#also The interlude quests of all time

[zhongscara]

sumeru was able to redeem the colorist crimes of the character designers with an absolutely BANGER archon quest... i dont think natlan is gonna achieve the same...........

[in-finitesuns]

i feel like i need to have a list of mass effect 2 things i'll never stop thinking about, in no particular order

the entirety of the Overlord DLC and the fact that the paragon interrupt is pistol whipping Archer lmao

tali's response to the paragon interrupt (hugging her) after finding her father's body in her loyalty mission (the 'damn it. damn it, i'm sorry.)

liara and femshep's reunion during lair of the shadow broker (romanced)

joker's jump (i got him killed once SORRY JOKER)

how strong kelly chambers comes off IMMEDIATELY AND HOW OUT OF POCKET SHE CAN BE (bbgirl you would be the most unethical therapist ever)

legion's loyalty quest and the heretical geth reveal

so i destroyed the heretical geth and having a max out paragon meter but then getting that +30 renegade oops (i understand why but i would do ANYTHING for tali)

samara after killing morinth and her three lines: "Shepard. What do you think I will say? What can I say? I just killed the bravest and smartest of my daughters." and "There are no words. I will try another time. For now, show mercy on a broken old warrior and let us leave." and "I am a ruined vessel of sorrow and regret, but I am free." i wept

the little interlude femshep had with the liara picture on her desk

also rip to all my fish that i tried and failed to keep alive

[edit] I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT TALI CALLING SHEP CAPTAIN AT THE END OF TREASON INSTEAD OF COMMANDER - both the absolute DEVASTATION and GRIEF SHE MUST BE FEELING and also HONOR she bestows on you in that moment i'm screaming crying throwing up

[edit 2] I FORGOT ABOUT THE GIANT HUMAN REAPER AT THE END?

[kaeyachi]

HOW WE CAN USE KAEYA'S CHARACTER VOICELINES TO PREDICT THE PLOT OF GENSHIN IMPACT:

Really long lore post! Grab a small serving of popcorn, maybe.

So, do you all remember my post about how frequent Kaeya mentions fate ? And how suspicious it is, especially with the current plotlines in Genshin?

Other than that suspicious thing he's got going, there are several voicelines from him that are incredibly interesting to go back to as well, especially with all the current facts we have.

Just to name a few, we have him talking about his grandfather fighting a hydra before we even went to Liyue, and in a short animation posted in Genshin's YT account a year before the Albedo quest, he tells Klee to be careful at night because monsters walk around looking like a knight to trick people.

But for now, I will focus on a certain group of his EN voicelines- More about Kaeya".

ALL "More about Kaeya" voicelines could have been AND can still be used to predict the plot of genshin- very fitting for someone who keeps despairing about fate. Here is how:

First, with the 2 voicelines have already been officially addressed in Archon Quests by other Khaenri'ahns:

"Khaenri'ah? You sure know a lot! The legacy of Khaenri'ah is long gone. The sinners are all that's left, and they're not worth mentioning."

Back then, before the interlude quest from update 4.7 was ever released, I actually just assumed this was just the teachings of Kaeya's father to him, because Clothar had mentioned back in update 3.5 that "salvation for a sinner can only come from a sinner". We probably assumed at the time that being a sinner included ALL Khaenri'ahns.

It turns out that Kaeya had told us who the sinners are- The Legacy of Khaenri'ah: the group of characters that put their nation under Celestia's terrifying gaze for their work. They are called the Legacy not only for their power and influence, but also because they are what made Khaenri'ah the cursed nation that it is today. This is the sinners' legacy.

Meanwhile, Clothar told us what these sinners are doing - finding out how to give their cursed nation "salvation." This is why Vedrfolnir (Dainsleif's brother and one of the said sinners) had inspired Clothar to form the Abyss Order. This could be taken as our twin agreeing with the sinners' plans.

These Alberich men and their subtle and confusing lore drops, I swear...

Technically, I guess we can say that this was a lesson from Kaeya's father, but now it was clear that his father was talking about an actual group that can be called "The Sinners of Khaenri'ah".

But that brings up a question... why did Kaeya try to divert the focus from said group? Why are they "not worth mentioning"? Especially with the fact that our twin is actively working with them? Was this meant to guide us away from that trail? Or perhaps this is a subtle foreshadowing that the plot of these sinners would fail in all their attempts/plans?

"Is the Abyss Order causing you trouble? If there's anything bothering you, you know you can talk to me."

Either way, this actually confirms that Kaeya knows of the Khaenri'ahn/Abyss Order plot in general. Like, come on now, he already spoke of half truths when questioned by Dainsleif! He didn't know what the full weight of carrying an Alberich surname is, but he did mention that what Dainsleif told him finally answered questions- questions he wouldn't have had if he was told nothing. He is really proving Diluc's assessment of him- you can really only trust half of what he says at best.

This one right here actually predicted/foretold what update 3.5 will contain. There was a reason why this is what we got for "About Kaeya". This wasn't just about him as a knight, it was because his ancestor, Clothar, involved in the Abyss Order's creation. This is part of his family history.

This, however, makes me curious as to what his personal relation to the Abyss Order actually is. Do we take this voiceline as him just being a knight that recognizes our problems with the Abyss Order after what happened with Dvalin? Or do we take this as special treatment from a descendant of its founder who is reluctantly watching over his birthright? This is not the only concern regarding this. If he really is loosely working with the Abyss Order, this means that this entire time, he may have been in cahoots with our twin! Suddenly, the intel he gave us during the prologue is less truthful than it originally was, huh? The information is real, but how he really got it is being put into question...

It seems like both of the dialogue made me think that he has been in contact with our twin in some way this entire time. Very interesting...(at the very least, it would make Kaeya get a laugh at Amber posting missing posters in the most random of places)

Also...it was actually in the surname too lmao. Alberich means "ruler of supernatural beings" after all. (technically, this would have referred to elves, but there doesn't seem to be a clear connection from the Alberich clan to the elven race yet...but one can only dream of elven Kaeya)

Now onto the voicelines that will for sure tell us about what comes next (and what might possibly happen):

" The title of Cavalry Captain is nothing to grt excited about. Now that I think about it, the Grand Master took all the cavalry from Mondstadt, so there's none for me to captain..."

It's the age old question of "Why did Varka take the cavalry, but not their captain?"

It's a funny thing to think about, but it really does raise the question as to why Varka did so, because it's really REALLY weird to not take the captain. The simplest answer is that Kaeya's intel network is far more important than taking him away on an expedition, and gathering intel is hard when the head of it isn't starionary, but we also have to consider the fact that Varka would have an idea about Khaenri'ah in the first place.

Perhaps bringing Kaeya around what seems to be a search for answers and solutions isn't the best idea? What if all this searching is connected with Khaenri'ah? Learning more about how the nation was destroyed would probably be beneficial for the Grand Master to know to protect his nation, after all...

But what if it doesn't involve Khaenri'ah at all? Well, we still have the alternative of Varka wanting Kaeya to be by Jean's side. Kaeya is efficient with his work, but he is also the first to hammer in the idea of self care.

Kaeya has shown several instances of caring for Jean in secret (just like he does for so many others, actually). The first being in Jean's story quest where he planned a party for her. Another is Jean calling him out and thanking him for doing the backlogged KoF paperwork in secret. Finally, he convinced Jean to go with him, Albedo and Klee in Simulanka.

Kaeya is also the 2nd in command if Jean is out of commission AND the one who seems to be doing negotiations. Varka knew that Jean needed support, and Kaeya is the best support anyone could ask for as an official Knight.

As for the last idea, Kaeya could have rejected the offer of joining the expedition himself and offered his entire cavalry to go in his stead. It could be for various reasons, ranging from wanting to stay for Jean and Diluc to being afraid of going against his father's orders of Kaeya needing to stay in Mondstadt. The Grand Master's expedition is taking too long compared to Kaeya's short negotiations meetings in Sumeru and quick vacations in Liyue, Veluriyam, and Simulanka.

But one thing is clear- this situation will definitely be addressed someday, and I'm sure it goes deeper than Varka simply wanting to take the cavalry away from their captain.

"There are a total of ten captains within the Knights of Favonius. But truth be told, not all of them have what it takes to be leaders."

There are 5 captains stationed in Mondstadt- Jean, Kaeya, Albedo, Eula, and Hertha. The other 5 went with Varka.

Kaeya doesn't seem to have any problems with the ones that stayed with him in Mond...so does this mean that this is a setup for upcoming conflict within the Knights of Favonius? Is there a captain or 2 that would cause concerns?

Also, I'm not sure if this is a translation error, but " not all of them have what it takes-" sounds like he doesn't count. If it isn't an error, I could also connect a theory on that.

