#* ⠀ ⠀ 𝓩. ⠀ ⠀ / ⠀ ⠀ games.

[haovcrse-a]

selfship ask game : interview edition.

where asks should be answered in character as your self-insert / oc and/or canon character, like an on camera interview !! send an ask and put someone’s selfship in the hot seat !! questions should work with poly relationships too. feel free to reblog :DD

📞 — you’re stuck in the woods alone and at night & have enough battery to make one last short phone call to your partner/s. what are you saying to them?

📼 — what is a favourite memory you guys share? least favourite?

📸 — who is the most into pda? the least? who flirts more in public?

📺 — your partner/s is/are on the news! what are they being broadcasted for?

📻 — the world is ending. you’ve got one last full day with your partner/s before it does. what are you doing?

🎞️ — you’re all staring in a new upcoming film that’s said to be the next biggest thing. what is it about?

📽️ — if you had a book written about your relationship, what would the title be and why? what about a tv show?

🎙️— what’s a song you’re picking to serenade your partner/s with during karaoke?

🗞️ — quick! you’re getting put as the headline for a newspaper! what type of relationship do you want to be known as? (flirty, high school sweethearts, etc)

🗣️ — were there any rumours about your relationship before you went public? are there any current ones still? how do you / did you deal with them?

[haovcrse-a]

*barges in* YIZOU YIZOU PEAPLEEDSFHBJ

- tired

was imagining what it would be like if they filled out the same sheet together heh!!

[haovcrse-a]

📞 — you’re stuck in the woods alone and at night & have enough battery to make one last short phone call to your partner/s. what are you saying to them?

📼 — what is a favourite memory you guys share? least favourite?

📸 — who is the most into pda? the least? who flirts more in public?

for Gallahao and thomayahao :]

- tired

oooh gallahao content is so silly >:DD my characterization is off today dfkhkjlg consider this my warm up lol

📞 & gallahao.

"to come pick me up." gallagher scratches at his neck. "what else would i be sayin' to him."

"you'd be able to find your way back no problem," zhao deadpans. "im not wasting my time searching for you."

"how sweet of you, darlin'," he drawls with a roll of his eyes.

"stupid hound."

"sly fox."

( "a-are you two going to finish answering the quest-" "don't bother. they won't." )

📞 & thomayahao.

"bold of you to come to the conclusion that we'd ever be apart," ayato hums. "unless you're insinuating something of course. in which case..."

zhaoyi leans over and nudges him harshly in the ribs.

"stop being weird," he grumbles.

"well, i'd probably tell them i got caught with something and that im going to be a bit late coming home," thoma says with a smile, caught in the middle of the other two's spat. "i wouldn't want to worry them too much by giving out a lot of detail."

"that's only going to make the tiger worry more," ayato snorts, pinching one of zhao's ears.

"i'd tell thoma i love him," zhao says bluntly. thoma forces a laugh.

"aw how sweet!" the blonde says nervously, having an idea as to where this is going.

"and tell ayato he's not in the will."

"you-"

"guys wait were still on camera-"

( "s-should we stop them?" "... let's just... move on." )

📼 & gallahao.

"when this idiot spilt soda all over me the first time we met," zhao chuckles.

"when the dunbass bumped into me and made me drop a tray full of glasses," gallagher responds, a hint of bite to his words.

( "...do they ever stop insulting each other?" "afraid not; it's their love language." )

📼 & thomayahao.

"too many to say," thoma laughs. "it's never a dull moment here."

"i certainly have a least favourite memory," ayato says. it sounds calm enough, but the side-eye his sends zhao is certainly a give away.

"don't be such a pessimist." zhao flicks ayato on the neck. "i, for one, loved that time where you got so drunk after a meeting that you-"

"enough." ayato shoots him a scathing glare before clearing his throat. "fine. my favourite memory is when we all sorted out our feelings and got together."

📸 & gallahao.

the minute "most into pda" came up, the both of them simultaneously point at each other.

"eh? what do you mean me?" the brunette scoffs. "remember that time you grabbed my ass while i was servin' drinks?"

"says the clingy one who always has to be holding my hand our shoulder."

"i'm not clingy."

"you're more of a puppy than a full grown hound," zhao teases with a slight smirk. "neither of us are really averse to pda."

"this one here is the bigger flirt, though." gallagher ruffles the other's hair, pushing zhao's head down lightly. "smooth talks his way out of anything."

"eh, but you love it, don't you, sweetheart?"

📸 & thomayahao.

all hands instantly point at ayato for pda.

"hmm? i don't know what you two mean," he chuckles.

"you're ankle is currently interlocked with thoma's, and you haven't let go of my hand since the first question," zhao scoffs.

"zhao is probably the least into pda out of the three of us." nudges his knee against ayato's in a teasing manner. "ayato is also the biggest flirt."

"lies. kitty over here is clearly the smoother one."

"only when you provoke me. you do it whenever."

"are you saying you don't enjoy it?"

zhao lets go of ayato's hand and pulls thoma to his side, using the blonde as a shield and lets out a soft hiss.

( "cut! we're cutting! no more fighting on set!" )

[haovcrse-a]

💋: what motifs/symbols do you associate with your ship?

🌑 : what was the canon character’s first impression of them, and what do they think of them now?

w/ yizou!!! (or any of your other ships, no pressure<3)

thank you sm aki <333 decided to mix in some of my hsr ships with this !!

