Mafia AU

By @rewindthetime_ on TWT

• Click here to read the fanfiction!

• Universe
• Fanarts
• Characters
• Author Notes
• Spotify Playlist

Universe

Year 2027, set in an alternate, modern version of Teyvat.

The eight nations from all across the continent are in the middle of an economic war, in which Mora losses are recurring, and each failure leads to complete ruin.
Even the most substantial of corporations often come across many obstacles they alone cannot overcome on their own. However, some of them have remained untouchable even after entire decades of arduous work.

Their secret? A shady business commonly pertained to as the Mafia. Sign of progress to some folks, or the presage of society's annihilation for some others.
Liyue's branch in particular is filled with many talents, and to this day thrives as one of the most domineering nations, even rivaling with other signficant continental powers such as Khaenri'ah, nevertheless well-known for their incredible weaponry advances and technological discoveries in the whole of Teyvat.

Other nations are not as strongly impacted by this economic war, where the word Mafia itself has become taboo, and the smallest mention of illegal activites may cause you a life-sentence of regrets.

But who, in this messed-up world wouldn't be tempted by the lure of profits?

Characters

• Venti
• Xiao
• Zhongli
• Childe
• Scaramouche
• Kazuha

Venti

Introduction

No one ever believes me when I say, "I've already seen this guy somewhere, in a bar perhaps?" pointing at the short silouhette of a person wearing two identical braids, a tux and black pressed pants. They all laugh at me, of course, blames it on déjà-vu.
I want to make sure my mind isn't playing tricks on me, though, so I walk towards the man, forging my way through the dense crowd. I'm ready to hail him, and when he finally turns around, it is not braids that I see, but the face of a random stranger who looks nothing like him.

Where has he gone to?

Profile

Name: VentiAliases: Vee, Barbatos, Carmen DeiAge: 25Birthday: June 16thAffiliation: Mondstadt's Mafia branch (former), none (current)
Backstory

Venti, codename Barbatos, is a former agent of Mondstadt's Mafia branch, called the 'Blights of Celestia', a parodic name of the 'Knights of Favonius', which are the real authorities of the nation.
Their motto? Achieve peace and rectify injustice against binding dictums. The extremes hold a strong hate towards the nobles of Mondstadt in particular, and never hesitate resorting to violence when needed. In general, its members remain as discreet as possible, working mundane jobs as cover. Venti, for example, used to hop from small job to small job in different parts of Mondstadt, ranging from waiter, bartender and florist to company intern. However, he one day gets found out by an affiliate of the aristocratic Lawrence family, and flees to the neighbor nation Liyue to save himself.

There, he meets Morax, one of the most influent Mafia bosses in Teyvat. Remarking the former agent's skills, the latter decides to hire him as his own. Around the same time, Venti meets Xiao, a young yet experienced agent also working under Zhongli's tutelage. They are paired to work together, and everything seems to go well for them. That is, until one day, an incident happens during one of their missions, causing Venti to leave the Agency and follow his very own path.

Nevertheless, the agent is only left filled with regrets from his past decisions, which, to this very day still haunt him.

Extras

Venti was gifted a katana from Zhongli, which, he himself had received as a gift from an Inazumian affiliate. He keeps it as a trophee, and rarely ever uses it.He always wears sunglasses. Why? Style, probably.He has a twin brother named Himmel, who unfortunately passed due to cancer at a young age. Photography was his passion, and Venti swore to pursue it for him until his very last breath, in his own, unique way...Venti's strongest card is not a weapon, but his natural charm which he uses to lure and manipulate his targets. He is capable of adapting to appeal to the victim, depending on their sexuality or personal preferences.Years of being exposed to bloodshed and slaughter have unfortunately affected his mental stability. He often uses drugs or strong alcohols to cope with his many problems.

Xiao

Introduction

Everyone has heard of prodigies, talented criminals and other wrongdoers who seem to always escape through the authorities' net without leaving a trace. Alatus is one of them. The silent type, a gentleman with a respectable attitude and well-mannered.
For this very reason, it is hard to conceive that he could be one of the most researched criminals of Liyue. But of him, most only know the name.

Profile

Name: XiaoAliases: Alatus (Nemeseos)Age: 24Birthday: April 17thAffiliation: Liyue's Mafia branch
Backstory

Xiao has certainly never known complete peace of mind. His life had been rough since the very beginning for both him and his younger twin brother. As though fate had decided to curse their very existence, they were abandonned as orphans at the tender age of eight. Xiao, being the oldest, took the initiative to protect what was left of his family, resorting to theft and manipulation in order to keep the both of them alive.

On a rainy day, appeared the tall silouhette of a man they would later on know as Zhongli. The kind stranger offered to become their tutor and gift them everything they had ever desired. In exchange, the both of them would be working for him until they are of age to live on their own. Xiao was mistrustful at first, aware of the recurring child trafficking within Liyue Harbor. Hesitant, the two of them signed the contract, selling their souls for the ten next years to come.

