#(this is in reference to comparing the way zhongli and venti rule)

[spunkykirby]

Oh this conversation brings up good points + is hilarious. I'm not trying to force a back and forth convo but I did want to plaster rumbling thoughts on my blog. I don't go here so I won't comment on any of your other posts outside of this one 💀 (and once again feel free to ignore or whatev b/c this is just some random commenter's rambling).

Almost the whole thing can almost be summed up as:

"I'm open to criticisms (which hints to being able to discuss the main targeted person at hand and certainly not deflecting to other's issues to avoid criticism) and I'm not above them!"

Mediator who had nothing to do with the convo: "Ok, this is simply what Ei was trying to say-"

"Well did you know that her AND your nation went thru [unrelated topic brought up to deflect from your criticism of me]?1?11?!"

...

Additionally and ironically, it could be argued one who went through a certain conflict (and SOLVED it, unlike a certain Hydro Archon) would be in an understandable position to bring it up in advising others due to them experiencing it all personally before. They know what to point out early on for others to not make the same mistakes. Instead of. You know. Interpreting it as a Biased Attack™.

Ei's "mistakes" (I don't even think she regrets doing them lol don't we love problematic characters) aren't really defensible at all, but she wasn't the main criticizing topic at hand lol, this (almost) entire thing is one of the biggest deflection-based "discussions" I've ever seen despite raising interesting points.

1. "It took you ages to get to a mindset Barbatos applied from the start!1!"

Oh my! The same mindset that immediately and rapidly developed slavery and torturous child trafficking as the social norm? Because there was a rule of "no order from an Archon"? Amazing!

Did she also forget Morax's "rulership" integrated Venti's ways in a slightly different (and arguably healthier) manner via literally meeting and advising his citizens only once a year before leaving them to their own devices for the rest of the year?

He's literally almost as hands off as Venti. The only time(s) he "actually" intervenes/rules in civilian affairs is when there's a godly threat threatening to destroy them or when they need desperate help in cultivating their environment (re: him teaching them how to build houses out of Mora). That's it.

2. "Political and Civil unrest created by yours truly"

This has to be one of the most onesided "criticisms" in the series. Firstly, what makes Furina assume the problem didn't start with the Tsaritsa (with Liyue being forced to react) but with Morax only? the Tsaritsa was coming to stir up trouble/war (as she's doing to ALL nations) with or without Morax's intervention.

If anything, his presence "smoothed over" the negative consequences of a LITERAL inevitability. This "unrest" issue with Liyue started due to the Tsaritsa essentially starting a Gnosis war with every Archon. The Tsaritsa wouldn't stop an inevitable confrontation with Liyue should Morax refuse to give up his Gnosis, which would've caused far more casualties Liyue couldn't afford.

3. "A test that shouldn't have come from your hand" so is this confirmation Furina was solely praising Venti's "hands off" strategy to shat on Morax? There's very little reason to state someone else's way of ruling is better just to force the exact opposite logic later ("you should've manually controlled more via making things easier").

Additionally, it's arguable that the test NEEDED to be severe due to the fact the Adepti and Humans were NOT going to actually ally with one another lest an extreme situation forced them to (as showcased with their first conversation following Morax's "death").

"But do you truly think you would've saved them all unscathed" you mean the same way the court of fontaine executes it's (as Furina professes) totally Equal, Fair, and Logistic judgments, of which is shamelessly responsible for ruining/killing countless innocent's lives and families by setting their traumas up as mere entertainment and nothing more?

But to actually answer the question, as the oldest Archon who has objectively backed his sh*t in every single extreme situation he's ever come across in lore (including what happened in gamecanon, pointedly unlike Furina so far), yes. The following Millelith soldier confirms nothing severe happened as well.

["Not as badly battered as I feared we might be" is a dead giveaway the most severe consequence, rampant death among everyone, did not happen. You can also check in with the surrounding soldiers after the battle is over for further proof favoring the little to no casualties argument]

This "Night of the Perilous sea" is mere child's play to the actual threats that are to come, re:Abyss Sibling, Heavenly Principles responsible for shattering nations, etc. It'd arguably be more of an insult of a test should Morax give a lighter test all future conflicts/enemy lore considered.

3. "Did you tell your people about Azhdaha?" "In a manner where it could still happen again" Yet another victim-blind virtue signal disguised as a criticism. Azhdaha can be a semi exception b/c there are very little alternative safe options. The Adepti LITERALLY helped Morax fight and seal away Azhdaha the first time, therefore they know he's still alive. Making something as detrimental as Azhdaha common knowledge among everyone certainly isn't as big of a smart choice either.

Morax COULD NOT (and still cannot) kill Azhdaha due to his death potentially blowing up 60% of Liyue and potentially destroying their leylines beyond repair. You know. The actual threats explained in Azhdaha's backstory/history that Furina supposedly skimmed, hence showcasing she's potentially the one on the higher-than-thou trip she accused the others of being on initially?

It also goes without saying the Qixing would (more than likely) know, now that they're closely affiliated with the Adepti and they're in close communication when it comes to Actual Threats re:Beisht.

I'm sorry I may have missed something but where exactly was it confirmed that he never ever told the Adepti (who already know of Azhdaha's status) and the Qixing about Azhdaha? Why exactly would Zhongli immediately inform the Adepti + Qixing he's actually alive via dreams following a major incident like his death but not Azhdaha? That doesn't make sense.

With Venti...he's more of a mystery than Zhongli in some aspects. In addition anyone could see his surface level flaws a mile away. I had similar thoughts about him. Don't forget he was pretty flippant about Albedo potentially destroying Mondstat in the future and basically doing nothing to stop it lol.

"Do not speak as if your methods are more correct" When did they confirm they were trying to project their methods were better when they didn't even mention them? Their (or really, just Ei's) concern lie with one subject at hand before Furina spiraled it all into some major deflection-projection wombo combo virtue signaling rant...? "Hey I'm concerned about this topic concerning you" != "My past is all the more superior. Bow to my judgment."

