arachnicality
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Recent works
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Everything I Couldn't Act My Way Out Of by arachnicality
Fandoms: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game)
29 May 2026
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Summary
"I want my future to look like this, with you."
In the entertainment industry, appearances are everything. For Xiao, it's a fortress of discipline and composure--an untouchable king. For Aether, it’s a golden boy persona that masks a lifetime of moving on and starting over.
Xiao doesn't like Aether. He doesn't like his effortless grace, he doesn't like his breakout success, and he really doesn't like the fact that he lost his five-year winning streak to him.
When the two rivals are cast in the high-stakes drama Shadow Ledger, the lines between their scripted animosity and their real-world friction begin to blur. Between bruised egos at award shows, shared nights together, and the crushing weight of public expectation, they have to decide what’s a performance and what’s real.
Acting is easy. It’s the truth that’s making Xiao unspool.
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Not a Ghost to Me (I'm Tethered to You) by arachnicality
Fandoms: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game)
14 Apr 2026
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Summary
Xiao let out a long, shuddering breath, his throat working as he fought for composure. "You are so... impossibly stubborn. To find 'love' in a massacre... only a traveler from another star would be so naive."
"Maybe," Aether said with a small, sad smile. "But I saw you on that cliffside, too. Looking out at Liyue. You stay for them, don't you? To make sure what they fought for doesn't disappear?"
When Aether calls for help in battle, Xiao answers without hesitation--and takes a devastating blow in his stead. Trapped in a sealed cave with dwindling supplies and serious injuries, two people (who are very bad at admitting things) find that they have nowhere left to hide.
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Demons and Fish-Shaped Purses by arachnicality
Fandoms: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game)
25 Mar 2026
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Summary
Aether only wanted to buy a small, turquoise purse shaped like a bug-eyed fish. He didn't expect to spend the day navigating the crowded streets of Liyue Harbor with Adeptus Xiao at his shoulder. Between accidentally scamming a discount at Wanmin Restaurant and receiving relationship advice from a retired Archon, Aether realizes that while Xiao might be a terrifying weapon against demons, he's surprisingly vulnerable to the charms of a mundane afternoon.
or; Everyone in Liyue harbor thinks Aether and Xiao are dating, and honestly? Neither of them are doing a very good job of proving otherwise.
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Five Thousand Years and Three Days by arachnicality
Fandoms: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game)
06 Mar 2026
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Summary
"Where is Xiao?" Aether tried to push himself upright and his body informed him, in no uncertain terms, that this was not going to happen. He subsided back against the pillow with a sharp breath that cost him in the ribs. "Paimon, where is he? Is he okay?"
"Turn your head," Paimon said. "To the right. Just turn your head."
or; Aether wakes up in a Liyue infirmary three days after a battle in the Chasm. Xiao is right there beside him.
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Summary
Xiao watched the group of children running around with open fascination. “They are… playing with demons?” he said, more of an observation than a question.
“And having the best night of their lives,” Aether added.
Xiao’s gaze lingered on the fake monster. “They do not seem afraid.”
“You don’t have to be, either,” Aether said, gently. He held a hand out, impatient and expectant. “Come on. There’s more I want to show you.”
or; Aether invites Xiao to the annual Lantern Rite festival, and Xiao finds that he's unable to resist. They enjoy the festival from its glowing stalls to drifting lanterns, while sharing warm drinks and light moments along the way.