#Dainsleif is mentioned

[it-happened-one-fic]

Unfulfilled Aspirations - Halfdan

Author's Notes: This fic is actually really old. It's just been sitting in my documents for a while since I was debating about whether to post it or not. I finally decided to but, heads up, it's angsty and there is not comfort ending. I listened to the song "Unfulfilled Aspirations" from the Genshin Impact OST while I wrote this so that's probably one of the reasons for the generally sad nature of this fic. Also, Reader is a royal of Khaenr'iah. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic despite the angst.

Type: Angst (no comfort)/Romance/Reader is royalty/gender neutral reader

Word Count: 1035

I kicked my feet slightly, looking out at the veritable field of Intevyats. Our national flower. 

My national flower…..

Usually, they were a sight that brought me joy as they were one of my favorite flowers. Fitting as the princess of this country. But now they only served to assist me in exacerbating my sorrow. 

Perhaps I was like these flowers that would turn to stone if they were taken from this land.

I knew that I would not, in reality, turn to stone when I left. But I felt certain that my emotions and heart would fossilize and turn cold with my departure to a foreign land.

Childishly, I had never truly taken the time to realize that I would be married off to some man in a far away land and forced to leave my home. In some small way, I’d known it would happen. But for reasons unknown, I had never prepared myself and I certainly hadn’t expected to happen so suddenly.

Mother had said I ought to be excited. As a royal of Khaenr’iah, I’d never been allowed to travel. And in a way she was right. That would be the case for most people in the position of royalty, chained to a single country.

 But the truth was, I’d never wanted to leave this land. I was happy here and had never yearned for anything outside of the borders. And once I left, I would always yearn for what I was being forced to leave behind.

Father had said my marriage would be for the good of all of Khaenr’iah, but I wasn’t sure that he was right. After all, he was also planning to challenge Celestia, who had never truly bothered us, for the ‘good’ of Khaenr’iah.

 He might be able to fool the common folk with the idea that the army of field tillers were merely a protective measure, but I knew otherwise.

Why build up an army grand enough to challenge the heavens themselves if that wasn’t the very thing he was planning on doing?

“Your Highness….” I turned to see Dainsleif, my ever stoic guard. One of my few true allies in this situation. But the Twilight Blade wasn’t alone. The person who stood behind him almost immediately brought tears to my eyes. 

I hadn’t gotten to see him since my upcoming marriage had been announced and I’d feared it would remain that way up until the very day I left.

“Halfdan….” I couldn’t even say his name aloud, instead it came out as more of a breath. I practically leapt to my feet, fully prepared to rush over to the man who’d laid claim on my heart many, many years ago. But I restrained myself.

My eyes darted over to Dain’s blue ones and the slightest of smiles crossed the man’s face, “Go ahead, I’ll make sure no one sees either of you.” His promise was all I needed and I didn’t hesitate to throw myself into Halfdan’s arms. Dain had already turned and stepped out the lone door that led to this balcony, closing it quietly as he granted us a small amount of privacy.

“I didn’t think I’d get to see you…” I trailed off, leaning back to look into his sorrowful eyes, the very same color as the gems that decorated my tiara.

A sad smile crossed his face as he reached up, gently wiping tears from my eyes. Ever determined to comfort me even though I knew he was just as crushed as I was. 

Loving him, my Mother had told me, was a foolish choice. But little did she know I’d hardly had a say in the matter. And even if I had, I couldn’t say I would have chosen a different path.

I’d even gone so far as to do my best to hide our relationship from my parents, but they had discovered it and my betrothal had occurred all too soon after words.

 Since then, Dainsleif had become one of my greatest allies. In fact, he was the one who warned me of the marriage talks in the first place.

I would never forget that day, not too long ago, when he came to me wearing a dark expression and told me what he’d overheard as he stood guard outside the meeting room. The first news of my upcoming wedding.

I scanned Halfdan’s face, finding sorrow that mirrored my own there. But Halfdan, ever gentle and ever sweet, simply rubbed my back soothingly. 

Even though he no doubt wanted to cry just as I did, he restrained himself on my behalf and did his best to comfort me, “Don’t cry, Love; it’ll be alright. You’ll be well cared for and live up to the King and Queen’s aspirations.”

 I let out a bitter laugh at his words, pressing my face into his shoulder, not wanting to face reality, “And what about my aspirations… Will they go unfulfilled?”

