#I love Genius Invokation TCG okay?

[redthemarten]

New quests schmests and banners schmanners, I CAN NOW PLAY CARDS AGAINST WRIO. BEST UPDATE IN A WHILE.

[pocket-luv101]

Sethos: I don't think I've ever seen you and Tighnari fight.

Cyno: We have our disagreement sometimes. Every couple does.

Scaramouche: Really? About what?

Cyno: Who loves each other more. Whose turn is it to have the foot rub. Oh, yesterday, we argued over chocolate or vanilla cookies.

Sethos: Who won?

Cyno: We never found out. We ended up having sex on the kitchen table.

Scaramouche: ... I hate cringe couples.

Cyno: Okay. Sethos, you shouldn't use a date with Scaramouche as an excuse to avoid my Genius Invokation TCG challenges. It's a cringe couple thing.

Scaramouche: I really don't like you.

[suzukara]

Hello hope you are doing well ☺️. If you do headcanon's can you please do one with short genshin men with tall s/o (170-173). From a tall bean 🫠

Short genshin men with a tall s/o

pairings: albedo, cyno, kazuha, scaramouche, tighnari, venti, xiao x gn! reader

warnings: none (tell me if there are any!)

a/n: hey guys guess who's back‼️ i had to take a longg long break since everything that happened sorry!! also finally doing this old old request, it's a bit short, but can you tell who's my favourite? (arranged in alphabetical order)

Albedo

unbothered.

probably does not mind and does not care that you're taller

he would probably make you help him get things that are too high for him to reach even with his elevator

if you like hugging people from behind he'll probably like the feeling of your chest against his back

would secretly enjoy the fact that you're taller

overall 9.5/10 experience!

Cyno

unbothered x2

actually scratch that, his ego would probably be a bit hurt by the fact that your taller.

other than that though, he doesn't care.

as long as you'll still play genius invokation tcg and cuddle with him, he does not care about your height.

oh but if anyone dares to make fun of your height, you wouldn't want to know what happened to them...

overall 9.3/10 experience!

Kazuha

loves your height so much.

he loves resting his head on your shoulders when he feels sleepy!

definitely also loves your taller height when cuddling in the bed!

if you're the little spoon, he'll hug you from behind and nuzzle his head into the crook of your neck

if you're the big spoon, he'd love the feeling of your arms wrapped tightly around his waist, bonus if you rest your head on top of his!

overall 10/10 experience!!

Scaramouche

no questions asked, his ego would be so hurt.

how dare you have good genes and grow taller then him?!

okay, jokes aside

he would say that he hates your height but definately loves it deep inside

he would never admit it though! he'll bring it with him to his grave...

would try to be the big spoon in bed but always ends up being the little spoon.

makes you bend down to kiss him since he's not going to tip toes just to kiss you

overall 9.8/10 experience!!!

Tighnari

unbothered x3

nobody dares to make fun of your height when he can hear them, literally

would say that he is the same height as you by making his ears stand taller then usual

probably nudged your cheek (face cheeks) with the tip of his ears when he thinks that you're not listening to him once

at the end of the day, he doesn't care

overall 9.5/10 experience!

Venti

I feel like he would climb on you like a tree

probably clings onto you like a koala

it gets worst when he's drunk.

would throw his legs all over your body when he sleeps

doesn't care what people say about your height since he, personally, loves it

you could reach for the higher wine bottles for him, how could he complain?

overall 9/10 experience!

Xiao

might be a bit embarrassed that you're taller

I don't know why I get the vibes

would probably go red if you bear-hugged him

he doesn't know what to feel

he doesn't sleep so it isn't often that he cuddles with you

but that doesn't mean you guys won't cuddle!!

definitely small spoon he needs comfort.

overall 9.7/10 experience!!

[kazumaple]

born to die ꨄ haikaveh

art by @/mezudy678 on twt!!

tw | suicide ideation, death, alchoholism.

word count | 1,424 words ★ genre | angst, mentally ill kaveh, mental illness, major character death, au where haitham dies and kaveh is sad basically, kaveh is delusional, like in the traditional sense, depression/depression-like symptoms, me monopolising on lana del rey's lyrical genius<33

a/n | this has been sitting in my drafts for i kid you not over 6 months i think?!?! so yeah i just thought i should post it before the new year! i ruminated over the ending for so long but yknow new year new me so i just posted it. idk why i always make kaveh suffer but here is he suffering again. enjoy!?!?

link to my masterlist/how to request!

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · 

“I’ll be waiting for you in heaven, my love.” 

The firm grip on Kaveh’s hand loosens as he feels his lover’s strength wane, taking not just his own, but Kaveh’s life force with it too.  

No, no… just a little longer, please. 

“But heaven is a place on Earth with you,” the blonde sniffles, embracing Alhaitham for the last time, “Don’t leave me…I still need you.” 

A chuckle erupts from the man next to him, and at that moment, Kaveh wishes he could loop that sound and listen to it forever, to keep Alhaitham in a world of his own design, where they could live together in the grandest of castles, all designed by Kaveh himself. 

He would construct them the most convenient house. Two study rooms for when they want to keep their distance from each other, a private library for Alhaitham, and a garden filled with all of Lesser Lord Kusanali’s creations, the plants being residents of the home just as much as Alhaitham and Kaveh would be. 

Kaveh sees Alhaitham, chuckling as he does now, smiling at Kaveh, his face aged a little with time, small folds of skin wrinkling around his eyelids as he beams, his happiness radiating, forcing Kaveh to smile along with him. If only time would permit it. Alhaitham is smiling at Kaveh, and he thinks he’s never seen anything more beautiful in his life. He wants to sketch this moment to make it permanent. To cherish the final moments he has with his lover. 

“You’ll be fine, Kaveh,” Alhaitham puts a hand under Kaveh’s chin, forcing the older man to meet his deep green eyes, “I love you.” 

By this point, Kaveh’s vision is white, and he barely notices Alhaitham pull him for one last kiss until their lips touch. The kiss is gentle and delicate, too delicate for Kaveh’s liking. The lack of strength only serves as a reminder of his lover’s fading energy. Kaveh pulls away for breath, his golden locks now in disarray across his face, the crimson hairclips that once kept his elegant plait together now in mayhem.

“I love you too.” 

Those are the last words Alhaitham hears before his vision fades, the silhouette of the man he loves the most looming over him, a teardrop the last thing he feels before he slips into the calming embrace of death. 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · 

Thoughts race across Kaveh's mind like a marathon, as if each thought had something of utmost importance to attend to, leaving the blonde highly disoriented. Even more disoriented than he would usually be at times like this, because at the moment, Kaveh has downed enough litres of alcohol to provide the weekly water intake of a family of 6. 

