#I wanted Lyney but I'm satisfied with her

[cheriafreya]

Cute Lynette (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

[rubys-domain]

so... i finished act 2. now what

[mistle10]

Rating: 18+, NSFW 🔞

Minors DNI

Pairing: Lyney x fem afab reader

Type/word count: one-shot, 1132 words.

Content: daddy as a title in a sexual way, deep penetration

Plot: Lyney loves it when you call him daddy.

☆Read under the line☆

Some may speculate it has something to do with his ambitions to overtake his "father" at the House of the Hearth, or perhaps it comes from his lack of a stable environment. Or, the most likely scenario being that Lyney just loves it when you call him daddy.

Sure, maybe he isn't built the most conventionally for a task like that. But it doesn't matter how he's built when you're trembling under him, whimpering out shaky little pleas for him not to stop as his cock fills you.

"Lyney~" you gasped, nails digging into his biceps as you held tight onto his arms.

His hips met flush against yours with every stroke, the curve of his cock pressing so perfectly against every sensitive spot inside you.

Every squelch, every schlp just proved your arousal, your own wetness mixed with his cum dripping down your thighs as he fucked his previous load deep inside you.

His teeth nipped softly at the flesh of your ear, groaning quietly. His nails dug ever so slightly into your thighs as he gripped them tightly, pushing them back against your stomach to deepen the reach of his cock.

"What else do I like?" He purred, the gentle vibrations of his words against the cuff of your ear making you shudder.

You tried to stutter the word out, -the one he really wanted you to use- but it was so hard to form a coherent sentence when such a deep and thorough fucking was turning your brain to mush.

When you were finally able to form the words, you stammered out a needy whimper.

"Daddy~"

Lyney hid his grin by keeping himself close to your ear, a satisfied chuckle escaping. You were so precious.

"Who's that?" He teased, sucking a hickey into the skin right under your ear. He rolled his hips against yours, driving himself deep.

You couldn't help but whine.

Despite his stature, Lyney was surprisingly strong, keeping your thigh pinned with one hand as the other moved to grasp your hip for more leverage. Your trembling hips dipped into the mattress with every press of his cock inside you, and it was heaven.

"Y- you, Lyney..." you stammered, almost losing your breath as his hand moved back down from your hip between your legs.

Slim fingers dipped into your wet folds, Lyney's long nails brushing you as he stroked your clit in small, tight circles.

"Aa- ahn...!" You cried out,

"That's riiiight." He whispered in a teasing tone, his arms wrapped tightly around you and his fingers digging gently into the small of your back once more. "Who loves it when daddy takes care of her?"

"I- I love it-" you choked out.

"You do..." He murmured in a slightly mocking tone, his arms wrapped around you still, but he was starting to go a little faster now as he heard your trembling breaths. "Who's daddy's good girl?" He murmured, pressing gentle kisses along your collarbone.

A deep shudder ran through you as his voice murmured against your chest, the low tone vibrating softly.

You cried out, and he left some soft kisses up toward your neck again, sucking on the delicate skin with deft lips.

"Hm?"

"I- I'm..." you groaned, "I am...!" The gasp that left your throat was interrupted with a high moan as Lyney gave a deeper thrust, his hips pushing yours further into the mattress.

You could feel his smirk on your neck. How smug he could be, it could drive you crazy if you could think about anything except for how he filled you.

"Who?" Lyney practically purred, punctuating that evil word with another deep press of his hips.

You gasped, teeth bearing into his shoulder if only for a moment. It was getting so, so hard to think. That man was surely a sadist, savoring how you squirmed and mewled from how red hot his kisses were on your skin.

"Meee," you whimpered, voice trembling. "I'm y.. your- your, g... your good girl-"

Lyney groaned, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest.

"Fuck... yes, you are," he whispered, his pace getting more and more impatient as the cord began to wind in his stomach. Each snap of his hips brushed harshly against your velvet walls, his perfect length barely bumping your cervix in a way that made you scream. His cock practically bullied into you, the slickness of your arousal making each drag against your g-spot even more ethereal. Both his name and his title fell off your lips like a prayer, desperate pleas for more sending a pang of arousal right to his stomach.

"Daddy... daddy, p... please- Lyney..." you whined, lashes fluttering shut against your cheeks.

"Oh, darling-..." Lyney whispered. It was as if you couldn't even form proper sentences, your brain scrambled from the white hot pleasure. Still, even though this thick brain fog, you could still detect the subtle shake of his breath, the stutter of his hips as he was just as close as you were.

It was like your insides were perfectly molded just for him, his cock filling you so perfectly. Perfect. Thats all he could think about, how perfectly you moaned, how you fit so perfectly around him, how you took him oh, so unbelievably well.

"My baby girl..."

You were, that's all you wanted to be; his baby girl.

Lyney could see the way your body shuddered against him, and it sent a shiver down his spine.

Finally- finally, the cord snapped. You cried out, keening as you clenched, that hot rush of pleasure flooding your mind, thoughts blanking out anything other than the bliss that Lyney gave you. As your soft walls tightened around him, Lyney unwound quickly, a moan escaping his lips as he gasped, twitching as he spilled his seed inside of you.

Finally, the heat between you began to settle. The room was quiet now, aside from your shared panting and the soft sound of occasional kisses.

"Lyney..." you whispered, but you had nothing to say.

His pointed nose nuzzled against your neck, head resting on your chest now.

"Y/N..." he breathed out, hands stroking along your sides and hips in a comforting way.

You could feel the way his cum leaked out, dripping down into the sheets below you, but neither of you cared right now. Lyney peppered soft, loving kisses onto your heated skin, his comfort more than enough love.

He closed his eyes, blonde hair brushing against you as he nuzzled closer once again.

"You did so well, mon coeur..." he whispered, "just for me, like always."

When you yawned, Lyney's shoulders shook a little with a quiet chuckle, before his slim yet strong arms pulled you closer, tighter.

"Let's go to sleep, hm? We can take a bath together later."

[jar-of-maise]

"Um Lyney," Paimon began, in an uncharacteristically hesitant voice.

"Oh? It isn't like you to be so shy, please go on, what's on your mind?" Lyney asked, looking up at her curiously.

Paimon looked at Aether anxiously, then floated a little closer to him, shedding sparkles as she flew, "well, some of the kids were telling us about how you tell them about fairytales..." She begins.

"Ah!" Lyney snaps his fingers, "are you here to ask me to tell you some stories? Well why didn't you say so?" He hops up easily, gracefully revealing several embossed hardcover books which fall out of his hat.

"Take a pick! There are many here, don't be shy," Lyney says cheerfully, showing the books off happily, "this one is a personal favourite," he winks at Aether.

The cover is of a golden-haired prince, drawing a sword from his sheath, sparkles dance around his figure. White armour adorns his strong figure. "It's a pretty cover...but," Paimon begins, raising a finger.

Lyney raises his eyebrows, "oh? Not to your taste? That's alright," he twirls the book around on his fingers, then tosses it up in the air, where it disappears after a sharp snap of his fingers.

"How about this one? It's about a mermaid and her journey to the human world," Lyney offers, smiling at Paimon and Aether as he shows them the book.

"Well, they're all very nice but–" Paimon tries again.

"Goodness! Have you always driven such a hard bargain?" Lyney asks comically, shaking his head, the books tumble down from his hands as he sighs in defeat.

"Lyney." Lynette says with a deadpan look on her face, "they probably want you to tell them a specific story."

"Yeah!" Paimon exclaims, "thank you Lynette!"

"No worries," Lynette says, crossing her arms and nodding, "my brother does have a habit of talking too much," she says, tail swishing side to side.

"Hey! I'm still here you know!" Lyney cries.

Lynettte fixes him with a very exasperated glare, "I know."

"Oh Lynette, how could you be so cruel to your dear brother?" Lyney whines, slumping, a few cards slipping out from underneath his hat. They fall sadly onto the ground, like limp autumn leaves.

"Um..." Aether begins, "we were hoping to hear about the story you created for the kids here," he says hopefully.

"The story...I made?" Lyney asks, perking up, "you want to hear my stories?" He asks in a tone so innocent that Aether can't help but feel endeared by his excitement.

"Yeah! Of course we do, you're a great storyteller Lyney!" Paimon cheers, "yeah!" Aether agrees, nodding vigorously.

"Well then," Lyney gathers his cards in one sweeping motion, shoving them back into his hat, "I can't disappoint my audience then, can I? Please take a seat, the show will be put on momentarily." Lyney grins, gesturing at the table in front of them.

"Please help yourself," Lynette says in a monotone voice as Paimon and Aether slid into their seats. She places her hat onto the table, and once she removes it, trays and plates of snacks appear magically.

"Wow! Thank you! Paimon's digging in then!"

Lynette nods, satisfied, she pours herself a cup of tea and takes a long sip from her cup.

"So Lyney," Paimon says to the magician, who's mumbling to himself as they help themselves.

"Hm? What's up?" Lyney asks curiously.

"The children here said that this story was called, 'The Thief's Hope' but, they also said that it has a sad ending," Paimon comments, "is that true?"

"Ah, you want to hear that story," Lyney says, there's an unreadable expression on his face, "well I wouldn't say it's that sad, uh, it's just not your typical fairytale."

"Yet the kids still love this story," Aether says, watching as Lyney puffs out his cheeks in slight disagreement.

"Yeah I don't really know why," Lyney laughs, slumping onto a nearby couch with a poof!

"Hey, at least that means you're a good story teller!" Paimon says comfortingly, nibbling on a cupcake as she talks.

"Perhaps," Lyney looks at Aether, then at Lynette. His eyes are wistful as he gazes at his hands silently. Outside, the rain was pouring ceaselessly. A cold wind brushed by and the water rapped on the windows. Lyney thought for a long time, then he just sighed fondly, fingers tracing a seam on his shorts before smiling brightly at Aether and Paimon. 

“Alright! Let me tell you the story!” He jumps up from the chair and bows deeply, “Lynette, if you would please,” he bows towards his sister who sighs, “fine," she says.

