#❅ 𝐕. GI: SUMERU AU ⤻ the frozen moon’s daughter‚ ichor spills in the iris of your serpent eye. ❞

[zorkaya-moved]

List of Zarina's misdeeds/crimes in Genshin Impact and honestly across majority of her verses? *cracks knuckles* Let's go. Everything is, by the way, done largely under different aliases and not known to the general public but committed nonetheless. This is what hides behind the genius of Amurta Darshan. :)

Pickpocketing Theft Assault Bribery (across Teyvat) Trespassing Breaking and Entering Blackmail Espionage Identity Theft (Mistress Serebro) Arson Conspiracy (abstaining from stopping Azar) Destruction of evidence Extortion with threats to kill False or misleading information False Statements Forgery Sabotage Treason Obstruction of justice Abuse of power Aiding and abetting Maleficium (study and usage of Abyss) Organized crime Corruption Weapon trafficking Manufacturing of drugs, poisons, and illegal substances Drug trafficking Fraud Robbery Assassination Poisoning Human and non-human experimentation Murder Manslaughter

[zorkaya-moved]

Lumine was lucky. The owner of the household was actually present at her residence. As she put on a shirt to look more presentable before an arrived guest (humid weather be damned), Zarina would open the door and lean against the doorframe with her arms crossed to see who it was. A confused expression was ever-present on her feminine face as golden eyes studied the one who came to visit her. Ah, it was the famous helper. These eyes of the Sun and the hair of gold were evidence enough, but no sight of the flying companion.

"Yae Publishing House? Is it from Yae Miko herself?" An inquiry was shot at the other immediately, but her laid-back statue didn't change. If anything, despite her hair not yet styled and remaining a wavy floof and her being in her more casual attire, Sokolova still remained a surprising sight for those who would appear before her. "She did owe me a favor for helping last time... But why is the famous Traveler do that fox's bidding? Did she trick you into her schemes?" Upon feeling the urge to yawn, the woman would cover her mouth and do so before lowering it back to return to her relaxed position.

"Signing, yeah. Gimme," without wasting more time, she would reach out to finish what was offered but not before taking the opportunity to gesture at her place. "Do you want to get some tea or water? The weather's nasty today. I'm from Snezhnaya, so I cool my house. It's much better inside. I also have questions to ask you if you don't mind." Who wouldn't want to get to know the Traveler better?

"Ah, before you get concerned or confused, if Yae Miko sent you, it'd be silly if it was just for a book, right? There is probably something for you as well, or, hmm, she might want me to assist you somewhere. That fox," she rolls her eyes as she opens the book to look into, searching for any writing or hidden message. Upon clicking her tongue, Sokolova would close the book with a 'flop.' "Figured. So, are you super busy right now? I just finished making breakfast. You can join me."

〝 ✦ ┊ ┊  𝖲𝖳𝖠𝖱𝖳𝖤𝖱 𝖢𝖠𝖫𝖫 ▸ ﹝ ??? ﹞ : @zorkaya

❝ 　   hi, are you miss zarina? i have your delivery from yae publishing house. if you could, um.. sign here? 　  ❞

why did she agree to this commission again? even if it was a request from miko, this is a bit silly.

[zorkaya-moved]

ZARINA'S BUSINESS IN FONTAINE: THE SUMMARY.

MISTRESS SEREBRO: The woman who owes Zarina her life, the current owner of Fontaine's most successful theater and art gallery under the same names. True full name as of now is "Marianna de Beausoleil" and it's the name known within Fontaine. Her birth name was "Marianna Belobogova." Currently, she's referred to as 'Mistress Serebro.'

A woman from Snezhnaya who married a Fontanian noble and the owner of the theater within the land of Justice. It's commonly known as "Aurora Borealis" Theater. It's well known that the previous Count de Beausoleil was a crude man who was only successful because of his wife's artistic talents. She was married off quite young, but suffered greatly from her husband's wish to never have her beauty belong to anyone but him. Thus, she stopped showing her face and expose any of her skin to the public in fear that it would bring jealousy and possessiveness of her husband. No one knows how Mistress Serebro looks but many whisper about her possibly now hiding her aging face. Oh how wrong they are.

However, Marianna met Zarina - a fellow Snezhnayan - during those days just a late teen who was searching for someone... for her. Upon witnessing the truth of Marianna - the very reason that now she not only wears a mask and covers her body simply because of her husband's jealousy but because now she was harmed by him, for years even. Resilient and stubborn, Marianna was waiting for the day when she could take what she believed was always hers: the theater and her life.

After spending enough time with young Zarina, Marianna for the first time felt a surge of power. Her eyes would light up and her inner wish for revenge was flared up. It didn't take long for her husband to start getting sicker, but none would think about his wife. Marianna was well-beloved across Fontaine for her charitable work, for her support of those who enjoy magical arts, and for those who wish to work in the theater. While her husband had the name and the fame, she did all the work and it was well-known. Her husband passed away in Natlan where he was found with his mistress, the mistress was the one who killed him. Or so the story goes.

What people don't know is that her freedom was intoxicating to Marianna to the point where she would pledge her loyalty to Zarina, borderlining worship as she'd kiss the young girl's hand. But the only thing that was asked was this: Be my eyes and ears within Fontaine, Mistress Serebro, and give me everything that you are.