 I pulled back, cupping his face in my hands as I studied him, possibly for the last time. His face was one I would never forget.

Mother and Father had both done their best to separate us. For the sake of the marriage and to lessen the pain of separation they said. In reality, I wanted nothing more than to spend every last second I had here beside him. A truth he knew well.

“All I ever longed for in life was to be yours Halfdan…. But it seems it shall not be,” My voice cracked slightly and I let him pull me back into a tight embrace. 

There was nothing to be said that hadn’t already been put into words. Now there was only silence. It pained me that our last shared memory would be one so filled with pain. But it was either this, or nothing.

Through the door I could hear hissed whispers, Dain was no longer alone. His friend, the golden-haired traveler, had come to help him keep his vigilant watch, “She shouldn’t have to go away. They love each other!”

Dain’s voice was solemn and bitter, but he spoke the truth when he responded, “I know…. But there is nothing to be done. Y/n leaves tomorrow.”

[rhineposting]

designed some of the sinners of khaenri'ah, can't wait for hoyo to either never show any of them or make them ugly

from left to right : surtalogi, vedrfolnir, rerir

bonus comic

[chrysoula]

Lumine had spent an uncountable number of years learning to control her emotions. She had to, because even as a child, her mood shifts could blight counties. Her brother had always been the blessing twin; his warm smiles brought the spring, while Lumine’s joy burned. It was inconvenient sometimes, but as long as she had Aether beside her, she was happy. 

Or, well, content. 

It was enough, anyhow. They were twins, balanced and equal. 

And then she’d lost him, and without even thinking about it, she’d shut down most of her emotions. She had to. Without him, her pain could destroy the world, and that would be… inconvenient. But she knew what to do and she did it, because that was who she was. Who she’d always been.

It had been… all right. She searched for her brother. She found Dainsleif instead, who looked at her like he knew her, with newborn hope kindled in his eyes. The way he held himself, as if he too was apart from the world… And he was beautiful, at least to her. His bright soul shone like the star of her homeland.

He wasn’t, couldn’t be Aether, but around him, she was less lonely. Around him, she’d started to relax.

And then he’d…

He’d… deceived her. Used her. Abandoned her to pursue her mad brother, who was also abandoning her.

And after that, her emotions weren’t quite sealed the same way anymore. What had been simple had become nightmarishly confusing, and the more this world mattered to her, the more dangerous she became to it.

[milk-spilled]

HOYOVERSE. BRING UP KAEYA IN THE UPCOMING DAIN QUEST. AND MY LIFE IS YOURS

[catoinette]

one last post for the year! doodles of my dainzhu fic, “old soul!” it’s on Ao3 :D

[trashcanwithsprinkles]

What’s your favorite bit of lore? Or favorite holiday/festival in genshin they’re pretty neat

i'm absolutely biased towards lantern rite tbh

as for bit of lore, i'm not really sure. i feel like 'bit of lore' is really weird to define, bc ultimately most lore is all connected into bigger pictures. obviously i'm partial towards liyue lore in general, but as for a specific little bit...

probably still the possibility that zhongli is partial to archery.

[euria-stratos]

Part 2: The Things They Usually Mention in Passing (2)

Please note that this is going to be multi-part series of AU notes and flash fictions depicting a “what-if” scenario:

What if the Cataclysm was stopped earlier and Khaenri’ah was spared from Celestia’s wrath, despite their sins 500 years ago... for a price?

------------

Excerpts from an old, torn journal with a label "C. Alberich" recovered from the outskirts of Dragonspine, Mondstadt. Currently stored in the archives of the Knights of Favonius Investigation Team:

"...been ages since I've written down my day-to-day experiences here. But I suppose being homesick has a way of making you return to old, familiar habits. It's funny, too, that where I am now is also my home, for better or worse. I just hope it won't return to how it was when Mama left it..."

---

"...currently staying in this eternally freezing mountain just south (or southwest?) of the city Mondstadt, conducting alchemical research with the homunculus alchemist Albedo. It has been a successful endeavor so far and we've manage to find some fine specimens for study! Like that Cryo mitachurl just a few paces down the mountainside where our current camp is..."

---

"...sometimes, I wonder if Papa would ever forgive me for settling here. I know that things would've been more comfortable for me back home, at least, money-wise. But I don't think he understands what I saw there everyday..."