Lynette snaps her fingers and just like magic, a large backdrop appears behind Lyney, Paimon gasps in surprise and Aether leans forward curiously. It’s a depiction of the Fontaine streets, and the desolate piece of artwork is crafted with life-like accuracy. 

“Allow me to take you back in time,” Lyney steps forth, a hand tucked behind his back as he twirls his hat on his fingers. 

“There once lived a young boy, he was very poor and often worried about when his next meal would come by,” Lyney snapped his fingers and a little doll fell down from somewhere above his head, it was neatly stitched together, yet dirty and battered as though it had been abused and never loved. 

Lyney smiled and nodded at Lynette who waved her hand. A spotlight shone onto the makeshift “stage” focusing on the tiny doll who picked himself up and began to walk around. 

“He was often bullied, looked down upon and slowly, he found himself pushed to the darkest streets, where the light did not fall,” as he spoke, Lyney flicked his fingers, they appeared as dark, long shadows on the harsh light of the backdrop and the doll was flung away.

“But he never forgot what being in the light felt like,” Lyney’s voice echoed from somewhere, like a omnipresent narrator. As he spoke, the little doll picked itself up and began to stumble slowly towards the audience, “he longed to go back, there was a hole in his heart that he wanted to fill. A void that was as dark as the night sky.”

The inky blackness that suddenly filled the stage was so desperate and suffocating that Paimon audibly gasped. No light shone, indeed, it seemed as though even the oxygen was being removed from their lungs. Aether wondered if this too, was a part of the magic.

"He tried to fill his heart with the scraps that littered the streets," Lyney's voice began to speak again, "he hoarded those little things zealously, even they had no love for him and he had no love for them."

A small pinprick of light appeared on the stage and focused on Lyney's figure, he stood in the centre, with a grave expression on his face.

"His fingers were nimble and his feet too, were agile," Lyney smiled, a small doll appearing on his hand.

"He took the memories and love of others, he tried to light up the darkness in his heart with the light and warmth of others." Lyney procured a candle, "but he could not chase away the cold in his heart, nor could he brighten any corner of that room, for it was locked!"

Lynette grimanced into her cup, but begrudgingly waved her hand. The flame of the candle died out as she waved her hand and Lyney smiled widely.

"How should I light up this dark heart?" Lyney walked across the stage, making a thoughtful expression, "Ah! The boy realised something, when he was wandering the streets one day!"

Lyney smiles, carefully placing the doll down, "people crave the unknown, they are fascinated by fantasy…and what better way to achieve that than–” a sudden burst of streamers erupted from behind his back, “magic?”

The backdrop changed, it was a light and happy scene, where the doll reappeared, looking much cleaner and put together, the doll was surrounded by other dolls, they were smiling at him. 

 "If I can't love myself...and I can't take it from others, what if I made them give it to me? That was what the thief thought," Lyney grinned, blowing a shower of confetti hearts at his audience.

Aether smiled slightly when some of the paper brushed his cheek.

"So he began to try and perform, with the few skills he had learned from stealing. No matter how he tried to mask his true self, this boy was a thief," Lyney pointed at the heinous doll with an accusatory finger.

"The truth was that he was a thief, and that all his story-truths were lies." Lyney declared.

Aether and Paimon smiled knowingly, Lynette helped herself to a muffin. She was enjoying the chance to enjoy as many treats as she could.  

“So the thief had finally found something that could fill up his empty heart," Lyney kept talking, "but still, the feeling of emptiness persisted. So he kept performing, kept going, just to chase that feeing," butterflies flew out from Lyney's finger tips as he spoke.

“The treacherous thief lied his way to the top. He tricked people ceaselessly, putting on a show that the masses would love. Lies were piled up on falsehoods. The thief could no longer return to the shadows of his past."

Lyney made a shape with him fingers where the light reflected it's shadow onto the backdrop, "The Thief looked down at the world from on top of the tower he’d built. It was exquisitely crafted, held together by fabricated illusions. He was a sinner, a devil who’d escaped from hell who was undeserving of the light he had gained."

Aether's eyes narrowed slightly, he sipped some tea but listened attentively, Lyney noticed this change, smiling to himself he thought, 'ah he gets it.'

Lyney kept talking, "Like a famous actor, the parts that he had to play continued to increase. People’s lives were entrusted to his hands at night, and in the daytime, he stole people’s hearts. He had never been bested and life itself, was the stage for his craft. 

He sat under the night sky one lonely evening, gazing out into the inky darkness. The thief looked at the stars, they had always sparkled so beautifully, untouched by pain or sorrow. He wanted that light, even though he knew he could never emulate that gentle radiance. 

That was when he met her,” Lyney’s voice took on a reminiscing tone and suddenly Aether was seized by a strange thought, was this just a mere story? He had no time to ponder this question, because Lyney was moving onto the next part of the story.

”Who was she?" Lyney wondered aloud, "well, perhaps she could be described like a burst of sunlight in a cold, frosty winter, or a wonderful flower blossoming in a wasteland...but no," he paused, "she was more than just those."

"She was the steady roll of waves on the ocean, she was the star that never left the night sky," it seemed like Lyney had forgotten his magic in that moment. He stood before them, as a performer still, but Aether realised that this was not only a story, but a reflection of Lyney himself.

"She was not words, she was a feeling," Lyney almost whispered to himself. Yet in the breathless silence that beheld the room, he may as well have shouted those words. Upon beholding this vulnerable side of Lyney, Aether couldn't help but smile sadly.

"The Thief was a certain kind of summertime sadness, one that spring couldn't cure," Lyney said slowly, withered petals falling with every step he took backward, away from the audience.

"He had no words that could describe her, for all the stories The Thief had spun, all the lies he'd said, there was no word he knew that could speak about the truth in her. But The Thief liked to call her mon armour," Lyney smiled bitterly, there was a hatred in the way he uttered those words.

Aether was taken back, but he didn't know why Lyney seemed to dislike those last few words so much.

"Her presence was gentle, yet searing. To The Thief who couldn't remember hugs or caresses, her touches was an uncomfortable, addicting burn."

Sitting in the audience, Lynette looked at her reflection in her cup sadly. This, was his way of atoning for lies, by weaving truths into his stories so that he might not spin falsehoods. She knew Lyney better than anyone else, to most this was obvious, but they didn't know about the hopes of her older brother. Past his light, and his shadow, was a young boy who loved to love and be loved.

That, was also a kind of truth.

"This Thief," Lyney murmured, "he was a haunted house, hollow from inside to out, plagued by a restless soul that was more focused on destroying the construct that kept it existing than anything else. Every now and then, a wind would rush through and open half-closed, weeping wounds.

The people who sojourned in this house did not help the soul, they loved only the mystery, the romance, the unattainable nature of his performance. And often left the house shabbier than when they first entered.

But not mon armour, she came in, like a little ghost. Planting purple wisteria in his mind, with wonderful trees that entwined their roots around the house and bound him to the earth. Camomile grew from his scars, moss and dewdrops patched his wounds.

She planted gardens of lavender in his mind, so that his anxiety might be soothed.

If there was anyone that might make him feel like life was worth living on, it would be her. A gentle love, that didn't demand. How funny, The Thief had never once known how to care, he did not think about the emotion itself. Never committed." Lyney nodded, though Aether didn't know if he was talking to himself or his audience.

"Yet he tried, loving was clumsy. He couldn't make sense of the lines he was meant to colour inside and often scribbled outside of those boundaries. But at least, he was less transient, and more of a home now." Lyney drifted off into his own thoughts, "my love, what a wonderful name, if only..."

Aether lets him mumble to himself, Paimon also floats over to him with a soft, melancholic smile. "Poor Lyney..." she says quietly, "the story must mean a lot to him."

"I think there was a bit more than just that," Aether comments, but refrains from saying some of his other thoughts, knowing Paimon would just freak out.

"My brother finds it hard to express himself," Lynette chips in, "thank you for listening to him," she bows her head.

"It's okay, please tell him that we'd listen to him anytime!" Paimon exclaims waving her hands.

"Thank you, I will."

"I know you're not much of a talker, but we'll also listen to you, if you need it," Aether says, smiling brightly at Lynette, who gives him a little smile in response.

"I will cherish that offer." She says, "honestly," she adds, looking at Lyney with a half-endearing, half-fond and equal parts exasperated expression, "for someone who insists he's unlovable, loving sure comes easily to him."

"He has a lot to give," Aether says kindly, Lyney is quiet, a broken piece of cermanic-ware, so fractured yet so well patched up he looks new. Aether is glad he has something to hope for.

"Lyney loves like he breathes but treats it like it's cancer," Lynette replies, "when he first realised he was infatuated he said he got a heart stroke. Yet if loving really was a disease, he'd hope he'd never recover from his illness" Lynette takes a sip of tea and rolls her eyes gracefully. "In that sense, he's utterly hopeless,"

[blood-orange-juice]

Other characters about Arle.

Scaramouche:

Childe:

From what I've seen she does seem unhinged but in a, uhm... reasonable and tolerable way? What she does seems like necessary cruelty. Both guys are not exactly reliable narrators but I'm still curious if there's something about her that we will find out later. Or maybe her crazyness is a performance for colleagues and nothing else.

There's the Commedia dell'arte trope of Arlecchino serving two masters, but if she simply wants to save Fontaine it's a beautiful and relatable goal, there's nothing wrong with that. Alternative theory: she's loyal to Narcissenkreuz, not Fontaine.

(Narcissenkreuzers are everywhere, just like Rosenkreuzers irl. consider me a conspiracy theorist)

I'm also fascinated by the things she says to the House of Hearth kids. "True understanding can only be found, not sought" to a neurodivergent girl trying to fit it. "No one needs self-satisfied concern" to a guy with a savior complex. These are all not things intended for tying people to her, these are things to make them stronger and set them free. Their loyalty to her comes from a place of gratitude, not fear, they weren't coerced into it. Before the siblings' appearance I contemplated whether she could be a yandere, sweet to her followers and horrible to everyone who dares abandon her. This is something more interesting.

Siblings' lines about her.

