#Vishaps

[genshinresource]

Genshin Impact "Shadows in Motion" Web Event Official Album Photo Wallpapers: Miniaturized Nations (Mobile)

[sunnynwanda]

Part 2

The shackles drag across the floor, filling the space with the clanking of the metal against marble. The hall is dark but warm enough to make the chained creature shiver from thermal shock, numbness being replaced with pain as his white fingers start growing red. He fists his hands, pressing his trembling lips into a thin line to dissociate from the sensations rushing through his body.

Once they reach the middle of the hall, the guards step back, allowing his body to sag to the cold floor. It’s nothing compared to the snow that he was buried in.

Someone enters the room - he can hear the guard speaking but fails to discern words. His brain must be shutting down. He uses the last of his strength to lift his head when one of the guards nudges his shoulder.

The man in front of him is already staring at him, his expression nothing short of austerity. He looks to be in the second half of his life, grey streaks lining his temples and forehead, but his features have not yet lost their sharpness. There is a small scar on the underside of his chin, only visible under intent observation, and a much more noticeable crown on his head. Oh, no.

“What are you?” The King’s voice is tense. His hand rests on the pommel of his sword, never leaving, even when he reaches out to tilt the creature’s head up with his other one. The captive gulps, afraid to speak or meet the King’s intense gaze. “What is your purpose in my land? Answer.”

“I-” he tries, but his throat seizes, clumping in to try and swallow himself up. He coughs, facing the floor once again, lips coated in blood from a wound no doubt inflicted by the guards trying to detain him. The guard on his side steps back, scared of the dark crimson poision dripping down his chin. “I didn’t know I shouldn’t be here... I didn't know where I was.”

The King raises an eyebrow at that, not convinced by the act. His kingdom has lived in peace for over eight years - ever since he reached an agreement and outlawed vishaps from entering his land. In return, humans were banned from crossing into Vishap territory for fear of never returning, which was the least of all evil for the safety of his people and, most importantly, his family. The King sighs, rubbing his temples in slow circles.

“He was found half-buried under the snow right by the Edge,” the guard that captured the young creature informs. “He did not shift when attacked.”

This caught the King by surprise, which was written quite obviously in his features. He glanced at the guard before returning his attention to the young creature still slumped at his feet. It looked young - perhaps nine or ten years of age. Too young to be sent after him or be capable of inflicting significant harm. Vishaps did not tend to leave their younglings alone if they couldn't shift yet. Unless his parents were not in the picture, that is. “What is your name, child?”

“Vanki,” His voice comes out weaker than he intended, so with another cough, the creature repeats. “My name is Vanki.”

“Vanki,” the King repeats with a nod. He motions for one of the guards to lift the boy from the floor. The guard practically picks him up, supporting him as he stands, bone-weary from days of running and hiding in the woods with no proper food or rest. Vanki doesn’t know where they are taking him, but an unconscious fear settles in the pits of his empty stomach. He knows he is too weak to put up any fight. Damn, he was too weak to so much as move when the snow started falling, so all he did was roll to the side and hug himself to keep whatever warmth he had left in his sinking heart.

“I didn’t know,” Vanki claims, panic flashing in the depths of his dark eyes. His eyes dart to the King’s face, who looks at him quizzically. “I wasn’t aware I was trespassing.”

The guard hisses for him to be quiet, but Vanki shakes his head no. He has no strength to struggle against his chains or captors, but he won’t go down without a fight if it’s the last thing he does.

“I was lost.” It comes more pleading than he intended, but that can be attributed to the frailty of his voice. Or so he hopes.

“No.” The King’s answer is plain and straightforward, his voice void of emotion. It sends a chill down Vanki's spine.

“Please,” he hates himself for begging, but the prospect of being executed or, worse, thrown into a dungeon to be tortured for public entertainment gnaws at his side, threatening to rip his ribcage open and wrench his heart out. As it is meant to be.

“You weren’t lost, you were running from someone," the statement catches Vanki off guard. The King’s tone is even, but there is something in his eyes that the boy fails to decipher. “Other vishaps chased you out. Isn’t that right?”

Stunned into silence, Vanki struggles to answer right away, terrified of what his reply may entail. The King approaches him again, standing so close that the boy can see the small scar under his chin again. He wonders if it’s one of his kind that gave it to him.

“Well?” The King prompts, cupping the boy's jaw with a warm hand. His fingers are rough but his touch is featherlight, careful not to hurt. Vanki can only muster a short nod, his eyes getting watery at the contact. For a moment, he envisions his misfortune retreating. The King sighs, seeming satisfied with the answer. “Take him away.”

