#and by extension mondstadt

[lilyandthegenshinbrainrot]

Mondstadt Governmental Systems

walking to class and thinking about the Mondstadt governmental and power systems

So the power of the people is split between the Knights and the Church, yeah?

The Knights are responsible for the executive and judicial decisions. They're the law enforcement, they're the guardians, they're the trade and resource management. We know they are responsible for foreign relations, for ensuring that the lands are safe, and for enacting justice. We have seen both Albedo and Eula act in their capacity as Captain of Investigation and Reconnaissance respectively, we have seen Hertha work with Logicistics and Human Resources, and ofc, the Kaeya and Jean acting as Quartermaster and Acting Grandmaster respectively as well. We know the knights, we are a knight, this isn't new information.

The Church, however, less known and understood, is responsible for the social, environmental, and really cultural work of Mondstadt. Most obviously seen in the game where a couple sisters take responsibility for children during the day (Nora and Timmy), but also in the foreigners who go stand in front of the Statue to learn about Mond and the way that Seamus Pegg, Cardinal of Daybreak, was the one who Fatui approached when asking for Mondstadt civilians to be recruited.

This is interesting because we actually have never met any of the church leaders, only the Sisters and the Deaconess, with leaks mentioning a Deacon soon. We have not met Mother Maria, Cardinal Calvin, or ofc, Senior Cardinal Seamus Pegg himself. More on them specifically in a separate post.

My point being, there is still more to look into and there is still plenty of mysteries left in Mondstadt, and they aren't all hidden with Venti.

[xinxiaogato]

— love at first thrust

summary. as an ambassador from mondstadt, your goal was to persuade the duke of fontaine’s underwater fortress (who reportedly had a herculean physique and an absolute bakery) to agree with your plan on improving international relations. the last thing you anticipated was for him to agree to you getting his rocks off.

love interest. fem!reader x wriothesley.

warnings. unedited, 18+ content (mdni), nsfw, cursing, masturbation, voyuerism, size difference kink, cunnilingus, fingering, name calling (slut), slight orgasm denial, skin biting, almost a handjob, angst (somehow) and comfort, mentions of murder, mentions of pregnancy, porn w plot, virginity loss, unprotected sex, p in v, fondling, rough sex, impregnation, bdsm (handcuffs), soft dom!wrio.

word count. 5,303.

note. my first time dabbling in smut… to whoever is reading this that somehow knows me irl, pls turn straight around ! you are referred to as “reader” by the way.

romance schmomance. how did anyone expect wriothesley to allocate time in his schedule for a lover while properly running the fortress of meropide? his grace was perfectly content with teasing his two tsundere subordinates, who refused to face their feelings for each other. besides, love appeared too complicated of a matter, as evidenced by the prisoners he overheard lamenting on a day-to-day basis about their marital affairs and unsuccessful endeavors in flirting.

but sigewinne thought otherwise, pestering him recommending that he seek a partner because not only would it fulfill his social needs but also satisfy his sexual urges (he scrunched up his nose every time she made that point). frankly, all the duke needed was his right hand, some lotion, and a thirty-minute break of privacy.

…so what was a pair of eyes doing from the staircase to his office, staring incredulously at him fucking his cock into his curled fist during the thirty-minute break of privacy?

keyword: privacy, meaning no one was supposed to be in his office during this time!

a few minutes earlier…

“ah, ms. reader, right this way!”

an eager guard ushered you to an imposing set of metal doors to which your house back in mondstadt paled in comparison. as the guard, who appeared to be a rookie, fumbled with the keys to the administrator’s office, you turned your attention to the rest of the surroundings that seamlessly blended together due to the lack of decor. rusting pipes ran from the bottom up in austere grandeur, and warm lights were scattered across the stronghold, illuminating the faces of the few dozen or so prisoners wandering around the open space. 

although the conditions weren’t all sunshine and rainbows (literally, since the fortress is hundreds of feet under the surface), serving time in the fortress of meropide was bearable enough to the point that some convicts continued living there even after their sentences were up. this was the piece of information that piqued your interest during extensive research into the nation of justice, as access to rehabilitative programs while incarcerated had reduced the crime rate there.

thus, there you stood, prepared to present the ultimate strategy for promoting bilateral relations to the administrator of fontaine’s correctional institution. in exchange for advice from monsieur wriothesley on how to reform mondstadt’s prison system, the two neighboring countries could collaborate on an event similar to that of the “neighboring nations congenial poetry gala” between mondstadt and liyue.

it made sense since both fontaine and mondstadt were renowned for their romanticism, and the only other thing you could offer from your hometown besides poetry and artistry was… wine, which you knew wouldn’t fly. no government wanted more drunkards bumbling down their streets than they already had.

finally, the guard pushed the doors open (not without almost popping a vein) and gestured for you to enter monsieur wriothesley’s office, and once you did, you averted your gaze to the spiraling set of stairs.

however, prior to making your presence known, strange… grunting noises from the upper floor sent a shiver down your spine and planted you firmly to the ground. rapidly, your mind swirled with a million possibilities of what the source could be. although the duke was allegedly benign, he was still a warden through and through. was he personally punishing someone for their misconduct?

it frankly sounded quite painful, and you were getting worried that you came in at a bad time. after all, you did arrive an hour earlier than scheduled.

…one peek couldn’t hurt, right?

then you’ll be able to determine whether or not he needed a minute.

curiosity killed the cat, and that cat was you. because after gingerly ascending the staircase and stopping to be able to peek just above the metal floor, you chanced upon a scene that not even your wildest dreams could conjure.

the black-haired duke’s coat was popped open, with the hem of his dress shirt stuffed between his lips to muffle groan after groan that flowed past them. for several long seconds, you couldn’t tear your eyes away from the scars running down his neck and heaving pectorals, gleaming in a slight sheen of sweat.

and when you did manage to tear your eyes away, they instantly flitted past his abdomen (which needed its own place in a museum) to the sight of wriothesley’s large—and you meant large—appendage thrusting desperately into his calloused hand between his gargantuan thighs. a bit of precum dribbled from the tip, trailing down his length only to be pushed back up by his fingers and creating a frothy ring near the head of his cock.

you had to stifle a gasp behind your clipboard, trying to process what the hell was happening. the prison administrator and his little friend definitely needed a minute, so you quickly swiveled around to give them just that—only for the sound of his chair screeching backward to freeze you in your tracks.

“who goes there?” his voice boomed throughout the office.

shit!

your heels weren’t doing you much of a favor as you bolted down the staircase, but the adrenaline coursing through your veins overrode every inconvenience to get you to the doorway as fast as possible. however, you didn’t have the strength to budge the doors open (what were they made of? tungsten!?), and before you could even blink, wriothesley had you trapped between the only way out and his bulky figure.

“you thought you could get away?” he snarled, grabbing you by the shoulder (with the hand that was just wrapped around his dick, mind you!) to twist you around and get a good look at your face. your clipboard clattered to the floor, and you nearly screamed when his cock—which was somehow more enraged than he was—prodded against your stomach, making your insides feel like they were doing backflips.

you tried your best not to look at… it… as you spoke up to defend yourself. “sir, it isn’t what it looks like—”

“i think it’s exactly what it looks like,” he interjected angrily, thick eyebrows furrowed above a pair of piercing blue eyes. “what? did one of your fellow inmates dare you to snoop on the warden for blackmail? how many coupons did they offer? hmm?”

“inmates? coupons?” now your eyebrows were furrowed. “monsieur, if you could please let me explain!”

it took a second for wriothesley to regain his senses, and after noticing your foreign attire and trembling form, he retreated at once. “archons, i…” he stroked his face with his hand and covered his eyes, letting out a shaky sigh. “i’m terribly sorry. i thought you were one of them.”

“them?”

he nodded dejectedly in response before dropping his hand to the side and meeting your eyes, but this time, it wasn’t with indignation. “yes, a group of ill-intentioned people recently formed in order to unmask my secrets…” he had to look away for a moment before continuing. “...one of them being what i do in my office during lunchtime.”

“...oh.”

“as for you…” over his broad chest, he crossed his arms that could crush watermelons with one flex (okay, maybe you were overexaggerating.) “how did you gain entry into my office? it should have been locked.”

you cleared your throat. “a guard let me in.” wriothesley parted his lips to question that, but you were already one step ahead. “he seemed new.”

the warden managed to put two and two together, and a sense of dread began consuming him from head to toe. “you’re… the envoy from mondstadt,” he realized, a taste in his mouth more bitter than the tea he oversteeped this morning. “i must say: you’re a bit early.”

you replied with a light shrug, “the cavalry is expeditious.”

“right. that’s… great.” he gave you a tight-lipped smile. “could… could you give me a minute? i would like to make myself presentable so that i can give you a proper introduction, and… again, i want to apologize for having you walk in on something so vulgar. i’ll be sure to compensate for it in any way possible.”

your original plan from the beginning was to give this man a minute, but… the longer you stood in his presence, the more aroused you felt. he was really handsome, standing many heads taller than you and practically oozing with sex appeal. the tidbits about his appearance that you heard through the grapevine in mondstadt couldn’t hold a candle to the real thing. watching him jerking off earlier, there was definitely a moment when you wanted to replace his hand with your cunt.

pause.

this might be the only opportunity for you to break away from the perfect image you were constantly upholding. throughout your adolescence and young adulthood, you had trained to become a professional in your field and garnered copious experience in diplomacy so that you could obtain a high-ranking position in government. this caused you to miss out on a lot of the joys in life, including sex. that was the first time you had seen a penis in the flesh.

“did you say any way possible?” you inquired.

“of course, i’m a reasonable man. i doubt i’ll be opposed to anything during today’s negotiations.”

after a moment of hesitation, you braced yourself for an eternity’s supply of humiliation and let your last thread of sanity snap in two. you fell to your knees right in front of his throbbing member, which was still as hard as a rock.

“...then you won’t be opposed to this, right?” you murmured. in a bold move, you leaned forward to press your cheek against the side of his cock, all while maintaining eye contact with him.

wriothesley sharply inhaled through his teeth, blood rushing to his face as he took a step back. “what… what are you…!?”

but he wasn’t dumb. he knew what you were intending. however, this felt more like you were doing a favor for him when he was supposed to be doing one for you.

and do one he shall. 

in one frame, you were hunkered down on the floor in front of his grace, and in the next frame, you were being carried to the second floor of the office in his sinewy arms. you were in no danger of being dropped, but you clung onto his shirt regardless, squealing your head off and flailing your legs like a feral animal, which only added to wriothesley’s amusement.

“are you regretting your decision?” he asked, his lips curled into a smug smile. “i can always stop. just say the word.”

your heart was racing at a mile a minute as he kicked a coffee table out of the way and plopped you onto the couch. when he crouched between your legs, a sheepish you batted his greedy hands away and hurriedly shoved your thighs together. “wait, i… this is escalating way too fast!” you quavered. “are we about to…” do the devil’s tango? the pickle in the jar? the train into the tunnel!?

a gruff chuckle rumbled from his chest. “you were the one who initiated it,” wriothesley pointed out with a wolfish grin. “i’m just finishing what you started, mondstadter.”

“but i just wanted to help you with your… ‘problem’!” you shot back, cheeks rivaling the red of a tomato. “why am i suddenly on the receiving end!?”

“ah, that’s where you’re wrong, because this will help me with my problem,” the duke replied, tugging your pants down your hips to reveal your drenched undergarment. you instantly convulsed and buckled your knees as he pressed his thick fingers against your clothed pussy, and when he drew them back, a string of wetness extended from your underwear to his fingertips.

remember when wriothesley convinced himself that all he needed was self-love?

fuck that.

“your grace!” you cried out as he dove forward and, with his hands anchoring your thighs, began ravaging your clit through the fabric, his tongue swirling and swiping against it ruthlessly. you had not even a millisecond to breathe as your vision blurred from tears of unmitigated satisfaction. with little strength, you reached out to wrench at his dark locks of hair, which only spurred him on further to attack your quivering folds.

archons almighty, what would it feel like if he—

as if he was reading your mind, wriothesley peeled your panties to the side, and the roughness of his tongue along with his pointer finger sliding in sent your body into another realm of pleasure. if accidentally smacking the back of your head against the couch’s gilded crest rail wasn’t the reason you saw stars just now, then it undoubtedly had to be the duke’s skillful ministrations.