What did it mean? Oh, let us tell you that no one knows when it's Mistress Serebro who visits the theater or when it's Zarina Sokolova in her disguise. After all, it was all how it was supposed to be. Marianna would welcome actors and actresses, scriptwriters and costume designers, artists and more to her place from all across the world. To them, she is their savior. To Zarina, she's her prettiest doll.

ZARINA'S GENERAL BUSINESS IN FONTAINE: Zarina is someone who has her eyes and ears almost everywhere in Fontaine solely because of how many people from Fontaine visit the black market or wish to gain information from her about others. No one knows how the owner of A.S.H. looks like similarly to how it goes with Mistress Serebro and the theater. Many higher end people from merchants to owners to more exchange information for drugs, for tools, for other information, and for... other favors. Only the most loyal have the pleasure of seeing Zarina herself.

She is known under the name of Mademoiselle Celine Richelieu who is famous for her grand balls and her even grander... more indulgent events that happen after the dark hours. A closed club for those who love to enjoy themselves in more than just money and pretty pictures, but more of indulgence of the flesh, of the spirit, and of the darker sides. Nothing of... criminal activity, it's quite similar to casinos and many people who work in the government visit it to de-stress. Celine as an identity showcases herself being of bright and extravagant manner, indulging in lavishing events and letting others indulge in those as well... even if they are not of noble birth.

The only two rules of the Celine Richelieu's balls are: you must always wear masks and you must never say your name. It's all to prevent information from being given away.

In Fontaine, many political and rich figures see this as the 'necessary' evil. Without this indulgence, they wouldn't be able to live on like they always do. And, well, no one really knows until you receive an invitation yourself from Mademoiselle Richelieu. Fun fact is that Celine Richelieu is also a real person who Zarina uses to mas herself as when she arrives at Fontaine. However, she is - similarly to Mistress Serebro - is a woman who devoted herself to becoming Celine Richelieu to thank Zarina for giving her a new life. Who is the one behind Celine's mask if not Zarina? That woman's name and history has been erased fully, not even a single knowledge about her birthright can be found. What's known is that Celine is a blonde haired woman with eyes of gold.

[zorkaya-moved]

navigation: genshin impact au.

«Lawlessness and apathy are charming pleasures. // Come on—be dyed in an inflamed colour. // That’s love. Drowning love. Lose yourself to sensitivity.»

‣‣‣ HEADCANONS & METAS NAVIGATION PAGE.

⁘ FULL VERSE DESCRIPTION.

⁘ STORY QUEST: LUNA GELIDA TIMELINE COMPARED TO GAME EVENTS.

⁘ PERSONALITY: THE GOAL, THE END, THE REASON FOR HER DRIVE.

⁘ FUN TIDBITS.

⁘ VOICE LINES. // COMBAT VOICE LINES.

⁘ STORY QUEST (introduction): ARCHON QUEST - SERPENTINE DANCE OF EPICUREANISM.

⁘ STORY QUEST (act I): LUNA GELIDA STORY - THE DREAMSCAPE OF THE ABYSSAL DECADENCE.

⁘ STORY QUEST (act II): LUNA GELIDA STORY - THE TRIAL OF META THINKING MALICE AND SUBJECTIVE RIGHTEOUSNESS. (tba)

⁘ COMMON KNOWLEDGE: SUMERU & AKADEMIYA, ZARINA'S FAME AND PUBLIC OPINION. ( everyone can use this knowledge in interactions, common knowledge means anyone can know this without asking; it won't be considered god-modding )

⁘ COMMON KNOWLEDGE: SNEZHNAYA & PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, REPUTATION OF BOTH SOKOLOV TWINS; SIRIN AND ALKONOST. ( everyone can use this knowledge in interactions, common knowledge means anyone can know this without asking; it won't be considered god-modding )

⁘ LORE-SPECIFIC ENEMY NPC: THE BEAST IN THE SECRET LABORATORY — THE IMMORTAL/ABYSSAL SERPENT. (the story)

⁘ THE STUDY OF TORTURE: THE ABYSS ORDER, THE ABYSS, KHAENRI'AH.

⁘ THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS: THE ABILITIES GAINED AFTER THE MERGE WITH THE SERPENT AND WHAT CERTAIN SUPERNATURAL CHARACTERS IN GENSHIN CAN SENSE/KNOW.

‣‣‣ CHARACTER SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE: *Character specific knowledge means that a specific character may be able to notice certain details about Zarina without any godmodding or asking inquired. Your muse is welcome to use this knowledge as they wish, want, and assume/deduct as they wish.

FOR TIGHNARI RPERS: WHAT TIGHNARI MIGHT KNOW/ASSUME BASED ON HIS SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND CLOSENESS WITH NAPHIS ABOUT ZARINA.

[zorkaya-moved]

𝐃𝐑. 𝐙𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐒𝐎𝐊𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐀: 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐅𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐗𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆.

Due to high humidity and high heat, the Snezhnayan born prefers to wear lighter fabric. It's quite common to see her walk around in a relative exposed outfit, but it seems far more elegant than anything on her. With a reputation above clouds, none wishes to say anything. To them, she looks quite like a deity herself. It's also underlined that this is the outfit she usually wears at home where she is most relaxed and doesn't have to worry about anything else. Then again, she was seen walking around the Sumeru City in this outfit as well. Some people call it her 'non-work attire' as whoever tries to engage in a work topic related talk, she casually denies them, stating she's on break and isn't available for that discussion.

