🩵┊Yanqing Oneshots [ Honkai Star Rail ] .ೃ࿔ ༘·°

[ GN!Reader ] ➜ Jing Yuan's Ship

                                            ︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

                            - The ritual of grief held following the general's passing is held. You offer your sorrows to your companion, Yanqing, and offer him ounces of comfort.
                              ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
                                    ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊
                                    ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩
                                    ┊ ┊ ┊ ✫
                                    ┊ ┊ ︎✧
                                    ┊ ┊ ✯
                                    ┊ . ˚ ˚✩

You'd only just arrived, yet the scene was filled with the sounds of sorrow. Some sniveled and cried, others whispered gentle prayers to the wind. A shiver shot down your spine, hills forming along your forearms as the breeze chilled your exposed skin. Your hands cradled a bow of wood, an arrow positioned neatly upon its frame. One of your appendages curled around the string, your throat seizing with sorrow. A grand battle against a goddess— dammit.
Your eyes filled with tears that stung. Everything hurt, even just crying. Some kind of entity drew so close to killing Yanqing, its weapons unrelenting. It all happened so fast, where a blur of gray hair shielded the attack. His spear and strength gave it everything to fight back, to survive for his son. As you swept Yanqing away from the battle, you witnessed the general's sole slide backwards, resulting in what lead to his demise.

There stood Yanqing, at the front of the crowd. You had helped him adorn the inside of a starskiff in foliage of yellows, red, and blues. After that, a separate faction from the Cloud Knights settled Jing Yuan's remains in his new, permanent home. He looked so peaceful, even in death. His features were somewhat smiling, like he knew he'd saved his son's life. Maybe that was all he wanted.
The blond boy was handed a sheet of white from a Cloud Knight, whom he gratefully thanked. You were amazed that he could hold himself together like this— especially since even you were on the brink of sobbing. That man was his father. His everything. As he gazed down upon the remains of his father, the boy's face distorted. His eyebrows knitted as tears flooded from his eyes, trailing down his cheeks before splashing onto the general's corpse. With an audible sniffle, Yanqing carefully placed the sheet over the casket. He stepped back, allowing the other knights to gently lower the casket into the starskiff. Slowly, Yanqing reunited with the front of the crowd. Yet another Cloud Knight gifted him a wooden bow.
"Thank you," said the swordsman, "Ahem." As he cleared his throat, his voice rolled like crackling thunder.

"This was all set up for someone who lead our flagship with pride. He held his head high, no matter the fight. He was the greatest general to ever grace the Xianzhou. A warrior, a leader— coff..! And a father. General Jing Yuan, Dad, the Xianzhou Luofu will.. forever miss you."

With that, Yanqing placed his arrow to a nearby fire. He pulled the string back, aiming for the sheet he'd carefully placed upon his father's casket. Once the arrow was released, it jabbed directly into the wood of the starskiff. The sheet lit ablaze, signifying a warm embrace for the general's end. Many hung their heads in mourning, a sorrowful aura casting upon the Xianzhou Luofu. Your throat seized as your eyes fought back tears, legs tingling with numbness as you took a stand beside Yanqing. A warm, bitter tear slid down your complexion. Nothing stung more than wishing such a wonderful man goodbye.
Arrows surrounded by orange blazes rained upon the starskiff, showering it in warmth of fires from many peoples hearts. Once the cloth had fully ignited, Yanqing began to advance forth. You quickly followed beside him, placing your hands upon the wooden frame of the starskiff. "Ready?"
"Ready," Yanqing huffed aloud, giving the vehicle a single push to send his father off. "Goodbye, General." His voice was thick with sorrow, the sounds of sobbing soon following his words.

You brought the boy into your embrace, allowing him to cower into your collarbone. He placed the backs of his wrist against his eyes, completely undoing before the crowd as if they didn't exist. The Cloud Knights surrounding the area removed their helmets, placing it to their chests. All were visibly breaking down as well, their features scrunched. Your arms constricted Yanqing against yourself, burying your face into his hair. "I'm so sorry—"
Squeezing you in a moment of desperation, Yanqing began to audibly bawl.

