#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.

[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.

[lair-of-platonic-yanderes]

Hello! Can I request a Platonic! Yandere! Alhaitham x GN! Child! Nahida! Reader? Thank you!

There is a sick God child in Scribe's house

Platonic! Yandere! Al-Haitham x GN! Child! Nahida! Reader

Description: Alhaitham has repeated time and time again, that he is only an Acting Grand Sage. But life of the nation can't just freeze until new Grand Sage is appointed. So, Alhaitham doesn't have a choice and should work with Dendro Archon to clean up the mess, that was from former sages' actions.

Grudges are petty. Smart person could either to stop holding it, or take revenge. Azar, exiled, striped of all his power and influence, has a grudge. Azar still has his intelligence. Azar still has an ace up his sleeve.

_______

Warning and tags: OOC. Platonic Yandere. English is my second language. Spoilers for Sumeru's AQ. Reader are Gender Neutral. Azar is a bastard. Mentions of attempted murder. Poisoning.

Alternative timeline (I guess) - Wanderer's Interlude happened before Fabulous Fungus Frenzy Event).

Wanderer's name is Azra (after character from "The Arcana" game).

Detect quotes from Nahida's voicelines and special dish description.

Alhaitham made one comment about raising a child together with Kaveh. Take it as you want (as a joke, or a pre-relationship).

_____________

Alhaitham's life goals were, in the eyes of some fellow researchers, unfit for an Akademiya Scribe.

"Having an easy job and living a simple live? Are we really talking about star alumnus of the Haravatat Darshan and not about someone from Vimara Village?"

For a few years, that «ridiculous» situation remained a relatively popular gossip between students. "Mysteriously" it was brought up only when Alhaitham was in an earshot.

Alhaitham didn't care about gossips and being a talk of the Akademiya. He liked his life and that was all that matters.

However, after Lesser Lord Kusanali were freed from the captivity, his normal and comfortable life was, while not outright destroyed, disturbed. Acting Grand Sage was still a Grand Sage, whose duties did not compare with the duties of a scribe. Alhaitham wasn’t oblige to accept the new position, but, the overthrow of sages left Sumeru and Akademiya in chaos, and Alhaitham’s normal life would be disturbed anyway. While choosing between more work and rebuilding his life from scratch, he chose the lesser of two evils.

However, on days like this, when sage’s table was almost bursting under the weight of papers, when there were an archon, who offered their help, and who were now lost among mountains of old documents, that had to be placed on the floor, Alhaitham thought, that starting life from scratch was not a bad idea.

In theory (or in a book) after the coop, Sumeru’s problems should be easily resolved. Archon were free and ready to rule Sumeru again, traitorous sages were stripped of their powers and exiled, and the problem with appointing new sages shouldn’t be that hard. There were enough people, who didn’t dirty themselves with betrayal, and, Alhaitham admitted, Dendro Archon have all necessary means to investigate new sages. Alhaitham himself would gladly assist in choosing Azar’s (or his, if he is counts) successor. Ask him, and Alhaitham will confess, that he made a bet that problems would be resolved quickly, and he would not have to stay Grand Sage longer than necessary.

And then, history and laws reminded of their existence.

_______

If someone read books about Akedemiya's history, they might find a very strange name in a list of previous Grand Sages. Strange in a way "Aren't Grand Sages (or just Sages), normally, are chosen from people of Sumeru? How someone from Fontaine managed to become a head of Akademiya?"

The truth is, Grand Sage Dupont, who lived three-hundred years ago, despite the name, technically, wasn’t from Fontaine. His parents, two Driyoshs, conducted research in a land of Hydro, and, during that time, future grand sage was born. The reason behind his name was lost in time (Did his parents plan to stay in Fontaine at first? Did someone named Dupont saved them?), but, when young Dupont reached schooling age to attend Akademiya, the family returned to Sumeru.

Information about Dupont's Akademia’s days were vague, except of few moments.

First, and the most obvious one, Dupont was smart, and his academic success was undeniable. However, some books from that period mentioned, that Dupont has an annoying trait of skipping from one topic to another in his research papers, using long, overcomplicated (even for Akedemiya's standards) words. Despite that, he never mentioned insignificant information, and, at the end, everything would play its part. That turned an annoying trait into a valuable trait for a researcher. It was a question of time, before Dupont became a Great Sage.

Second, he was obsessed with proving his loyalty to Sumeru. It was unclear, where it came from. He never mentioned, that his peers looked down at him, or if he had troubles with professors.

Third, after spending a childhood in a nation of Courts and Justice, was enamored with lawmaking.