[zorkaya-moved]

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘈𝘣𝘺𝘴𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵. 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘣𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯?

— Nahida / Lesser Lord Kusanali, act ii - the trial of meta-thinking malice and subjective righteousness.

[zorkaya-moved]

GI: HEADCANON — The abilities gained post-merge with the Abyssal Serpent.

Zarina’s abilities post-merge with the Abyssal Serpent are modeled after H.on.kai Imp.act 3rd’s Mo.biu.s, who represents the Serpent - Sesa in said game. 

IMPORTANT: Zarina still possesses her Cryo Vision and uses it most of the time in battle. Her main element still remains Cryo.

As you are all well aware (and if not, it’s ok, read here), the Abyssal Serpent is an ancient being who lived with the Abyss as long as it existed. The darkness, the fools falling into it, the watchful gaze of serpentine eyes, and the body that could wrap itself around Teyvat without any hardship. The very Serpent who consumed countless who fell into the Abyss, be it those Gods or humans or any living creature. And the Abyssal Serpent consumed their power, life, and memories, engulfing everything into the eternal darkness and night, erasing their presence and existence altogether.

The Abyssal Serpent was Death, the finality, the end. But, of course, even the most predominant apex predators would fall beneath numbers and humanity, just like the real world. When the environment of the Abyss was changing thanks to Kahenri’ah’s studies and knowledge, the Serpent was rendered powerless, hungry, and yearning for the days of old when the energy of the Abyss was “clean” and “unsullied” from the nads of mortals who had gone against Celestia. The Gods from Celestia were all too happy to see the Serpent become weaker and weaker, start to lose itself so it would cease to consume the Gods and deities, so its corruption won’t be ruling the Abyssal domain more. 

But what does it have to do with Zarina Sokolova per se? Well, just because the Serpent was rendered endless, and even if the Serpent lost its glory, it does not mean the abilities that eventually made it so powerful and terrifying were gone. The ability to corrupt and consume energy, absorb life, and the elemental energy to feed itself and help live almost an immortal life. I’ve already mentioned certain abilities in covering up who the Abyssal Serpent is, but how do those abilities translate to Zarina post-merge? Does she have all the abilities? What setbacks does she have? I will make it easier for everyone (and myself) by just listening to abilities in a bullet point because it’s much easier to address each other.

Zarina wears different accessories/restraints created throughout her study of the Serpent and the Abyss to keep her new abilities under control since even she cannot fully control them as of now. This is similar to how Shenhe's "ropes" are acting to keep her power of calamity away. The same goes for Sokolova, but in a way to slowly get used to the new changes in her body. Yes, Zarina is avidly searching for a way to separate herself from the Serpent.

Any supernatural being like adepti/youkai (like Miko) or Archon can sense the Abyssal Serpent's aura and its power of the ancient Abyss as she isn't able to fully repress it. Raiden Shogun may say it's similar to Orobashi, Xiao may say it's similar to his karma, Venti may say it's similar to Durin or Dvalin's corruption. It will not be god-modding for those characters to know something is wrong.

However, the merge with the Serpent only happens AFTER Sumeru Quest and Zarina's Quest, which happens AFTER both Nahida's and Alhaitham's quest lines.

Please, be mindful that certain abilities won’t be explored until plotted out, or I will finish Act II of her story quest, where it will be translated (though it was already spoiled in her battle voice lines). One of them is 'resurrection,' and another is 'inheritance,' but they will be explored in Acts I and II of her Story Quest - Luna Gelida.

HEIGHTENED PHYSICAL PERCEPTION: Hearing, sight, touch, etc. Zarina can now hear more things and sense the change in the temperature (and energy) around her much stronger. She attempts to repress this by using her personal inventions to lock the power of the Abyssal Serpent due to how overwhelming it can get for her, especially in the beginning. It can get so bad that she can hear other people’s breathing and heartbeats, sensing their difference in temperature, their loud voices. This is why she usually almost fully has those abilities locked away to keep herself sane and slowly get used to them. 

HIGHER PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES: Strength, dexterity, regeneration, endurance, etc. Zarina might be able to lower her perception and lock away her abilities like that, but she can’t repress her physical capabilities. This means she can now fight on the same level as supernatural beings like adepti, youkai, etc. She is currently learning to control more without giving herself away. 

PERCEPTION AND ABSORPTION OF (ELEMENTAL) ENERGY: Just like the Abyssal Serpent (AS), Zarina can sense the energy of other beings and absorb it through a bite or skin-to-skin contact. The ability to perceive elemental energy and energy, in general, comes in a way that she can analyze the feel of the energy, separating it between such beings as Archons or Adepti/Youkai, Abyss, and Vision/Delusion Holders. However, just like the perception of general sense, Zarina tries to lock as much of it behind her ‘restraints’ as possible due to how overwhelming it can get. A similar ability in terms of perception is something that Qilins, Kitsune, or Yakshas (etc.) have in the game canonically. Adepti, Kitsune, Kazuha, Archons, Mona can perceive her energy and her aura of the ancient serpent as well since she cannot fully block it as of now, even with her restraints. Unlike the Abyssal Serpent, Zarina cannot absorb their memories and their knowledge, only their energy. 