“I didn’t harm anyone.” Whatever was left of the boy's resolve shatters in an instant. Not paying him any mind, the King waves a hand, and that movement stirs something within Vanki - something feral, something animalistic, something dangerously close to his true nature. With a desperate cry, he hauls away from his captors, yanking at the chains until the shackles loosen around his wrists. “I didn't do anything! You can’t just kill me... you can't!”

“Kill you?” The King turns around with an incredulous look adorning his face. He almost chuckles at the suggestion, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Let me go, please,” Vanki can feel his eyes watering again, and his voice is a whisper by the end of the sentence. Misfortune grips his limbs with renewed vigour, marks the skin on his forehead with a sharp kiss that makes him hiss, baring his teeth. “Please.”

“You have nowhere to go,” the King notes, correctly so. He has nowhere and no one to go to - having escaped the Vishap territory and stepped into the land that considers him nothing but an animal, a monster, a god too vicious to trust. “But you can stay here.”

Vanki isn’t sure if he heard it right, but the King looks as stern as when he first came in, albeit with less hostility in his gaze. At a loss for words, he doesn't have a chance to object when the King speaks again. “So I can keep an eye on you,” he explains before waving the boy away and departing the room.

Vanki is still processing the situation at hand as he is led across the hall and along dimly lit corridors of the castle. It’s too early in the morning for anyone to be awake yet, so they meet no one on the way to the spacious room allocated to him.

The guard walks him in, only stopping to inform the boy that a servant has filled a warm bath for him and left food on his bedside table. He then bids him a good night and locks the door, leaving Vanki alone and utterly confused. He cannot comprehend why or when all of this was arranged for him, but none of that matters when he lowers his aching body into the warmth of the bath, his head lolling back at the sheer pleasure of his element enveloping him. It takes only fifteen minutes for it to soak his bones, healing all of the cuts and bruises littering his skin.

Vanki has no way of knowing what is going to happen in the morning or what the King intends to do to him. He doesn't know if he will be allowed to stay or handed back to his kind. He can't even tell if he is a prisoner or a guest. The only thing he does know is that he is safe, warm and sated. Even if only for a night.

Part 2

Lore: Vishaps are serpent-like dragons in Armenian mythology, closely linked to water. They were seen as guardians or spirits of water sources that lived for thousands of years. They lived in the mountains or beneath lakes and had shape-shifting abilities. Vishaps' blood was believed to be deadly poisonous.

Author's note: This is based on the beautiful request by @annablogsposts.

Thank you so much for this, I enjoyed it incredibly ♡ As I've mentioned in my first reply, it corresponds greatly with my WIP novel and I took the liberty of aligning it even more. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did but even if you don't, feedback is welcomed.

Masterlist

Taglist: @marvellousdaisy @alltimelowing @lateuplight @surplus-of-sarcasm @betwist @excusemeasibangmyheadonawall @enemies-to-idiots-to-lovers @miaowmelodie @thatonerandomauthor @hhabaddon @burningoutlikeicarus @daemonvatis @weepingcowboywolfbat @thelazywitchphotographer @kaiwewi @soul-of-a-local-bard @pigeonwhumps @aflyingsheepnamedrose  @thatneptune @ohwellthatslifesstuff @worldsfromhoney @thiefofthecrowns @crow-with-a-typewriter @qualityrabbitsoup @stargeode @villain-life @villainsblood @whumpifi @silviathebard @misskowe @ayeshaturnedtoashes4444

P.S. I know this isn't my usual content, so if you don't wanna be tagged in stories like this one, just let me know! Sunny xo

[kshkshks]

trying to understand that goddamn speech from wolfy. help.

this is part one of this post

˚⁎⁺˳ ✦ ༚ spoiling imaginarium theatre. for free!!

so wolfy’s boar story + nicole line.

“ Why not wolves? Many a tale has wolves in it, and even the compendium personally burned by Madame Mage had a wolf character!

It is said that the Boar Tribe were once all wild boars, but the boars did bad things, so the master wanted to punish them. The master took out a rusted set of scales, and told the boars to stack their own things on both sides. If the scales tipped to one side, they could leave.

But the scales were so rusty that putting just a small amount of weight was not enough to move them.

Those boars who placed their heads on the scales became wolves, lizards, and snakes, leaving only their strength. Those who offered their muscles became rabbits, leaping three paces to a bound, instinctively guiding people to treasure.

But there was one boar who placed things evenly on both sides, until the rusted scale broke right down the middle...

