#and living with the former Acting Grand Sage

[starcurtain]

I think one of the funniest things about the Sabzeruz event is that the devs choose to go with Candace, Traveler, and Paimon having a whole "Ooh, two mysterious men are going into an alley to have a 'private' conversation; they must be bad guys!" only to then go "Oh just kidding, it was only Alhaitham and Kaveh doing typical Alhaitham and Kaveh things."

Except the "Alhaitham and Kaveh" thing in question this time was talking about Mehrak, a sentient robot that Kaveh built using absolutely forbidden technology, and which he then whole-heartedly willed would develop a consciousness of its own, violating one of the central taboos of his nation's governing agency, committing what amounts to an inherent and extreme felony punishable by law.

Alhaitham and Kaveh: Listen, we're not bad guys discussing illegal activity here. We're just two men having a private, personal conversation. Happens all the time.

Paimon, Candace, and Traveler: Oh cool, they're not doing a crime; they're just gay.

But they were, in fact, doing a crime.

[zhongrin]

spending your weekend with...

© zhongrin | 2024 ✼  [✘] no repost・translations・plagiarism of any kind・ai data mining. [✓] rebloggers get a free cup of tea ♡

✼ characters ┈ zhongli, al haitham, wriothesley, jing yuan, blade

✼ tags ┈ fluff, established relationship, more fluff, your honor they’re all so whipped it’s cringe /silly

✼ a/n ┈ she lives!!! and oop, off she goes back into hermit mode after posting-

ᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴜʟʟ ᴍᴇɴᴜ (ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ)  ✼ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀꜱʜɪᴘ (ᴛᴀɢʟɪꜱᴛ)

... the husband of all husbands, zhongli ー your feet walking along the familiar path of nature's trails and having picnics between the green-yellow grass of liyue’s vast fields. pretend you don't see a familiar shade of seafoam-tinged feathers flying past into the dense leaves of the trees adjacent to the one you take refuge under. maybe one of these days, the yaksha will finally accept your invitation to have a family dinner in your abode.

delving into the harbor's market, buying groceries and getting sidetracked by knickknacks. too many times, you've let the mora in your pouches pass across the merchant's for yet another antique teapot or an accessory you can never seem to have enough of. perhaps a dragon's hoarding nature is contagious to its partner? either way, you never fail to finish up at night with tea served in delicate glazed earthenware, brewed by your husband's expert hands. and if those same hands decide to spoil you further as you both cuddle in your nest-bed, even better, no?

... your al haitham, who, on rare occasions, would have a junior akademiya scholar approach him while you were out, in hope to acquaint themselves with the former acting grand sage. he's always quick to shut them down, the bluntness of his words deterring the situation to progress further. you think you see him smirk when the poor lad scurries away, but as he returns towards your side, his hand finds home around yours and all is forgotten.

a café isn't exactly a place he would choose to frequent on a crowded weekend. but the coffee's good, and you seem content as you chatter across the table. while it's scientifically impossible and irrational, there's just something in your voice that seems to create a vacuum bubble that allows him to focus on your endearing rambles. he listens, and he thinks he should record you talking, just so he can play them in his soundproofing headphones whenever.

... the one and only duke in fontaine, wriothesley, who follows you around like a loyal guard dog. it's probably thanks to you that he's not growing shrooms on his fur jacket from all the time he spent down in the damp fortress underwater. you take him shopping, persuade him to try out coffee, sample some foods that isn’t wolsey’s cooking… and if you so happen to bump into your friends, you're both usually always more than happy to adjust your schedule ー a sudden tabletop game session with clorinde and forcing persuading neuvillette to perform dereliction of his duties for a moment to relax are a few examples.

but above all, his favorite has to be bringing some snacks to sit down under a tree with you, watching fontainian poodles frolic around the dog park. maybe one day you'll have a puppy of your own, but for now, your beloved is ‘content with just you’, he says with a cheeky grin.

... your dozing general-arbiter whose brain seems to only want sleep and cuddles whenever the week starts to wind down. waking up to jing yuan who’s akin to a very sleepy big cat draped over your body using you as a pillow is how you would always start your weekend, and it's only at these peaceful moments that the man turns into a heavy sleeper. had he been a real lion, you think he might be purring up a storm as he snoozes, pillowed shamelessly against your chest.

your lover prefers a slow, lazy day with you whenever he has the rare time to take himself out of his duties, and naturally his free weekends are included in this. maybe start with a morning cuddle (in bed), a nap (in bed), both of you cooking lunch (in the kitchen), another nap (maybe on the recliner sofa because why not), a leisure night walk around aurum alley, and a night cuddle (yes. again. in bed)? hmm. yes, that sounds perfect.

... blade, who doesn't exactly have 'weekends', per se. chances are, he doesn't even know what day today is. plus, there's no guarantee that you were with him if he's away on a mission, anyway. but when you were around? you have his full (nonverbal) permission to drag him wherever and to do whatever you want.

you want to travel to the nearest planet for a bottle of soulglad when everyone else is asleep? pick a ship, he'll steer. you want to have a spa day and pamper yourselves senseless, braid his hair while you both have an overpriced face masks on? a useless act for him, especially considering his circumstances, but he'll massage your head if you give him enough puppy eyes. you just want to rot in bed and contemplate your existence? as long as you let him lay his head on your chest so he can hear your heartbeat, he’s good. either this man does not realize how much you have him wrapped around your finger, or he just does not care. it’s probably the latter.

✼ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀꜱʜɪᴘ (ᴛᴀɢʟɪꜱᴛ) ┈

@abyssmal-skies ! @hamdehlesmis ! @sunnshineflxwer ! @queen-belial ! @silentmoths

@dustofthedailylife ! @marina-and-the-memes ! @mixed-kester ! @lordbugs ! @anonymousficreader

@irethepotato ! @sassy-cat-in-town ! @syrenkitsune ! @smokipoki ! @cakeboxie

@crystalflygeo ! @ciexuvia ! @illaasya ! @celestewritestoomuch ! @pams-comfortzone

@spidermanluvr444 ! @ourstrawberryclouds ! @ryuryuryuyurboat ! @hrts4hanniehae ! @fiannee

@frosts-intuition ! @florapocalypses ! @genshin-impacts-me ! @scarasmood ! @hellcatinnc

@beloved-brynn ! @malachitemischief101 ! @average-yandere-enjoyer ! @euniveve ! @centralballad

[saetoru]

✩ ‧₊˚ ✩。10:07 PM — AL-HAITHAM.

al-haitham asks you to marry him before he even realizes himself what he’s just asked. it’s a random tuesday night. you’re in worn out pajamas, he’s still got slight damp hair from his shower, and the both of you are curled up on the couch.

you’re rubbing his chest and his arm’s wrapped around your waist when you murmur, “we should get a place with more windows.”

he raises a brow, turns to look at you and scan over the side of your face. it’s familiar, the way you look so pretty under the dim light, on the same couch against the same walls in the same living room. but it’ll still feel like the first time even if it’ll be his last.

“is the design of our current home not up to your standards?” he asks, making you giggle.

“it’s nice,” you hum, “but it needs more windows. and a bigger kitchen. and maybe a backyard.”

“this home is conveniently close to our place of work,” he argues, fingers creeping up from under your shirt and rubbing circles into your hip. it’s soft—your skin, it’s warm and familiar under the rough pad of his thumb. it’s a touch that’s routine enough that you don’t squirm in surprise anymore when he finds your bare skin, and then he wonders for a moment if there are other routines waiting for him.

maybe he’ll watch you wait for him through the window as he comes home. maybe you’ll dance in the kitchen as coffee’s being made. maybe there’ll be picnics in the backyard as the sun sets. maybe, when you have a new house but the same home, he’ll find more of you in the walls and the corners of every room.

“haitham,” you huff, “a little extra walk won’t kill you. we should find our dream home.”

“our?” he asks after a moment, like he’s shocked. you only nod against his chest.

“of course, silly,” you chuckle, “i certainly won’t be house shopping with the general mahamatra—”

“we should get married,” he blurts.

“what?”

“my grandmother left a ring,” he instantly explains, “it’s a very nice ring, i promise. you won’t have to worry about having a bare finger—”

“that’s not what i meant—”

“and it can be a small ceremony,” he assures, “it shouldn’t take much planning. but if you’d like something fancier, i don’t mind either, it’s your wedding day just as much as it is mine—”

“that’s sweet, but wait—”

“and if you’re worried about time off for the honeymoon, as the former acting grand sage, there’s still a few strings i can pull for us both. i hear inazuma is nice during spring, so that gives us—”

he’s rambling. he’s figuring it out right here and now and it’s the last thing you expect of him, not having an elaborate plan—and it takes you by surprise. but he’s breathless and his eyes are wide and his chest is warm and his arm is still wrapped tightly around your waist.

and you couldn’t dream of saying no.

“you think you want all this?” you ask gently, “with little old me?”

“there’s no one but you,” he mumbles, holding you closer. and if there’s a slight bounce in his knee as he waits for your answer, you pretend you don’t notice.

“so you want to get married?”

“i want to marry you,” he corrects, “i want you. marriage is just the means of how.”

“okay,” you say with a hitch in your throat. after a moment of silence, you let out a shaky chuckle, eyes watery as you meet his. “okay. let’s get married.”

“okay,” he nods slightly, swallowing thickly.

“and we can have a house with more windows,” you add.

“and a bigger kitchen,” he agrees.

“and a backyard.”

“maybe a bigger study,” he adds thoughtfully.

you grab his face at that, with enough desperation that his cheeks are squished in your hands as you turn him, pressing your lips to his. you taste him, feel him pass through you as a breath of air, hear him ring through your ear as a muffled grunt.

he’s a part of you. he’s every inch of you. he lingers on your skin and knits into your bones. he’s yours now and somehow….somehow he’ll be yours forever.

“i’m going to get married,” you sniffle. “how exciting.”

“i’m going to marry you,” he murmurs, like he’s still processing the fact that you’re here, and his, and you’ve said yes.

“i love you,” you giggle, pressing your forehead to his.

his eyes close and his arm squeezes you gently. “i’ll always love you.”

edit: everyone stop fucking commenting about the authors note it was a joke and the comments are getting old :/ why don’t you actually leave feedback on the fic itself for once and show writers some support as you consume content

you people don’t fucking understand how insanely in love with him i am i want to make a fur coat out of his pubic hair and wear it on a cold winter day idc

[yuoimia]

DAY 5: KEEP THINKING OF ME ❅⋆⍋

summary: when you ‘forget’ to kiss him goodbye.

characters: alhaitham, lyney, neuvillette, xiao.

notes: i have this weird thing of progressively making the paragraphs longer than the previous, wanted to try a different format, gn! reader. wc: 160 - 200 per character.

