Chapter Text
Completely: The Aeqing Album of OPM Love Music and Romantic Pursuits
A fanfiction by "Blumstein".
Based on Christian Bautista's 2005 album "Completely".
All rights reserved.
Acknowledgements
Dedicated to 8ullred, my introduction to all things Aeqing; SentryForge223, who sparked my interest in all fics Genshin; my friends on both writer's Discord servers, whom filled my dreadful days in quarantine with shenanigans and companionship; Darklions3429, whose insights and works were instrumental in the creation of this fic; and my early readers, who were equally as important in polishing this drabble.
To Miss Swa and Yunan, thank you for humoring my inquiries into the art of writing. To Randall, my reference for all things torpe, you know who you are.
To my family, near and far alike, I give my heartfelt thanks. All of you have kept me alive long enough to write about fictional characters dating each other. If you're reading this in some shape or form, I beg of you not to tell the other relatives during family meals. Also, stop teasing me about my nonexistent love life. You know who you are sis.
Table of Contents (Publish Date)
Listed below are the compiled songs under the album "Completely". Chapter titles are derived from the lyrics of their respective songs. Published chapters have bracketed dates appended on the entry.
- Everything You Do feat. Aether (12/12/2021)
- I Can Love You Easy feat. Aether (05/08/2022)
- My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own
- Invincible
- She Could Be
- Now That You Are Here
- After You
- Please Don't Go
- Since I Found You
- Completely
- For Everything I Am
- Nais Ko
Preface
I'll keep this section brief.
I was a young kid when my mom popped this album on our sleek-black Toyota Vios sedan in the early 2010s. Alongside Bruno Mars' "Doo Wops and Hooligans", itself a mainstay of my childhood, "Completely" by Christian Bautista formed my beliefs (and misconceptions) about love throughout my younger years.
That I remember it with fondness is perhaps why I've endeavored to write this work. Though it is fortunate that "Completely" is about romance, which is a topic I excel writing about, the concept of an album fic was alien to me for many years. It wasn't until I became acquainted with SentryForge223 ("Our Cruel Fate") and 8ullred ("Always and Forever", "As Long As The Stars Shine") that my eyes were opened to Genshin Impact's fanon couple Aeqing (Aether & Keqing).
It was a recent change in taste, I admit. In fact I'm still a staunch advocate of Fischer (Fischl & Aether), but the temptation of writing strait-laced Keqing in contrast to the free-spirited Aether was too strong. This, combined with a Youtube stint that led me back to a copy of the album online, led to the conception and birth of this fic.
Ultimately, love is an oversaturated topic of discussion and portrayal. Mass media shows it as the act of a man and woman falling in love. Theological classes speak of it as an unconditional force of good. Personal experience says it is a bittersweet chapter of my teenage years.
Though this work does not recontextualize love in any way, not that I intended to do so while writing this, I hope "Completely" was able to ensnare you the way the album did to me, so long ago. Love is more than an emotion or a philosophical topic. It is an action, a belief, a language of care honed through months and years of practice.
And it is because of this love--of writing, of Genshin, of romance and romantic songs themselves--that led you and I here today.