And so she became a mute person — for she had placed her voice upon the scales as well.

She is also a friend of Madame Mage, and I hear she likes to speak in people's heads! “

tldr: the seelie got their husk forms via Scale Punishment for a ‘bad thing’ they did. they were punished by a 'master'. (in this context, it may be implied to be PO.) and, depending on which metaphorical parts of themselves they gave away, they turned into multiple different creatures. btw, it's hard to tell how metaphorical the scales are. they may very well be actual scales because mihoyo is just cheeky like that.

“Legends of Jueyun” and "Amethyst Crown". they differ, which leads me to believe that "legends" is not to be taken literally, at least anymore. nabu malikata's account is much clearer: the Scale Punishment might have happened right after the Second Who Came (Nibelung potentially), when PO was anxious of their empire crumbling. and that Scale Punishment was the great exiling of seelies, "divine envoys of heaven".

Arama in “Aranyaka: Part III - Nursery of Lost Dreams, Part 2: For the Children of the Past”: the ‘bad thing’ should be falling in love with humans. i interpret this as protecting humans at large, as a race. or maybe creating nephelim. or maybe that's one and the same. "Song of Seelie": the 'Boar Tribe' likely lived in the Dark Sea and/or Abyss, as that's where the seelie are said to have had palaces before being exiled.

"The Little Witch and the Undying Fire": teyvat's people (imo it's unclear if that's the UC or current ones) are nephilim — fusions of angels (probably seelie) and regular humans.

funny thing: little husk seelie + nabu malikata and vishaps have horns and their designs seem to be based on the same animal — varieties of sea slugs. they are also connected to the moon sisters, not only through “Legends of Jueyun” but also because of something you may not want to read, so skip ahead. here i go:

now, goddess selene/luna (depends on the religion) in her description looks like nabu malikata and the seelie ladies who appear in various stories; she's always a beautiful pale woman (see for example "drunkard's tale"), and in nabu malikata's case, they're both horned. regardless, selene/luna are stemming from the moon gods like men and mah, and all of those guys always have the visual of horns of a crescent rising behind. and the very old babylonian moon god suen/sin/nanna is additionally the god of cattle. the husks of seelies we interact with in game have tiny horns themselves, too (so nabu malikata isn't an outlier).

there's an achievement in enkanomya called "phosphorus's guidance" that you get by following seelies to their courts, which implies phosphorus being, like, either all seelies collectively, or, more likely, their ancestor from "legends of jueyun". phosphoros literally means 'morning star', they are the god of planet venus (sometimes called morning star). another word is heosphoros which means 'torch-bearing' and that's how hecate and diana appear in their iconology. additionally, selene is a sister of the goddess of dawn eos. with dawn comes the morning star, venus is mainly the goddess of love, her name meaning 'desire', and eos's description is overwhelmingly just how lusty she was. in roman mythology lucifer's mother is aurora, which etymologically leads us to, again, eos. lucifer literally means 'light bringing', and is not only the name of the christian devil, but also diana's title -- lucifera. her name, btw, means 'divine, heavenly', and 'morning sky'.

tldr: phosphoros (the seelie god or something according to a genshin achievement) is basically diana, the moon goddess.

˚⁎⁺˳ ✦ ༚

personal speculations

✦ rabbits — seelie husks. offered (at least) their physical bodies, soul. maybe that's control of their fate, power to change anything themselves "A Song of Seelie": "stripped of all that the body once held close and [stripped of] the soul once held dear"; "Ay-Khanoum's Myriad": "stripped of their minds"; Wolfy: "guiding people to treasure".

✦ wolves — khaenriahns and/or surtalogi and/or a figure surtalogi is mirroring. offered (at least) 'head'. “A Drunkard’s Tale”: “what you humans call wine, we wolves call the abyss”; this post and this comment thread on surtalogi’s connection to woobakwa and the wolf pup in “The Boar Princess”.

✦ boars — survivors of the Unified Civilisation, such as Enkanomiya and possibly Sal Vindagnyr (see "Dragonspine's Glacial Secret"). offered nothing? if they even exist still after the Scale Incident, which they may. since boar princess travels with not-boar animals who are still considered to be from her kingdom. this is a can of worms however since the boar princess was theorised to be the princess of sal vindagnyr.

✦ foxes — some weird spirit guys. i don’t know. definitely have an istaroth connection. “The Dandelion Sea” whole; the wind spirit turning into a fox in "A Drunkard's Tale"; "Imperatrix Umbrosa Chapter: Act II - Transient Dreams, Part 3: Radiant Sakura": makoto's plan (ei planting the sakura in the plan of euthymia) involved istaroth, and i the cutscene of it coming to fruition foxes come along.