What if Kaeya isn't the official cavalry captain? What if they are just saying that as his public role because they can't expose the real one- intel. Suddenly, Varka leaving him would make even more sense because the cavalry isn't his to captain, and this could also confuse their enemies' information. This has been a long standing theory in the fandom, but I wonder if this would actually hold up well and accurately based off of Kaeya's lines.

"My eye? My eye is fine. There's nothing unusual about hiding one's body parts from view. It's the same reason I wear pants... or any other item of clothing, for that matter."

Just gotta put it out there, but his eye is definitely not fine ✌️

Technically, this was already explained as him having a scar, but also, did we consider the idea that he could be lying again? Also, we should consider that Kaeya is really good at telling half truths, and a good actor to add.

Also, I kinda hope his hidden eye will be revealed as gold for a specific reason. From the source material, Alberich stole the gold of the Rhine river (yes, from Rhinedottirs) to create a ring. What better place than in an eye? The current model for his skin has it the same color as his visible one, but placeholders exist.

There actually isn't much to say about this one because we don't even know if there really is anything wrong in the first place. We could hypothesize that it's a spying eye, a curse-containing eye, the eye of King Irmin, or the eye that could see beyond the fake sky, but that is as far as we could go with it.

But the odd voiceline from Paimon regarding that eye sure did fuel a ton of those theories. We don't know where Paimon really came from, and all we know of her is that she is part of Teyvat that has a connection with Celestia, so her mentioning that Kaeya is hiding a "big secret" in regards to that eye is sure to send alarm bells to any theorist.

So yeah, that's about it for now. Kaeya definitely has way more voicelines to be concerned about, but the way these specific ones ended up playing out in the released lore is very interesting to me.

Also, I just found out that my dot connecting regarding the travelers were proven by the damn XBOX wings of all things... and you know what? I'll take it. A win is a win *eyes my other theories warily*

If you are still here after my long somewhat delulu theories, then congratulations! Have a Cookie:

___________________

| 🍪 🍪 🍪 🍪 🍪 |

| 🍪 🍪 🍪 🍪 |

| 🍪 🍪 🍪 🍪 🍪 |

------‐-----------------

Fresh from the oven!

[idcallmyselfhuman]

XiaoAether Masterlist 👹⛅

Edit: version 2.0 here

Or, every XiaoAether moment that I can remember (and an attempt to organize them)

Starting this off with the one scene that made us all go "wait a fucking minute" at the very start of the game,

Battle of Osial

Aether's feet were already steadied. Xiao could've let go, or let him fall as gracefully as Mountain Shaper did to that guard (I would've hated him forever) but considering that he insists that being near mortals is such a biiiig no-no, he could have, but he didn't. No, even more, he fucking tightened his hold.

-

Teyvat Food Notes (Sweet Dream, Adeptus' Temptation and Satisfying Salad)

Next! The promotionals during Xiao's release as a playable character. Specifically, Teyvat Food Notes. To celebrate his release, they made an Almond Tofu + Sweet Dream Food blog.

Note: Both google translate and Papago seem to use Mandrill instead of Xiao, so... just know that's who it's talking about.

This is where we learn that Xiao didn't even make "Sweet Dream"; this dish was Aether's thank you gift to him. Xiao's specialty dish is a gift from Aether. I'm- agh. ANYWAY.

We actually also see Sweet Dream in Childe's birthday art. And I'm really sorry to Tartaglia but seeing it stole all his thunder. I could not get over it.

I like to think Aether was so busy making Childe food that he absentmindedly started preparing Almond Tofu in the way he's used to (because of how often Xiao requests it :'> ).

Just when I thought that was it for the Teyvat Food Notes and I could've moved on, I found this in the Adeptus' Temptation food note; the one they made for the first Lantern Rite.

Note: "Fairy/Buddha Jump over the Wall" is apparently an actual Chinese delicacy that the Adeptus' Temptation is based on!

I found this part really cute, especially right now because of the poetry event. Since the beginning, Aether's always known that Xiao was capable of being poetic, it just took them being close and his encouragement for Xiao to actually make a poem.

Lastly, Aether's Satisfying Salad. This isn't connected to the food blog this time (since that one's for Mona), but rather, this and Almond Tofu are the first dishes Aether has ever given Xiao in the game. I included this despite it being pretty minor because in Moonlight Merriment, Smiley Yanxiao actually brings this up again.

Smiley Yanxiao: The boss told me to take care of him, but this guy, let me tell you - he is one tough nut to crack. He usually turns his nose up at everything that isn't Almond Tofu.

Xiao willingly ate something that wasn't Almond Tofu because... because what, it was given to him by a cute blonde traveler? The jury's still out on that one.

-

Lantern Rite 1.3, Baizhu Story Quest

I'm sure we're already familiar with this scene, right?

The very first time Xiao promised Aether that no matter what, as long as he calls his name, he'll be there. Right after that was Moonlight Merriment, where the game literally specifies that Xiao made that promise just for Aether. Way to make your commitment subtle.

Ah, Xiao, you're so easy... Of course, this wouldn't be the last time that Aether calls for him and Xiao arrives immediately. This also happened during Baizhu's story quest to, yet again, the astonishment of everyone around excluding these two. (Xiao's dedication is one of a kind)

Xiao worries over Aether often, despite knowing that they're both formidable in their own right. I also think it's sweet how every time they meet, Xiao's departing words are always a reminder to call for him whenever needed, to the point where there are times that Aether just goes "Yeah, we know." before he can even finish the sentence.

Unfortunately, though, there is one time where Xiao failed to reach Aether when he called him, but only because he physically wasn't able to.

-

Perilous Trail (Interlude)

The only thing that prevented this man from getting to Aether like always was being in a different plane of existence. Romeo and Juliet wish they were this romantic istfg

Aether: Come find us.

Xiao: No.

Yanfei: But Aether's in trouble!

Xiao: How do we meet?

Now where else did someone pull this tactic recently-

...Again, XIAO YOU ARE SO EASY. But anyway, back to the Chasm bc I wasn't quite done with that-

As soon as Yanfei tells Aether that Xiao is awake, Ae comes running. Just full on "stop saying you're fine i'll be the judge of that"

And he looks so angry when Xiao brings up writing a will. augguh they are sooooo- (i would put a reaction pic here if i didn't have an IMAGE LIMIT fuck tumblr bro)

To finish off the Chasm Interlude on a more serious note, this entire conversation was really touching, and I love seeing the progress these two have made over the years. Xiao letting himself open up with Aether's help year by year is one of my favorite things about this game.

-

Teapot and Character Voice Lines + Birthday Letters

For the first and second Lantern Rite, Xiao was still adamant on not even stepping foot in Liyue Harbor, declining every invitation to go there because of how much he disliked being near mortals.

Yet in his teapot voicelines, once you reach a high enough friendship with him, Xiao actually takes the initiative to invite Aether to go to the city, if only to understand him better. Xiao explicitly says that his willingness to go to the harbor was for him.

More About Xiao I: I'm willing to protect you.But don't think about getting close, and stay out of my way, or all that awaits you is regret.

More About Xiao V: It's too late. The connection between us is too strong. Even if you wanted to, it's too late to sever it. Hm? You've never thought to sever it?

About Shenhe: It seems Shenhe places a great deal of trust in you. Well, how could she not. There are few people in the world as kind and good-natured as you.

Shenhe, About Xiao: My first impression of him was that he's not one to smile. After meeting him again more recently, however, he's still as reserved as ever, but… he seems a lot more relaxed now. Maybe he… met someone special.

That line by Shenhe made me happy. Aether's effect on Xiao benefitted not only him, but the people surrounding Xiao as well. We even see that in his birthday letters, where at the most recent one, he follows Ae's advice and goes to spend time with old friends.

They're also all just insanely romantic, I feel like that goes without saying. Every year, I wonder how Genshin would possibly top the one before it that isn't just an explicit confession of undying love.

-

Lantern Rite '23

I'm here to remind you all of a beautiful scene that should never be forgotten for years to come.

Regardless of Genshin trying to be mysterious and making us guess who saved Aether, the fact that they both came rushing over is incredible on its own. They know that Aether isn't a damsel in distress, and Paimon's acting was so on the nose, but they still couldn't allow even the slightest possibility of harm to come to him.

Xiao looking away and talking in circles just to say he really was worried is the funniest fucking thing.