Claiming you're not above criticism, and then deflecting to someone else's unrelated problems everytime they mention a sliver of a solution to something you potentially need advising on is not the mature + accurate standpoint she thinks it is. If we're being accurate, actually stay on the main topic/person for starters. We couldn't even stay on that point, due to the other Archons being forcibly restricted from actually criticizing her (save for maybe Ei, but that's a stretch given all Furina was allowed to say about Ei vs what Ei would have to say about Furina).

Gods judgment

Furina:*bites cake* Ugh, why must being an Archon be so polarizing at times!? I’m near my wits end.

Ei:While I agree to the sentiment, you’d have much less to complain about if you were diligent in your duties.

Pleasant vibes stop

Venti:Oh boy…

Nahida:What’s happening.

Venti:Shhh, pretend you’re invisible,

Furina:Baal, I am positive you of all people didn’t just talk to me about diligence regarding my responsibilities.

Zhongli:She was merely giving you advice since-

Furina:Oh are we really doing this? Do I need to remind you that if anyone has to the authority to judge the ways of other gods it is I, Focalor. *stands up*

Zhongli:Failure to take criticism will only slow progress.

Furina:Don’t misunderstand my situation. You forget yourself, Morax. Criticism indeed has value, and I’d made certain not even I can go unchecked in my own nation. The problem here is that two of you dare to speak in a tone that implies superiority when all you hold is errors so catastrophic that it’s felt in every wave.

Ei:Are you truly one to talk about errors when your problems arise from negligence?

Furina:Ha! That’s rich coming from the Archon who literally made her problem. You dare speak of negligence when you all but abandoned your people to the whims of an unfeeling stand-in? My people and I face a catastrophe forced upon us while yours endured the weight of your grief. Do not speak to me about negligence.

Ei:…..

Furina:But hey, grief is a toxic and dangerous thing that mortals and the divine understand. I do not judge you for feeling pain. It is far more reasonable flaw than that of the eldest of us. *looks at Morax* You want to discuss slow progress and criticism? It took you ages to get to a mindset Barbatos applied from the start!

Venti:Oh, wow. Zhongli she might actually have a point.

Furina:*points* Don’t get too proud of yourself, Barbatos! You’re next.

Venti:Hehe, I figured….

Zhongli:The circumstances between Liyue’s development and Mondstat’s are vastly different in what problems stood in their wake. Liyue would not have lasted to this day without a firm hand guiding the way. Much like how your nation has greatly benefited from your Chief Justice.

Furina:I do not deny my Iudex has been indispensable in Fontaine’s development. However, once again, you are mistaken about the problem. I have no issue in the role you choose for yourself to craft your land. I think it’s quite magnificent. But a show and by extension, a role is only as good as its ending. The protractor of the land chooses to exit the stage with political and civil unrest due to scheme crafted by his truly. As the God of Contracts, could you not have made one with your people stating a resignation in the coming years. In that time you would sufficiently train them to live without you instead of awakening an old adversary.

Zhongli:Preparations only go so far. A test would have to come eventually to truly put my mind at ease.

Furina:A test that shouldn’t come from your hand and not as severe. Life is the test. Make no mistake, I fully believe you would’ve handled it if your people failed, but do you truly think you would’ve saved them all unscathed. You, who knows the chaos war and battle well? I recognize my bias when I say this but it truly disgusts me to see an Archon through the night of a perilous sea at it’s people just to see if they could retire to sipping tea. To make matters worse, you’re not even consistent.

Zhongli:What are you-

Furina:Did you tell your people about Azdaha? From what I gathered, not only did you handle that actual catastrophe discretely, but in a manor where it could still happen again. You want the best for your people, yet you deny them the opportunity to prepare for the future you yourself could prevent.

Zhongli:….

Furina:Barbatos!

Venti:Ley me guess, I’m too lazy?

Furina:Your nation speaks for itself. Calm, self sufficient, and joyous for extended periods of time. I would never say any of you aren’t attentive to your people.

Ei:This sounds like nothing but praise!

Venti:Maybe I’m just a champion of work life balance?

Furina:You sleep too late.

Venti:….*rubs head* I could see why you might say that.

Furina:So could anyone who knows your nation’s history. It’s never a question of if you show up, but when. Although I love a hero arriving in the nick of time, I’m sure your people would’ve loved to see you before the slavery was institutionalized. Not only that, but it’s your failure to arrive punctually that created a harbinger in the first place.

Venti:No god can be everywhere at once or go indefinitely without rest.

Furina:Correct, but no other god here besides Buer and myself have the means to have a steady pulse the people like you do. You are The God of Anemo. There is no whisper in your land that you can not hear. Frankly I wouldn’t have a reason to judge your methods if you didn’t sleep through the tragedies. I’ll admit, I am a tad envious of your prosperity.

Venti:Hmm, I can’t lie and say I don’t see a little merit in that criticism. Although if you ask me, I don’t it would solve as many problems as you believe. Even so, I can accept that perspective for what it is.

Nahida:(He’s rather accommodating to her outburst. Perhaps he’s trying to diffuse the situation?) Hmm!?

Furina:*staring*….

Nahida:H-Hello.

Furina:You understand I’m not above judging even you, a fellow young Archon? My dear Buer, I suspect you’re aware of your faults; or does your wisdom not extend to introspection?

Nahida:No, it does. *slouches* In a lot of ways, I let my nation unravel because of my own self pity.

Furina:I guess your wisdom is boundless if you can admit to that. Feeling unwanted and trapped, you thought it best to have them walk over you for their own benefit until you finally decided a line was crossed. Your wrongful imprisonment should’ve been that line. Though the irony of your situation is how you were never truly trapped, were you? Arriving in dreams and controlling minds without their knowledge was more than enough power to start a coup. No matter how you look at it Buer, you could have fought back. Instead you acted as powerless as they called you.