Fourth, he wasn't hiding his tendency to overcomplicate texts (Alhaitham read some of the Dupont books, and, if he was one to judge, "overcomplicate" was a major downgrading), mad loyalty to Sumeru and dreams of making laws.

His days as Grand Sage were unofficially called The Age of Web of Laws.

Age, when Sumeru was flooded with new laws each day, Dendro Archon were pronounced a captured traitor, and people realized, why researchers, who use long words and could jump from one important point to another, probably, should stay away from lawmaking.

Law, after law, on top of three others laws, that connected to unreleased laws made Sumeru's law system a knotted mess.

And then, he remembered about Dendro Archon in Sanctuary of Surasthana.

Lesser Lord Kusanali, during their capture, were ignored. Dupont, for some reason, decided, that Archon, who lost their power and memories during Cataclysm are a traitor and should be treated as such.

He couldn't exile them or execute them. So, as a person in charge, instead, he hopped to make their life a living hell.

There were few hundreds of laws, forbidding or complicating Dendro Archon's possible return to power and rulership. A few dozens laws of making their life in captivity hard (Like a "Seafood law", by which allowed feeding Dendro Archon seafood and only seafood for breakfast/dinner/lunch. Grand Sage failed to realize, that Sumeru, at that point, wasn't a fishing nation, and the required amount of seafood need to be bought from other nations and will cost a lot of mora). Then, the laws, that prohibited the worship of Dendro Archon came. And, when Dupont mentioned, that he will look into possibility of executing Dendro Archon followers, people finally realized, that situation got out of hand.

After a long battle of wits, public opinion and bureaucracy, Dupont was exiled. Most of his laws were banned or cancelled. Even laws about Archon's followers were taken care of.

But, no one cared about Dendro Archon. All laws, that were focused on them were ignored, but never were cancelled.

So, when Lesser Lord Kusanali got on the throne, that useless laws were remembered. Sumeru was in a dire need of sorting them and dealing with them.

_______

That's lead to Alhaitham's and Lesser Lord Kusanali's current situation. To finally get rid of Dupont's laws, Acting Grand Sage and Dendro Archon were working together for the last few days.

Thankfully, it was the last of the bunch, and, if everything went well, in three days the work will be over.

The closest paper mountain tilted, but was stopped by a pair of small hands, emerging from the paper bowels. The next moment, the rest of Dendro Archon followed.

Lesser Lord Kusanali, or, [Y/N], as they called themselves, were almost hugging the much taller tower slowly moving around it, trying to prevent its fall.

[Y/N] managed to not only hold papers back, but also get in the front of the unstable mountain. For one second it looked like papers will stay in place. But, [Y/N] hold a metal container in their right hand and weren't planning on dropping it to stabilize the paper tower better.

Like on a clue, papers on top slid down, ending up on [Y/N]’s head. Alhaitham, without stopping reading the papers before him, grabbed Dendro Archon by the pale green cape. Scribe picked them up, saving from being buried under the paper avalanche. Just in time. The tower fell, and [Y/N] dangled in Alhaitham's grip. Ignoring the blatant blasphemy (who could dare to hold the ruler of a nation, God of Wisdom, as if they were a naughty puppy?), Alhaitham lowered them back on the floor, putting an archon back on their feet.

[Y/N] took off papers from their head with free hand, looking at them in displeasure. They glance at the pile of papers on the ground, reading the titles. They mumbled under their breath, mostly to themselves, not expecting Alhaitham to speak.

“And the Seafood Law is found.”

He looked up from his current documents (Law of "forbid Dendro Archon to walk down the street") looking at the archon with faint interest. As if sensing his gaze, they turned the document in his direction. Alhaitham, quickly reading through the first page, hummed. Without taking away the document, Alhaitham wrote a "Cancelled" on top of the first page.

One more centuries old foolish law that poisoned the life of current Sumeru were dealt with.

Without care, [Y/N] dropped the document on the floor. With a small smile, they turned towards Alhaitham, placing the container before him, on top of the (finally cancelled) "Street law". Alhaitham raised an eyebrow.

"I thought, that you need a small break." [Y/N]'s voice sounded soft and a tiny bit shy. "So, I brought some Candied Ajilenakh Nuts."

They don't seem like traditional Candied Ajilenakh Nuts. Instead of familiar rectangles, Alhaitham was looking at the four-petaled flower, laying on top of the four green-white leaves. He took one of the "leaves", taking a small bite. Syrup melts upon contact with his mouth, nuts easily crumbed under his teeth. Alhaitham swallowed the delicious treat,

Alhaitham, despite spending almost a week working together with Dendro Archon, didn't take them for a cook. Yet, here we are.