💋: what motifs/symbols do you associate with your ship?

yizou — summer and winter // linked pinkies // late night phone calls // holding each other's bags // bus rides // hidden knives up our selves // late night walks // stars // paper and ink // film rolls and photographs

zhade — eclipses // bitter coffee // dark shades of red // protective embraces // callouses on our hands // sitting shoulder to shoulder // tracing each other's scars // drawing on the other's arm // nosebleeds // bass guitars & music sheets // notebooks

sunhao — broken birdcages // swords & shields // feathers // sunlight through the windows // star charts & the night sky // smooth & delicate hands & rough & weathered ones // unsent letters

🌑 : what was the canon character’s first impression of them, and what do they think of them now?

oooh the reverse !! went way shorter for this one bc im a little too lazy to pull up voice lines rn / to get the characterization somewhat on track

yizou — "what a strange fellow. interesting background too. hmm the perfect amount of trouble." // "this dumbass. i'm fine, i'm ok. i'm not leaving you anytime soon."

zhade — "... why'd he stop me? why'd he help? you saved me for what reason? you should've left. leave me alone" // "please, stay close to me. don't drift too far during this fight otherwise... i want to see the end of this with you."

sunhao — (they were originally childhood friends, so i went with when they reunited in person for the first time after years !) "he's changed so much. i wonder, how much he remembers... he's a bodyguard... my bodyguard. i shouldn't... it would be hinder the plans" // "my darling, my hao, mine. they can't take you away from me, not when i have a say-should have a say. please, my love, let me protect you back."

[haovcrse-a]

📼📽️🎙️🗞️ 🗣️ — for whoever you think would have the most entertaining answers ^

most entertaining hmmm then let's go with yizou !! please assume this is a modern au btw heh

📼 — what is a favourite memory you guys share? least favourite?

"oh that's an easy one," heizou laughs. beside him, zhao sighs and rubs at his temple, nudging the excited man in the ribs with his elbow. "when zhao so lovingly confessed that he loved me! god... he's so hot when mad-"

"that's enough out of you," zhao grumbles, "but fine. yeah. that's... my favourite memory... least favourite is the moment leading up to that."

"oh c'mon, babe." heizou pokes his cheek, a smirk on his face. "not going to compliment me back?"

"in your dreams."

"oh you don't want to know what is going on in my dreams-"

"disrespectfully shut the fuck up. im begging you."

📽️ — if you had a book written about your relationship, what would the title be and why? what about a tv show?

"a book, huh?" heizou rubs the back of his neck.

"dating made my life miserable: a biography of heizou and zhao," the other deadpans, little hesitation in his voice. heizou chokes on a laugh.

"nah i thinking something more flashy." the detective does a show of jazz hands to emphasize his point and continues with a dramatic flourish. "don't do crime kids or you'll end up falling in love: the story of two geniuses."

"that's encouraging people to break the law, heizou." zhao crosses his arms with an amused huff. "you're incentivizing people with the promise of love."

"ok and? more mischief, more business for us- don't let kujou sara know i said that."

zhao rolls his eyes light-heartedly and chuckles.

"tv show title..." heizou trails off, tilting his head to think. "hmm now im not so sure about that one."

"finally stumped by something, huh?"

"oh shut up. give me a hand here."

"we'd be a sitcom for sure." zhao nodded. "uh 'the tale of two idiots' is quite fitting for us."

"how nice of you, hao."

"you're right. too nice. the idiot and the tiger sounds way better."

🎙️— what’s a song you’re picking to serenade your partner/s with during karaoke?

zhao groans at the question, shooting the interviewer behind the camera a scathing glare. heizou is practically buzzing his seat beside him.

"don't get him started," he mutters. "his song choices are so-"

"you are, my fire~" heizou cuts off what else zhao was going to say with his sudden singing. holding an imaginary mic in his hands, he breaks out into a rendition of "i want it that way" by the backstreet boys.

"should not have let him have coffee before this," zhao sighs out, exasperated. his eyes meet the producer's and the interviewer's, a silent plea held in them. "skip my turn. just... just cut to the next question."

🗞️ — quick! you’re getting put as the headline for a newspaper! what type of relationship do you want to be known as? (flirty, high school sweethearts, etc)

"not to brag," heizou says coyly, wrapping an arm around zhao's shoulders, "but we're kind of a big deal already. newspaper headlines are nothing new to us."

"the school paper doesn't count."

"don't ruin this for me, babe."

"couple label huh," zhao says, ignoring heizou's pout and earlier comment. "the rest of the crew would probably assign us as the wittiest? seems the most likely. then again, we are both part of the paper, so we'd have say anyways in what they put down for us."

🗣️ — were there any rumours about your relationship before you went public? are there any current ones still? how do you / did you deal with them?

heizou looks slightly to the side, expression a bit tense as he smiles with a shrug.

"people caught on way too quick that something was going on between us," he sighed. "most assumed i was just using zhao to boost my grades or to get my ideas approved in the school paper."

"the amount of milk people tried to dump on me was insane," zhao huffs in amusement, no offense taken. "such a waste."

heizou bits his lip at the statement. the other smiles softly at him, intertwining their hands together and giving him a measuring squeeze.

"but we're all good now, yeah?" zhao's voice is gentle as he speaks. "what rumors are floating around now are mainly good ones about us."

"yeah..." heizou squeezes his back with a small laugh. "did i ever tell you about how, at first, some of the newsies thought we were cousins and panicked when they caught me kissing you?"

"no- wha- heizou- love- when- wh-"

[haovcrse-a]

🦇 : how did they meet?

🕸️ : any song that reminds you of your ship?

🩸 : what does your oc think of canon character?