✦ turtles — ambiguous.

✦ lizards — something something vishaps this is not in my competence. offered (at least) 'head'.

✦ snakes — ambiguous. offered (at least) 'head'. maybe khaenriah, another group or all instead of wolves, simply because dainsleif’s contemplation is ourobouros.

✦ nicole — gambler. went all in. 99% turn away just before they hit it big. you should bet your house your wife your kids and your organs. offered (at least) her body, voice, possibly 'head' and/or soul.

✦ nabu malikata — i don't know anymore. read fun fact below. i don't know what she offered. should i be afraid? fun fact: there's a mathematician called Nicolo Tartaglia Fontana. first is his actual name, second is a nickname, third is a (possible) surname. HM. this was the only link connecting childe to nicole before, so i thought it could have been a fluke. BUT NOW, since 'wolves' with nicole are of one species originally, and assuming the wolf in "the boar princess' references surtalogi... "The Dirge of Bilqis, Part 6: The Eternal Dream, Ever Lush": when traveler sees nabu malikata in liloupar's memories, they describe her gaze as being faced with "nothingness". oh what's that. childe just happens to have this weird detail where his eyes don't have a sparkle. HM HM OH THERE'S MORE. "Ay-Khanoum's Myriad": jinn addressing nabu malikata "Please, dream-mother, mistress of forgetting and wine, we beg of you — remain queen of this garden." DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT WINE IS. WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'DREAM-MOTHER'. LIKE NIGHT-MOTHER?? *grits teeth* i don't know what exactly is going on there but this may be related to the 'head'. purple (colour of padisarahs) is the colour of abyss and hexenzirkel and the imaginarium type in hi3 too and don't dare tell me this is not important.

what the fuck is head

[mommalosthermind]

Current crack theory: Khanrei’ans are the half Vishap people we keep hearing rumors about.

Anti-Celestia, anti- archons, underground, little to no connection to any other country, rely on ‘forbidden Magics’ and fucking self made gundams, weird eyes, constant talk about sinners.

Past that all I’ve got is just Vishap!Kaeya and how that idea makes my brain vibrate

Because Vishap Kaeya

[the-curious-cat24]

Genshin 4.7 Livestream!

get your codes everyone! Excited for the new event and pulling for Clorinde!(who are you pulling for?)

Natlan crumbs at the end with the cute dragons!! ohhhh!

the twins! ohhh I got teary eyed watching the animation and the song, it hits right through the heart.

[ceruleanvermillion]

AU (headcanon ?) where Morax is half-vishap, half-qilin, like the rumours of what his vessel is. Half of his ancestry belongs to the vishaps of light realm, but the other half belongs to the "new" world, as a celestial immortal. This makes him rather powerful. But the vishaps and celestia hate each other for reasons that we already know of in the lore, so... he's never quite accepted by either. The light realm resents him, celestia is suspicious of him. So he was never actually considered a real part of celestia or one of the vishaps. He resides in the mortal realm, then. But as an immortal, he can never truly understand what it's like to be mortal, either. He becomes an archon, and it's because it makes it easier for celestia to watch over him and act if he does anything out of line. So Zhongli has never really belonged anywhere, or was ever considered a part of anything- which is why he holds guizhong and the original seven so dearly, because when he's with them, he truly feels like he's a part of the group, that he's not hated for his history, that he's with people who understands his plight, that he's with those in the same boat as he is. It's why he's so insistent that he's just a "normal human" after his retirement, even if it's clear that he sticks out like a sore thumb- because he genuinely fears the ostracism and the loneliness he has felt all those years ago. It's why he chose to work with Hu Tao, too, because to an extent, he thinks he knows how she feels.

[mynameis-a]

[hollowwhisperings]

Dragonology Tierlist, by series (a work in progress).

S-Rank: individually and collectively cool dragons, lore & logistics-wise, featuring the subjectively Best Dragons Ever.

A-Rank: has cool individual dragon characters &/or interesting dragonology.

B-Rank: some cool ideas but overall kind of "basic".

C-Rank: alleged/decorative dragons.

F: "how did they make dragons boring" &/or "actually insulting".

NOTE: the quality of a franchise's dragons is not indicative of the work's overall quality. good dragons cannot fix a poor story & dull dragonology does not mean a work is ruined as a whole. that said, my S & F rankings are indeed skewed by personal bias. Series within a tier are not listed in any particular order. *marked works are ones I am out of date with or have not yet finished.

