#Rex Lapis' retirement plan:

[starcurtain]

Outing myself as the dead-opposite of a Genshin rarepair lover to say that my favorite brand of Zhongli/Childe is definitely:

Grandpa's Mid-Life Crisis Retirement Checklist:

✅️ Flawless human disguise (no one suspects a n y t h i n g)

✅️ Part-time side hustle

✅️ Self-planned funeral (the flowers were fire 👌)

✅️ Friends know I'm not actually dead

✅️ Liyue flourishing

✅️✅️✅️ Russian mail order husband

[zhonyua]

little habits

zhongli x adeptus!reader

context: after his retirement as the geo archon, zhongli set up on normal human life with his lover, you. however, the two of you are still learning about humans and their habits.

content: so so much fluff, kissing, tea date yay! it's basically just fluffines, first kiss.

notes: reader is an adeptus (duh), two old dummies in love, zhongli is really silly here, it might have some grammatical mistakes since english is not my first language.

since rex lapis retired from his position as the geo archon and changed his name to zhongli, he had to adapt to the mortal life. this adaptation wasn't a hard task, since he was a quick learner.

you, on the other hand, always found it difficult to mingle with mortals. was it because of their totally different matters or because of their hard-to-understand feelings, you always fought hard to fit in among them. however, with zhongli by your side, you always tried your best.

with this always on his mind, zhongli developed a curious habit of observing the variety of humans around liyue. his golden and wise eyes were always concentrated on learning the various customs and manners of his people, be it a simple clap of hands when watching a play of opera or a handshake when meeting with an acquaintance.

everything new that he learned, he would, excitedly, tell you, while drinking a warm cup of jasmine tea. you would try your best to understand all of the information he transmitted to you and sometimes you would take a laughter out of his lips when you, unsuccessfully, tried to copy his gestures.

even with your slow pace at learning, he would be patient and teach you as many times as necessary for you to learn. it was the relationship that you two had grown during these many years together. one totally built of love and trust.

one day, when the sun was already setting leaving a beautiful orangish paint in the sky, zhongli was peacefully walking by the calm streets of his beloved city. his work was done for the day, and knowing that he would meet with you soon made all of his stress disappear.

you two had planned to drink tea together at your favorite place, in the mountains. though it was a long way walking, zhongli didn't mind, he would happily walk thousands of miles to see you, if needed.

while passing by a jewelry store, he stopped, always dragged to shiny things, one of the habits that his dragon form had left on him. his eyes lingered on a specific necklace, adorned with a beautiful golden cor lapis - his personal favorite. even though that necklace wouldn't quite suit him, he knew exactly who would adore that shiny piece.

that's why he spent all of his mora on it, carefully putting it on a ornamented little box, but he didn't mind, it was for you after all.

while leaving the store, he saw a couple within a small distance. his curious eyes immediately were drawn to them. the woman was hugging her lover by his waist, with a sincere smile on her lips, while the man left kisses all over her face.

kisses. it wasn't the first time that zhongli witnessed that. it was a common gesture among mortals, being it among friends, relatives or lovers. always brought lots of happiness to the humans, he wondered why they felt so happy over such a simple thing.

but then, his heart skipped a beat when he imagined his lips brushing against his beloved's beautiful face. his mind was quick to create the image of you in his arms, with your cheeks flushed while his lips tickled your nose, cheeks and forehead, slowly coming closer to your lips and-

that was it. he needed to try it. he needed to kiss you.

he instantly felt determined to his goal, resuming his quiet walk towards your meeting spot.

you brushed your hand on the white towel, that you were using as a sit, for the tenth time, straighten it up, even if it wasn't wrinkled.

you were starting to feel impatient, zhongli was taking too long. you knew very well that time was a sensitive matter about zhongli. after living so many years, he got used to being patient. too patient. every little thing he did took a long time to be made, since he always said that "you should savor every little moment and not rush time".

you felt a presence, your senses telling you that you weren't alone anymore. your head quickly turned around to see zhongli walking on a certain distance, seeming distracted with a geo crystal fly. he acted like a child sometimes, but not in the imature kind of way, but in the innocent and sweet little gestures and habits that he made. that was a relief for you, after seeing him suffer so much during his archon time.

you got up from your seat, wrinkling the towel that you were trying so hard to fix. he noticed you and his eyes locked with yours. his smile gentle as always made the well known butterflies in your stomach start dancing. but even though, you frowned.

"you're late." you tried your best to sound stern - after all, zhongli should know when he was wrong - but your heart started to beat faster and stupidly. he chuckled at your words, walking towards you with a sly cat smile.

"my sincere apologies, my dearest." he stood in front of you, with a gentle yet playful smile. "you are very aware of how an old man like me can get distracted easily."

you raised an eyebrow and he smiled even more, with that cat-like attitude of him. finally, you sighed, dropping your stern act and smiling softly at him.

"i am afraid that if i keep forgiving you so easily, you'll get spoiled, my lord." you smiled playfully when he grimaced at the way you called him.

"oh, please. i already asked you a million times to stop calling me that." you could hear the pouty tone in his voice and it was unbelievable adorable. you couldn't hold your chuckle.