🫀 : is there anything your oc and canon character don’t like about each other?

FOR YIZOU AND THOMAYAHAO

- tired

so whipped for these pixels 😞😞

🦇 : how did they meet?

yizou — in the genshin (mostly) canon, heizou first knew abt zhao through an anonymous tip. someone had sent a letter saying that zhao was the main culprit in a string of large scale robberies, and that they possibly had a connection to the recent murder case heizou had taken on. long story short: heizou tracks down zhaoyi, they team up, end up spending so much time together that they end up falling (heizou first, zhaoyi later and harder), and wham !! zootopia type of plot TwT

in a high school or uni au (bc both work with the plot), they sit next to each other in one of their shared classes! they never talked much, but became somewhat friends after a partner project, and even closer when he found out zhao helps out / works at the school's library!

thomayahao — for genshin (mostly) canon, zhaoyi and thoma meet first! it's nothing much, they bumped into each other on the streets, but that was the start of the interactions! zhao later meets ayato after he's hired to be the young lord's bodyguard heh.

modern / uni au, ayato and zhao know each other by name bc they're always fighting to be the number one placement in terms of grades! thoma knows about zhao through ayato's retellings and wants to get to know him personally, but also stay wary of him bc ayato is dramatic when giving a description. thomahao meeting happens when it turns out, the two of them are in the same dorm building! they run into each other during a late night snack run.

🕸️ : any song that reminds you of your ship?

yizou — question is for one, but im giving two! punk tactics ( joey valence & brae ) & hot to go ( chappell roan ) !!

thomayahao — absence ( rio romeo )

🩸 : what does your oc think of canon character?

decided to show the general train of thought to now !

yizou — "... he's... annoying. why does he keep looking at me like that? oh. he's caught on to my stuff. and now also accusing me of murder. great. lovely." // "wdym he's going to be watching me until his case is solved???? ... stop looking at me like that." // "maybe... it isn't so bad working with someone- wait wait what am i saying?" // "... he's in danger bc of me now... usually i would'nt care but... why do i now?" // "shit shit shit shit he's going to get hurt bc of me fuck i knew this would happen if he got close." // "... i love you, idiot. please, don't do that again."

thomayahao — "oh, my bad. i should've watched where i was going... he was nice though." // "a new charge? ... haven't guarded someone in a long while... seems like a stuck up rich dude." // "... and he's someone that's actually extremely important lovely- oh. blond puppy from the market is here. mhm... maybe this won't be so bad?" // "why do people want this guy's head on a pole arm so bad holy-" // "alright this snarky mother fuck-" // "shit this is going to hurt in the morning. at least they're both safe? ... now how do i get out of here..." // "these worrywarts... i'm fine... as long as you both are." // "maybe... yeah. maybe it wouldn't be too bad if i stuck around."

🫀 : is there anything your oc and canon character don’t like about each other?

yizou — heizou hates how zhaoyi refuses help when he actually needs it or closes himself off to go through things alone. he understands zhao has faced the world alone up until now, but he really wishes he would just let him in. but heizou isn't pushy unless he needs to be and will stand there with open arms for when zhao finally caves. zhao doesn't like how heizou is so perceptive and analyzing when it comes down to his body language. it isn't a bad thing, zhao just isn't used to being so... understood or seen.

thomayahao — both of them hate how self-sacrificing zhaoyi is for them. "please have some self preservation for once" — thomayato at some point. ayato understands that it's his job to protect, but does he really have to jump in front of a knife for the third time this week please he's begging to just- thoma is the one who usually patches zhao up and has this mix of a frown and pout whenever he does. zhao doesn't really have anything he dislikes about the two. maybe just when they team up against him to get him to relax or flirt...

[haovcrse-a]

ZHAOYI IS CANON TO ME <333

— ✍️, 🤪, 🌦️, ☕️ , 🪐, 🎞️

DKJFSHK AWW :DD <33 ALÉXIOS IS VV CANON TO ME AND I CURRENTLY HAVE 'EM E6 TRUST LIKE THAT'S MY MAIN WDYM???? WHO EVEN IS BLADE !!

✍️: overall, how does the fandom trait you? are you a beloved character, or hated? are you popular, or a minor side character? anything in between?

both fandoms would be split pretty evenly!! some can only see me as one or the other, while a majority understand the complexities of my character! i don't think i'd be hated per say. there will always be those few that say im overrated / trash or wtvr and that's ok! i think i'd be maybe just above average likability hah!

genshin wise, im a side character for both versions! in hsr, i play a little bit of a bigger part in the pencaony arc for both sunhao and gallahao. for zhade, i think id be popular among the angst lovers for the most part hah!

🤪: what is your trait that fanon would exaggerate?

genshin fandom: they'd probably boil me down to my "tsundere" look to the point where i start looking genuinely mean in the eyes of new fans. media literacy becomes dead when it comes to my character <//33 my unwillingness to help heizou despite the subtext between the lines... the occasional light-hearted insults i'd throw ayato's way... or the unsureness of how to express gratitude toward's thoma's actions... guys it's so bad

or making my past the defining factor of my character!! saying that change isn't possible for a long-term thief or merc (though the latter would be argued with dehya's release)

star rail fandom: ooh ok so the ones people would make depend on which universe we're talking about !

zhade — mean doctor who's hogging people's husband TwT LMFAO no bc. i just think "those" types of fans would probably see me as such for sure. blade and i have a very strange relationship to people on the outside; it makes sense for people to think im being excessively blunt.

the other side to this is that they infantilize me. like like those "uwahhhh he's so smol 🥺🥺 must protect" kind of scenarios but isn't just for jokes and is fully serious... 'n when it comes to shipping... it's usually based off a gay stereotype for that reason TwT

gallahao — that gallagher genuinely finds me annoying, and therefore the fandom does too. g!zhao is more sly, teasing, & definitely more outgoing than the other two vers. id get sampo treatment to a degree where people find my fakeness to get what i want annoying (for the plot!!)

sunhao — stoic to the point where i don't—can't—even talk apparently LMFAO. would also probably turn me into a soft boy kfdjghkl.

