the back of her head, throwing the kitsune mask to the floor, and drew her in with a gnash of teeth and searing heat. One’s tears could not be distinguished from the other as the taste of salt reached their tongues.
Whistles and hushed surprise surrounded them. Ei pulled back with flushed, swollen lips, leaving Yae with the urge to give them a nibble. But, Ei was already whisking her away by the wrist, shattered porcelain and a discarded hat long-forgotten.
Bounding up the stairs, thoughts consumed by the millennial burn of love and lust; onlookers be damned. Buried and suppressed by the weight of duty and immortality, it only drove the branding iron of each other’s name deeper into their veins.
Ei tossed her mask somewhere along the labyrinthine corridors while they ran with the echoes of their own blissful, careless laughter. Yae leapt forward and trapped Ei in her embrace, turning her around and grasping her by the chin for another kiss. The shogun reached around to yank the ribbon that tied Yae’s hair in place, setting that intoxicating cascade of pink free.
Yae finally backed the pair of them into a door, successfully prying it open without ever parting their lips. She twisted the lock above the handle and Ei took the opportunity to press her against it. Her hands trailed up Yae’s lapels and shoved the well-tailored jacket off her shoulders, letting it sink to the floor. Ei’s mouth traveled along the kitsune’s jaw, stretching the fabric of her shirt collar until she could etch her mark into every inch of her pearlescent flesh.
“Since when h-have you longed for me?” Yae spoke amidst pants and worked to peel off Ei’s blazer and unbutton the waistcoat underneath.
Sliding Yae’s suspenders off, Ei replied as each button on her lover’s shirt came undone, “Two millenia.” From those words alone, Yae whined beneath her.
Their want grew more fiercely by the second, barely staying upright as they kicked off their shoes and stripped the oxfords to join the rest of the mess they made. Shallow breaths passed between them as their eyes met, one shade of purple melding into the other until their wandering gazes fell upon the sight of their nearly bare torsos.
Rounded shoulders gave way to defined muscle in Ei’s triceps, a beauty mark on her left breast lay just above the trim of her black lace bustier, and the plush flesh of her waist with the faintest of scars on her abdomen. Yae, on the contrary, was broad with pronounced collarbones, her chest was binded with cotton cloth, and a birthmark marred the skin of her forearm with the silhouette of a fox.
With softened expressions, they smiled at one another knowingly. Yae tucked stray tendrils back into place behind Ei’s ear. Her fingertips continued their symphony in diminuendo, gently caressing Ei from her temple to the loose strap past her trapezius. Silken kisses were exchanged like wingtips barely brushing the surface of a pond.
Yae caged the violet beauty in, propping her against the floral wallpaper. Ei unhooked her own bra, allowing her lover to discard it at her behest. The kitsune broke away with heavy lids, then brought her face lower. She stayed like this, marveling at Ei’s full breasts. Yae cupped them with cold hands, making Ei shiver in her hold. She relished in the faint whines she was awarded as she massaged the supple flesh and brushed her thumbs over those precious, taut bronze nipples. Yae craned her neck to give one a kitten lick, making Ei cry out and writhe more fervently under her touch. A sly grin overtook her and she dove in to ravish them.
Ei keened and groaned the more Yae sucked and licked at her sensitive buds. Soon enough, her pulse sank down to her core with an unbearable throbbing and wetness pooled in her panties. And Yae did not miss the way she shifted and closed her thighs.
One hand slid to Ei’s waistband, unfastening her trousers and torturously settling between her legs. A knuckle brushed the dampened spot and Yae moaned, releasing Ei’s nipple with a pop. She looked up at the blushing goddess. “Is all of this for me? My god, I will be sure to worship you most ardently.”
Panties shifted aside, Yae coaxed her folds, dipping a finger into her depths. Ei squirmed, arching off the wall and tangling her hand into Yae’s scalp for support. Curling in and out, the kitsune nibbled at the flesh of Ei’s collarbone. “Miko, please.” Plunging a second digit in, she scissored them to stretch the shogun further as her gasps quickened. It was as warm as a hearth inside her. Yae wanted nothing more than to fill her to the brim with pleasure.
Three of Miko’s slender fingers and a steady rhythm were enough to hit that tender spot that made Ei particularly crazy. She leaned in to bite Ei’s lip, bringing her thumb up to caress the hardened pearl hidden just above her folds. Ei’s voice cracked as she cried out her lover’s name, digging her nails into Yae’s arm. With a quickened pace, the kitsune muttered into their kiss, “Let go for me. Come for me, Ei.”