"alright, i'm sorry." you shook your head, holding your laughter in your throat. "should we take a seat, my 'love'?" you corrected yourself, feeling the slight blush in your cheeks already taking place.

he sighed with relief, putting a hand on his chest. "ah, much better." he sat down on the towel and you quickly sat next to him, your knees touching.

"i made tea, but i think it's already cold." you said, so distracted with the teapot in front of you that you didn't notice the small box in zhongli's hand.

"i brought you a gift." he said, the soft smile never leaving his lips. you turned your head towards him, your eyes widening slightly when they met the little box on his hands.

"oh, zhongli... you didn't have to." you were genuinely surprised. you knew that after he decided to set on his human life, his savings were short, but even though, he insisted in buying gifts for you.

his slender fingers hurry to open the little box, revealing the cor lapis necklace inside it. your eyes shined together with the gem.

"it's beautiful." your words came out as a whisper when you reached your hands to take the object. zhongli's smile was soft as ever, glad that you liked your gift.

"allow me to assist you." he said, slowly taking the necklace from your hands while you turned your back to him. his hands were gentle as they guided the necklace around your neck, carefully putting it on you.

your hands reached to touch the golden gem, admiring it. zhongli finished his part, his fingers pulling away from your skin.

"there it is. how do you like it?" his face was so close to your ears that you could feel his warm breath on your skin, making you hold a shiver.

"it's beautiful. i loved it." you turned your face to him, locking your eyes with his golden and gentle ones. years passed and his look hasn't changed when directed at you.

looking at your smile and at your blushing cheeks, zhongli felt his heart skipping a beat. if he wanted to do it, he had to do it now.

without a warning, he leaned in, his face millimeters far from yours, his eyes closing almost automatically. you were far too surprised to react, so you just stayed still, watching him with wide eyes as he got even closer.

soon, his lips met yours, for the first time in your life. for the first time in thousands of years. your blush was so strong that it forced your eyes to shut. you could feel his long eyelashes brushing against your cheeks.

his touch was soft and gentle, almost shy. his lips brushed against yours slowly, savoring the moment as he always did. a few seconds passed before he pulled away from you. his lips curling up into a little smile.

your eyes took a moment to open, and when they did, they met his soft and loving eyes staring directly at you. you could see a slight blush on his ears.

as you realized what had just happened, your entire face turned into a deep shade of red. rex lapis- no, zhongli had just kissed you.

"what... what was that?" you asked, hiding your face between your hands, sighing heavily in embarrassment. it's not that you didn't like it, but it was so sudden and so surprising that got your heart beating like crazy.

"that was a kiss, my dear. it is very common among the mortals." his deep voice sounded so loving that got your heart melting. his hands carefully held your wrists, pulling your hands away from your face. you looked up at him, face blushed and eyes dizzy.

"i know what a kiss is." you said simply, your voice shaking with palpable embarrassment. zhongli chuckled softly, brushing his thumb agaisnt your wrist.

"you did not like it?" he asked in genuine concern, his smile slightly getting weaker. you shook your head almost immediately.

"that's not it. i... i liked it." you forced yourself to look up at him. "it was just surprising." you said in a whisper, getting embarrassed again from your silly reaction. zhongli smiled again, relieved.

"i am glad that you liked it, my dear. perhaps we should try it again." he said in a low and caring voice, touching your knuckles with his lips. you got enough courage to push his shoulder, in a playful way.

"you'll have the death of me." a slight chuckle left from your throat.

"that can't happen, dearest." his voice sounded caring again. "i will not allow you to die on my watch." and with that, he leaned in to place a kiss on your cheek.

that day he understood why humans were so fond of kisses.

[yuesya]

About the Liyue AU would Shiki and Mechamaru get roped into the whole Rex Lapis Retirement Scheme? I mean they got picked up by Xiao and will be talking with the Adepti right? So how much of Zhongli's life insurance fraud (lmao) plan would they stumble into? Would it be on accident or on purpose?

I can definitely see them getting roped into the Traveler's Liyue escapades! I don't think Zhongli would share his plans beforehand considering that he never told any of the adepti, but part of me thinks it would be hilarious if, like. They just saw Zhongli walking down the streets in his incognito persona the day after Rex Lapis 'died' or something.

[resolutepath]

‘you are angry, and not without reason. but why did you come to me?’ (from Zhongli for Childe - if you feel like he'd go seek him out again after their whole debacle :) if not, just ignore uwu)

To stand upon the streets of Liyue after the dust had settled and the waters stilled had come coupled with an unsettling feeling, the sense of being in a place he was no longer welcome, a city that wishes to see the back of him. The Eleventh does not blame the people, so sheltered in their little lives to not realise that his actions had all been put a pawn in their archon's game, an actor on the stage of Rex Lapis' farewell to his nation so that he might finally retire after his millennia of service.

"Can't I stop by and visit an old friend?" The crease of his brow marks the anger that seethes beneath the skin, the sting of insult left upon him hidden in words spoken more bitterly than their sentiment ought offer. Dull hues the colour of the sea affix to the solemn gentleman, and his lips press together, contempt welling within him, before he turns his gaze away and sighs.

There's a naive part of him that wants to ask if any of it was real, if the stories shared and time spent together was merely all illusion, polite conversation and interesting stories little more than a guise to keep an eye on the unruly Harbinger cast upon his shores. The question does not leave his throat. In the end, he knows that in this match he was simply the losing opponent. And he doesn't need the answer, better still he allowed to believe that his company was enjoyed a fraction rather than endured.