🌦️: would you be accompanied by mostly fluff or angst fanfics? both? explain why.

hmm a healthy dose of both. genshin would probably have more fluff for sure—most of the angst would be hurt/comfort stuff based on the whole thomayato kidnapping plot. but my genshin s/i's aren't as sad as my hsr ones LMFAO.

hsr... is a toss up. gallahao would have the most fluff, while zhade would have the most angst. sunhao would be a good mix. ooh in general, there would be a bunch of sweet platonic found family stuff too !! angst for zhade for the sole reason of ppl playing around with how we both get possessed often lol. him the mara, me my own powers... also the whole. scared to get close in fear of hurting the other plot ive got going on for my character story!

gallahao would be treated as the sweet side couple. some occasional angst here and there of a case gone wrong, but a majority of it is just flirting and how people image we got together.

sunhao <33 hurt/comfort is the most common. the whole bodyguard x his assignment + childhood friends to lovers?? people go ballistic. lots of sweet moments, and also ofc ones where one of us has to be bleeding out 💀

☕️: what are the most common plots of shipping fics between you and your f/o?

thomayahao — always something to do with miscommunication of some sort.

yizou — they don’t tend to stray away from the whole thief x detective thing much; usually the setting is different (modern aus, cyberpunk, etc.)

kazuscarahao — amnesia. which is admittedly my least favourite trope. usually more canon compliant with things and the whole sumeru plot

sunhao — anything to do with the whole “protector x protected” trope!! doesn’t matter the au, that usually ends up being the plot.

zhade — one of us is injured or possessed and the other is trying to save or disarm the former without killing them. all. the. time. most of the fandom fixate on this point.

🪐: what would be your most popular au and why?

hmm i think modern aus in general would be a fan favourite. they’re versatile and have many sub-aus to fit with them!! those or royalty aus where many make me out to be the knight :DD

🎞️: what ‘canon’ scenes would the fandom point to as evidence for the validity of your ship?

i don’t remember a lot about genshin stuff so i’ll do my hsr ships for now TwT

zhade — hmm i don’t know about actual scenes, but our voice lines are what people point to!! at first glance, it looks like we don’t enjoy each other’s presence. he’s annoyed with my meddling and heals, while i grumble about him always getting excessively hurt. but when you take in the actual voice acting, people realize our words aren’t as sharp!!

there’s also ig a scene after the xianzhou arc. after karka and blade make their escape, at the very end of the last act, there’s a dark screen where it’s just the tow of us having a hushed conversation. it’s just me asking him about the mission and also tending to his injuries while he says my actions aren’t need.

sunhao — literally every scene LMFAO we’re almost always together and he always glances back in my direction throughout the story. ooh also the scene where him and robin are falling through the air… i’m standing on the platform looking at him worriedly, looking as if i’m about to jump to make it to him, before my eyes soften as robin cradles him. obv most people argue that i’m just in awe at the sibling bonds heh but why can’t it be both??

[haovcrse-a]

When in canon does your s/i come in? Do you have a scene in mind for their entrance?

Would your s/i be considered a main character, side character, villain, or something else?

How do other characters generally feel about your s/i?

Would any other characters (besides your f/o) have a crush on your s/i?

for both 😋

- tired

— when in canon does your s/i come in? do you have a scene in mind for their entrance?

ZHAOYI.

genshin: for thomayahao, he appears right alongside thoma when the traveller first gets to inazuma on the dock! when he sees the traveller arrive though, he ends up walking away.

yizou — hmm i dont remember what big story quests heizou was part of besides his hangout! but zhaoyi is definitely present in heizou’s hangout hah!

can’t say much for wriohao bc i haven’t played the story quest at all for fontaine 🫢

hsr: b!zhao first appears as someone stalking the astral express during their time on the xianzhou. we don’t see a full picture of him until after he and kafka pull blade out of jail.

s!zhao appears with sunday in the story!!

JUN.

hq au jun is nekoma’s manager!! so he first appears in the show when they do :3c his entrance scene depends on which ship! for kojun (sugawara), he quite literally runs into the karasuno boys bc he had to take care of some last minute things.

testujun enter together talking while keijun is the same bc they don’t meet til later on ^^

obey me wise and jiaoqiu i’m not sure. jun is my version of MC in om if that works!

— would your s/i be considered a main character, side character, villain, or something else?

ZHAOYI.

genshin: side character in all of them!

hsr: villains for both sunday & blade ships 😭😭 gallahao would be a side character .

JUN.

side character for hq! gets a decent amount of screen time so he’s not a minor character but he isn’t main. technically part of the antagonist group bc of nekoma’s thing with karasuno

but!! is literally the mc for obey me lol

— how do other characters generally feel about your s/i?

ZHAOYI.

most are pretty wary of zhaoyi in general due to his not so clean job paths 💀💀 paimon finds thomayato zhao intimidating and a brute lol when seeing him.

hsr… um astral express does not enjoy b!zhao’s presence. also not on the best of terms with jing yuan lol.

s!zhao is on friendlier terms with people fs. the express didn’t trust him much at first but after the whole ena’s dream thing, he’s grown on them.