It’s at times like this when he can’t keep his thoughts at bay. Kaveh tries his best. He really does. He tries his best to seem okay. To maintain the façade of normalcy ever since that fateful night. He goes to work, completes his commissions on time, eats all of his meals, and speaks to all of his friends. He meets Cyno and Tighnari every Saturday at Lambad’s tavern for a round of Genius Invokation TCG, his thoughts steering clear of the empty seat to his left. The seat which nobody would dare take after the loss of its original occupant. 

Kaveh really does try. 

But on nights like this, he can’t help but crack. When he comes home to nobody, no annoying, shrill voice to welcome him, nobody to nag him about his health or his rent. These are the moments when he feels truly lonely, the only reliable friend he can turn to being a tall glass of wine. 

He sits alone in their usual spot. Top floor, at the back, so that people are less likely to find them. He knows Alhaitham can’t take people coming up to him after his work hours. Kaveh doesn’t mind. But this is just one out of the long list of habits Kaveh has kept after Alhaitham’s passing. No matter where he may be, heaven or hell, Celestia or Khaenri’ah’s ruins, a part of him will always live on through Kaveh. Always. 

At some point, though, Kaveh stopped being alone. He started hearing him again. The gentle words of his lover wafting through his eardrums. At first, it was subtle. A few comments here and there. 

“That client is a jackass.” 

“Go to sleep, Kaveh.” 

“Come on, love, you’ve got a meeting soon.” 

But then it became ubiquitous. The sweet, honey-like voice of his deceased lover followed Kaveh around wherever he went. At first, Kaveh thought he was going insane. Now, he doesn’t care enough to worry.

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough, love?” A gentle voice fills his eardrums in an instant, a deep chuckle resounding with it, “Though I’d love to hold you again, I’d like you to live a long, full life before then. Preferably not dying of alcohol poisoning.” 

Kaveh scoffs and crosses his arms, “I don’t have to listen to you! What are you doing to do anyway?” 

The blonde hears a deep sigh, “I suppose you’re right. I can’t force you to go home, but it would make me very happy if you did.” 

Kaveh, in his drunken stupor, actually considers this. With a clear head, Kaveh never would have considered this a valid argument. Kaveh will do what he wants. But alas, the hurricane engulfing his mind causes a lapse in judgment. 

“Fine,” he says, begrudgingly, “Only if you cuddle with me when we get home.” 

“You’ve got yourself a deal.” 

Kaveh then gets up and stumbles out of the tavern, paying the bill off his own tab this time. He supposes a benefit of Alhaitham’s passing was that his wealth and estate were passed on to Kaveh. Though this by no means makes up for the gaping hole in Kaveh’s heart, he is happy with the convenience his newfound wealth has brought him. 

The walk home passes in a daze, Kaveh blames this for his lack of comprehension, as by the time he's come to his senses, he’s tucked into bed, wrapped in the arms of Alhaitham once more. 

He looks into his lover’s eyes. The orange islands in the sea of green standing out more than ever before. Alhaitham’s arms wrap around him protectively, and he feels the safest he has in months. 

“Haitham,” Kaveh sniffles, “It’s been so hard without you here to guide me… I miss you… so much. Every time I think about you it feels as though somebody is ripping my heart out of my chest and stabbing it repeatedly with a knife.” 

“C-Cant you come back to me?” 

The soft sound of Alhaitham’s honey-sweet voice drips through Kaveh’s ears, “I’m here now, love. I’m here with you now, aren’t I?”

Kaveh groans, “I suppose so.” 

“Let’s go to bed now,” Alhaitham whispers soothingly in Kaveh’s ear, “You have a big day ahead of yourself tomorrow.” 

Kaveh lets the diluted voice of his lover lull him to sleep, his eyes getting heavier until they slide shut, and Kaveh surrenders to the deliria of dreaming for the night. 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · 

The sun streaks through the gap in the curtains, its rays hitting Kaveh’s face, illuminating his vermillion eyes as they blink open, the fatigue of sleep dissipating. The first thing he feels when he comes to his senses is the utter lack of warmth in his bed. The very bed itself becomes a black hole, Kaveh stumbling over himself to get as far away from it as possible. The very bed that was once the safe haven of him and his lover, turns into the very thing that seems to trap him. 

H-He was just here.

The soft embrace of death feels more tempting than ever now. It would be easy for Kaveh to sink into it; his thoughts being engulfed by a soft lulling whisper, convincing him to let go of this world and all the pain it has caused. Nonetheless, he gets up. Brings himself to his feet. Walking towards the bathroom, he surveys the empty walls of his once lively house, accepting the soft, lonely numbness that has become a hallmark of his existence. 

[italeean]

Ahh sweetheart, congratulations!!!✨

This event looks so fun that I can’t help but want to participate~ buuut as your friend I would like you to judge me honestly. And not just give me someone I love already (unless you think it works~) ahem!

Mochii is what I go by, sweet and simple, I like to draw, play games and I adore being outside! Love going on walks, nature and in the cities~ it’s a great way to spend time with your friends and maybe even grab a fika (swing by a cafe)✨ I tend to attract myself a lot of shy, introverted people a lot ^^

I am naturally a switch. I am the king of tickle fights as one of the oldest siblings in my family. So be aware~

Oh, Genshin, obviously ✨

I would prefer male, because they are more fun than the gals in this game, sorry ladies ;-;

This is super long.. I’m sorry, love you lots mwah!🌹

CHICHIIIIIIIIII 💜😭😭 I'M SO HAPPY YOU PARTICIPATED, CHICHIISWEETHEART!!! I won't start with how amazing you are because it would take up the whole post 😅 You're here for the event, and a match-up you shall get ❤️💜🍡 *some dango for you to munch on while simping for your match*

🔮 For this event, your match is... CYNO

🔮 Why did I choose him for you?

• SAME. SWITCH. ENERGY. Both of you can be a meanie tickle monster one second and a giggly flustered mess the instant after • He's not the most extroverted person, while you are a little ball of sunshine. He'd 10000% fall for you. Hard. • He would take you to the desert at night, when it gets colder, to make you admire the breathtaking landscape • He'd say something cheesy like "you're the most breathtaking landscape" just to make you blush and huff in embarrassment • And if you hide your face, some pokes will definitely come! It's Cyno's duty as the General Mahamatra to punish you for the crime of "hiding the most beautiful face of the world" • I'm sure he would try to take you to the desert during the day as well just to show you how different it is with sunlight, but he'd end up dumping a bucket of water on you because he'd notice that you're not the best at handling the heat • Then he'd drag you all the way to Gandharva Ville and beg Tighnari to check you up just to make sure you're actually okay • Idk why but I think Tighnari would wreck both of you because you'd be two little dummies together, but your shenanigans always amuse and endear him • Since you're both athletic people, you could go on morning runs together before Cyno has to go to work, and it would be the general's second favorite moment of the day (the first would be coming home to you after work or after a mission) • I feel like Cyno would fall victim to sweet little sneak attacks... and they always work since his torso and feet are always exposed • Let's not forget that Cyno graduated from the Akademiya, so he could ramble about random facts and explain you everything you wanna know • And obviously... you'd have lots of TCG matches since you like playing games and he likes playing this game! And there may or may not be a penalty for the loser~

🔮 Tickle scenario

Being from Khaenri'ah, you weren't exactly the biggest fan of the Archons, nor the firmest believer, but you were sure that they blessed you in the instant when you met Cyno.