RANKINGS

S-Rank: Deltora Quest, How To Train Your Dragon, Seraphina duology, Dragon Age, Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles.

A-Rank: Akatsuki no Yona, The Elder Scrolls (Skyrim), Genshin Impact, Dark Souls, Temeraire*, Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic, Eon duology, Star Wars, Trash of the Count's Family, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic...

B-Rank: Discworld, A Song of Ice & Fire, Tolkien's Legendarium, Harry Potter, Nickelodeon's Avatar, Dragon Ball*, Yu Yu Hakusho, Pokémon*, Oxventure, Fairy Tail*, Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea, Tamora Pierce's Tortall series, Warcraft*, BBC's Merlin, Superman, Netflix's The Dragon Prince, Spyro*, Runescape*, How To Become A Dragon manhwa...

C-Rank: Adventure Time, Kung-Fu Panda, Miraculous Ladybug, God of War, X-Men, Shrek, Fruit's Basket, Jane & The Dragon, Disney's Sleeping Beauty, Digimon, Yu-Gi Oh*, Bleach, Chronicles of Narnia, Barbie animated filmography...

F: Game of Thrones, the Inheritance Cycle, Iron Fist*, Disney's Mulan, CW's Supernatural, James Cameron's Avatar*, Pottermore, Super Mario*...

[welcome-to-fernweh]

Higher Beings Preview

So, in addition to the mortal Hetrans, there are other, supernatural creatures that go under a super-category called, "Higher Beings." Their label comes from the fact that they are believed to live a more complex life within nature, for better or for worse, and are usually supernaturally powerful. Someone can be born a Higher Being, or be created.

Here's the list:

• The Formless Ones (formless forces of the Universe)

• The Drakones (the lóng gods)

• The Ancient Peoples (Currently contains the Serpent Folk (based on Nagas) and their special kin, the Grande Serpents (based on legendary and giant snakes) and Noble Serpents (basilisks))

• Demons (expanded further below)

• Divums (expanded further below)

• Fox Spirits (based on Hulijing/Kitsune)

• Shas (based on the Set animals and Sutekh himself from Ancient Egypt)

• Vishaps (based on sea dragons of myth)

Possible other Higher Beings are:

• Wivers (wyverns)

• The Twinned Foreigners

Divums and Demons

Divine Creatures are benevolent spirits, collectively called "divums:"

• Blessed Spirits (People that have ascended through supernatural means, whether it be through gods or personal willpower)

• Drakonic Horses (based on the Longma)

• Listening Beasts (based on the Diting)

• Medley Singers (based on the Luanniao)

• Motley Dancers (based on the Fenghuang)

• Royal Unicorns (based on Qilins)

• Scaled Specters (based on aosagibi)

• Serpent Birds (based on Quetzalcoatlus and amphitheres)

• Variegate Hound (based on Theows and reindeer)

• Warding Panther (based on the Pixiu)

There will be more added in the future...

Demonic Creatures are malicious spirits, collectively called "demons:"

• Accursed Spirits (fallen Blessed Spirits)

• The Corrupted Eight Principles (corrupted Bagua elements in the wild. Totally not a Jackie Chan Adventures reference)

• The Four Perils/Evils

• King of the Damned (the demon king)

• Vampires

• Winteko, and the Cannibals it spawns

There will be more added in the Future...

[asbestos-11]

neuvillette dragon form concepts. idk just wanted to draw him cunty in every form

[starcurtain]

I don't post about it often, but my favorite brand of Wriolette is definitely:

Despite being however many centuries old, Neuvillette still has significant dysphoria about being in a human body and doesn't think himself even capable of physically doing things the way humans do, so when he starts experiencing attraction to Wriothesley for the first time he's just like

"Oh dear."

But maybe Traveler is right? Maybe Sigewinne is right? Maybe it's time to truly start living the life he's been born into? This is his body, racing heart and trembling, drippy palms and all, and maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing to just... give it a go?

His mind is made up. Neuvillette is going to express his interest to Wriothesley in a mature, respectable, and perfectly normal manner!

But, ah... how?

Meanwhile, Wriothesley is growing ever more confused at Neuvillette's odd behavior by the day, but like... it's an endeared sort of confusion. Dragons are just kinda weird like this; it's all perfectly logical. Neuvillette has Wriothesley's unwavering support even if he does keep swimming down to the Fortress of Meropide in his full suit and cravat at 5am in the mornings and scaring the shit out of the morning shift gardes.

Wait. Wait. Run it by Wriothesley again--Neuvillette wants to what--?! The consent can only be described as enthusiastic.