Nahida:Sigh… You’re right. That sort of force of authority though really isn’t in my nature.

Furina:You remind me of Neuvillette. So soft by nature. Far too conservative about exercising what is yours by right. That being said, people like you aren’t bad. Anyone could chalk it up to inexperience or a way of belief. In fact, that could be said about all of you.

Ei:If that’s apparent to you then what was the point of this so called “judgement?”

Furina:As I said earlier, I’m not above criticism. I’m not even claiming my way is the most splendid. That being said, do not speak to me as if your methods are correct. Look down on me all you want. I refuse to let anyone judge my methods against the likes of my fellow Archons as if anyone of you or doing this job “correctly.” Especially when one of the seven thrives in dangerous tension and another has the audacity to send her people to overthrow our nations. For as long as I reign, I, Focalor, will hold one thing as an absolute truth. I am not lesser than any other ruler. I rest my case.

Nahida:I thinks you’re doing your best.

Furina:….*wipes face* Thank you.

Zhongli and Ei: (So high strung) *pats her head*

Furina:Excuse me!? I -I don’t need to be coddled!

Venti:*plays calming music*

Furina:Sigh… *accepts comfort.

[kyuuppi]

How they react when you're jealous

Ft. Wanderer (Scaramouche); Xiao; Zhongli; Childe; Venti; Albedo; Tighnari

(gender neutral reader but Childe refers to them as "princess"/"prince" once)

⭐ Wanderer

+ This man is actually insufferable, good-fucking-luck

+ He acts so smug 'cause of course you'd be jealous, he's revered and worshipped by the masses!! (he's not)

+ Will probably cockily tell you you'll just have to get used to it, he's a god afterall so it's expected that he'll have many loyal fans all vying for his attention—

+ It's all a farce

+ In reality, he's kind of in shock that you'd really be jealous over him, the useless puppet discarded by his own mother—but that's his unresolved insecurity and mommy issues talking

+ He'll keep up the façade and tease you for a while until he realizes you're genuinely upset—then he'll find some roundabout way to tell you that you have nothing to worry about, he only has eyes for you...of course he'll never directly admit that, though

"Hah, you're jealous? What a foolish human emotion—of course I'll be adored by thousands..."

The Wanderer cuts himself off as he takes in your tense form, brows furrowed and eyes looking anywhere but him as you quietly seethe. His chest clenches in that weird way it only seems to do when you're involved.

"Wait...don't tell me you're actually angry...?"

You don't show any signs you even heard his question and the Wanderer sighs dramatically, averting his own gaze to hide his reddening cheeks as he mumbles his next words.

"You have nothing to worry about, idiot...you're way above any of those other weaklings anyway."

⭐ Xiao

+ I'm sorry but he literally is incapable of understanding that you're jealous

+ Like...he can barely even process that you like him, let alone recognize the advances of another random human who is interested in him. The time he even spends with others is extremely limited unless you're involved so there aren't many chances for anyone to talk to him

+ If it's something like another adepti or half-adepti, like Ganyu, who he's been spending a lot more time with lately training, you might feel insecure by your own mortality, which Xiao can somewhat understand but still doesn't get the jealousy part

+ Tries his best to try to comfort you though, even if it means shyly asking Zhongli or Verr Goldet

+ Surprisingly ends up coming to the best solution—spending more time with you

You nearly jump out of your skin when you turn to find the figure of your boyfriend standing behind you on the balcony of Wangshu Inn. You're certain he wasn't there just five minutes ago.

"Huh? Shouldn't you be training Ganyu today...?" You ask, feeling slightly sick at the mention of the pretty half-adeptus girl. She was a sweetheart and a great friend but you can't help but to think about how much time she's been spending with Xiao. You're sure she doesn't have any ulterior motives but you can't help but to think about how much prettier and stronger she is compared to you. Surely Xiao sees it too...

"We agreed to take a break for today," Xiao immediately answers, slowly stepping forward until his cheat is nearly touching the back of your arm, so close you can smell the faint traces of his natural scent—something fresh and crisp like the mountain air.

"Instead...I want to spend some time with you—if you'll allow it." He says softly. You momentarily freeze, not used to Xiao initiating dates. Unperturbed, he continues speaking.

"I thought we could do that mortal activity you told me about before. I think it was called...a picnic?"

⭐ Zhongli

+ The god who has ruled over humans for over 2,000 years—of course he's familiar with such a common emotion like jealousy. Even if he himself has yet to experience it

+ He would never assume you were jealous unless you openly tell him about it

+ But then he's quick to assuage your worries and maybe even propose some sort of compromise that can satisfy you both

+ Spends a night absolutely spoiling you until you hardly remember you were ever jealous in the first place, if that's what you so desire

"Ah, it seems you may have misunderstood my relationship with the funeral director, I apologize if I caused you any discomfort," Zhongli tells you earnestly, gently holding your hands in his own, much larger ones and holding your gaze so intensely you find it impossible to look away.

"Now tell me, my dear, how may I settle your worries? Perhaps we should take some time away, just the two of us?"

⭐ Childe

+ Idk how you even got jealous in the first place cause this man is glued to your hip

+ Slightly flattered when he recognizes your signs of jealousy cause he just sees it as proof of how much you care about him

+ It may feel a bit demeaning at first but he will not take your jealousy seriously. He baby talks, pinches your cheeks, and teases you but will not show any genuine concern—not because he doesn't care about your feelings, but because he's so sure that he only has eyes for you that he thinks your jealously is completely unreasonable in the first place

+ As a big fan of PDA, he takes the advantage to be more touchy and affectionate with you in public under the guise of "showing everyone he's yours"

+ If anything, he's the one whose always jealous when another person takes so much as a second of your attention—but you don't need to know that

"Aww, is my prince/ss pouting now? Ahaha, don't look at me like that!" Childe effortlessly dodges the elbow you aim at his ribs after he pinches at the fat of your cheek for the third time today.