“you’re so responsive,” wriothesley murmured, his hot breath deliciously fanning your skin. you were going crazy from his nose nudging against your sensitive bud as he flattened his tongue to completely coat each and every taste bud with your essence, and his digit continued to slide in and out at an inhumane speed, coaxing more and more of your whines and moans. “fuck, and your slut pussy is taking my finger so well. how many people have gotten the chance to see this pretty view?”

pretty view? you mentally scoffed while struggling to keep your wits about. says him! not every day did a tall, dark, and handsome man lap at your arousal like it was his last meal! you questioned how he could even breathe down there.

“no, i… j-just… just you…” you managed between labored gulps of air, your cheeks flushed of color. “i… i’ve never… d-done this… before.”

in the midst of leaving a bite mark on the side of your thigh, wriothesley abruptly extricated his finger, which made your pulsating hole very unhappy. “are you saying this is your first time?” he asked in disbelief.

you nodded timidly. when he didn’t respond right away, you grew worried that he got turned off by your admission, but weirdly enough, he snickered.

“looks like we’re in the same boat,” wriothesley stated to your bafflement. having withdrawn his finger, he brought it to his mouth and sucked it clean of your fluids before returning to lightly thumb your clit using circular motions. you had to scoot away because how else were you going to speak clearly with him doing that!? 

“y-you’re a virgin!?” you spluttered, ogling down at this man like he had just grown a horn on top of his head. 

“way to rub it in,” he jeered at you in a mocking tone. “yes, i’m a virgin. what’s so surprising?”

“because… you’re you!” you stressed. “have you seen yourself in the mirror? it’s a crime for you to look like a sex god without having had sex!”

once again, wriothesley found himself enlivened by your visceral reactions. when an advisor informed him of a diplomat’s advent this week, the warden was ready to be bored to tears by another mundane businessperson. and could you blame him? a few weeks ago, an ambassador hailing from sumeru went on and on about an invention that they wanted to promote to the fortress of meropide’s inhabitants.

…that invention boasted a 41% success rate.

so imagine wriothesley’s gaping jaw when, the moment you bent your knees and voiced your offer, all of his expectations were chucked out of the window.

“‘crime’?” he echoed, followed by a husky chuckle. “i see what you did there. how does it feel to be in love with a criminal?”

a frown weighed down the corners of your lips. “hold on. i may or may not be succumbing to a criminal, but who’s saying i’m in love with one?”

“your body is telling me everything i need to know,” rizzley wriothesley crooned as he rested the side of his head against your thigh. “well, except for your name.”

“…reader,” you answered breathily. “my name is reader.”

“reader.” he nodded in approval. “well, reader, let me show you how we do it in fontaine.”

with newfound vigor, wriothesley mounted the couch so that he was now towering over you and interlocked his hands with yours, pressing them into the vermillion back cushions on either side of your head. as if he was communicating to you that you could no longer escape his advances, even if they became too much.

for some time, he gazed intensely at your blushing face, committing each detail to memory, before he bent down and connected his lips to yours. you tentatively reciprocated his tender kisses, moving your mouth in ways that were unfamiliar yet exhilarating, and shutting your eyes slipped the ground away from your feet and made you feel like you were floating. he let go of one hand to tuck a few loose strands of hair behind your ear, which grew into him absentmindedly caressing your cheek like you were made of glass. your neck tickled. your ear burned. every single touch felt like fire on your skin. every kiss was slowly melting your body into mush, melding your body with his. there was no longer a distinction between where you ended and where he began.

after you parted your lips to impart the permission wriothesley’s tongue frenziedly sought, it wasn’t long before the kiss spiraled into a battle for dominance—a battle you lost in the blink of an eye. you could taste remnants of yourself on his tongue from his previous indulgences, which successfully heightened how aroused you were tenfold. your free hand crept up and started kneading your breast through your blouse, your moans swallowed by wriothesley’s mouth.

when he noticed you began touching yourself, he pulled away to your dismay.

he really liked how you craned your neck toward him at the very end of the kiss when he disentangled from you, as though his and your pairs of lips were opposite ends of a magnet. he liked seeing you craving more.

he didn’t like that you were getting ahead of yourself.

“nuh-uh, love,” he whispered, pulling your wrist to the side. “that’s my job.”

wriothesley tugged the hem of your blouse up to expose your bra, and he whistled at the sight. “beige?” he just had to point out with a smirk, bearing a canine. “you really know how to rile me up.”

you internally facepalmed at morning you’s choice of wardrobe. “i was walking into this expecting to have a proper conversation, not to get laid.”

he cocked an eyebrow and suddenly went into business mode. “what was your proposition anyway?”

you couldn’t help but laugh out loud before grasping his large hand and placing it on your chest. “are we really about to do our meeting now?” you chided him.

“you and i are already ‘meeting’ in every sense of the word.”

an affectionate smile broke through your face, and you tugged the man forward by his red tie. “come here, you big hunk.”

wriothesley mirrored your warmth and captured your lips in a searing kiss before traveling down to pepper smooches on your neck and suckle along your collarbone, his teeth the paintbrush and your skin the canvas. he slithered his fingers into the confines of your bra and pinched your nipples to elicit more r-rated sounds from your mouth, and in the corner of your low-lidded eyes, you became very conscious of the reality that his dick would twitch every time you moaned.

anemo archon, forgive me for mine own sins.

“reader,” he gasped. he hunched forward and almost smothered you with his chest as you began to stroke his cock, a bolt out of the blue. you weren’t expecting him to display such a visceral reaction, so you halted at the base of his manhood (which your hand couldn’t even fully wrap around…)

“did i do something wrong?”

“no, not at all,” he affirmed strongly. “i think the problem…”

…was that the sensation of your touch felt astonishingly different to him greasing the pole. it was a shuddering ecstasy that sprinted along his body and unlocked the carnal desires he had kept stowed away.

the key to his dick heart was supposed to have been eternally lost at sea. that was something he was sure of. that was something every person who tried to get close to him was sure of. so he ignored sigewinne’s recommendations, he ignored the rumors of his impotence among the prisoners, and he tried to ignore the hot flashes that jolted him awake in the dead of night, reminding him again that he had always been devoid of love since the start.

but then you came prancing into his office, swinging that key around your finger.

wriothesley’s breathing became shallow, and he pressed his lips firmly into a thin, white line as he stared down at you. how were you shining so splendidly in contrast to the dull lights of his office? how did your frowning lips still look so kissable? how were you looking at him like you were seeing right through him?

he didn’t even know you.

was he deluding himself?

did sigewinne spike his tea?

should he keep going?

what if he hurt you?

a gentle tapping on his forearm hauled wriothesley out of his rumination. he realized he was sweating a lot.

“now i’m sure i did something wrong,” you said worriedly.

wriothesley swallowed harshly before shaking his head, his tufted black hair swaying from side to side. “no… the problem is that… i don’t think i can hold back.”

…

“then what are you waiting for?” you deadpanned. “are you into blue balling?”

wriothesley blinked. “uh, not necessarily…”

“then let’s do it on your table.”

…

“reader…” wriothesley covered his blushing face with the back of his hand. “has anyone told you how… forward you can be?”

a giggle bubbled from your throat. “i’m pretty sure my field requires me to be forward. is it a turn-off?”

“i couldn’t be happier,” he reassured you gladly, and you were soon swept up into another bridal carry. “i will warn you though. if you make a mess of my documents, there will be punishment.”

you smiled. “looking forward to it.” (hopefully, wriothesley didn’t notice he was already going to need new seat cushions after this.)

wriothesley set you down onto his hardwood table, your back toward him, and had you prop one leg up onto the edge, putting your pussy on full display for his enjoyment. he watched in a hypnotic trance as your fluids dripped like a leaking faucet, and he wanted nothing more than to plug you up and fill your needy cunt to the brim. the warden soaked his fingers in your juices to lather them over his shaft, but while he had one hand gripping your hip and the other lining his member up with your entrance, his muscles stiffened. you peeked at him from over your shoulder.

“blue balling bastard!” you almost shouted, but he appeared too distraught to be badgered.

“i don’t have a condom,” wriothesley moaned, falling forward and smacking his forehead against your shoulder. for the first time in a long time, he really wanted to cry. “i would have to walk over to the infirmary and grab one for us, but—”

“—i can’t wait much longer,” you two finished in tandem breathlessly, eyes fixed upon each other. in a matter of seconds, this became a pressing matter that left you and wriothesley in deep contemplation. two strangers—total virgins at that—were literally about to raw dog it. honestly, your parents would be bouncing off the walls over this since they always lamented their graying hairs yet shortage of grandchildren.

but wriothesley… you knew a man of his status was much too preoccupied with handling prison affairs as opposed to prison "affairs". although the iudex of fontaine would be anyone’s first thought at the word “justice”, the administrator of the fortress of meropide delivered his own fair share of justice to maintain order when fights broke out in corridors, to overlook the production of gardemeks, and to protect the peace he had fostered in this very structure.

these things were what made you hurriedly request an audience with wriothesley in the first place. his impressive accomplishments as the new leader of the stronghold were what brought the you from mondstadt to the him in fontaine. however, you now found yourself in a sticky situation that would burden wriothesley further if you two took this risk. a child between you and him… that hadn’t been in your agenda.

plus, the steambird would really get a hoot out of this. “breaking news: mondstadt ambassador walked into the fortress of meropide and walked out with a baby lump.”

so, you made up your mind.

“wrio—”

“will you let me come inside of you, reader?” he whispered against the shell of your ear, making your heart drop to the pit of your stomach. your vaginal walls automatically clenched around nothingness at the thought as you gasped and gaped back at him in bewilderment.

“what…? are you sure!?”

wriothesley nodded. “i-i promise, reader, to be a loving partner to you and devoted father to our child,” he choked out, his voice thick with emotion. “i’ve dreamt of having kids with the person i cherish so that they can grow up in a household where they feel safe, but… my greatest fear in life is becoming the monster that… th-that my foster parents were to me and my adoptive siblings.” his face went white. he could feel himself on the verge of vomiting, which he swore he had rooted out long ago. the scars on his body had never felt more painful. “i know that that belief is unfounded, but… i’ve been a violent person since i was a teenager. since the day that i… i killed them.”

“so if you do not wish to bear a child with a person like me, i understand,” wriothesley avowed, his eyes turned down in shame. “i can find other means to make you feel good, and i’ll just… go to the restroom to finish my business.”

you were finally learning about the warden's haunting backstory, sealed behind his assertive exterior. immediately, tears sprung to the corners of your eyes. you twisted your torso to cup his face with shaking hands and look him square in the face.

“wriothesley… you are so much more than your past,” you insisted earnestly. ��are you not aware of how incredible of a person you are? of how many lives you have changed for the better? you couldn’t change the past, so you made it your life mission to change the future of every person who’s living and breathing in this stronghold right now. you converted your suffering into something that led to the liberation of many others’.” you gave him a wobbly smile through the tears streaming down your cheeks like waterfalls. “that’s why i wanted to meet you, wrio. i wanted to meet the man behind the operations, behind the smiles on these prisoners’ faces. so please… don’t ever think badly of yourself.”

as the color returned to wriothesley’s cheeks, the duke couldn’t look away from the eyes that sparkled up at him so brilliantly. it was mesmerizing. his heart had never felt this full, and he wanted it to be as close to yours as possible. without missing a beat, his arms wrapped around your body, lightly brushing against your nipples in the process and causing them to harden on contact. he pressed his entire frontside against your back, and you could clearly feel his heart pounding wildly against his ribcage (and his dick saying hi from between your thighs).

“you’re so good to me, reader,” wriothesley mumbled. “what did i do to deserve this?”

you laughed and caressed the side of his head. “i just told you, idiot.”

his signature smirk returned in all of its glory, and he trailed his hands down to rest on your hips. “hold onto something.”

“what? agh!”

your body lurched forward once wriothesley drove his cock into your sopping heat, every inch dragging along your walls until he reached your cervix and his pelvic bone was right against your ass. a guttural moan escaped as he remained perfectly motionless, reveling in the feeling of your pussy rippling along his length, and you clamped a hand over your mouth to mask the embarrassing noises seeping through. the pain was unexpectedly minimal, but now you had to deal with this enormous object penetrating you to your very core. and not a moment passed before he started pushing in and out of you, squelching noises rebounding off the metal surroundings as your bated breath was yanked from your throat. throughout wriothesley’s grunts of exertion, a moan poured past your lips at each thrust, his balls slapping against your puffy lips and the table legs screeching in reply. his hands slid up to mercilessly flick your nipples with his thumbs at a rate that engendered tightening sensations to build up inside of your lower abdomen.