Still, the ultimate takeaway is that Neuvillette doesn't just learn how to love a human, but also learns how to love himself, the strange vishap in smooth human skin that he's become.

[genshinresource]

Genshin Impact "Shadows in Motion" Web Event Official Album Photo Wallpapers: Miniaturized Nations (Desktop)

[sunnynwanda]

Part 1

Rays of dawning sun dance across Vanki's scrunched face, prompting him to peel his eyes open. He basks in the warmth of the morning light, allowing his face to grow hot before pushing himself off the bed. It's been a total of seven days since he was dragged into the castle on the hill, interrogated and informed that he would be staying.

Vanki expected to be led into a dungeon then - his kind never trusted with freedom. Though he was not. Of course, he was still locked, but his room was nothing short of royal. For the first few days, Vanki woke up before daybreak and went to sleep only when the castle fell into languid slumber. Soon, however, he grew accustomed to the comfort of his large bed and the tranquility of his bath. Perhaps a little too quickly.

The King visited him every day but kept his distance, sensing the tension in the boy's shoulders and seeing his restless eyes darting back and forth during their conversations. Vanki was surprised to discover how much the King knew about vishaps. He never dared to ask about the scar, wary of indulging his curiosity. His gaze must have given away his thoughts unbeknownst to him because, during one of their conversations, the King rubbed his chin, his eyes crinkling slightly.

"I earned this one when I was around your age," the King had said with a lighthearted chuckle. "Went swimming into a vishap's lake to see what would happen - turned out he did not like being woken up from his nap."

Vanki let out a snort before he could stop himself. He looked up with wide eyes, fearing he had offended the King, but the man was laughing at himself.

"I expected to grow some scales or, at least, a tail, but a scar would have to suffice." He added, winking at Vanki, who was entirely astonished. His mom used to tell him about the times when vishaps lived in peace with humans, but Vanki always assumed it was thousands of years before his birth. The King did not look old enough to him.

"I've never turned," he mumbled under his breath, timid at the confession. His grandmother was bitterly disappointed when she learned about it. Vanki's breath hitched, worries about receiving the same disappointment again resurfacing.

"I know," the reply caught the boy off guard. Noting the confusion on his face, the King continued. "You're too young. I don't think you've slept, either?"

"No," the young vishap shook his head, his fingers twisting the edge of his shirt. "My mom didn't want it. When she died, my grandmother wanted me to go through the stone sleep, but I was scared, so..." He trailed off, not finding it in himself to finish the sentence.

"So you ran," the King concluded for him, his stare distant but not indicating any hostility. Vanki fell silent, searching for words to thank the King for his hospitality and to be greedy to ask - no, beg - for more of it. He didn't have to because the King spoke before he could. "As I said, you can stay."

Vanki's head snapped up, his eyes misty from unshed tears. He wanted to speak, to express how thankful he was, but his voice was nowhere to be found, stuck in his throat in a thick lump of disbelief and gratitude.

"But you cannot stay locked up in this room forever," the King smiled at him, a playful glint taking over his disposition. "How about you meet my wife and kids tomorrow? Then we'll think about school, hm?"

Vanki's head bobbed so enthusiastically he was scared he would damage a vertebra. The King huffed out another laugh, delighted at the boy's enthusiasm. Then he left the room, leaving Vanki shaking with anticipation and mortifying dread.

What if they don't like him? What if they ask the King to kick him out?

Vanki runs a hand over his face as he finishes tying the strings of his fresh shirt. Today was the day that would mark the first time he left his room. He was set to be introduced to the royal family right before breakfast, which was nearing like an impending doom.

Vanki glances at his hands, noticing the spreading black stains on his fingertips and halting his pacing to take deep breaths when a knock is heard. A servant unlocks the door, pushing it open and peeking in. She breaks into a broad smile the moment she spots him.

"Come on then, the kids cannot wait to meet you." Her voice is so cheerful that Vanki forgets his worries for a moment. He follows her along the corridor and down the stairs - all the while listening to her excited chirping. When they reach the large wooden doors, the lady stops, offering him another smile before sending him in.

Vanki feels as if he got submerged in the warm waters of his mom's favourite spring when he enters the room. For several seconds, he forgets how to inhale, trepidation fluttering his heart to his throat. His fears prove idle because the Queen rushes towards him, welcoming him with a tight hug and a kind smile. Vanki feels himself lean into her touch but is interrupted by an extremely excited squeal followed by a boy colliding with him at full force. Vanki stumbles back, managing to remain on his feet by a miracle of coordination. The kid's hands circle him with an iron hold, squeezing the air out of his lungs.