JUN.

the nekoma boys are “protective” 💀 mainly yamamoto… generally, everyone has a good impression of jun!! him and kiyoko are like 🤞 after the training arc fr fr

obey me guys is just. the plot LMFAOO but i. i want to image simeon being head over heals at first sight bc that’s cute 🥹😓😓

— would any other characters (besides your f/o) have a crush on your s/i?

ZHAOYI.

for both hsr and genshjn, i can’t really image anyone else?? there would definitely be ships by fans but no extra canon stuff imo.

JUN.

i can image some of the first years & one or two second years on some of the teams lol! idk who for each but in general: hinata (but the admiration thing he does), nishinoya, kageyama, akaashi (if not keijun), um and a couple others i’m drawing blanks on names TwT

they would be more like “wow this dude is cool what the heck” crushes though

[haovcrse-a]

🌦️: Would you be accompanied by mostly fluff or angst fanfics? Both? Explain why.

❤️: How popular is you x your f/o? Are you a rarepair?

💞: Aside from with your f/o, who else would you commonly be shipped with? Why?

🙈: Why would your ship be thought of as cute/fluffy? Why would your ship be considered problematic?

for zhade perhaps 😋

- tired

my angsty pairing <33

🌦️: would you be accompanied by mostly fluff or angst fanfics? both? explain why.

answered here !

❤️: how popular is you x your f/o? are you a rarepair?

we're among the top blade ships for sure! blade x jing yuan, blade x dan heng, and blade x zhaoyi are considered the big three for his ships heh. starting out, barely anyone shipped us, but the minute they found out about the medic x injured dynamic,,, the flip was insane :3c

💞: aside from with your f/o, who else would you commonly be shipped with? why?

hmm probably jing yuan too... im there to help break blade out of prison behind the scenes, and jing yuan mentions us having a bit of history + people thought that since im a white tiger,,, and jy has a white lion in his splash art... it would make sense TwT

🙈: why would your ship be thought of as cute/fluffy? why would your ship be considered problematic?

the idea of two not-exactly-humans being each other's comfort is what makes our ship fluffy !! we're both there to watch each other's backs, we consider the other our sense of grounding, and the protectiveness we have for each other is what makes us... us!!

problematic hmm... that probably traces back to the fandom interpretation of me being an ass of a person and being too harsh / rough with his injuries TwT that or people think we're just toxic for no reason—that he's too caught up in the past to really be in love or smth

[haovcrse-a]

2, 4, 5, 6, 7,  8, 9, 11, 17, 22 for sunhao kit <3 (sorry i know its a lot… this is kust my favorite type of content hmmmmm)

sorry this took so long!! was making sure my lore was alright with this fdkjgh

2. ) what is your character's “faction” (e.g., Belobog, Xianzhou Luofu, Intelligentsia Guild, IPC, etc.)?

hmm i think zhao would probably be part of pencony in game feature wise! he's more of a traveller though and doesn't stick to one planet so it's hard. maybe the xianzhou as an alternative??

4. ) what is your character’s path (e.g., hunt, destruction, nihility, etc.)?

now this was a hard decision. on one hand, i want to make it fit with his lore where he's a bodyguard. on the other, preservation paths can be quite underwhelming & he was originally a rogue traveler. but bc the dmg they do is underwhelming—since they're mainly just sustainers duh—i wanted to make him a preservation who does actual dmg!! if he weren't preservation, he'd be destruction :DD

his kit summarized: he scales off of attack. so for example, his talent multiplier would be something like "applies shield equal to __% of zhao's attack plus another ___ (flat) amount every time he attacks someone inflicted with (status). shields can stack.

his eidolons would make it so that allies can get shields themselves by attacking enemies inflicted with his status mark! a little op, i know, which is why im gatekeeping that behind either e4 or e6. it's fun to think about a fully offensive sustain. we came close with fu xuan & aventurine but im a little tired of hp and def being factors lol.

5. ) what element type is your character (e.g., lightning, imaginary, wind, etc)?

ooh originally, i wanted him to be sunday's counter part element! so originally he'd either be fire or quantum based on sunday leaks. but currently im leaning towards fire bc of colour palette reasons…

6. ) are they a five-star or four-star character?

five star! gotta make people grind for him y'know? LMAO plus i doubt a four star sustain would do what he does so you have to swipe.

7. ) what type of weapon does your character use?

in in-game story wise, he's a melee and also long range depending. actual game-play, he utilizes a fiery spirit in the form of a tiger to attack. and a gun hah!

8. ) what are the major visual motifs in your character’s battle animations?

emphasis on flames and the colours of them (red to blue) and also tigers!! bc. obv. y'know lol.

9. ) what are your character’s idle animations?

the first one is him twitching his ears before he reaches up and scratches at them. his tail also flicks back and forth a bit while this happens!

the second one is a little harder to describe. red flames start to exude off his body. not like an anime power up scene, but like a spirit is being lifted out of him. the faded form of an open mouth with sharp teeth starts to manifest behind him. we see looking down at his hand before he clenches his fist, the fire and scene turning blue before fizzling out.