---

"...could feel their eyes still watching me, always waiting for something to happen. Whether it was because of my so-called dirty blood or my "insufficient" devotion to Lord Purson compared to everyone else, their dead-eyed stares still bore into me and constantly doled out judgement. I'm sorry, Papa, I just couldn't..."

---

"...if someone said to me before that I would be working with the creation of our homeland's biggest persona non grata in a foreign nation that Mama ran away from, I'd have laughed at their face and tell them to cut back on the mead. But here I am, a good 15 years in, having just enjoyed a great dinner at Good Hunter with my family and the rest of the Investigation Team. I still don't know how I managed to make a life for myself here without much trouble nor worry. But I suppose I can't help but be grateful to the Knights, to Albedo, to my one and only Elise, and strangely enough, even to..."

---

"...I can only hope that things are still good with Papa back home, even if he does take longer to respond to my letters..."

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[asoulsreverie]

I just dreamt that Dain and lumine (genshin) got married WHILE/TO (they said the vows while they were going into batlle, jumping off a cliff) fight Firefly/Sam (hsr) who became a Threnodian (wuthering waves)

[secondoftheeleven]

i know i’m asking for a lot by wanting pierro to be playable because hoyo hates making old men playable in genshin but all i fucking got is him, kaeya, and dainsleif

(also probably one or two of the hexenzirkle witches)

(is gold or alice from khaenri’ah i don’t remember.. i feel like at some point my brain has connected albedo to khaenri’ah and i think it was because of gold. but i am unsure..)

[official-bough-keeper]

Soooooo… Rumors that survived the centuries make it sound like Halfdan had a crush on you. Any truth to said rumors?

MUN NOTE: Yes, it's true :)

[thislilfecker]

make a poll with five of your all-time favourite characters, and then tag five people to do the same. see which character is everyone's favourite.

I was tagged by: your mom

Anyone who wants, please consider yourself tagged!!

[annoying-probably]

Hi there. I have three draft posts about akty / vbs vs' / poly jump!

But I'm bad at wording things coherently in a post. So instead, please have a long post on a lot of different genshin lore theories, more specifically linked to Istaroth and Barbatos and Khaenri'ah sometimes. Genshin is a special interest and more specifically, the gods and their lore are! The ending point about the Wind being a primordial one is a favourite theory of ours. We actually wrote about it lightly in our recent fic "With Wind Beside You" on ao3!! Anyways, this is ripped straight from discord! This is a lot of disorganised genshin theory ranting. I'd be happy to hear people's thoughts!

also spoiler stuff for the most recent archon quest iirc

If irminsul can not delete all things, just direct mentions. Venti suddenly knowing every ballad and song ever- along with being connected to a god of time, worshipped with her, and possible from the same origin- the thousand winds (of time) is a lot more scary for him and how omniscient he may be. There's a lot of. Like. Internet connections to genshin. I did ei's story quest2 last night and that ending cutscene with time? How eternity is everything, all at once? Both future and past? How come it looked like a 3d model set up from a spy movie huh. And irminsul.. is kinda like a super computer!!! It's just super weird !!! But also makoto was close with Istaroth!!!! And Ei thought she might have something to do with it all!!!! concerning . istaroth is being mentioned more and more and it scares me cus that's like our once chance of "old teyvat"/ pre war lore that isn't being gatekeeped by celestia because I don't think they can kill a primordial one tbf. I hope we see her but damn I am scared of her. imagining playing a god of time, how fucked up could they be!

gold / rhinedottir was all fucking over the cataclysm. Durin was attacking Mondstadt, making Barbatos wake up and fight him with Dvalin. Ei was fighting Rifthounds in Inazuma, while Makoto died in the cataclysm- both of those things, made by khemia, by gold! What's gold? The last stage of khemia, go memory! And Rifthounds and Durin must be first, really, Soil. This is all going off my albedo lore knowledge without checking give me some slack- but! Durin and Rifthounds share traits! Poison. Completely disintegrating everything and poisoning the land! Yay! Powerful enough to affect god's! And gods familiars! And *ley lines!* Infact they specifically attack ley lines ***which is what causes erosion!!!!*** So. That's very concerning. Whether they thrive off erosion, or ley line power itself, and cause other things to erode thereafter- bad. Durin is also still alive, partly. The heart. So!