Not perturbed in the least, Childe sticks himself to your side and continues to grin down at you, uncaring of the strangers who glance at you two with strange looks as you make your way through the busy streets of Liyur Harbor.

"Here, how about I make it up to you and we go on a lunch date? My treat!"

⭐ Venti

+ Another one who doesn't take your concerns seriously

+ However, unlike most of the other men, it's pretty reasonable to be jealous with how Venti talks to everyone

+ He's naturally romantic and seems to possess no clear boundaries, leading to him saying things that could be construed as flirtatious without him even realizing it

+ When he's tipsy on dandelion wine, it's not unusual to see him belting out ballads and serenading anyone nearby willing to give him the time of day—though, in reality, his love songs are all actually written about you

"Oh, my windblume is feeling a bit jealous?"

You don't bother providing a response but Venti doesn't seem to need one.

"Ehehe, so cute," he coos, shamelessly wrapping his arms around you. Any feelings of jealousy you hold are quickly being replaced with embarrassment at how other patrons in the crowded bar frequently glance at you and your loud boyfriend.

"No worries, my love, this poor bard's heart only beats for you! I'll even prove it with this song I wrote..."

⭐ Albedo

+ It's Sucrose, isn't it?

+ They spend all those hours locked up in a small lab room in the depths of Dragonspine—its only natural that you'd feel suspicious right?

+ Wrong

+ When he's not with you, Albedo literally only thinks about his experiemnts or drawing. In fact, the times you and Albedo are together are really the only time anyone ever sees Albedo actually listen to someone outside of the Knights of Favonius and talk about things that aren't directly related to alchemy

+ As the so-called "chalk prince," it's not that uncommon for people to find him physically attractive and try their luck—but any deeper feelings usually vanish when they realize he has no interest in them. That and his blank stares can get rather unsettling...

+ If you do get jealous about Albedo being around anyone, it will eventually go away on its own as you realize this man is literally incapable of recognizing flirting

+ (Also, Sucrose is literally an angel and would never jeopardize your relationship. Like, she actively ships you guys together, pls—)

"...which is a particularly unique property for this chemical given it's electronegativity. In fact—oh, [Name], what are you doing here?"

You try very hard not to laugh at the relieved expression the woman Albedo was previously lecturing shoots you. She wastes no time slipping out of the lab while Albedo is distracted, his ocean deep eyes staring at you with a mix of surprise and quiet adoration.

"Ah, it's about lunch time and I don't have any commissions today so I thought we could go get something to eat together. Sorry if I'm disturbing you—"

"Not at all," Albedo interrupts, quickly putting away the glass vial he previously held and removing his latex gloves.

"A visit from you is never a disturbance," Albedo admits plainly, oblivious to the way his words make your chest squeeze.

"Now let's go. If we hurry, we might be able to make it to that place you like before they get crowded."

⭐ Tighnari

+ Lmao what are you jealous of, a flower?

+ This is another Science Man™️ who literally sees nothing but his work. Unless there's a rare sentient species of seductive mushrooms in Sumeru with it's sights set on fennec fox boys, you have nothing to worry about

+ Collei sees him as something akin to an older brother figure and Tighnari is too sassy for anyone else to get close unless they're interested in joining the forest watchers

+ If you tell him you're jealous, he's probably going to call you an idiot for even thinking he's interested in anyone else

Tighnari looks almost annoyed at your confession, glancing up from his journal only to shoot you a glare.

"Hah? Did you accidentally eat some hallucinogenic mushrooms again? I don't have enough time entertain things like that. What a ridiculous accusation."

Annoyance bubbles up inside you but, before you can act on it, Tighnari is already standing from his desk, striding over to you quickly to gently pull you along with him.

"Now come with me. I found an interesting flower on the outskirts of camp I think you'd like."

The proud grin highlighted by the sparkle in his eyes as he looks up at you quickly cuts off any protests you were going to make.

[cookiesonfire]

I know zero things about genshin bust that can open

I'm sorry in advance but you asked for it >:3

Okok so imagine two twins (Lumine❤️ and Aether) travel through many worlds/universes and they land upon Teyvat (technically Teyvat is a continent I think) and when they're abt to leave, there’s a mysterious white haired god, the sustainer of heavenly principles, who stops them from doing so (something about "arrogance of mankind ends now"). I chose Lumine as my choice of twin bc she's best girl but either can be protagonist. And then Aether gets swallowed up by cube things and then Lumine fights the god more and ends up the same way. Then she wakes up on a beach saved by Paimon (tiny floating girl with white hair with symbols on her clothes looking suspiciously similar to the mysterious god's) and Lumine is now stuck in this world, some seal on her that suppresses her powers, and her goal is to find her brother. And that's where the game starts, which is 500 years after the original fight with the mysterious god. Lumine was supposedly sleeping/confined the entire time.

Teyvat has 7 nations, each of which has its element and thing: Mondstadt (anemo/of freedom), Liyue (geo/of contracts), Inazuma (electro/of eternity), Sumeru (dendro/of wisdom), Fontaine (hydro/of justice), Natlan (pyro/of war), Snezhnaya(cryo/we don't know yet). So far only up to Fontaine is released, later this year Natlan will be released and next year Snezhnaya will be released (and there will be more). Each nation also has its own archon (god essentially). There was this war called The Archon War like 2000 years ago and there was lots of fighting and whatnot and the 7 that were left became an archon of each nation. Archons can age and die and be replaced and aren't invincible nor are they perfect/omniscient; I like to think of them as a higher/way more powerful type of being compared to humans. Only 2 of 7 current archons are the ones who originally fought in the archon war: Venti/Barbatos(Mondstadt) and Zhongli❤️/Morax(Liyue). The other current archons: Raiden Ei/Beelzebul(Inazuma), Nahida/Buer(Sumeru), Furina/Focalors(Fontaine), Murata/*maybe Aym*(Natlan), Tsaritsa/?(Snezhnaya). All the archons have their current human form name(which is before the slash), a name their people use to refer to them(which I didn’t write), and their demon name(after slash). I believe there isn’t much of a lore implication based on their demon names but we don’t have info abt all the archons yet.