Lynette:

Lyney:

Also Lyney mentioning somewhere in the 4.1 quest that she has a very unique view on what can and cannot be sacrificed.

Freminet:

Also she personally saved each one of them.

Their loyalty is so beautiful and genuine, and so sick and twisted at the same time. I want to see more of this.

So far she seems like a character who values survival over everything with a bit of a "strict asian parent" mixed in. Ruthless but not crazy. I wonder if it changes in next patches.

(I have an undestroyable headcanon that Childe has good intuition about people. he would have loved someone acting like a strict dad and he would respect a focus on survival. if he doesn't like her it means she is something else entirely)

I also wonder what happens to kids who are unfit for military/spying. I mean, there's Freminet but he's an engineer and a diver. Would a simple cook do all right in HoH?

[fictionwomenlover]

"Irreplaceable".

THIS CONTAINS ANGST!!

Arlecchino x Y/N. Y/N uses she/her pronouns!!

MALE/NBLM DO NOT INTERACT!!

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"Y/n, it seems like you don't understand." Arlecchino clenched her teeth. "Lust is all that love is. I have nothing to commit for. I don't have time to squander on showing you "love" since I am too busy taking care of my children and my subordinates. You are no longer necessary to me, I am exhausted, and I have already obtained what I've desired from you. This is where we're ending it." All Y/N can do is look at her in agony, unable to speak since her lips is unable to form words. With her expression emotionless, Arlecchino doesn't even feel bad about fooling Y/n and giving her false hope despite the fact that Y/N placed her faith in her... supposed lover.

"Arlecchino…Really? Really???" On the corner of y/n's eyes, thick tears began to form. "What in the world was I thinking? I should have paid more attention to Childe when he said that you often sleep with other women. I wrongly thought he was making a joke."

"Well, he's most definitely not." Arlecchino said, leaning against a wall, crossing her arms, and smirking a little. "They understand not to hang around for too long in my presence, though, as it's a one-time event. I wish you were the same. I thought that ending things would be ideal for us both because you've been really annoying lately as well. You were obviously just a fuck partner." Arlecchino said, trying not to gulp while staring dead into Y/N's eyes.

Many questions lingered in Y/N's mind. "so why would you stay with me for a year if you wanted nothing to do with me and only saw me as a fuck partner in the first place?"

"Oh, I just didn't want to upset your sensitive self."

Tears fell and began to trickle down her cheeks. She was on the edge of losing it, but Arlecchino might make fun of her if she did. She then composed herself and spoke.

"Okay, we're ending it here then," y/n sighed. "I appreciate you taking up my time, Arlecchino. Perhaps you could find a woman to satisfy your lust or...whatever." Y/n then left the house, making no attempt to come back ever again.

After a while, Arlecchino broke her mask, her face now dejected. In fact, none of what she stated was true. Since she can't give Y/N enough time or communicate much with her lover, Arlecchino has always believed that she is always harming her. She made it clear to Y/N that she wanted to break up, but because Y/N constantly provided her chances, the harbinger decided that lying ruthlessly would be the best course of action. "I apologize, y/n. It's better this way, I think. In order for you to be happier… so I could quit fretting and always second-guessing myself if I'm a good partner for you."

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

After two weeks, Arlecchino would still see Y/n on the streets of Fontaine, but the Harbinger would just turn away from her even if Y/n was still glancing in Arlecchino's direction. Another instance in which they crossed paths was when Arlecchino went for a stroll with her "children" to the fresh markets and happened to run into a young woman, who happened to be y/n. Y/n was taken aback, made an effort to remain composed, and offered an apology, but the taller white haired woman snapped. "Why must I see your face everywhere," she grumbled. "Please quit bumping into me, it's really annoying." On the inside, though, Arlecchino was at least glad that she could glimpse her former flame again for a little while before turning away.

She was doing a good job of avoiding and covering her face with a mask on, the fine harbinger thought, until one day one of her "children", Lyney, muttered to himself, "I miss mother." Even though Arlecchino was devastated to hear that, she understood that the two of them would benefit from the separation.

One day in the evening, Arlecchino was strolling along a route by the court building in the evening when she noticed bloodstains in the water close to the sidewalks. "Whoever killed someone and then thought it would be a good idea to hide their body here...?" The Knave mumbled to herself. After making sure it was evident that no one was observing her, she turned to approach it. Her heart was racing unnaturally quickly, and she had no idea why she was so anxious. That is, until she notices the bracelet on the wrist of the corpse. "That is..." the expensive sapphire jewelry she got y/n on their sixth month anniversary. As soon as she got closer to examine the corpse, the Harbinger felt numb and only stared at it with full shock.

"No," the knave said, shaking her head. "No, this… I simply happened to run across you a few days ago. This, this could not be…" She was holding her dead girlfriend tenderly in her arms and tears were streaming out of Y/N's eyes as her cold body lays still. After gazing at her body for a while, Arlecchino gave it a gentle embrace and began to cry as she realized that Y/N had died believing that the taller woman had only ever used her body and had never loved her as a whole.

"..wake up… GET BACK TO ME, Y/N." The harbinger shook the icy body and yelled. "Forgive me… I have always loved you and I still do. I...I was lying, I never cheated on you, you always have had my heart, Y/N. Could you please get back to me...?" Holding the young woman she has always loved, Arlecchino broke down in tears, staring up at the rainy sky and chanting "I'm sorry, Y/n", "Forgive me", "Please come back".

After a while, walking in the pouring rain, the knave carried the body with her, weighed down with guilt. "I should have stayed," she spoke to herself. "I'm so stupid to leave you to grieve alone; I can't do anything without you. I'll never be able to forgive myself for this, Y/N... I should have put in more effort for us. My darling, I hope you understand how irreplaceable you are."

Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to part ways after all.

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Author's note : HIII EVERYONE I haven't wrote a fanfiction for so long </3 I'm ngl I'm still a bit shitty in English Grammar so I'm very sorry if some of the paragraphs don't make sense at all :( I had a headache reading my own blog post LMFAO

but anyways I really hope you guys enjoy!! I've been focusing a lot with life as well lately, I'm trying to earn some money online so wish me luckkk <33

(I wrote an Arlecchino fanfic down because im so obsessed with her now like I literally came back to genshin because of her AAAA)

[smilingangel582]

Me see lee Lyney and him having a crush on Aether:

AAAAAAAA SOMEONE WHO LIKES THIS TO!?

Any ways I was thinking of requesting lee Lyney and ler Aether but if you don't take request because of to busy or just plain out just don't want to I understand

Have a good day or night ☺️

-Pepper 🫑 anon

Nah, nah, Im totally planning on writing ler!aether soon!! Hehe, great minds think a like.

I often have a very air headed mind, so I decided to write the fics on requests so it will be easier and better for anons, hehe. Anyway, enjoy this genshin fic. Additionally, think of this as a sequel to "Rainbow roses."

This is romantic, btw hehe~

(P.s his tongue sticking is way too cute, and i wanna punish him with tickles)

Fontaine thrills Aether in many ways. He often thought Sumeru was the best place he ever visited, but Fontaine came to equal grounds. He can tell Charlotte wasn't kidding back then.

"Bonjour monsieur." The far voice of the woman in a frilly dress greeted him, "Are you perhaps on your way to see Mr. Lyney's latest magic show?"

He smiled and exchanged glances with Paimon, who pointed out "Yup we are... we really see Lyney go wild"

The rainbow rose he kept made him look forward to today's show. It's been some time back after the phantom weasel incident.

After showing the way to take the tickets the woman already left. Lynette was by the entrance of the opera house waving now along with her ears and tail swishing "Hi,"

"Lynette!" Paimon squeaked only to greet back, "Oh, where's Lyney?"

Aether nodded in agreement. Then, for the first time, she offered a fond smile, "I'm sure the ever so confident and bold magician Lyney is, in fact, nervous in particular today."

Aether tilted his head "Why is that?"

She pointed at the rainbow rose on his bosom. "This... well, I'm sure I gave you enough hints, so... take your seats in the front we'll meet during our performance."

With a mysterious glance, she left. Paimon clueless turned to the rose. "Eh? Because of the flower? Was he worried about us asking for the trick again?"

Aether blushed with a smile. Maybe he did understand the situation, especially after Charlotte's brief enlightenment of floral symbolism.

"What's got you so red?" She piped curiously, of course he shakes his head and offered to proceed to the opera House.

Indeed the show began, there's no sign of anxiety, yet he did shift his eyes away from Aether when he talked animatedly by flourishing his hat with a pigeon flapping out of his hat.

The crowd laughed when he juggled clumsily, feigning that he wasn't talented at that but then spinning them back to Lynette, who perfected it by one hand. Aether was fascinated by magicians. He never did understand how magic is considered a form of deception.

The show was spectacular as always with new tricks and old ones that never get bored. After the show everyone exited, talking about how amazing Lyney did and Paimon nagged on that she gotta know the trick somehow to satisfy her.

Later on, the stars of the show arrived. Lyney's discomfort seems slight, but it's his voice that convinced his act. Lynette waved adorably "Hello, did you like the show, traveller?"

They nodded, and Paimon as always stepped towards Lyney folding her arms. "So, teacher? Paimon observed your tricks! That disappearance magic happened because you had a pigeon hidden in the hat, right?"

Aether pointed out now "I doubt that's it, he did show his empty hat"

"Right on the money traveller"

Hearinf Lyney's reply as well, it felt like the end of the world for Piamon. she wailed "Aahhh Paimon's gonna get brain fry!"

Lyney stuck his tongue playfully "Well sorry Paimon, but you tried... I still can reveal my secrets like that"

Aether wanted to say something, but Lyentte suddenly reached for Paimon, taking her out. "How about Paimon and I go and have some desserts, you two chat along"

Expecting a chide from Lyney Aether turned to him, but he flushed in complete surprise. "D-dont leave... I mean... don't spoil your a-appetite Lynette" she was already gone with a complaining Paimon.

Aether is socially active, so he can tell how Lyney is awkward for the first time. As a man on stage he's hard to read but right now Aether can read him like a book.