"I merely came to bid farewell, come dawn your nation will lack all presence of The Fatui..." The headache he has been managing through the Tianquan's browbeating, chasing officials and diplomats alike for his poor conduct to offer compensation to the nation. He has to laugh, there's no escaping the corner they've been backed into, even if it was the nation's own archon scripting behind the scenes. It's hardly a believable excuse, there's no convincing anyone of as much without proof. Fingers rise to press to the bridge of his nose, and he rubs chasing away the pricks of pain gathering before he stands straight once more.

There had been other things he had planned to do, such as return the chopsticks bought to help him learn to eat as the nation does, or pass the trinkets and tokens fetched at markets and the traditional dress acquired back to the one who had encouraged him to buy. To remove all trace of what had been from his life so that he might move on anew, leaving this nation in the dust of his footsteps forward. In the end he could not do such things, could not shame his nation with such an outburst of rage, so instead all he hands over is one simple pouch, emblazoned with the logo of the Northland Bank and forces the heat in his chest to only scald himself and not expose those around to its bite.

"The final payment of your work, Mr Zhongli..." he says, convincingly enough yet it is out of place, the accounts already settled before the finale. "Use as you see fit." He does not wait to see if it is accepted, but presses it into the other's hand so the weight transfers and then steps back out of reach. "Perhaps in the future you and I might cross paths again... on the battlefield..." How I'd like to test my mettle, my worth, against your power... "Till then, farewell, Mr Zhongli."

Thank you for your teachings, the lessons will not be forgotten.

Childe raises a single hand in wave as he begins to step away, allowing that seething sensation in his chest to settle. It will take some time for it to truly cool, to not feel the sting of humiliation when he thinks of this nation, but it cannot be changed. He knows deeply the consequences of chasing futile actions and refuses to make a fool of himself here. No, he will remember how betrayal stings and conspiracy rankles and use it as fuel to be more astute in his next mission.

And he will leave the nation of Geo and its former archon in his memories until his path gives him chance to spar with the one who now walks among his people, to test himself against such an ancient creature. Only then will he let his true feelings really emerge for there is nowhere to hide on the battlefield and when one is given the opportunity to face as an equal, then honesty should be offered in return.

For until he is recognised, he is not obliged nor granted the audience to speak of that which scorches him within, nor given the right to claim injustice. But he will earn it, one day.

[pwurrz]

what?? no. no he doesn’t. he knew from the outset that childe was going to be sent to liyue harbour and stir up chaos. in fact that’s exactly what zhongli wanted him to do. why tf would zhongli feel betrayed?? while childe did technically use zhongli for information on rex lapis, he was only doing what was required of him by the tsarista for the mission of retrieving rex lapis’ gnosis.

zhongli was the one who lied about his identity and strung childe along only to use him as a pawn in his retirement plan. childe didn’t make friends with zhongli to eventually betray him because he had no idea that zhongli was rex lapis. but it could be argued from childe’s perspective that zhongli befriended him for the purpose of using him. in fact, that could actually just be what happened, because zhongli did want to make sure that childe was out of the loop and there was no better way to do that other than making sure of that himself.

anyway that’s why i think childe was completely justified in how he reacted and that his reaction does not make him a hypocrite. it’s clear that childe expected betrayal from signora and therefore doesn’t care that much, but he did genuinely think he was on good terms with zhongli and did not expect to be used the way he was. that’s why he’s so angry and that’s why he specifically asks zhongli why he’s not saying anything after making a fool out of him (paraphrasing).

and i don’t think zhongli is a jerk or an asshole from an objective standpoint. i don’t think he meant to hurt childe at all. and i completely understand why he did what he did. trust me i am a big advocate for zhongli retiring and taking care of himself. it’s completely possible that zhongli didn’t think of the effect his actions would have on others. which is unfortunate yeah but it doesn’t make zhongli a bad guy.

tldr the zhongchili breakup was just a big misunderstanding on both sides and the actions of both sides are justified. zhongli was justified in using childe to stir up chaos in liyue (because he didn’t have a choice, childe was assigned to the mission) and childe was justified in using zhongli to get information (because again, he didn’t have a choice. it was for the mission). because of that initial misunderstanding, childe might feel like his friendship with zhongli was just a lie, which would suck because zhongli is like his only friend, but if they talked to each other it would become clear that zhongli never harboured any ill intentions towards childe and didn’t intend to hurt him and i think they’d be fine.

[raynavan]

Morax, The Geo Archon

one of the Seven, the strongest pokemon of Teyvat, and protector on Liyue. with his contracts and unwavering will, Morax, or Rex Lapis, brought the people of his lad to prosperity. it is said he convinced pokemon to work along side humans with contracts. unfortunately at the time of the traveler's journey, this mighty pokemon was brought down by mmystris forces- and wil not wake up.

first post

-random information under the cut-

just like in genshin Morax decides to retire. he has a human form exactly like how he looked in-game, but he carries around a bell.

he is very bad a pretending to be human, but will stay i his human form more often then the other archons, as he has a lot of reserved power. it becomes harder if he starts using pokemon moves though.

he is surprisingly good with a spear, and will mainly use that to fight when in human form. he gets a little nervous using powerful Pokemon moves, as he had the tendency to accidentally change the geography.

oh, and becuse i do want to talk about this a little- Morax's design is a combination of his Exuvia and also the demon he was named after- who is a bull. hence the nose ring and hooves. planning him out:

and also a scraped design

[localplaguenurse]

Do you plan on focusing on family wholesomeness with a side of angst or will there be… ah, political ramifications to the discovery that Rex Lapis has a freaking son?