⋆⁺₊❅⋆ dreamy december event masterlist

alhaitham

Let’s be honest, he’d remind you.

Alhaitham is attentive to detail, fairly organised when it comes to routine, and certainly notices when something that ties his hasty mornings together is forgotten. He likes to say the work of a scribe is so endlessly dreary that he should be at least deserving of some reward. Preferably, though not outwardly stated, affection in the form of a tender kiss of your silken lips, brisk, energetic or longing, he’s not fussy.

Alhaitham believes that your affection is one of the only divine cures that could possibly be the remedy to the multitude of poisons inflicting his sanity. You find it a little funny; who knew the Akedemiya’s renowned scribe and former Acting Grand Sage could be so dramatic?

So, when you do forget to kiss him before he exits the door, he makes sure to mention it, makes sure that you won’t forget the next morning, because otherwise, the Akedemiya would have to deal with a missing employee.

lyney

The thing with Lyney is…he probably had more than plenty before he even reached this dilemma.

Throughout the day, from the first sunbeams to the final streaks of moonlight, he was quite bold when it came to the showers of love he craved most frequently. In truth, Lyney considers a day terribly incomplete if he hasn’t been exposed to the warm feelings of your beloved affection. He sincerely promises you that the simple regret doesn’t leave his mind, despite all the distractions he hopes to divert his thoughts revolving madly around you. Something that beautiful should never go overlooked.

Depending on the cruciality of the situation, he’d turn back and come knocking on your door with such a solemn expression that you’d assume that someone had died. The question would arise, his voice uncertain and curious, “Did you forget something important this morning?”

The best option would be to just give him that precious kiss. You don’t want him to do anything too extreme for it, do you?

neuvillette

Did he upset you the night before?

Neuvillette’s knowledge of the complexities of human emotions and responses was, in comparison to anyone else, a little rusty, he admits. That, of course, does not stop him from trying. The often ‘lost in his thoughts’ face the people of Fontaine regularly noticed about him was merely Neuvillette grasping in the elements of human nature, for to deeply understand them was essential if he ever planned on living alongside them.

The lighthearted experiment was just to see how he would react—a small prank, you convince yourself—but perhaps, just maybe, the chief justice had sincerely thought you were mad at him.

You haven’t seen him all day.

Neuvillette seems to have abandoned the customary meeting spots you’d typically bump into him, and that’s when you know.

The idea of putting the blame on himself, making up some complicated scenario that was certainly not true, elicits a newfound determination to make it up to him, to apologise with the compensation of the truth.

That evening, you wait for the door to open, and when it does, you ensure the person entering is gifted the sincere caress of your lips—a few more than what he expects.

xiao

Xiao would continue on with his day. He’s fine, thank you for asking. So what if you forgot to kiss him goodbye?

However, it would be a downright lie to assume that he was 100% veritably unaffected. Xiao was never particularly good at masking emotions, but rather more skilled at intensifying them.

He’ll ponder and wonder; the same question answered with the same reply, repeating like a lament, carving into the inconsolable space of his mind. In other words, Xiao is sulking and in brutal denial of it.

You observe him from the distance, standing on the tip of a faraway mountain, and there’s a strong feeling that he’s gazing at you, too.

Call out my name, he almost begs, a foolish excuse to inexplicably confront you.

The sound of your voice summons him instantly; it breaks him out of his trance, and what you say next cuts through all the tragic thoughts he ever contemplated beforehand.

“I forgot to kiss you this morning,” you smile, playfully apologetic. “Did you realise?”

Xiao doesn’t say anything, there’s nothing to be said, but his actions prove all that needs to be said—how the corners of his lips tug just the bit upwards as he leans into you.

[genshinarchives]

𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐀'𝐒 𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐 : 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐂 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 : The world has moved forward, yet your mind is still stuck in the past, as if time had stopped for you many years ago. Kaveh tries to figure out what's wrong with you and is determined to make everything right for you.

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 : Cyno x Kaveh’s sister!Reader; hints of Al-Haitham x reader

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 : Romance, humour, reincarnation

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 : Suicide briefly mentioned

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 : Sorry for the wait! College is giving me a good spanking

𝐍𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏

"(Y/n), please! Just talk to me! We can work it out together!"

The scholars in the foyer stopped to stare at Kaveh desperately chasing you as you strode inside the Akademiya with unusual ferocity. The moment their gazes landed on you, whispers floated around you like an incessant melody - it felt as if their voices were forming a tight ring around your head, making you rub your ears vigorously as if that would quell their hushed words.

"How could the Akademiya let a student like her stay here?"

"How could the Akademiya let such a monster stay alive?"

"She should just leave quietly."

"Die here quietly."

Your eyes widened. Their voices overlapped with the voices in your memories, and this caused your blood to run cold. You stopped in your tracks abruptly, palms pressed against your ears as you tried to drown out their hurtful words; while you were able to muffle their voices, the last words Azar spoke to you before you died all those years ago rang in the place of silence in your mind. Tears pricked the corners of your eyes, blurring your vision, but you refused to let them fall - to admit defeat to the scholars' provocation.

Even in your new life, you can't find the peace that you desired back then.

"If she wasn't such an accomplished student, the Amurta Darshan would have already expelled her for her behaviour-"

"(Y/n)!"

You were startled when a pair of warm hands suddenly cupped over yours. They gently pressed against your hands - it was obvious that the person was trying to help you cover your ears.

"Are you okay?"

It was Kaveh. He sounded worried, yet there's an underlying frustration in his tone. He's struggling to understand your sudden change in behaviour; as your older brother, he felt as if he failed to live up to the promise he had made to his mother before she left for Fontaine after remarrying. Upon seeing the tears gathering in your eyes, Kaveh's gaze softened before he tilted your face up, his hands moving towards your cheeks to carefully wipe away your tears that had unknowingly escaped.

"Do your ears hurt?" he asked, "Should we go to Bimarstan to get them checked?"

"Take me to Azar," was your immediate answer. Surprise flickered in his red hues.

"Azar?" he echoed, knitting his eyebrows together, "Why do you want to see the former Grand Sage?"

You faltered at his question, jaw going slightly slack. "Former Grand Sage? Then who-"

"As expected." Heavy footfall echoed from behind as a pair of boots thudded across the Akademiya's polished marble floor. "The moment I heard the word 'trouble', I knew that it had to involve the two of you."

Kaveh's expression immediately turned sour when a certain Acting Grand Sage appeared beside you, and he quickly moved his hands to your shoulders to pull you behind him, like he was trying to shield you from the man who just made himself known. Al-Haitham folded his arms over his chest as he regarded the siblings with an impassive gaze.

"Though I didn't expect the argument to be about you wishing to withdraw from the Akademiya. I thought it'd be something petty as usual," he dully remarked, eyes trailing over to you. You stiffened when you made eye contact with him. "You've always wanted to study here and proved that by becoming a distinguished student of the Amurta Darshan. I won't push for an answer, but why do you suddenly want to throw everything away after the efforts and sacrifices made to get to where you are?"

"This has nothing to do with you, Al-Haitham," Kaveh swiftly interjected, annoyed by his unwarranted intrusion. The look he was giving his roommate clearly indicated that he doesn't want you to know more than you should about how you're able to stay in the Akadmeiya despite his financial situation; if Al-Haitham saw the look he was given, then he most likely ignored it as he kept talking.

"Nothing to do with me? I think I'm very relevant in this little dispute of yours," Al-Haitham said, a corner of his lips quirking in amusement, "After all, your sister would require my approval to leave the Akademiya... and I still need you to pay your part of the rent."

You stared at Al-Haitham as your mind slowly processed his words. As far as you remember, Kaveh is a successful architect whose magnum opus is the Palace of Alcazarzaray; so why is he sharing a house with the Acting Grand Sage—

—Acting Grand Sage?

Al-Haitham observed your expression. It appeared as if you were just hit with a sudden realisation, and he patiently waited for you speak with his arms folded over his chest.

"... Acting Grand Sage," you began in the calmest voice you could muster at this moment, "if I submitted a request to leave, would you approve of it?"

"No." He didn't hesitate at all in answering you, which made your eyes widen.

"Why?" you asked, pushing past Kaveh to take a step towards him. You're struggling to understand his thought process; you're aware that in this life, the Akademiya views you as a villainess despite your academic achievements. Surely, as the Acting Grand Sage, he'd want to be rid of a scholar as problematic as you? "I'm giving you an opportunity to get rid of me-"

"And that's what I'm suspicious about," he cut in, "You know that it would be a huge loss for the Akademiya if we were to lose a talented doctor like yourself. Isn't that why you continued to act arrogant and conceited towards your peers?"

You opened your mouth to make a rebuttal but ended up not saying anything. You couldn't deny the truth in his words; although the memories of your past life have been awakened, it didn't change the fact that you had caused a lot of trouble for the others prior to it - especially Kaveh, who had tried and was still trying his best to make you happy. You turned your head slightly to glance at your older brother, who didn't look too pleased by what Al-Haitham had uttered to you.

"That's enough. Back off!" Kaveh angrily exclaimed before he grabbed your wrist to tug you back to his side, "Let's get you home, (y/n)." Without waiting for your response, he spun on his heel and stormed out of the Akademiya whilst dragging you behind him. You allowed him to lead you away, your mind too precoccupied with settling the struggle between the memories of your past and present lives.

"Al-Haitham is the Acting Grand Sage... Azar and the other sages have been exiled to Avidya Forest..." you mumbled to yourself, drawing Kaveh's attention. Pulling you aside to one of the gazebos by the spiralling path leading down to Treasures Street, he then let your wrist go, turning around to gently hold your shoulders instead.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, the worry evident in his gaze and tone. Kaveh noticed that you're not paying attention to him or your surroundings; there was a faraway look in your eyes, and this only increased the concern he felt for you. You've been acting strangely since your outburst in Lambad's Tavern, and he's frustrated at himself for not being able to figure out the reason behind it. "(Y/n), please tell me what's wrong. I'm here to help you, you know that."

"Is it true that Azar and the other sages have been exiled to Avidya Forest?" you asked as you pressed a palm against your forehead.

Kaveh knitted his eyebrows together. "I don't know the whole story, but that's what I've heard. Apparently they committed treason against Kusanali, the Dendro Archon."

Kusanali... Your friend's name caused your head to pound painfully; it's like you're struggling to remember something. There's someone else besides Kusanali. Who...?

Kaveh stared at you worriedly when you responded with silence. The hint of pain in your expression didn't go unnoticed by him, and he let out a shaky sigh, his arms slowly pulling you into his warm embrace.