They left the opera house only to reach the top peak of fontaine, through the lift and staring at the city and waters. Lyney seemed to change the subject first "So, how was the show, traveller?"

Aether shrugged with a grin "As amazing as ever, honestly that's amazing"

"Loss of vocabulary, I see?" Lyney chuckled "well its a good compliment for me, and I'm motivated..."

Aether slowly picked the rainbow rose, seeing the latter distracted by the breeze he shifted the topic now, "I must say, you have a really nice way of expressing passion, Lyney"

Choking a bit to a dangerous topic he sheepishly waved it off seeing hiw the rainbow rose is already involved, "Come now, you flatter me traveller, do I look like a floral expert to you"

A clever magician indeed.

Smirking, Aether advances, pinning Lyney against the balcony as his arms gripped the railing, he appeared taller now, "So, quick question, Charlotte did provide the symbolic meaning of the rainbow rose, plus you decided to change it so easily after knowing the truth, I doubt it's ignorance"

Lyney's position did seem uneasy. He tried to remain calm, but Aether's mesmerising golden eyes didn't let him. "Aether, please... I..."

"You said my name"

That genuinely sounded happy. In fact, he could see Lyney's defences crumbling gradually. He reached to playfully pinch his sides. "Right...? You did say Aether, right?"

Flinching at the touch, he tried to push those taunting fingers, "N-no...?"

"Liar,"

The squeezes became clear as water this time, Lyney couldn't help giggle contagiously. "Alriihight trahahahveller thihihis ihihis rihihidiculous!"

Grinning back, he hummed mockingly. "Not even the magician can understand my sense of humour"

He forcefully wiggled his fingers under his armpits finally breaking the defensive part of him. This made Lyney try to escape from the side as loud snickers tumbled from his lips "Ahahaha Aehehehether wahahahit wahahahait whyhyhyhy?"

"Lynette did let slip a fact about you, so... I want confirmation. " this time, both of them blush, one because of the flushed excitement and the other in his predicament.

"Whahaha? Shehehehe dihihid?" He tried once more to push the annoying pesky fingers playfully poking his bare underarms, which he tried to close up.

"Come on Lyney, admit it, you like me?"

This was like that night with Lyney all over again. He whined now trying to curl away from him, "Ahahaha plehehehease! NOHOHO!"

Aether decided to slide his fingers on his tights, though he didn't know how sensitive they were "How convenient that your weakest spots are so vulnerable, Lyney your so cute"

"CUTE??? AHAHA AEHEHEHTHER COHOHOME OOHOHN WHYHY AHAHARE YOU TIHIHIHICKLING ME?"

Aether decided it was enough before anyone else heard Lyney's loud laughter. He watched the other lean forward on the balcony gasping for breath "Ahahaha gohohod thahats uhuhunexpexted"

"Sorry, I felt... like doing it, since you seemed to stiff" Aether said shyly.

"Aha... noho worries I... neheeded that" finally gasping and regaining his stamina he cleared his throat, no picking up his hat "Well truthfully, I didn't expect you to find out so easily, I... uh... didn't mean to but-"

"Save it, Lyney," Aether grabbed his wrist and and then reached over to grip his neck as he forced a kiss. It surprise Lyney that a mild reaction of pulling away took over but soon gave into the warm touch.

They had the same rosiness, and Lyney lowered his hat with a wary giggle. "Ihi don't know what to say... uh, Aether"

"Say nothing, I'm looking forward to your next performance" Aether waved now heading back first. Then Lyney nodded with overwhelming happiness but mischievously added "And revenge"

Looking back a brief frightened look took over but he smiled it over "Sure then I'll get revenge on your revenge, Mr. Magician."

Lynye ran after him, catching as they laughed together. Meanwhile Paimon was the only clueless person who was still engrossed in figuring out how Lyney did his tricks.

Hope Lynette didn't slip a new interrogation method for Paimon. She just left us speechless when she drank her tea, pretending obliviously to that question.

[dandelion-wings]

Okay sending a few prompts, feel free to pick and choose which ones you want to do. First! From the first list, 02 Trust Issues for any combination of characters from the house of hearth c:

Thank you for the prompt! <3 I'm so sorry that it took so, so long (and I threw so many different concepts and requests about it at you in the interim, so thank you for your patience with me, as well XD;;). This is, as discussed, not actually whump, but I hope it satisfies nonetheless!

---

ETA: Now on AO3.

---

"So you're the Knave's heir," Marceau says, sitting down at the table where Lynette and Lyney have seated themselves for tea.

Lynette pauses, just for a moment, in pouring water over the leaves. Lyney has frozen; it's an unthinking habit to pause, in synchronicity, just as if they were on stage. For they are on stage, became so the moment that Marceau spoke.

"Haha, she did say she's considering it," Lyney says. "But who knows what the future holds? We'll see what happens after Project Stuzha."

Only Lynette would be able to hear the nervous edge to his laughter, know that the dismissive gesture of his hand is a magician's movement, a magic-trick, pretending to cast a card away while he slips it up his sleeve for later. Lynette resumes her pour.

"Project Stuzha. That's right," Marceau says. "I know it's important, but I haven't heard much about what it entails. Except that a lot of us have been killed conducting our part."

Marceau. A relatively new member of the House of the Hearth, adopted after the drowning of Fontaine. Some of the Hearth's scouts had had an eye on him already, though; his parents hadn't perished in the waters, but died long ago, and he was the sort of feral child who sometimes found the Hearth a suitable home. Cutthroat and ambitious, willing to do what he needed to survive, but secretly desperate for any small token of acknowledgement and care. That desperation had driven him to do things that many would be horrified by. Not the House, though.

*Entering Sentry Mode....*

"i haven't heard much more than anyone else. Father can only tell us what we need for our missions. If it grows too dangerous, she'll fill us in when she feels it's necessary," Lyney says, a smooth performer's smile, a smooth performer's lie. His gaze doesn't flicker for a second.

Neither does Lynette's, focused on the tea, pouring it with perfect precision so that each cup is filled to the exact same depth. She's often thought she has the easier performance, putting no expression on her face at all. Lyney, though, insists that it's more difficult to maintain a blank face than to pay attention to his expressions. As if a blank face requires effort and attention.

"Are you sure we'll hear everything, though? I've heard rumors of that other Harbinger we'll be working with, Dottore, and about how the Knave used to treat members of the Hearth...."

"The last Knave."

"Still, she raised this Knave, didn't she? I know you've known her for a long time, but I'm new here. I'm worried." Marceau looks astonishingly earnest. "What if we're just fodder for this plan? What if she's not really protecting us at all?"

"If I find out anything that suggests that, I'll make sure everyone knows." Lyney says that firmly. Earnest as well, though his earnestness is sincere. "Just like I did with the family who wanted to leave. I wouldn't let Father put us in danger... more danger than we're willing to accept for our family."

"I know that. I trust you. That's why I came to you." Marceau now looks relieved, but an edge of that anxious worry remains. "It's just... if you don't find out before we're all called to Snezhnaya, won't it be too late? We'll be amid the Harbingers, and a lot of us will be so far from home. I... I'd feel more comfortable if you were in charge of our part of the Project."

"No one but a Harbinger would be allowed to control our role in Project Stuzha," Lynette observes, her voice as completely neutral as her face. She passes Lyney his tea, and Marceau another cup.

He takes a quick sip, then sets it down. It clinks a little too hard. Nervousness. "But since you are her heir... if something did happen, you'd be able to take charge. If you had to."

"It won't come to that," Lyney says, smiling at him, a reassurance that Lynette knows is a lie. Now that the seed has been planted, it has to be.

This time, she can tell by the minute way Marceau's shoulders relax that he can tell it is, too.

***

"Father doesn't want us to be used as foot soldiers," Lyney says, pacing back and forth across the length of their bedroom. "That's why she's insisting on running the House's part of Project Stuzha herself. She can't refuse all the orders she's been given, but she can tailor the missions to try to keep anyone who goes as safe as possible. I know she's doing that. She's asked me to look those mission plans over, and you... to go along."

Lynette sits on her bed and watches him pace. Her tail is curled behind her, the very tip twitching in reaction to his constant movement. Sentry Mode is difficult to turn off when Lyney is this wound up.

"Father said my determination to protect my family at all costs is why she wants me to be the next 'king'," Lyney goes on. "She wouldn't send you on a mission where she knows you would be killed. She knows that if you did, I would... I would...."

"It wouldn't suit her plans."

If they are still her plans. Lynette watches Lyney come to a halt, his emotions flashing in a wild rush across his face. *That* isn't a performance. It is unnerving when it happens. Especially when there's so much fear.

Fear for her. Lynette's fear for Lyney is only in visible in the twitching of her tail and the faintest slant of her ears. He sees it anyway, and visibly reins his own emotions in to give her a chagrined smile. A deliberate expression, though his performances for her are even more sincere-looking than those meant for anyone else.

"You're right. After what happened with Filliol and Nanteuil, I shouldn't doubt her. She showed her conviction to care for us all then. She's doing everything she can, and she wouldn't endanger you alone when she knows what the consequences would be."

"She wouldn't endanger me alone," Lynette agrees. "Tell me if she asks *you* to take on any of those missions."

Father has trained Lynette for years now. She knows better than anyone, better even than Lyney, that Lynette is no longer the frightened young girl she rescued from that nobleman. She knows that there will be consequences if anything happens to Lyney, too.

She's wise enough a leader to know that, if she wishes to destroy one, she must destroy the other. If she doesn't end them both before one can reach her....

Lynette won't be leaving Sentry Mode tonight.

***

"I've been hearing an interesting rumor from some of the children," Father says, picking up her teacup and taking a long, slow sip. It's still hot enough that it would burn Lynette's mouth if she drank it yet, but of course that doesn't matter to Father. "They say the two of you are keeping records on who gets sent on missions for Project Struzha. And who comes back."

"Yes," is all Lynette says.

"Good." Father sets her teacup down again and looks Lynette directly in the eyes. Her gaze, as always, burns. Lynette lowers her gaze to her tea; it would be more notable if she didn't. "I keep my own records, but if mine are lost, or questioned, it will be useful to have corroboration."

