Fated Encounter Series: Teyvet Files of Kairos

File 2: Yokai & Adeptus Courtship Rite

I'll go into more depth here then I did in the author's note of the courtship rite. The rite consists of three stages. All adepti and yokai have a animalistic and primal side to them. This rite comes with its risk however. The subject preforming and having it triggered has everything to gain and everything to loose. However the rite is preformed differently in Liyue then it is Inazuma. But it always involves 8 lanterns placed into a round spiral with the subject sitting at the heart of it. Incense is burned that reflects the subject's place of origin or ties. If an adeptus it is usually glaze lilies mixed with lotus and one flower important to the adeptus such as qingxin flowers or silk flowers and so on. Inazuma yokai will always use sakura, naku weed, and lotus. However the yaksha are different. Xiao is the first known yaksha to preform this extremely rare, sacred rite. The stages go as followed...

Stage 1:

The Courtship Rite is triggered by a swift, private ceremonial ritual under a new moon when the adeptus is alone. But before it can commence a simple purification bathing must be done before the sun sets. The site of the rite is usually at the sight of importance to that bird yaksha(ex: a meadow, a cliff area they like, ect). They must change into the clothes of their tribe and it must reflect the element said yaksha uses. But a few things remain the same: the 8 elemental lanterns of cryo, anemo, dendro, pyro, hydro, geo, electro, and the forgotten element. All placed around in a spiraling circle with the subject sitting at the heart of it. Due to Xiao's origns, Yae altered the incense to be that of more desert and jungle flora mixed with glaze lilies.

However, the ceremony will not trigger if they are not 100% convinced and committed to the person of their affections. And the rebound will cost the yaksha severely and in worst case may cost them their very soul. But if the ceremony is successful...As soon as it starts, the personality and some parts of their appearance will change in minor or more noticeable ways within 48hrs. of the rite. They will purposely start looking for the one they are courting and grow rather protective if not a bit possessive. If they can't find the one of they are courting they grow cranky or even upset or depressed. They do not take kindly to those they deem a threat being around the the one they're courting. However if the adeptus doing the courting is in fact a yaksha, their eyes will change color and the glow from their tattoo will change.

Stage 2:

They start growing rather clingy and always looking for their intended mate. Grabbing anything shiny they think the one they are courting will like(ex: jewels, pearls, shells, ect). Going out of their way to give grand gifts and grow more flirtatious and affectionate. This is especially true for the bird yakshas. They are very very territorial and will grow quite anxious and aggressive to anybody they deem a threat to their intended mate. At this stage the personality changes are very noticeable. The adeptus yaksha's appearance take a complete change in the eyes and hair. By this time the pull and desire to stay with the intended is increased and they become moody and depressed if they can't be with them. The adeptus sweeps the one their courting away from prying eyes to somewhere they set up of just for their intended to be alone. This is especially true if they are bird yakshas; they will take extra care to ensure the area isn't easy for humans or enemies to reach and is safe for the next process.

The "Claiming" begins and at this point there is no stopping the rite, at least not easily. The Claiming is where the instincts of their primal side truly takes over completely. The drive to mate taking over as once again their features change. In Xiao's case this made his wings appear, sharp canines slightly longer, eyes turn a much darker shade of green, nails sharpened to claws, his tattoo and the diamond to change, and his hair changed to reflect his true form's vermillion gold feathers in color. What's more his scent changes during this though its subtle to help entice and encourage the mating process. The adeptus then ends up marking them by biting during the sexual intimacy of the climax. This new mark forms and it becomes a means to allowing the couple to sense their emotions in an empathic like manner. The mark usually reflects what kind of adepti they are in appearance and is not visible to mortal eyes, except the one that bares it. In Xiao's case the mark formed a crescent moon shaped feather on Lumine's neck at the sight of the bite. The mark will protect the intended from an overload of adeptal energy and the corruption from malicious forces/spirits. This stage tends to last 1 - 3 days and always happens in autumn when the harvest moon first starts to appear.

Stage 3:
The need to stay beside the intended newly marked mate increases. At this stage do not approach recklessly or try to approach with malicious intent! Their personality will shift and change violently so if their mate has been threatened and this makes them very deadly and violent!! DO NOT APPROACH RECKLESSLY!! There's only two things can stop this territorial aggression: the sight of their mate safe or the culprit is destroyed. If the adeptus is in fact a yaksha this aggression will intensify ten fold and they may even shift to their true form more willingly. Both the intended and the adeptus become very sensitive to the others' emotions, becoming empathic to each other as mentioned before. During this stage it can at time become painful to be too far away from the mated intended until the rite is finished. At this point if the intended is human they will attempt to finish the rite in a human manner and it will end the rite. But if the intended isn't human this will not be the case and will go straight into another Claiming before concluding. However if the yaksha, adeptus, or yokai have claimed a deity....something unique is said to happen but there are no records yet to show what that is due to the untimely death of Guizhong before she and Zhongli's courtship could reach stage 2. Some claim the rite will rebound if the intended turns out to be a deity that has their powers sealed or suffered a sealing of some sort. Others claim it goes straight into a second Claiming in order to leave the Soulmate Mark.