"That's Sar, our son," the King introduces with a laugh while his wife struggles to pry her son's hands off Vanki before the boy collapses from lack of oxygen. "He's five and a half and has been dying to meet a new friend."

Vanki looks down at him and is met with the brightest smile he has ever seen, even though the boy lacks a front tooth. When Sar finally releases him from his suffocating hold, Vanki notices another child tucked behind her mother. She looks older than Sar but younger than Vanki and has bright ginger hair, making it impossible for her to hide despite her best efforts. The King nods for his daughter to come greet their guest.

"And this is Amber," the Queen informs, prompting the girl forward. "She is about two years younger than you."

Seven, Vanki counts. He offers her a hand, and the girl shakes it shyly, jerking her hand away the moment Vanki's fingers loosen around hers. He wonders if she is scared of him and decides that she must. The assumption is soon denied when the siblings barely finish breakfast before dragging him out into the inner garden. Sar won't stop talking as he suggests a game after a game, and, if Vanki is honest, he has never had that much fun in his nine years of life. By the time the day fully breaks, Sar announces they are now the best of friends, which doesn't seem true to his sister.

Amber is weird.

She won't talk to him, instead opting to poke his arm until he pays attention to her. Even when Vanki tries to speak to her, she only communicates with him by nodding or shaking her head. At first, he thinks she doesn't like him, but that does not seem true since she continues playing with him and even shares her stolen cookies when they lie down on they grass to rest after the eventful morning.

Vanki is even more confused when Sar is taken away for his afternoon nap. He expects Amber to leave, but she grabs hold of his sleeve and pulls him after her. He follows wordlessly, curious to see where she is taking him, only to find himself led into a library. For the entire afternoon, Amber shows him her favourite books, still not uttering a word, and, when they leave to prepare for early dinner, she helps Vanki carry all of the books they've picked for him to read and smiles while waving him goodbye by his door.

As Vanki sets the books on his bedside table, he smiles to himself, delighted to have befriended Sar. He isn't sure where they stand with his sister. Amber is weird. Vanki can't help but like her nonetheless.

Part 1

Masterlist

A/N: Vishap stones or Vishapakars are dragon stones, characteristic monoliths or stelae found in large numbers in the Armenian Highlands, near sources of water. They are believed to be images of vishaps, built to protect their respective water sources and honour the vishaps. In the Legends of Vishaps, however, vishap stones are the bodies of the sleeping vishaps. Vishaps can sleep for a thousand years, not waking up unless called upon.

xo Sunny

Taglist: @marvellousdaisy @alltimelowing @lateuplight @surplus-of-sarcasm @betwist @excusemeasibangmyheadonawall @enemies-to-idiots-to-lovers @miaowmelodie @thatonerandomauthor @hhabaddon @burningoutlikeicarus @daemonvatis @weepingcowboywolfbat @thelazywitchphotographer @kaiwewi @soul-of-a-local-bard @pigeonwhumps @aflyingsheepnamedrose  @thatneptune @ohwellthatslifesstuff @worldsfromhoney @thiefofthecrowns @crow-with-a-typewriter @qualityrabbitsoup @stargeode @villain-life @villainsbl

[kshkshks]

i shall continue.

part two of this post on wolfy's line in imaginarium theatre

“Collection of Dragons and Snakes” (a quest in Enkanomiya) just existing.

“The Serpent and Drakes of Tokoyokoku”: “The origin of heaven and earth is like the chicken and egg, and are not dragons and snakes kin?”

“Bathysmal Vishap Experimental records”: people of Enkanomiya (also of UC) attempted drafting Orobashi’s blood to the bathysmal vishaps (Dragonheirs); first attempts failed, due to Orobashi being part of the Human Realm and vishaps — of Light Realm; no explanation is given for why the last attempt at drafting was successful.

“The Serpent and Drakes of Tokoyokoku”: upon discovering Orobashi, the kid “felt a form of kinship”, plus Orobashi’s line “You are not one of my people, but you are human nonetheless.” confirms again that Orobashi is connected to humans.

“The Serpent and Drakes of Tokoyokoku”: “The universe has no beginning and no end, and so it was with the land that once was. But this matters not to us, for the land that bears us no longer has anything to do with that eternity without start or ceasing.” and “Legend has it that Aberaku was opened up to wisdom by the Tokoyo Ookami, and was thus able to bring light to Enkanomiya”.

