Oc: Thierry - Tumblr Posts

Wangshu Nights

A little one-shot I did to try and pull my brain out of the "scrolling through social media" hole, including one of my OCs that I've never shown lol (he will be getting a post tho bc he's my baby)

Fandom: Genshin Impact Characters: Thierry (OC), Xiao Word Count: 2.2k Warnings: None Extra: OC x Canon, fluffy, a little bit of angst but it's bonked out, brief mention of another OC, this is just a first draft so it isn't Pulitzer-prize worthy but I don't think it's half bad

Here's him for reference btw

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“Dammit,” Thierry cursed under his breath as another drop of ink splotched the page in his book. He didn’t like the ink they had here in Liyue. Too runny, and it doesn’t work well with the thinner pages from the journal he purchased in Fontaine. It’s meant for one thick page with a brush, not many thin pages with a quill. It pained him to look at the starch difference in the cleanliness of the pages between when he was still in his home country and when he arrived in Liyue.

He shook his head as he continued to write down what happened that day. “Xingling, owner of Mingxing Jewelry at the heart of the Harbor, notes how the resurrection of the Chasm’s mining operations has done little for her store’s supply of gems.” He opened a smaller notebook, one he bought at the Wanwen Bookhouse, and flipped through pages covered in shorthand. “‘We’ve had advance orders on gems since the Chasm shut down, and even though it’s been up and running for months, we still haven’t gotten anything new,” says Xingling. “I don’t know if it’s a sudden lack of precious gems or the refiners we work with being slow.’”

He leaned back in his wooden chair, letting his head fall back to look at the ceiling. A dark wooden sky stared back at him, with no small holes to wink at him like stars. At least Wangshu Inn kept their rooms up to date. With it being the most popular inn in the nation, it probably has to be.

A small ache in his forehead made him close his eyes. Did he not drink enough water, or was the mark on his head acting up again? It was hard to tell sometimes. He should get some water anyways, it’s good to stay hydrated, it helps keep the brain working and writing good articles.

The lamp flickered slightly as he ran a hand through his emerald hair, sitting back upright. He got up and grabbed the water pitcher on the nightstand, filled up a small glass cup, cut so the bottom rim shone like a crystal, and downed the whole glass. Putting it back down, he glanced around the room. A comfortable bed sat next to him, its dark sheets folded carefully by the housekeeper from earlier. He was glad it was soft; it took a while for him to get used to the bed being so low to the ground, and it involved a lot of falling over. His desk was on the adjacent wall, covered in papers and spare ink and excerpts of the Harbor’s own newspaper. A small sitting area with a chair and coffee table in the opposite corner, also with a small pile of books on it. A window brought in the moonlight from outside, spilling onto the middle of the floor. It was a comfortable room, warm and homey.

He glanced at his desk, then glanced at the bed. “I’ll remember in the morning,” he mumbled as he took his purple tassel earring out and started undoing his vest. He was gonna go investigating again tomorrow, and he needed plenty of--

A rumbling from his stomach interrupted his thoughts. Crap, when was the last time he ate? Lunch? “Okay, fine, relax. I’ll get you something,” he sighed as he finished taking his vest off and threw it onto the bed. He left the room and started towards the staircase to the lower level. He thought about what he could make in the kitchen, or ask to be made if Smiley Yanxiao was still there. Why was he called that? He knew he asked that question once, but he didn’t remember the answer. Or if he even got an answer in the first place.

He stepped down the stairs all the way to the kitchen, where the absence of light clued him into the absence of the chef. This kitchen was available to guests, they just had to use their own ingredients. Well…he didn’t have that at the moment, he hadn’t gone shopping recently. But if it was just for one night, who would notice a few almonds gone? Oh, he should make some almond tofu.

The thought of it made him start to salivate a little. It was one of his favorite Liyue dishes. Soft and creamy, not too spicy like everything else is, and easy to make. It also reminded him of someone he’s grown to like recently. He smiled. Maybe he’ll see him again soon.

He entered the kitchen and turned on the light, rummaging around for fresh tofu and almonds. Firing up the stove, he began to cook. Chop up the almonds, make them into a sauce, then fry the tofu. The smell was pleasant, but not quite as mouth-watering as when it was made by the chef.

He looked up at the tall ceiling, wooden beams holding the structure up. Was he there, sitting on the balcony, looking over the marshlands and distant mountains? Should he make a second one, just in case? He glanced back down at the pan on the stove and turned off the flames. He didn’t want to waste more food than he already was. He placed the tofu blocks on a ceramic plate and cleaned the cooking equipment, but just before he left, he grabbed two forks instead of one. Just in case.

Quietly closing the door, he went back to the staircase and started making his way up to the top floor. The fresh night air was calming and made a meal like this more enjoyable. He peeked through the archway leading to the main balcony to make sure that no one else was there. There was, but it was one person he didn’t mind having as company.