"Aghhh..! No, it's f— it'll be fine—!"

Your hand navigated to the back of his ponytail, placing your palm upon his head in a comforting manner. He froze for a brief moment. After several beats passed, he began to cry out in screams of grief. The kind of grief you could feel from his screams alone. Then again, nothing compared to the shrieks of terror and pure hysterics he was in when the incident first happened. He was thrashing so hard against you, screaming and sobbing after he'd just witnessed his father's body turn lifeless before his very eyes.
You grimaced recalling it. The pain that only a son can feel sank into your soul, opening a rift of anxiety in your chest that left you feeling hollow— empty, even. Your heart thundered in your chest, leaving sorrow. Anguish. Physical pain.

Slipping from your arms in a spiral of shrieks and sobs, Yanqing crashed onto his kneecaps upon the ground, bawling into his hands. You immediately dropped to the ground beside him, one hand gently rubbing his back. The moment he leaned into you, you tucked your legs beneath yourself and hugged him. A hug like no one else has ever experienced. You caged him to yourself, placing your chin atop his head as your hand pets his ponytail. "It's okay," you whispered, "I'm so sorry, Love." Your own tone had heavily distorted with raw emotions.

"Why—?!"

The moment Yanqing screamed this, your skull seemed to vibrate. It ached, the blood-curdling-voice-crack replaying endlessly in your mind as you hurried to cradle the boy's face in your hands. Your thumbs swiped at his under-eyes, drying his tears to the best of your abilities. As Yanqing shut his eyes, his jaws gaped while he spiraled in wails of anguish. Your own vision had begun blurring from tears. Flutter-blinking to free yourself of the teary-blur, you brushed Yanqing's hair behind his ears with your digits. The blond swordsman began to curl into himself, his appendages clutching his uniform at his chest as he choked on tears. His head hung, causing his ponytail to hang over his shoulder. Tears dripped down his jawline. The salty water landed upon his white pants, leaving small imprints of water wherever they fell.
Your hands slid down Yanqing's arms in absolute defeat, your palms resting upon his elbows. You placed your forehead against his, beginning to let your tears flow. The moment your hands moved, Yanqing snatched your wrists. He leaned back a bit, gazing at you with rotund eyes of muted-gold. Appearing exactly like that of a lost little boy, the knight quietly tugged on your wrist. You were somehow on a mutual level of understanding, bringing you to draw him close to your chest.
You kissed the top of his head, "Yanqing," your right hand slid some of his hair back, "You make him proud." The use of past-tense would have only made the situation worse. All you could do was use present-tense, pretending as though Jing Yuan had not fallen prey to a terrible fate.

At that point, the crowd had begun clearing out, dismissing the teary-eyed Cloud Knights. You quickly placed a kiss upon Yanqing's lips, which fled by unreturned. "Come on," you hoisted him to his feet, "Once we get home, we can grieve in peace." You reassured him.
Yanqing nodded feebly, "Mm-hmm.." he trailed off with a soft whimper, struggling to shakily dry his eyes.
"You're going to be okay," you then cradled his squishy face in your hands, kissing his nose. "I love you." You then kissed his cheek.
He grabbed your wrists in his hand, grunting a bit. "I love you too," he nuzzled into your palm, "Let's just go home. I think I want to sleep— forever." He huffed.
"Me too, bro," you took his hand in yours.

Yanqing's face was to be adorned in kisses that night, laying in a bed beside his partner. He'd happily rest in your arms to be liberated from the pain, simply drifting asleep in your presence. Thus marks the first dawn where the finches do not sing, the Mara-Struck do not terrorize, and the Xianzhou Luofu falls eerily silent. Even the flagship knows it—

The general is dead.