There's also Celestia which is kind of "above" (physically and other ways) the entire world of Teyvat and the rulers in Celestia are called the heavenly principles(type of higher beings than the archons imo). You can also actually see the location from the current version of the game very very far away. Celestia essentially rules all of Teyvat but they don't interfere with the world (except for 500 years ago) or the archons ruling their nations. Each archon also has a gnosis (shaped like a certain chess piece which has lore implications that I don't fully know yet and each is associated with the archon's element). From what we've seen, the gnosis is more of a status symbol/connection between archon and Celestia and perhaps enhances an archon's power. But it is not what gives the archon their power/right to rule (and is perhaps not that important/or archons don't care abt Celestia anymore since archons seem to give up their gnoses pretty easily).

So 500 years ago there was actually 8 nations in Teyvat. The 8th nation was Khaenri'ah, a nation that excelled in,,, creating very powerful things/beings? Essentially the heavenly principles (or just one of them? the mysterious god) saw this as a threat ("arrogance of mankind ends now") and there was a huge war (The Khaenri'ah War lol) and the nation was destroyed. *I think* the twins were involved in some way or found out something abt this which is why the mysterious god attacked them 500 years ago. Tho I also don't think the twins are humans since we have some proof they're immortals of some kind and are quite powerful (Lumine now being suppressed by some seal). We also have some characters from Khaenri'ah: Kaeya (playable/cryo) and Dainsleif (probably playable in future/none of the elements we know currently). There's also the abyss order, who consist of remaining members of Khaenri'ah (monsters now bc they were cursed/"pollution"/etc) and they're one of the opposing forces against us/Lumine who's goal is to revive Khaenri'ah and overthrow Celestia and the archons.

Hoyoverse (the company) also has other games and all their games universes/lore are actually connected. There's thing whole thing abt Teyvat just being one of many universes relating to Yggdrasil (idk I haven't played Honkai or anything but I might just for more lore). There's also this idea/sentence hoyo keeps teasing us with "the skies of Teyvat are fake." There's many theories abt what exactly this means but idk there's a lot.

In the game, Lumine w Paimon is going to each nation (in order that I mentioned above) and her goal is to find the archon and ask abt her brother/the god and we end up saving/solving each nation's problem. In between each nation's quests, we have interlude quests where we learn abt the abyss order and how Aether/abyss twin is fighting on their side and that Dainsleif and Aether used to travel together 500 years ago and perhaps took a similar journey across the 7 nations that Lumine is now. And uh there's a lot more in those quests. Also how one of the common enemies in the game is a hilichurl and that hilichurls used to be humans in Khaenri'ah and the war has but reduced them to a husk.

There's also the fatui and the Tsaritsa, archon of Snezhnaya. They've been going around collecting/stealing/bargaining the gnoses off of each archon. And the top members of the fatui are the Harbingers (there's 11 of them, ranked, and all their names are based off of Italian opera: il Dottore, Arlecchino, Tartaglia, etc.) and they're Tsaritsa's main bitches basically. None of them really like each other that much, perhaps some have admiration as a coworker for someone else’s abilities/power, but all of them have their own loyalties, some to Tsaritsa, others have their ulterior motives. Some of them kind of hate each other. By the end of Sumeru's quests (I haven't started Fontaine), we've fought and made frenemies with Childe/Tartaglia, killed La Signora, and erased Scaramouche from the knowledge base of the world kind of and now he's The Wanderer or whatever you name him, and encountered Dottore (he sucks 1) bc he’s one of those snobby insufferable intellectual bitches 2) if you read the genshin manga, you learn that he does a lot of human experimentation and specifically experimented on a loved playable character Collei). So now they're down to 9 harbingers. They're kind of always fucking shit up just as Lumine is trying to "save" a nation.

So there's like 3 main antagonistic forces for the traveler/Lumine: Celestia/or just the mysterious god specifically(don’t know yet), the abyss order, and the fatui. It’s a bit strange as some of these forces also oppose each other but there’s a lot of layers, like an onion if you will. There’s intra-nation conflicts which we solve as we go to each nation, then there’s inter-nation conflicts mostly between snezhnaya and other nations (though the nations are mostly fine among each other), and then there’s the conflicts between traveler and abyss order+abyss twin which bleeds into some of the conflict between traveler and Celestia, also the the conflict between abyss order and Celestia.

There’s also conflicts regarding the very nature of this world, implied by abyss twin in the interlude quests and Dottore at the end of Sumeru quest and other Hoyo games. When we found out that the twin is on abyss order’s side, he implied that he journeyed through the nations and discovered something that made him realize something abt the world and made him turn and implied that we’ll understand at the end of our journey. OR he truly has been corrupted, but that would be the boring and easy way out. And the fatui collecting all the gnoses may mean that the Tsaritsa is trying to go against Celestia, like the abyss order. So who is the true antagonist? What is the truth of this world? Does it even matter? Who even are the twins? Who else are the heavenly principles? What do they want from this world? Yeah so yeah

[yanfeisty]

!Sagau! Can i request some reactions of venti, kusanali, raiden ei, zhongli, and barbara of god reader being double from skullgirls? ( she is a monster in disguise as a nun under the name agatha look up her form its cool! She is known to be more hostile and angry towards enemies, but lesser hostile to close ones she is one of the enemies, following unknown masters. I recommend learning about her in skullgirls wiki so the information are accurate OwO. Feel free to ignore or declined! Even if it took a long time i'll wait patiently :3.