"Why?" Alhaitham wasn't sure, if it was a simple curiosity, or just an attempt in small talk. Child god looked at him with big warm eyes.

"Why I decided to give you a gift? The sea anemone has helped the little fish and witnessed its growth, so it's only natural for the little fish to give something back. Why Candied Ajilenakh Nuts?" their gaze became a little bit dreamy. "One little bite makes the brain starts chugging away at top speed, and suddenly there's no problem too difficult to solve."

Alhaitham hold back a smile. Lesser Lord Kusanali had a moment of "normalcy".

Alhaitham wasn't a believer. Gods were just gods, a part of biological hierarchy, perhaps, a product of evolution. He wasn't the one to defy Dendro Archon's divinity, but he won't pray or worship them. At least, that's how he was. Before he started working with Dendro Archon.

It was easy to be an atheist in "old" Sumeru. For years, Dendro Archon was an idea, an echo of the past. Even history books has no clear images of pre-Cataclysm Dendro Archon. Just a schematic drawing of a human head with large green headpiece. Akasha Terminal only provided information on who Lesser Lord Kusanali were, not on who they are.

Then Alhaitham helped to rescue Lesser Lord Kusanali. Dendro Archon stopped to be an idea. It wasn't enough for Alhaitham to start bowing before the divine. The week of working together with Dendro Archon wasn't enough.

But now Alhaitham didn't know, how to view Lesser Lord Kusanali anymore.

They were an Archon, ruler of the nation.

They were a winner of Archon War, who lost their memories and powers during Cataclysm.

They were a poor soul, who were locked in their own home for five hundred years.

They were a wise person, whose somewhat simple metaphors hide true answers.

They were a child, who have a sweet tooth, liked big gatherings (Aether told him about "A Moment of Dreams") a toy box with handmade toys, who, sometimes, were clueless about proper social interactions.

[Y/N] were too many things, and their picture in Alhaitham's mind became more and more conflicting each day.

He should be respectful, but not a fanatic. He should see them as a god. Not as a child.

So, where does the surge to protect that poor child came from?

Alhaitham's facial expression became neutral again. He closed the container, putting it away.

"Thank you, Lesser Lord Kusanali, but right now I don't have time to enjoy it. There is still a lot of work to do."

Dendro Archon simply nodded, turning back to paper mountains.

"Understandable. Now, where is the law, that forbids children to wear green, gold and white colors is?"

Alhaitham perked up, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Did he forced you to...?"

[Y/N] immediately shake their head.

"No! He was planning to release that law, but, fortunately, the same day he was finally accused of power abuse. Still, not hurt to check out if he managed to sign it. And, if we are lucky, we will finally found that little paper sheet, according to which I can't cancel laws."

Dendro Archon slowly moved among the paper towers.

Alhaitham was back to work. But, from time to time, his gaze lingered to the metal container with Candied Ajilenakh Nuts.

For last week, Lesser Lord Kusanali arranged food for the two of them, and now make something for him.

He cooked before, but never tried to make dessert. Well, we live, we learn.

__________

It was a given, that Alhaitham and Kaveh split the house chores between each other. Yes, Alhaitham might use the owner's status and make Kaveh, who was living here rent-free, do all the chores, but he would never do that. To be frank, the thought of blackmailing Kaveh (or anyone else in a dire situation) was making Alhaitham sick.

So, the cooking was split between them. Of course, if someone wanted to add something to the table when it wasn't their turn, they were free to do it.

Tonight, Kaveh appreciated the dessert Alhaitham brought home.

There were some minor passive-aggressiveness during dinners (Kaveh preferring making soups, or Alhaitham making spicy dishes), but, mostly, there weren't any conflicts, and they will eat each other cooking without complaining, commenting or making a scene and cooking something else.

So, when Alhaitham, who, after dinner, grabbed the cookbook Kaveh brought home a few months ago, and occupied the kitchen, he expects questions from Kaveh.

For now, he was silent. Kaveh observed, how Alhaitham was mixing ingredients.

"You are making a dessert." Kaveh's voice sounded flat. Alhaitham barely glance at him, before returning his attention to cooking. Baklava wasn't an easy thing to make for a newbie baker, but it was the only dessert he has all ingredients to make.

"Since when do you have a sweet tooth? First candied nuts, now this." Kaveh refused to drop the subject.