"I'm sorry," he began quietly, "I should have known that studying medicine would be mentally taxing for you. I trusted that you'd be able to handle the pressure... I should have tried to talk you out of becoming a doctor." That was the conclusion he reached; it was the only thing he could think of, out of all the things that could possibly be the reason behind your abrupt decision to withdraw from the Akademiya. "But you'll be graduating in a month. You'll be out of the Akademiya soon. So please endure it for a little longer, okay?"

Kaveh felt a twinge of guilt. He's very familiar with the pressure one would feel as a student of the Akademiya, and he truly didn't want you to suffer. However, you were so close to achieving your dream of becoming the greatest doctor in Sumeru, all because you wanted to help those who are suffering, all because you shared the same ideals as your late father - so he had to give you that one final push to help you reach the finish line that's your dream.

You didn't respond to Kaveh's attempt at comforting you. You simply stood there, allowing him to hug you as your emotions were at conflict with each other. Your feelings as the God of Medicine and Kaveh's younger sister clashed; one part of you wanted to push Kaveh away and tell him to stay out of your life, but the other part of you wanted to cling to your empathetic and reliable older brother and have him soothe your frazzled mind.

"Big brother," you softly called, making him pull back a bit with a slight tilt of his head. As you slowly raised your arms from your sides, you leaned into his warmth, surprising him. You then embraced him tightly, finally letting yourself bask in the warmth of another person.

Kaveh stared at you with wide eyes, having not expected you to react this way. However, he reciprocated your gesture without a second thought, knowing that comfort was what you needed the most - and as your older brother, he'll do anything to ensure your happiness and safety, to ensure that you won't suffer the same misfortunes as him.

"Everything will be okay," he said, a soft smile crawling over his lips.

How long has it been since he last held you like this?

Ever since Cyno saved you from the desert, you haven't been the same. There were times when you'd be overwhelmed with a sadness he couldn't understand that you were unable to do anything but shed endless streams of tears. You became a painfully frank person, yet you never stopped helping the people around you.

Kaveh didn't know what terrible incident had happened back in the sands of Sumeru, and it hurt him to see you slowly distance yourself from him and your emotions.

"Was Azar charged for any other crimes?" you suddenly asked, drawing him out of his thoughts. He shook his head.

"Nothing that I could think of," he replied with a small frown, "What's with the sudden interest in Azar anyway? I didn't take you as someone who'd be interested in Vahumana's studies."

At his answer, you pulled yourself away from Kaveh immediately, eyes wide in disbelief. "So he was only punished for committing treason against the Dendro Archon? Nobody... Nobody knew what he and the General Mahamatra did to the God of Medicine?"

Kaveh blinked as he automatically thought of Cyno when you mentioned the General Mahamatra. However, he quickly dismissed the thought, realising that you must be talking about one of the previous General Mahamatra who lived during the God of Medicine's time.

"I... think so," he answered unsurely, cupping his chin, "But what could Azar have done to the God of Medicine? I don't recall hearing anything happening between them, nor have I heard anyone mentioning a General Mahamatra conspiring against a god with him..."

You stared at Kaveh, your hands shaking slightly. This can't be. Azar couldn't have...

"How..." You paused, dreading to voice your next question. "How did the God of Medicine die?"

Meeting your gaze, Kaveh said, "I read in one of Al-Haitham's books that her mental state deteriorated after King Deshret's death, and that her condition worsened after the Dendro Archon disappeared during the Cataclysm five hundred years ago. She later committed suicide, and had asked Azar beforehand to get rid of her body by burning it as her death would cau- (Y/n)?!" Kaveh cut himself off when he saw you sinking to the ground as your knees buckled. Shock was etched on your face, as if you've just received some horrifying news. Crouching down to your level, he gently placed a hand on your shoulder, his eyes trained upon your countenance. "What's wrong?"

You couldn't believe it. Azar had gone this far in his betrayal and even passed your death off as mere suicide.

Even the General Mahamatra...

"Zulfiqar... didn't even try to save me..." you mumbled. Your past self received no justice, unlike the Dendro Archon. How is that fair?

Kaveh was left perplexed by your muted utterances. "Zulfiqar...? Who is that?"

"He's one of my predecessors."

Kaveh turned his head when he heard a familiar voice and saw Cyno approaching the gazebo the two of you were in. The General Mahamatra stopped right in front of you as his crimson hues seemed to pierce into your very soul.

"He was the General Mahamatra up until the God of Medicine's death," Cyno continued, his eyes never leaving your form.

You gazed at Cyno, your pupils dilating. "You're... the General Mahamatra..."

"I wish we could love each other and laugh together."

There's suddenly an incessant ringing in your ears. You immediately covered them in a futile attempt to block it out.

"I wish I could protect all the kindhearted people, including you, ya hayati."

Beads of cold sweat dotted your forehead. The image of another man overlapped with Cyno's figure - and for some reason, it made your heart clench painfully.

"Please... don't forgive me."

The man's golden eyes were filled with pain and remorse as he looked at you, his long silver hair reminding you of the moon that had graced you with its benevolent light on the night of your death.

"Y-you..." you whispered, the sharp throb of your heart making you gasp loudly. Overwhelmed by the memories of your previous life, your consciousness soon slipped away.

Eyes widening, Kaveh caught you in his arms as you fainted. He carefully cradled your head against his chest, arms wrapped around you protectively. "(Y/n)! Oh Archons- Please-" Kaveh tried his best to remain calm. Panic, fear, frustration - they raged like a tempest inside him. He had lost so many things in life, and you're the one thing he can't bear to lose or give up on, no matter what.

"She seems to be unwell. Shall I carry her to Bimarstan?" Cyno offered, watching Kaveh struggle to stand up with you in his arms.

"N-no," Kaveh replied with a grunt, "She's my younger sister, so I'll carry her myself." When he's finally on his feet, he began walking in the direction of Bimarstan as his thin arms slightly shook with the physical strain. During the entirety of his way there, his worried gaze never left your face.

What's happening to you?

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 : @crunchy-princeles / @ghostlysyntaxed / @riylvx / @bloopthebat / @chuusposts / @eirlysian / @airentia / @littlepotatowizard / @misfortuneyoi / @arkhammaid / @blackcatpandora / @phoenixiaxia / @hwayuni / @thelonelyarchon / @asoulsreverie / @www-kiana-mp3 / @raegreenie4 / @yaesflorist / @changgchangg25 / @slimearchon / @zomzomb1e / @faeragremlinhole / @deepdinosaurwizard / @lysslilyc / @rebeccawinters / @tiddieshakeshownu ​ / @kxslana / @mshope16 / @lovelypadisarah / @sakeeeee / @sarah22447 / @nyantodamax145 / @charisa-chan / @katojikutaakino​ /

[litenmyra]

Genshin G/t ideas (this does include 4.2 AQ spoilers!)

(Because it's been a while since I indulged in a bit of fandom G/t. Some of these are stories I am planning on working on, and some are just ideas I just wanna throw out there) Nothing of this is too elaborative, just general ideas! Long text under the cut! This also gets so much more descriptive by each idea I have, I am treating this sort of like a drafts for how I should word it should I continue to writing some stories. So they will also abruptly end without a conclusion here, and with a lot of rambling, I apologize beforehand for that <3 Warnings: Fearfulness from the tinies, spoilers (but not really beyond the latest AQ), long post, feel free to tell me if I missed something!

A shrunken Furina and the caring Hydro Sovereign that finds her(after the AQ) - Neuvillette finds her in her house one day shrunken. She had hidden underneath her bed, and he coaxes her out patiently. Yes, Furina absolutely trusts her friend, but this is still a very exhausting and scary situation she has found herself in. He assesses the situation and sits with her, calming her down for a long time after she’s come forth - Maybe even a development of his protectiveness ;-D - He has a specific pocket just for Furina until they can fully address and fix her situation, he does not keep her there against her will, and even when protective of the human he trusts her to not do anything hasty. He is however afraid of someone else finding her, as only a few people know of her situation, and since she is a character of status it terrifies him to think about what might occur if she’d be taken by the wrong people - She follows him to his court duties (if she wishes to, otherwise she's often at his desk napping, or with one of the working melusines) and whenever she's with him at a trial he is extremely mindful of her presence, being more careful with how he slams the cane down, as well when now not-shouting "order" - Wind is catching about how the former Archon has disappeared, and the highest and important figures (Wrio, Navia, Clorinde, Neuvillette, even Charlotte who has sworn not to say or write down anything about the situation Furina has found herself in) are not revealing anything and say that they are working hard to gather information about Furinas whereabouts

Borrower Kaveh living in Alhaithams house- Kaveh thinks the acting grand sage is none the wiser to his "tenants" existence. He's been here for the better of half a year and has - despite accidentally sneaking around when the human was present lounging around - not been seen. Most likely due to those heavy books the human often has his nose almost stuffed into - What he doesn't know is that Alhaitham is one step ahead. Kaveh often thinks he is the luckiest borrower around, always finding perfect scraps, non-stale food, and material that the human just has accidentally dropped, but Alhaitham is deliberate. He studies the borrower as he roams around the house, and will one day eventually want to interrogate the small man. But so far he has noticed he's harmless, and not some wicked experiment sent as a spy. Alhaitham even thinks the borrower is quite the gullible creature, as he somehow has not noticed his lingering gaze as he is quite the expressive character whenever he finds something new to "borrow". Alhaitham just wonders what he's doing with all those shards of glass, fabric and threads he finds... - Kaveh has absolutely decorated the place in the wall he has found himself residing in. It looks absolutely extravagant even with the scarce and broken things he has gathered - Eventually one day Alhaitham corners the small man when he’s out on his table - Kaveh is frozen in place as he hadn’t noticed the man sneaking up on him, and oh how he fears this man. From him overhearing through the walls and his observations of this man, he’s gotten the idea the man is cold. - To Kaveh that can only mean bad news, not all humans took kindly to their presence and Kaveh has nowhere to go - This Alhaitham had of course accounted for, he didn’t want this to be filled with complications, and needed the borrower to listen to him without having to take him away - He starts throwing questions right away, he’s noticing how the small man tries to hide his nerves behind a snarky facade - Alhaitham has made sure the Akasha terminal does not record the encounter with the tiny person (I haven’t finished the Sumeru AQ so my knowledge about the Akasha terminal is limited) - Kaveh is distressed at the fact he is stuck here until the human goes away, he doesn’t want to risk the man knowing where he usually hides away, although he is positively surprised by how seemingly respectful the encounter is, the questions sure are invasive but he’s not prodded, and there is a good distance between himself and the giant - Alhaitham does not reveal how obvious Kaveh is when out and about, and he wishes to berate him regarding going out at all when the silver haired man is home, he wants to see how long this obliviousness will continue - Kaveh is left dizzy from the encounter, he never expected himself be seen, much less by the man spending hours looking at his books - Their encounters become more frequent after that day, and Kaveh is starting to catch on finally how much the human has done for him when he thought he was oblivious to his existence