For the Lantern Rite event itself, if you've read this far in, you're probably already familiar. I really wish there wasn't an image limit because I have so many screenshots I want to put in here. If you want a refresher, watch this and start around the 2-hour mark

I wanted to put my own video in the post but you can only put one :/// I'm fist fighting whoever put these limits. 1 video file and 30 images? who are you

BACK TO THE TOPIC

There really isn't much I could say that I haven't already said before. For XiaoAether shippers, this was hoyo spoonfeeding content on a silver spoon. It's Aether and Xiao at their most comfortable with each other, talking and spending time with the people they care about. It's Aether fulfilling his end of the bargain of bailing Xiao out of uncomfortable social situations, because if you haven't noticed throughout all of these examples (or even outside of that), Aether is so perceptive when it comes to the comfort of the people around him.

This was also the event where we find out that for Xiao, the most distinguished guest in his eyes was Aether (Even though Ae thought he was going to say Zhongli..)

I have a lot of love for this event. But since this isn't just a lantern rite post, I'll move on.

-

Waterborne Poetry

The catalyst for this post. The reminder of how lovely this ship is, and how far these two have come.

As we have all learned from Xiangling, Yanfei, Venti and Hu Tao, you only need to mention Aether's name to convince Xiao of whatever it is you're planning. The part where Aether and Team Chongyun were trying to convince him to come with them and touch some fucking grass was really cute.

This event and the previous Lantern Rite also had Aether and Xiao talking privately, only to get interrupted by Paimon/Xiangling (as well as calling them out lmao)

And, of course, the scene that everyone freaked out over,

This. I don't think I'll ever get over this.

The fact that they had Zach voice this- A short, but sweet moment where Aether looks at Xiao from afar and immediately gets inspired, performing a poem where the real meaning is shared only between the two of them...

And Xiao's smile.

An expression that Aether had done so well to bring out.

2023 was the year of XiaoAether. Thank you, Hoyo.

-

Done! I HAVE SO MANY SCREENSHOTS AND I COULDN'T EVEN USE MOST OF THEM ToT. I actually had clips that I edited but Tumblr said no. Good thing there's YouTube.

Another reason as to why I made this was because some shippers said that XiaoAe didn't make sense because it lacked depth and I was so affronted by it that I did all this out of spite (and love for these characters. mostly love.)

[aha-chuu]

Sunday is doing like eight different things with gender BUT ALSO canonically male halovians have bigger halos and smaller wings whereas female halovians have small halos and bigger wings. And Sunday is already giving insane trans energy but on top of that half his animations are him enlarging his halo - which is a form of gender expression for him - and that's when he's calling upon his powers in the present. Thus, this is when he's at peace and generally doing well.

But we also know that Sunday destroyed his own Halo between the penacony quest and his interlude. The only reason he even has a halo at all now is because Wonweek (who's the part of Sunday that most plainly expresses his inner desires) kept his. Sunday destroying his own halo is framed as a form of self harm.

Which is all to say current Sunday is actually living true to himself for maybe the first time. And also it's a tiny bit funny that he's feeling so good about his halo gender expression that his burst is him giving whoever he's buffing a halo... Like forcible transing everyone on the team but good for him tbh.

[mavuitano]

Sometimes I do wonder what HYV's plans with Mavuika as a character are

I love the woman, don't get me wrong, and I know she's not a Mary Sue (girlie fought for her position and sacrificed too much for it and PROVED herself, multiple times even (will I expand on this in a different post? maybe))

But she's also a tad bit boring at the moment

One of my minor gripes with the final Act of Natlan's main Archon Quest was that everything went almost too smoothly

A bit more of a challenge, a set back, an unforeseen problem, that'd put Mavuika and, by extension, the Traveler, in a very interesting position

I'm still glad it all worked out! But I wanted to experiment a bit more with Mavuika as a character

Her grand master plan, a very risky one with a million unforeseen factors, one that has cost Natlan five hundred years of war and waiting and willpower

To see it be threatened would've been a chef's kiss moment

Now that the war is over, Mavuika's character has little to no plans for the future, except guide Natlan to a better era

Would've loved to see Mavuika grapple with the fact her suicide sacrifice was interrupted and taken over, and now she has to make plans for living instead of dying

I trust HYV to handle her character well in future updates and develop her, because Natlan isn't over over, yknow?

Think of Alhaitham and Kaveh, for example, to how they start vs how they are right now

Massive difference, with almost two years of development (in the background, yeah, but development is development)

Maybe they'll create an Interlude chapter for Natlan specifically, not a Traveler quest (Capitano resurrection in 5.5, definitely-) (Mavuika HAS to have a hand in that, right?) (RIGHT???)

Anyway, rant over

Can't wait to see who Mavuika grows into

[utilitycaster]

I'm curious about your judgement of the success of the various format experimentations in Campaign 3. If you feel like saying a bit more, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on which are the most and least successful, and why.

Sure! So as I said earlier today, I think a big problem is that the format experimentation and the moon plot are directly at odds. Pulling off the moon plot, with all the NPCs from past campaigns and payoff of various canonical setups requires a pretty firm hand on what the current canon is, and also really did require a firmer hand in the character creation than there was. On the other hand, the point of experimentation is to let other people play in the space and introduce their ideas. This comes together in what I have referred to in the past as "Not Now." Like, the Crown Keepers showing up just as the party was grappling with FCG's death? Not bad as a concept, but Not Now. Abubakar playing Corellon? Incredible performance, but the fact that he was given free rein in a plot that's already shedding viewers left and right for its lack of direction? Not Now.

On an individual level:

I think EXU Prime either needed to be fully standalone, or Matt needed to provide a slightly more rigid direction to Aabria and therefore really couldn't play Dariax. If it's going to get woven into the main plot of Campaign 3 it needs to set that up (including giving Liam and Ashley a heads up beforehand). My personal vote would be for the former, to allow Aabria to tell her own story without it having to serve like 20 different functions, but what's done is done. If I recall, Liam and Ashley had the option to play different characters for Campaign 3 and I do wonder what would happen if they had decided differently, because you could still have Dorian pop up as a guest but I wonder if the Crown Keepers would have shown up in the same way.

Similarly, as stated, the general concept of the Crown Keepers interlude during the campaign as a means to bring in Dorian? I'm not opposed, though I think this is by far the hardest thing to coordinate generally and for a plot as demanding as Campaign 3 probably not a great idea. But it's hard to judge because the timing was truly the worst timing possible given the events of episode 91, and even delaying by like an episode or two would have at least solved that to the point that I don't understand why they didn't just...do that. (and, just to head off this particularly stupid argument at the pass, this would not have in any way affected Sam's ability to take time off for cancer treatment; it would have just shifted things around, and a lot of this experimentation was planned WELL in advance). [sidebar: I haven't listened to the WBN interlude yet but I do have thoughts because I think interludes from different GMs can be done, but the premise of Campaign 3 is particularly hostile towards them unless the main GM has a very heavy hand in their creation or unless they are light on things relevant to the core plot and mostly for the purpose of worldbuilding a la Song of the Lorelei.]

Solstice split was excellent and I think it's because it was not actually anything you wouldn't see in how people frequently play D&D at home. You have a few players who won't be available for a few sessions in a row? Great, find a reason to split the party, bring some other guest players in, and run some side quests!

Downfall was great because it was diagetic. It was a story within a story that Bells Hells was seeing and responding to, and because it took place so long ago with such specific characters, while it may bleed into how Laura, Taliesin, or Ashley feel in game (impossible to prevent, people bring their own feelings to the table), Matt still has room to decide how the Raven Queen, Wildmother, or Everlight feel a thousand years later. I also feel this had the most direction from Matt, which the other things really needed.

As said, bringing in Abubakar to DM as Corellon is something that again, this plot simply doesn't handle well. It makes for a fantastic scene, but within the 107-and-counting episodes of this story, giving the reins to someone else after you finally have a clear plan and letting them throw another curveball is a terrible idea narratively. I think this again would be fine in a story with a looser plot.

Echoes of the Solstice and presumably the upcoming Vox Machina Malleus Key/Mighty Nein Weave Mind concept is again pretty good. This also fits into things that D&D home games have been doing forever - run a one shot or mini campaign following different characters but DM-ed by the same person that have an impact on the current plot but aren't too closely interwoven. Basically this is like the solstice split in concept.

Essentially: I think playing around with the format within a campaign but having the same GM is pretty easy to do. Once you introduce other GMs acting within the world concurrently (rather than as a story with a foregone conclusion a la Downfall, or for that matter Calamity) you need to be extremely careful if you are trying to tell a specific story with a lot of moving parts, as Matt is with Campaign 3. It's one thing to improvise based on things your players do or say; it's another to do so based on improv by a major NPC or someone doing extensive worldbuilding mid-game that you now need to incorporate. This wouldn't be an issue in a more sandbox-style game; Campaign 2 might have been able to withstand it more gracefully, though I'm still not sure. But Campaign 3 was the wrong place to do it. Again, it's trying to converge in some places and diverge in the others and as a result it's just kind of flopping around in place.