"It's just a small treat for a child who gave me candied nuts today" answered Alhaitham

"For a child?" Kaveh raised an eyebrow. "Did you take in an apprentice? Or..." Kaveh expression became worried. "Or are you planning to adopt a child?"

Alhaitham's mouth moved, before he could think about his next words.

"What if I am?" Alhaitham send a heavy glance towards Kaveh. "What if I am thinking about taking in a child?"

Kaveh expression dropped.

"Spare an innocent soul, Alhaitham. Kids, especially orphans, need attention and emotional involvement and attachment. And you are... I can't picture, what kind of parent would you be."

Alhaitham, who didn't stop cooking, finally finished forming baklava, put it in an oven. With his back turned towards Kaveh, he shrugged.

"I will be a fine parent. And, as for emotions. Well, I have you for that. Together, we will raise a normal child."

His roommate was silent. When Alhaitham turned around, he saw, that Kaveh was closing and opening his mouth, just staring at Alhaitham with an unreadable emotion in his eyes.

Alhaitham sighed.

"I am not planning an adoption or having an apprentice. [Y/N] are a child from Akademiya I have been working with for the last few days. They were quite helpful, and I just want to show my gratitude."

Kaveh was silent. He spoked in a hushed voice.

"[Y/N] from Akademiya. Child, you have been working with. Alhaitham, I respect your take on gods, and Lesser Lord Kusanali might be a kind and forgiving archon, but, don't you think, that calling them a child and by name is disrespectful?"

Alhaitham didn't flinch.

"I don't think, they would mind. They are kind and forgiving."

'Too forgiving.' mentally noted Alhaitham. 'Azar is still out there. Who knows, what he might do.'

Alhaitham glance back at the oven.

"I just want to show them some kindness. They don't have their memories and for five centuries no one show kindness to them. It's not right."

Kaveh pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Since when you became so emotional, hm?" He didn't wait for an answer, turned around and walked out of the kitchen. Before leaving, he looked back at Alhaitham.

"I hope, that you know what you are doing."

Alhaitham knew. He knew, that [Y/N] need some warmth and parental care.

Also, Alhaitham wondered what Azar was up to?

_____

Since he was a child, Azar knew, that he was born to be great. He was from the family of great researchers. He was smarter, than his peers. He was the best student of Rtawahist. He knew, that he will be a Grand Sage one day. It was his birthright.

In his previous life, he has everything. Power, respect, authority, live of luxury.

Now he has no power, he was despised, under constant supervision of forest watchers and matras and was living in an old hut.

Azar hated Avidya Forest. He hated to have nothing, while the traitorous Alhaitham, Tighnari and Cyno and the joke of an archon have everything.

Azar knew, that he can't change anything. But, he will be damned, if he won't try to get revenge.

He glanced at the night sky. It was hard, he only had one shot.

Lesser Lord Kusanali put him in this position. And they would be the one to pay the price.

It wasn't an option, to kill an archon. It wasn't the most common knowledge, but Azar was aware, what happens, when god die. But, what if an archon became so weak, they will lose a human form?

When they were working together, Dottore mentioned, that he made a poison, that will weaken an archon. He didn't test it. Nations won't take kindly to poisoning their archons.

Thankfully, Elchingen wanted to prove himself to Dottore by all means.

Azar didn't care, what would happen to Dendro Archon. They could either die, or became a twig, he didn't care.

He hated them ever since he, a newly appointed Rtawahist Sage, was allowed to enter Sanctuary of Surasthana. When he saw that thing, that dared to called themselve a God of Wisdom. A meek child, who everyone called forgiving, and who exiled him, instead of forgiving.

For a crime of offending the prodigy, Dendro Archon have to pay.

_______

"Are you sure, that you don't want to have something with your tea?" you tilted your head, looking at your guest. Wanderer, who now calls himself Azra, rolled his eyes.

You two were having tea in your living quarters in the Sanctuary of Surasthana. You rarely invited someone here, but Azra was a special case.

"No, I don't want any sweets."

You just smiled, taking a bite of baklava Alhaitham made for you. It didn't look pretty, but it was tasty. You didn't expect him to give you a present in return, you just wanted to give him something sweet. But, you won't complain.

Azra was silently drinking his tea.

"How is your trip going on?" asked you. "Are aranaras a good company for you?"

Azra shrugged.

"Nothing interesting. Aranaras are fine, nation is calm. Someone is planning a tournament focused on overgrown mushrooms."

You hide a smile behind the teacup.

"Yes, I knew. Yesterday, Kautilya and Elchingen came here, asking for permission to uphold the tournament. They even send gifts." You pointed at a few colorful boxes that were standing on the small table in the corner. "Do you want to participate in the tournament?"