He was just perfect for you... and he made you feel at home in a compliment foreign country like Sumeru. He was so goofy and affectionate, but he also had that solemn aura of authority that made you admire him even more. You two shared many hobbies, which made the two of you get even closer, although the general could be merciless while playing Genius Invokation TCG...

But he usually found a way to make you forgive him for being too aggressive while playing, like he was doing when he dragged you around the whole Avidya Forest to make you see the most beautiful landscapes (he got some pointers from Tighnari).

"So... do you forgive me for yelling while playing?" The general asked you with sad, pleading puppy eyes while you two were sitting on a huge tree branch. "Well, that yell startled me quite a lot..." You pouted. The truth is, you had already forgiven him the moment he took you to a very big and tall tree to watch the sunset, but seeing him so troubled was quite cute.

"I see..." He said in a solemn tone, trying in vain to hide his sadness and mortification, "I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable, and take all the time you need to forgive me..." That tone, that nervous fidgeting with his hands, those sad eyes... you couldn't help it, you bursted out laughing.

"Cyno... babey... I was just messing with you..." You finally confessed, watching his expression turn from guilty to confused to astonished to pouty. "Come on... don't pout! I couldn't help it, your reactions were just too cute~" You teased, but the general remained grumpy.

"Awe... won't you smile for me..? I know you want to~" You whispered the last sentence into his ear while scribbling gently up and down his back, enjoying the series of startled sounds and choked laughter that left your partner's mouth.

"See? Just give in and gimme a smile, holding it in is pointless" You teased in a very sweet tone, something you probably learned while getting wrecked by Yae during your time in Inazuma.

However, Cyno was tough and it would be a lie to say you didn't know... Archons, his head was sturdier than a plank of Adhigama Wood! You were sure that only drastic measures would've been enough with him, and being a good partner you knew exactly what you needed.

In a swift movement, you straddled him and wrapped him in a tight hug, then you started blowing a series of quick little raspberries on his collarbones. It was a little unusual to be so sensitive there, but Cyno was a very peculiar person so he didn't surprise you too much.

"HMMMM- HAHAHAHAHAHAHA OKAY OKAHAHAY IHIHI'M LAHAUGHIHIHIHING STAHAHAHAHAHAP" He finally gave up after lasting so long. "See? It wasn't so hard~" You kissed the white-haired guy on the nose, turning him into a flustered mess.

Eventually, the sun began to set to leave the scene to the night sky, so you and your lover decided to glide down from the tree and head home together.

However, as soon as your feet touched the ground, you stumbled over something you clearly hadn't seen, and before you knew what was going on, you found yourself lying on your stomach on the soft grass with a weight on your back.

Well... that weight had a name, and that name was Cyno.

"Cyno, what the-" You started, but he quickly interrupted you, "I, the General Mahamatra, will not tolerate your crimes of mischief any further. Judgment is upon you!"

With that sentence, he started scribbling on your right thigh and squeezing on the left one, switching techniques to never let you get used to the feeling. "Nonono- HEHEHEHEHEHEHE WAHAHAIT IHIHIHIHI'M SAHAHAHARRY NOHOHOHOT THIHIHIS!!!" You begged, but your pleads fell on deaf ears and the tickle attack continued.

"WAAAAAEEEHEHEHEHEHE PLEHEAHAHAHSE NOHOHOHOHOT THIHIHIS!! ANYTHIHIHIHING BUHUHUT THIHIHIS!!!" You pleaded pointlessly. Cyno knew your limits very well, and he was aware that you still hadn't reached it.

Suddenly, an idea hit you. You managed to turn your arms back and with a bit of luck, you found Cyno's bare feet, completely vulnerable as he was sitting on top of you. It took only a quick scribble to make him jump off and finish that tickle fight.

"You're a meanie..." You panted while you recovered from that brutal thigh-tickle attack. "But you love me~" He replied with a smug knowing smile. "Indeed I do..." You grabbed his hand and finally started heading home.

"Technically I won the tickle fight~" You teased.

"Don't make me go for another round..."

[askbloatedbellyblog]

Helloooooo, i saw your genshin tierlist and was wondering why Cyno was on S tier? Since i feel like he'd be a SS burper.

Okay let me try this again since I had a whole bunch typed out but then tumblr decided to erase it all when I accidentally did the wrong keyboard shortcut. I'm trying to finally answer this because I have had a lot of asks for Cyno though I suspect many were by the same person.

Simply put, I admit I was wrong. I was partly trying to avoid putting too many on the SS tier but also since I made that tier list, there have been many events that have been outside of his mahamatra duties that have shown more of his personality and that in actually Cyno is a massive dork weeb.

First off, we now know that Cyno would definitely get drunk since he drinks when he's out with Tighnari and Kaveh. I can definitely see him drinking and eating too much while he's playing Genius Invokation (and maybe being like "everyone shut up shut up! I gotta concentrate!" on a move and then pull something really dumb and then deny it when he comes to. Very unlikely because he takes thing so seriously but could happen especially if they turned it into a drinking game which they definitely might do.) That and try to tell a joke to Tighnari or confess something and end up burping into Tighnari's ear (which then are even louder to Tighnari with his hearing).

I absolutely believe Cyno would make tons of puns about burps too when he wanted to like "Happy BURRRRPPPday. Get it? Because it's your birthday and I burped....I ate too much." "What color is a belch? Burple." "Did you hear what the Raiden Shogun said after she burped? She issued a royal pardon." "What do call someone like me that burps way too loud? A big son of a belch."

I also think that Cyno would use burps during his work like when he's cornering someone and or holding them up and they won't give him the information he needs "You won't give me the info I need? I eat hoarders like you for breakfast" and then burp real loud right in their face to intimidate them. Probably works wonders, or throws them off at the very least.

Another thing we've learned about Cyno is that he loves to roleplay and would definitely get into his role. So if he got to play someone that was a big eater, he would definitely keep it up and burp in his "character".

He's also very competitive as we've seen in the Inter-darshan championship, so if there was an eating component to that or another contest, he'd throw down and definitely release some epic belches. Heaven help Teyvat if there's a burp contest for a TCG card or an eating contest, because Cyno would NOT that losing that lightly.

I think there's more opportunities for him to belch as well, like having to eat Collei's cooking as she's learning how to do dishes, and drinking some of Tighnari's potions of things he's found in the forest that would make him gassy. I also think it's possible because he goes so long and being focused on hunting his targets that he probably makes himself extremely hungry because he doesn't eat during missions much and then when he gets back and the mission is done, he finally can go to the bazaar and gorge to bursting to get the calories he needs once again. Then he pats his stuffed belly and lets out several belches in satisfaction.