After soil comes chalk! Now, Albedo was made to be a perfect being and then abandoned! Did Rhinedottir not need something sentient? Did she not need intelligent life? Did she want a puppet from afar? Where is she now? Albedo, who she so lovingly named /s, is still trying to figure out her question to what human life means!! And the idea that albedo, too, may one day fall to erosion, is terrifying! Because he is strong!! Very, canonically, if i remember!!! Which isn't *great*.

On.

the topic of khaenri'ah.

so the next traveler archon quest has dain and kaeya. Talking. In sumeru. And oh boy Mona's "One day he'll have to pick a side." ***is a lot scarier!*** And ventis line on albedo!! I don't like where this goes!!! Sure I'd kive more cataclysm lore like sure go ahead but holy f u c k. a reason why kaeya isn't cursed would be n i c e. Maybe something of Pierro??? Mentioned??? He's khaenri'an. Theorised to be kaeyas dad really. Which would be funny. And terrifying but funny.

fic idea for my lost notes of Teyvat series but!!

the way mond specifically is where anyone cast out goes is so <3 to me. little monkey brain loves the idea of it just being known for being loving and accepting of anyone new, with some pushing. Collei, albedo, kaeya- and how three of those are specifically khaenri'ah tied but heyo!! I think Collei counts because we don't know what Dottore was using + eleazar specifically comes from some dead god and which one that is could be . important. Unless they mentioned which and I'm just wrong??

Timeloop theory stuff soooo enkanomiya quest, kokomi, irminsul stuff + the sumeru reincarnate theory

timeloop theory makes more sense every day and it's just because of the sumeru reincarnations!! Which again reminds me of black boxes!!!!! Oh so you only have so much data you have to reuse souls? 🤨 okay. /j reincarnation and it's studies and theories have been around forever but not the point. Kokomi being a possible reincarnation of a primordial one could be huge. Does she work on Zelda / Hylia logic? Can she reawaken that power and memories? Can any possible reincarnation? Nahida and Rukkhadevata are literally just reincarnation, too, before the wipe. Also again, the thousand winds itself may be a primordial one-

THIS IS SPECIFICALLY MY INSANITY OVER WIND IN GENSHIN IMPACT IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING TO ME.

/lh j

how I jokingly said before in my fic- the wind is very important to death. Atleast to Mondstadtians! The wind carries their souls back to Mondstadt to rest. We can see Venti bring back the memory of Stanley, to bring him to Mond to rest. In the final cutscene of Ei story quest 2, in a literal plane of consciousness, the sakura blossoms of Makoto's life is taken away on the wind. This, and Istaroth, can also link the wind to time and the age old-

Seeds of story, brought by wind and cultivated by time.

The wind, as we know through Venti, can carry songs that don't exist yet, wind is constant through time!! Throughout teyvat!! And we think time could be primordial- and that primordial time goes hand in hand with the wind! Literally!!!! The wind itself/ the Thousand Winds are primordial. They carry all of time, and therefore life and death, stories and songs. Istaroth herself was a god of wind and time. Barbatos a God of wind, freedom, and music. (finally actually said by the most recent lantern rite rite calling him a "patron deity of music.") The wind itself is also sort of a guiding spirit? People usually follow it, or specifically - I have hit the nitro limit oh god - mention it with the moons- also very important to teyvat lore- the three moon sisters, the dead moon and possibly the fake sky! So!!! I personally theorise the Wind is a primordial being and that's why we have three different wind / storm gods and also andrius may count as a storm god. He was a wolf leader and god of snow storms, I think? So??? Maybe. The wind keeps splitting, that's how important it is.

If the wind stops, time stops, I believe.

So imagine if we ever went to the Mare Jirvari. And like where we've seen the corpse of every other god. It's completely frozen in time. The wind stopped there. So time cannot move. And imagine if that's where Istaroth died. that's why it's where the wind doth both blow.

[it-happened-one-fic]

Meet in the Middle Again - Dainsleif

Author's Notes: Happy Valentines day again! For the final time today. Here's Dain's POV from the previous fic I just posted. I really do hope to right Dain fluff someday but he just makes it so hard. Anyhow, this fic was written while I listened to "You & I" by PVRIS and reader is gender-neutral. I hope you enjoy.