“wrio!” you exclaimed, writhing in ecstasy. you didn’t think you could handle the pert beads on your chest being fondled in unison with him pistoning your cunt from the back for another minute. “wr-wrio…! hnngh… ah! i feel so w-weird… ah! nngh…!”

“it’s a good weird, yeah?” growled wriothesley amid nibbling on your earlobe. “i can tell by the way your womb is descending to meet my cock, just begging for my seed. and that’s exactly what i’ll give you.”

“nngh, i… i’m… a-agh!” you pathetically blubbered. a stream of saliva ran from the corner of your lips as he pounded into your tight channel with savage intensity, the whites of your glazed eyes beginning to show. “i-i think i’m gonna c-come…!” 

“shit…” he rasped, noticing the telltale signs of an orgasm building up in both of you. “me, too…” he roughly grabbed your chin, fingers digging slightly into flesh, so that he could witness your expression contorting with bliss as you reached your cusp. “i want you to take every drop of my cum, reader. every fucking drop until nothing but my essence flows from your depraved hole.”

you nodded and pursed your lips, overwhelmed by the persistent and passionate onslaught on your pussy that was utterly molded into the shape of his velvet-wrapped steel. “yes, p-please…! wrio, please shoot it inside of me!”

finally, wriothesley bit down on your shoulder and slammed home into your depths, burying himself inside of your womanhood while releasing thick ropes of semen. your muscles convulsed and clamped down onto his cock with a vice, milking it until he had emptied his balls completely. the light humming of the industrial fan above commingled with the heavy panting of the two bodies that have become one, drunk on the languid atmosphere.

“you’re so obedient,” he cooed, nudging aside a lock of hair that was clinging to your sweaty forehead, whereas you were still reeling from wave after wave of endorphins. as you endeavored to muster the strength to respond, wriothesley glanced down at his files freshly marinating in your juices. “well, for the most part,” he added. “what did i say about my documents?”

“i…” you scowled and snapped back at him haughtily, “i wasn’t trying to ruin them!”

his mellow chuckle resonated in your ears, and in the ensuing seconds, the sound of clinking metal pivoted your attention.

“well, you can’t argue that they’re illegible now,” he said, effortlessly restraining your wrists in handcuffs from archons knew where. you also came to the startling realization that his member hadn’t softened one bit since he came within your spongy walls. “and as the duke of the fortress of meropide, i must carry out punishment where i see fit.”

“…lord barbatos.”

“haha, i love you, too.”

(several days later, charlotte got her big paycheck after spotting another “meeting” between you and wriothesley behind café lutece.)

© xinxiaogato. please do not translate my work without permission or attempt to plagiarize it.

[babushkatty]

Tranquil SAGAU - Part 2

-> Part 1

-> Part 3

"How does it feel like, to fly?" You asked idly, cuddling into Dvalin's feathered, soft back.

"I could show you," is what you got for an answer.

And so here you were, flying over Mondstadt (the country) and being utterly speechless at how little justice the game did to the utter beauty of it all.

Hills of grass and farmlands (it made so much sense for Mondstadt to be a country of agriculture, of farming, how had you not thought of it before?) rolled lazily wherever the eye could see, stretching well over the horizon.

Forests swayed with the wind as Dvalin flied by, lush crowns blending into one another and protecting the animals underneath.

Lakes and rivers cut through the monotony of greens and browns with a brilliant blue, sparkling in the sun like Edward Cullen.

The mountains of Liyue, so small you had the impulse to grab them into your hands despite how far away they were, were like an extension of Mondstadt -- a slow and steady rise from a mere molehill to a towering behemoth overlooking the vast world.

Dragonspine, instead of playing into the beauty of Mondstadt, seemed to go directly against it. Using it to enhance its' own presence, to have your eye stray and appreciate the cold, ethereal mountain of snow and ice instead. It looked deceptively peaceful from so far away - the nearly permament snow storm looking like a translucent garb shrugged elegantly onto white robes of an indifferent jade beauty, whose mere gaze could freeze you to death.

And Mondstadt (the city) looked like a mere speck of dust in the grand scheme of it all.

"How pretty," you couldn't help but say, head swaying to and fro as you enjoy the view and the gentle winds from where you sat, sprawled out like a starfish on the dragon's back.

You kind of saw a pattern there, but you certaintly weren't complaining.

Dvalin huffs a laugh.

"It is only natural, Teyvat was made by the All-Mother. Anything made by their hand is bound to be beautiful."

You laugh, loud and unrestrained and uncaring, because there was no one to scold you for being yourself anymore, "Indirectly complimenting yourself, are you?"

And Dvalin laughs too, a deep rumble of a laugh that has him dipping in altitude for a moment before he rights himself.

It was nice.

"I'm hungry."

"Then we shall land."

.　 . • ☆ . ° . • ° : . * ₊ ° . ☆

While you ate some fruits that a few adorable squirrels offered to you almost as soon as you landed (which made you melt into a puddle of happiness again, because they were so cute it hurt and they let you pet them a few times before they left), Dvalin made himself comfortable and started speaking. He wove stories like a master seamstress --of Teyvat, of Mondstadt, of Barbatos and of his own past--, giving birth to such vivid imaginery that you almost felt like you were there with him while it all happened.

He was a great storyteller.

The years of friendship between him and Venti probably contributed to it, there is only so long you can go without picking up a few things from an insistent friend after all.

"Durin was a pitiful creature. An artificial existence made by an arrogant Alchemist of Khaenri'ah in a futile attempt to recreate the All-Mother's miracle of creation, wishing for freedom and friendship but unable to attain them."

Dvalin huffs.

"I had to strike him down, for the safety of Mondstadt. And even on his death bed, not once had he blamed me nor Barbatos, merely wishing we had met in better circumstances."

The mood turns somber.

"His heart still beats in Dragonspine," you say after a while.

Dvalin exhales a long and drawn out breath.

"You will be able to put him to rest, once you grow stronger. It is merely a matter of time."

Quiet protests of you not being the All-Mother, of you simple being (Name) and nothing else, are quickly shoved to the back of your mind and ignored.

Instead, you ask why he believed so.

"You have purged me of the Abyssal filth that had tortured me for centuries with your mere presence, despite having descended only recently. That is enough confirmation."

You blink in suprise.

Didn't that mean you were much earlier in the timeline that you thought?

Huh.

Something to think through while you monch on the fruits.

Then again, did it really matter how early into the timeline you transmigrated? You weren't an ambitious person and you didn't crave adventure and excitement. People like you manned the market stalls rather than making a difference.

...you probably jinxed yourself.

☆(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ* ✨ Author Note✨

Countdown to All-Mother dearest jinxing themselves and making a difference - however long it takes me to write the next chapter!

Now, ✨how do I taglist people cuties✨

I am trying to tag someone but the @ can't find them, someone heeeeeeelp I'm poking and fat-fingering everything on their profile but it doesn't work :(

Also, if someone is bored of boring music check out The Kiffness on youtube, I'm having a Kiffness x Goat collab on repeat and it's dope af.

Kookee kookee with a cockatiel is dope too.

And the cat jams.

He has a whole playlist of just cat jams, what more does a coach potat like me need?

[slothcapsule]

Kaeya's design pt.2 (updated until 5.1 because yes, more stuff gets added with updates, his design is that thought ahead)

or maybe im delusional and looking into things way too much! heyy, Me again!! this is gonna be a master post of all the things ive noticed about kaeya's design, ive made one like it before but since then there's been a bunch of new stuff so i decided to make a new post that has everything i have to note. this is complied of things i myself have noticed and things that others have. this post will not include anything about his skin other than noting a couple of significant differences since the outfit wasn't made specifically for him in the scope of the story, but i might cover it in a separate post

kaeya's design mostly consists of "two sides" in a way, his "mondstat" side and his "khaenri'ah" side.

his mondstadt side includes his vision, the full side of his cape in the back, the earring he wears and his rat tail, all this represents the freedom he has in mondstat and the person he grew to be there, a vision bearing knight of favonius.

the khaenri'ah side includes his eyepatch, the wisp of lighter hair in his bang, a clipped cape ("wing") and the majority of the fur coating. i believe this goes to represent that he's still tied to khaenri'ah despite all the time he's spent in mondstadt, and that he's quite aware of it. Also, the glove on that side has a kind of buckle that kind of reminds me of a shackle or a handcuff, as well as this thing with a bunch of eight pointed stars that are not apparent on the mondstadt

all across his design (the boots, corset belt, gloves, little things on the ends of the cape thing he has, his left sleeve) there are bunch of "eight pointed" stars we see associated with khaenri'ah, one being in his pupil which was a confirmed trait to khaenri'ahn people ever since we saw dainsleif.

id like to note that kaeya's eyepatch is stressed on a lot in game. its constantly referred back to most of the time when kaeya is brought up. he has a voiceline about it (that has been changed once in the english version to to a mistranslation i believe, ill include both versions) the first is the current version.

traveler has a voiceline about it where paimon makes fun of it but i think its notable there's a voiceline specifically about it at all.

its mentioned right when we start the world quest "Bough Keeper" where we meet dainsleif. he doesn't even have an eyepatch half of his face is just black it was a stretch in the first place.

kaeya himself dismisses it as nothing unusual.

in his story quest he says he inherited it from his grandfather, which is solid proof that they're related by blood. (his story quest has some crazy foreshadowing btw that predicted that him and the abyss twin are possibly related in some way or another by extensions but i wont get into it here)

there isnt really a solid idea attached to any of this, other than the fact that kaeya's eyepatch is stressed on as a point of intrigue, its pretty implied to be related to his origin of khaenri'ah, and we often see khaenri'hn people with their right eye covered in some way. and to those of you that think that he wears the eyepatch because diluc injured his eye during his fight, no he isnt. it might've been scarred by him yes but he isnt blind in that eye, and in the webcomic it shows kaeya wearing an eyepatch on the day crepus died, before the fight with diluc.

while we're on the subject of his eyes, he's somewhat of an abnormality amongst Khaenri'ahn people. every other khaenri'ahn person we know have teal eyes with their pupil being a bold black star outline, kaeya's on the other hand are a darker blue with a more faded filled in star. i wont include the eyes of every single character to prove my point but trust me i looked at them all. the only exception seems to be pierro but since he doesnt have an in-game model yet and he wasnt shown super clearly in the trailer im unsure what to make of it for now so i wont include it.

one of the first things generally noticed about kaeya's design once you look into it a little is that he somewhat resembles cryo abyss mages, most notably the fur coat he keeps thrown over his shoulder, the "bunny ears" in his hair (ahoge?) but most of the resemblance comes from playstyle.

in playstyle he's similar in the sense that he teleports on his fifth attack, his ult is similar to the icicles they produce after their shield is broken, he produces his own shield at c4 etc.

(EDIT: i somehow forgot including abyss heralds here, which is insane of me considering that i was always under the impression that if kaeya does turn out to be an abyss monster its definitely more likely to be a herald/lector. i dont necessarily think that he is but there are similarities!)