There's probably more options there but this is a good smattering of things that come to mind that might happen with Cyno.

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

OMG YOU FOUND HIM IN THE VIDEO?!?

I was afraid they didn’t put him in at all! :O

I guess it makes sense though? He’s not part of this event, but he’s still a prominent character in the game, so I was a bit disappointed that he wasn’t chilling with anyone. :/

BUT THEN I REMEMBERED (no offense, Childe my love) he literally doesn’t have any friends 😭 Like all the harbingers lowkey hate him and he lowkey hates them back. He’s only really interacted with Yoimiya, Xinyan, and Zhongli?

Like Yoimiya and Xinyan definitely aren’t that close to him. They kinda just hung around him because he was in an event with them? Then he’s only friends with Zhongli, but it doesn’t make sense for them to hang out because Zhongli was hanging with the other archons.

But then I tried thinking about who he COULDVE hung out with and???

It’s not like with Albedo and Tighnari, they were clearly hanging out because they’re both intelligent and we’re probably talking. Or like with Itto and Cyno, they both share the common interest of playing Genius Invokation TCG.

Like no one who was there would really wanna talk to him? 😭 Even though he seems so easygoing, he has NO friends :(

Sorry, Childe brain rot. I love this funky ginger man. I’m sad that he has no friends 😭 He needs a hug and maybe a kiss… AND MAYBE A PARTNER WHO WANTS TO CUDDLE HIS FLUFFY LEGACY

Okay sorry again, brainrot over XD

okay place your bets everyone, which Pyro lady will Childe befriend next? my bet's on Yanfei because she's cool

oh oh oh but this is making me remember a brainrot i had a couple days ago- reuniting with Childe during Lantern Rite

hear me out, you're from Liyue and met him when he was stationed to do Harbinger duties, and you ended up spending a lot of time together, eventually falling in love. Childe adores you so much and wants to spend the rest of his life with you, but after the Liyue incident and Osial getting summoned he’s shipped off to Inazuma so he doesn’t cause more unrest- the other Harbingers don’t particularly like him, except maybe Pulcinella, and you can’t exactly go with him since the Harbor is your home

so tearfully you say goodbye to Childe and Foul Legacy, because you love them both and they love you, too

Childe sends you letters as often as he can, but it’s difficult since he’s trying to keep you a secret- people knowing you’re the Eleventh Harbinger’s lover could very well put you in danger. it hurts missing him this much, your heart breaking into pieces whenever you’re alone, but you have to stay strong because you know he’ll return eventually, when work permits him to

he promised to return by Lantern Rite. he promised

Childe’s gaze trails across the Harbor, seemingly admiring the lights and ribbons that decorate every door, but in truth he’s only looking for one person- you. it’s been so long since he’s seen you in person- Archons, how long has it been, exactly? too long, and both he and Foul Legacy know that. his heart thumps erratically in his chest, strangely nervous- would you be angry with him? worried about his time oversees? he couldn’t deny that he didn’t love when you fussed over him, but your fretting and fear broke his heart

or perhaps you’ve just forgotten him by this point- he wouldn’t blame you for it

“Childe!”

and there you are, standing a few feet away and staring in awe, like you didn’t truly expect him to show up. the Harbinger simply smiles, a soft, gentle smile reserved only for you, and opens his arms. in a few moments you’ve dashed over into his embrace, squeezing him tightly and fighting back joyful tears as he chuckles, hand already petting your hair

he’s back- he’s back and he’s with you, and you’re reunited

you drag him away somewhere quieter, out of the crowd in case anyone recognizes him but also because Foul Legacy is chirping insistently in the back of his head, wanting nothing more than to take control and wrap his claws around you for the first time in months- the Abyssal monster is even clingier than Childe, and the moment you’re alone there’s a burst of Electro, Foul Legacy towering over you

to anyone else it’d be terrifying, but you simply beam and press your cheek into his gentle palm, reveling in the happy croons and purrs that slip from his mouth. with a quick sweep Foul Legacy holds you in his arms, head pressed against his chest so you can still admire the fireworks. your hands wind into his lilac fluff, idly petting and combing it with your fingers as you stare up at the sky, happy and content

and Childe and Foul Legacy are finally home

[certaindonutstudent]

SMUT ! ! ! Headcanons with cyno (Fem. Reader)

Can't stop thinking in these two scenarios for Cyno, don't ask me why i just did

Playing TCG or...

You know? Sometimes you think your boyfriend spend a lot of time in this stupid card game...sadly you can't say something bad about it he would be very sad and angry if he notices what you really think of genius invocatio.

one day you were really needy but that stupid game was more important right now for cyno...he has to update his deck with new cards maybe using a new strategy to win more matches in a next tournament or maybe just with his friends.

"I got an idea!" You say in your mind so meanwhile he was on his office you just try to get under the table were he was looking at the cards, obviously cyno notice you but he thought "she is gonna leave soon if i ignore her, she does this every time...*sigh*" but this time is different! You can't wait for him to take care of you like he does so now you are gonna make him notice you! Of course you are more important than a game.

You finally get under the table, you must be fast and do it right now! unbutton his belt..and you did, now you can't let it like that so..you start to touch him very slowly...cyno starts making noises...is he enjoying it? Good "i must continue" your mind says.

Cyno could not hide it anymore his new tcg deck is less important now! He couldn't deny it he needs you now! So fast as he could pulled your hair and said "Fine...you won, you got my attention"

Rolplay is fun! Let's try it.

It was one these days you were waiting for Cyno to come back from his tournament, you were pretty sure he won, I mean it's Cyno after all he is a professional about that game.

And wow what a surprise! He just came back after you were thinking about him, what a coincidence.

Y/n : what do you have rigth there?

Cyno: well, remember that we talked about a novel that is based on genius invokation? Well... I want you to try this outfit

Y/n : I- oh...that's a very cute..outfit!

A particular outfit was reveled by Cyno, it was just like the love interest of the protagonist of the novel...Thighs showing of course, black thigh highs and black lace langire, just exactly as that one female character you didn't expect Cyno to have those fantasies.

Cyno : can we...just do this for today?

Y/n : I- i don't even know how to act in character...I'm a bit nervous about it.

Cyno : don't worry it will be fine, I just *cough* I- i just need you to wear it for me.

It's just one night right? You can do it for him and you did use the outfit, it feels a bit tiny for your body type even a bit of your tummy can be visible but in the eyes of Cyno you are the most beautiful woman in the whole Teyvat.

You don't even know what to say to start this so called "roleplay" so you went to the basic lines of the damsel in distress.

Y/n : Thank you, oh brave hero from saving me from...that evil sir who got me in...this tower all the time! (Iam...doing this okay?)