Giant Archons- Self explanatory, I adore the idea of the Archons having giant forms that they keep under radar - I mean considering different realms the Archons seemingly can enter (we have Euthymia, teapots, Venti's own disappearance as he healed himself, which sure some seem just like an inner state, but consider that they have created realms where they all can meet) they most definitely have some where they can let their true forms show - But maybe I have an idea about someone finding them, and being all afraid seeing the deities so enormously different - I once read an Eye of the Storm!Venti fic, and even that is fascinating. I can imagine their elemental powers being so overwhelming too when they are giant, not to the point it is suffocating for the mere mortal, but just the fact you can feel their powers surround you just by being in their presence - I had an idea where the reader stumbles upon a giant Barbatos and Morax, this was an idea I had before I had gone to Inazuma and before Sumeru was even out. It was also before I had listened to any of their voice lines about each other or read any like elaborate lore about the Archon war, etc. - Just a divine being being giant is a nice idea to me <3

Baizhu searches for the Geo Archon for his blessing, not realizing the giant he is about to meet(this one is so self-indulgent, but I have such a huge love for both Zhongli and Baizhu, and whether or not one ships them, their contrasting characteristics make me so intrigued - an immortal, and despite maybe not wishing entirely for mortality, still finds mortality and humanity interesting, and the ever benevolent mortal who seeks immortality, and will go drastic lengths to ensure his goal is met) - Rex Lapis in this AU is not deemed dead - Baizhu is of course as ever seeking immortality. One day he decides he will visit the plains forbidden within the Guyun stone forest, and seek out Rex Lapis as he is rumored to reside there - Guyun stone forest is a dangerous place, and he asks Changsheng and Qiqi to stay at the pharmacy with Gui as he traverses Liyue to seek the god - What he does not expect is a place in where he phases into another realm, this one adorned with enormous furniture, and ahead of him a throne fit only for the deity ruling over Liyue - He hides by one of the throne-chairs legs, out of sight for whoever will sit at it, and lo and behold, Rex Lapis himself soon seats himself - It is not he who finds Baizhu hiding, instead Xiao (also giant within this realm, as other Adepti and Yaksha are too) senses something off within the room as he attends to his duties - Because he senses something off he is best to be cautious about it possibly being a danger to the god he serves, or a spy sent to this realm - He quickly sends a weak - yet still overwhelming to any mortal - wave of Anemo as he spots a small figure by the throne, and sends them toppling over - Because of Baizhu’s long trek I imagine him with a cane, and as he is toppled the cane he was using to hold himself upright through all his nerves is thrown away from him, and he finds himself unable to stand up again - Xiao is quick on his feet and crouches menacingly over the mortal he now can see, demanding him to stand up and to explain himself - Baizhu can’t stand up and is left quivering on the ground, all he manages is to hold himself upright on his forearms and kneecaps, looking down on the ground as he swallows his nerves, of course fear coursed through him, he never expected this turn of events as he sought out Liyue’s Archon - Xiao notices this, and internally feels a sense of dread, it seems the mortal here has accidentally wandered into the realm he now is in, and he realizes he has rendered an ill mortal too to the ground - Rex Lapis of course wondered what just occurred for Xiao to be so wary and to step by his throne in all his haste, and as he glances down by where he is seated he notices the mortal now trembling on the ground, Xiao looking mortified - Morax realizes what is going on as he carefully summons small stone pillars that help the man up onto his feet again, and as he steps up from his throne Xiao teleports away - He ever so gently takes the cane that was lying by a large pot and places it on his fingertips, holding his palm flat just by the green haired man, so he can take it without too much of a fright (albeit he guesses this ordeal has already terrified him) - I have some ideas for how this will process further, I just think Baizhu tells Morax of his wishes and why he traveled all the way over to meet him - Later on, Rex Lapis is now holding the human who is seated on his palm, they meet Xiao again and the Yaksha bows deeply and apologizes for the things that happened - Baizhu can not blame him for being protective of the deity, and accepts the apology, he has an immense respect for the Adepti and feels almost flustered with this whole ordeal - Rex Lapis has Baizhu by for dinner!

(I will wanna elaborate on this as I’ve had this idea for ages! Since before Baizhu’s banner came out :’)))

Neuvillette and tiny/borrower Aether (I’m thinking Aether and Lumine have somehow lost each other in this AU too, hence Aether being the only one living here) - Aether hides away in the walls surrounding the court of Fontaine, particularly the walls surrounding Neuvillettes office - He finds the day in which it rains a blessing, as his steps are easily drowned out by the powerful drizzle that hits the window panes, even distracting the residing rodents and other animals that shared the walls with him - He also noticed that whenever it rained the office was usually empty for a long period of time and as the sun came out the office was usually occupied again by the man he feared meeting - He fetches water into a leather pouch from the teacup standing upon the desk and is quickly on his way off - Neuvillette has started to get used to the slightly leathery taste of his waters, and thinks nothing of it, it has never harmed him and the strong aftertaste of freshness still overpowered that tidbit - He looks upon his documents and notices a peculiar smudge in the ink, bringing it closer to his sights. The smudge is not just a bit of excessive ink, but instead dons the shape of a… shoe print almost, this he finds extremely peculiar - Some days later Aether is out again as the rain carried on outside, there were cookies placed upon the desk, usually it was some moist sweet or cupcake, but Aether didn’t think much of it, if he just stole a crumb no one would be none the wiser to his appearance here - He doesn’t notice the slitted violet eyes watching him from afar as he went by his borrowing routine - Until he hears a small shuffle, and Aethers heart is sent up and gets lodged in his throat - He turns around in haste, and there stands the tall man, eyes directly making contact with his own - Aether wants to run, but hugs the piece of the cookie closer as the man begins walking closer to his position. He soon stands so close he is towering over the desk and consequently the small borrower upon it, but Neuvillette is really none the wiser about the storm of emotions raging inside the small human (?) (TBC! I have a draft written out hehe :) )

Giant Sovereign Neuvillette meeting Zhongli who in comparison is tiny(Got this idea after Neuvillette’s voice lines about the Archons were revealed) - Morax/Zhongli finds himself in a sort of a dreamscape. He has barely any time to think of where he could be as the place all of a sudden shakes in a rhythmic fashion, he is to look around but is stopped - All of a sudden a giant object hurdles down beside him, knocking him off his feet - He catches himself from the fall, and before he can look up whatever just fell beside him he notices the giant shining shoes just behind the object, as his gaze travels up amongst the blues and golds and of the almost regal outfit that adorned the man standing beside him. Not just beside him, positively towering over him. The object that had thundered down, he now noticed, was a cane, held by the giant sovereign as he with a stern gaze surveyed the small usurper now lying by its tip - I know Neuvillette is technically not older than Zhongli in his reincarnated form, but I want to imagine he has regained his memories of his past lives, and sees Zhongli as eons younger than him, he therefore refers to him as “Young Morax” as they speak - He crouches over the deity, and Morax almost feels as if he is mocking him (This is sadly all I have for now regarding this, as I haven't thought about how to continue it, might also continue this in the future!)

That is all I have rn! <3

[the-man-with-many-faces]

Hey, the internet is an interesting place, isn't it? The epitome of the good, the bad and the ugly.

Whats up! I'm Surya!

(This is an OC ask blog. Surya's 15 and a sumeru character, 5 star, and a pyro vision)

(Now for the backstory of how I created him. I'm a decently prominent user on hoyolab with 300+ followers (idk how) and somehow became a huge part of this online friend group that made a lot of genshin ocs and ship content and I love them so so much)

(so naturally I created a ship child of my own. Surya's the adopted son of Layla and Nilou (a rarepair I enjoy shipping) and I created a backstory and voicelines for him and everything)

(a lot of things are still in development and I encourage any and all interactions! But there are some guidlines)

(1. don't be toxic

2. Any ships are allowed but if something makes me uncomfortable (like I said Surya's fifteen (and I am a minor) so I won't respond to anything NSFW and anything that makes me uncomfortable in general)

3. May not respond to DMs.

AND THATS ALL

SILLINESS IS ENCOURAGED :)

Now for the voicelines!

Hello - Well, if it isn’t the all powerful nomad himself! I’m Surya, the adoptive son of the genius Rtawahist student Layla and Nilou, the greatest dancer of all of Teyvat! I’m not one for brute violence, but if you need someone for acting tips and psychological warfare, I’m your guy! 

More about Surya (Part 1): You want to know my secret to acting? Heh, many people had asked me that exact same thing before… of course I haven’t told them anything. They’d use my context against me. But I’d have no problem telling you, travelers - Why? Because you’d have no use for it, of course. Even with as much as I trust you, I have suspicions that you would use anything you could to get what you wanted. I don’t even mean it as a bad thing. In fact, I rather admire you for it…

About Surya - Part II-

Heh, you’re not going to stop pestering me about this are you? Fine, fine. I’ll quit stalling. The reason I’m so good in acting is that the people who act a role are always told to know a character. When they play their part they always seem so related to a character. Their mothers, fathers, siblings, best friend, lover… but never the characters themselves. As an analogy, obviously. They convey the personality of a character fairly well so that it’s easier for the audience to distinguish between the characters and what makes them significant in the plot. These actors even understand the character’s lives, their struggle, their relationships… but its not enough. It’s NEVER enough. You need to BE the characters. No… no… EVEN THATS NOT ENOUGH! You need to become the very god who would have created and controlled every aspect of the character as if he existed in this very world! Heh, must''ve sounded a little off my rocker there, but no true artist has a right state of mind. I was always rather interested in psycology as a child, before I even got into acting. Even the slightest twitch of a muscle can speak volumes of a person, traveller.

More about Surya 3: Studies - Guhhh, I wish I took something OTHER than Spantamad for the Akademiya. There’s just so much to memorize! And I HATE HATE HATE memorizing! Maybe I should just get a split nocturnal personality myself that would do all my homework for me. But seriously, if I didn’t convince former grand sage Professor Cyrus to tutor me, I’d have been kicked out YEARS ago.

Chat: Lore and legends - Mythology is interesting, but it’s not my thing. Why bother or ponder something that may or may not be real? I mean, I can understand why people care and enjoy it, but it’s a pointless concept to me. It doesn’t even affect us and our lives!