It’s mostly family wholesomeness, I promise. Angst too but the political ramifications of discovering a retired and presumed dead Archon has a son, while an interesting story, might be just beyond my skill set or knowledge. I could do it but it’s not in my vision.

[fishareglorious]

On the outside I skrrt skrrt but when I hear “Though the strings that played that melody survive, the one who inspired it is gone. Tell me, Cloud Retainer... when the one attuned to my soul is no longer here, who else could hope to understand this tune?” I hurt hurt

Cloud Retainer spitting real facts rn

I just made the most strangled ungodly snort at this scene

I do suppose its been implied for a while, but its nice coming across concrete information about the adepti knowing Rex Lapis has retired as Zhongli. Oh yeah, so this would mean Ganyu’s in on it too?

Oughe madame ping and guizhong.... :(

Wait a hot sec the weather just turned to stormy. This is the second time I’ve witnessed the weather turn bad while Cloud Retainer is talking.

Is it just pure coincidence or is it CR’s thing?????

Just one gut punch after the other huh. I guess this makes sense from being in the same company that wrote “If saving you is a sin, then I'll gladly become a sinner” line so yeah.

Oh, Ganyu isn’t as close to Guizhong as fanon content is. That’s something for later.

I wonder what could have been in another universe where Guizhong was still alive. It would change a lot of things in the timeline especially in Liyue history.

I have a feeling that she would dote on the Traveler a lot. And if Zhongli pulled that belly flop retirement plan of his without telling her. I think she would have been royally pissed of. Or knew it the entire time, who knows.

Aw, that lighting strike was so close! It would have been really funny if it hit the Traveler

Cloud Retainer in Liyue Harbor what will she do

Do it for your pseudo daughter? Feel like she’d just turn her beak on me if i asked her to come to Liyue for a favor

FUCK OFF FAWNKNELAKNWEA ERHAHAHAHAH I DROPPED THE BISCUIT I WAS EATING AT THIS

Imagine you are a millelith soldier on patrol. You walk to Chihu Rock. You see Liyue’s illuminated beasts (including a certain funeral consultant and Guoba) smoking weed inside Wanmin. Chef Mao looks utterly hotboxed and about to shit himself at the presence of talking cranes and a giant stag inside his restaurant.

You take one look at this situation, and turn heel to Feiyun Slope. This is not your day.

[truth-in-red-blog]

The obligatory "I didn't know where else to go" post 1.1

The aftermath of Osial's wrath is a silent affair.

The sun rises again, as does Liyue's spirit.

Childe is terribly confused as to why Rex Lapis didn't appear to defend his city.

His doubt persists, until he walks into the Northland Bank and sees Zhongli talk to the Fair Lady.

La Signora's laugh is like a nest of pins, but Zhongli's silence is like a stab to the heart.

For all he says that he looks down on those who trust too easily, he's done the same -- worst, he's done so during a mission.

After Zhongli makes it obvious he has no interest in talking to him, too preoccupied to give more details about his retirement plan to the Traveler and Paimon, Childe slips away among the shadows.

He's walking, and walking, and walking--

Pain sprouts in his joints as the after-effects of using both his Delusion and Foul Legacy suddenly overwhelm his body.

He's bleeding.

None of his injuries are healing at the usual speed -- faster than a human, more similar to an abyssal beast.

He's bleeding out in the open, with blood blooming under his fingertips as he's unable to muster the strength to press against his injuries.

He needs to find a safe place to rest and heal himself.

He needs to--

A safe place... he used to have one here.

When he knocks at the door, he's half-convinced no one will answer, or that once Childe is seen, the door will be closed to his face.

Childe has no idea how much time passes, before the door is opened.

His head spins and blood dribbles between his fingertips. He feels as if he's on the brink of passing out.

Then Zhongli appears, and Childe is unable to look up into his eyes -- his head, too heavy.

"Sorry... I didn't know where else to go."

Before he could hear Zhongli's response, however, Childe faints.

He comes back to his senses slowly, blinking away his drowsiness. Unexpectedly, he feels well-rested and, as he inspects his body, Childe realises he's been cleaned and bandaged up.

He also realises he knows very well whose bed he's laying on.

Zhongli... Zhongli has taken care of him.

It treacherously warms up his heart, forcing his feelings to bubble up in his chest -- the idea of him caring for someone like Childe shouldn't take his breath away.

His fingers play with the hem of his bandages, teasing its clean cloth.

He can't help but wonder why... however, his mind feels tired at the mere idea of second guessing Zhongli's motives.

Last night he'd expected to be turned away, after all.

"I see you've woken up," suddenly, he hears Zhongli's voice, making Childe look up at him, hovering at his own bedroom's door, as if worried Childe will lash at him. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt anywhere?"

Childe shakes his head, feeling his mouth terribly dry.

"Why?" The small word cracks between his lips, sounding harsher than he's intended.