And as you asked those questions in your mind Cyno's face were different like it was before now He was is a state of pure ecstacy.

He run just to hold you and whispers to your ear "I need you so bad now" you were so surprised that he wasn't even in character as you thought he will be but still you are firm to what you gonna do.

As it was about a beast he couldn't resist and he pushed you in bed a gasp scapes from your mouth.

Y/n : Cy- dear hero...is this the reward you want from me?

Cyno : ...

Y/n : Dear hero..?

Cyno wasn't even thinking about this roleplay anymore he was just thinking about the moment. He lifted your skirt so he could see your exposed cvnt.

You spread your legs in a way to affirm he can do it now. "If this is what my dear hero wants...I'll give it to him"

His two hands are grabbing your thighs making sure you can't scape from him, Cyno starts giving you small licks on your needy cvnt then after that he licks you up to down, small circles with his tongue make you go insane like you can't hold it, even if he goes slow on you, you just felt like touching heaven.

In your head you repeat it to yourself "just for one night, just for one night, you can get through this just one ni-" until Cyno started playing with his right hand with your clit and with his left hand is grabbing you even more harder than before...yeah just one night.

I haven't write in a while and it's obvious aghhhh I don't like this anymore BUT I had to finish it, anyway I'm back to my grave.

[isnt-it-pretty]

I rewrote the conversation with Collei in my eleazar!cyno fic because it didn't fit, but I decided I'd post it here as an outtake!

Wow, it's 2,287 words. That's like a short one-shot in itself. Oh well, here! You can see which sections I took verbatim, which I rewrote, and which I cut entirely. It has a very different vibe than the one I eventually went with.

Let me know if you're interested in seeing more cut sections and outtakes. They're often not as long as complete ar this one, but I saved them all.

Also sorry for the spacing tumblr likes adding an additional one and I wasn't sure whether getting rid of them made it harder to read since it's so long. Let me know if it's harder this way and I'll fix it.

You can read the fic in its entirety here!

Chapter 5, last scene, Collei & Cyno's discussion:

“Master Cyno?” Collei asked. 

He looked up from his seat by the window to find her hovering in the doorway, looking unsure of herself. 

“Collei,” he greeted, uncurling himself to face her more easily. “What is it?”

He hadn’t seen a lot of Collei outside of his physical therapy, especially not without Tighnari at her side. Cyno suspected it was difficult for her to see him like this. Her memories of their time in Mondstadt had always been a challenge for their relationship, but it was probably worse now. He was frail where he used to be strong, and even weeks of recovery had barely helped that (much to his growing frustration).

Collei hesitated. “Oh, um, well, I was wondering if- no, wait,” she stopped herself and took a deep breath, straightening her back before she continued. “You and I are going to play TCG. I have a deck for you and everything. It was a gift from a matra named Nayab?” She said it like a question, even though it clearly wasn’t supposed to be. “Um. Mahamatra Taj brought it.”

That was the first Cyno had heard of such a gift. He raised an eyebrow at Collei’s forwardness and silently noted to himself to look into why Nayab was sending him TCG decks. 

She flushed beneath his gaze and looked away, fidgeting.

“Miss Lisa told me not to ask you if you wanted to do something, but just to tell you we’re doing it. She said you’d refuse if you aren’t feeling well, even if it’s something you usually like, and, um, Kaveh agreed when I mentioned it.”

Ah, so Lisa put her up to this. That wasn’t surprising—it sounded just like something she would do. Part of Cyno wanted to feel irritated at Lisa’s—and apparently Kaveh’s—intervention, but he knew she meant well, even if he didn’t want to admit that she was right. It was a lesson from their shared Akademiya years, when Cyno had avoided things because he felt too stressed to enjoy them, or hadn’t thought he deserved the break. He thought he’d moved on from that habit, but maybe Cyno wasn’t so far removed from his youth as he’d believed. 

Genius Invokation was never something he’d ignored before. It was the only hobby he really had, but as Cyno’s health had waned, so too had his desire to play. He just didn’t have the energy or time. All of his once well-loved decks were probably still sitting on a dust covered shelf in his apartment. 

He didn’t really want to play now, either. Maybe it was because he was tired, or the way his hands ached, or that he simply wanted to stew alone as he thought of his mistakes. TGC represented something from before to him, although Cyno wasn’t yet sure what that meant. 

Collei was still waiting for his response, shifting anxiously as she did, and Cyno couldn’t deny her this. He couldn’t deny her anything, really. 

“Okay,” he said, and she gave him a hesitant smile. 

Standing hurt. It was something he had taken for granted before his illness. His muscles were still weak and it would take months for him to be able to walk unsupported, if he would ever be able to again—it was something he tried not to think about, fear curling deep within his chest at the thought of his abilities changing so drastically. At least he was strong enough for crutches now. They were made from slender wood that reached his forearm, partially wrapping around it in a cuff. A leather wrapped handle at hand height allowed him to grip them comfortably. It wasn’t perfect—Cyno’s arms were weak and even more prone to fatigue than his legs—but it worked well enough for short distances and was easier to use than the alternatives. Gandharva Ville wasn’t known for its accessibility. 

Collei didn’t offer to help as he hobbled his way toward the table. He was grateful for it. Cyno wasn’t a particularly prideful individual, but he wasn’t sure he could bear that from the child he had saved. It was bad enough when he had to rely on Kaveh or Tighnari for such simple things. 

He sat at the table and leaned his crutches against a nearby chair, relieved to be off his feet. Collei watched hesitantly, likely feeling somewhat awkward, before she finally joined him. 

The deck boxes were well made from beautiful wood and leather. Collei handed him both of them to pick between, and Cyno glanced through each deck. 

They were competitive and synergistic, which was exactly the play style he enjoyed. Somebody had spent a lot of time and money on these.

“You said this was a gift from Nayab?” Cyno asked, looking up at her.

Collei bit her lip and nodded. “He gave them to Mahamatra Taj for you. I think a few of the other matra helped too?” 

Cyno’s hands were gentle, almost reverent, as he looked through the cards again. An emotion he couldn’t name welled up in his chest.

It shouldn’t have been surprising. Cyno had played hundreds of games with his matra to pass the time on long missions or after working hours. It was one of the few ways his subordinates could convince him to go out with them. Nayab, in particular, had spent months trying to convince him to play during the worst of his sickness. And yet, to know that they had paid such close attention to his favourite cards that they could imitate a deck he would create showed a level of care he hadn’t thought possible from anybody but his closest friends.

“I hope you one day realize how truly cared about you are, Cyno,” Taj had said. 

Shaking himself from his reverie, he picked the more complicated of the decks and gave the other to Collei. She always preferred the more straightforward tactics, but she had been branching out the last time they had played, several months prior.

There was a routine to TCG, and despite the time that had passed, Cyno fell into it with ease. He felt himself relaxing as they played.

Draw, roll, play cards, attack, pass turn.