Chat: Good and evil - How many people have you met on your travels so far at this point traveler? About hundreds? Vision bearers like us must’ve been the ones who’ve made an impact (a genshin impact) the most on you. Out of curiosity, have you ever met someone with absolutely pure intentions, or intentions for purely satirical joy? Heh, of course few of the only people with pure intentions were my parents. I do love them so. 

I’ve heard you had multiple encounters with the Fatui? Must’ve met a few of the Harbingers yourself with all the trouble you’ve caused, heh. Do you think they do the things they do out of purely evil purposes? Il Dottore? Okay, that’s fair enough, you’ve got me there.

Chat: Knowledge and wisdom - According to what I’ve studied in the Akademiya, the definition of knowledge is the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association. But our beloved lesser lord Kusanali is known as the archon of knowledge and wisdom. She was locked away when the Akademiya was corrupted by the former sages for a long time, wasn’t she? And got most of the wisdom she knows today by taking all of the dreams of the citizens of Sumeru. If so, if she hasn’t experienced things herself firsthand. So, can we really call her the archon of knowledge? I’m probably looking into this too much, amn’t I? Phew, sorry.

When it rains: Ahhh, the rain feels nice on my skin! I almost wanna burst into song and dance!

When thunder strikes: Agh! That sounds like a gunshot!….oh thank god. It's just thunder.

When it snows: It's pretty cold…hope my fingers don’t freeze and break off my hand.

When the sun is out: Whew, now it’s pretty hot! 

In the desert: The sun..is so hot….I’m gonna melt into a puddle in my shoes…AAAHHHH SCARABS!

Good morning: Do you have any sweets by any chance? I need some sugar to fully wake up now.

Good afternoon: The perfect time for multiple cups of Chai! And maybe psych people out just for fun, hehe.

Good night: Have a good rest, traveler. I’m just going to stay up a bit to study if you don’t mind.

About Surya: Psychology - Psychology is something I got into when I noticed amma’s nocturnal personality when I was a lot younger. Oh, sorry! I meant to say Layla, didn’t mean to confuse you there. I was curious about why she acted that way, was it out of free will or was it a mental disorder of some sort? Not that it was a bad thing, it was the only reason she managed to even complete some of her assignments in the first place! It’s something I apply to real life and my acting almost everyday. How do I do it? Tag along and maybe I can teach you.

About Surya: Morality (unlocked after Caeleste solem et lunam - Act 1) - Sigh, look traveler, I’m….aware the things I’ve done in the past were far from pardonable. But even then, you still helped me at my lowest point. Sometimes I get so into acting like someone else that I completely forget who I am and who I’m supposed to be. Hopefully my journey to find myself will help me realize who I really am.

About us: Mutual relations - Hey, um, about my moms….take care of them for me, alright? They’re definitely the strongest people I know, but I can’t help but worry for them, haha. 

About us: Unwinding - Genius Invocation time, haha! Who knows, maybe you’ll actually beat me! I do enjoy moments like these, where we don’t need to think about anything else other than the cards in our hands! 

Have I ever played against the General Mahamatra? I feel like he’d get too competitive and ruin the purpose of the game for me. And I’m…pretty sure he hates me.

About the vision - My pyro vision really adds that little ‘razzle dazzle’ to my performances! I kinda wish I got an electro one instead, but I’m not complaining! I’m not complaining.

Something to share - Y’know, the only reason why Professor Cyrus is tutoring me now is because I promised to analyze his rival Zaha Hadi’s cropping style for tomatoes! So he could get one up on her, hehe. It’s a little strange, but I desperately need the help.

About Layla - She along with Nilou had taken me in when I was just a baby! She was still studying in the Akademiya back then, so it was hard for her to balance all the work, but they somehow managed! And ‘other Layla’ is as much of a parental figure as normal Layla is, but they are definitely different in styles of….everything. Between her and Nilou, she’s the more logical one. I’ve got some math skills from her too! I don’t understand why she needs to work so hard, she’s one of the smartest people I know. Hahhh, such is the Akademiya. Making sure evry single cell in your body has knowledge.

About Nilou - Nilou was the more empathetic parent. I could talk to her about just anything in the world, and even if she doesn’t agree with me, she always tries her best to understand my point of view. People don’t usually realize how hard it could be to represent something that wasn’t connected to knowledge in the nation of wisdom, but she has managed to make a name for herself despite oppression from the Akademiya when it was corrupted. I hope I will be able to make her proud once I make a name for myself.

About Cyno - He…he isn’t here is he?! He kinda hates me. And by kinda, I mean REALLY hates me. The former General Mahamatra huh? He’s the person I have the hardest time figuring out. What gave him the determination to execute his idea of justice? Who says that it's even right? Granted, there really is no right or wrong, but you know what I mean, traveler. And the biggest question of all, how are he and the head forest ranger even as close as they are? It’s rather unlikely if you ask me. And I lied. The biggest question of all is why he tells those horrendous jokes of his?! If they’re told with the intention of making people feel more at ease around him, it's obviously not working. 

I told him my opinion personally at one point, and he forced me to sit down to listen to five of his best jokes. The man is terrifying, I’ll give him that.

About Wanderer - Wanderer? Who the hell is he….hat guy? Oh, Hat guy! The weird Inazuma exchange student! He’s in the Vahumuna darshan. He keeps to himself a lot, other than with that Akademiya errand boy he always eats lunch with. When I asked him about where in Inazuma he’s from, he got really defensive and told me to back off. Seems like he doesn’t want to talk about home. Homesickness, or wanting to get away from past memories there? 

About Tighnari - Hm, there’s nothing really strange about him. He’s mostly normal, and definitely one of the better research scientists I’ve seen. Definitely more ethical, as far as I’m concerned. Got quite the sharp tongue however, that’s certain. That’s gonna get him in a lot of trouble one day……what do you mean I better not let Cyno hear me say this?

Surya’s hobbies - I don’t even need to answer that question, do i? Acting and TCG!

Surya’s troubles - I’ve been told by many, MANY people that I’m way too honest. And a lot of people fear me about how much I observe people and how I know a lot of their secrets just by looking at them. I don’t exactly have many friends…but I don’t really need them. …..I’m glad you’re comfortable enough to hang around me though, traveler.

Favorite food - Do you wanna know a secret traveler? The best biryani���.is from WEDDINGS. I’ve more than often found myself sneaking into other people’s weddings just for the biryani. Have I gotten caught? What do you think?

Least favorite food - I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE anything with alcohol. How do people even enjoy that stuff?! It’s bitter and gross. What do you mean wine can be sweet?! You’re lying!

Receiving a gift: 1 - Ah, I see you come bearing gifts!

Receiving a gift: 2 - Hmmm, not bad. I can work with this!

Receiving a gift: 3 - …….don’t take this personally but this is the most **** ***** **** ******* I’ve ever seen.

Birthday - TRAVELER! I heard it was your BIRTHDAY!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUU..I’m kidding I’m not gonna sing, for now at least. May your birthday be full of good food, fun times with friends and happy memories! Here, I made a card for you! It’s nothing much…but I worked really hard on it! I heard you were still looking for your sibling. I’ve been inquiring about them when I’m not too busy. I do hope you end up finding them one day.

Feelings about ascension: Intro - Yeah! We’ve got the power!

Feelings about ascension: Building up - C’mon, no point stopping now!

Feelings about ascension: Climax - We’re almost there! It’s nearly showtime!

Feelings about ascension: Conclusion - You knew this was coming for a long time….I JUST WANNA BE PART OF YOUR SYMPHONYYYY.

Damn thats a lot

and last but not least

ART!!

THIS IS BY @punchesyou literally picasso reincarnated go follow her RN

I made this on picsrew (he looks 5 :( )

Ugly ahhh drawing by me :(

and that's it!

I'll be posting voicelines everyday cause I know y'all might not have time to read them all

love ya pookies! <3 )

[superman--yoosung]

@imjustabeanie thank you so much for reaching out about this matchup exchange, I've had a blast doing this again!!

Your matchup is.................................

ALHAITHAM !!

Among all of those associated with the Akademiya, none are considered as calculatingly cold as the former Acting Grand Sage and his girlfriend. Students and Sages alike tend to tread warily around them both, lest they earn their sharp ire and harsh denouncements.

Of course, among those who consider them their friends, such worries are unreasonable (though not, admittedly, entirely unfounded). If a person is on the receiving end of their criticism, it is most certainly because it is deserved. Nor is the matter of how that criticism is taken either of their problems to deal with. After all, to both Alhaitham and his partner, brutal honesty is not "brutal" - it simply is.

Fun details:

The two of you definitely met because of an overlapping interest in a personal research topic. The fact that it continued to overlap again and again - well. Whether it was intentional or not, neither of you will admit to it one way or another, even under Cyno's line of questioning. (This is partly out of spite, but mostly just to see your friend group's frustration upon failing to get a straight answer out of you.)

Both of you are misunderstood by the majority of Sumeru. Alhaitham is perfectly fine with this. You tend to simply not notice. Whenever Kaveh or another friend brings it to your attention, you both logically remind them that the opinions of your friends matter more than those of complete strangers.

You and Alhaitham will be the death of Kaveh, by the way. There's a distinct lack of care for the fallout of your barbed words - those egos of yours, really! - that he tasks himself with trying to clean up for you afterwards. Maybe one day he'll learn to let it be - in the meantime, you and Alhaitham can amuse yourselves with the many shades of red his face turns.

You both HIGHLY value honesty. Admittedly, Alhaitham acknowledges that truth sometimes "means nothing at all" - but between the two of you, it is one of the greatest tenets of your relationship. It's what makes it truly work so well, your openness to feedback and complaints as they crop up.

Not to say that you don't have your differences. You indulge your friend's bad ideas often enough that Alhaitham is not unused to hearing about the consequences of your own actions, and being entirely unsympathetic to any resulting plight. Meanwhile, you think Alhaitham could stand to live a little more - there is only so much to be learned through words on a page, after all, much as you both enjoy reading. But you respect one another's choices.

You are both not the types to bring your baggage out to air in public. Or private, either, really. Whatever skeletons you each may have in your closets, neither of you will ever try to pry the other's open - that is to say, you'll let them come to you with those things if and when they're ready to share that burden.

Alhaitham can definitely keep pace with your racing mind, managing to follow your leaps of logic and thoughts without you having to explain them often. The two of you value sharing time with one another - most evenings are spent in one another's space, whether it's cuddling as you discuss your days and engage in lively debates or silently sitting on the couch, nudging each other with your feet as you read into the night. Learning for learning's sake is a shared love of yours.