[c6jpg]

i think that was the best lantern rite story we've ever had god damn jesus fucking hell

i don't have the brainpower to do like a proper review so this is just gonna be a brain dump coming off the last 2 acts i just did but god DAMN i loved that. so fucking much. the amount of character depth it gave hu tao was fucking amazing like honestly i've always been neutral-positive on her but this really made me just appreciate her sooo much and i loved that the story really sold her character through her actions and not through the trauma text dump of "here is my tragic backstory" nonsense we get like 90% of the time

well okay actually i guess she did trauma dump about her dad but still.

because this is Genshin Impact you pretty much know that nobody that is playable is actually gonna fuckign die but genuinely? this is the one time they did a great job implying that someone would be. AND I WASN'T ANNOYED BY IT. knowing that hu tao was giving everyone those tokens because she didn't think she'd make it back was just. ugh. OUGH. and that part where she was like "next lantern rite if you see a butterfly you'll know it was me" LIKE I CRIED STOPPPPPPP

also the music was fucking amazing in those cutscenes and also that area where hu tao was walking to the other side god the next ost cannot drop soon enough

it was basically a hu tao story quest but genuinely i love how it gave so many other liyue characters and their relationships with one another a chance to shine. usually i don't love how they shove everyone from a region into an event and it definitely did still drag on in the beginning but it actually felt somewhat natural here for once because it was in the context of everyone's legitimate jobs and relationships with one another and not just like "i'm here for the sake of filling out the roster" like i'm just reminded of last year's lantern rite being a complete offender of that by having all of fontaine show up randomly at the end lol

the person who felt most out of place for me was lan yan, like this story easily could have worked without her lol. the time we wasted being slightly suspicious of her were definitely my least favorite parts of the story. she's coming in with a disadvantage being the new character with no specific ties to anyone else but yeah, she definitely felt shoved in

but otherwise i loved everyone's cameos. actually obsessed with the bits we got at the very end. like first of all i loved yelan and xiao's bickering i've always found them to be a super interesting and fun duo ever since the chasm quest (which was FOREVER ago at this point) and yelan is genuinely the only person i feel like xiao has a proper friendship (?) with who isn't the traveler or another adeptus/archon and i love it. like everyone else is like "holy shit its the conquerer of demons" and yelan is just like. and? also idk why but i found this line so fucking funny lmao

beiguang's endless flirting will be the death of me i asdjfkklsdfjlfjdlaskl and then of couuuurse we need all the adepti hanging out and gossiping. love!!!

i also loved the implication that the adepti basically tipped off ningguang on how to solve the issue but otherwise were not involved in the story at all, i think both that AND seeing all these characters having a real involvement with the story really plays into liyue's whole theme of being able to progress without the help of gods and adepti and ugh it was just done really really well.

amazing. rare genshin writing W. 100000/10. this should have been a fucking interlude at the very least.

unrelated but i kinda wonder if xingqiu's brother or lan yan's cousin are gonna be playable characters in the future i feel like they were mentioned quite a lot here. if nothing else i know they're just leaving open spots for potential characters for sure

[asterinthewritten]

spoilers for the 5.2 archon quest

Capitano reveals that Guthred, Capitano's 2nd in command, died because he was testing the Draught of Lucidity on himself to make sure it's viable as medicine for the Abyssal Corrosion Syndrome. Having the name "Guthred" (German, Frank-ish roots like Caribert, Alberich, etc.) also implies that Guthred is a Khaenri'ahn as well. Since he died and Capitano didn't, does that mean that Khaenri'ahns can die from Abyssal Corrosion?

We already have tons of evidence about the Abyss's effects on hilichurls and other Khaenri'ahns. The "peace" they had when they got closer to Abyssal power, the "cleansing" effect that it had to Dainsleif during the Chasm interlude, and the creation of the Loom of Fate with Chlotar and Caribert.

So does that mean the Abyss is the one power in this world that can actually kill Khaenri'ahns? But why would Celestia curse them all with immortality, and then throw a Celestial Pin into the ground to release Abyssal monsters to massacre them? It doesn't make sense... If the Heavenly Principles wanted Khaenri'ahns gone once and for all, why curse them with immortality in the first place?

One theory that's been going around is that Teyvat has a reincarnation system, especially since all of Teyvat's memories are stored in the tree of Irminsul. So by cursing Khaenri'ah with immortality, they wouldn't be able to reincarnate. But wouldn't that still backfire? I mean, it already did, considering the "World, forget me" thing with Rukkhadevata and forbidden knowledge. Which, by the way, happened at the same time as the Catastrophe. Point is, wouldn't all records of Khaenri'ah still be recorded in the Irminsul even while they're all immortal? They just don't have a way to start a fresh branch.

That begs another question: is the Abyss at all recorded in the Irminsul tree? Were they part of Teyvat as normal beings even before, or did they come from another planet/dimension entirely? Where did they come from, and why are their powers a complete antithesis for elemental energy?

That makes me think that Celestia didn't release the Abyss at all. I think they just happened to destroy a barrier to another world while causing the Khaenri'ahn catastrophe, and when Abyss monsters came from the barrier they literally were like. "Oh fuck let's dip! Thanks for killing them all btw owe u one!"

I truly don't think Celestia is all that smart about ruling Teyvat. They haven't done anything about Irminsul's corruption, Furina/Focalors, and still nothing even after the fake sky got revealed. I wonder what cards they're holding if they are smart, but I wouldn't give them that much credit--I honestly think they're just a bunch of tyrants playing god with stolen power.

[gffa]

STAR WARS CONTENT CHECK IN TIME. Congratulate me, for I have officially completed all of Phases I and II's comics and books! I think Young Jedi Adventures probably falls into Phase I, but I just haven't had time to put it on in the background while doing other things, as I was on a roll with the books and comics. I'll be a little sad when I have nothing left to binge with all this stuff, but I'm also looking forward to having time and space for idk getting back to the Lockwood books, finishing the ORV novel, or hell maybe even have time to read a fic???? MAIN STORYLINE NOVELS - PHASE I:

The High Republic: Light of the Jedi

The High Republic: A Test of Courage

The High Republic: Into the Dark

The High Republic: The Rising Storm

The High Republic: Race To Crashpoint Tower

The High Republic: Out Of The Shadows

The High Republic: Mission to Disaster

The High Republic: The Fallen Star

The High Republic: Midnight Horizon

MAIN STORYLINE NOVELS - PHASE II:

The High Republic: Path of Deceit

The High Republic: Convergence

The High Republic: Quest for the Hidden City

The High Republic: Cataclysm

The High Republic: Quest for Planet X

The High Republic: Path of Vengeance

MAIN STORYLINE NOVELS - PHASE III:

The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness

The High Republic: Escape from Valo

The High Republic: Defy The Storm

MAIN STORYLINE COMICS - PHASE I:

The High Republic (2021) - 15 issues

The High Republic Adventures (2021) - 13 issues

The High Republic: The Monster of Temple Peak - 4 issues

The High Republic: The Edge Of Balance - 2 manga volumes

The High Republic: Trail of Shadows - 5 issues

The High Republic: Eye of the Storm - 2 issues

MAIN STORYLINE COMICS - PHASE II:

The High Republic: The Blade - 4 issues

The High Republic (2022) - 10 issues

The High Republic Adventures (2022) - 8 issues

The High Republic: Edge of Balance: Precedent - 1 manga volume

The High Republic Adventures: The Nameless Terror - 4 issues

MAIN STORYLINE COMICS - PHASE III:

The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight - 4 issues

The High Republic (2023) - 6 issues [ONGOING]

The High Republic Adventures (2023) - 5 issues [ONGOING]

The High Republic - Saber for Hire (2023) - 1 issue [ONGOING]

MAIN STORYLINE AUDIODRAMAS - PHASE I:

The High Republic: Tempest Runner

MAIN STORYLINE AUDIODRAMAS - PHASE II:

The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha

ONESHOT COMIC ISSUES - PHASE I:

Star Wars Adventures (2020) #6 - “The Gaze Electric”

The High Republic Adventures: Free Comic Book Day 2021

The High Republic Adventures Annual 2021

The High Republic Adventures: Galactic Bake-Off Spectacular

Star Wars Adventures (2020) #14 - “A Very Nihil Interlude”

The High Republic Adventures: Free Comic Book Day 2023

ONESHOT COMIC ISSUES - PHASE II:

The High Republic Adventures: Quest of the Jedi

ONESHOT COMIC ISSUES - PHASE III:

The High Republic Adventures: Crash Landing

ANTHOLOGY NOVELS - PHASE I:

Star Wars: The High Republic: Starlight Stories

Life Day Treasury

ANTHOLOGY NOVELS - PHASE II:

Star Wars Insider: The High Republic: Tales of Enlightenment

ANTHOLOGY NOVELS - ALL PHASES:

The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life

EVERYTHING ELSE:

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures - 25 episodes

I really enjoyed The Eye of Darkness, once again each book that starts out the era is a real banger that has a lot of impact for me, I think this is probably my favorite book for Marchion Ro so far, a character who has felt a little too inscrutable for me up to this point. He could have easily fell into the role of saying he wants to "govern" people but really wants to rule with an iron fist, but nah that guy straight up doesn't want to fit into Republic-style politics or machinations, he just wants to do what he wants to do, this whole thing is about his ego/entitlement complex, in a lot of ways. His dynamic with Ghirra Starros was one I actively looked forward to, because so much of this plot was shaped by feeling like it was a palette swap of the Republic versus the Separatists, that on the surface it was being framed as seceding from the Republic, but really it was occupation. But I felt like this book helped shake off some of that, where they went in a direction where instead this guy is just The Strong Shall Prevail And I'm Strong So I'll Do What I Want and Marchion genuinely sticks to that. It doesn't matter what Ghirra could win for him via politics, he doesn't want that. He's starting to spin out and he clearly doesn't have a real plan, he just wants to fuck things up, but I found that really refreshingly fun here. (I think the way Marc Thompson reads him contributed a lot to that, too. He nicely captures the unhinged aspect of Marchion.) I enjoyed Avar's story a lot, how conflicted she felt and how badly that was affecting her connection to the Force. I hope that this isn't where her difficulty with her internal struggle ends, because The High Republic 2021 comic really had some great moments about how she was having trouble letting go of her anger and fear, and it's not that I want her to nearly fall to the dark side, but that I want the resolution to extend a bit beyond that the Force feels clear and coherent to her again. And It was nice seeing Bell's internal thoughts again, giving him time to work through his feelings, as he stumbles a bit and eventually manages to right himself. I wish Burryaga had gotten some character development, he was just kind of there to be a prop in Bell's story, but given that I love Bell so much, I'm not really mad about that. I'm also about a fifth of the way through Escape from Valo and it's about what I expected from the authors and that it's a junior novel, but I'm enjoying it! I enjoyed the comics, "The Monster of Temple Peak" and "The Nameless Terror" (the art is SO PRETTY), they're fun adventures, but I do wonder a bit of there's bigger plans for Ty Yorrick in Phase III, given how much she's consistently been around, but hasn't yet done a ton of intersecting with the main plot. Or is she just there because she's fun to write and they're trying to make this a big clockwork puzzle tapestry by including characters who are part of the story, just not the main story? I'd love to know what other people thought of any of this! And you should all tell me what you're reading/watching/playing right now, because I want to know how your Star Wars journeys are going!

[yooniebub]

HJS

sub! Joshua - @miamooooo

royally screwed pt.1, pt. 2 - @husbandhoshi

between remembering last night’s party and pleasing your unrelenting family, you think being a princess is hard enough. then you’re thrust into an arranged marriage to royal darling joshua hong—straight-laced, infuriatingly obedient, and everything you’re not. pretending to be the perfect couple? impossible. 

Joshua x breeding kink - @boofeine

sad beautiful tragic, this love - @jaeyunluvbot

lies and butterflies - @bluehoodiewoozi

Your roommate begged you to pretend to date him while his mom is in town for the month. The little crush you’ve had on him will either become your best friend or worst obstacle on this quest.

"if you keep looking at me like that I might kiss you" - @daisymbin

bf! Joshua - @hannieehaee

unveiling hearts: the law of attraction - @idyllic-ghost

Two former law school rivals are forced to confront their past and present when they end up working together at the same firm. As old tensions resurface, their professional and personal lives become entangled, leading to unexpected challenges. Through rivalry and collaboration, they navigate the complexities of their relationship and careers, discovering that some connections are meant to be re-examined.

breeding kink - @sluttywoozi

beautiful day, Sunday morning - @/sluttywoozi

interlude no. 6 - @/sluttywoozi

Joshua has been away for three long, agonizing weeks, so really, it's not your fault that you wrap yourself around him as soon as he gets home.

untitled - @wqnwoos

college fling! Joshua - @hoshifighting

Joshua hong + collar - @/hoshifighting

where you surprise him in the doorway, collar on your hand, waiting for him.

baby boy! joshua - @/hoshifighting

giving ceo! Joshua a hand job - @/hoshifighting

cock ring with a bow on it - @/hoshifighting

giving Joshua head - @/hoshifighting

workaholic! Joshua - @/hoshifighting

Joshua consistently skips happy hours or works overtime. You've tried to warn your friend countless times, but he didn't listen to you. As a result, it's no surprise that Joshua experienced a burnout on the office floor.

best friend's brother - @chocosvt

joshua happens to be your best friend’s older brother. he’s pretty, and he’s got a lot of cool details about him that you pay a concerning amount of attention to, but he’s just a friend (if you could even call it that). still, what does he think of you, anyway? that is—if he thinks of you.

skin - @bratzkoo

you’re doing great with your boyfriend of 5 months but when his ex drops a podcast talking about their past relationship and indirectly mentions you, your relationship takes on challenges you don’t know if you can handle.

'kiss as a yes' - @ssentimentals

love is (not) easy - @straylightdream

Sometimes you fight with the person you’re truly supposed to be with. Sometimes it’s not easy loving someone.

birthday girl - @paegei

when all you want for your birthday is to dom your loving boyfriend. however, things take a turn after you realise joshua has a particular, sensitive spot.

untitled - @sluttywonwoo

begin again - @okiedokrie

This is your first date since breaking up with your ex in eight months. You spent all that time thinking that love isn't worth the trouble anymore, because it only causes pain, misery, and endings. But on a Wednesday, in a cafe, you watched it Begin Again.

shortcut to heaven - @bookyeom

shortcut to heaven by lullaboy

oh my god, what a blessing out of ten, you’re eleven

you make it worth all of the waiting somebody patient, somebody kind

oceans and engines - @talksungchan

when hong jisoo left his beloved hometown at 18 years old, he also left you, his proclaimed great love. it takes another 7 years for you to catch up to him again and close the oceans in between you.

not according to plan - @starlightkyeom

your ex-fiance is getting married and everyone you know is going to be there. when he calls to ask if you're coming, you accidentally mention a boyfriend. which would be fine, if you weren't very single. thankfully your best friend comes through with the perfect solution when he sets you up with a friend of his. what could possibly go wrong?

sub! Joshua - @mountainficss

my favourite person - @babyleostuff

i'm not a lot of people's favourite person

all my dreamin' - @eoieopda

your LA boyfriend wasn't built for midwest winters.

[tf-animated-out-of-context]

One last round of trivia:

"The Stunti-Con Job" exists as both a comic and a BotCon script reading; the plots are the same, but the script reading added a subplot featuring Minerva, a medibot determined to meet Ratchet at all costs, who's somehow dragged Warpath along on her quest. (She does also appear in the comic version - see below.)

The script reading also featured a musical interlude - a duet sung by G1 and Animated Grimlocks. I don't think it went according to plan.

Like the story's title, the comic's original cover pays homage to the classic British comedy film "The Italian Job". (As do the picture captions on the relevant TFWiki page.)

Sideswipe and Breakdown share a body-type (first seen on Rodimus Prime) - possibly a callback to the G1 episode "Masquerade", in which that iteration of Sideswipe was disguised as Breakdown. (The same applies to Jazz and Dead End, and, more or less, to Optimus and the Motor Master.) In-universe, all the Stunticons underwent spark transplants into Autobot frames - except Toxitron, who's a clone of Optimus. Not a very successful one.

Cheetor, meanwhile, is a retool of Blurr - a fact Sideswipe remarks on four BotCons later, in "The Return of Blurr". which takes place at about the same time as "The Stunti-Con Job". Hence Blurr's appearance in the latter, in the High Council box alongside Cliffjumper - still cubified, and no doubt still talking twenty-four to the dozen.

Strika's Team Chaar, seen at the very end of this story, has undergone a reshuffle since "Transwarped" - Oil Slick is still there, unfortunately, but Cyclonus, Blackout and Spittor have been replaced by Mindwipe, Sky-Byte, Scalpel and Blot.

As for Autobot cameos, there are too many to list, but most of them are here:

(Botanica is also in this frame, but further up in the High Council box. TFWiki claims that Tap-Out is somewhere in the crowd; I can't see him, though.)