As for abyss heralds, he does also have a similar design element with the Frost Fall one! Despite being a minor similarity i think its worth pointing out , but they do have kind of similar lapel things, the herald has those wing like things both in the front and back , similar to kaeya's "clipped" wings, that appear under the full wing and in the front of his outfit as well

(fun fact, when i found out they're going to release a cryo abyss herald i was so excited and kept prolonging the fight with it in the quest so i can see if it has similar attack patterns to kaeya) (it does, he does a couple slash attacks that look like kaeya's normal attacks)

one crazy thing also is his cape looks a lot like the top part of the celestial nails and the bottom part of the statues of the seven, and weirdly enough parts of paimons outfits.

a lot of people theorize the log in screen is the enterance to celestia, and that the nails in dragonspine and the chasm are fallen pillars from there. for someone from a godless nation its sort of weird that he seems to have that connection to something celestial huh? this part of the design is also included in his special dish in the skewer itself. (he also marks the mushroom with an eight pointed star as opposed to the x on the regular one)

other than celestian, mondstadtian, khaenri'ahn themes in his outfit, he also has fatui ones! on the front side of the cape we can see that it attaches to a fur thing that covers kaeya's lapels. i have no idea how this attaches or if its just thrown on top, but this design choice is distinctly fatui, weirdly enough. specifically in the style of the attire of the fatui harbingers coats or official ware when they're gathered. i related it distinctly to pierro before but after getting a good look at capitano's model its more fatui, though there's some things that are similar distinctly between kaeya and pierro.

most distinctly, the fur and the lapels being in a very similar shape which is the part that's distinctly fatui, the mask/eyepatch over the right eye as well a strikingly differently colored strand of hair being distinct to pierro and kaeya.

there's a kind of gap in the middle of pierro's chest part of the outfit that somewhat resembles the one kaeya has as well. i saw someone point this out on reddit but i cant find the post because it was a while ago but regardless, they brought up the point of it being exactly in the place and shape of where abyss heralds/black serprent knights have an eight-pointed star, which could be a subtle nudge at khaenri'ah as well.

now, i have two ideas of what those similarities could be hinting at.

kaeya is actually a fatui member (which i believe has some sort of merit because of the recent appearances of capitano and some similarties between them in attire and playstyle weirdly enough, as well as a theory ive been getting behind that states that capitano could be/is related to anfortas alberich)

the fatui harbinger design choices are actually inspired by khaenri'ah, which isnt a stretch given that pierro is the founder and director of the fatui harbingers. thus making them look similar to kaeya rather than vice versa.

panning back up a little bit, regarding the silver hair in kaeya, it seems to be expanding to the rest of his hair, in his skin it goes down the length of his braid.

in the webcomic where we flash back to the past a bit, we see kaeya actually doesnt have the little strand of silver over his left ear, as well as when we return to the normal time setting of the comic, its also not included in his icy featherflight splash art (this 100% could be a stretch on my part they could've just forgot about it its a small strand) (while we're talking about stretches, my biggest one is that childe has a similar streak in his hair lol but that might be going toooo far)

last but not least, his vision, one of the most interesting things about his whole characters. a person from a nation that actively defied the gods recieving a sign of their recognition seems like kind of a threat doesnt it? and its all the more ominous that his vision casing is different from every other mondstadt casing!

this is the back of kaeya's vision next to the back of diluc's vision for comparison, the only notable things are the lack of a third wing probably signifying he's sort of out of place, and the swirl? wave? whatever you wanna call it is on the wrong side. every other character with a double sided vision has the swirl on the other side like jean, diluc, mona, eula, lisa (etc..? i havent seen anyone else with a double sided vision which is also interesting, at least from mond)

however!! weirdly enough, in the 3.8 summer event where kaeya gets his skin, his vision actually gets a different casing, as you can see he gets his full three wings, as well as an extra spike! but not really an extra spike because the vision is just on top of another thing that makes it look like it has a third spike, but the wing is actually there. the genshin fashion archive isnt updated with kaeya's skin so i cant check if there's a swirl, even though the vision isnt even double sided in the skin which is also really weird to me.

im pretty sure ive covered most things, if anyone has any additions please let me know! id love to look into them.

i think kaeya is a really interesting character who's incredibly centered around foreshadowing in the way he carries himself and his backstory, so to think that they managed to extend the foreshadowing bit into even his design is a little bit insane imo.

[goldensunsetchild]

To Answer The Call | SAGAU one-shot|

A/N: I wrote this one-shot because I wanted to celebrate that I won the 50/50 even though I didn't have it guaranteed so now grandma is home. I also decided to use the Lantern Rite invitation to invite Ga Ming because he's such a sunshine I love him so much. So, I hope you like this.

CW: fem!reader, a little (cough*highly*cough) self indulgent, Zhongli mentioned to be the creator's favorite.

Word count: 899 words

Featuring: Xianyun and Ga Ming

It was no secret that the thing the vision holders wanted the most was to receive the call, from their creator. Aside from the ones that were chosen as starting companions, there were only a few lucky ones that got the chance to receive said calling as it seemed that Her Grace was someone really picky when it came to choosing those that were going to be called to her side. Among all the Liyue vision holders, it seemed that the favorite of Her Grace was none other than the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Consultant; Mr. Zhongli.

Most believed that it was because of his extensive knowledge of Liyue's history, perhaps Her Grace liked knowledgeable people the most. However, people like the adepti knew that the reason was... something else; Morax was the god of contracts and as such Her Grace found suitable to made a contract with him in order to guarantee that he would answer the call when the time came. Of course, he answered her call half because of the contract and half because he would never dream to ignore his creator.

Some time after that news arrived that the next in answering the call was Miss Keqing, the Yuheng from the Qixing. Almost at the same time news from Fontaine said that the Chief of Justice, Mr. Neuvillette also answered Her Grace's call and even from Mondstadt an astrologist named Mona Megistus also answered said calling. Of course there was more than just them who had already the privilege of answering her call, including the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing Miss Ningguang and the famous opera performer Miss Yun Jin.

As member of the adepti Cloud Retainer also had the secret wish that maybe some day her creator would call for her, after moving to live among humans and making a new identity she awaited every day. And when the time finally came, she saw it and heard it... the call from her creator so of course she answered immediately and next time she knew she was in front of the Traveler. Though it would be more appropriate to say that she was in front of her, there was no way of mistaking that right golden eye that shined with ancient power. But why was her expression so... surprised? Disappointed? The adeptus couldn't really tell at all.

"Xianyun? Wow... I mean, thank you so much for answering my call. I... I'm actually surprised because I thought that you might have not wanted to answer my call."

How could she not? Nothing could ever be more important than being at her creator's service, she glanced at her and noticed that after saying those words Her Grace smiled at her, it seemed that after all she was pleased with her answering to her call. Of course, as soon as she got within Her Grace's grasp she immediately showered the adeptus with a lot of gifts and also bestowed her with more power. Just like she had done with all of the other acolytes that answered her calling, Her Grace really loved them so deeply. So, the news that Miss Xianyun from Qiaoying Village got called by Her Grace spread out until it reached Yilong Wharf where a certain young man was also wishing that her creator called for him.

Everyone knew his name, Gaming, one of the guards for the Sword and Strongbox Secure Transport Agency. A lively and passionate boy who also loved Wushou Dances, of course as everyone else he wanted to get the chance to be called by Her Grace but he never thought that he would have more than what he expected because he also got to meet her in person. It was no secret that the blond traveler better known as the Hero of Liyue was the creator's vessel, so when he met with them at Liyue Harbor he thought of himself as a really lucky person.

And to his surprise he not only met Her Grace but also she helped him to reconcile with his father, could he be more lucky? Of course he could, because he felt so special when she extend him a letter and it happened it was no ordinary letter because it was actually an invitation to join her. He was so worried that she would never call for him but it turned out that she prepared an invitation for him and only him. He opened the letter and of course, soon he received tons of gifts and even more power.

"Since you weren't answering for my calls I thought that maybe it would be better to give you an invitation in person. That way you wouldn't be able to reject me right?"

She said, her right golden eye shining as bright as the sun. Gaming felt his heart racing like crazy, he wanted to tell her that it was not that he was ignoring her calls but it seemed that they got lost and never reached him but now... Now he was by her side and not only that, he was not going to forget so easily how excited she seemed upon meeting him for the first time or when she said such things like he was "her precious sunny boy", he didn't have any clue what that meant but for some reason it sounded special and it made him feel that way: special.

[limes-sagau]

Starting My Sagau Writing Journey

Ok Im wanting to dip my toes into the Sagau writing scene and I wanted to put out about 3 ideas I have and plan on writing. Each idea will be outlined below and people are welcome to take inspiration off of them just make sure to tag me in the writing. There will also be a poll at the end where you can vote for which one you want to see first. When I finish writing each chapter they will be put up on AO3. 

Shimeji AU: 

For those who don't know, Shimeji is a browser extension that spawns a chibi version of a character onto your browser. This character can then move around and climb on the borders of your web page and just be a cute little distraction (I know this might sound like malware but its not I've had a Venti and a Lumine Shimegi for a while now and haven't experienced anything that can imply they are malware) 

This would be more of a drabble and less of a full fic. 

Basically the characters in genshin become aware through their Shimeji and then begin acting up in your browser when you're out of the game (when you're in game you're fine).

If you leave your web browser opened when you leave your computer you will come back to it being on a weird page 

Like Venti looking at a wine website 

Diluc somehow ending up on a streaming service watching Batman 

Yae Miko finding your writing 

I'll likely start off with characters from Mondstadt and go down the list for each region.

Kidnapped by the Harbingers (not the final title): 

Exactly as it sounds, in the middle of the night you are taken from your college dorm (or room I likely won't specify) to Teyvat after the harbingers find a way into our world. 

Haven't decided which harbinger will be sent (leaning towards Childe because I feel like it would fit best and he'd be down for that type of experiment). 

Most of it will take place in a separate castle from Zapolyarny Palace. 

If you want to know my specific location I have in mind their is a visual novel called Dottore And The Spy where you become Dottores apprentice (highly suggest this visual novel) but its main story takes place in a castle in the middle of a frozen wasteland away from civilization where both Pantalon and Dottore live. This will be the main location for the story. 

I'll also be adding in Capitano as another permanent resident of this castle because I want to write about a big strong man who is the emotional intelligence of the three main harbingers present. 

The other harbingers and the Tsaritsa will appear but they will be much more understated in their role.

I want this fanfic to go into the mental load that being locked away from the world has on a person's psyche.

Readers' powers will slowly awaken, making it harder for the Harbingers to keep us a secret from Teyvat and specifically Celestia.

This won't be a full blown yandere fic with the harbingers, they will be slightly possessive but it is more about your safety since Celestia doesn't like you. 

Celestia will be the ultimate enemy over all but the story will not be focused on shooting down Celestia from the sky as readers powers will not ever reach the strength needed to face Celestia alone. 

Harbingers plan will not have changed; they are still working to take down Celestia.   

This will be taking place after Sumeru (so no Scara or La Signora and their will be less clones)

The story will also include 

Getting to know and bond with your castle staff like maids or ladies in waiting (I know these are typically only given to female presenting reader but I want to write about gossip and forming friendships so this is what I'm going with) 

Quality time with each harbinger

Impressing Dottore with your basic levels of knowledge on Astronomy (since Teyvats sky is fake)

Eventually a runaway arch

Lots of tears and mental breakdowns, but don’t worry there will be comfort as well

Shenanigans 

Possibly NSFW after reader finally convinces everyone to stop calling them “your grace”

To Make a Haven (Title might change):

Imposter (but reader is the real deal) AU

Reader gets killed once by a mob of NPCs 

I want it specifically to be NPCs so the reader still has emotional attachment to the playable characters

Reader seeks out a safe and secluded place  

Teyvat awakens to readers distress and opens up a hidden area of the map to the reader that can only be accessed through very specific means. 

Reader eventually starts bringing in Hilichurls to what for now im going to be calling “the Grove” 

Reader will begin messing around and experimenting with her powers and finds a way to somewhat heal the hilichurls 

This isn't a full fix it will be like layering a curse on top of a curse in order to negate some of the effects of the original curse

The hilicurls will not return to being human they will become something else (human like but not human) 

This fic will contain way more original characters 

Reader will be more spiteful in this fic but less in like a “make everyone suffer” way and more like “lets shake up the system and make everything more challenging for people because they tried to kill me” 

This fic will span over a larger span of time in world with the reader building a full city in the hidden area Teyvat made for them.

Well those are my three ideas! after this poll is done I'm hoping to get the first chapter out with that week, but I'm a college student and it been a while since I have written fanfiction so i make no promises.

[anilyan]

Venti is Phanes + on Istaroth and the Primordial One

Not so crack theory: Venti is Phanes and is the androgynous being born from the Chymical Marriage between the Primordial One and Istaroth, before she was betrayed by the Sinners

(I posted this before but now it's properly explained)

I am using this lore in my old mondstadt fic, Nameless (actually soon to turn into trilogy, since vol 2 is about venti rewinding time and vol 3 is present time story and I took so long to plan all the lore with all the canon crumbs and theories we had...)

Yes, a lot of the info about gods is pulled from wikipedia, I’m not being paid to research more, okay? I just want to feed the brainrot. My main sources besides those are the videos listed at the end.

I would love if this theory made its way to some big lore content creator for them to analyse and criticize, because I have been rotating this in my head but I don’t have their capacity or knowledge to tear this apart.