Lynette nods and contemplates her tea in silence. Father watches her for a moment longer, then turns, elbow resting on the table, to look towards the window.

A bird pecks at some seed someone has left outside. Lynette has been trying not to let it distract her. Her atavistic instincts are strongest in Sentry Mode; when she's paying such close attention to her surroundings, movement always catches her eye.

Reaching out, Father makes a gesture with her hand. Red power flashes towards it. The bird squawks in terror and surprise as flame surrounds it, then huddles in the warmth of the magical cage Arlecchino has formed. She beckons it inside, and it comes to hover over her open palm.

"This one isn't yours," she observes. "Your cats might enjoy playing with it. Do you want to take it for them?"

"No," Lynette says.

Father clenches her open hand into a fist. Flame flares, briefly, and the cage vanishes, with only a wisp of smoke and a faint odor of burnt feathers left behind.

Lynette looks back down at her tea. Father picks up her teacup and takes another sip.

"The House of the Hearth has been asked to carry out two more critical missions for Project Stuzha," Father says. "One of them will require Freminet's diving skills. It's extremely dangerous."

"I can go with him."

"The other is just as risky, and no one with the skills for it has a Vision. If I send those children unaccompanied, I don't expect more than one of them to survive." Father's gaze is on her again, with its unrelenting burn. Lynette meets it this time regardless. "Neither requires Lyney's specialized skills, but Freminet's mission will be in freezing water, under the ice in Snezhnaya. He'll go on that one. I want you to accompany Marceau, Foltz, and Chapleau to steal a certain item from the Tianshu in Liyue."

A freezing dive with the sibling they both know is more vulnerable, whom Lyney loves almost as much as he loves her and would risk just as much to protect. A high-security theft with two of Father's most loyal spies and Marceau, who has been embarrassingly open in his sedition. A perfect opportunity to divide and destroy. If that's what Father wants to do.

"I understand," Lynette says. Her eyes are starting to water from the heat of Father's gaze. She drops them back to her tea. "I'll tell Lyney."

Father nods and tosses back her teacup, draining the last of it in one long gulp. She sets it down as she stands. "The tea was very good," she tells Lynette, starting away from the table. As she reaches the door, she looks back over her shoulder. "Watch your back."

***

Even with Lynette's Vision, they still lose Chapleau.

"You see," Marceau whispers to her on the way back, when they stop in a broken-down barn for a rest. "He was one of the Knave's most faithful. She knew as well as we do that he wasn't as stealthy as we are, or as cutthroat. She knew she was sending him to die."

Father had sent Lynette to protect them, and yet Chapleau had sacrificed himself to cover their retreat with the Tianshu's artifact. His death is as much at Lynette's door as it was at Father's.

Yet if someone stealthier but less able had been sent, it wouldn't have changed that the estate was alerted well before they found the artifact, that it was swarming with guards, that the terrifying shadowy figure who had wrapped Chapleau in cutting strings and nearly caught Lynette in the same had seemed to know they were coming from the start. In that case, Lynette would have been beholden to make that sacrifice instead.

She almost had. She had already been turning to confront that figure when Chapleau unexpectedly shoved her through that door and slammed it shut. She would have died for her family. As Father knew she would.

As Lyney will feel beholden to die for Freminet, if circumstances come out that way. As Father knows he will.

Foltz is lying on the floor of the hayloft, asleep amid the mold and dust. Or at least, he seems to be sleeping.

"She knew any of us might die," she says. "That's part of our duty to the House of the Hearth. Chapleau's sacrifice meant the rest of us lived."

It's what you do for family, she doesn't say. Marceau doesn't feel quite like family yet.

***

Freminet barely makes it. Hypothermia, mostly; he'd pushed himself too far, past his limits, to serve his family and the Hearth. That's not unexpected for Freminet. What was unexpected was the ambush Lyney faced on top of the ice, the one that delayed his rescue until it was almost too late.

"I don't know who they were," he says, alone in their room that night, after Heloir kicks them out of the infirmary. "I couldn't find any identification on the bodies. But they did use elemental powers, and they didn't have the strength of Visions."

Delusions. What other elemental power is available to the Visionless in Snezhnaya, with all its Ley Lines frozen?

"They could have been stolen," Lynette points out. It's important to consider all options.

"I almost lost Freminet." He's pacing again; the tip of Lynette's tail twitches. "I can't lose him- too- again. Father knows that he's- that if he dies- That's why she sent me, isn't it? I can't let Marceau get into my head." He tugs at his hair, gives a self-deprecating laugh, anxiety and remembered terror lurking underneath. Like a monster of a whale under cracking ice. "No one else could have gotten him warm and dry in time to save him. It made sense for me to go."

It did. It made sense, also, that Lyney would have been distracted during that fight, all too aware of Freminet beneath the ice, and of the seconds ticking away as he reached the limit for how long he was supposed to dive and past it. Had his opponents overpowered him, would they have flung him into the dive hole as well, and sealed it up after him? If they had the elemental power to do so, the waters of Snezhnaya aren't the waters of Fontaine. Without time to don his divesuit, he would have drowned. If he hadn't frozen first.

Lynette would have lost them both.

"He survived because of you," Lynette reminds him. "I survived because of Chapleau. We're still a family. We'll figure out what to do together."

"We will." Lyney stops in front of her and gives her a wan smile, no performance at all. Then his fists tighten. "We'll take care of each other, no matter who we have to face to do so."

"We've done it many times before."

"And we'll do it again."

***

The files are grim. Lines of names march down the page. Those sent out; those who survive. Over and over, the most capable, the most trusted, are dispatched. Over and over, the most capable, the most trusted, are killed.

The most capable. The most trusted. The most powerful within the House of the Hearth.

"You understand why I'm worried, don't you?" Marceau asks. He's the one who looks anxious now, fidgeting nervously with the teacup Lynette has handed him.

Lyney is calm, composed, thoughtful and taking this seriously but not at all uncertain or afraid. "It is concerning. Though Father is doing her best to keep us all alive, of course. Sending the most capable members of the House means that they're more likely to survive."

"With no breaks between missions?" Marceau looks doubtful. "They're wearing out. Look at Freminet. Wasn't this his third in a row?"

Both of them do look at Freminet, only just moved from an infirmary bed back into their room. Amid the thick blankets Lyney has piled upon him, he looks small and pale and fragile. He's watching them talk, round-eyed and silent, as he takes tiny trembling sips of his own tea. Listening as intently and intelligently as she is, though, Lynette knows.

"At that rate, most of us will eventually stumble and fail," Lynette agrees.

Lyney frowns. "This isn't sustainable. All of the House's best people will eventually be wiped out. All that family...."

He meets Lynette's eyes. She nods at him.

"I don't see why Father doesn't see that," Lyney goes on.

"But you do," Marceau says. He's fidgeting even harder now, twitching in his seat, restless and eager. Overselling his hand, like a magician on the stage projecting across the theater to his audience, with no sense of how to fine-tune for a more intimate audience. "If you were running Project Struzha...."

"But could I really step into Father's place as 'king'? I'm not ready."

"Can't you get support from the other Harbingers? When he was here, Tartaglia said that Pulcinella likes children, and is kind to his younger siblings. If you come to him with your concerns... when he sees how much you love your 'family,' won't he give you his support?"

This time, Lyney doesn't look at Lynette. She keeps her own eyes on Freminet, who twitches only very slightly under the covers, acknowledging that he'd heard it too. Now they know who Marceau works for. Who had bought him, and taught him, before the House ever took him in.

He's playing on Lyney's fears for a reason, of course. That doesn't mean it isn't working. Lyney is wound up far too tight, a walking disaster, nearly ready to blow, even if Lynette and Freminet are the only people who can tell. Much longer and his own terror will betray him. At the wrong moment, that could be deadly.

He's playing on Lynette's fears, too. That doesn't mean he's wrong.

"I would need a way to contact him," Lyney says, thoughtfully, just before the infirmary door opens.

"Here you all are," Father says, stepping through the door. "I thought the House was too quiet."

Everyone looks up. Lynette meets her hot gaze for only a moment, then turns around to the tea set on the table beside Freminet's bed and pours a fifth cup.

Father takes it with a nod of thanks and stands there beside Lynette, inches away, looking down at Freminet. "Are you recovering well?"

"I am." Freminet's voice is small and thin.

"Does he have another mission coming up?" Lyney says. Guarded, cautious. No dazzling magician's smile for Father. No smoothing his worries away.

She turns to meet his gaze, square-on. Lyney holds it far longer than Lynette could, his eyes showing no sign of watering. He can take the heat better than anyone else.

"If you have concerns, I do hope you'll bring them directly to me," she tells him. "Children should be able to trust their Father with such things."

"After last time, I wouldn't hesitate." Now Lyney smiles, that chagrined expression, far more suitable to this conversation than something bright and dazzling. "Actually, I *am* concerned. The rate of these missions... if we keep only sending our best out on them, they'll eventually push themselves too far and wear out, just like Freminet. It was only luck that he came back alive."

"It wasn't luck, it was you. Don't underestimate yourself." Father's eyes narrow. "You tend to do that. It's something that calls for improvement."

Lyney is startled into silence, and that's not a performance at all.

"That's true," Lynette says, because it is. "But it's also true that not everyone in the House has our capabilities, and even those of us with Visions or Delusions can push ourselves too far. Once we do, less experienced members of the House will have to be sent out in our place, and will be more likely to fail from the outset."

"I know," Father says. Her shoulders tighten. "That is my responsibility to deal with, and I will. Someday those who desire their victories at our expense will find out what they have to pay in turn."

She sets her teacup down slightly too hard, untouched, then turns away and starts for the door. Lynette doesn't relax. Not yet.

"Now," Marceau says behind her, beside Lyney, unexpectedly loud.

Father spins about, her hand coming out at her side, her scythe appearing in her grip. It sweeps out as she continues the spin, the wicked blade flashing towards Lyney and Marceau. Her eyes are wide and hot, pupils flared, the room suddenly an oven.