[udretlnea]

The Divine City, Interlude Quest: Dormiens Factorem. Part 1

"May you live in interesting times, may the gods grant you their blessing, may your wishes be fulfilled. Through this, may you never know peace or tranquility ever again," - An Alternian threat

Page 1 (here) \ Next page \ Prologue

(Words: 600~)

(Edit: I fixed how boring page 1 was and edited in a little introduction for Marc.)

(Disclaimer: This work is non-canon to the plotline of the Divine City by yuriisclumsy.)

The paths that we all take are slow going, so please - I beg of thee, listen to what I have to say.

Several decades ago, whispers of a mighty nation that existed in another universe were shared between traveling outlanders. A place called Alternia. It was a proper utopia. Everything you could ever want, you could have it there.

What made it special was its ruler: the reincarnation of a god. Stories go that he was the one that made Teyvat with their own hands, and created the previous Seven Sovereigns. He decided to take a page out of Raiden Ei’s book and created hundreds of divine puppets to help build and manage his city. 

Aside from that, they were also its protectors and could hit twice as hard as any allogene. Little wonder why the Treasure Hoarders never dared to try and steal from them.

But then the five sinners appeared. I imagine you all know what happened next.

Turns out they were unhappy with how this reincarnation was ruling. So they banded together and waged war against Alternia.

After that, the world was thrown into upheaval. These new monsters were tougher and more powerful to the point it took an alliance between Alternia and the Seven Nations just to have a fighting chance. 

And then, on the final days of the war the sinners met their match. When all seven gods combined their power to create an item of unfathomable power, they pushed all five sinners back into the Abyss before obliterating them.

But before they were completely eradicated they activated a failsafe. One where it made sure that nothing living could sustain itself thereafter.

Irminsul exploded in a shower of Abyssal energy. Without anything recording information anymore, people and gods disappeared one by one. The only one left by the end of it all was the reincarnated creator, and his hundreds of puppets.

Bereft of his beloved, the nation he swore to protect, and his entire world his mind shattered. Thus, he took his creations with him and silently left. 

In time, Alternia faded away until it only existed as a distant memory.

Nowadays, some outlanders catch glimpses of people with puppet joints in their travels. Stories of cults being dismantled and statues of the alleged Creators destroyed were shared between weary travelers from beyond the sky.

Maybe the sinners weren’t all destroyed. Maybe the reincarnation and his puppets are still active, searching for a place to protect to replace their lost home.

Or maybe they’ve isolated themselves from everyone else in order to heal.

I wouldn’t know. I left them to cope with the horrors I experienced. Teyvat is truly a beautiful world when one looks at it with a clear view. It’s just a shame that so many different versions of it are - shall we say - infested with cults worshiping a deity that doesn’t even exist.

But there are worse things out there than children being given the powers of a god. Things that can make even the Archon War look like a snowball fight.

///////////////////////////////

Greek Chorus Labs 00:00 

Current Location: Branch Universe #Y-11

//////////////////

The light eventually died down.

Any few travelers who were on the roads to the Divine City blinked twice before dismissing it entirely. 

A pretty light show over the city? Must’ve been festival preparations, they thought.

Near the farmlands, a small black cube fell from the sky in a bright purple light only to crash into the dirt. It thrummed and vibrated vivaciously. Then, there was a click before a dark violet mist began spitting out.

///////////////////////////////

A/N: 

Howdy! The main story that the prologue was building up to has begun. Hooray! I hope I made the intro engaging enough. :<

I will take a break from drawing and writing by playing version 5.1 of Genshin because I deserve it. Regarding updates,- well, it will be slow since I'll be studying CISSP simultaneously. But that doesn't mean I won't give this little project my all, of course!

I'll make the master list tomorrow FYI BTW.

Terms and general clarifications:

Allogene: “People with particularly powerful desires that have the potential to ascend to Celestia and become gods,” - Genshin Impact Wiki

Alternia existed in another version of Teyvat. This was implied with the Seven Nations and five sinners being mentioned. 

Please leave any comments, questions, or critiques. Anything! I can take it!

Taglist: @yuriisclumsy

[thatonegenshinsimp]

Inteyvat (Dainsleif x fem!reader NSFW)

Notes: I may have enjoyed writing this one just a little too much...

Warnings: fem!reader, sub!reader, bulging, creampie, hair pulling, slight angst, slight spoilers for the Interlude chapters in the Archon quests

NSFW content below! By scrolling down past this point, you have decided to read the content below of your own accord!

It was rare for Dainsleif to fall asleep and stay asleep for so long, especially when there were matters in dealing with the Abyss Order that he needed to take care of. However, there was also you, his wife, that he needed to take care of, and he’d be damned a second time by Celestia before he let your needs go unfulfilled.

Even if those needs consisted of him making love to you until dawn just to prove that he still loved you.

You woke up slowly next to him in the bed you shared, one arm draped over your waist and the other beneath you. You were one of the few people he had left from his homeland, one of the precious few he could still trust and let his guard down around. You rolled over slowly to face him, being careful not to wake him up. Last night was filled with whispered confessions of love and adoration from both of you as his hips thrusted against yours slowly. You loved him dearly, and always made sure he knew that you cherished him. And even though your usually stoic husband could be a bit distant sometimes, he still reminded you every time that he loved you, whether that be with his words or with his body.

You cupped his face in your hands and gently pressed your lips against his, tangling your legs with his. He stirred slightly before settling down and going still again, causing you to smile. You saw his Abyss stained arm and hand, your own gently making its way up his bicep and to his face. He always looked so beautiful whenever he slept, tangled in the throes of dreams you could only hope were pleasant and peaceful. He rarely had any sort of peace of mind these days, with the Abyss Order constantly being a growing threat to the natural order of Teyvat. You ran your thumb over his cheek, before watching as the eye beside it slowly opened. “Good morning.” You whispered, pressing your lips against the tip of his nose, and then his cheeks, before finally pressing them against his own. He took a deep breath and sighed deeply, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he closed his eye again. “Morning.” He mumbled, his voice still heavy with sleep when he spoke. He reached out and wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer to him as his chest pressed against yours. “Did you sleep well?” He asked, opening his eyes fully this time. “Mhm.” You hummed, watching as he leaned into your hand and relaxed at the feel of your touch. “Did you sleep well?” You asked, your hands making their way downwards to his and intertwining. “I did, surprisingly enough. I haven’t slept this well in… in a long time.” He breathed, his gaze turning from peaceful and content to slightly melancholic. “Hey, what’s wrong?” You asked, starting to get up when the cold air hit your back and made you shiver. You pulled the covers back up to your chin and laid back down, pressing yourself closer to him as his face reddened. “Stars above, it’s freezing!” You hissed, snuggling up to him in an attempt to get some more warmth. Dainsleif splayed his hands against your back, his warm palms giving you some relief from the cold. You sighed as he kissed you, eyes going half lidded as he let his hands wander over your soft skin. He was irresistible when he was like this, needy and craving your touch. It was so easy for you to let your mind wander when mornings like this happened, to think about how those big hands of his could do much more than just hold you. It was so easy to think about all the things those thick fingers of his alone could do to you.

You reached up and tangled your fingers in his soft blond hair, pressing your lips against his. “You mind if we continue from where we left off last night?” You asked. Dainsleif shook his head, before leaning in and gently kissing your neck. You tilted your head to the side to let him access your neck better. He pressed open mouthed kisses against your skin, his hands making their way down to your thighs. You gasped when he spread your legs and looked down at you, pinning them apart with his own as his hand made its way down your body. He gently grabbed your thigh with one of his hands, his blue abyss stained fingers digging into your skin gently to hold you still. The other went lower to your entrance, his thick fingers pressing against your slit as he looked up at your face. You gasped as he slid two fingers inside of you, scissoring them slowly to stretch you. You reached up and fisted the sheets beside your head, moaning softly as he curled his fingers and pushed them deeper. “NgAAh~! Th-there, right there- AhH~!” You cried out as his fingers grazed over your sweet spot, his thumb finding your clit and rubbing hard little circles against your bundle of nerves. “Let go, sweetheart, I’ve got you.” He whispered, moving his hand faster as he leaned in closer to you and pressed his lips against yours. Tears welled up in your eyes as you hovered on the edge of the release you craved, letting go of the sheets in favor of grabbing his broad shoulders. “HnAhhN~! Cumming- Dain~!” You wailed his name as you squirted on his fingers, gasping when he pulled them out.