Genshin hcs | Double!Reader

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 : Barbara, Ei, Venti, Yae Miko, Zhongli x Creator!Reader

𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 : You're hard to please and you hide your true apparence from them, but some Acolytes found a way into your heart.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 : Religious theme.

𝐀/𝐍 : Hello and thx for requesting! I'm sorry I'm not doing Kusanali yet bc I don't know about her much, so I replaced her with Yae, but I hope you'll still enjoy it and that I didn't write Double ooc TT.

Masterlist

⠀‣ Barbara

. Since you're a rather stoic person, she won't push you to like her, but she won't be able to hide her joy to finally meet and serve you. She knows songs that can calm you down, would you like to hear one? She also knows the city by heart, and the best places for you. She's a bit shy and sometimes lost for words at your presence, but she's trying her best to share the joy you gave her with you.

. If you reveal your true form to her, she'll feel honored that you trust her with it, and that she's part of the people you're less hostile with and she's hopefully in your good grace. She's doesn't you as a monster, her God could never be seen as something horrible, everything about you is so pure and true. And she really doesn't want you to feel insecure about it, since others might see you as a monster and that your appearance in the sacred texts were wrong. (Even if you don't care)

. She's more curious on how does your form works, do you need to sleep, what's your alimentation, etc...Takes care even more of you in this form, you might feel alone and you'll need proper assistance, that she and only a few can provide. She'll make sure to have everything for you.

. She doesn't know anything about your "masters" but if her God follows them, that means they are her masters too! Maybe they're your creator, which means they're extremely important. She'll make sure to reference them in one of her verse, if you let her.

⠀‣ Ei

. She says she understands if you're not the most friendly type and that it's hard to win your heart, and will not try to force you to favor her, but without even realizing, she's doing the opposite. Always asking if you need something or any help, she offers gifts or sometime sends her servants, to shower you with them, aks what's your opinion about things she isn't sure what you'll think of it. She'll be glad to be part of the people you aren't hostile with, she hopes at least you consider her as tolerable.

. For her, your true form is beautiful, you take the apparence of a mortal, but as in what she considers your God's form, you represent eternity, one that is untouchable from anything and anyone, and will remain forever to rule Teyvat. And it's a privilege for her to see you like that, which she won't like to share with anyone, she's one of your most devoted follower, the rest are either enemies of your eternity or too low compared to your superiority.

. For your enemies, do you perhaps need her to end them? She'll be glad to, if you judge them to be hostile with, that means they're a threat that needs to be remove, or she'll be very happy to fight them with you at her side, she'll be your blade that'll make them regret to go against you.

. Ei frankly doesn't care about your masters, she doesn't know them and she can't see how could they be superior to you, but she'll try to talk good of their name in front of you.

⠀‣ Venti

. He'll make sure that he finds a way to your heart, one poem or song that'll make you at ease with him, and break this stoic facade of yours, he isn't the best bard in Mondstadt for nothing! He can take you under the tree that he likes, and you can talk to him about anything or even nothing if you prefer, as long as you feel that he's a good companion.

. About your other form, which makes him hide his excitement when you reveal it to him, but he can't suppress the smile plastered on his face, more for the fact that you finally trust him. But he still likes it, in fact, he ships his wisp form with you as he thinks you would look adorable together. You're still the same Creator he loves no matter the apparence you take!

. He is suspicious about your supposed masters, why do you exactly consider them as such, and what do they exactly ask you to do. He'll try to play it smooth in trying to get informations from you, but worries as if it's actually from your own will or are they manipulating you.

⠀‣ Yae Miko

. It's easy for her to enter in your good grace, she's just watching how you're behaving with others and learns from it. Maybe, that's how she sees right through you, lurking made her notice your secretive nature. Perhaps, through that unfaze mask of yours hides something more sinister that people wouldn't be ready to see.

. And she's glad that she was right, you do look like and act secretly like something that would give a heart attack to its people. But for now, only her knows and she'll happily keep it for herself, she'll reward you with her other form too. It's a truly an honor to see you like this and reveal your true self to her, don't keep any secrets from her, you can trust her and she'll be joyful to help.

. That's why you should tell her more about those secret commanders, maybe she can offer them her service, that's what she's telling you, but her real motive is more of learning about them, why do they need you, and what goals do you have for following them, but most importantly, are they a threat to you and Teyvat, a Creator can't have someone above them, maybe she should put them back in their place, and let them know who is the real superior being.

⠀‣ Zhongli

. He gives you all the time you need to warm up to him, but he is still an Acolyte, so he is pretty much always by your side. You'll naturally come to him as he is a calm and wise person, moments with him are relaxing, in opposite with your other followers overwhelming you with their praise. Zhongli will conceal the joy and the bit of pride he has when you come talk to him alone or when you need to calm down, he truly feels blessed.

. But not as much than when you show your other form, regressing to a young god overly excited by his Creator, when he sees it, which he tries to hide, because you like his calming and mature nature. If anyone has any doubts, for him it just proves your God status, as you're not a mortal, but a divine being that nobody could compare to, if someone dares to do a blasphemy and say you have the apparence or mind of a demon, he'll shut them up with a meteor if they're an enemy, or if it's a normal citizen, pity them to not recognize their Creator and instead let their own heart invaded by hatred.

. For those unknowns masters you seem to follow, like Venti, he'll try to get informations about them, but if don't let him, well, he won't push you further. As long, as they don't make you do anything that could potentially hurt you, he doesn't see a problem if you want to follow them, but you'll stay forever the superior being in his eyes.