11. ) what are your character’s basic, skill, and ultimate attacks?

basic — charging up, zhao fires off his gun, dealing fire dmg equal to ____% of his attack to a single enemy target, and deals additional fire dmg to adjacent enemies.

talent — when enemies inflicted with “Prey” status are attacked by Zhaoyi, he will provide a shield for all teammates, with the exception of himself, equal to __% of zhao's attack plus another ___ (flat). shield will last for two turns. “Prey” will last for three turns of the enemy. 

skill — with a silent command, zhaoyi sends out a flaming tiger, dealing a large amount of fire damage equal to ___% of his attack to all enemies. In addition, there is a 100% base chance to inflict the status marker “Prey” on enemies.

ultimate — deals fire dmg equal to ___% of zhaoyi’s attack to all enemies. targets marked with Prey will receive bonus fire dmg equal to ___% of zhaoyi’s attack.

technique — after using technique, all teammates gain the "tiger's watch" effect. while under this effect, dmg received by teammates is reduced by 25%. upon entering battle, zhaoyi will immediately use his skill.

17. ) what are the best team comps for your character? which characters do they synergize well with?

any characters work with him !! if you get his combos right, he almost always provides shields. his only downside is that he doesn't provide a shield for himself. he can be played as a main dps too! so running mainly supports to buff his dmg is a viable, but also sort of meme, team comp.

building him with crit stats is highly recommended bc of his attack scaling. he has the highest base attack among preservation characters and is up there with a couple dps characters too.

the only one who wouldn't work with him well is blade due to the shields.

specific characters that would work exceptionally well: yanqing, tingyun, sparkle, bronya, dot characters, squishy people in general.

22. ) is there an event or story quest associated with your character’s debut? if yes, tell us about it!

he first appears in the story when sunday does hah! he trails behind him for the most part in the first act. the idea is that zhao already knows about the dreamreflux and the "death" that haunts penacony, but is forced to silence by the other members of the family. when he sees that the astral express may be of help, he forgoes most of what he knows to offer them a hand.

that scene where sunday gets stabbed? yeah... zhao was not happy about that. he didn't realize that was what gallagher planned in order to bring sunday to the dreamreflux. nearly lashed out and scorched the bartender before he shook it off.

[haovcrse-a]

royal and guard AU: who is the confined royal? who is their dutiful guard? give one headcanon about you and your f/o’s relationship in this AU!

cosmic deity AU: who’s the personification of the sun? who’s the personification of the moon? give one headcanon about you and your f/o’s relationship in this AU!

for zhade 😋

- tired

royal and guard AU: who is the confined royal? who is their dutiful guard? give one headcanon about you and your f/o’s relationship in this AU!

hmm… thought long and hard about this but royalty!zhao x dutiful guard!blade!! but zhao would be the forgotten prince of the family lol. devoted blade has me feeling a certain way guys... dfkhjlkfdjh

headcanon: they remind each other of their worth kfjdghkfdj it makes me so :( so soft <333 zhao quietly tending to blade's wounds after a run in on the town, hushed anger in his words but the slight tremble in his usually steady hands gives it away...

cosmic deity — answered here !

another headcanon though: they wanted to run away together, even if it meant plunging the world into darkness. humanity be damned. blade, surprisingly, would be the one to pitch the idea.

[haovcrse-a]

cowboy AU, vampire AU, cosmic deity AU, android AU ( for sunhao, zhade or thomayahao )

doing all three bc why not! i have so many ideas for the cosmic deity au but also no idea how to throw them out there fkjdhgkfljdhg

cowboy AU: who’s the protective sheriff? who’s the tough outlaw? give one headcanon about you and your f/o’s relationship in this AU!

( SUNHAO ) — i think sunday would be the sheriff just due to his current family background. zhao would be the outlaw bc of his wanderer past!! i can see sunday being the one to bend the rules a bit for zhao to make sure he got away unscathed. omg chatting between the bars of the holding cell ^^

headcanon: sunday would communicate with zhao through small code words and also items that he gives the outlaw! for example, him saying “and dont come back.” with a slight squeeze on zhao’s shoulder means to meet up later that night, while a pat is saying to not.

( ZHADE ) — this one is toughie TwT bc both of them would be the outlaws hah!! hmm if i can to choose, i'd say zhao would be the sheriff, but either a morally grey one or is actually an outlaw but is playing the part of a sheriff to get insider information!!

headcanon: zhao would give blade his sheriff hat, placing it on his head with a promise to stay safe while hiding in plain sight in the town hehe.

( THOMAYAHAO ) — another hard one lmao !! honestly, i can see this go either way honestly! thomayato are a good villain duo, but also are technically part of the law / power in genshin canon. zhao would fit the role of an outlaw well due to his mercenary background but also the sheriff bc of his undying loyalty to his duties. ooof im going to say zhao would be the sheriff and thomayato as the outlaws again for this hah!

headcanon: ayato tries to flirt with zhao to get out of the holding cell while thoma is just. so done. (it works)

vampire AU: who’s the secluded vampire? who’s the undaunted vampire hunter seeking them? give one headcanon about you and your f/o’s relationship in this AU!

( SUNHAO ) — vampire!sunday and hunter!zhao :DDD im just imagining these really luxurious festivities that the family would hold as vampires. ik the prompt says secluded, but it's the oak family. c'mon.

headcanons: THEY GET TO WALTZ !!!! SUNDAY KNOWS WHAT ZHAO IS THERE FOR AND THEY DANCE TOGETHER !! TOXIC GAY ROMANCE MY BELOVED (only toxic for a bit though lol)

( ZHADE ) — OMG OMGKJDHFKJHFDKJLDFHKJDHFK DKFKDFJK VAMPIRE BLADE & HUNTER ZHAO. im normal about this au let me bffr here. the ideas ive got brewing kjdslghk.

headcanon: after zhao ends up leaving blade alive instead of killing him, the hunter's association come after him, storming blade's house. after a bloody fight, zhao, left severely wounded, makes the move to save blade from a silver bullet, taking the hit for him.