Xiao stood right behind the fence, his back lit by the lights in the hallway. The light green tattoo on his left arm curled around his skin, while the spiked pauldron on his right shoulder shone, newly polished. The obsidian mask on his hip snarled at Thierry, daring him to come closer. The jade spear wasn’t affixed to his back, letting his pale skin show.

“I had a feeling you were here,” Thierry smiled as he came up to him.

If Xiao heard him, he didn’t acknowledge it.

That didn’t deter Thierry. He knew Xiao was like this. He stopped next to him--on the left side without the spikes--and set the plate of tofu down on the fence. “I didn’t really know if you were up here for sure, so I didn’t make you your own plate, but if you want to you can share with me.”

Xiao glanced over at him with his piercing golden eyes. He had to look up a bit since he was a few inches shorter than Thierry. “Why would you want to share? You made the food for yourself.”

“Yeah, but sharing food makes it taste better,” he chuckled as he took a fork and pulled off the corner, the metal easily sliding through the tofu. “And I’m probably not gonna eat it all, to be honest. It’s not good to go to bed on a full stomach.”

Xiao stared at the second fork sitting on the plate before uncrossing his arms and taking it. “...thank you.”

“Of course,” Thierry smiled. He looked out where Xiao was, over Dihua Marsh. He could see a few towers from hilichurl camps, but they looked to be empty. “Slaughtered any demons recently?”

“Are you trying to do small talk?”

“I haven’t seen you in a week, I’m trying to catch up. And I don’t think you have any hobbies.”

Xiao was silent for a while. “Yes. I purged some evil from Qingce Village two days ago.”

“That’s good, right?”

“No,” Xiao almost snapped. His brows furrowed, pinching the small purple diamond on his forehead. “It’s not good that there is still evil in this world. It’s not good that I’ve failed at my job.”

Thierry had to hold back a sigh as he put his fork down. “Xiao, you haven’t failed at anything. You’re doing your job perfectly. It’s not your fault that there’s still a bunch of shit in the world, it’s something beyond your control.”

“It shouldn’t be,” Xiao growled.

Thierry rolled his eyes. “Well too bad, it is. The best that you can do is take out anything that gets out of control and starts to harm people.” He reached out and puts a hand on his shoulder. It was cold and tense. “That’s what your job is, right? Not to save the world, but keep humanity safe.”

Xiao looked at Thierry’s hand, a few small splotches of ink on his fingertips--damn runny ink--and slowly started to relax. He looked back out to the marshlands and took another bite of tofu.

“That’s better,” Thierry sighed softly as he let go of his shoulder and finished one of the blocks. “Was there anything positive about this week?”

Xiao had to think for a bit. “I…saw some dogs.”

“Aww, that’s adorable!” Thierry grinned. “Were they cute?”

“The mortal understanding of “cute” is…hard to comprehend.”

“I’ll take that as a yes because all dogs are cute.”

“What about those born in abuse and strife?”

“Cute and brave and stronger than any soldier.” He paused. “No, most soldiers, I know a few that are really strong.” He pointed his fork at Xiao. “You still haven’t met Shui, have you? I think you two could get along.”

Xiao shook his head. “I have no interest in meeting other mortals.”

“First, I know that’s wrong for a fact. Second, I really do think you’d like her. You two are kind of similar.”

Xiao growled again. “I mean other mortals. I’m not talking about you.”

Thierry laughed and nudged his shoulder with Xiao’s. “I know, I’m just messing with you.”

The two stood in comfortable silence for a while, just looking out at the night landscape, the stars brightly lighting the way for them. Even though the stars shine so brightly, sometimes it was hard to see them in Liyue Harbor. It was the same in the capital city of Fontaine. Out here, at the Inn, you didn’t need to strain your eyes to see all the constellations.

When the forks scraped on an empty plate, Thierry stopped looking. “I’ll bring this back.” He grabbed the plate and forks. “Thanks for not running away.” He took a step back to the hallway. “Wait.”

Thierry stopped and looked back, watching as Xiao meet him in the middle of the balcony. A warm breeze blew through, rustling their hair a little. Golden eyes met gray as Xiao hesitantly reached up and, as soft as a baby bird’s feather, cupped Thierry’s cheek.

It still surprised Thierry every time Xiao willingly did this, but it still brought a smile to his face. He put his free hand atop Xiao’s and pressed his cheek into it, filling his cold hand with his own warmth. “You have poor circulation,” he whispered to him.

Xiao didn’t respond and just leaned up, tilting his head a little to the side, his eyes starting to close. Thierry met him in the middle and locked their lips together in a gentle embrace, still new, still mostly unsure. It felt…good. Like a promise he wouldn’t just up and leave when he got bored.

They separated after a few seconds, and Thierry rested their foreheads together, the two marks touching each other. A source of pain leaning on a source of freedom.