You were still coming down from your high when you heard a deep chuckle from above you, and looked up to see your husband looking at the mess you made on his hand. “I want to see you do that again~” he said, reaching down and pumping himself a few times with the same hand. He then pulled back a little and slotted his hips against yours, pressing his tip against your slit. Before anything else, he looked back up into your eyes, gently cupping your face in his hands. "May I?" he asked, watching as you nodded quietly. He reached for your thighs and pressed them up against your chest as he slowly slid into you. You clenched around the fat tip of his cock tightly, squeezing around him as he kept pressing into you. The drag of his heavy shaft against the gummy walls of your cunt made you shudder beneath him as he made slow, jerky thrusts into you to fit himself inside of you. “Ngh~ Dain, you’re s’big, mnh~ feels s’good- Ah~” you moaned, digging your nails into his shoulders as he went deeper. Dainsleif pressed his forehead against yours, sighing deeply as he spoke. “I’m almost halfway in now, sweetheart, you’re doing so good.” He whispered, his words serving to make you squeeze tighter around his thick shaft. "Hng~ Relax, or I'll have to go even slower than I am right now." he grunted softly, his hips stalling against yours. you slowly relaxed as he kept going, moaning as he finally bottomed out inside of you. He groaned loudly as your cunt spasmed and squeezed around him while you tried to get used to his size completely. Even now, it was so difficult for you to get used to this feeling after months without it, months without him. He had gone missing in Liyue, when he ran through the portal after that Abyss Herald and the Traveler's sibling. You didn't make it in time to the portal to get through with him, and were left on the other side of the portal with the Traveler and Paimon. During the time that Dainsleif was gone, you wandered aimlessly, searching for your husband for what felt like years, when in reality, it was barely three months. You thought you would never see him again, that you would never feel his arms around you like this again. Your grip on his shoulders tightened as tears welled up in your eyes, recalling that crushing feeling of being so very alone for so unbearably long. He noticed how quiet you'd gotten, and looked down at you as he spoke. "Are you alright?" he asked, reaching up and gently cupping your face in his hands. You nodded, letting your tears fall as he held you there. You reached up and put your hands over his, speaking very quietly. “I thought I wouldn’t get the chance to be close to you like this again. I was looking for you alone out there for so long, I thought you were killed.” you whispered, eyes shutting tightly as he looked down at you. Dainsleif gently thumbed away your tears and pressed his lips against yours, his eyes slipping closed as he kissed you. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, my beloved Inteyvat, I promise.” he whispered, his words soothing you and chasing away the negative thoughts in your already lust clouded mind. When he slowly pulled away, he set your legs back down against the mattress, letting you wrap them around his waist. He slowly rocked his hips against yours, watching as you whined softly and dragged your nails down his back. “Hnn~ just like that, please don’t stop- Ahn~!” You gasped when he hit deeper, causing you to clench and squeeze around him more. “Hnng~ so- fuck- tight. You’re always so good for me, you know that? Such a good girl.” He whispered, his hot breath fanning against your neck as you held onto him.

You buried your face in his neck and bit down on his skin, leaving a mark in the crook of his neck as his thrusts picked up speed. “Nh~ D-Dain, please- aHm~!” The coil in your lower tummy was winding tighter, and you couldn’t help but gasp as he hit your sweet spot, his tip bumping up against your cervix every time he hit particularly deep. “It’s been so long since I last had you like this, too long- Ngh~!” You squeezed around him tightly when he spoke, your gummy walls clenching around him at his words. Your eyes rolled back when his hand went town between the two of you and he rubbed your clit with his thumb. “Such a beautiful sight for my eyes alone. Go ahead and let go, sweetheart, I’ve got you.” He whispered, pressing his lips against yours as you gasped and moaned loudly, tugging his blond hair as tears pooled at the corners of your eyes. “NghAhm~ cumming, cumming- AnH~!” You came all over his cock as the tight coil of pleasure snapped in your lower tummy, pushing you over the edge as you buried your face in his shoulder. His own orgasm hit him soon after, his hips stuttering against yours as you spasmed and squeezed his thick shaft tightly. A loud groan slipped past his lips as the noise of skin meeting skin grew louder. You gripped his shoulders tightly as his hips stilled against yours, breathless beneath him. After the two of you had calmed down, you slowly pulled back and looked down at him. “Mmh~ Dain?” You looked down at him with half lidded eyes as he spoke. “Yeah, what is it?” He asked, his arms snaking up to yours so he could hold your hands. The spaces between your fingers were filled, and you couldn’t help the tears that rolled down your cheeks at the loving gesture. “Are you alright? Did I do something? Was it-” he stopped mid sentence as you started giggling softly, resolving to rest his head against your chest. “I love you.” You whispered, pressing your lips against his gently. He kissed you back, tensing up slightly as your hand went up to cup the side of his face. More specifically, you were holding the side of his face he usually wore his mask on, the side the abyss had stained. You didn’t care, you loved him dearly regardless of what had happened to him when he was in the abyss. “We should wash up.” you mumbled, chuckling softly as he huffed and nosed your neck. “Ok.” he mumbled.

You gasped as he braced himself and slowly pulled out, making sure he didn’t hurt you. He kissed your forehead before slowly getting up and pulling the covers back. He picked you up and slowly walked to the bathroom, gently setting you down on the rim of the bath and running the water warm the way you both liked it. Once the bath was full, he gently lowered you into the water as he spoke. “I’m going to let you soak in here for a bit while I make us something to eat and change the sheets. I shouldn’t be long.” He said, noticing your worried gaze. He pressed his lips against your forehead and stood up straight, throwing on a towel and wrapping it around his waist. You waited for him to come back, looking around the bathroom in the meantime. About twenty minutes later, he returned with some eggs and some bacon, setting the plates on the bathroom counter. He then took the towel off and got in the bath with you, sitting behind you as he grabbed the soap and lathered his hands with it. He then slowly rolled his palms against your shoulders, working his way down your body as he eased the tension that had built up in your muscles. “Does that feel better?” He asked, slowly pulling his hands away when he’d finished massaging your legs. “Mhmm~” you hummed, a blissed out expression on your face as you wrapped your arms around his neck. He shampooed and conditioned your hair and his, before rinsing it out of your hair and moving on to do the same with his own. You, however, gently guided him to lay back in the water, and gently rinsed it out of his hair. Your nails scratching his scalp like this always felt nice, and he seemed to melt in your arms as you rinsed his hair. “Ok, I’m done.” You mumbled, causing him to open his eyes and look up at you. You smiled down at him and pulled away so he could sit up, watching him get out of the bath to get the two of you some towels. He lifted you up and wrapped you up in the towel, draining the bath when you were out. He then helped dry you off, drying himself afterward. As he carried you back to bed, you couldn’t help but pull him down to kiss him. He gave a muffled grunt of surprise, before he returned the kiss. Once he set you down under the covers, he went back and got the food. It was still, thankfully, warm, and you gladly ate it as he handed you a glass of water. “You should drink something, it’ll do you well.” He said, watching as you took the glass and drank it. “Thanks.” You murmured, leaning against him as you finished eating your food. “Any time.” He replied, taking your plate and going downstairs with it to put it in the sink. He would wash it later when he had the time. He then got back in bed and under the covers with you, pulling you close to him. He always loved holding you like this after a particularly long session together, and you were happy to receive his touch. You rolled onto your back and let him rest his head against your chest, his arms around your waist as his usually tense body relaxed. “The Abyss can wait, I just want to be here with you right now.” Dainsleif whispered, letting himself bask in your warmth as he started falling asleep. “Don’t worry, Dain, I’m not going anywhere.” You soothed, watching him nod tiredly before he looked up at you. “I love you, my Inteyvat, I love you so very much.” He mumbled, closing his eyes and drifting off soon after. “I love you, too, Dainsleif.” You whispered, your hand in his hair as drowsiness took you over and you fell into the comforting embrace of sleep.

If only things could be peaceful like this all the time.

[oncewhenalongtimeago]

pt 24 of sbitilyp was INCREDIBLE. i genuinely started crying it was so good!!! thank you so much for writing these they make my day

Sorry, but I Think I Lost Your Plot pt 25

Pairing: Onesided!Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III x Modern!Fem!Reader

Words: 1,332

Your black eyes is fine.

Tags: Time Travel, Reader into Movieverse, interlude, unedited

<Previous - Next>

“What are you doing?” You wanted to fist pump as you succeeded your quest -the personal one- primarily involving not stuttering and being so completely totally normal and in background character.

You were sure if this was any time before Toothless, Hiccup would have startled like a cat. His shoulders only jumped slightly, though.

You’d caught him off guard out in the forest, hands deep into a hole in the ground, dirt caked under his nails and onto his sleeves right by a particularly long frond of borage. He’d looked a little bit peaceful before you interrupted him.

You wondered if Gothi had called him off on a quest, or something?

Fishlegs would have been better for that. You wondered how Fishlegs was doing with Ruffnut. Hiccup wasn’t the type to plant flowers or dig for them, not in any way you knew. He didn’t look it.