ABYSSAL ENERGY: Similarly to how Dainsleif and Abyss Order uses their energy, Zarina can use the Abyssal power, but in a smaller amount. She can only use it (as of now) to travel and transport/teleport in the Abyss Order's network but also learn to establish her own network.

CORRUPTION/EROSION: Similarly to how the forbidden knowledge streaming from the depths of the Abyss corrupts a god or how Yaksha's energy seems to affect those around them, Zarina's presence can also affect those around her, but to a controlled extent. Unlike Yakshas, she can repress that ability while wearing restraints. Still, more than two are taken off and she might start affecting people who are not resistant to corrupting energy like people who do not possess Visions.

SHAPESHIFTING: There are three forms that Zarina can take, some of them requiring more energy. She cannot do one without abundant elemental energy stored in her body or consumed before the transformation. There is the full-fledged white/silver serpent appearance that is far beyond what she can do right now due to how little energy she has stored in her body right now. Still, she can become as big as the Abyssal Serpent once was, capable of wrapping itself around Teyvat without hardship. Another one, is a half-woman and half-serpent appearance aka lamia, which also required a bigger amount of energy than she’d ever like to use. Still, she also despises this shape because she feels less like a mortal human. Then, aside from her normal human appearance, Zarina can also take the appearance of the small white/silver snake similar to Baizhu’s snake (which takes almost no energy). The very last one would be Zarna’s ability to turn into a dark black liquid/mud/mush, just like the Abyssal Serpent did to cover a larger area and create different types of weaponry from that substance.

Basically, I have three gif showcases that inspire Zarina’s ability (Mobius from Hon.kai I.mpa.ct 3).  

Only change colors from black and green to black and silver.

[zorkaya-moved]

GI: HEADCANON — LUNA GELIDA STORY QUEST TIMELINE.

This meta is created to give people an understanding of when Zarina’s Story Quest happens in the story to give all muses included in those story quests to know when and how certain events may change their opinion of Zarina. I always stage first interactions with Zarina WAY BEFORE Traveler appears in the game with characters who are NOT Traveler. She’s someone who’s quite (in)famous within the lands of Teyvat. This is something people can use for our interactions without asking as long as you give me a timeline. Certain events would greatly change perception of Zarina by some of the parties included in her story quests. Especially Traveler’s and Nahida’s. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Any discovery regarding Zarina’s involvement, her true nature, and everything else is NOT known to the general public of Sumeru or Teyvat (aside from those who can know based on her involvement, like Fatui and Abyss Order). Nahida keeps everything that happened hush-hush due to how negatively it will affect the public, especially after 3 Sages have betrayed the region of Sumeru. Due to how big Zarina’s name is and how much she contributed to the lives of 'common folk,' it’s expected that a massive backlash and distrust will start to cause chaos within Sumeru or other parts of Teyvat; thus, only a select number of people know about Zarina’s true nature past Intro Quest and Acts I/II. 

ARCHON QUEST / INTRO QUEST TO LUNA GELIDA STORY QUEST LINE → SERPENTINE DANCE OF EPICUREANISM happens AFTER Nahida’s and Alhaitham’s quests.

Zarina herself appears AFTER the main Sumeru Archon quest finishes, which gives time for the Traveler, Nahida, and Paimon to meet with her and speak with her, get to know her, etc. Well, the ‘Zarina Sokolova’ that’s seen as a hero, as a helpful presence, as a person who is known for her help around Akademiya and as someone who’s the strongest contender to become the Amurta Darshan’s next Sage after Azar’s downfall. 

Active characters who take part in this quest: Traveler, Paimon, Alhaitham, Kaveh, Tighnari, Nahida (appears at the end). NPCs who make appearances: Current Sage of Amurta Darshan - Naphis, Abyssal Serpent.

LUNA GELIDA: ACT I → THE DREAMSCAPE OF THE ABYSSAL DECADENCE happens right after the Intro Quest and is available ONLY after the Archon Quest is done. It starts immediately after the introduction quest but a certain amount of time passes between the intro quest and this act. 

Active characters who took part in this quest: Traveler, Paimon, Alhaitham, Kaveh, Nahida, Cyno. NPCs who make appearances: Humanity, Entertainment, Love, Abyssal Serpent, Victor Sokolov, Aleksey Sokolov. 

BETWEEN ACT I AND ACT II, Zarina remains in jail and is interrogated by Matra… without much success. No one in Sumeru knows that Sokolova is even in jail with how hush-hush it is. Only Cyno (as General Mahamatra), Nahida (as the Archon), and Alhaitham (as Active Grand Sage) are aware where exactly Zarina is held. Some of the characters who have taken part in Intro and Act I are able to visit Zarina by asking either of the three above.

Characters who can visit Zarina in jail: Traveler, Paimon, Nahida, Alhaitham, Kaveh, Tighnari, Cyno, Naphis. Several characters may be given new knowledge about Zarina’s whereabouts and her involvement due to how close they are to Traveler: Dehya. 