He was never one to make conversation during games, but even he could feel the tension growing between them. It felt like the moment before a wave’s crash, when the water pulled back with the tide before rushing forward to slam against rocks and stone. 

Cyno cleared his throat. 

“How are you doing?” he asked, hoping to break the tension that felt like cracking ice. “Have you lessons been going well?”

“They’ve been fine,” Collei said. “The other Forest Watchers have been helping for the last few weeks, since Master Tighnari has been busy.” She kept her attention on her cards. 

Right. Tighnari had been with him, so Collei would have had to get her instruction elsewhere. 

He wondered if she’d felt hopeless for those long weeks, when her illness progressed as his did—albeit not as severely. Did she even want to continue her education knowing how little time she’d had left? Did her goals change now that there wasn’t a death sentence hanging over her head? Collei was so young. She’d never had the opportunity for dreams without the reality of her Eleazar shattering the image, no matter how carefully constructed. Cyno was lucky that way. His illness appeared in adulthood, although he wondered if he would have done anything different if his condition had been more similar to Collei’s. He suspected his decisions in life would have remained that same. 

He felt a hollow pang in his chest at the thought.

Cyno cleared his throat. “Are you planning on staying in Gandharva Ville?” he asked. 

Collei played a card. Her brows furrowed. 

“Why wouldn’t I?” she asked.

“I just thought maybe there was something else you’d want to do now that your Eleazar is cured.”

She dealt three damage to his active character. 

“Gandharva Ville is my home. I wouldn’t leave it just because of that. I want to become a Forest Watcher and a medic. Only Master Tighnari can teach me those things.” Her voice was steady, but there was a hint of something else in it. 

They both rolled for the start of the turn.

Cyno played two cards and passed to her. The tension seemed to grow with each moment. 

“Collei,” he said the next time it was his turn. He kept his gaze on his cards so that he wouldn’t have to face her. “It’s okay if you’re uncomfortable around me. You don’t have to force yourself.”

He motioned for her to take her turn, and Collei slammed a card onto the table. 

“I’m not uncomfortable around you,” she snapped with uncharacteristic anger. Or, rather, uncharacteristic of her for the last few years. It was closer to the fury she held when they’d first met. 

She took a deep breath, visibly calming herself. “I’m hurt and I’m angry.”

Oh. 

“Collei-” he began, unsure of what to say, but she cut him off. 

“How could you?” she asked, some of the fury returning to her voice. “You told me to trust people, to let them in, to trust you, and then you lied for years! I understand not telling me, but how could you keep it a secret from Master Tighnari? I thought you loved him.”

“I do-”

“I thought you were dead when I first found him crying on the floor,” she sounded choked. “He was holding one of your shirts and I thought- but no, you were just dying from an illness you hid despite knowing it’s something I had too!” 

Her words were quiet when she spoke next, as if all the fight had fled her. “I couldn’t travel to see you,” she whispered. “I had to wait here for Lisa’s letters because Tighnari was too devastated to write. You would have died and I wouldn’t have even had the chance to say goodbye.”

She tightened her hands into fists, staring down at the cards in front of her. Cyno knew she wasn’t crying—Collei refused to allow that if she could help it—but she was close to it. 

He reached across the table to lay a hand over one of her fists, a steady ache between his ribs from knowing just how much he had affected her. It was naïve to think otherwise, and yet... 

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Collei, I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

“Then why?” she asked in that same meek voice. It reminded Cyno of Mondstadt, of the little girl so desperate for somebody to trust, somebody to care for her. 

He squeezed her fist. 

“I can’t tell you,” he said. “I don’t really know myself. All of my thoughts were just excuses.”

Collei clenched her jaw, her shoulders trembling as she stared down at the table. “That’s cruel,” she said.

Guilt curdled in Cyno’s stomach like soured milk. “I know, and I’m sorry I can’t do better.”

Archons, how he wished he could do better; wished he could mend all of his broken relationships. This was the last thing he’d ever wanted to happen. 

“Collei, I- if you want-” he cleared his throat. “I know you’re closer with Tighnari than me, but if you want comfort…” He raised one arm, a silent signal he would hug her if she wanted. 

Perhaps Collei had grown more than he thought she did, because Cyno didn’t expect her to take him up on it. To his surprise, though, Collei pushed herself out of her chair and quickly rounded the small table. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders tightly, hiding her face in his shoulder like she would if he was Tighnari.

The chair creaked beneath their combined weight, but held. Cyno was thankful—he didn’t think he could keep himself up otherwise, let alone Collei. 

It was awkward at first. Despite his offer, Cyno still wasn’t sure what to do. Lisa had hugged him before she left, and it was common for Kaveh to, but Tighnari was too careful when touching Cyno now. 

Cyno took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. He wrapped his arms around Collei and felt her soften into him. She sniffled against his shirt and hiccuped a quiet cry, her hands twisting in the fabric at his back. Cyno held her closer and rested his cheek against her hair. It smelled of the same Sumeru rose shampoo that all the Forest Watchers used—that Tighnari used. 

His eyes burned as the fabric beneath Collei’s face dampened with her tears. He supposed this has been a long time coming for her. Maybe for both of them. 

She really had her whole life ahead of her now, and Cyno realized with an ache that he was so glad he would get to see it. 

“I’m sorry,” he said again, whispering into the wisps of her green hair. 

Collei tightened her hold on him before pulling away. Cyno already missed her warmth. 

“I forgive you,” she said, sniffling. Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy to match the damp section of his shirt. “You’re too important not to.”

Cyno breathed deeply, trying to brush away the pain in his chest from her words. It didn’t ease. 

He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it. 

“You’re important to me too,” he said. 

She wiped her eyes on a sleeve and sniffled again. Her expression almost made Cyno laugh.

“I hate crying,” she said. “It’s disgusting, and now my face hurts.”

Cyno did laugh at that, the sound barely a breath, but Collei heard it. 

She smiled at him and squeezed the hand he still held back.

For now, it was enough.

[arandompeep]

Okay so I am having thoughts about Worldless × Genshin Crossover thingy so have some more thoughts:

Both Edda and Aven does not know how they even got to Teyvat, all they know is that they blanked out and is now suddenly in a ridiculously colourful world where they can't absorb anything. Meanwhile in Teyvat, some may have noticed two extremely bright meteors, one blue and one orange, one night.

The wildlife also confuses them a LOT. Why aren't they shapes? How can they hold their form all the time? Why they seemingly can't use absorption on any of them?

And then they probably encounter their first human. It didn't go as well as Edda, Aven nor the human has expected.

It would be funny if they don't have visions, but instead use their default skills. People wonder how they can use two elements at the same time... but it's actually not Teyvat's elemental energy, it's just their skills.

Also: They are both extremely confused by humans: Why do they need those weird shiny things to give them abilities? What's up with all those structures? WHY DO THEY NEED TO WEAR CLOTHES?!