Here's the link to the partner fic: Meet in the Middle Once More (Reader's POV)

Type: Angst with implied comfort/romance implied/pining/gender-neutral reader/POV fic

Word Count: 858

Dainsleif gazed silently at the distant fires of the village that was currently having some sort of festival. He didn’t know what they were celebrating, only that the music they played wove an entirely new atmosphere into the dark night that surrounded both him and you. 

He felt your gaze on him and sighed. He didn’t have to turn to know you were wearing that far off gaze you��d worn several times since your shared altercation with the Abyss Herald.

Dainsleif  had no doubts that its words from that day had seeped into your mind like poison.

“You see Dainsleif? You will lose that one just as you lost your first companion and your land. It’s only a matter of time.”

Those words had been meant for him. To shake him. And they had succeeded in their purpose. But they also seemed to have succeeded in doing something to you.

“Is something the matter?” He saw you jerk even as he was still turning to look at you.

You held his gaze with wide eyes before relaxing, “I was just listening to the music. It sounds….”

“Familiar?” Again, he caught you off guard and a smile almost slipped onto his face before he dragged himself back to reality.

Distancing himself from you was proving difficult. Far harder than he’d thought it would be. But it didn’t matter. No matter how hard it was for him, he had to do it. For you.

There was nothing for you to gain by staying by his side. Even just adventuring with him put you at risk. And though you’d never questioned him about why he relentlessly chased after the Abyss, he knew that you’d figured certain aspects of the entire situation out.

He needed to make sure you were distanced before it became too late. Before you got hurt.

“Yes, I suppose it is familiar… But, I’ve never heard it before. I would’ve remembered it if I had,” Your words had Dainsleif lifting an eyebrow in a silent question. 

You smiled at his reaction, obviously understanding recognizing he was questioning your words, but seemingly refusing to answer him. But that was something you did frequently. Despite knowing what he wanted, you often made him put his requests into words. He didn’t know if amused you or if you were simply attempting to train him, but it was something he’d started doing. For you. 

Putting his thoughts and questions into words just so you could understand him just a little bit better.

Which was why he’d been just about to question your statement aloud only for his words to die on his tongue as you stood. 

You wore a sad smile on your face just before you began speaking, “I know you’re going to leave, probably sooner rather than later… But before that, let me make these memories as something to treasure and remember you by.” 

In no way had he been prepared for your words and he knew that, in that split second, he completely and utterly failed to hide his reaction. But Dainsleif also realized in some small way that he couldn’t help it.

You’d reached the point that you could read him easily, and he now knew why you’d worn those far-off gazes. You’d been mourning your companionship just as he had been. The only difference was that you didn’t know why he was leaving.

But rather than complaining or demanding an explanation you merely reached down and took his hands in your own. That same sad smile still on your face as your gaze continued to hold his, “Just, please. Dain. Meet me in the middle. I know I can’t hold you here, tied to me…. Because even though I don’t know why you have to leave, I understand that it’s necessary.”

They were words that caused his heart to ache in a way that reminded him of how he’d felt when his home had fallen. 

He’d lost one companion, and it had set him off on a lifelong quest. And now he was going to abandon you, his second companion, who was far more precious than the first, all in the name of protecting you.

Because you were the sunshine of his lengthy lifetime. And he could never deny you anything save for that which could hurt you. And that had turned out to be himself.

So for now he would indulge you. No matter how much this memory might pain him in the future. Because he knew that even though the two of you couldn’t be together, you would stay in his mind.

You were both silent as he silently led you through that dance under the moonlight to the distant music that would haunt him in days to come. Because the memory of it would come with the memory of your face that whose gaze he held with a silent sorrow born from the affection he held for you.

And even though he knew it was ridiculous, he couldn’t deny that he hoped that someday, once the stars aligned and once his mission was finished, the two of you would meet in the middle again.

[ticklish-n-stuff]

I ranked the funni genshin people

[aromanticasterisms]

HUG TECHNOLOGY!!!!!

[hematomes]

archon slander and "nahida is the only one who truly helped the traveler" is funny and all but in the end there's a reason the others haven't done much for them:

venti is on close watch, probably by celestia and because of his close ties with istaroth

zhongli is literally tied by a contract

ei lived most of her life first as makoto's shadow and then in her plane of euthymia. homegirl don't know shit

anyway im emotional abt the archons and idk i kinda just remembered that after seeing a video slandering them. pookies be doing their best too (it's still funny tho)

not to mention that from a storyline pov it makes sense that we get more and more meaningful information