[probably-haven]

Hello! What do you think about Morax/Rex Lapis/Zhongli? And any thoughts about his relationship with Venti/Barbatos? I really like your Archon!Venti post so I thought I'd throw in an ask :D also feel free to drop Morax lore muahaha

Okay here goes! Also I'm realizing now that I may have gotten a bit ahead of myself with all the Liyue research since the ask doesn't really have to do with a whole lot of specific lore instances- opinions for now. 

Anyway! Let's get onto it! For now I'll be focusing on a combination of Zhongli as a character, and his relationship with Venti!

-

So we all make the jokes about Zhongli being a grandpa in retirement and I used to be like "lol how funny he's a God, there's no way that that fits." but it actually kind of does.

See the thing with the different archons is genshin that I find really interesting is the fact that each of them portrays the idea of immortality differently- a different take on it if you will, unique in it own right. With Venti, it challenged the way a god is expected to behave in obvious ways. With Zhongli, it appears to challenge the idea of immortality in a way more centered around the idea of learned experience and separation.

See, both him and Venti are "gods amoung men" in the literal sense, but I just can't help but compare them in this sense because let's take a step back. Mondstatdt I'd viewed as a city abandoned by its god, when in reality it's god is right there with them as another civilian. Liyue is viewed a a city guided by it's god, when really, Rex Lapis was mostly absent aside from the rite of descention and the occasion where he would join as a civilian in order to do his incognito thingy- so he never really experience much of human life.

But now let's step back even further to the archon war. Zhongli wasn't all wise and smart back then, he was the god of war- the same guy who would just yeet mountains because he could. No, the brains of the operation came from the guilt assembly, and by that I mean primarily Guizhong, because we stan. Time and time again, Mihoyo has these dead individuals who strongly influence the way that a character acts and behaves and has grown, and for Zhongli, Guizhong is that character.

I'm going to reference a comic I saw one time- but basically it's about Zhongli and Guizhong, and they have a conversation and Guizhong says something along the lines of "if I die you will become wiser and more cunning than I ever could be, and lead Liyue in my stead" and I just think that's a really nifty concept. Because Morax way back when wasn't the smart dignified gentleman seen in the story today, he was metal af and a total impulsive jock type character, to oversimplify.

He has many memories and a lot of knowledge, but I think it was really only after she passes that he came to appreciate that knowledge.

Also I think it'd be really cool if the Guili Assembly fell apart because of a betrayal or something which established his whole contract "wrath of rock" thing- but there's really nothing to indicate that that I'm aware of.

But anyway, disregarding that, Zhongli actually has this whole character development arc of sorts before the story even takes place.

Because with the fall of the Guili assembly, Morax actually starts becoming more involved with the people he rules over, relocating them and teaching them architecture and stuff, which had previously been something that only Guizhong appeared to have done based on recorded history, and it's this whole theme of growing responsibility and an ever expanding favor towards the concept of order as opposed to the chaos and ebb and flow that the God of war seemed to embody before.

And this responsibility continues to grow, guiding both his people and those he takes under his rule into the future until we reach where the story starts now.

However, Rex Lapis is still a very seperate entity from the people of Liyue, and as involved as he is, he still lacks a complete understanding of the mort. What he does understand fully is the potential dangers that Liyue may come to face, hence why he felt his "test" was necessary. A rebellion against Celestia is approaching and to leave Liyue is to draw Celestia's ire. He would have to be sure they were strong enough to defend themselves.

Then of course there's the nice snazzy line in his story about overhearing someone tell a sailor they had finished their duty for the day which inspired his retirement that I think is just really interesting because it shows that he is self aware enough to know when he is no longer needed "the era of the gods is coming to an end" or something. He has become cunning and wise through his time as a God and realizes that one way or another he will be removed as an archon. Better to do that on his own terms than against his will.

So while he has all this big and expansive knowledge and intelligence that he's gained from his many many years of experience, it was really only after Guizhong's death, because of her that he actually came to appreciate it and value this rich store of knowledge that he had.

And while he has all this knowledge and is more active and in tune with the idea and workings of mortal life than, for example, Ei would be, I just think it's really interesting the fact that, despite how long he's been working at it, he's still new to it. See, Zhongli has been living as an archon and has been building habits around that fact for thousands of years; So with Venti we get to see a god who has been living among mortals for an extensive amount of time and has become experienced in it, but with Zhongli we get to see a number of the troubles/difficulties/complications that come along with the translation as well.

It's estimated that for someone to break an old habit, it can take anywhere from 18 days to 254. This is for people, who don't have nearly as long to get used to the habits as an immortal like Zhongli would have. Like shawtie had literal lifetimes to build himself a mindset and behavior pattern around the fact that he can do certain things. Now of course, I'm talking about him forgetting his wallet but I just think it's a really interesting concept. That and the fact that I enjoy finding the serious parts of funny things. It's a bit like when you hurt your hand and forget about it until you try and grab something and are all like "oh shit right I can't do that anymore."

also its really interesting how you can see a lot of Zhongli’s traits and character in a number of the other people throughout Liyue. Like I’m not sure if it’s because of the culture that he helped to sculpt or because of the whole ‘Liyue is a city that has had it’s god at its side sine it was formed’ type beat but i just think its really nifty for whatever reason. 