Alhaitham is not the type to be overly physically affectionate, but he shows his feelings through actions and gifts. Dinner, brought home after a late work night; a new book over your shared interest topic, with a brief handwritten note slipped inside the front cover; a new piece of clothing to replace the one mucked up recently by a scuffle with some fungi, in the exact same shade and size as the old one - he gives you things he considers both valuable and practical. (Unfortunately, anything "aesthetic" he gets you will probably be... erm... eclectic. 50/50 whether it'll actually match YOUR aesthetics.)

He likewise values your thoughtful gifts to him. You'll find them proudly on display and scattered around the house, or carefully tucked along the bookshelves near the things he inherited from his grandmother. (The rest will fit in his pockets, somehow, or be incorporated into his daily routine.)

Maybe you're both a bit too harsh, in the eyes of some. Those opinions hold little stock in the grand scheme of things. Certainly, to your boyfriend, they have little meaning to them. Simple pleasures - having fun among friends; slipping a new book into place on your desk and watching the way your eyes light up at the sight of it; opening a present you give him to discover it's just what he's been needing this week; falling asleep and opening his eyes to the sight of you, warm and content beside him - these are the things worth time, worth effort, worth keeping. Those shared, stolen moments between the two of you are the most meaningful of all.

It was honestly a toss-up between Childe and Alhaitham; Childe would match your chaotic energy and enthusiasm for life more than Alhaitham would ever be able to, but he's also deceived people canonically more than Alhaitham has, too. In the end, they would both be excellent matches with you, but I hope you enjoyed this one!

[unoriginalpun]

Sumeru's Grand Scribe: Seer of Light Alhaitham

Maid of Space Kaveh Analysis

Disclaimer: Just like before, this analysis may include my own personal headcanons about the character. Just a heads up! Forgive me too if its format is a little all over the place.

SPOILERS FOR HOMESTUCK TOO.

Since we already know a whole lot about him as well as having already cemented himself as an important character in Sumeru's storyline, instead of just focusing on predicting what kind of character he might be, I'll include some facets of how his surroundings affect him and his classpect.

Seer: Passive knowing class => One who sees their Aspect or one who sees with their aspect. Alternatively, one who understands their aspect or informs others of/with their aspect.

Light: Abstract => Knowledge, awareness, fortune, luck. Literal: Actual light (Brightness), Vision

The Grand Scribe of the Akademiya, a normal and ordinary employee for Sumeru's government, and most importantly; Kaveh's roommate. The irony of the both of them living together is that despite Alhaitham being the one to hold the light aspect, Kaveh's the one who has a title and fame while the former would prefer to stay out of the spotlight as much as he could help it. He even turns down the chance to be the Grand Sage, Sumeru's head official and leader of the Akademiya.

Alhaitham, even though time and time again has been told that he has potential to become someone of great renown, rejects attention and wants nothing to do with fame. He'd rather stick to his unassuming job of Scribing than live in the limelight; wanting to pursue his desire to learn about the world around him on his own terms. From this description alone it makes him an obvious light-bound, yet he makes it a point to hide from it.

So why is it that the one who sees and is encompassed Light constantly pushes it away?

Let's shuffle things up a bit. Instead of his aspect, lets start with Alhaitham's class: The Seer.

The Seer's role is to learn about their aspect and use what they've learned to help others and guide their party towards whatever goal they need to achieve.

Terezi Pyrope is a good example of a competent seer, despite not having to have gone godtier in any of her iterations. As a Seer of Mind, she informs her teammates (most notably John) of the potential outcomes of their decision as Mind is the Aspect of choice and its consequence. With John, she gives him a list of events and choices he has to reverse and change in order to guide their timeline

Then there's fellow Seer of Light Rose Lalonde, who's role couldn't have been described any more flawlessly than by Aradia:

I'll revisit this as I'll further explain Alhaitham's character and how Aradia's description of his classpect could also apply to him and how he acts throughout the archon quest and his character story.

Then there's Kankri. Well... It can be assumed that as his session's Seer of Blood he would've seen how his teammates would interact and bond with each other and in turn figure out ways to tie them together into a more cohesive unit. But it's know that that isnt the case.

Now lets return to Alhaitham and how he fits the Seer role.

Alhaitham has repeatedly showcased how he always seemed to be two steps ahead of his opponent through careful planning, putting up all the triggers in place for a chain reaction you could say. He was able to allocate every one of his teammates to a purpose that would in the end save their imprisoned god Nahida from her imprisonment in the Akademiya.

Specifically, Alhaitham knew how to divert attention away from his plan from the Akademiya . Primarily through distractions that draw the Akademiya's awareness away from the ones who were delegated to free Nahida, was Alhaitham able to bring his party to the most desired outcome of releasing their god.

So you can assume that while the action was happening, Alhaitham stayed in the background overseeing the whole operation from the outside right?

Wrong

I would be amiss if I failed to mention at least once that Alhaitham does actively participate in his own plan, being the nexus that ties all their plans together. Along with his personal motive of just wanting to keep his simple job as a scribe, it would make sense to place him in the Mage class.

I do plan on writing a section that expands on how both he and Kaveh are forced by Sumeru's society to act into different roles, for Alhaitham's case it would be having to act out the role of the Mage, so i wont get into too much detail.

But to put it simply: Alhaitham wouldn't want to be a Mage as it goes against his wants for an untroubled, comfortable life.

Also, he say outright that he'd rather take on a passive role:

Now, there's Alhaitham's personal story quest where he takes a bit of a back seat and exhibits more traits of a Seer.

Another role that a Seer could fulfill is to learn and understand their their aspect or through their aspect, and Alhaitham takes a great deal of his story quest investigating Ilyas and the Hivemind he was a part of due to Sirage.

It all accumulates into he climax where he reveals that all this time be had already figured out what Sirage was up to along with his his plot to overthrow him and position as Acting Grand Sage and had long figured out how to collapse his hivemind through helping Ilyas remember and divulging information out of him, learning more about him and Sirage. Alhaitham then was able to quietly plant seeds in the form of information that challenged the hive's perception of himself that would bloom and spread across the overmind and eventually take it down.

Although Alhaitham is still involved with this investigation, it can be noted that he does not take much action throughout most of the quest until the very end where he destroys the machine that controls the overmind. He mostly guided those around him through each stage of the investigation until they've reached the root of Ilyas' problem.

Finally, let's talk about the latter half of his title: the aspect of Light.

Light in homestuck represents not only Knowledge, but also fortune, luck, and attention; relevance.

One's who are bound to Light are knowledge-seekers that have the spotlight cast on them; wherever they go, the story follows. Sylph of Light Aranea Serket is a fountain of information that spouts up details of anything to anyone who listens. Her dancestor Thief of Light Vriska steals the show and always wants to have the story revolve around her, nothing is secret to her either as her Vision 8-fold reveals to her everything that's hidden behind a physical wall.

Then once again there's Rose, one of the first four main characters and someone who's curiousity for the unkown allows for Light to let her learn about it.

Indeed Alhaitham is a knowledge seeker, his introduction explicitly states this fact:

Yet attention and relevance are what Alhaitham strives to avoid. Does that not make him a true Light-Bound by ignoring half of what makes the aspect of light, or is there something more at play?

Well, I woundn't want this analysis to stop here and now and neither would you right?

First, I like to discuss that in order for Alhaitham to comfortably live in Sumeru he would have to roleplay as three different classpects:

The Aforementioned Mage of Light, which is forced upon by the Akademiya.

The Knight of Light and the Mage of Void. (also both classpects that I associate with King Deshret ;] )

To summarize a point that would need a whole other post dedicated to it: Just like Kaveh, Alhaitham has to switch between performing two roles if he wants to be able to live out his life in Sumeru comfortably. Acting as a Mage of Light in tandem as a Mage of Void so he can foresee and act on a problem that poses a threat to his lifestyle yet conceal his schemes in secrecy, as well as a Knight of Light where he uses knowledge to protect it.

Just like in the Archon quest, Alhaitham was able to uncover a plan that was void in the public's eyes and after bring it to light was he able to plan and act on it, using what he has understood through his findings to protect his country.

So let's come back to the question: With all this roleplaying and its proof, does that mean that Alhaitham isn't truly a Seer or bound to Light?

No, it just means that Alhaitham is really good at acting.

Though, this also could be a great metaphor for masking too. Having to act out certain roles in order to fulfill his society’s expectations of him.

But with that aside, Alhaitham's true colors shine when he is left alone along with the job that he chose for himself.

By himself without the noise of unexpected events, Alhaitham is in the background quietly obtaining information through Scribing; recording and being privy to gatherings and the data it could provide.

And maybe if he was a little less unburdened with Sumeru's problems then perhaps he could fit into that role a bit more snugly.

But how would there be a story if there wasn't any struggle.

Which brings me to my final point, The Seer's arc.

Seers are first deprived of their aspect and surrounded by its opposite. Their character arc is basically them dispelling what obfuscates their aspect in order to learn about it themselves before providing their judgement on it to others.

Rose once was shrouded in Void, first by Mom's drunken and unclear motherly acts of affections then by Doc Scratch through the horrorterrors so he can move the plot forward.

Terezi was clouded by Heart through her unhealthy black romance with Gamzee which rendered her unable to think for herself and left her feeling terrible.

And Kankri with Breath, as he was the only one of his blood color to exist on Beforus and thus began with a lack of any relation through blood.

With those patterns established, I'm going to start diving into headcanon territory and how Alhaitham's title shapes his character arc.

This will differ from Kaveh's as in his case we don't know much about either his past or what he's doing in the present specifically, but with Alhaitham we know a fair amount of both. BUT there are gaps between him in the present and in his past that could be filled in with a classpect's imagination.

Despite growing up in a city drowning in Light, Alhaitham was shrouded in a certain void while he was a child. This was partly self-imposed as the little scribe would rather stay at home with his grandmother teaching and learning by himself rather than using the Akasha system or by being a student at the Akademiya, which in turn deprived himself of Sumeru's light.

Even if he was surrounded by his grandmother's vast collection of books, he does admit that even they are subject to misinformation and can't possibly be relied on 100%. Yet this kind of void is something that doesn't harm him as it's through understanding this void can he starts to see its light.

But perhaps this void persists even after he admits himself as a student in the Akademiya, and it takes the form of the architect Kaveh. Kaveh and Alhaitham are two sides of one mirror: one driven by hard logic and the other driven by emotion. The saying opposites attract did in fact apply to them as during their Akademiya days did they become close. That void that surrounded Kaveh did not leave but Alhaitham once again did not mind.

It was only until a joint research project did the void become bothersome. Ideals and perspectives started to clash and this time Alhaitham wasn’t able to pick apart and figure it out why Kaveh’s point of view. He wasn’t able to find an explanation to why they were at each other’s throats now.

So they called off the project and went their separate ways, a fallout.