Lynette's teacup shatters on the floor as she lunges forward, her sword coming to her own hand before Father is more than halfway through the spin. She drives it into Father's stomach. Father's grip spasms on her scythe, and Lynette sees its haft slide through her hand, feels the tip of it lodge into her back, catching on a rib, right beside her spine.

In the corner of her eye Lyney is scrambling to his feet. Then he cries out and sinks to his knees. Marceau stands behind him, a bloody knife in his hand.

"All three of you," he whispers, his eyes wide, an almost transcendent look on his face. "He only wanted one. The 'king,' or her heir, or his only weakness.... I was trying for the Knave. He'd reward me most richly for the Knave. But *all three* of-"

The greatsword comes down upon him from behind, straight down from his shoulder and through all the way to his hips. Freminet leaves it in as Marceau falls, doubling over himself and panting hard, determination still blazing in his eyes.

Father lets go of her scythe and glances briefly at the blood on the tip as it clatters to the ground. She reaches out and slides her fingers under Lynette's, taking the hilt of the sword and pulling it from her own stomach to be discarded alongside the swiftly-dissolving scythe. One hand over her wound, she steps over, crouches beside Lyney, and puts her other hand over his.

"I'll get Heloir," Freminet gasps, slowly straightening. "Lynette, you should... sit down, I'll be right back."

Lynette reaches back and can just barely get the tips of her fingers over her own injury. It's deeper than she'd thought. Taking two steps back, she sits down on the edge of Freminet's bed and feels the blood trickle down her back.

Despite the calm with which she'd pulled out the sword, Father's pupils are still blown wide, the room nearly boiling from her unfocused gaze, her panting as harsh and uncontrolled as Lyney's, though stronger than his. She looks up at Lynette with a familiar, calculating expression. No, not quite familiar. There's a doubt that Lynette has never seen in it before.

She hadn't been surprised when Lynette had stabbed her.

She had sent Chapleau and Foltz with Lynette and Marceau, instead of asking Lynette to draw him out herself.

She hadn't trusted Lynette any more than Lynette had trusted her.

Marceau had needed to only take out one target of three. That he hadn't simply tried to knife Lynette during that journey home, when she was worn and weary and Foltz seemed asleep, suggested that it wasn't his only mission here. Of course. He was meant to sow discord.

However she may conceal it, Father, too, must be capable of fear.

"The Rooster sent him," Lynette says. Her own voice sounds hollow and odd, as if she's underwater. "He told us that we could ask him for support."

Father's jaw tightens, and the look of doubt fades away. "Then he'll pay the debt he owes even sooner than he might have expected."

"Good."

"Good," Lyney echoes, hissing through clenched teeth.

The room is cooling rapidly. Lynette reaches out with her free hand and picks up Father's teacup from the table beside the bed. When she drinks, it holds just enough of Father's heat to make her feel warm.

[kusuguricafe]

Profile Tag Game (Part II)

Zelda’s Troubles - When I write, I can’t help but perfect every sentence as I go along. I know that’s exactly what they tell you not to do, but I just can’t help it. Also, I can only write well when I’m in a good mood. So, it often takes longer for me to finish because of that. But, at least I can be satisfied with the end product.

Favorite Food - Éclairs! I love desserts, especially anything with pastry cream.

Least Favorite Food - Maybe... hot dogs? They don’t taste very good, and they're just kind of gross. You don’t wanna know what goes into those things.

About Albedo - Do you remember Albedo’s “evil twin?” He’s still out there somewhere, and no one’s doing anything about it! Are we just going to let him roam about, doing whatever he wants? I find that concerning, considering what’s already happened. I hope someone finds him soon…

About Lyney - Mister Lyney~? The greatest magician in all Teyvat? Yeah, I’ve heard of him. Huh? You think I have a crush on him? Where’d you get that idea? Haha.. I’m not blushing!! Shut up…!

About @otomiyaa - Ginny? I’ve been a fan of hers for years! I had a bit of a fangirl moment when she followed me back, haha. She’s my absolute favorite writer. I really admire her. She’s definitely the kindest person I’ve ever interacted with online too. A true icon of the community.

About @lovelymessybubbly - T-Tama? She seems like a really sweet person and all, but… I’m a little afraid of her! I mean, can you blame me? Have you seen her artwork? It’s amazing, but I c-could never… I would never be able to handle that! Well… Maybe I could, but… C-can we talk about something else!?

🔗 Part I

I can't believe I did this haha, thank you so much for the tag, ginny!! I'm tagging @chibimochii and anyone else who would like to join in!

[genshinconfessions]

Do you think there's actually any consistent theme on who gets what vision? The most consistent one is probably Pyro, their allogenes mostly being those with bright, bold, and energetic spirits, but aside from that what can there be said about the rest?

I feel like every time someone tries to propose a theory for it based on their backstory, there are glaring holes to be poked because of the similiarities characters have in personality and backstories. Like okay, you say geo is for those who are grounded and focused in their work, but then what does that say about Tighnari, Yanfei, and others with that trait? What does that say about Itto bring all over the place, in comparison to other geo allogenes?

What I'm basically saying is that, I find every allogene to vision theory made so far just, unsatisfactory. Am I the only one who feels this way? I really commend people's efforts but none have just, sat right with me.

the reason there are so many theories floating around is precisely because no one's really satisfied with the other theories so they each put out their own HAHAHA but personally, here's what i think:

minor spoilers for various character backstories!

--

anemo: ppl who used to be trapped in some way but now are free (and generally value their freedom) and have lost loved ones

ex: wanderer's entire backstory, faruzan being trapped in a ruin and solving her way out, kazuha escaping from the oppressive inazuma regime

cryo: ppl who are self-contradictory (and generally who have gone through some tragedy)

ex: kaeya being forced to choose between khaenri'ah and mondstadt, ganyu being stuck between the adeptus world and the human world, diona's hatred for alcohol yet her job is to serve alcohol

dendro: ppl who are wise beyond their years (and typically associated with life/rebirth)

ex: kaveh's trauma-filled life, baizhu's immortality and his views on it, collei maturing from hating the world to wanting to know more about it

electro: ppl who are outcasts of some sort (and generally intelligent and lonely)

ex: keqing not believing in rex lapis despite being a liyue leader, shinobu running away from her family because she didn't want to be a shrine maiden, fischl's entire persona

geo: ppl who work well or prefer to work in a team (and generally more concerned about others rather than themselves)

this one is slightly harder to notice than the others imo, but the recurring theme through every geo character's vision stories is 1. persistence/endurance, and 2. connection with the masses

ex. ningguang sacrificing jade chamber for liyue, noelle always being there for anyone who needs her help, arataki itto sticking by his gang's side even when they get into trouble

hydro: ppl who are hiding a darker side to them (and generally associated with either healing or truth)

ex. tartaglia seeming affable but actually being a big boss man, kokomi being very nice and unassuming but actually the genius leader of an uprising, barbara being the idol of mondstadt but actually gets depressed often

pyro: ppl who are very passionate about what they do and generally stubborn in their ways (also mostly very strong fighters)

ex: diluc upholding justice both before and after crepus's death, hu tao's general passion for both life and death, lyney's beliefs about his family and mission

--

of course, this is just what my little pattern-seeking brain has put together. it's definitely not guaranteed to be right, but i think the criteria i've come up with fits with each respective archon's values quite well

now regarding your main concern: of course you can say that arataki itto is also very passionate about what he does and is a strong fighter, or that tighnari is also persistent and team-focused, or that kokomi is a social outcast and also intelligent, etc, but tbh, i think that's being a little tooooo nitpicky lmao

ppl are complex, and good characters should also be complex; you can't shove ppl into categories based on one generic trait that most ppl exhibit at some point in their lives and call it a day (that was my main beef with the divergent series lmao but that's another story), so i think it's just a matter of what the hoyoverse devs thought fit the character's story or personality best, or what trait/background really set them apart from the other characters

[stampstamp]

I just feel like G*nshin often frames betrayal and ostracism as a bad thing, so it's inconsistent to excuse it when main characters do it.

Spoilers for latest quest under cut

They often go 'then this poor character lost their place in their community/family - isn't that unjust? The people around them are kind of assholes, huh?' but then they presented a similar scenario and expected us to side with the characters who were bullying someone.

The Traveller made a big deal about being 'betrayed' when Lyney didn't mention that he was affiliated with the Fatui but the Traveller didn't see anything wrong with pretending to help Furina escape a mob (who were paid by his allies to upset her) to drive her into a corner.

I'm mostly pissed off about the part where it looked like she was going to be executed and he only tried to save her because he wanted answers. That was selfish.

Tbh I'd have been satisfied if she had just told them all the truth and the prophecy didn't get subverted. She clearly had an important reason to not tell anyone the details I don't get why no one in-game considered it was for their own good. Oh well, it pays to publicly humiliate someone who's supported the country faithfully for 500 years, I guess. Interesting moral.

[generalsmemories]

I’m in the America server for HSR! RAAAGGHHH AMERICA 🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅‼️‼️‼️ Or something like idk. It’s the area that I’m in so that’s what I pick, and usually my irl friends are on it too.

Not sure if I’m just at a slower pace but getting good relics is so hard, it’s a struggle. (〒︿〒) Also if you want to know, I am also in TB 64!! Played the first release of HSR because I got tired of Genshin.

It’s soo fun at the end so I’m really not complaining! The story too omg, I’m so curious about March and how she got into ice. Because NO WAY THAT IS NATURAL?? I’m thinking it’s like how Superman got into Earth. Planet dying so they send their kid to space to find a place to live. Though ngl I doubt it would happen like that, but idk anything about Chinese mythology (because it seems like HSR bases off of that). Whatever it is, it’s really interesting! (ˆ▽ˆ)

-🌧️

RAAGGH AMERICA THE ONE WHO GET THE UPDATES LAST OUT OF EVERYONE ELSE 🦅🦅🦅 (sorry 🌧️ anon)

ahh relic farming is such a gem, patience is the key there T_T i used like the entirety of 1.2 patch to farm for IL dan heng HAHA, but now that i'm aiming for a full set of muskeeters i'm back in the dungeon for relic farming again. i'm not even satisfied with my jing yuan build (╥_╥) BUT COCOLIA WON'T GIVE ME ANY GOOD GODDAMN SPHERES FOR THIS MAN.