The first few years were somewhat peaceful. The twins were able to taste the wealthy kind of life, and never lacked anything whatsoever. They were only instructed to never interfere with Zhongli's work.
However, everything changed on their twelfth birthday. Xiao was offered a Colt M1911, and his brother a hunting knife. They both soon after learned that Zhongli desired for them to turn into 'criminals of justness', as he called them. The only successful way of learning, is to relentlessly train your body and mind. Train until your muscles tear, until your arms feel like falling off, until you endure all the roughness of this world. Then, and only then will you be ready.

Xiao has had many different teammates in his life, commencing with his brother, whose mind did not manage to handle Zhongli's intensive education. A team of five (himself included), called the Yakshas. And finally, a former agent originating from Mondstadt, Barbatos.
The aforementioned engages a relationship with Xiao, which ends up short-lived. An incident happens during one of their missions, forcing the two of them to eventually part ways.

Extras

Xiao often ties his hair back into a ponytail, so that it doesn't get in the way of his face.He always keeps a watch or a phone close to him in order to check the time (it's a comforting habit).Instead of turning to drugs and alcohol, Xiao uses smoking as a coping mechanism.He has a grand passion for motorcycles and cars, and likes collecting miniature models of them.

Zhongli

Childe

Introduction

Watch your head!

There is no room for failure among the Fatui. No mistake is left unpunished, and no truth is left untold. Everyone must stay in their rightful place, and obey.
The sniper in particular, holds one of the most important positions in a team. Their sight and accuracy is crucial to take down imprudent targets. Missing a shot could cause the entire mission to founder and increase the risks of following operations.

But this guy? He's never missed, not even once.

Profile

Name: AjaxAliases: Childe, Tartaglia, 11th HarbingerAge: 28Birthday: 20th JulyAffiliation: Snezhnaya's Mafia branch, Fatui Harbingers
Backstory

Perhaps had Ajax always been fated to become a sniper. Born with an incredible, almost innate ability for combat, he was trained by his father to join him on hunts at an early age. The cold, merciless weather of Snezhanaya made the training even rougher, a real challenge for the child's fragile body and mind. Nonetheless, Ajax had survived.
Impressed by his incredible, fast progress, his father decides to send him into a military school. There, maybe he at least would have a chance to succeed and become someone.

The intense education did not leave Ajax indifferent, no, it had awakened something veiled deep inside of him. Something so dark that even he himself was afraid of it.

The more days passed, the more he would challenge folks in fair hand-to-hand combats, in order to test his skills and find someone capable of outmatching him. No one managed to win, though, which left Ajax disappointed, and opponents jealous of his talents.
One day, a man approaches him, and challenges him to a fair fight. Ajax, of course accepts. The battle begins normally, until the stranger suddenly pulls out a pocket knife, threatening the other Snezhnayan with it.

"You swore to play this fair and square!" Ajax shouts, taking a few steps back.

The guy chuckles in return, "fuck your fairness, cheater!"

Realizing what the true goal of this combat was, Ajax decides to punish his opponent for breaking the rules. He lunges at him, snaking his arms around his neck to choke the much taller man. The crowd screams, but he does not let go.
It is only when a lifeless body hits the concrete floor below, that Ajax glances down at his hands and notices the blood which the victim had spat out.

Unable to face the eventuality of his potential demise, Ajax flees. Somewhere, far away from here, where no one would ever be able to find him.

Extras

His personal sniper is called рок (doom), and he takes very good care of it.Due to his bright hair colour, Childe often wears hats like beanies and such or hoodies on missions.He often immerges parts of his body into cold water as part of his training, in order to prevent shaking and/or shivering.

Scaramouche

Introduction

We always underestimate them, those who make everything work out behind the scenes, make every - seemingly hopeless - things seem so easy. It is simple to forget that muscles don't always do all the job, eh? Yeah, because there's brains too, and they're just as important, you see.

This little guy knows what he's doing, but if I were you, I wouldn't try talking to him. He's as stubborn as a mule, and as cold as Snezhnaya itself, I tell ya.

Profile

Name: ?Aliases: Scaramouche ('Scara'), The Vagrant of Inazuma, Techie, 6th HarbingerAge: 27Affiliation: Snezhnaya's Mafia branch, Fatui Harbingers
Backstory

Techie this, techie that, have you never wanted to know what's there beyond the surface? Every person has a past and interesting stories to share, Scaramouche in particular, loves to do just that, even if that means boring his coworkers to death.

Since his teenage years, he's always been passioned by technology, and would spend his entire nights watching videos about Khaenri'ahn White Hats flushing out scammers. However, saving was much less enticing than stealing, and he turned his attention towards Black Hats instead. Learning their methods was a real pain in the ass, but he eventually succeeded in the end, robbing one thousand Mora to a random unfortunate user of the Internet for the first time.

Late at night, when study time at school was over, Scaramouche would open up his laptop and abandon himself to those illegal activities. "One thousand isn't enough", he once told his computer screen's reflection.
Succeeding without being caught red-handed motivated him to aim for more, more dangerous, more rewarding.