You could never naturally see him wanting to do that for any reason, though you guessed he couldn’t be against it as an idea.

You adjusted your grip on woven handles, your boon heavy enough to pull your arms taut, though small it was. They would definitely start to shake if you didn’t put them down soon.

“Digging-” A sans-coat Hiccup tried, getting up from his knees, doing his best to wipe off a very strong ‘I-was-caught’ look from his face, “Digging holes.”

You kind of hoped he wasn’t doing anything illegal, not that most of the laws you knew were still applicable here. 

It kind of made sense, though. Digging out in the forest-Digging holes, It was probably a guy thing. There was a certain allure to hole digging, you had to admit.

Hiccup leaned elbow first, smiling fondly and not quite awkward-he was actually close to the tree- against the side of a long, straight tree trunk, bending and throwing one ankle over the other, sliding and jerking slightly in a way that had to be painful on his elbow skin.

He bobbed and shifted, though as if he was trying to keep you from looking at something. There was a level of irony to it as he seemed slightly embarrassed by the action, corners of his mouth twitching as if he wanted to glower blanky, completely aware of what he was doing and displeased by the awkward quality inherent in the action.

You had vaguely caught something that looked like the corner of his journal, the edge of a dirt pile and a stick of charcoal before you figured it would be better if you left what he wanted to hide alone.

He really hadn’t done anything like that around you in a while.

You took it as a sign of him growing more comfortable.

Quickly he stumbled, then he righted himself with a grimace, looking down at brushing his hands against his elbows, bringing down his rolled-up sleeves with a blank disgruntlement, a look he probably meant to keep to himself.

It was then that you smiled back, though you had to fight back a downward twitch of the lips as you realized he hadn’t worn any beads. 

He had the last time you’d seen him… When you’d been quite literally swept away by Hiccup and his dragon. He might have lost a few over the water.

Your heart stuttered and fluttered and you shook your head and jerked it away, refusing to look at him. Instead, you examined a tiny plant sprouting out of the side of a tree by you, though Hiccup’s earlier display was also enough to put you on high alert.

Of course, you would be better off thinking about something more practical instead. It would be very good for you if there were any rocks under there, shaded by the small fern’s leaves. 

It’s what you were here for, after all, small smooth stones in the pocket of your borrowed smock and in the small, two-hand sized woven basket in your palms.

You managed one that looked like smooth quartz. Otherwise, for some reason, there weren’t many around. Not under the ferns in the forest near the village or down by any of the cliffs, too dangerous to walk yourself unless you wanted to slip and fall. They were loose after the most recent rain

You had to ask yourself what you would do, If you didn't have enough stones. You weren’t going to give him any, if he decided not to pay you. Your algae pot needed something pretty-looking, anyways. A stone wall was the first step towards that.

Your furrowed your brows, hoping you at least looked more disgruntled than embarrassed.

“It’s Foxglove,” Hiccup stated eventually, at your ogling. He was very sure about it.

You tried to do a mental shake, dispelling heat by the nape of your neck like a dog shook off water, but you failed, because it came back right after.

Then you blinked hard, which caused your eye to twinge sharply, though the sting was not nearly enough to settle the hairs standing like they were shot with electricity on the back of your neck.

“...Poisonous?” You asked. You scuffed your foot hard against the dirt then grimaced, the bones in it complaining back up at you. You’d dropped a lot of heavy things on it earlier.

It took you a while to stop limping, though it still stung, a lot like your eye, but fresher somehow.

The woods around here were lighter on account of you being closer to the village than not. Less mysterious.

It would have been nice to be deeper in, doing away things, like taking another look at Hiccup’s glowing pond. You’d need a guide, though.

If your goal was alone time, then that would make the point moot.

“...Yeah,” He said with no small amount of unease.

“Agnarr sent me down for some stones, something about lining his plants. He doesn’t have any, by the way,” You sighed. It was a breathy, stuttering thing, filled with anxious energy.

Hiccup seemed slightly irritated at that, rolling his eyes backwards, “Did he really?”

You blinked again in a way that should have not felt awkward if it wasn’t for the perpetual, sharp ache just under your eye.

Your eyelids and the soft flesh bits were still sore, though the bruising for the most part had yellowed and you were sure that it would disappear completely soon.

Still, it felt kind of crusty.

“Is your eye okay?” Hiccup asked, noticing your discomfort, sort of mooning at it for a moment, “Did you want to go up to Gothi’s?”

“I’m fine,” You said, humming casually.

“I‘ve been meaning to go up there anyways. I mean, I tripped,” Hiccup paused. It was subtle, but he was looking at you with line-pursed lips and wide eyes, hand freezing on his neck as he tried to rub it, obviously waiting for an answer to a pretty obvious play, “...When I fell off the log…?”

The look he gave you was the same caught look from just a few moments ago.

You gave in and blew a raspberry with your tongue, staring at him with slitted eyes and dropped shoulders, holding yourself a bit easier then, “Okay.”

It looked like you were walking up with Hiccup again.

The idea made you happy.

You imagined the soft part of his palms where all his fortune-telling lines damp with sea spray. You recalled adrenaline, yours and second hand, and the feeling of what might have been his strung-out-dragon-knight-nerves against your hands, like you remembered from when both of yours touched when you had been climbing up the log, walking back in the forest.

Your pinky twitched against the dried grass feel of your mini basket.

It was too heavy, weighed down by minerals and plain rock to hold with one hand, but as you started trotting back the way you came, you could hope.

“So…”

You squeaked, nearly tripping and dropping the heavy basket of rocks on your foot again as he spoke.

[serbarris]

Author Ask Tag

Tagged by @volkoss my answers are not going to be as eloquent or insightful but enjoy I guess lol x

All of these are going to be about my current fic At Best You'll Find A Little Remedy. Which is about Emmrich and my Rook, Calliope!!

What is the main lesson of your story?

Um, intentionally - no main lesson. I think unintentionally, it's a story of Calliope learning to trust herself, in multiple aspects of her life, also to be more trusting of others. Also I wanted to explore the romance in Veilguard a bit more, and flesh out some of the interactions with not just Emmrich but the other companions too. And finally, I wanted to inflict/show some real-time trauma for them since everyone seems slightly too well-adjusted for the Horrors they are experiencing lol.

What did you use as inspiration for your world-building?

Basically, I had a passing headcanon that Calliope was in Emmrich's class as a student, and obviously why would she not have a crush on the handsome 35-40 year old teacher? and ran with it. First I wrote I'll Crawl Home to Her as a starting place for small interactions between the main quests, and then I started to build off those small scenes that's now ballooned into this multichapter fic! Also chapter 1 of this fic was basically - what if I wrote veilguard as a romcom novel.

Also I have a list of things I wish were explored a bit more in VG, so the plotline with the huge books in the Cauldron, an earlier first kiss scene, a [redacted] fight, and can't beat just hurt/comfort and more smut :)

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, or help them grow as a person?

On reflection, it's a bit of free therapy writing Calliope. Even though she's a couple years older than me, she is v much a younger version of myself. I was very reclusive and introverted (still am) but she is truly the extreme of me at my worst I guess? I definitely feel like I want her to grow and show that throughout the fic - at the beginning of VG she is very much running away from her problems, as well as longing to go home. She's definitely fighting her own demons in a continent without therapy so she is Struggling, but the team do help her a lot and it's the first time she's truly been confident at calling people friends (apart from Audric and Myrna but Myrna's her boss and Vorgoth is like a quasi-uncle).

I also took the chance to explore Emmrich's POV a bit through some interludes that take place. I think Calliope has such a puppy love towards Emmrich and truly has watched him afar for many years that I wanted to punctuate Emmrich only just noticing her, and how it's a quicker descent for him (that starts out a bit more lusty). It's very fun to write Emmrich's POV chapters, his voice comes quite easily.

How many chapters is your story going to have?

Currently sitting at about 22 chapters that I'm happy with the plan for(one of those will probably be split in two so maybe 23 is the answer?) - possibly more possibly less I'm going with the flow!

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Fanfiction babeyy, on ao3, some chapters have been cross-posted to tumble (before I decided to post on ao3 as a multichapter)

When did you start writing?

I wrote a couple of fanfics back in the day when I was a teen for HP and Darren Shan - I then didn't write for years until 2019 when I started to write for my Inquisitor x OC, but I've never had the balls to write their longfic it would be intense haha. Then only picked up writing again in November after doing Calliope's playthrough!

Do you have any words of encouragement for fellow writers of writeblr?

just write!!! it's fun, it's therapy- post it or don't post it, someone out there will enjoy it, even if it's an audience of you!!

Tagging: @aymayzing @maythedreadwolftakeyou