NOTES:

This post contain minimal mentions of 2 leaks, about the rest of the collection of The Pale Princess and the Six Pygmies, and a sus minimal old leak about Venti

This post contains some references to the Penacony arc from Honkai star rail, but no knowledge about the game is required and in fact, I don't even play it myself and those are just sus parallels

0. Summary / main points

Istaroth and the Primordial One parallel Chronos (personification of time) and Ananke (most powerful dictator of Fate and mother of The Fates/Moirai), respectively.

Chronos and Ananke laid down the cosmic / orphic world that created/reshaped the world. In a way, that was an Alchemical Marriage, that also gave birth to the androgynous winged being Phanes/Venti, and to the Abyss,

Venti has many ties to fate, including extensive apple symbology visible even in wisp form. The apples, besides being a symbol of fate, also represent a dream bubble in accordance to the structure of Teyvat. Quoting his most sus birthday art, “It is written that there is a whole tiny world hidden inside an apple core”

Venti has at least some control over 1 half of Teyvat while the other half is ruled by The Night Mother/Nyx. He also offers us half of the apple in the mentioned birthday art.

Ananke was a serpent-like being, and we see a Black Serpent 1) coiled around Phanes 2) coiled around the pearl/cosmic egg in the Gnostic Chorus 3) in the Black Serpent Knights, who also had Ishtar/Istaroth’s star as a symbol 4) In Nibelung, if we consider serpents and dragons the same

Istaroth supported Khaenri’ah (thus why the Nation had her symbol) and both opposed the Heavenly Principles/Celestia, until she was betrayed by the Sinners/6 Pygmies and forgotten

The Primordial One was opposed by Celestia. We also know that Nibelung fought Celestia. They were either allies or even the same being (a black serpent), and their perceived opposition is not too different from how Remus went down misinterpreted by history

1. About the Primordial One

In case it’s not yet clear, this assumes that Phanes =/= Primordial One. After all, the book Before the Sun and Moon simply says that “The Primordial One may have been Phanes*”,* and the fandom just started equating the two.

I am of the opinion that the Primordial One and Celestia are in opposition, while Istaroth is on the side of the Primordial One, or at least opposed to Celestia too. Maybe the Alchemical Marriage was part of a plan of theirs. Read more about it in section 3.

And if the truth about Remuria taught us anything, is that some rivalries depicted in history are false. In the same way Remus went down as a Tyrant when in reality he never wanted to employ force and was even allied with Sybilla (a vishap), I would say that the Primordial One and Nibelung/dragons/vishaps probably found ways to coexist. We do know that Nibelung went to war against the Heavenly Principles/Celestia, but if Celestia and Primordial One opposed each other, that just makes an alliance between PO and the Dragon King more likely.

We don’t know if Primordial One = 1st Descender and Celestia = 2nd Descender, so I will avoid using those terms throughout the post. But if the 2nd who came = 2nd Descender = Celestia, then that would lend further credibility to the idea that Celestia and the PO are on opposing sides, since the 2nd who came basically stole PO’s ruling of Teyvat.

2. About Istaroth AND Khaenri’ah

Like I said above, I believe that Istaroth sides with the Primordial One and that both are in opposition to Celestia

Istaroth has the ability to create alt Looms of Fate through those seeds she gives away - those basically grow into trees that are databases of history outside the control of Celestia. I had already affirmed this for my fic before we got the 2nd Caribert quest, but at this point is practically confirmed.

Istaroth is based on Astaroth and Ishtar, and Ishtar’s morning star is an 8-pointed star just like the symbol of Khaenri’ah. And so the Black Serpent Nights probably served Istaroth in some way.

Khaenri’ah supposedly didn’t have a god, but let’s keep in mind Istaroth was forgotten by time. It’s also possible that, even if Khaenri’ah had a god, they still considered themselves the pride of humankind since Istaroth likely wasn’t associated with Celestia, as I mentioned

Speaking of Black Serpents, other prevalent Black serpents are the one in the Gnostic Chorus, and Nibelung, in a way (not sure if they are or not the same entity). So I would say that Nibelung is/was also allied with Khaenri’ah/Istaroth/Primordial One. Please refer to the section above for an explanation.

The 6 Pygmies and the Pale Princess is a book that is an allegory for the 5 Sinners of Khaenri’ah + Dainsleif and Istaroth. I include, at the end, a video that explains that properly and is very much worth the watch. From there (or at least, from the leaked volumes), we know that the Sinners basically betrayed Istaroth, which might explain why she ended up being forgotten and why Dainsleif is the only Pygmie that didn’t go fully down the Sinner’s path.

3. The relationship between the Primordial One and Istaroth

Like I say above, many things point to them being allied. At the very least, we can quite safely infer they both opposed Celestia/The Heavenly Principles and in turn allied with Khaenri’ah.

The cosmic/ orphic/world egg was created by Chronos (personification of time) and Ananke (most powerful dictator of Fate and mother of The Fates/Moirai). “Ananke and Chronos are mates, mingling together in serpent form as a tie around the universe. Together, they have crushed the primal egg of creation of which constituent parts became earth, heaven and sea to form the ordered universe.”

Ananke and Chronos have to be the PO and Istaroth - which one is which is a bit debatable, with their genders being a counterargument on its own. But I would say Chronos is Istaroth (due to her associations with time, although she is more a god of moments than of time) while Ananke is the Primordial One (who had the 3 moon sisters/moirai as shades + is probably the Dreamer/HSR’s SUNday parallel who plays the symphony that creates the fates reflected by the moons (read more in next section)).

The cosmic egg that birthed the world, together with the Abyss AND Venti, probably resulted from their Alchemical Marriage. I wouldn’t be too surprised if it was also the Gnostic Pearl depicted in the Gnostic Chorus cutscene, or even if the Black Serpent there was Ananke/Primordial One. In fact, that would only solidify the connections with the Black Serpent Knights and them wearing Istaroth’s symbol. And it would be extra funny if somehow the Primordial One and Nibelung were the same entity (since I already explained why I think they were are least on the same side)… and therefore were a black serpent/dragon.

Okay, but what is an Alchemical/Chymical Marriage? It’s a marriage between a Red King and a White Queen, the Sun and the Moon, gold and silver, sulphur and mercury. It’s sometimes pointed as the source of the Philosophers' Stone, and from that union of opposites is birthed an androgynous being. Btw, that marriage is facilitated by a dove, but this is off-topic and you can see why that is interesting in the last video linked. It’s also a process that sometimes involves ‘fermentation”, which is also off-topic but ties well with the wine-making process and other things mentioned in the last video too.

According to Jakob: "The Seal of Chymical Marriage was an ancient Fontainian ritual meant to seal off the source of life. Now it has been reversed, and all has been set free once more!" So, it can be used to separate the Primordial Sea from the world, which sounds similar to creating a world/pearl/philosopher’s stone/egg/dream bubble that floats in the sea of quanta or wtv is the logic used across Hoyoverse’s worlds. We confirm again this was necessary to create Teyvat's egg, and that the Primordial One couldn’t do it alone because two people are required for a marriage.

And do you know what Marriages also require? A ring. Who was escaping with a golden ring, that is an important figure of Khaenri’ah and the only Pygmy who didn’t act like the others/didn’t become a Sinner? Dainsleif, whose constellation is even a Serpent ring. May I point to the Das Rheinegold music drama, that is part of the series The Ring of Nibelung, and maybe use that as extra merit to associate the Primordial One with Nibelung?

4. About the world of Teyvat

Dragons = Vishaps = Sea slugs = Bees = Seelies. Yes. We already know that the the dragons and seelies in Genshin are based on irl sea slugs, I won’t elaborate on that. As for Bees, that is because we have seelie-like bees in Remuria, connected to the prophet Golden-Bee Sybilla (don’t mistake Sybilla with Sylla, who is a Dragon King, although I guess this is all the same family)

Teyvat is theoretically 2 worlds/halves, the version we know and the mirror world, that is probably the Abyss. Or maybe all of it is a mirror world, idk. We can even see similar world structures in Honkai Star Rail, especially in Penacony, where the world there is literally mirrored and a dream too. Some people say Teyvat is divided in 3 parts: the Light Realm, Void Realm, and the Human Realm. But I think the Pimordial One just transformed the Light Realm into the Human Realm, so there are still 2 parts only, and we know they can overlap anyway.

Cycle: People die » are absorbed by the roots » are supposed to travel to the top of the world tree (inverted, so top is in abyss) to become Irminsul fruit / stars » said stars form constellations that determine people's fate, or more accurately, since they are all in a dream, are data that allows the tree to predict their fates » it’s because people exist as stars that their fates and presence can be summoned in the form of shooting stars

Dainsleif confirmed that the leylines can be woven to determine Fate / have their records changed. The Loom used to weave them is a Symphony, or in other words, Remus’ Symphony of Fate is very similar or the same thing as a Loom of Fate, although maybe not at the same scale. It’s possible that other God-Kings also attempted to create their own Looms of Fate.

Add to that some Penacony’s parallels, and you can infer that the Symphony is controlled in a floating palace, that is actually a Grande Theater, by the Sun(day) (potentially Phanes or the Primordial One, basically the one who Dreams), and it’s reflected by the moons (Aria, Sonnet and Canon, so the musical associations are fitting). Considering that the 3 moon sisters are also probably the mythological Moirai who weave Fate, yeah, that tracks.

5. Finally, about Venti

Addressing the Venti is/isn’t the weakest Archon debate: Idk and I don’t quite care, because regardless of how much power he holds now, this theory is about his origins and role more than anything.

Venti is the one narrating the Gnostic Chorus cutscene, so clearly he knows about the origins of Teyvat and other important stuff. Yes, it can just be because of his ties to Istaroth who had the winds of time and bla bla, but I would say he has a bigger involvement.

In the Gnostic Chorus, there is a Black serpent, and I already mentioned how it ties with Khaenri’ah and Istaroth in the second section. Well, Phanes is a figure that has a serpent coiled around him too, Ananke, to be more precise.

Phanes was believed to have hatched from the egg of Chronos and Ananke (Istaroth and PO, section 3), OR Nyx in the form of a black bird and wind, OR from the cosmic /orphic egg placed in and hatched from Aether, who was the personification of the bright upper sky and another son of Chronos. Regardless, it seems like the egg birthed both Phanes AND the world?

Phanes is described sometimes as male, sometimes as androgynous. I don’t need to explain how that fits Venti. The androgynous part also fits with how a being born from an Alchemical Marriage should be androgynous due to being an union of opposites.

Phanes is also described has having wings and a crown. We are yet to see a crown, but at least the angel wings are there.

Some myths say that Phanes was Dionysus (god of wine… amongst other things), or Eros (god of love, yes I’m simplifying), and oh boy isn’t Venti the god of all of that too? Although this is complicated since it has to do with gods being iterations of past gods and such, you can read more about it here

In a certain play, after Phanes mates with Chaos, he creates flying creatures. It would also fit Venti well, especially given that tale from Amber’s Quest where he taught birds how to fly.

Okay, this gets less obvious now. Phanes is a first-born deity who emerged from the abyss and gave birth to the universe, and is a god of creation, light and goodness. The Abyss part is extra intriguing because the world has an abyss half, and some in-game books even compare wine with the Abyss, and also with the idea that drinking the abyss/wine is a way to acquire Forbidden Knowledge. Please, check the last video I link.

Phanes counterpart is Nyx (Night). In some tales she is Phane’s wife, sometimes his daughter, and in others she creates an egg from which Phanes is born, so wtv. I don’t know who Nyx is (besides being clearly The Night Mother from the book of the Six Pygmies), but it’s pretty clear that the Abyss half is under her responsibility in some way.

Oh, right, this was a sus leak that broke my mind months ago and seemed completely nonsensical, but since I started cooking this theory, I can’t help but look back at it. It claimed that Venti was the guide of the Primordial One. Humm… yeah, if Venti was part of a plan between Istaroth and PO, I can see that, although I don’t know what the goal could be. Maybe he is assuming Istaroth’s role now that she is gone in supporting the PO?

This is a very wild guess, but I really thing Venti has something to do with the Gnostic Pearl. Idk if that pearl is the same one that hatched the world, or something that holds the world together (think Mikha from HSR), but I can imagine him having some responsibility over taking care of it.