( THOMAYAHAO ) — zhao would be the vampire and the duo would be hunters!! pls the au with them is more lighthearted for sure. zhao just happens to be the weird next-door neighbour. he knows that thonayato are hunters but just shrugs it off. the two don't have a clue for the most part :skull:

headcanon: the only reason why thomayato find out he's a vampire is when they have a troublesome encounter with a werewolf at their door. zhao pokes his head out to see what's going on and the werewolf outs him as a vampire LMFAO

android AU: who is a curious android? who is their dependable mechanic? give one headcanon about you and your f/o’s relationship in this AU!

( SUNHAO ) — mechanic!sunday x android!zhao !! sunday built zhao as a friend and also as someone to stick by his side. while yes, he has robin, he doesn't want her getting too far deep into the ideas of the family in a protective sense (imo)

headcanon: their story is just the both of them learning what it's like to be human!! super cute, sort of angsty, the package deal heh!

( ZHADE ) — android!blade x mechanic!zhao. in this, zhao isn't officially part of the stellaron hunters. he's just a simple engineer that works alongside them from time to time. instead, he gets commissioned by them to make them a fighter. and boom!!! blade :DD

headcanon: blade sometimes will take a little more damage than he has to in a fight just so that he can stick by zhao's side a bit longer for repairs.

( THOMAYAHAO ) — android!zhao x mechanic!thomayato bc it just. it makes so much sense. ayato was given zhao as a bodyguard by another family, and so thoma and ayato both worked to bring him more to life.

headcanon: zhao still gets kidnapped and horribly injured while doing his duties; that doesn't change lol. also he was thrown out by the family that gave him to ayato :DD

cosmic deity AU: who’s the personification of the sun? who’s the personification of the moon? give one headcanon about you and your f/o’s relationship in this AU!

( SUNHAO ) — sun!sunday x moon!zhao for the sole reason that zhao deliberately stays in sunday's shadow, in his light. he steps up and takes over during fights, and it there but not solely. it makes perfect sense. also personality wise ig. sunday is more sociable—even if it can be fake—while zhao is content to listen.

headcanon: the yearning is so bad with this one... zhao has the heavy mindset that the moon and sun cannot cross, so he keeps heavy distance between them and only comes closer when it comes to protecting his sun.

( ZHADE ) — moon!blade x sun!zhao bc even though they both fit the idea of the moon, zhao's more beast-like side is the thing that makes him stand out way more. not to mention, he's blade's sun in the sense that he brings an about of warmth that the stoic dude usually basks in.

headcanon: handholding was the first real step for them. blade initiated it bc he knew zhao probably wouldn't in fear of hurting him; both bc of his strength and sun disposition. my comfort ship fr fr <33

( THOMAYAHAO ) — sun!thoma x moon!ayato x dying star!zhao heheheheheh- thoma would 100% try his best to be the most stable thing for the two of them, while ayato reminds him to reel it in and take a breath. zhao is kind of just there—another star in the solar system—but they both manage to pull him into their orbits.

headcanon: thoma and ayato most definitely do something they aren't supposed to in order to respark zhao's star and keep him with them.

[haovcrse-a]

THE ASK GAME YOU MADE IS SO CUTE OH MY GOD!! 🎞️, 📽️, 🎙️with any of your selfships!!/nf

THANK YOU AKI HEHE <333 ignore how long it took me to answer this shush- doing this with zhade bc angsty couple me beloved!! could've done this in hsr canon but this is set in a modern au !! (specifically rockstar!blade bc that's been on my mind lately...) also ended up writing this in past tense... which is od bc the rest are all in present- LMFAO

🎞️ — you’re all staring in a new upcoming film that’s said to be the next biggest thing. what is it about?

"i don't act." blade crossed his arms, words seemingly final in tone.

"it's a hypothetical, genius," zhao grunted.

the two, although sitting on the same couch, sat a respectful distance apart. though, the way blade moved his leg to have it pressed up against zhao's made the staff behind the scenes giggle.

"... an action movie," the stoic man relented with a sigh. "or as the side characters of a romance."

"see? was that so hard?" zhao quipped back, before nudging the other's knee with his own. "i think we'd be good in an action movie; we both have our fighting backgrounds to help."

blade rolled his eyes, though not unkindly, and leaned in his seat back ever so slightly.

📽️ — if you had a book written about your relationship, what would the title be and why? what about a tv show?

"ah... wouldn't that just be fanfiction?" zhao muttered. "we have plenty of that going for us already..."

"can't we just pick the title of one of those?" blade turned to zhao, eyes searching the other's face.

"hmm... i guess that does do the work for us already." he mused. "but where's the fun in that?"

blade said nothing, opting to grunt instead.

"don't be such a spoilsport, we're doing this to help boost the band."

"..." blade sighed heavily, "... fine. a book title... 'nylon strings'."

zhao hid a soft laugh behind his hand. the dark-haired man's eyes softened at the sight, lips twitching at the corners.

"'cause of our our instruments?"

blade said with a small nod, "our tv show can be the same thing. next question."

🎙️— what’s a song you’re picking to serenade your partner/s with during karaoke?

the couple looked at each other. after some time, the interviewer coughed from off-screen, interrupting the silent conversation between the two.

"... something we each wrote," blade said, voice hard as usual, but there was a softer look to his eyes.

"i'd be too nervous to sing anything, neither am i good at it," zhao sighed. "but if i were, then yes, it'd be something i worked on myself.