If would be funny if they can only communicate via chirps/ honks/ sonar. Because imagine someone giving an extremely long-winded and epic sounding speech and then Edda just... gives the most disappointed chirp.

They can glow, very useful in caves and stuff.

Edda, Aven and Idyia may be friends.

Childe might have tried to fight both Edda and Aven... and it did not go well (They used the big green sword attack).

Wanderer challenges Edda to a race, only for her to casually run past him... while he was flying over water. Cue the entire team (Except Wanderer and Aven) begging her to ferry then across bodies of water. She just ice bridges when she's with a bunch of people.

(Not too sure on what Archon Quest you're on, so if you haven't finished Fontaine's Archon quest, don't read this please) Edda and Furina being water-running buddies. I could imagine them chasing each other while running on water.

Aven being scared of Yae Miko for some reason.

Edda would probably be really good at Genius Invokation TCG, her deck would be Oceanid Taser (Rhodeia/ Oceanid, Fischl and Mirror Maiden... or Thunder manifestation if we're talking about 4.3 deck).

Everyone being a bit confused about Edda and Aven's "disappearing body" thing.

Everyone also being confused about where on Teyvat they came from.

I could imagine both of them being somewhat concerned for Rhodeia of Loch. Like... does she need help or anything? She seems a bit... paranoid to both of them. Edda did eventually managed to get her trust though.

dude this is amazing I love your thoughts about this crossover sm, ty for sharing!!!! 💕💖💕💖💕💕💖💕💖

edda would not have a fun time in fontaine methinks,,,, she does not like water

[octahedral-chaos]

Some more Binary Stars' Impact stuff! Especially sillier stuff.

@arandompeep I am also tagging you here if that's okay.

Due to Edda's inability to swim. It immediately switch to any other character in the party... but Edda doesn't die. Aven, however, can swim... and can even use physical attacks under water WITHOUT the gadget (I forgot the name of it). It's much weaker though.

Edda is very, VERY good at Genius Invokation TCG. I think Aven and Edda would both have character cards... as well as Summum and Angel (coming back to this one).

They would probably be very protective of Nahida, Furina and maybe even Venti because they all seem to be young and both of them basically went into parent mode (tm). Lay a finger on any of them and you'll get a LOT of pryo/cryo/anemo/electro damage.

Aven would be fascinated with Lyney and Lynette's magic show... he even know some magic tricks of his own!

Turns out Angel is still alive... and the entire crew only realised this when they popped in OUT OF NOWHERE to fight a random Pryo regisvine. They, however, got the everloving daylights beaten out of them by said flower.

Everyone wonder what is up about Edda and Aven's "disappearing body" thing, so someone attempt to poke their arm through Aven's torso while he was reading... it didn't go well.

Aven is a catalyst btw, while Edda might be sword or bow? Not too sure, but I'm leaning more towards the sword. Angel might be polearm.

Aven's upclose attacks are obviously slashing with his claws and kicking. He also does a cartwheel, and I could imagine if he was actually in-game, everyone who be memeing that VERY hard (Also Edda's upside-down midair bow shot... but she's in an entirely different class, so to speak).

Aven would either have a love or hate relationship with Wanderer (I should say platonically, since I do headcanon Aven to be aroace).

Edda's ability to sprint on water naturally gets Furina's attention. Cue these two chasing each other while Aven and Neuvillette just stares at each other with the most "Why?" expression.

[mild-mirror]

genshin impact genius invokation tcg fics i would love to write or see written

fic about the (hypothetical but likely) practice of giving someone who beat you a copy of your card; may also branch into 'where do all these cards come from anyway'

fic where everyone acknowledges that their names faces and skills are on cards that are just casually available to the general public; this may snowball into 'whoever makes the cards gets sued for using likenesses without permission' or 'something wacky is going on a la the stars or abyss or celestia or such' or maybe even-

fic where itto, incensed that he isn't on a playable character card, begins recruiting as many also-doesnt-have-playable-character-card's as he can find to go find the people making the cards and then ask very nicely if they can add them into the game

fic where xiao is coaxed into playing genius invokation tcg- okay i just really want him to a) become a cryptid at the cat's tail in his quest for level 10 proficiency in Card Gaming b) have an incredibly dramatic desert encounter with cyno where they both sit down for an epic duel of the card game variety c) character interactions. come on dont you want diona and xiao to interact. and d) maybe i want xiao to find something in life after perilous trail. perhaps through a card game.

idk man i just want more card game fic

[mint-merriment]

genshin impact genius invokation tcg fics i would love to write or see written

fic about the (hypothetical but likely) practice of giving someone who beat you a copy of your card; may also branch into 'where do all these cards come from anyway'

fic where everyone acknowledges that their names faces and skills are on cards that are just casually available to the general public; this may snowball into 'whoever makes the cards gets sued for using likenesses without permission' or 'something wacky is going on a la the stars or abyss or celestia or such' or maybe even-

fic where itto, incensed that he isn't on a playable character card, begins recruiting as many also-doesnt-have-playable-character-card's as he can find to go find the people making the cards and then ask very nicely if they can add them into the game

fic where xiao is coaxed into playing genius invokation tcg- okay i just really want him to a) become a cryptid at the cat's tail in his quest for level 10 proficiency in Card Gaming b) have an incredibly dramatic desert encounter with cyno where they both have a short staredown and then an epic duel of the card game variety c) character interactions. come on dont you want diona and xiao to interact. and d) maybe i want xiao to find something in life after perilous trail. perhaps through a card game.

idk man i just want more card game fic

[notspoondere]

February 2018 List Re-Review

As an fun little thing, let’s go over my previous analysis and talk about what I predicted and whether or not it was correct!

I can’t think of anything better, so let’s just go off of a simple metric of “correct/maybe/incorrect” and I’ll tally up the results at the end.

Apoqliphort Towers

Before you get scared, Scout is still at one.  Hit that with Cosmic Cyclone and you win the game instantly.

But yeah, Towers is back.  Thankfully, we now have Utopia and Borrelload and a bunch of other cards to deal with it, so I really don’t expect Qliphorts to ever be a problem again.  But with Genius, at least they can be played again.

Qliphorts saw zero competitive play, so I’ll say this was spot-on.  Correct.

Grinder Golem

More degenerate token spam got hit, but I feel like this just makes it a slightly worse Gofu that’s just as sacky.

It’s sort of that, but in practice, nobody plays it at 1.  I’ll say a maybe since this isn’t exactly wrong.

Performage Damage Juggler

As far as practical application goes… the verdict is still out.  I don’t know if 1 Juggler is enough to see competitive play.  Consider the following:

The typical Lightsworn combo off of Scorpio uses Trick Clown because it makes you take damage, which triggers Thousand Blades for a free Rank 4.  If you send Juggler instead, you get Clown in hand, which is neat, but you need to Normal Summon or discard him in order to get his effect.