Things, however, did not remain as easy as Scaramouche would've hoped for them to be. He was eventually found out by Inazumian authorities, and was forced to destroy his computer before moving out. But that was not enough to discourage him, far from it. He would take more precautions, try harder, and consecrate more seriousness to it.

Upon graduating, Scaramouche made the decision to leave the nation, which had become much stricter over the years. On his (illegal) way out, he came across a man going by the name of Kaedehara Kazuha.

"Escaping the boring, shitty life?"

"...Yeah, you can say that."

Extras

Does he have a crush on Kazuha? Absolutely not, what are you talking about, you weirdo?He has a college degree in technology and engeneering.He is weak for cats (especially Tama).

Kaedehara Kazuha

Introduction

What is a man devoid of any honor or dignity, but a empty husk seeking for revenge on the cause that abandonned him?
I have known him for as long as I can remember, have seen the way the whole universe collapsed within his eyes, as the heartless Shogun robbed him of love.

Twas the day, all adoration left behind, there was no remaining goodness to transpire.

Profile

Name: Kaedehara KazuhaAliases: The Exile, Kae, Kazu, The SamuraïAge: 32Birthday: 29th OctoberAffiliation: Inazuma's Mafia branch
Backstory

Kazuha was born in a noble family, but far from Inazuma's capital and troubles. He was trained to become a samuraï if the modern era early on, following strict codes of honor, which his family's reputation depended on.

At the age of eleven, he met a kid his own age going by the name of Tomo, who was particularly curious and bored of his current life. "What if we went to the capital?" he one day asked, but Kazuha was uncertain. Wouldn't leaving his family behind be an outrage to their code?
Tomo's positiveness and cheerful attitude eventually got the best of Kazuha, and one day, they both packed up a minimum of belongings before sneaking out of their homes at night. In order to not worry his parents, Kazuha left a letter behind, excusing himself and vaguely explaining the situation, giving not enough details for him to be found.

Inazuma's capital was far from being the ideal city they had both dreamed of. Their lack of money caused them to end up on the streets. Kazuha refused to beg nor steal to respect his code. Whereas Tomo, on the other hand, did not see it that way, and would often rob innocent passants and earn people's sympathy in exchange for a bit of Mora.
However, this was not enough, and the kids' stomachs were often empty. "Why not use your samuraï skills to get a job? You could... fight in a tournament for example!" Kazuha shook his head at that, replying that his years of training should not be wasted on illegal activities. But hunger spoke louder than reason, and he eventually caved in, signing up in the nearest arena. At the age of fifteen, he'd won his very first tournament. At the age of seventeen, he had achieved over a hundred of them.

This should have been enough. It should have. But Tomo was never satisfied, and longed for more."I heard the Raiden Shogun herself organizes tournaments - official ones - from time to time. There's one next month, we should sign up!" And how could he say no to this? His friend, over the years had turned into so much more, and there is little Kazuha could refuse him.

As the fateful day approached, the two - now adult - Kazuha and Tomo could not contain their excitement. Meeting the Shogun herself, a person they adored and respected oh so much... how could things go wrong?

The both of them participated, beating their respective opponents with ease. But then, the final round came.
"Alas, it is time to find who is worthy of working under my ruling," the Shogun begun, "who, from the both of you, will survive?"
Kazuha's eyes widened as he realized what these words meant. Unable to bring himself to give Tomo the coup de grâce, he spares him, breaking his code of honor and the last ounce of dignity he possessed.

Displeased at his decision, the Shogun commands her servant Sara to kill the young man herself.

Kazuha manages to flee the scene.

But not his friend.

Extras

Kazuha always carries a morcel of his friend's broken blade with him as a lucky charm.He has a cat pet, named Tama.He once offered Liyue's Mafia boss a katana as an alliance gift.He usually lets his hair loose when not in a mission.

Author Notes

Before creating this AU, I was really inspired by the series of games Mafia and Hitman, so much that I actually got the third opus of the latter and played it myself (which, to no surprise I actually sucked at). After what, I started brainstorming for a potential Genshin Mafia AU, back in February when Xiao's banner had dropped (and everyone went crazy on Twitter).

At the same time, there was a rise of Mafia related artworks, which motivated me to write and post the first chapter of Love and Loyalty, I hope you all appreciate it as much as I do by the way! I then drew the designs for Xiao and Venti, posted two new chapters and left the AU at that for a few months.

I don't really know what dragged me back into writing, probably holyventi's incredible Xiaoven fanfictions (which I recommend you go read right now if you haven't yet). Anyways, I wanted to for once push myself to finish what I had started, especially since this AU holds a special place inside my heart.

If you haven't guessed it yet, I adore mature and/or dark themes, (even problematic subjects sometimes) which can be safely tackled in fiction all the while projecting a semblant of reality on them. This was truly freeing to write, and I plan on one day give a (satisfying or unsatisfying, who knows) end to this fic.

So bear with me on this journey, and you shall not be disappointed!

Ash