“Before Sun and Moon”: humans of the Unified Civilisation who the scribe calls “our ancestors” were created way after PO defeated the dragon sovereign. then those people fell down because of the Second Who Came. then Tokoyo Ookami (Istaroth) was the only Shade in contact with the people of Enkanomiya. additionally, Dragonheirs of the Depths here are called “people of the seven sovereigns”.

so what if

✦ snakes — the people of Orobashi and Orobashi themselves. and possibly Enkanomiya? weird thing with Dainsleif’s constellation is still lingering in my mind, so could they be Khaenriahns?

✦ boars — the unaffected UC, comprised of Sal Vindagnyr and Enkanomiya. maybe.

✦ lizards — ??? here i am a bit confused. should be vishaps. but can’t, because vishaps are pure dragons.

✦ turtles — could they be current teyvatians? turtles are related to lizards and snakes, they're all reptilians.

what if the people PO plopped in teyvat were A MIX of the elemental dragons that inhabited the world prior, and, since humans are created in the image of PO/Phanes, part of PO/Phanes. and the divine envoy Seelie weren’t, in composition, different from them — they just ranked higher or something. then, after Scale Punishing the ‘Boar Tribe’, separated those people into unscathed survivors ('boars'), lightly bruised survivors ('snakes', 'turtles', 'lizards'?), current humans, husks of seelie, surtalogi, nicole, nabu malikata, wind spirits.

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

MELUSINE CREATOR MEETING PAHSIV

MELUSINE CREATOR MEETING PAHSIV ‼️‼️‼️

PAHSIV PAHSIV PAHSIV YIPPEE!!!!!!! SHE'S SO CUTE

one day, you're taking a rare trip to the upper world with Foul Legacy, needing a bit of sunlight after spending several weeks down in Merusea Village. he sweeps you up into his arms and takes you to a distant forest, all surrounded by trees and mist and moss, where not even the Treasure Hoarders dare step in. but to you, both protected by an Abyssal monster and hidden from a cruel, unforgiving world, it's lovely and fascinating. Legacy's steps are several of yours, so he can easily keep up with you as you explore the foliage and fantastical reed pipes. his lilac ruff of fur bristles when he hears the unmistakable howl of Riftwolves, taking your mitten-like hand and gently tugging you away from the old, rotted willow that looms in the distance, wandering towards a lake dancing with wind and floating globes of water. it calms in your presence, though, and you're dancing among the lakelight lilies when your antennae twitch at the pitter-patter of small, stumpy feet

"Creator! Creator! Pahsiv!"

a Melusine with brilliant fuchsia eyes happily darts through the grass, tapping her feet in a little excited jig as she stands before you and Foul Legacy, whose wings flutter in surprise. she skips in a circle around you in particular, examining you at all angles but never touching as her tail wags. after a moment you stick your hand out to shake, and she stares and tilts her head before extending her own and giving you a light, friendly smack on the palm

she's a Melusine even stranger than you- or perhaps, like you, she's not a Melusine at all. but she's friendly and curious, with a sharp interest in tidalgas, and whatever fear she had of Foul Legacy evaporates when you explain that he's a friend, dancing around and allowing herself to be picked up and placed on Legacy's shoulder opposite of you. he's strong, after all- carrying two not-Melusine is nothing to him! you gift your new friend some tidalga you were carrying, much to her delight, and she pats her mittens over the shimmering patterns across your body with a knowing look in her eyes

she doesn't come with you when you leave Erinnyes, but somehow you know that she'll be there to greet you if you ever come to visit again

[gold-rhine]

he's SO FUNNY about it btw, like his character stories have so much angst about like oh.... he's forced to pretend to be "normal human"... it's so hard for him.... ppl are so judgemental....

but he de facto makes NO fucking effort to pretend to be human, doesn't even try to "hello my fellow humans" like zhongli does, he refuses to lie, he goes "LMAO archons wear FAKE visions to BLEND IN? imagine being such LOOOSERS"

he could have lied that he's an oceanid or smth when ppl saw that he's too long living for a human, but tho he doesnt disclose hes a dragon, he doesnt give ppl any explanation AT ALL. when asked if he's a trial demon bc ppl didn't know what the fuck he is, he was like no, i'm not and i don't actually care about trials, it's just 9 to 5 for me, so ppl were like ????? High Justice doesn't give a fuck?? it's a springboard job for him??? huh???

like he created so much PR problems for no fucking reason just bc he refuses to compromise even a tiny bit on pretending to be smth he's not. like wow ppl didn't trust you at first? when you obv act nonhuman and refuse to explain shit? asdfghjkl