But yeah, Zhongli believes he has fulfilled his role in Liyue's history and has essentially retired, now joining them to watch the civilization that he has formed unfold.

now that we’ve got that vague approximation of thoughts hashed out(ill get into nitty gritty and theories and specific events and shit in later posts on the topic)

-

Anywho, as for his relationship with Venti/Barbatos

i have.... a fair amount of unfortunate realizations to get out of the way first before i can get to the fun stuff.

firstly, in canon its heavily heavily implied that Venti and Zhongli didn’t actually meet until after the archon war. So thats a thing, but if that seems interesting to people i can go over a bunch of hypotheticals for what it might have been if they had, just for shits and giggles.

secondly.... the idea of mountain v. windblade fruit ninja was something that i had actually planned to include from the beginning despite not being anywhere near that part of the post yet.... but upon coming back to tumblr and going back over my notes(which that everything i made because i didn’t remember like anything lol) and checking sources.... i realized that the whole idea of Zhongli throwing mountains at Venti- despite how golden it is- has basically little to nno root in canon. Zhongli mentions throwing mountains as spears and Venti’s lore says when he sliced Mondstadt’s landscape the mountains yeeted off to other locations but that the closest that the canon lore actually ever gets to mentioning or implying that at all. which huge bummer- so much potential. so close but yet so far.

BUT now that that’s out of the way lets get into actually analyzing the canon relationship (for now)

First off- Zhongli is was paranoid as fuck when they first met and i just think that’s so funny because 1) it shows how much he’s changed, and 2) he’s totally in the right in his mindset. 

what basically happened in the canon was that the Archon war had only recently finished and Zhongli is just chilling, governing Liyue and guiding humanity as he had sworn to do as an archon... when the neighboring archon shows up without warning. 

And Zhongli is like “shit, this fellow archon who also swore to guide humanity just abandoned his duty to come to my region, must be serious, better be ready to help with whatever drastic happening warranted this visit” But Zhongli has never met Venti before and has absolutely no prior knowledge or warning to base his predictions on for what the archon might act/be like...

so then this bitch(affectionate) chucks some wine at him and says he was just sight seeing and Zhongli is just... y’know- they’re such contrasting characters in so many ways and i just love it so much- ill get into that later tho

but anyway Zhongli is probably like “well that was weird” but he’s duty-set so he mostly ignores it. Until it keeps happening and Venti keeps bugging him. 

And then the other archons join in. And then it becomes a kind of tradition. And then an event. And then the others start dying. One by one until they are the only two left. 

-

To summarize? They hate each other.... mostly. Whether by nature, by ideals, by character, by personality, or by element, these two are just such opposing forces in so many ways, there's really no way they couldn't.

Also to clarify, whenever I say hate in this context, interpret it automatically to mean hate in a good way.

It's a bit of a self-inflicted external tug-of-war between where both thinks themselves and their own views/way of life to be correct and the others to be absolutely stupid, while also acknowledging that despite being completely unreasonable- the way other carries themselves and prioritizes things and such is simultaneously correct. That's an odd way to phrase it... More like mutually "I accept that you are an idiot for this but this works for you so get it I guess"

Which kudos! Archon solidarity! Except that Venti has a way of making his presence known which tends to get in the way of Zhongli's.... let's go with "steadfast dedication." To start out there is no doubt in my mind that Zhongli most likely outright genuinely despised Venti at first.

So much sacrifice and lives lost over the fight for who would become the archons... And this is who comes out on top? This immature alcoholic who constantly is abandoning his sworn duty of guiding humanity in favor of “sight seeing,” and distracting Morax from his own duty with wine(its good wine tho) and questions and just overall foolish behavior. I find this so funny istg- like please they just got out of a multi-thousand-year long war between gods and shawtie just turns up in a foreign nation - the nation ruled by the ‘god of war’ no less - unannouced as one of the 7 most powerful beings in Teyvat... to deliver wine... and Zhongli is supposed to be able to process this with some semblance of sanity? Zhongli of all people????

And then there’s Venti who doubtlessly sees Zhongli as a stuck up blockheaded old man with a stick up his butt who takes everything too seriously. The war ended and yet this guy is still as serious as ever. It’s dumb and it’s painful to watch him waste the precious peacetime as if it were never there at all(an over exaggeration ofc but basically)

Venti, for whatever god-forsaken reason is really fucking good at bringing people together, and that’s exactly what he did with the 7 original archons. It’s likely something Zhongli acknowledges as otherwise it would just be them in their seven separate nations, never knowing each other by anything more than name and reputation, and never leaving outside of business. It was likely that that made him stop absolutely loathing the guy’s presence. 

It 100% a whole lot of just Venti messing with Zhongli and Zhongli just being massively disappointed...... and throwing mountains. I mean come on, if we cant fit god on god fruit ninja into here than what even can we do? 

and then the archon start dying off(for whatever reason that as much as i want to- i have no idea about) and now in the beginning, even after getting closer I dont think it ever really went past Zhongli being the older-sibling-who-went-to-college-and-has-a-successful-job-now-figure and Venti being the younger-sibling-from-hell-that-you-never-asked-for-nor-wanted-but-has-their-perks-figure. 

But with each archon down, those remaining grew a little closer in solidarity and thus Zhongli and Venti became steadily closer in turn, growing from what i’d call reluctantly endearing comradery to well... the final two left standing. These two are suckers for tradition though so they carry on with the meetings, and as hard as both parties may try to maintain the atmosphere the gathering once had when all seven were there...

Counter to the original intentions, it gradually becomes more solemn over time with each time they meet, but meet they do without fail. They meet to drink, to talk, to mourn, to plan, to just be- to exist in familiar company in the knowledge that there is another, that they are not the last living soul who shares the burden of what they have been through and what they have sworn. Old friends sharing drinks they’ve had a thousand times and tales they’ve heard hundreds, some old, some new, but over time it blurs.  And through it all persists the knowledge- the ever-present reminder that there cannot be two forever. For nothing gold can stay and just as seven faded away to two, so too will two fade to one, and any further meetings will be held in solitude or not at all. 

And fade it did, leaving behind only one. 

“Nor would the wind ever return again.”

because idk, apparently Venti likes taking long ass naps without warning. And then when he woke up there was the Stormterror business so he didn’t exactly have time then. 

And with the stress on erosion seen in Zhongli’s quests i cant help but wonder if at times during the extensive period of Venti’s disappearance, Zhongli truly did believe himself to be the last one left.