“I…don’t want to run away from you,” Xiao whispered after a few more seconds of silence, the first to pull away. He looked at Thierry with sincerity in his eyes.

“Nor do I,” Thierry said, taking Xiao’s hand in his and squeezing it a little. “And I won’t.” He let it go. “I need to sleep, I have a big day tomorrow. I’ll see you when I see you.” He gave Xiao a smile before heading back into the Inn, his lips still tingling a little.

~~~~~

Thierry lay underneath the covers of his bed, the lights out and his glasses folded on the nightstand. The darkness in the room beckoned for sleep to come, but as he started to close his eyes, a faint sound came from outside his window. High-pitched, almost like a bird, and musical. He kept his eyes open to listen closely, and he started to recognize what was going on.

An idea sprung into his head.

He dragged himself out of bed and turned the lamp on again, grimacing at the sudden bright light. He went to his desk and flipped over to the next clean page--or clean enough, given the new ink splotch on the corner. Dipping his quill in ink, he started to write.“On nights filled with unwanted mistakes, simple headaches, and midnight snacks with someone close, if you’re lucky enough, you can hear the song of a lonely yaksha calling out to his past. Past friends, past family, past memories. And if you’re even luckier, you’ll get to hear the song of the future.”

Character Intro: Thierry

I finally did it lol. Here he is, one of the many fictional characters occupying my head as of late

An aspiring journalist from Fontaine who longs to accomplish his good dream, and banish the bad ones.

Character

Name: Thierry Démopacte

Pronunciation: TEE-ree DAY-moh-pahk-tuh

Birthday: April 8

Nationality: Fontaine

Affiliation: The Heralding Crane (small newspaper outlet based in Fontaine)

Constellation: Calamus Fatalis

Weapon

Vision: Anemo

Vision Placement: Right hip

Weapon: Catalyst, Sacrificial Fragments

Elemental Skill: (Press) Sweeps his arms out in a circle and pushes mobs away with the power of Anemo, applying Swirl to those affected. (Hold) Anemo swirls around him and acts as a shield, increasing resistance to interruption and decreased damage taken. Can only be held for 5 seconds before it releases, throwing mobs up and away from him.

Elemental Burst: Gathering his Elemental energy into a large pen, he strikes it into the ground, creating cracks in the ground in a circular field around him. Mobs are sucked in by the excess energy and are dealt Anemo damage at 2 second intervals. Lasts 10 seconds.

Story

Character Details:

The Heralding Crane isn't known for many things. It's small and doesn't garner lots of attention opposed to the Steambird. But it is known for one thing: Thierry the reporter.

He doesn't let coming from a small company stop him from trying to get interviews from all the high-ranking people in the world, from the Liyue Qixing to the Sages at the Akademiya.

Oftentimes, though, his ambitions far outweigh his position. He's been kicked out of more places than he can count on two hands, but that doesn't stop him.

"I know I don't come from a big and prestigious name, but that doesn't mean I'm not good! Other people just have to see it too."

That's what he tells himself each time he gets knocked down. Again, and again, and again...

Character Story 1: Not Yet Unlocked

Character Story 2: Not Yet Unlocked

Character Story 3: Not Yet Unlocked

Character Story 4: Not Yet Unlocked

Character Story 5: Not Yet Unlocked

Bull's Eye: Not Yet Unlocked

Vision: Not Yet Unlocked

Voice-overs

Hello: Thierry, journalist at the Heralding Crane. If you have the time, I'd like to interview you for a new article I'm writing about your many adventures.

Sprint Start: Off to the next story!

When It Rains: The weather report didn't say anything about rain...is it bad luck, or false advertisement?

Good Morning: Ah, a wonderful sunrise, without a cloud in the sky. Perfect weather for investigating.

Elemental Skill I: I'll quote that!

Elemental Skill II: A brand new idea!

Elemental Burst I: I will reveal the truth!

Elemental Burst II: Tell me your secrets!

Light Hit Taken: Ow, a paper cut...

Heavy Hit Taken: You think you're newsworthy?

Fallen I: My article...is...unfinished...

Fallen II: I won't...cave in...again...

Chat I: Hmm, not much of note here. Let's find somewhere more lively.

About Shui: She kinda scares me a little, heheh. Not because she's mean or anything, she's really nice, but she doesn't have a lot of patience for idiots. Which, in my experience...Liyue has a lot of them. I've seen her deal with them, and, well, I understand why she got a Pyro Vision.

About Jianli: That's my friend! She's the first one I made here in Liyue. She's very nice, we met when I tried to get an interview with one of the Qixing. She had to kick me out, but at least she was nice about it, haha.

EVERYONE QUICK describe your oc story in the worst way possible

an IV drip with pictures of my special fictional guy

i am not immune to the "character's eyes glow when they use their powers" trope

what’s something your oc brags about?

Are there sensations your character loves or actively seeks out?

How does your character handle grocery shopping?