Zhongli simply offers him a glass of warm water, stubbornly refusing to speak until Childe gradually drinks it all.

Truly, Zhongli is behaving as he always did.

"Why?"

A sigh, and then, "I know yesterday I gave you no reason to trust me anymore, but I do care for you, Childe."

"You--" Childe turns his face away, unable to look at Zhongli's earnest expression.

How can Childe even hope to forget Zhongli, when he looks at him as if he's something -- no, someone -- precious?

"I'm so tired, xiansheng," he sighs, tentatively letting his head rest against Zhongli's shoulder. "I want to trust you."

"Let me take care of you, for now," Zhongli murmurs against Childe's hair, lightly caressing his back to comfort him. "We can fix this, just give me the chance to make amends."

[noparath]

Nahida best god. Rex Lapis is ok, but his retirement plan is wack.

Nahida not only put the sages in their place but she also:

She shut down the Akasha and plans to overhaul the Akademiya

Is helping the desert people to reestablish trust and friendship with them

Stood up against a Harbinger by bargaining with him with threats of the heavenly principles

Gave us actual information on our sibling, as well with other lore bits

She better be given the title of Greater Lord Kusanail soon, because she is killing it.

[flokali]

♦︎ SAGAU Thoughts

….

Warnings: Cult AU, Religious AU, mentions of war, possible spoilers, etc. Ask to tag!

A/N: you guys thought i forgot about sagau or rem/vita didn’t you?

– All on-going wars seem to have stopped, at least to the public and you. However the Tsaritsa’s plan to steal all the Gnosis is very much still occurring, it’s just became harder to collect them. There is also tension between the Abyss order, which has halted its plans – at least, that’s what they alleged – and the Seven, and the Tsaritsa very much still plans to take down Celestia, however there are new, more complex motivations since you’re now involved in the equation.

For example, the Abyss order hopes to take down the Seven and Celestia, defaming them by exposing their nature and past actions, and restore Khaen’ria with you as its new head, meanwhile the Tsaritsa and her Harbingers hope to take destroy Celestia with the power of the Archons and build a new world, once again, with you and the Tsaritsa as its rulers.

– Since you have access to the teleport points, because let’s be honest, exploring Teyvat without them must be hellish, you’re also expected to be able to divide your time between the Seven Nations. Realistically, since they view you as a higher and wiser power, you’ll be consulted for all sorts of affairs such as politics, culture, the arts, and even the economy. Because of the amount of power you hold and how valuable your input is to them – even if you have no idea what you’re talking about – it’s likely your schedule has been adjusted with this in mind by the Archons and the Qixing, unfortunately this translates into having days where you won’t be able to so much as breathe for too long without messing up the time slots and you’ll have painfully uneventful days where you’re nothing but a glorified idol who’s wondered the same halls for the ninth time that day.

– With your arrival, Zhongli probably didn’t step down as an archon but rather is taking an “indefinite break”. He probably could have gotten away with retiring but it would have strippen him of too many privileges in regards to being with you, privileges he doesn’t want to hand over, so instead he’s order a contract with the Qixing that states he – as Rex Lapis, and now as Zhongli too – is still the Archon of Liyue but has given the harbor over to them for a “trial” period. This allows him to cease power if he thinks they’re getting too out of hand or if he feels his spot by your side is being endangered.

– Celestia is neutral about your existence, however many average citizens seem to think you’re both working together; only the Archons and the Abyss Order know you and Celestia work apart.

The Twin and the rest of the Abyss dislike how it has taken your name as its own, it only further fuels their distaste towards them and the Archons since they also don’t try and correct the mistake.

– We, as players, know how the wishing system works alongside the concept of event/limited-time banners, but the people who are in the game have virtually no clue what that is.

I imagine that they must have come up with some sort of an explanation, here’s my little take; it’s basically a prayer to them.

What I mean is, quite literally, that they pray to you, the player, to fulfill a “wish” of theirs — which in most cases is to be closer to you for guidance, comfort, and so on. When you pull for a character and get them, to them, it’s basically you answering their prayer and coming to them - a mutual bond of sorts. It’s less about if they want to come or if they believe in you - we’re going with the “all playable characters + The Fatui (Scara included) + Archons + Dainsleif + The abyss twin + most of Teyvat in general'' believe in you in different extents but extents nonetheless approach.

The minute they become accessible to you it’s sort of a semi-meditation-state where via their wish and Vision (yes, Vision — we’ll go with the idea that Celestia is somehow connected to you or the Vision also working as an asset that favors them in religious-ways) they manage to establish a “connection” with you where you’re temporarily sharing consciousness and controlling their body; they’re fully aware of what’s going which is why idle lines and animations are still playing, however it’s a painless and overly-euphoric state that could - in theory - become addictive, thus making characters you’ve pulled and used often become more delusional and attached to you compared to others and why sometimes you can still end up getting the same character even if you’ve already got them, aka constellations and dupes – the constellations act as a limit of wishes Celestia allows them to have, but when they appear even after you C6 them it’s kind of a testament of their devotion.

This is also why Visions are kind of a big deal, not only are they connections between the Archons, Celestia, and the user but you as well.