LUNA GELIDA: ACT II → THE TRIAL OF META THINKING MALICE AND SUBJECTIVE RIGHTEOUSNESS happens AFTER Caribert Archon Quest, the Traveler will seek out Zarina’s answers as someone who’s now the closest person (aside from Dainsleif and now seemingly Kaeya) who they can make speak about the Abyss. Well, or so they thought. Act II also includes the [TRIAL] that is done in a very small mumber of participants who are written below.

Active characters who took part in this quest: Traveler, Paimon, Alhaitham, Kaveh, Tighnari, Cyno, Nahida. NPCs who make appearances: Naphis, Several Matras (as guards), ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉.

IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT THE ENDING OF ACT II: Based on plotting, Act II can have 2 endings. Either Zarina is forced to take on the mantle as the Amurta Darshan’s Sage to be ‘under the supervision’ of Nahida and others or… she will [disappear] after the end of the Act II. 

Zarina is only able to become the Amurta Sage as a ‘punishment’ because Sages are the closest ones to Nahida as the Archon and they do not have as much freedom as researchers. Basically, Nahida makes the public happy that Zarina became the Sage since they love her and she keeps Zarina close to not let her escape and do more of her experiments or to extract more information her during her 'observation.'

[zorkaya-moved]

@ecleips

ABOUT: KAEYA.   the one left behind from a fallen kingdom.

Poor, poor Sir Kaeya. We are talking about one and only Kaeya Alberich! The Cavalry Captain, the one with the eye of the cursed, always an outcast. Hm? No, you are incorrect. The reason why I find him entertaining is because of what expressions he shows me. Such hatred, such disgust, such tension. He doesn't show you that look, does he? I would say it's rather attractive. Sickeningly so, yes. I enjoy sharpness in one's gaze; it's fun to see how my very existence puts him on edge. The serpent within me yearns to take a bite, but haha... I won't, I'm a human, after all. Though, he has to have so much repressed anger, don't you think? How he carries himself, how he is wary of so much, and how he looks at you. He doesn't trust many, but I respect that. Ah, but isn't it strange, Traveler? He knows what I've done, but he's never met me before, yet he's aware of my doings in the Abyss and against Abyss Order. Tsk, tsk, you look surprised. Don't you think that is particularly suspicious, and you should be wary of those around you just as much as you are around me? I'm not the only snake in this beautiful garden called Teyvat.

[zorkaya-moved]

GI: HEADCANON — The Immortal/Abyssal Serpent: the story, the past, and the tale. The Serpent's design/look can be found here, but make its color scheme black & purple befitting Abyss' color scheme.

The Immortal Serpent is inspired by World Serpent/Jormundandr from Norse Mythology, but it is also inspired by Sesa/Shesha from Hindu Mythology. You may or may not see similarities, but I need to underline them. The whole story is fictional and created for fun because we do not have enough information about the Abyss, Khaenri'ah, and Rhinedottir, so I make it here for now.

The Immortal Serpent or the Abyssal Serpent is a creature from the deepest depths of the Abyss, which existed before the Archon War. Nay, it existed when Seven Sovereigns were reigning the old world, waiting for them to fall to eat them alive. The dweller of the darkest corners of the universe, the one who could circle around the world and bite its tail, but also an everlasting cursed being who devours all that comes into contact with it. A being who lived in the depths, in the everlasting darkness, feeding on beasts and energy supplied by the Abyss. It was first discovered by Rhinedottir from Khaenri'ah, shedding light on the depths of the Abyssal Sea, finding the ancient being who was simply resting, slumbering in its state yet able to talk, to think, to deduct. Its ancient tongue would echo in the Gold's mind, translating within one's head and making it obvious how much the Serpent knows of the world above despite lingering in the depths of darkness.

Ancient, oh so old was the Immortal Serpent with the inability to bear any children of its own nor able to die a 'normal' death akin to short-living humans in Teyvat, or even those who lived there prior. The ancient being who watched the arrival of the Primordial One, the one who started to lose its essence with the arrival of the new age solely due to its apathy. There were no Seven Sovereigns who could satiate its hunger for elemental power.

The Abyssal Serpent would grant Rhinedottir the rarest ingredient: its venom, for her experiment to satiate its boredom and to witness how far a pesky human can go along. The venom was corruption that would later on become an essential part of Durin's creation: the blood, the abyssal energy, the very reason for Dvalin's suffering. The Abyssal Serpent would speak to the alchemist, telling how it wished to see the creation of new life within these lands of darkness, within the Abyss where all withers and no God desires to step into for its corruption, decay, and stench of death.

The Immortal Serpent was there when the Cataclysm happened, witnessing the Abyssal Gates open and seeing the kingdom of Khaenri'ah fall, many of whom have been cursed by Celestia's blinding light. The Serpent was an observer, but its hunger for the new would get the best of it as it would devour the new energy falling into the Abyss, savoring unique appetizers but not enough to be discovered wholly. After all, Khaneir'ah proved itself to be a land of potential. Rhinedottir and the Art of Khemia were essential in taming the Abyss. The Abyssal Serpent wished not to be found and tamed, for it would slumber for years, enjoying the sounds in the depths of the Abyssal Sea, slithering in the darkest corners, and becoming an ancient legend for the Abyssal Order. Still, the Immortal Serpent would grow weaker with the practice of the said order, all because they would use the energy of the Abyss, rending the Serpent hunger for more, causing it to start losing its sense of rationality and taking away bits of its memory, which was found out by a woman named Skirk. The seasoned warrior would meet the Serpent when it was still rational, learning of the secrets that were witnessed in the Abyss and able to sharpen her blade while using one of the Serpent's teeth as a basis for her sword as a gift for bringing 'clarify' to the Serpent's eyes, feeding it the synthetic life created by Rhinedottir. The Abyssal Serpent stated how living past Primordial One has caused it to hunger more, starve itself for there were no more satisfying meals. Only bites, only crumbs, and thus it started to lose itself in the darkness, being seeped away by the Khaenri'ah's order and the Sinner.