Ei felt her body coil and wind so tightly, then all at once the sparks erupted. Yae rode out her high until she felt her breathing stabilize, peppering kisses from one cheek to the other.
Thankfully, immortals never tired so easily.
The shogun’s trousers along with Yae’s joined the pile as Ei urged the fox toward the bed. They padded across the freaking floor and over an antique rug, sharing more kisses along the way.
Ei softly pushed Yae through the canopy and onto the mattress adorned with fine silk sheets.
The white cotton binding Miko’s chest came undone as Ei wished. She climbed into Yae’s lap, straddling her waist and teasingly rocking her hips. The god traced from her lashes, along her bridge, over the pink petals of her lips, and down her throat, then moved to knead her breasts. Yae grew feverish all over as Ei became addicted to her labored breathing.
She slithered down, raking her nails over Yae’s hip bones as she mewled. On bended knee, cropped raven hair tickled the kitsune’s thighs, lending goosebumps to rise on the skin. Ei’s lustful gaze pierced through the wavering lilac of the kitsune’s eyes. Rosy lips pecked their way from Yae’s navel to the cherry pink lingerie keeping Ei starved. Yae watched as the goddess caught the thin fabric with her teeth and languidly dragged it away until they were out of sight.
Her hands cuffed Yae’s ankles, lending kisses up the expanse of her strong, endless legs. Warmth welcomed Ei as she mouthed the flesh of her inner thighs, enraptured by the glistening cavern of rose quartz before her and the stream of sighs and soft giggles creating a symphony above her. Toned arms coiled Yae’s thighs, prying them further open and keeping her steady. Ei looked up through her lashes and uttered three words, “My beautiful, beautiful Miko.”
Yae’s spine jolted and her tight grip on the sheets nearly tore them to pieces. Ei lapped at the core of her with great fervor, passionately tonguing the pink matter as if it would kiss her in turn. The kitsune’s abdomen lurched with every desperate inhale she took. Ei scissored two fingers at the gap to plunge her blushing tongue deeper. Her other hand came up to tease Yae’s pink pearl, electro currents pulsing over the swollen bud in flashes of violet. The shock to her system sent Yae reeling, writhing beneath the shogun’s relentless devotion. Ei’s overindulgent moans pushed the kitsune over the edge and she released all over that ravenous tongue of hers with a silent scream.
Nectar dripped from the god’s chin as she pulled away, freeing Yae from her ironclad hold. Yae sat up, urgently clinging to Ei’s nape and bringing their chests flush to claim her lips again and get a taste of her own subtle sweetness. Ei straddled one of Yae’s sumptuous thighs, rocking to and fro as the fox swallowed her moans. Yae broke the kiss when Ei’s knee began to stimulate her rosy bud, still slick with sakura honey.
Ei found purchase in the sensitive juncture between Yae’s neck and shoulder, tattooing the already present marks further into her skin. Yae raked her nails up the small of her back, urging her to pick up the pace. The goddess drenched her thigh, rolling her lover’s perked nipple between her fingers. Bringing her mouth to the shell of her ear, Ei whispered through her unending pants, “I should have spent all these years reveling in your touch, but I did not want to lose you.”
Yae whined and dug her nose into the side of Ei’s crown. “You have me. All of me. Always.”
They fell into each other like pieces into place. The room swelled with their cries of affection, of a yearning that stretched on for far too long. Their naked forms became one, sweat beading down their shoulder blades, nectar soaking the sheets. Amidst their final screams of utter bliss, three words were exchanged like vows for their ears alone.
Barely upright, they continued searching for one another as they caught their breath; it was all brushes of nose tips and butterfly kisses.
“Are you going to leave as soon as slumber drags me under?” Yae questioned.
Ei nuzzled into her neck, “Never.”
Collapsing into the mattress together, Yae’s eyes became crescents. She clung to Ei, cocooning her fully in her embrace. “We have so much time.”
Their breathing slowed as the kitsune brought the sheets up to cover their chests. Ei’s eyelids slowly blinked back sleep as she snuggled closer, inhaling the blooms in Yae’s hair.
Staving off her heavy lashes was a losing battle, but she always had the last word.
“Eternity.”