Characters such as Dainsleif - who don’t have a vision -, Scara - who we don’t know if he has a vision, delusion or what-not - and Baizhu who aren’t playable it’s less of a “we don’t believe in you” and more of a “we are so busy with other shit we literally cannot become vessels… yet”. Any character who hasn’t been released yet - could be considered to be “going on a journey” until they can become vessels, knowingly or not. Those who won’t become playable are a whole different story for another post entirely, but we could say it’s a “punishment” - at least, in La Signora’s case for possibly “betraying” Celestia or being too much of a danger to them.

Banners are similar, the standard banner is basically the “we are literally ready 24/7 for any blessing, lord help us” – basically, their prayers are more vague and easily answered.

Take Jean for example, her wish is to keep Mondstatd safe via being the best Acting Grandmaster and Dandelion Knight she possibly can — that’s a wish that’s easily accessible in the day to day in-game life compared to, let’s say, Raiden who’s a literal god having to repent for her past-mistakes. Of course, this logic doesn’t always apply - we can even go and tweak the explanation for each Event Banner. Standard banner = more achievable wishes, Event Banners = Harder – % up’s aren’t completely random and have more to do with the character’s importance in that moment - we know banners are loosely tied with whatever event is going on in-game, therefore we could say that it’s during the moment where the character are the spotlight that there wishes are given priority. In their eyes, they probably get told by the preachers something along the lines of: “In times of change, where our future feels the most uncertain, it’s that our Grace bestows us with their presence” or something.

The four-stars are similar, their wishes tend to be “easily achievable” and tend to be more… normal you could say. Compare Thoma who wants to protect and be loyal to the Kamisato Clan to Ayato or Ayaka’s wish to create a safe and happy Inazuma for all of the people, even Sara who’s main devotion is towards the Shogun has more achievable goals than someone like Kokomi who wanted to stop a whole decree and was an integral part of a literal civil war or even Zhongli who is a former Archon, Prime of the Adepti, who literally created a whole economy and city who is now a retired funeral employee who is keeping the progress of a whole harbor/city in check. I’m rambling here but you get the gist; four stars tend to have more “tame” and “ordinary” goals, while five stars are kind of… really, concerningly, ambitious.

In a way, being a five star AND an exclusive event banner character is kind of a curse for the characters, for the player it’s more of a “damn, Hoyoverse really wants us to spend money on this limited time character, huh?” but to the character it’s a whole religious/identity crisis akin to a “I am unworthy of my God’s love and there’s something literally wrong with me”.

[pwurrz]

childe was there in liyue for the gnoisis?

i mean yeah but in reality signora had made a deal with morax to collect his gnosis after she had proven that liyue could protect itself without him. that’s why childe was there, to cause that chaos and push liyue to test if they were ready for morax to retire.

he didn’t.. know that of course so he spends a large amount of his time trying to find out where rex lapis’ body is being stored so he can rip the gnosis out of the dragon’s corpse… but the gnosis wasn’t there. obviously.

so then he resorts to plan b, something he admits he didn’t want to have to do: unleashing osial to draw out morax. he didn’t want to go with this plan because he hates the idea of involving innocent people in his work, but i guess he had doubts about whether or not rex lapis was really dead. he kept going on about how strong rex lapis was and how it didn’t make any sense he would just.. drop dead.

all i’m saying is that childe wasn’t really.. necessary? like sure he unleashed osial but there wasn’t even a guarantee he was going to do that (because of his own personal morals, and the fact that he would much rather just fight morax himself) and someone else could’ve easily done it. and maybe signora didn’t know how to unleash osial, but i find that hard to believe considering one of the places childe was sent to collect payment just happened to have a sigil of permission?? the thing needed to unleash osial?? even though they’re super rare and hardly anyone in liyue has a fake one let alone a real one?? it had to have been planted there or someone knew that tea house had it and told childe to go get it because there’s no way that was just a coincidence.

i guess he was there to.. take the blame when the whole ordeal was over? scara did say the harbingers love to use him as a scape goat.

and i guess he was also there because knowing his loyalty to the tsarista and his love for fighting he would’ve done just about anything to lure morax out and fight him for his gnosis. so yeah him being sent on that mission makes sense from that perspective.

but then again without him being in liyue we wouldn’t have met him and he wouldn’t have met zhongli so i’m not complaining too much. as someone who was sent there to cause chaos and take the blame he certainly played the part excellently.

[11thfatuiharbinger]

Whatever it was—goodwill, luck, the grace of an archon—he didn't have it. Suddenly alert as he realized the blonde had all but vanished from his sight, the Harbinger clicked his tongue in annoyance. It was his fault for zoning out and losing sight of his objective, but to be fair, there were far more grunts suited to this task than he was. Running a hand through his messy hair as he glanced around, Childe decided to call it a day. The report wouldn't be fun, especially when he had to admit that he had lost his target, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Walking along the streets of Liyue, he sought out the traveler. Maybe she had just taken a different route somewhere. According to the agents stationed at the edges of the city, she hadn’t left either. So, she was somewhere in the harbor, but where exactly? Someone might have agreed to lodge her for the night while he was preoccupied. Regardless, it was quickly becoming clear that she was nowhere to be found and that continuing his patrol was a fruitless mission. With no motivation to continue his hunt, Childe returned to his office in the Northland Bank. They had a few days until the descent of Rex Lapis—a few days to insure this traveler wouldn’t interrupt the Fatui’s plans. What their logistics saw in her, he had yet to understand. Hopefully, she would turn out to be a worthy adversary if nothing else. He was itching to prove himself in battle. Seating himself at his desk, Tartaglia quickly wrapped up the monotonous job of concluding reports that were to be immediately sent back to Snezhnaya. He also made sure to finish up the necessary paperwork to keep the Qixing from being too wary of his existence. Stifling a yawn as he retired to his private quarters for the night, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this Lumine was going to end up as a thorn in their side.