And if you think Venti holding Fate in his hands is a stretch… let’s talk about Apples. Especially in anime, Apples are often depicted as the fruit of Fate (look no further than Mawaru Penguindrum), and in Inazuma, the girl giving Fortune Slips is called Gendou Ringo, with Ringo meaning ‘apple’ in Japanese. Well… Mondstadt is a land full of apple trees, Venti loves apple cider and is often asking for apples to pay for his performances, is being given an apple in archon form in one of his birthday arts, created the Golden-Apple Archipelago, and even the top of his head in wisp form resembles an apple stem. Seriously, I go crazy with how many people never noticed that. This is too much in our face to not be relevant.

This sounds like a stretch, but apples are round and so the shape is not too different from a dream bubble. And do you know what the birthday art I mentioned had in the caption? “It is written that there is a whole tiny world hidden inside an apple core. Here, this half is for you. Let's take a stroll in the tiny little world. But remember to keep it a secret because... you're the only one I want to bring there.” If he isn’t holding Fate or a world in some way, then I don’t know what this is supposed to mean.

You know how I said that Teyvat is divided into 2 halves? That also connects well with his quote (when he gives us half of the apple/world), and with the idea that Phanes is the day while Nyx is the night. So maybe Venti is responsible for the half of Teyvat that we know/he gave us while Nyx is responsible for the Abyss side.

So… is there any proof that Venti is Phanes? No. Are there many many sus elements about him and connections with the things I listed? Yes. I could see the Traveler being Phanes and being entrusted the Light/Human half of Teyvat by Venti as a scenario just as likely, especially if The Abyss sibling ends up being/becoming Nyx, but I like this version more xD

But even if the main theory ends up being wrong, I hope people you got some things to think about.

Some videos for extra lore, more a less in order of relevance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZIR-tfzfd4 » Reinterpretation of all volumes of the Six Pygmies and the Pale Princess in light of finding out about the 5 Sinners of Khaenri’ah + Dain + connections of Istaroth with Khaenri’ah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK3xYKtUniQ » More about the connections between Istaroth and Khaenri’ah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePjY4c0Rj0k » Elaborates on how a Loom of Fate is basically another database, as opposed to the Irminsul, and mentios how Istaroth can could create several Looms of Fate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAm9uElsKd4 » Parallels with the Penacony arc from Honkai Start Rail and list of evidences that Teyvat is a Dream bubble

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhST-fz6Yps » Video is from before we learned about the 5 Sinners, and I’m not fully sold on the chronology, but I still think it does a good job at elaborating n the serpent thing from the gnostic chorus and other things we can infer about genshin thanks to parallels to Penacony

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHCv8KFdL6M&t=1045s » Ties sacramental bread and blood with wine and the way wisdom/abilities can be passed down thrown ingesting parts of gods, and the concept of fairy rings and The Ring of Nibelung, with the concept of a Chemical Marriage.

[artechoceneexplorer]

Herbs and Spices of Teyvat: A glimpse of the edible flora of the Continent

Teyvat is home to an incredible diversity of flora, given the variety of climates that can be found across it, and a significant portion of them have been used by the people of each region to build their cultures, through the unique flavours they give to their local cuisine.

Here's the plants that haven't had close-ups yet, the Small Lamp Grass, the Snapdragon, the Marcotte and the Sweet Flower:

The Small Lamp Grass (Lucetta luminatus) is a hedge native to the forests of Mondstadt, growing in the underbrush, away from clearings. Its most unique characteristics are its bioluminescent flowers, composed of a mostly closed, translucent calyx from which the blue light emitted from the bioluminescent bacteria inside the styles of the flowers passes through, attracting many insects towards it. To deter predators, it produces in its leaves allicin-like compounds, which are used to enhance flavors in local cuisine.

The Giant Palustrine Snapdragon (Megaanthirrhinum palustris) or just "Snapdragon" as called by the locals, is a giant riparian plant that can be found around the rivers and estuaries of Liyue and Mondstadt . Its giant flowers, the size of a grown man's head, combined with its large stature, makes this plant visible from hundreds of meters away. These flowers' sizes can be explained by their unusual pollinators, which are not insects, but much larger birds like finches and pigeons, who are strong enough to open the hinge of the flowers and access the pooled nectar inside, while being covered in pollen to pollinate the next flowers. Fishermen often use these flowers as an on the go snack, but their flowers, usually not whole, are used as garnish in many local dishes, despite being slightly bitter.

The Marcotte (Crassulojasminoides oloratus) is one of the most common plants of Fontaine, especially in the salty calcareous soils of the lowlands. Because of the salty conditions of the soil, this plant has adapted by storing it inside of its non reproductive tissues, mainly its leaves. Because of this, its leaves are used as dressing in plenty of dishes, alongside its flowers, which are used more for their scent, not only in cuisine, but in many other disciplines too.

The Sweet Flower (Glycophytum pervagatus) is one of if not the most ubiquitous herbaceous plant across the continent, being able to grow from the icy tundra of Snezhnaya, to the hot deserts of Sumeru, and even the isolated lands of Inazuma. This spurge has spread across the world, both because of its incredible physiological adaptations, their varied pollinator species, and most importantly, their relationship with man. Humans have cultivated this plant for centuries for its extremely sweet fruit, and its honey-like nectar that it secretes from its enlarged, petaliform nectarines, all of which can be turned into sugar. Because of extensive agriculture of this species, it is unknown the place of origin of it, but it is thought to be native to the seasonal plains of natlan, in which they had to adapt to harsh and fast changes in environmental conditions.

[furidaimonia]

— 🌸 𝐓𝐄𝐘𝐕𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒

summary: general headcanons about the world of teyvat and, by extension, the gods that rule it.

warnings: spoilers for sumeru’s, fontaine’s and natlan’s archon quest.

inspired by @oliveden ‘s archon headcanons.

masterlist

visions are strongest in the realm dominated by its element — geo visions will be stronger in liyue, dendro in sumeru, etc. the amount the vision’s power increases is dependent on how in tune the vision wielder is with their element.

mondstadt is the youngest of the seven nations. snezhnaya used to border liyue, and a harsh mountain pass divided the two nations. it was only after the massacre that was the archon war that the new cryo archon, later called the tsaritsa, ceded the mountainous south in favor of retreating farther up north. with his newfound power, barbatos clumsily hand carved the jagged cliffs and sharp valleys that’s now known as mondstadt for the snezhnayans left abandoned by their former god. dragonspine stands as a reminder of what their home used to be before barbatos graciously gave them freedom.

all of sumeru used to be harsh desert. it’s no secret that rukkhadevata created the lush, fruitful jungles that most sumerans call home out of a barren wasteland, and it is because of the new dendro archon — nahida — that the jungle continues to flourish. flowers bloom in the wake of her footfalls and new forests sprout with a wave of her hand, its health inherently tied with her livelihood. should the dendro archon die and not reincarnate, appoint a successor, or relinquish their domain to irminsul, the vibrant and forested east of sumeru will wither and rot, the western sands reclaiming its old territory as nature returns to equilibrium.

the tsaritsa’s anguish hardened into bitterness, and bitterness into apathy. in turn, the pleasant and fertile rolling hills and gentle peaks of snezhnaya hardened and froze over, soft grass and fields of wildflowers being replaced with permafrost and tundra. much of modern snezhnaya is considered inhospitable and now lies above the arctic circle. only those with cryo visions are able to withstand its subzero temperatures and biting winds for extended periods of time, and one can find small pockets of life dotted throughout the glaciers and ice sheets — communities comprised entirely of cryo vision wielders and their kin.

i imagine snezhnaya’s music to sound similar to tennen composed by hania rani (listen to it here).

the archons are bound by their gnosis to their domain and thus physically unable to leave the borders of their nation. the capital city of each region in teyvat is rife with embassies and carefully selected diplomats to carry out international relations and their god’s wills.

natlanians are unable to leave their homelands for extended periods. phlogiston, being in the air and earth of natlan, has become a vital source of life alongside food and water. anyone born and raised in the nation of fire and war will quickly become dependent on the substance to live, and should a natlan native find themselves elsewhere in teyvat for too long, they will experience increasingly worsening fatigue, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, dehydration, dizziness, and hallucinations, which can lead to organ failure among other conditions. to avoid this fate, those who wish to travel must plan in advance and pack phlogiston inhalers, but the devices are only a temporary solution and cannot sustain someone for longer than a week or two at a time.

the pyro archon rises and lowers the sun and the geo archon the moon each and every day. akin to the circadian rhythm, they possess an internal clock that tells them when to perform this duty. during periods of war where even the pyro archon can’t afford to leave the battlefield, citizens of teyvat have recorded the phenomena of night or day lasting weeks at a time all while the moon completes its usual cycle. the longest period the daylight cycle remained unbalanced was during the archon war where it seemed as if even the sun and moon were fighting for dominion over the sky.

the anemo archon controls the winds and air itself and the hydro archon controls condensation and precipitation across teyvat. after the hydro archon’s death, this responsibility fell to neuvillette, who at first maintained a very rigid schedule and didn’t think twice about it before he read a bewildered meteorologist’s column in the steambird that remarked how it always rained for exactly five hours on tuesdays and fridays. he still struggles with creating the same level of spontaneity and diversity in weather that foçalors seemed to effortlessly have, but he’s noticed that the ability seems tied to his emotional state… it’s always overcast after a particularly troubling court case.

thunder and lightning storms occur when the electro archon wakes up on the wrong side of the bed.

rex lapis bleeds liquid gold, and there’s whispers of a band of hunters solely dedicated to profiting off this myth.

every nation has its own distinct language, but after the fall of khaenri’ah, its language was adopted as the lingua franca in order to keep part of it tangible and alive.

the pyro archon once targeted celestia with pillars of rock in the geo archon’s fashion, but missed. the displaced earth trail behind celestia’s orbit, almost mockingly, but a very keen eye observing from the right location and time of day will notice that behind celestia, it almost looks like a piece of the sky is missing.

being made out of a branch of irminsul, as nahida grows and ages, she will slowly become more lithe and earthen as white branches sprout from her scalp and limbs and moss climbs her legs. all dendro archons who share this origin have the same fate: they will one day root to the earth like any tree, and their final resting places can be found in long-forgotten lands of sumeru. it’s rumored that eating the fruit that grows from them will grant the consumer forbidden knowledge. if you place your hand on the bark, you can feel a faint pulsing, almost like a heartbeat.

[kanonavi]

(Spoilers for 4.5 Potion event (just in case lol I know I'm late on this))

At this point, I'm really wondering if we're gonna end up getting some payoff in the future for much Paimon absolutely hates Venti for no discernible reason. Because he isn't the only person she's been kinda standoffish with over the years, but he's by far the most consistent. Like, when you consider the fact that Paimon even warmed up to Al-Haitham by the end of Sumeru, it kinda says a lot about her apparent grudge against Venti by comparison. (And I love Al-Haitham to death, but I'm not about to say he's a ray of sunshine compared to Venti.) (Event interaction-related stuff under the cut)

The contrast to how Paimon treated Diona versus how she treated Venti when they came to the potion shop together was like night and day. I've been going around to all of my friends today and describing Paimon's reaction to them as something like "Diona omg hi it's so good to see you it's been forever how have you been!!! .........And Tone-Deaf Bard." which is obviously a comedic exaggeration, but also not entirely off the mark. And all Venti did was... exist? Try to help Diona out with what she was trying to do? Yes, he's going to get free drinks out of it but he also went truly above and beyond to help Diona find a new ingredient all the way from the middle of nowhere in Dragonspine. If he didn't care about Diona's feelings and what she was trying to do, he wouldn't have done that. (But of course, Venti does care because he's a good Archon and a good person and I love him for that.)

There are genuinely very few things that make me believe in the theory that Paimon is some kind of agent from the Heavenly Principles than the fact that she hates Venti so steadfastly. There's so much evidence that connects Mondstadt and specifically Venti/the Thousand Winds to the old civilizations of Teyvat that the Heavenly Principles once destroyed. For Venti to still exist in the world and let his people make their own choices in the way that he does, of course they and by extension Paimon would hate him. Plus, even if her annoyance with him started with his tendency towards being cryptic, why would Paimon care so much about what he knows? Why does one of his voicelines imply that he doesn't want to tell the traveler things with Paimon around?? It's just so incredibly suspicious.