Altogether, the Immortal Serpent has been a power dwelling in the depths of the Abyss that would never be aggressive. Its power was too large for it to act rashly for it knew that the circle of life would continue and remain in the depths no matter what. If Teyvat falls, it would remain there, feeding on those who fall deep enough. Celestia would never step into its domain for they will be devoured by corruption and darkness, the opposite of the Abyss' dense and suffocating existence. After all, the Serpent would melt into a sea of the black and purple ocean where anyone stepping in it would be drained of life and energy, feeding the slumbering existence without it needing to show its fangs. It will wait, it will hunger, it will never be satisfied.

But it grew weaker, accepting the fate of an ever-changing world since the days of the Primordial One. It wondered if it would finally be able to become one with the Abyss, devoured by the Abyss Order's machinations and wishes to turn Celestia upside down, but its fate would be far worse. As if karma for its assistance in the Cataclysm, its power would be used in the wrong hands. When it was slumbering, at its weakest moment, would a woman unknown to it descend into the depths of the Abyss, extending her hand to the Immortal Serpent as once did Skirk and Rhinedottir, but the reason behind such gesture was far what it did not expect?

At its weakest, the silhouette of the woman would remind him of the two it had met before, now much smaller in size than before; the Immortal Serpent would follow in its daze towards a fate that would cause it to become caged and then fully destroyed. Even if it were now, knowledge of how to return the Abyssal Serpent to its true power would be discovered, leading to a new apex predator. A beast of the Abyss combined with the ambitious human? A recipe for disaster. After all, who - if not humans - could ascend so high as to make Gods wish to destroy them?

Is it not karma for becoming the devourer? Is it not karma for what its done to satiate its boredom? Is it not karma to be devoured by a stronger predator? It could be, oh it certainly could be.

The Abyssal Serpent's skills were known to be the following (as described by the Abyss Order and the writings from Rhinedottir):

Devour of life and energy, depletion of both from any who is devoured. Be it otherworldly creations, elements (elementals), god, human, or beast. The Serpent feeds on energy and, because of that, has been called the harbinger of death. It is a devourer, a serpent that may someday bite its own tail.

Thanks to all the energy stored in its body, the Serpent cannot be killed in the Abyss thanks to the abyssal corruption surrounding it and how much energy/life it stored inside itself through devouring for thousands of years. After Abyss Order's machinations, the energy resource was depleted, thus, rendering the Abyssal Serpent's regeneration and resurrection skills to a meager number. After merging with Zarina, this ability is altered and will be discussed in the next headcanon. Outside of the Abyss, the Serpent's ability to die is much higher but it depends on how much energy it can devour and use for its resurrection (skin shedding). Sadly, due to Sokolova's interference (with sacrificing living beings after her experiments), the Serpent was able to devour enough energy to not be killed many times.

The Immortal Serpent - if lacking energy or lying dormant - has been noticed to turn into a liquid state, turning almost into an ocean of black ink/mud, but it is a tactic to cover a larger area. Anyone who steps into that liquid would be stabbed with several sharp objects appearing out of it to make sure the prey will not escape. (inspiration comes from Mo.bi.us from HI3).

Immortality. The Abyssal Serpent existed for far longer than anyone can expect, especially knowing how time works in the Abyss. It does not mean the Serpent cannot be killed but it will be quite tough to actually destroy it.

[zorkaya-moved]

𝐙𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐒𝐎𝐊𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐀: 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐅𝐈𝐓.

It's very well known that Zarina hails from Snezhnaya, the land of winter, snow, and low temperature. It is also known that she has a bit of a harder time returning to Sumeru due to the humidity and heat in the rainforest. As someone from a colder region, Zarina prefers to wear light fabrics and as little clothing as possible at her house in Sumeru. Thus, whenever someone visits her in Sumeru and visits her house, Zarina always wears something light that exposes as much skin as possible to let her feel less heat and less constricted by the clothes. Yes, she also loves seeing herself in the mirror wearing such pretty fabrics. It's immediately understood that the fabrics she wears are of high quality, speaking of her riches and her success as an inventor/doctor/scholar.