Invoked can use this card (with Aleister the Meltdown Invoker) to turn any hand of Aleister + Brilliant Fusion into Aleister + 2x Mechaba and 3 cards in hand, but it can do that with another combo anyways.

We’ll see on this one.  I like it being back, though.

I was visibly on the fence about this, but I’ll admit I got this wrong.  Juggler is an excellent card and has seen plenty of play since it was unbanned.  It turns out that Hat Tricker is a much better card than I expected, and everyone makes Curious, the Lightsworn Dominion with EARTH monsters anyways.

Still love it being back, honestly.  Great card.

Monster Reborn

We all know what this card does, we all know how ridiculous it is.  Get ready for this card to “enhance” all of your mirror matches.  I personally cannot wait to start sacking games with this card.  Can anyone say Lonefire Reborn Lonefire?

Monster Reborn has seen play!  Who could have expected this!?  Correct.

Solemn Judgment

Another step toward TCG/OCG parity, “God says ‘NO!’” has finally been put to one copy per deck for the first time in I don’t even know how long.  This card speaks most closely to Counter Fairies (given the recent support), but it could see play in virtually any deck not running Destrudo.

I don’t really like negation or backrow, but I guess it’s neat to have this back.  Check with me in six months and I’ll want every copy of it burned, though.

This card’s great!

I fucking hate it, but it’s seen tons of play.  Correct.

Artifact Moralltach

This card was not $7 a day ago, I swear.  The hype is real.

Artifacts have strong potential for Side Deck play, and possibly in the main with Sanctum as accessible as it is, though that hasn’t been too successful since the days of Artifact Invoked Windwitch.  Keep an eye on this for sure.

Moralltach is still sitting around $5, but has seen no play.  This one was definitely wrong.

Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning

Who ever expected to see this card at 3 again?

Burning Abyss is the only competitive deck regularly playing this card, but it actually excels at two things BA can’t really do that effectively: permanent spot removal and dealing with multiple big threats.  This card deserves to be at 3, but it won’t be totally irrelevant there, either.

Still sees play, though I don’t think anyone plays three copies since it’s kind of a brick that doesn’t contribute to a board.  I’ll say this was correct, though you can feel free to correct me if BA decks have actually cut it since then.  (I sold it a few months ago for Shaddolls, sorry...)

Card Trooper

Step 1: Troop. Summon Card Trooper, it doesn’t matter how.

Step 2: Dupe.  Activate Machine Duplication, targeting Card Trooper.   Thankfully, chances are that there won’t be more than one target on the field, so it’s hard to mess this one up.

Step 3: Scoop.   Pick up your cards and leave because your opponent dropped Ash Blossom on your Machine Duplication, or because you didn’t draw your unsearchable 2-card combo, or because pushing 5700 damage isn’t enough to win the game anyways.  Whoops.

Unfortunately, I don’t expect this to make huge waves competitively, but… yeah, this combo is super fun, and I’ll probably try it with Phantom Knights or something for laughs.  I guess it doesn’t hurt to have it back.

Card Trooper DID see play!  For like a week.  It showed up in two regional lists.  I’ll admit that I was wrong, but clearly it was phased out for a reason.

Mind Control

Now THIS is actually an interesting prospect.  This card has not seen an errata of any kind, and is arguably still playable going second.  Taking control of monsters actually breaks Co-links and the card itself doesn’t prevent you from using your opponent’s monsters to summon from the Extra Deck, so this could actually be a strong counter to some strategies.  Mind Control is definitely a card you should keep in mind.

This was absolutely correct.  Mind Control has seen Side Deck play and occasional Main Deck play in strategies designed to go second like Mekk-Knight Invoked.

Bottomless Trap Hole

Another interesting unhit.  Trap cards in general were thought to be powercrept, so Konami has been taking strides in releasing a number of the most powerful ones ever, such as this.  Note: HAT did not have 3x Bottomless.  Also note that HAT will not come back because of this and Moralltach, and that Bagooska is still pretty much a better card than Rafflesia.

I feel fairly confident in saying this card isn’t good enough to be played even at 3, but I feel as though there’s a small chance I could be proven wrong.

Was absolutely 100% correct on this, it saw no play whatsoever.  I don’t think I met anyone in the few days after the banlist that wasn’t hyped about this, but even then, I felt it was pretty obvious that this card was not good enough to see play without substantial Trap Hole support.

Torrential Tribute

ahahahhHAHAHAHHHHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAH

This card being at 3 is complete insanity.  Full power Zoo format had a few people side decking Blind Obliteration, a card which is almost strictly worse than this, and now they won’t ever need to.

I know in a week I’ll come to hate the absolute hell of playing through 3x Torrential, but for now, I can’t wait to see how people cheese their way through majors with this card in triplicate.  It’s more than powerful enough, in any case.

Once again, 100% correct.  ABC, Trickstars, Burning Abyss, and Paleo Frogs all found success with this card.  I don’t think this was a surprise to anyone though.

And that’s it.  SPYRAL is probably dead, Magicians are hurt badly, and several rogue/tier 2 archetypes got a small boost.

SPYRAL dropped off really hard, but was still played.  Magicians require a bit of thought: Technically, this list did absolutely nothing to stop them from being the best deck in the game, but it would have been much worse (like +3 or +4 on top of Vortex/Norito/Dweller) if Iris or Joker were still in the game.  I’ll give this a maybe, but I admit that’s kind of generous.

EXTRA: Card That Did Not Get Hit, Somehow

Trickstar Reincarnation

I asked our local Trickstar player what he thought of the banlist.  He reached into his deck box, pulled out Maxx “C” and Gofu, and gave me a shit eating grin.

Despite topping multiple events, this deck somehow did not get hit in the slighest.  The searchable 2-card combo that banishes your hand whenever you search or draw a card is still totally, 100% legal.  Konami says it’s cool.  This is fine.

This is NOT FINE.  Welcome to the best deck of the next format.

Okay, something you have to understand about this format: Draco vs. full power SPYRAL was by far Draco’s worst matchup, while Trickstar vs. full power SPYRAL was a fairly solid matchup for Trickstar thanks to the fact that Trickstars are practically an engine for a deck of hand traps, normal traps, and Scapegoat, all things SPYRAL are really bad against.

It turns out that Trickstar isn’t THAT great against everything else, though I hold that it is still a viable deck.

In terms of results, the deck was absolutely not the best deck of the format, though it was Tier 1/2 for a while until Draco came back.  It actually won a YCS once, I believe.

I’ll say this was wrong, but hopefully you can see it was close to being right.

Final total:

Correct: 7

Maybe: 2

Wrong: 4

Correct + Maybe = 9

Correct + Maybe / Total x 100 = 9(100)/13 = 69.23% Not Wrong™.  Nice.

Strictly speaking, I got a bunch of other stuff right by making no comment on cards I thought were totally irrelevant, but hopefully this is a reasonable/conservative metric of how good my predictions are.