And thus the moon met the sea

She'd never seen a place as.. Vast as the nation before her. Bright red bridges stretched across the night sky. Dark swirls of blues and gray disrupted by dotted lights of gold? Was that gold in the sky? No... Well, there was that strange structer off in the distance, perhaps these lights really were gold. Metal heels scuffed and scratched with wear clack against soft soil to solid brick. Her chest fills with the flutter of butterflies. She's finally made it! Liyue!

Lips tug upward, curl into a smile of awe, while her golden orbs stare up and off. Paying far more attention to the sky then to the crowd, graceful steps still carried her rather easily. Weaving past body by body, managing to dodge each individual citizen that filled the streets.

@11thfatuiharbinger

[noodles-n-soba]

If you'd fall down in the deep darkness for eternity..

Scenario: You're an adeptus, around the same age as Xiao but just a little older. Based on the new archon Chasm quest (with Xiao, Yelan, Yanfei, Itto, Kuki, etc)

Warnings: Spoilers for the archon quest!!

Characters: Xiao, Adeptus!Reader

A/n: Hii! So the reader's actual Adeptus name is "Ficus", I just made that up with my Latin skills cuz it seemed somewhat nicer :) Please enjoy!

With knees against your chest, you looked at the crowd below you, all those people in such a small world. You couldn't believe that life seemed to circulate that easily without your help, well, without the help of the Adepti to be more specific.. It was your goal to still look put for the people, just in case.. But you weren't sure if that independent folk would appreciate you just randomly lending them a hand. '(Y/n). What are you doing.' You threw a glance over your shoulder, seeing Xiao standing behind you.

'Observing.' You replied as short as possible because that was literally the only thing you were currently doing.. Nothing more or less. 'Mind watching them a bit more in a couple days. I'll be gone to the Chasm.' This time you completely turned your upper body around, an element of surprise on your face. 'And why would that be, Xiao?' You asked him, he sighed and decided he'd sit next to you. Knowing that you'd possibly never turn on him, he figured that he could tell you his true motives.

'I've asked Rex Lapis for permission to go and find traces of the last Yaksha. There's been a rumor that they just disappeared back in the wartime, so it's not completely weird to think they're still alive.' He answered, you squinted and shook your head softly. 'And he agreed on this?' You sternly questioned, looking back to the lands of contracts harbor. 'He.. Did..' You looked up to the sun slowly heading to the horizon, the clouds forming weird shapes and birds flying over your heads. 'The moment the Chasm opened you've been absent for quite a bit. Have you already been there, Alatus?' You looked him dead in the eye, he didn't have the heart to lie to you.. And he somehow just couldn't whenever you stared holes into his damaged soul. 'I've walked past, nothing more. Never would I do something Rex Lapis wouldn't allow.' He said, more like an oath than your regular set of rules. 'I believe you, you shan't need to fret..' You replied with a kind smile, you still had those in your pocket. Your smiles, and Xiao.. He was just looking at your face with nothing more but a serious look on his face. 'So tell me, Ficus, aren't you going to hold me back?' He carefully tried, you shrugged your shoulders and grabbed your weapon firmly.

'There is no use in trying, for you are so hard-headed. I can try, and most of the time I win, but this is about one of your brothers or sisters.. You cannot be stopped.' You simply admitted, toying around with your dearest companion.. A (weapon of choice). Xiao growled and kept his silence, whatever he tried.. You wouldn't budge. His choices would have consequences, and you wouldn't be there to save him from those.. The one that would probably come in action was Rex Lapis himself... Thinking about it, he wouldn't let Xiao do something so dangerous if he didn't have a plan. 'The least I can tell you is to return safely. I.. We, need you.' You finally brought out and stood up, stretching out your body and fixing your clothes. 'You, you said?' He recited, you immediately furrowed your eyebrows and smiled irritated. '.. Don't start it, I'll throw you off this cliff immediately. Then you won't even take a damn step into the Chasm.' You brought out between gritted teeth, he shook his head slowly. 'You just told me you needed me. You're getting more and more confused these days, maybe it's time for you to retire.' You turned around to face him, crossing your arms and glared at him. 'I'm as old as you, don't bring up my age now would you?' You gave his forehead a soft flick, he closed his eyes firmly and backed off. 'Now, you better return back from that Chasm wouldya. And bring some good news with you..' You crouched down, moving his hair aside, kissing the spot that you had flicked before and walked away.

'Watch me, General Ficus...' You chuckled softly. 'I'll look forward to your message, General Alatus.'

'I-!' Being absolutely startled by the news you just heard half an hour ago, you headed towards the place where you guessed he would be. 'Hey! Xiao!' Almost tripping over a rock, you rushed towards him.. Wrapping your arms around the guy and gave him a tight hug before letting go and bonking his head. 'You.. Indecisive idiot! How could you even try to sacrifice yourself! If it wasn't for Morax.. You would've been dead meat!' There wasn't much time to lecture the guy, you were assigned to take care of him..