[zorkaya-moved]

BOLD any  fears  which  apply  to  your  museㅤ/ ㅤITALICIZE which  makes  them  uncomfortableㅤ/ㅤrepost, do not reblog please !

dark.ㅤ fire. ㅤopen water.ㅤ deep  water. ㅤbeing  alone (completely).ㅤ crowded spaces.ㅤconfined spaces.ㅤ open spaces.ㅤ change.ㅤ failure.ㅤ war.ㅤ LOSS OF CONTROL.ㅤ powerlessness.ㅤprison.ㅤ blood. DROWNING.ㅤ suffocation.ㅤ public speaking.ㅤ natural animals.ㅤ the supernatural.ㅤ heights.ㅤ death.ㅤ intimacy. ㅤrejection.ㅤ abandonment.ㅤ loss. ㅤthe unknown.ㅤ the  future.ㅤ not being good enough.ㅤ scary stories.ㅤ speaking to new people.ㅤ poverty.ㅤloud noises. ㅤlack of noise. ㅤbeing touched. ㅤforgetting.ㅤ insects.ㅤ disease.ㅤ falling.

tagged by:ㅤ @suiyuun & @kazuiji ( thank u both goose and maple omg <3 )

tagging: @adagaium , @curiouskinetic , @londonfallen , @wonderloste , @healingshard , @heincus , @eraba-reta-unmei , @lucetestellae , and everyone who wants to try this out!

[zorkaya-moved]

CHARACTER STUDY. 𝑇𝑅𝐴𝐼𝑇𝑆 & 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑅𝐴𝐶𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐼𝑆𝑇𝐼𝐶𝑆

GENPACT VERSE !

EYES : blue | green | brown | hazel | gray | gray-blue | other (golden)

HAIR : blond | sandy | brown | black | auburn | ginger | grey / white (silver) | multi-color | other

BODY  TYPE : skinny | slender | slim | built | curvy | athletic | average | muscular | pudgy | overweight

SKIN : pale | light | fair | freckled | tan | olive | medium | dark | discolored

GENDER : male | female | trans | cis | agender | demigender | genderfluid | other | doesn’t like labels | don’t have any definite headcanon either way

SEXUALITY : heterosexual | homosexual | bisexual | pansexual | asexual | demisexual | other | unsure | doesn’t like labels

ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION : homoromantic | heteroromantic | biromantic | panromantic | aromantic | demiromantic | unsure | doesn’t like labels

EDUCATION : high school | college | university | master’s degree | PhD | other (what's the equivalent of being considered for the sage's position for years now? and graduating twice and also being seen as a heroic figure thanks to her research lmao??)

I’VE BEEN : in love | hurt | ill | mentally abused | bullied | physically abused | tortured | brainwashed | shot

POSITIVE  TRAITS : affectionate | adventurous | athletic | brave | careful | charming | confident | creative | cunning | determined | forgiving | generous | honest | humorous | intelligent | loyal | modest | patient | selfless | polite | down-to-earth | diligent | romantic | moral | fun-loving | charismatic | calm

NEGATIVE  TRAITS : aggressive | bossy | cynical | envious | shy | fearful | greedy | gullible | jealous | impatient | impulsive | cocky | reckless | insecure | irresponsible | mistrustful | paranoid | possessive | sarcastic | self-conscious | selfish | swears | unstable | clumsy | rebellious | emotional | vengeful | anxious | self-sabotaging | moody | peevish | angry | pessimistic | slacker | thin skinned | overly dramatic | argumentative

LIVING  SITUATION : lives alone | lives with parent(s) / guardian | lives with significant other | lives with a friend | drifter | homeless | lives with children | other

PARENTS  /  GUARDIANS : mother | father | adoptive | foster | grandmother | grandfather

SIBLING(S) : sisters | brothers | none | other

RELATIONSHIP : single | crushing | dating | engaged | married | separated | it’s complicated (ships not mentioned)

I  HAVE  A(N) : learning disorder | personality disorder | mental / mood disorder | anxiety disorder | sleep disorder | eating disorder | behavioral disorder | substance-related disorder | PTSD | mental disability | physical disability

THINGS  I’VE  DONE  BEFORE : had alcohol | smoked | stolen | done drugs | self-harmed | starved | had sex | had a threesome | had a one-night stand | gotten into a fist fight | gone to hospital | gone to jail | used a fake ID | played hooky | gone to a rave | killed someone | had someone try to kill them

[zorkaya-moved]

genshin impact — combat voicelines.

BANNER NAME: SERPENT’S ODE TO WINTER MOON. UNIT NAME: NOCTURNAL LULLABY. CONSTELLATION: LUNA GELIDA. WEAPON: MORANA’S LAMENT.

WARNING: All underlined / linked text is voiced when you go through the link by Zarina's EN VA - Claudia Black. Basically, that's how her voice lines will sound.

ELEMENTAL SKILL (HOLD):

o1. Kneel! o2. Obey! o3. This is the end!

ELEMENTAL SKILL (PRESS): o1. Entertain me. o2. Arrogance will be your downfall. o3. Enough.

ELEMENTAL BURST:

o1. Sing with me, Frigid Moon. o2. Dance for me, Immortal Serpent. o3. Bow before me, Abyssal Decadence.

OPENING TREASURE CHEST:

o1. You can use it. o2. Are you done? o3. You can have it.

LOW HP:

o1. *chuckles* I do hope you're not in over your head. o2. Haha, you are no hero. o3. So eager, but this isn't enough.

ALLY AT LOW HP:

o1. Pathetic. o2. Out of my way. o3. What a waste of time.

FALLEN (PASSIVE KICKS IN):

o1. You will not make me bow to the likes of you...! o2. Know your place. o3. You've made me use this... I'll kill you.

FALLEN (NO PASSIVE):

o1. After all of this... Haha... o2. The experiment... has failed. o3. Victor, Aleksey... Sister... won't make it home...