The scene is kinda funny though when you look at how good Venti is with kids (how helpful and kind he is to Diona despite her wanting to get rid of alcohol, which he loves) and yet one of the most childish characters in the entire game absolutely despises him. Every day I wake up and wonder what in the world Paimon's damage is and if we're going to get a justification for it, or if this is sincerely just what the writers think is funny.

[mikashisus]

OLDER : O4. movie premiere

The blinding, continuous flash of cameras was starting to give you a migraine. First, your manager had yelled in your ear the whole way to the premiere because you had been so careless as to leak a part of your private life to the public, and now this.

Your night had been shaping up to be undeniably shitty, yet you kept an innocent smile plastered on your face for the paparazzi. They ate it up— your youthful glow, innocent smile, and attractive figure. It all made you sick to your stomach.

Not even two years into your professional acting career, and your life no longer belonged to you. You didn’t regret this path, you really didn’t. You had always dreamed of becoming an actor one day, yet you failed to think about all the side effects that came with stardom.

Now, after your second most notable role that provided you with fame you couldn’t mentally handle, you were learning how to deal with the weight of everything all around you. The only thing keeping you going was the support of your friends, and the presence of your coworker, Mr. Zhongli.

You met him for the first time on set on your first day of filming. Back then, you hadn’t realized just how big of a role you landed. The series would cover each nation eventually, but so far, it only covered Mondstadt and Liyue.

The very first movie was about the Archon War in Mondstadt. The second movie was meant to cover Liyue, but the director made the wise decision to split it up into two consecutive movies. The history of the Archon War in Liyue was too extensive to just numb it down to one movie.

Part one had already been released two years prior, and at that time, there had been a different actress for Guizong.

The original actress for the role had faced an untimely death. Because of the suddenness, the casting director had to find someone else to fill the role immediately. Since most of the scenes with Guizong had not been finished at the time of the previous actress’ death, all scenes that had already been filmed had to be redone.

You weren’t exactly sure what the casting director saw in you, but you were more than grateful for the opportunity to take on such a big role. Of course, you held a deep respect for the woman who previously had this role, and you promised yourself that you would do the role justice for her.

One of your main worries had always been what the public would think of you after finding out that the role of Guizong had been passed to another actress. You worried about not being as good an actress, or not playing the role the way it was meant to be played.

There were so many doubts: were you really cut out for this role? Would you really be able to fill the shoes of such a great and beloved actress? Would the viewers like you as much as they loved her? Would they hate you?

That was when your on-screen lover entered the fray.

Mr. Zhongli was a renowned actor. He had been acting for most of his life, and was favored particularly by younger female audiences because of his handsome looks and gentlemanly attitude. With his comforting voice and soothing presence, you quickly relaxed and began to open up.

Looking back on everything, you were incredibly thankful for his help.

A gloved hand placed itself on the small of your back as a tall figure came to stand shoulder to shoulder with you. Looking up, you caught the gaze of the coworker you had just been thinking about. He always seemed to show up when you were thinking about him.

He sent you a dazzling smile, and you could feel your knees buckle. You returned it dumbly, your eyes shamelessly trailing down his figure to study his outfit choice. An elegant suit and tie ensemble with gold embellishments and silver engravings on the shoulders. It looked nearly identical to one of the outfits his character wore in the movie. It really, really suited him.

You didn’t realize you were staring until he lightly squeezed your waist and focused his amber eyes back onto the paparazzi. Clearing your throat in embarrassment, you knew the public would begin to question the long stares the two of you had been giving each other for quite some time now.

You knew they’d shame you for liking a man that was old enough to be your father, but you really couldn’t help it when he was just so… so…

He tugged you away from the cameras, turning his body in such a way that shielded you from their view. “You look absolutely stunning,” he muttered into your ear, causing butterflies to erupt in your stomach. “That color suits you, my dear.”

He had a habit of calling you “my dear” ever since the two of you got closer during filming. The rest of the cast would continuously tease you about this whenever it happened.

Letting out an involuntary giggle, you smiled up at him. “You don’t look too bad yourself, grandpa.” You snickered as he exhaled deeply.

It was a running joke among the cast that Zhongli was a grandpa because he was older than most of you. Of course, he didn’t mind the jokes one bit. Sometimes he even participated in making them.

He squeezed your waist again, another small habit that formed during filming. Whenever you were about to start a scene, he’d promptly squeeze the side of your waist or your hips and smirk at your little yelps. Then, he’d walk away with this smug look on his face while you yelled at him.

“Y/n!” The voice of your close friend, Ganyu, called out.

Zhongli’s arm retracted from your waist, not without giving a final little tug first. You sent him a small glare before greeting Ganyu with a smile.

“Ganyu! Oh, look at you! You look absolutely gorgeous! I’d get on my knees for you, but I don’t want to ruin my dress.”

Ganyu was wearing a tight, black and blue dress with sparkles littering the hem. The dress reached her feet and billowed out at the ends, and had a slit on one side. The top of the dress had a sweetheart neckline, with thin red ropes lining the edges. Her sleeves billowed, allowing her arms room to breathe. The outfit was completed with black heels and an elegant hair piece that kept her hair tied back in a bun.

She usually didn’t fancy these types of dresses, as they weren’t really her style, but it looked magnificent on her.

Pink dusted Ganyu’s cheeks as she waved you off. “Oh, stop! Have you seen yourself!? The guys won’t be able to keep their eyes off of you!”

Zhongli interjected before you could say something in response. He chuckled, “They won’t be the only ones, it seems.” His amber eyes settled on you once more. He was staring at you so intensely that it made you feel smaller under his gaze.

You let out a small laugh of disbelief as Ganyu’s eyes widened. She cleared her throat awkwardly, “Well, ready to head inside? Almost everyone is in there already. We were just waiting on you two.”

Zhongli slid his arm around your waist once more, pulling you close to him. “I think this calls for celebration,” he said, sending you a smile. “For a job well done on the movie.”

You nodded. “I agree. You were amazing, as always.”

He chuckled, his other hand coming up to gently stroke your cheek. “I meant you, my dear. You were absolutely fantastic in that role. I think you lived up to everyone’s expectations.” He paused. “So… will you take me up on that offer?”

Moments before the two of you had stepped outside, Zhongli offered to buy you dinner and asked if you would like to spend the rest of the night with him. You agreed, for obvious reasons.

Your breath hitched. “Of course. How could I turn down Mr. Zhongli?” you teased. “Jokes aside, yes. Where were you thinking?”

“I was thinking about Xinyue Kiosk. The food there is most exceptional.” He had a nervous look in his eyes, one that you knew all too well.

He was nervous about not being able to impress you. Luckily for him, you were already impressed by his charm.

With a newfound confidence surging within you, you eagerly took his hand and held it tightly, intertwining your fingers. You brought your other hand up to rest over the back of his. He smiled sweetly at the action, giving your hand a small squeeze.

“I trust your judgment,” you told him. “After all, you are a distinguished man.”

He clicked his tongue and let out a small laugh. “You jest. I enjoy simplicity as well.”

“Simplicity, huh?”

The word reminded you of your hometown and your parents, who preferred a minimalistic lifestyle. Some of their ideologies had passed to you, though you hated to admit it, and you liked a simplistic life as well.

However, being a famous actor meant you couldn’t have that kind of lifestyle that you wanted. It meant that you would always be shoved into a life of expectancy and glamor.

As the limo driver opened the door for you and Zhongli, you slipped inside and crossed one leg over the other. Still having a firm grip on Zhongli’s hand, you rested it on your lap and let out a small sigh.

The man beside you rubbed his thumb over the back of your hand in soothing circles. “You have a look on your face.” He muttered.

You glanced at him. “I was just thinking about home. And food.”

That prompted a small huff of amusement from him. He raised a brow. “Care to tell me about ‘home’ during dinner?”

Your lips twitched up into a smile. “Only if you’re willing to listen.”

prev. | next | masterlist

NOTES: written chapter this time. i’ll be doing this from time to time since originally this fic was not supposed to be a smau at all. this chapter was supposed to be released WEEKS ago but this fic isn’t my top priority, so i didn’t edit this until now.

SUMMARY: when your acting career booms, the stress of the spotlight and your every move being watched starts to drown you whole. the only escape from a complete all time low comes in the form of your attractive coworker, zhongli— a distinguished and slightly older man that you can't seem to stop thinking about.

TAGLIST — open @theprinceofkhaos

[lord-of-cactus]

A LIFE SERIES X GENSHIN AU?!?!?! TWO OF MY MAJOR FANDOMS AT THE MOMENT??? AN IDEA I'VE PONDERED OVER MYSELF ON OCCASION?!?!?! YES PLEASE!!!!!

I'd LOVE to know your thoughts on who has what visions and/or weapon classes!!! Or, if there's plot to this au, I'd definitely find that interesting too!!! Basically, whatever you want to share, I'm excited to hear about! (Your piece of Jimmy receiving his vision is so cool btw!!!)

THANK YOU SO MUCH :))

Here's a list of everyone's vision/lack-of and which region they're originally from, I might organize it in a different way later but for now these are subject to small change when I get past chapter 1 of the fic!

Jimmy- Khaenri'ah (Residing in Snezhnaya) - Cryo

Grian- Khaenri'ah (Residing in Mondstadt) - Anemo

Pearl- Khaenri'ah (Wanderer/No Loyalties) - Pyro

Martyn- Khaenri'ah (Residing in Inazuma) - Dendro

BigB- Khaenri'ah (Residing in Sumeru) - Hydro

Mumbo- Fontaine - Electro

Taurtis- Khaenri'ah (Deceased) - Visionless

Sam- Snezhnaya (Deceased) - Pyro

Biffa- Inazuma (Deceased) - Pyro

Scott- Mondstadt (Residing in Inazuma) - Cryo

Tango- Natlan (Residing in Fontaine) - Pyro

Impulse- Liyue - Geo

Skizz- Mondstadt (Residing in Liyue) - Anemo

Joel- Sumeru - Dendro

Lizzy- Snezhnaya - Hydro

TFC- Sumeru - Geo

Cub- Sumeru - Cryo

Scar- Liyue (Mondstadt -> Liyue) - Geo

False- Natlan - Electro

Oli- Mondstadt- Anemo

Iskall- Sumeru - Dendro

Wels- Inazuma - Visionless

Ren- Natlan (Residing in Sumeru) - Cryo

Doc- Fontaine - Electro

Xisuma- Liyue - Visionless

Etho- Snezhnaya - Cryo

Bdubs- Inazuma - Anemo

Cleo- Wanderer/No Loyalties - Delusion Holder

Gem- Liyue (Residing in Mondstadt) - Hydro

Xloy and Pix- Fontaine - Both Visionless

There's some vague plot-talk under the cut, not too many spoilers tho! I have no much planned and there's way too much I have drafted to spoil in one post anyways 😭

It doesn't take Genshin lore 100% straight, there are some plot points, characters, and events that are changed/straight up don't exist to make the story flow better and make more sense (also Genshin is extensive as HELL and there are virtually a million things going on at the same time).

While the plot is about the Evo group as a whole, the story itself mainly follows Jimmy, as he and Lizzy work to become harbingers. Why are they fatui? How are the main 5 from Snezhnaya yet the plot takes place in present-day Tevat? How did they get there? Why aren't they together? These are all questions that'll be answered through the fic or as I update on my silly little blog :) !

(And to not hype you up too much, I AM A BAD WRITER! TERRIBLE EVEN! Ive written 1 chapter already but I'm still trying to find a beta-reader cause I'm too nervous to post it 😭)

[dawnbreak81]

(ART BY @maehwajuuuu-chu FROM PYRITE'S 2022 (fuck, that's a long time ago) DESIGN SDKLFJSADF (THANKS AGAIN, MAE!!))

“Pyrite is one of the most brilliant people I have had the fortune to meet. I often find myself awestruck by their way of thinking, while at the same time, they are… easy to communicate with. I have come to rather enjoy their company.”

-- Albedo

("Huh, are we talking about the same person?" - Paimon, soon after)

They roam the streets of Mondstadt in the dead of night, yet are impossible to find during the mornings. They are always writing something in an impossibly secret notebook. They have even been known to threaten children, or at least one certain child.

“We came to an agreement.” That was what the Acting Grand Master had said, before appointing the infamously volatile alchemist to the Knights.

However, their true intentions remain utterly inscrutable, and the people of Mondstadt are loath to trust any Harbinger, let alone one of their reputation.