Genshin has become to me what HSR is for others HAHA, i log in every now and then (besides august cause i was gunning for lyney without resorting to use my wallet-) while i can spend hours on star rail, i don't know how - but i just can, even with how limited the world is. (BUT EYYY, WE BOTH THE OG PEOPLE WHO GOT THE MAGNIFICENT 00 WITH OUR UID-)

i hope we get some march lore as well !! She might've been encased in ice for her own sake or for the planets sake, but HSR does follow a lot of different mythologies. Luofu in particular is just heavy on the mythology, along with a heavy emphasis on buddhism beliefs! (points at dan heng) But i do love the hsr story as well, and i just hope it flourishes more caues the writers for HSR is the same as HI3 and I know they gave that story a lot of love so I hope with enough patience from everyone that they'll see what kind of beauty the world of HSR has to offer (in particular Xianzhou because I feel like HYV cooking with that in particular-)

[a-la-campanella]

Hoyofair 2024 New Year Program

Timestamps are in the video description, along with English subtitles for (as of now, some) translated lyrics throughout the stream.

Personal thoughts and all that - this program is a mix of both Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail fan works, so I want to talk about both! I'm cherry picking the sections I have comments for, which is most of the program (and nearly all of the first half).

Managing dedication between both games... is pretty time consuming, haha. This is a HSR blog, but I really can't keep Genshin under wraps.

For the first half — Genshin Impact

The opening song is cute. They used both Aether and Lumine, and traveler twin appreciation is always appreciated.

Dive Into The Mystery was a bop! I like the singer's voice and the use of photographs and newspapers to highlight the characters of Fontaine. It gives off a mix of old and modern news. This kind of MV is fun to watch.

KIERU is back with another animation, this time Persona 5 style for the Fatui characters of Fontaine! Rogue on the Rocks is fully voiced, too! They don't miss. Arlecchino is... wow. I love Arlecchino.

The Knave MV: X is dedicated to Arlecchino. The transition from a jazz-y vibe in the previous video to rock sung by NANO threw me off for a bit, but it goes hard. The crying statue of Furina, and references to whoever I assume was meant as a stand-in for the previous Father...

The premise of Cyber Fontaine: The Last Bakery is? Something out there. Xiangling and Navia is not a duo I expected or ever thought about, but they work well together! This was an adventure to watch, blending action, suspense, comedy, hinting at a larger world in Fontaine, and with a satisfying end. The song they play sounds familiar but I can't quite place it...

Secrets of the Harbingers takes Charlotte into the deep end of journalism... anything for a good scoop, the people have a right to know the truth! Sprinkle in some hilarious posters in the background. The featured harbingers are Pantalone, Sandrone, and Il Dottore... quite the trio.

The animation for Furina: All the World's off Stage highlights Furina's time in the streets of her nation. She's a girl, it's her world! The music goes hard, Furina is living her best life off stage, and all is well in the world.

I think every year has featured at least one stop motion animation. I'm happy for that; stop motion is incredibly time-consuming. Not much to say about the Furina stop motion, I'm glad to see it.

The Best funeral service for you... Hu Tao is so dear to me. The phone number? The coupons? THE COURT CASE? Keep trying and you might get some customers soon.

Subutai Production returns for Furina VS Nahida: Trial of the Archons! Fully voiced court room drama between the gods. Theater kids. Love that for them.

Genshin Magicka: Little Witches, in the same style as Little Witch Academia! Collei, Yoimiya, and Sucrose are our student witches, with La Signora as the antagonist and Nahida to be saved.

Modern AU with characters vibing together for Travel to Your World. Tighnari keeps the ears. Big sis Jean is always going to be Klee's sister, no matter the world. Thoma going grocery shopping with Navia pulled a smile out of me, and transitioning to Ayaka shopping for Genshin plushie merch (all the plushies are official merch, by the way) got me to laugh. Everyone is wearing such fashionable outfits. Idol group Amber/Nilou/Barbara/Yunjin VS girl group Yelan/Ei/Yae Miko/Eula, then boy band Al Haitham/Cyno/Scaramouche/Wrio(???)... I was genuinely surprised to see him there. 4nemo with Kazuha/Heizou/Lyney/Venti! They're not the OGs but they are sure four anemo boys. So many characters from different regions would be friends in the modern world... I can definitely see Dehya and Childe hanging out in a bar together. The ending, though, with all five released archons - what a way to end the year.

The Way Colored in Starlight concludes the first half of the program, rolling credits with art by Kurattes. I'm glad to see their art at the end of the year. They've done a lot of stuff for previous New Years and Anniversaries, so it feels fitting. And y'know, Lumine love!

For the second half — Honkai: Star Rail

The opening song is another bop! What a beat, what a voice!

Galactic Grand Prix! Animated by MIOTA ANIMATION! I'm pretty sure they're a studio. Argenti's teammates are Stelle and Clara, while Asta has Welt and Pela, leaving Luka with Fu Xuan and Herta. Hard to tell who won (it cuts off at the end to transition to Lynx) but way later in the stream an announcer mentions Asta got first place, with Luka leading in second and Argenti placing third.

Luka shines in Sparks Yet to Fly! From the program list, this was the one I was most excited for. I don't care for him that much, but I think he's an interesting guy. The people behind this video seem to care a lot about him from how well produced this video is; he has his fans among this world, too. Pretty sure the audio they use is from the HSR OST, though not sure which track.

Nowhere to Run takes Blade down memory lane, with the fall of the High Cloud Quintet to chasing a shadow of Dan Feng to him joining the Stellaron Hunters. The song that plays is Oracle, from Honkai Impact 3rd. I knew I recognized it, but it took me a while to figure out the name of the song... I'm not a HI3 player.

The Astra Express trio in Our Trailblazing Adventures kicks off with Stelle and Caelus, March awakening from the ice, and Dan Heng on a bridge on the Luofu. Overall a wholesome trio going about their lives, do not separate them.

The one afterwards is Dr. Ratio dancing in only a towel. This is more like a meme song, but it's funny, so I like it.

Dead Girl Walking leads us to the Ten Lords Commission! It focuses on Hanya and Xueyi, to be precise. To be honest, I thought it was going to be a Heathers reference at first. Nice animations!

I'm happy with Pink Ambience. Elysia is my favorite HI3 character, and hearing TruE play moved me to nearly tears. I wish she would appear in HSR... but even if not, it's okay (and I'm confident it won't happen because that would turn over her entire purpose; she's meant to be a unique existence, she can't exist outside of the role she already had). March would be good friends with Elysia.

Took me a while to realize Funny Bone was about Sampo, I really thought they were all OCs from the Masked Fools. Just your ol' buddy and pal, Sampo! The song is a banger, and the animation reminds me of Arcane, sort of. A blend of 3D and painting, I guess? I love the ending.

Dan Heng Rises takes us back to the fight against Phantylia, now animated. The great galactic batter Stelle herself fights alongside Jing Yuan, Welt, March, and Dan Heng to take her down! Dan Heng catches March from falling, it's cute. Welt uses the Star of Eden! It's nerfed but still effective enough to give Dan Heng a boost! Lightning Lord shows up too! I didn't expect much going in, but this video is great. Power of friendship triumphs, after all.

A lot of the people who saw Cyrille's Doll likely forgot about who she is. She's an NPC you can encounter in Belabog as a child, but is dead in the present due to unfortunate circumstances beyond her control. You get to go through her story throughout the quest chain Vessel of Mediocrity. The song for this one is called てるてる坊主 or Teru Teru Bouzu, which apparently is a children's nursery rhyme. It also refers to the white dolls/charms crafted to bring in good weather; if you've seen Weathering With You, then you know what they look like.

Lynx in Winterland is just Lynx exploring. It's a wholesome video, and that's all I have to say. I'm sure Lynx is a nice character, but I don't care about her that much, to be frank (same boat as Luka).

The rolling credits play with a piano cover of Fly Me To the Moon... which is pretty fitting, given HSR's space themes, and the lyrics of the song. Let me see what life is like starward, forevermore.

And that concludes everything in the stream! Thanks for reading this far, kind stranger!

[rubys-domain]

some build updates:

my cyno FINALLY has 4pc gilded. it's extremely jank and he would not function without fischl to battery him. but i don't have much urgent to do on main in terms of character building, so i can use my daily resin to farm that accursed domain until i get him a decent set

i've finally reached the point where i'm not satisfied with baizhu's amount of dendro app on this team. once i get nahida she'll take his spot as solo dendro, and i'll probably bench him until i get nilou and he can be the deepwood holder on the bloom team (with collei being the driver ofc ofc). i originally wanted to replace fischl.... but it's already a nightmare getting him enough er to burst on cooldown without sacrificing his offensive stats with her on the team. i'm just gonna hope that nahida's sheer amount of dendro app will be enough to let her be solo dendro so i don't have to build more er on cyno. baizhu's energy-hungry himself, and he's always the last one to get his burst back despite having 50% more er than cyno. it'll kinda suck not having his op healing because that's truly what makes this team the ultimate unga-bunga comp, but oh well. i'll live. or i'll suck it up and give cyno an er sands one day and baizhu can stay on the team with nahida idk.

xingqiu's build is still trash and i do want to get him better pieces. but currently his sole purpose on my account is to apply hydro for cyno hyperbloom, and his personal damage doesn't really matter much in that role. so he's unfortunately gonna have to wait until i get cyno's and baizhu's builds sorted out.

i know fischl's arguably new bis is golden troupe. and i could farm that domain because i do want lyney on 4pc marechaussee at some point. but honestly... i just want to focus on cyno's damage. so i'm giving her 4pc tenacity but with offensive stats and calling it a day. at least that way she can make use of that one cracked feather i got that unfortunately doesn't have hp, which makes me hesitant to give it to layla or kokomi. i know this is sacrilegious, but i can't be arsed to care at this point. maybe one day i'll give her my cracked golden troupe pieces that should've been marechaussee pieces (yes i'm still salty about it). or i could give them to nahida assuming double dendro so i don't have to farm more of the archon-forsaken gilded-deepwood domain. and if fischl's booted from the team then she's getting the golden troupe set anyway since in all the other comps i want her in in the future, her personal damage matters way more.