HEAVY HIT TAKEN:

o1. Now... This is getting fun. o2. Tsk... Child's play.

JOINING THE PARTY:

o1. You're an extraordinary one, aren't you? o2. All the pain and suffering you're enduring, you must be dying to meet me. o3. Let us proceed with our path through the treacherous labyrinth of knowledge.

[zorkaya-moved]

GI: HEADCANON — The behavior inside Akademiya. Common knowledge for any character within Sumeru and Akademiya. 

Please know that this is common knowledge for anyone who resides in Sumeru, has been in Sumeru for more than a year, and who has asked about Zarina. This is how the general population sees her and how she built her character/reputation in Sumeru and in Akademiya. Do NOT suddenly have your character think she is suspicious without plotting as she is a well-established scholar with high amounts of respect and privilege earned by her through hard work, networking, and her pretending to be a ‘good person’ for more than ten years. If your character just entered Sumeru and tries to create a scene about her, your character will be considered the confused/rude one for doing that to her. Her word is valued greatly in Sumeru and Akademiya until post-discovery, which must be plotted out or discussed. 

I am NOT diving into Zarina’s internal thoughts and processes. I only write down what the public thinks of her without her inner process and machinations. 

Zarina Sokolova is known across Akademiya as a candidate for the Amurta Darshan’s Sage position and inventor of the blood transfusion surgery that saved countless people in Teyvat in recent years. Her fame precedes her in a way that not many would expect a scholar to be: she is hands-on, she is one with a bit of too much sense of humor, and she is ambitious. Additionally, Zarina is known not to wear Akasha Terminal as much as others, only having to wear it when she must deliver certain news or bring in the results of her study before Sages.

What do people hear when they speak about Zarina? Well, one of the things people always use about her is that she is… possibly a lunatic, just like the infamous Alhaitham, but in a comedic sense. When such confusion is seen on the faces of others, scholars usually laugh with a light-heartedness in their voice as they explain to the confused individual why that is the way people describe her. Zarina is known to be charismatic, humorous, and straightforward. She was considered ‘insane’ for her unique ideas in medicine and elemental study. She was the one asked to study Eleazar when Dunyarzad’s family wanted to save their daughter; even though Zarina was unable to cure her yet was able to give her an easier time walking and living… But it did not cure Eleazar. Similarly to Il Dottore, she was able to stop the rapid progression of Eleazar, but she said that it won’t hold on for too long, nor was she able to cure Dunyarzad. 

What people cared to remember was: Dunyardzad was overlooked by Zarina and had her condition improved, even if it was a slight improvement, but it was an improvement. Not only that,  but the scholars of Sumeru also know that she refused the full payment provided to her by Dunyarzad’s parents because, as she put it down: “I was not able to cure your daughter, you hired me to cure her, but I was unable to do anything aside from giving her a short-living relief to enjoy more of her life.”

It left an impression, especially after her blood transfusion surgery that already established her as a ‘good person’ in the eyes of many. 

Where else does the ‘insane’ adjective come from the fact that she was a prodigy? ‘Insane’ is more of a compliment to her, knowing why it is there. Zarina has finished her studies in Amurta Darshan and also takes classes (does research) in Spantamad Darshan. She is a genius, a prodigy. This is what everyone knows and believes from seeing her ease with passing classes, her confidence, and her approach to different topics. She brought Kshahrewar students in for her blood transfusion surgery project, which showed that combining the minds of different people and their specializations would be able to bring something better. But aside from her, not many students actually did it because they wanted to graduate on their own and they didn’t want to share success with others. This is another reason why scholars call Zarina Sokolova a ‘good person' in Akademiya. By sharing her success with students from another Darshan, she was able to gain respect from them and their help in the future but also showed that she had a ‘golden heart,’ as gold as her name and as gold as her eyes. 

Sokolova is also known for refusing the position of Amurta’s Sage three times. It became a legend in the Akademiya. It is something that characters like Tighnari know all too well as someone who speaks with Naphis quite often. It is a sore spot for conversation for both Naphis and Zarina as they both want different things in this case. Naphis wants Akademiya to have fresh blood leading them and someone who understands where knowledge must go. Still, Zarina wants to remain free to do what she wants without additional responsibilities. 

So what changed when she took on the study of the Abyss? Well, this is where people started to whisper behind her back about how arrogant she became with her successes and her offers. People started to wonder if she was a lunatic, to which some would fully dedicate their opinion. The study of the Abyss and Abyss Order made people question her reasons for it. Some people started to become wary of her, avoiding Sokolova altogether while saying that ‘we are too scared we will be swept and won’t be able to come out.’ As if her ambition and her drive were poisonous to them, no, intoxicating. However, there was another group of people who said that if there is anyone who can find the depths of knowledge when it comes to the Abyss - it is her, and she is doing this for the sake of others as she always did.

Before the discovery of her illegal experimentation, her standing is still very high as it ever was despite people being concerned over her Abyss Order study. People praise her, they say she is a good friend and a wonderful mentor, and that she is a genius. Some people mention that she has a stick up her ass for her sarcastic commentary and her general behavior of clownery, but that is all.

[zorkaya-moved]

in the sexy sunday celebration: genshin verse au.

you should let zarina post-merge w/ serpent go down on your muse, that long serpentine fork tongue does magic.

thank you. bye.