And if they enjoy sleeping past midday and writing extensively flowery prose about a certain Chief Alchemist, or if their patience has snapped after too many times being told not to scare off those motherfucking pigeons? …Well, who’s to blame them?

MORE INFO:

Specialty dish: “Yes, I can actually cook.”

A plate of small pancakes, the diameter of each less than the length of a paperclip, for whatever that comparison is worth. They are drizzled with sweet syrup and dusted with icing sugar, served with a side of whipped cream. As you bite into them, you are pleasantly surprised by the soft, fluffy texture and warmth, and less pleasantly surprised to realise the syrup is HEAVILY coffee-flavoured.

Writing Snippet: Return to Mondstadt

Pyrite laughed, draping their handcuffed wrists over the back of the chair, the sudden movement causing the guards behind them to reach for their weapons. “To think one could enter the renowned City of Freedom in chains! There’s a certain irony to it, don’t you think, Jean?”

ASDLKFJSDAKLFJDSAKLFJKDSALFJSDAKLFJ HI- ANYWAY!! THIS IS PYRITE!! They're somewhat insane and I love them very much :D

[burquillos]

I like your diluven art !! Instead of it being overly sexualizing and straight up annoying- it gives me a feeling of hope for Diluc somehow. There's actually some meaning behind it and it's sort of comforting :)

Hope and Comfort... that's what I've always wanted people to get from my art T-T I'm so glad it comes across.

Diluc and Venti's role as Mondstadt's guardians of freedom in the darkness and keepers of secrets has always fascinated me. The way that they both need to keep a mask around others and keep up a front *chefs kiss* Not even mentioning the ties Barbatos has with the Ragnvindr family (and also the hexenzirkel by extension).

There are so many things to explore about them and I just love getting into those things!!

[haravatat-slime]

"BEDTIME STORY" - Preliminary Archon Quest (Ch. 4- Act IV) Thoughts

My diligence has finally paid off! For the first time in a while, I got to play through a Genshin quest as soon as it dropped! So, while energy is still high and the novelty of the event is still - well, novel - I offer you a collection of observations and examinations from the most recent Archon Quest.

HERE THERE BE SPOILERS - do not click unless you've played Bedtime Story or don't mind being spoiled on its events!

FIRST, and arguably (for me) most importantly - THE SINNER HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, and before yesterday there was NO way you could have convinced me that it was Dainsleif's brother. (Has he even mentioned having a brother before this?) (The "Dain is the twins' sibling" theorists are probably deeply unhappy. Sorry for your loss.)

(A bit sad that it's not Deshret, personally, but that's not relevant atm.)

His name, Vedrfolnir (or Vethrfolnir, or Veðrfölnir or any number of phonetically similar spellings for those of us who can't do Scandanavian languages to save our lives), comes from the name of a hawk that, in Norse mythology, is partnered with a (nameless?) eagle that sits on top of Yggdrasil (Irminsul). Vedrfolnir is believed to represent the eagle's wisdom, able to see everything in the Nine Realms (likely why Genshin!Vedrfolnir's title is The Visionary) and passing information back and forth to it - much in the way that Odin's ravens are believed to pass information back and forth to him.

It is also believed to play a role in the battle between the eagle and Nidhogg (the serpent at Yggdrasil's roots) at Ragnarok - possibly similar to that of Ratatoskr, whose gossip back and forth between Nidhogg and the eagle (and Vedrfolnir by extension) is what causes their mutual aggression.

The name Vedrfolnir means something akin to "pale wind."

As far as the other "Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah" are concerned:

Hroptatyr is another name for Odin (huge? can you say HUGE?). The "wise" part is self explanatory. The name means "sage" in Old Norse.

Rhinedottir is, as we know, a Norse spelling of the German "Rheintöchter." She's named after the Rhinemaidens, three water spirits who dwell at the bottom of the Rhine river and are said to protect the Gold(tm) that can grant anyone immeasurable power. This origin is, however-

While the original Nibelungenleid (the 12th century German poem-epic) makes mention of mermaids, and Norse mythology makes mention of the proverbial gold (see below) the massively significant role mentioned above was almost COMPLETELY made up by Richard Wagner while writing the Ring Cycle. The Rhinemaidens are mentioned nowhere in Norse mythology, whereas all the other Sinners' names are pulled directly from old Norse sources. (Considering Rhinedottir's level of importance to the overarching plot, especially in Mondstadt, I have a hard time believing this difference from the other Sinners isn't equally important.)

I have discussed Surtalogi previously, so lemme just... (clears throat). Caaaaaalled it.

So yeah. He's the "Fire of Surtr," the jotunn who burns it all down. Dain and Surtalogi, sword buddies. Nice neat explanation. (Who's gonna be Surtr? Will we have a Surtr? We'll put a pin in that.)

And...if he's "the Foul," then I guess anyone who adopts his power has...the...Foul Legacy...yeah. No need to delve into that much. At least not for now.

Rerir is a little more to unpack. Or a lot more. Who am I kidding. In the Norse Volsungasaga, Rerir is part of a long and complicated line of royal births and deaths that result in rise and fall of the titular Volsung clan (similar to, but not the exact same as, the Nibelungenleid). A brief overview:

Odin gives birth to Sigi.

Sigi gives birth to Reri. Sigi is killed by his brothers-in-law.

Rerir avenges his father's death (for all you Sherlock Holmes fans - Racher is "avenger," or one who gets revenge [Rache].)

The goddess Frigg has a crow bring Rerir and his wife an apple because they're having a hard time getting pregnant. It works.

Rerir dies while his wife is pregnant - for six years.

Volsungr (Rerir's son) is born by C-section (something that seeems to happen with a lot of heroes in different mythologies, just saying). His mom dies in the process.

Volsung fathers (in addition to like ten other kids) the twins Sigmundr and Signy (in German, Sigmund and Sieglinde).

Sigmundr fathers Sigurd (Siegfried in German).

Sigurd is the dragon-slaying, Nibelung's-hoard-and-ring-of-power-having king that ends up being killed during a combination political dispute/relationship drama.

The chunks of the Volsungsaga from Volsung on are retold in Wagner's Ring Cycle, albeit with his own embellishments (see Rhinedottir).

The aspect of Rerir's title here that's confusing me the most is "Solnari." Based on Rerir's mythological origin, Solnari should be his father - but then, why not just call him "Racher of Sigi"? Meanwhile, Sol is almost certainly a reference to a Sun deity (in Norse and Germanic, the sun goddess), but the "-nari" suffix is more confusing. From what I can tell,

1) "Nari" is Sanskrit for "woman" or "maiden" - so if Solnari were The Lady Sun it would make sense, but it seems weird to randomly throw Sanskrit into a Norse civilization; and

2) Nari, or Narfi, is a different deity in Norse mythology that is supposed to be either Loki's son (killed by his wolf-shifting brother Vali), the personification of night (Nott), or both.

I can't really make sense of it in the moment, but hopefully we'll get more info as we go - preferably before another year goes by, Dainsleif, please!???

The Vinster King is, likewise, difficult to parse. There is, on one hand, the Swedish word “vinst” meaning to win, or make a return/profit - which would make the “vinster king” the king who…won? This isn’t totally impossible as we know there have been plenty of wars of succession between both gods and humans in Teyvat. On the other hand, this may be a butchered spelling of the German “finster,” meaning “dark,” “sinister,” or “gloomy.” I wasn’t super sold on my own interpretation of this until I remembered this sweet loot drop we get in the Chasm:

So that may be the case, and, as such, the “Vinster King” may be another name for Irmin.

(Side tangent: I now think it would be super funny if we found out later that Irmin and Pierrot really ARE the same person…Gloomy King…becomes a Clown…? Love that…anyway.)

I have already heard that someone has translated the message in Caribert’s memory-travel/loading-screen thingy, but I DON’T TRUST PEOPLE! So i’m gonna do it here for myself.

From the top, line by line:

FAREWELL ATOSSA

I APOLOGIZE

FOR MAKING YOU KNOW ME

UNWILLINGLY

STILL I DONT WISH

YOU TO FORGET ME

This is written in Sumeran script, not Khaenri’ahn. A nice easter egg, and very touching to be sure. ;v;

One last thing: on the Sea of Flowers.

There are a few things that this Sea of Flowers reminds me of - Nabu Malikata and her connection to water and flowers comes to mind, for one - but the thing that I was IMMEDIATELY reminded of was the Dandelion Sea.

For those who don’t particularly enjoy coming through Genshin’s archive: The Fox in the Dandelion Sea is a whopping 11-volume story series found hidden throughout Mondstadt. In the story, a hunter makes a deal with a fox (or spirit. or fox-spirit) who believes that he intentionally saved her life (he was just a bad shot, and broke the ice that was keeping her trapped on a lake): teach her fox-child to speak the language of humans, and she will teach the hunter how to transform into other creatures.

In order to meet and teach her cub, the fox takes the hunter to a “sea of dandelions, stretching as far as my eyes could see.” All foxes who “disappear during the hunt” come here, and time appears to be meaningless. While the hunter appears to move toward learning a lesson, by the end of the series, he still informs the fox that his reason for learning transformation magic is to be a better hunter. At this, the fox turns him into a dandelion puff and blows him away to a “faraway land.” He then wakes, as is from a dream, with none of what he could have had (the magic, the beautiful fox-woman, or the peaceful sea of dandelions).

While I’m unsure if the Sea of Dandelions actually has anything to do with the Sea of Flowers, it would be interesting if we found out that the Sea of Flowers is some alternate version of reality - a domain, an isolated region, or even a beautiful (but ultimately unattainable) dream.

THAT IS. basically all i have so far. This is coming off (as i said) basically 4-5 hours of sleep followed by all day on-and-off research to try and process everything we got since yesterday. and yes i know I didn't mention the Loom of Fate even ONCE but honestly between the pretty explicit "it weaves ley lines" description and the Abyss twin's equally explicit "I don't know what I'm gonna do with it yet," I don't really feel like any deeper picking has to be done for now.

okay byeee

[calqlate]

RE: LOVE & LIFE | ZERO

— YOU, YOUR BELOVED HUSBAND, AND A PRETTY STRANGER

SERIES MASTERLIST | NEXT CHAPTER

PAIRING(S): zhongli x f! reader + diluc x f! wife! reader

SUMMARY: As the wife of the famous big shot in the wine industry, you have everything you could ever ask for — a beautiful mansion, endless wealth, servants at your beck and call... However, you lack the one thing you yearn for: love. With your beloved husband neglecting you and being stuck in a loveless marriage, you decide to end it all, only to be stopped by a man whom you have never met before, and who also coincidentally happens to be your soulmate. In addition, there just might seem to be more than what meets the eye in regards to your peculiar soulmate, and you just might have to find that out for yourself.

CW(S)/TW(S): contains mentions of suicide attempts

You — the daughter of the respectable [L/N] family, a wealthy family renowned for their extensive network of trade services.

Diluc — the sole son of the esteemed Ragnvindr family, a wealthy family which made a name for themselves from their wine business.

A contract made by both of your grandparents — that was how you came to be the madam of the Ragnvindr household. Now, you were the most powerful lady in the city of Mondstadt, with both your dignified family backing and the reputable Ragnvindr family supporting you. With wealth, fame, and power in the palm of your hand, what more could you possibly ask for?

Love. That was the one thing you wanted the most but did not have: you have loved your husband dearly ever since you were a child. Sure, he was not your soulmate and your timer said that you had ages more to wait before you met your actual match, but who cared? Not everyone married their fated beau, and you could care less about who yours turned out to be. All that mattered was that you loved him, and you were more than ecstatic to learn that you were to marry him. That itself was enough for you.

However, that was not the case for him: on the day of your wedding, he had zero expression on his face, devoid of affection or even any amicable feelings when he looked at you. The moment you set your eyes on him on the altar that day, you knew that he was simply tolerating you and that this was simply for publicity reasons.

So with love out of the picture, you found the simplest way out of this unwanted marriage: suicide. No one was happy in this union and there was no way to annul the marriage without offending anyone. So, what better way than to end your own life?

And then this pretty stranger entered the picture — he was known as Zhongli and he hailed from the docks of Liyue Harbour. You learnt that he worked in the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour and he was an associate of the Fatui Network, a Snezhnayan trading group which your husband despised the most. So by default, he was on your blacklist, too. Other than that, you had no connection to him whatsoever.

So why was this pretty stranger in tears, begging you to stay alive for him?