[whittlewillow]

I can't take it anymore. I'm sick of mavuika. I try to play arlecchino. My mavuika deals more damage. I try to play varka. My mavuika deals more damage. I try to play Columbina. My mavuika deals more damage. I want to play Lyney. His best team has mavuika. I want to play iasnan, mualani. They both want mavuika.

She grabs me by the throat. I forge for her. I cook for her. I give her earth shaker. She isn't satisfied. I get talking stick. "I don't need this much atk" She tells me. "Give me more field time." She grabs xilonen and forces her to throw herself off enemies. "You just need to funnel me more. I can deal more damage with reed sea."

I can't pull reed sea, I don't have enough primogems. She grabs my credit card. It declines. "Guess this is the end." She grabs her talking motorcycle companion. She says "Huila, get them." There is no hint of sadness in his eyes. Nothing but pure, no icd pyro application. What a cruel world.

if mavuika is a straight upgrade to xiangling then give it a couple years and ppl are gonna complain about how mavuika is in every team

[hell-of-heavens]

Hi! Thank you so much for responding!

I expect myself to play FGO very casually because turn-based games are a hit or miss for me, so I do not expect to enjoy it as much as it did! The power of engaging storytelling is not to be underestimated! I have watched the Babylonia adaptation, but I heard the anime fumbles with the pacing. Looking forward to experience the story properly!

Funnily enough I started FGO because LB6 is dropping in NA. I heard only Good Things about the story & its cast and I really, really like Oberon from the bits and pieces I managed to gather from LB6 playthrough and the voiced dramalogue. I am looking forward to collecting the entire cast—I thankfully got Oberon, and Castoria & Morgan is on my top list of my most wanted servants next year.

I have not read (or rather watched the playthrough of) LB6 in full, so I can't exactly compare it with Inazuma, but even at first glance, LB6 casts are imminently more compelling compared to Inazuma. Inazuma wants to have Political Intrigue and War Plot but the game also refuses to write the consequences that come with that. I keep comparing Ei with Lion King myself, they have some similarities in their effort to preserve humanity eternally. You can't help but notice how badly HYV handles Ei, and what we could get instead.

(As a sidenote: What makes Nasu's writing good for me is not only that he is a technically skilled writer—which is true!—but like ... he is really really interested in the characters and the themes and his own writing, and it shows! I have my own issues with the OG Fate route in Fate/stay night but it is an overall satisfying experience. And his sincere interest allows him to grow significantly as a writer, you can see his growth through how he revisits themes and characters in his later works. Camelot adds depth to Artoria's character and it makes me appreciate her so much more. I suppose LB6 would do that as well. But anyway. Move along.)

It's such a shame that Genshin keeps fumbling with the ideas they have because they do not know how to build their ideas into a coherent storyline. You're right that there is some progress in their writing, but I do not know if they learn from their past mistake or if they are just doing damage control from their past mistake because it does not feel like .... a meaningful improvement? They sure have more playable characters involved in their main storyline, they write a longer arc to avoid rushing their story, but all of them feel like ""lip service"" instead of an attempt to better articulate their story.

It's kind of funny that they avoid having playable characters with Cool, Larger Than Life Concepts while also writing a main story on a grand scale. The disconnect between the whole Khaenri'ah endgame lores/Archon/Abyss Twin and most of the playable casts ... there is a lot of disconnect between the concept they want to convey and the Actual Thing In The Game that it strains my suspension of disbelief.

Suffice to say that I am very curious how Lyney & Lynette's storyline will be handled going forward because it really feels like Genshin is afraid of their own cast.

I ... really do not expect much? I have not started Fontaine—FGO's writing damns Genshin, as you put it yourself. I am not looking forward to being disappointed with the story at the most basic level possible after experiencing a well-written chapter. And I do not look forward to relying on headcanon and fanfic to fill up basic characterization and worldbuilding ....

I did see the twin's "revised" drip marketing yesterday, and all I can think is that "wow, Genshin is surely great at building hype through careful use of online marketing, if only they could build the hype through organic storytelling!" It's very cynical of me, but it's been years & we all know the game's pattern. I would be very, very happy if the game proved me wrong. But I'm not going to hold my breath.

I remember being excited about how Collei and Kaeya could possibly interact when Sumeru drops because of their previous interactions in Webtoon. The game seems to avoid bringing up their past conflicts, though. The amount of intriguing background and narrative thread that the game wasted is ... staggering.

Anyway, it's really nice discussing this with someone else. Most of my friends are in Fontaine Hype Train, and I do not want to ruin their experience but I just ???? at the whole thing.

And thank you for warning me about Agartha. Everything I know about the chapter sounds really, really awful ....

Hi, this is FGO recent player + Genshin disillusioned anon! I finished Camelot a few days ago & I can’t help but compare how Camelot vs Sumeru uses allies. In Camelot, our allies have personal reason to oppose Lion King, reflected in their decision. Not so much in Sumeru. It reads less of “we save Nahida because of personal belief/reason” and more of “we save Nahida because She Is Right.” I haven’t bought its emotional beat the first time but comparing them highlights Genshin Writing Issue (1/2)

What FGO is doing here is pretty much Basic Writing 101 but Genshin does not even do that? An attempt was barely made, and that’s me being generous. I want to be interested in the characters but the game does not even give a shit. And fandom eats that? I do not get it, at all, and I wish fandom actually scrutinizes the writing harder. (As a sidenote, I know Camelot is great and I have seen the full game playthrough before but playing the entire story is an emotional ride! Bedi ;;__;;) (2/2)

BEDI………… 🤝🤝🤝 He's so great. I loved the Camelot chapter, it was the one that made me sit up and go "!!??" for the first time. Nasu's chapters haven't let me down a single time since then. I'm glad you're still enjoying yourself :) Babylonia is a real doozy heheh

But yeah, the thing is… I don't think anyone working on Genshin KNOWS Basic Writing 101? Or at the very least, they know Of it but not how to Do it. Like, it does feel like they're learning lessons as they go. They're learning the sorts of things they SHOULD be including, like having characters Talk To Each Other in meaningful ways, or actually bothering to get you attached to characters before trying to make you feel bad for them, making sure the playable characters are in the story and At Least Do Something... and they even finally apparently listened to my cries and actually wrote an investigation phase into their mystery storyline (resulting in the worst detective work I have ever seen in any story, ever. My standards are exceptionally low on that btw. I have seen a lot of Noddy, Toyland Detective.)

I just don't think they understand how story structure, character arcs or, heck Ace Attorney trials work before they start trying to produce or replicate them. They know what they like and the story they want to tell but not how to tell it. I think that's why they're so much more comfortable writing all the cool stuff into the lore dumps than the main storyline; books and artifact lore and letters are a lot easier to write than any of the things IN those books, artifact lore or letters. And I think that's because even if they do have writers, the ones they have are amateurs, and whoever's in charge of supervising/editing their work has no idea what they're doing!

I think HYV is finally starting to recognise their own weaknesses, because… okay, it might just be me, but doesn't it seem like Genshin's side characters have been getting more mundane? I think they've finally started to recognise that if they put Too Much Cool Stuff into a character's backstory, players will eventually expect them to actually follow through and they backed TF off real quick. Diluc and Kaeya's Literally Everything, Albedo 'destroying Mondstadt', Xiao Fighting Ancient God Ghosts, Beidou vs The Sea Monster She Killed And Won't Let Anyone Forget About, the bizarre personality traits originally imbued into the 4star characters…. doesn't it feel like Genshin's avoided writing things like that into its new characters?

The "shove all the relevant information into their backstory" game point blank refused to engage with Collei's backstory or offer any insight into Why Cyno Is Like That in their LORE, let alone the main story. Let alone the main story it should be suuuuuper relevant to. No one has any out there character quirks and there sure doesn't seem to be any implication that anyone is doing any Really Cool Dramatic Fights off-screen anymore, because the players might expect you to actually write those things!

Suffice to say that I am very curious how Lyney & Lynette's storyline will be handled going forward because it really feels like Genshin is afraid of their own cast.

Obviously, FGO doesn't have any of these issues. It's written by actual professional writers that can like, write. Even when they screw up, the structure of the story they're telling is still sound because they know how narrative structure is supposed to work. It's just that… Nasu is SUCH a technically skilled writer that he nails everything Genshin fucks up so cleanly it damns Genshin by comparison. It is especially fun to compare Inazuma to Lostbelt 6 because they have enough superficial plot similarities that make Inazuma's failings shine bright as day.

I think people are happy accepting it because uhhhh Genshin is played by a) a lot of casuals and b) meta-fans and c) lore nerds and that means that people often just accept the story for what it pretends to be instead of scrutinising it for what it is. I get that, sometimes I just wanna turn my brain off and only half pay attention to a story I'm reading and I definitely have a threshold for bullshit I'm willing to accept. Genshin just… even when I'm trying to be charitable, it always punches through all the allowances I'm giving it…

I think some people also just enjoy taking the character prompts and filling in the gaps themselves, rather than have the story do it for them, or that also low-stakes fantasy feel good fluff is appealing sometimes (and Genshin is definitely more comfortable trying to write that). On the other hand, I feel like I see people "filling in the gaps" for the story with stuff that isn't there, like their mind is auto-filling the missing parts of the story or linking up themes/information in ways that SEEM logical but aren't actually the case....

I've seen a lot of predictions or comments about the Oratrice that don't like up with canon, for example. But given the story that Genshin started setting up in Fontaine, those predictions/comments feel like the logical path the story regarding the Oratrice should be taking... or, you know, all the character arcs Genshin tried to write, I think there was a lot of 'filling the gaps' on some of the details of those!

Anyway, glad to hear from you again! I hope you keep enjoying FGO :) Just, uh, maybe skip through Agartha.