You found him at the temple of Pervases, which wasn't that surprising at all. Thinking about all he did, he was just standing there and watching the sunset. When he realized you were standing right behind him, he sighed and threw you a short glance. 'Ah, Rex Lapis.. So it was him. Not some unknown Adepti.. I should thank him, actually.' Xiao replied airily, you squinted and balled up your fists. 'Hey..?! Did you hear.. Ugh, never mind. What the hell did you think when you were sacrificing yourself. I know your head circulates all around doing heroic stuff, but it doesn't seem heroic to me that the people you know will be sad when they won't see you again!? Do you know how much those guys would blame themselves for your death!?' You pouted and crossed your arms, looking down at the floor.

'I heard you, but saving others is more important than saving my own life.' He answered, throwing you a glance over his shoulder. You blinked a few times, about to reply till he continued his sentence. 'But.. Indeed, it will somehow hurt me when I think about the fact that you, and everyone who sees me as a friend, family or something else, will suffer.' Being a little confused about his statement, you slowly but surely placed a hand on his shoulder while you thought. '... What did the traveler say to you..?' You asked with unbelievement, a bit unsettled by his sudden change of thoughts and motives. 'It was that bull, but.. Paimon and the Traveler told me a lot too.' He carefully wrapped a hand around your waist, pulling you close. 'Also, (y/n), I'm grateful to have you by my side. So, thank you for that.'

You couldn't help but be completely thrown off balance, this change of character was really not him.. This wasn't the regular Xiao that you were used to, but this change was something positive actually. You smiled, leaning your head against him and hugged him tightly. 'Now, you're being a little too.. Much. Tch.' He snarled quietly, looking off to the side to hide his starting blush. You chuckled, hugging him really tight for a second and letting go of him. He sighed deeply.

'Have you ever tried Almond Tofu, (Y/n)?'

[astranne]

Max level friendship with zhongli. I shamelessly stare at him a lot.

MAX LEVEL FRIENDSHIP sagau!zhongli

fandom genshin impact

series in which genshin characters reach level 10 in friendship and become self aware

word count 363

series masterlist // series masterlist liyue // navigation

notes // hello anons :) thank you for the requests! and honestly same, sometimes i just stare at him cuz he‘s so pretty, but then he starts talking about his wine again and ✋😒 zhongli stfu up please or i won‘t look at you for the rest of the day.

warnings // hints of god!reader, bit more plot heavy than other parts of the series, not canon scenarios

Zhongli has lived a long life and his peak of power still didn't pass. He was the pillar of Liyue and will continue to be so, until he lays his mantle down.

And he planned to do it. He planned carefully and long, but then the earth of Liyue, the very ground, started whispering warnings to him. His connection to his element had grown drastically since he ascended as the Geo Archon and Prime Adepti Rex Lapis. There is a reason why he's known as the most powerful Archon in Teyvat, after all.

So when his trusted ally, the soil of Liyue, started whispering warnings in the back of his mind, he grew concerned. And canceled all his plans for retirement. He couldn't just leave, not when the people of Liyue were in danger.

The seals on Osial were slowly but surely growing weak. The sea brimmed with anger, anger much bigger than in the past.

Zhongli made his decision. Looking back, it was probably at this point that he received his blessing.

The following night, he visited the dreams of Lady Ningguang, for he could not speak with her in person. He warned her of a possible attack in the near future, saying it may be months or years. She took his warnings seriously and started preparing, without raising suspicions from the other nations.

And while the mortals of Liyue prepared themselves, Rex Lapis consulted his adepti. With the consulting, came training. There hadn't been war in Liyue for a long time, and Zhongli didn't want to risk anything.

Soon, a voice joined the whispers of Liyue. Zhongli never told anyone, but he knew- this voice was powerful and not allied with Celestia.

And when the day finally came, Osial released by the Harbringer sent by the Tsaritsa, Zhongli stood as Rex Lapis by his people, adepti and mortals alike, burying once again his long time rival under rumbles of stone.

It was easier than the last time, so much easier. The people whispered how the power of Rex Lapis had not waned, but he knew better. He had been blessed and continued to carry the blessing. The blessing of the voice.

ASTRANNE 2022

[crownshattered-arch]

He knew he could fight these machines, but he still didn't want him to. Retired or not, he was still Rex Lapis. Xiao still owed his life to the Archon before him. He was and forever will be Morax's spear, and he was devoted to fighting for his master. His loyalty was one of his greatest strengths, but likewise a great weakness. He wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice himself for Rex Lapis. However, he didn't intend to die today.

Xiao wanted to object, but he didn't wish to question his master's orders. So, he bit his tongue and let out a slight growl--not at Rex Lapis but rather at the machines around them. If he takes out his share, he could assist Rex Lapis with the other five machines. Yes, that was his plan. So the Yaksha dashed off in a blur, slicing the violent machines into pieces.

@crownshattered sent a meme:

“ go, go! save yourself! i’ll buy you some time! “ (From Xiao~)

"I can hold my own against a few ruin machines." A few? It was more like ten. But he wasn't going to leave Xiao to deal with it on his own, either, which meant he'd need to stand his ground.

"I think it should be easy enough if we both take half," he added as his pole arm appeared in his hand.