Although the source was gone, it’s fog still lingered in the back of Alhaitham’s mind. Many what-ifs ran across his head and scenarios in which he created multiple contingency plans that will never come to pass because they were always about what he should’ve done to avoid their separation. 

Now there’s a new emptiness that surrounds Alhaitham, one he could explain but not easily dispel.

It bleeds into how he interacts with others, only keeping people within an arms length and no closer, learning to adopt different behaviors in order to reach a favorable outcome that wouldn’t result into the same one that shrouded him in this unknown.

He would have an opportunity to rectify this as Kaveh becomes broke. Alhaitham offers him a place to stay the moment he hears the news.

Now with a new start, maybe this time Alhaitham could better understand his now roommate with everything he has picked up during his absence. The arguments that they have often is now new data about Kaveh’s personality for him to analyze and synthesize.

Aaaaaaand that concludes the deep dive into the Seer of Light! I’m totally not setting this up for a series of posts where the nexus is of a certain ship that involves these two (hehe).

[lampiche]

A new beginning starts with a new leaf

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Characters: Al Haitham, Nahida (but only a little bit)

Warnings: Spoilers for Act V of the Sumeru Archon quest :0

-----------

When Al Haitham opens the doors to the Grand Sage's office, he is surprised to find that Lesser Lord Kusanali is not here.

He knows he's on time, because he always is, so the Dendro Archon's absence leaves him perplexed. Usually, when he enters she is sat on a chair, patiently waiting with a smile on her face as always. He quickly thinks over his schedule in his head, and concludes that he did have a meeting today, but still ponders over his Archon's absence. Still, he doesn't stay fixed on the matter, and simply guesses that Lesser Lord Kusanali is late because of some matter unknown to him. So, he decides to just pick up a book off of one of the bookshelves adorning the walls, and sits down to read while he waits.

Nothing stirs for a while as Al Haitham reads. His headset is on, yet no sound reaches his ears. His eyes scan over the text he holds quickly as if he's read it a million times already, yet each word leaves his head just as it enters it. The silence is like a weight, heavy in the hair, but he doesn't stir, and keeps reading instead. Just as he nearly suffocates in the waters of the cloudy sofa he sits in, a soft melody makes itself known. It speaks in gentle phrases, filling every nook and cranny of the room. It pulls Al Haitham up, and his book clatters to the floor. This seems to anger the soft sound, and it turns into a howling, biting wind of chill. It bounces off each wall and hits him directly each time, and his body turns and sways like a fragile flower in a tempest. He removes his headset, choking on the brutality of the element, and collides with the door of the office.

The door opens, and Al Haitham falls out, drowning in the screeching sound. Behind him, the office whirls around itself like a whirl mill, and he smells the fragrance of dandelions as the door traps the room on itself. It screams, it kicks, he can hear it, feel it in the goosebumps across his skin, even. But the sun shines a bright green light around him and he feels his chest tighten on the wild flora of the rainforest. Still the melody rings in his ears, but it is more pleasant now. It's as warm as a benevolent gaze, and as tender as a golden feather. When he looks up, he sees both a comet and a watchful eye. The latter merely stares at him, red glowing gaze dissecting his every body parts, before putting back his heart in his stomach, and his stomach in his head. The former only flees, shy and surprised at the humanly intervention, a golden dream amongst the forest of creatures. It rushes past, and Al Haitham follows the running star. The giant eye watches him.

Al Haitham turns left, right, goes a up a flight of stairs, and then down. He explores every cavity of his brain, guided by the shiny sparkle, a stranger to the neverending green of earth. Everywhere he goes is the same, and yet it's different, like trees in the forest or people in the crowd, or grass in a clearing, or clouds in the sky, or the rays of the sun, or the visions done by gods. When he feels he's reached his breaking point, he meets the inhabitants of the forest. The insects, the birds, the trees, the flowers, the Shroomboars, the mushrooms, the water, the Rishboland tigers, the Aranara, the God of Dendro, and everything else in the world. They are all singing in unison, chanting for the watchful eye, for the comet, for him, for her, for the forest, for living beings, for the divine, for the world, for the nonexistent sky they are seated under, and he feels like he's just interrupted the most beautiful chorus of the world, where all beings unite as one for the stars, and all wishes can become true.

Lesser Lord Kusanali calls out for Al Haitham first, her smile as radiant as the morning sun in the desert, with all of its light reflecting on each sand grain to illuminate the sky. He takes her hand - Had she always been that close? - and he feels nothing. The tension leaves his body, and he seems inhabited by this song he knows nothing about, and yet he knows how to replicate. He sings, but he doesn't hear anything, and yet he knows his headset is on ; he watches, but he doesn't see anything, and yet he knows everyone is here.

"It's the Rhythm of the Great Dream.", she says, her voice distorted by the green, by the chorus, and yet it sounds like a lullaby to his ears, and he almost wants to fall asleep on the spot. "You can hear it now.", she continues, her voice clear like crystal water, and watery like a clear crystal. "You'll learn the melody soon enough."

Lesser Lord Kusanali doesn't speak after that, and the silence is suffocating this time. Al Haitham lacks air, but no one seems to notice. He brings a hand to his throat, but it doesn't reach anything and only grasps at air. He feels his heartbeat ring repeatedly in his head, his blood moves in his veins, and he collapses under the brilliant light of green, surrounded by the existence of what he worships. He hears her laugh beside him, a tinkle-like sound akin to a dance of bubbles, and his chest clears. The grass under him tickles his skin, it moves like rolling waves on the ocean, dragging him along like a forgotten plank of wood, far away from the sturdy and reliable composition of his house. Or perhaps he is on a dune of sand, moving as swiftly as the smallest grain, lost and swallowed in the immensity of wind-swept minerals. It doesn't matter to him, everything has the same texture, everything feels the same at that precise moment ; the sky is like the sea, the grass like the sand, the cobblestones like the rocks, the clouds like the snow, the fire like the light, the darkness like the universe, and everything is everything else and itself at the same time.

Al Haitham feels the gaze of the watchful eye on him yet again. He is alone, faced with what could be his sins, divine knowledge, Azar, or maybe all at once? He doesn't ponder anything, the song - no, the Rhythm of the Great Dream - dancing around in his mind instead, and he closes his eyes.  The wind howls and the plants cry as their leaves fall, but he still doesn't open them. He is an animal in a world of animals. The world tears itself apart under him, for him, around him, in him, but the soft melody of renewal guides him to serenity. He waits patiently for all his senses to come back, for the palace to turn upside down, and he falls, consciously and unconsciously, into the world of the yellow, of the senses and feelings, of smell, touch, taste, vision, hearing. He is no longer in a clearing, but the world is a clearing, filled with all kind of people like trees, and grasses like children, and couples like flowers, and vines like friends, and gods like humans, and beings that exist, no matter what they are.

Still, when Al Haitham opens his eyes, the violent headache that hits him makes him wince. Any normal person would simply stay lying for a while, but he decides to sit up, and black dots fill his vision on top of the pain. A sharp wave of nausea rises up, but he forces it dosn. He feels disoriented, and looks around his room once, twice, thrice to make sure he's in the right place. When he comes to the conclusion that he is, in fact, in his room, he inspects himself. He hesitantly pokes his face, his throat, and when his hand doesn't phase through it, he realizes that he's well and alive, and definitely not dreaming. The thought itself is so unexpected, that he stops, in disbelief. When was the last time he had dreamed? He ponders over the question for a while, but no answer comes to him in his recent years. He only vaguely remembers the fairytales and made up adventures he used to dream of when he was a child, but the Akasha Terminal had prevented him from indulging in the activity, so he has never dreamed again since reaching adulthood.

Weirdly enough, this seems to shake Al Haitham to his core, and he closes his hands out of habit, except an object sits in his right one. As he lifts it up, he realizes it's not an object, but a leaf. It's perfectly green in color, while not being off-putting, and it appears to be in pristine condition. He looks over it, and notices writing on the inside of the leaf ; music notes, he concludes after a closer look. The Rhythm of the Great Dream resonates in his head at that exact moment, and he hums it without thinking as he puts the leaf away in a book. Oddly enough, he doesn't find the apparition of this leaf to be strange, on the contrary, he feels almost comforted by its presence. In the back of his mind, he reminds himself to find a text about music, to try and read the score - And maybe play it? - so that he can really participate in the singing in his dream next time.

When Al Haitham sees Lesser Lord Kusanali later in the day, he doesn't ask her anything, but the knowing smile she gives him is everything he needs to understand.

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

I have no explanation for this other than the fact that Sumeru's population rediscovering dreams must have been wild

[soundingstars]

"This is going to sting, but we have to clean this." ~@dutybcrne (Kaveh to Alhaitham!)

Gentle Care |still accepting|

There was always a risk when it came to exploring the ruins that existed around Sumeru especially when a new one is unearthed among the endless sand surrounding them. It was no different from the one that Kaveh and Alhaitham were deciding to explore now even if it was filled with unknown dangers. But it was for the sake of learning more about the past if there were any secrets that existed among its ancient walls. 

Alhaitham and Kaveh had their own reasons for exploring these ruins even though apart of the reason why he agreed to go was to make sure that the blonde architect wasn’t going to get into trouble during the trip. The last thing that the former Acting Grand Sage wanted him to do was to feed those desert foxes. It was a bad habit that Kaveh had that he managed to learn over the years. 

Kaveh did have a soft spot for animals after all or anyone that might possibly look like they were needing help. It might have been a reason why he approached Alhaitham when they were both students at the Akademiya. He probably thought that he needed a friend since a lot of the students avoided him back then. His standards always caused an argument to occur which might have been the reason why he never managed to gain friends. Not until Kaveh came along before they had a falling out. Before the two went their separate ways. 

It wasn’t until they reunited years after which caused the two to start living underneath the same roof despite the tension that still lingered between the two. Their relationship was finally turning for the better though. Kaveh was willing to be more open with him now, he was no longer closed off to him. The arguments stopped as well. 

The ruins had been pretty simple from the moment that they stepped through those ruin doors, but it was unknown how long that was going to last. It was unknown what else lingered within these walls. It was a simple mistake while Alhaithm didn’t hesitate to push Kaveh out of the way because of the fallen rubble after the attempt was made to open a nearby door. 

-Haitham... w..ke up!” The sound of Kaveh’s voice and the familiar beeps that belonged to Mehrak slowly caused his eyes to flicker open before he moved to sit up with his assistance. A torn sleeve with an obvious deep cut to his shoulders that most likely was going to make it difficult to move his arm properly. It was unknown what other injuries he was dealing with at the moment that would be up to Kaveh to discover once they were away from the fallen rock that surrounded them. 

A small breath escaped from him once he managed to reach the nearby stairs with his assistance 

“I know.... Just get it over with. We shouldn’t stay here for long.”