"as for already made ones..." he trailed off, and sighed out a laugh. "something by stephen sanchez. if the system were to have it, that is."

to the side, blade let out a low—nearly inaudible—laugh.

"it's one of my songs or nothing for myself," he stated firmly. "no other song should make him swoon. that's a privilege for me only."

zhao shoved him lightly with a roll of his eyes. as much as he tried to play off a calm and sarcastic front, the flush of his ears gave him away.

[haovcrse-a]

🏹, 🕸️, 💋, 🩸, 🥀 for any of your selfships 💕💕💕

oooh ok so i spun a wheel, and we've got kazuscarahao (aka. soldier, poet, king) & zhade !!

🏹 : what is oc’s relationship with the other canon characters?

soldier, poet, king — hmmm now zhaoyi for this dynamic is also a wanderer and doesn't stick around in one place for long. however, he does have good friendships with most from liyue! being from liyue, and also someone with a slight unknown background, it's important to keep strong connections in the case he needs a helping hand. most notably, he's on good terms with the adepti xiao; well, as good as you can get with him; zhongli, beidou, ningguang, and ganyu! his reputation with the other locals isn't too shabby either.

zhade — as an honorary member of the stellaron hunters, zhao's relationship with the gang is quite familial. him and silver wolf are like those judgmental siblings at the extended family dinner lmao. kafka and zhaoyi are blade's worst nightmare due to how they bug him, not to mention the nick names...

K: bladie~

B: ...

Z: oh c'mon, darling, say smth to us, won't you?

B: ... s-shut up.

have not looked much into firefly's character tbh besides what ive read in the story, but the calm duo !! also the deadly duo when in battle like seriously. if you thought blade and zhao were unstoppable, wait until you see firefly and zhao's team work (canon wise. idk about in-game wise)

🕸️ : any song that reminds you of your ship?

S.P.K. — obv soldier, poet, king ( the oh hellos ) but !! a different one would be maybe blood // water ( grandson ) for the sole reason that this is my "angry at the world; holding on for each other" vibes ship.

zhade — omg... pretty please ( dutch melrose, benny mayne ) is so them coded it's unbelievable... the lyrics... also maybe changgwi ( aha ye eun ) or achilles come down ( gang of youths ) !! the lore for this ship isn't fully developed, but it's like. deep-ish.

💋: what motifs/symbols do you associate with your ship?

S.P.K. — burnt sugar // bruised knuckles // the north star // broken compasses // tree roots // paper boats // old books // hands tangled in someone’s hair // convenience stores at night // instant ramen packs // undone ties & wrinkled button ups

zhade — talked about here !

🩸 : what does your oc think of canon character?

did a little thought process of first impressions for both vs now instead of a whole timeline since the spk timeline is a little… hard to map out TwT

S.P.K. — “a stowaway? hmm… if beidou’s alright with him… then i suppose i should be too. as long as he doesn’t get too close.” // “what a bitch.” // “ah… he sent a letter again today. such a poetic sap… i miss him.” // “he hasn’t contacted me in a while… should i… no, going to sumeru would only make him annoyed… but im worried.”

zhade — talked about here !

🥀: favorite thing about your ship?

S.P.K. — genuinely my most chaotic ship in terms of plot and feelings. i love being able to mess up things regarding their stories and to make things hurt. they get their ending, but is it happy? sad? i love messy stuff like that and this is really just my chance to explore it! not to mention when the three of them are together, the dynamics are just too good heh.

zhade — a more comforting ship if i’m being honest. two people who dance around each other, too afraid but not realizing they’re afraid of what could happen. i love thinking about in-game stuff too when it comes to these guys !!

[haovcrse-a]

gonna be honest so far sunhao and thomayahao r my favs 😔

ooh i might have to do most posts abt them then !!

[haovcrse-a]

what are your character’s idle animations?

what are some of your character’s voice lines?

it’s your character’s debut in hsr! whose banner are they running alongside? what other characters are on their banner?

is there an event or story quest associated with your character’s debut? if yes, tell us about it!

GALLAHAO 😋😋

- Tired

what are your character’s idle animations?

in the first one he takes off his glasses and squirts at the surroundings, before rubbing at his eyes and slipping them back on.

the second one is him thinking, similar to faruzan's, and a bunch of wind picks up around him as he does !! the wind dies down at once the minute he snaps his fingers and pushes the thought bubble away.

what are some of your character’s voice lines?

taking into consideration zhao's private investigator background, most of his voice lines are on the teasing side while also fitting in with their nihility path. in general, i have ideas about his attacks but his lore is still up for grabs lol

turn idling: "pick up the pace."

skill: "busted." / "bye bye~"

ult activation: "you'll be good for me, yeah?"

ult unleash: "the evidence is clear. you, my friends, are guilty without a doubt."

downed: "looks like... i overdid it."

also some funny ones with gallagher bc i love those when added to party with ____ voice lines !!

added to team with gallagher: "the partnership is back together again. still got my back, yeah?"

it’s your character’s debut in hsr! whose banner are they running alongside? what other characters are on their banner?

zhao would be on luocha & archeon's banner in 2.1 as a four star! probably takes over dan heng's slot heh. bc of course they have to run alongside gallagher lol and i'll keep pela there just because.

is there an event or story quest associated with your character’s debut? if yes, tell us about it!

he first appears in 2.0. there's a scene after gallagher is done talking to the trailblazer and friefly, and they run off, where he walks a little further and zhao can be seen leaning against a wall !! that's the first look we get of him hah