@dutybcrne

[starcurtain]

I know everyone sees Itto as Genshin's comedic relief, but I'm telling you all, Alhaitham is actually the funniest character in Genshin Impact.

According to the fandom, he's hot, he's famous, he's the one in charge of the house...

But according to the people of Sumeru? Dude became grand sage and not a single NPC around the city had a thing to say about that. Sachin's son got his ass beat and he didn't even know who Alhaitham was; it was just "some guy in green." People on the streets are said to not even notice Alhaitham, let alone be able to identify him by appearance. The only time we ever hear NPCs directly commenting on Alhaitham, it's Siraj's collective who hate Alhaitham's guts. Dori refuses to work with him. Random Eremites call him a lunatic within two minutes of meeting him.

Alhaitham's reputation in Sumeru is "Who? Ah, that guy? I heard he's weird," and then everyone moves on.

Meanwhile, Kaveh is literally famous enough to have an epithet ("the Light of Kshahrewar"), is the lead architect on entire city redesigns, and was trusted before Alhaitham's take over to do work on the Akademiya itself. He built the most famous landmark in the rainforest outside of the Divine Tree. He's well-known enough that people bank on his reputation to start scams; people send their children to take courses with him in the belief that it will bless them with successful future careers. He's known for philanthropic endeavors to help the poor and disadvantaged. He won the Interdarshan Championship. This is the Sumeru equivalent of winning an Olympic gold medal!!

Kaveh is the Taylor Swift to Alhaitham's Travis Kelce. They might have independent success, but in every measurement of public sentiment, Kaveh vastly outshines Alhaitham, and the fandom should really take a step back and think about how hilarious this makes everything about their situation in canon.

For the few in Sumeru who are actually paying attention, sure, Alhaitham is the (former) acting grand sage who makes a pretty penny and owns the house Kaveh lives in. For the average majority of Sumeru's citizens who are way more likely to know Kaveh? Alhaitham is literally just "that guy who is shacked up with the Light of Kshahrewar."

Kaveh's efforts to keep where he lives a secret just makes him come across like one of those reclusive types of artists who value their privacy. Half the public in Sumeru probably think he just prefers to keep himself and his lover out of the limelight. Kaveh was so busy pretending not to be poor, he forgot that every ounce of pretending he does just helps him keep his own celebrity status. The harder he attempts to act secretive about where he lives and with whom, the more it comes across as "Please respect this famous person's privacy and stop asking about the details of his relationship."

And Alhaitham, for whom being "that guy who is shacked up with the Light of Kshahrewar" is THE life goal? Everything is going according to keikaku. Kaveh has convinced the entirety of Sumeru that he and Alhaitham are in a relationship, all without Alhaitham having to lift a finger. The more determined Alhaitham gets to fly under the radar, the more it looks like he's Kaveh's kept man. If you aren't living with him because you're broke, then why are you living with him, Kaveh? There's simply no way for Alhaitham to lose.

It's just... so funny.

[zhongrin]

The server maintenance started but I want to play for a while longerrrr— I so very much enjoy Kazuha's gameplay, I can't get enough of it

But that makes me think...

...if our companions were aware of everything (like they know the whole thing is a game and that stuff), do you think they get together like a huge barbecue and gossip about us?

Or perhaps our characters and those a coop friend has just gets together talking about stuff? Maybe they complain about us feeding them the same food/food they dislike, or that they talk about how we decorated our serenitea pot or any funny things we did?

yeee pair this with the fact that in genshin time pass quicker than our world's time. so whenever we 'leave' them even just for a short period of time, for them, it feels like days....

there's a few directions this can go, i feel? it depends on what they think we are, mostly. like are they indifferent to the fact that they're in a game? what do they see us as? god? creator? just some otherworldly being that can take control of their bodies? their purpose of living? based on what they think, it would influence how they talk about you and what kind of topics they would talk about.

personally am split between them seeing us in the "you are the reason of our existence" way (dark yandere routes mmmm) vs "you are a constant presence in life and we've long since lived this way so this is perfectly normal and we're just hanging out" way (many platonic relationships, high potential for crack and silliness).

in my world, i'd like to think zhongli would be the envy of all because the man gets to drink all the tea he wants and gets taken in literally almost every adventures i have. he's clearly very favored. and al haitham too, ever since he was released. also probably shinobu because she keeps me alive with that healing + electro application. and the fact that i always teleport to liyue waypoints for resin converting and adventure guild stuff will probably mean liyue in its entirety is probably so used to my presence lol

i've only coop-ed with my brother so far and honestly i love picturing (mine) zhongli & alhaitham + (his) dehya & nahida hanging out lol nothing to see here.... just two archons, the former acting grand sage, and the infamous mercenary hanging out together...... dehya and nahida probably talk about the nice artifacts and weapons everyone has in their world while zhongli and al haitham are just standing there like "ah. yes. our player.... isn't as lucky, unfortunately."

[petitexmagician]

I gotta get this out of the way while it's still fresh in my memory when it comes to Cyno's second SQ

Despite the fact that Cyno is the Leader to The Temple of Silence with two of how many halves of Hermanubis, and with Sethos coming in the 4.7 update we'll learn more about the Temple of Silence probably from Sethos voice lines since all Cyno's second SQ did was show the other Sages, alongside giving info on Tighnari's people in the process but not give a complete dive into the ToS for all we know they'll revisit them again.

There's also one thing that bugs me: Now this is a unpopular opinion but I wasn't a fan of how Kaveh and Al-haitham were the biggest focus for the fandom despite the damn fact this is Cyno's story quest. They did the same amount as Candace and Dehya, not as much but they did their part by full on luck, if there was anyone I wanted to see more of alongside Tighnari when you remember his people use to live in the desert it was Candace and Dehya both of who have the most experience and knowledge of the desert area.

But I am someone who will praise hoyo for bringing back the fact that Al-haitham was the Acting Grand Sage, so whoever is the new one they're probably gonna be shown during possibly Nahida's birthday festival event. This dude is obviously needed for whatever the Akademiya had hidden if Nahida wasn't going to be present.

Speaking of Nahida, I'm glad someone did screenshots while using her skill, you get more of the thoughts from the NPCs, Sethos, Former Sage Cyrus, Naphis, and the rest of the vision wielders. Other then that I'm glad this Story quest did what it did - barely scratching the surface and keeping people guessing more on what the Temple of Silence will and can do with Sethos and Cyno being co leaders, as well as bridging the repairing bond between the Temple and Akademiya.

[cervere]

-- // Starter for @sylvctica

   After the fall of the corrupt grand sages, && the rise of the Lesser Lord Kusanali , Sumeru was on its way to its new path, with the acting grand sage Al haitham && Dendro Archon making plans on how to build the country from the start-up.

      Still it's evident that this changes bring challenges, students are planning, rioting && rebelling -- without the guidance of Akaasha , the struggle of studying had proven to be too difficult , after all the whole akademya had been accustomed to it for years long ; && the dendro archon was also still youthful; and lacks hundred years of wisdom && in need of an assistance on bringing back Sumeru City to it's former glory   ( besides brainstorming provides good outcomes & ideas )  Lord Kusanali stated, as she had sent Cyno to fetch a 'old friend God ' that had lived years alongside with other archons in Liyue. 

     Obedient like he always had been; General Mahamatra had immediately set to his destination, only briefly saying 'goodbyes' to his friend before leaving without a second thought, It didn't take him a while to reach Liyue Harbor, && the designated place , just a minor hiccups with fighting Abyss monsters & treasure hoarders,    (he is glad he had not chosen to ride the boat in Port ormos for he would be taken weeks to get into liyue.)   And once he set foot in front of an intricate liyuean old house, cyno's hand knocked on the door.

Once.

Twice.

Three. Times.

But there was no answer. Perhaps the Mahamatra had gotten here even before the letter the Dendro Archon had written arrived, or so he thought -- because cyno didn't know that the person he was seeking for was busy doin' something in his garden specifically the ( Cabbages...) 

[meilunye]

♡ Ship: Alhaitham/Kaveh ♡ Genres: Fluff ; Comfort ; Character study ♡ Word count: 3,4k ♡ AO3: meow

Alhaitham is startled awake by a distraught Kaveh in the middle of the night. So, he comforts him. But it's only to repay him for his past support, of course... nothing more than that. 

There were more than just a couple things that Alhaitham loved about his secluded house. Despite its central location, a mere few steps from the bustling core of Sumeru City and right beneath the crowded staircase leading up to the Akademiya, it was the most peaceful oasis he could hope to find in the country, lest he settled for a rustic hut somewhere in the rainforest.

After achieving his current prestige, word of mouth had begun to spread through the corridors of the Akademiya. “Where does the Acting Grand Sage live?” the students wondered, almost gawking at him in awe as he walked down the aisles, his nose buried within the yellowed pages of a book. “Surely, he must own a mansion outside of the city. Perhaps he’s married with kids.”

Alhaitham wasn’t one to pay heed to idle gossip. He let the strangers talk undisturbed, amused by the absurd fantasies some people could conceive about him. Sumeru City had already decided which persona to assign him, and no amount of denying on his part could change the folk’s mind: he was rich, popular, and blessed with a flourishing family.

None of it was true, of course.

And Alhaitham couldn’t say he gave any of those possessions any value. What could money or children mean to someone who had free, unlimited access to the world’s entire knowledge, past and present? Nothing but additional and futile worries. A cozy house as close as possible to the library was more than sufficient for him to consider himself a lucky man.

His home was tidy, clean, and neat. Each item held its specific position on the shelves, all of his belongings lined up with manic precision to ensure none of them would be lost or misplaced. It was simple to clean, too— quite ideal for his low-energy moments after long afternoons spent on pointless bureaucracy, or handling people’s problems at his Akademiya desk.

Although not the work of a genius architect, the building’s interior design was fine and prestigious. The former Sages and his supporters had gathered the richest furniture and decorations they could find in the street markets, only to ensure Alhaitham’s nest would be as luxurious as possible.

Allowing their current head figure to swim in riches was the key to passing as a prosperous nation in the world’s eyes, Alhaitham assumed. It was hardly news that people didn’t do favors without the hope of receiving something in return. Nobody was an exception, and even less so the scholars he was acquainted with, greedy and merciless.

But above everything else, Alhaitham cherished the silence.

Not a single sound could filter through the sturdy walls of the house, turning it into a quiet, sacred shrine. It wasn’t unlike entering a separate dimension as soon as one would step past the stained glass door.

Alas, that was a distant memory.

An intruder’s burdensome presence soon disrupted the peace he oh-so-adored.

✧✧ read on AO3 ✧✧✧