Azra raised an eyebrow.

"Is it an order?"

You shook your head. It wasn't the time to order him around or force him to an interaction. Small steps, time will come.

"No. While it will be a good thing, if you will be more social, I won't force you into talking to other people."

Azra huffed.

"Then I will pass. I still have some parts of Sumeru to visit."

You just smiled.

"As you wish."

You take a candy from the box. It was one of the Elchingen's gifts. It was sweet, and the flavor was a little bit overwhelming, but, still, it was good. Not as good as Alhaitham's baklava.

For a few moments both of you were silent again. Then Azra spoke once again. He frowned.

“Elchingen… That name sounds familiar.”

You waited to Azra to tell you more. After few more moments, he shook his head.

“No, I can’t remember, where I have heard it.”

You tilted your head.

“Don’t worry about it. Perhaps, he wasn’t that important for you to remember him.” Azra just shrug, not looking at you. With a sigh, you put your teacup back.

“Azra, your desire to travel is a good thing, and I did support you. However, if I can suggest, staying in one place is also good. Spent some time in Akademiya, attend some public lectures. Try to have a taste of life in Sumeru.”

Azra didn’t look interested in your idea, but, he nodded anyway.

“Fine, I guess I will put wandering on hold for now”.

If he heard your chuckle, he didn’t show it.

_________

Another day of work was over. Alhaitham and you did a great job, and almost all old laws were dealt with. Azra left, prefering to camp in the wild instead of staying in the capital. You were alone in the Sanctuary of Surasthana.

And you felt sick.

It sounds impossible, but archons also can become sick. While the symptoms will never be as serious as mortal's symptoms, it still will be an unpleasant days.

The most serious "sickness" you had was that one time, when you spend all night, hopping from one dream to another, helping sick children. All of them had fever dreams, and you had to go through multiple strange dreams. It ended in you having a headache for whole day.

You curled on your bed, feeling a wave of nausea. You were hot and cold at the same time, you had a headache, you were trembling.

You hold back tears. For that one moment, you didn't feel like an archon, a victor of a war, a ruler of a nation.

You felt like a lonely, sick child.

You were a lonely, sick child til the morning. Until Alhaitham, who wondered, why you were late, didn't start looking for you.

______

"What do you mean they have been poisoned?" barked Alhaitham, grabbing Tighnari by the hood. Tighnari's ears dropped, he felt, how the fur on his tail stood on end. He didn't expect to be disturbed by Alhaitham.

Alhaitham, who has never raised his voice, looked like an enraged abyss monster. He was breathing heavily, his eyes were narrowed, and his teeth were clenched. And, Tighnari could swear, he heard a quiet growling sound.

"It is true, Alhaitham. Lesser Lord Kusanali aren't sick, they aren't having some sort of godly rebirth. They have been poisoned. They show all symptoms of the poisoning."

Alhaitham breathe in and out. He let go of Tighnari.

A quiet whine got their attention. Dendro Archon were laying on their bed. They were laying under the blanket with their eyes closed, with a wet towel on their forehead.

The bed already was big enough to have two adults comfortably laying in it, and it would look even bigger, when a child were laying here. And now, when Dendro Archon were sick, when they looked smaller and weaker, then they truly were.

Alhaitham automatically moved forward, sitting on the bed's edge. He carefully took the towel and, after dripping it in the water bowl, put in back on their forehead. His hands linger above archon's head, before he made a decision. He carefully pet archon's head.

"How?" Alhaitham's voice was barely a whisper. Tighnari opened his mouth in shock. Alhaitham was surprisingly emotional today. And if his reaction to poisoning was understandable (more problems to Sumeru means him being an Acting Grand Sage longer, than he wants to), but the unexplained tenderness was... unexplained.

"How, Tighnari? How they got poisoned?" Alhaitham turned his head towards the forest ranger. Tighnari, whose thoughts were interrupted, shake his head, trying to focus. It helped for a bit.

"It's not a simple poisoning. Not from bad food, or wrong ingredients, or wrong tea mix. The poison looks complicated. It's..."

"An assassination attempt." finished Alhaitham. Dangerous light flashes in his turquoise-orange eyes. Tighnari stayed silent. There was no need for words. He sat down on one of the chairs, rubbing his temples. Why Dendro Archon can't catch a break? First sages, then old laws, now...

Alhaitham stand up.

"Tighnari, help me transport [Y/...] Lesser Lord Kusanali in my home."

Tighnari jumped up so fast, he felt slight dizziness.

"What?! Wh- You- They- Why?!"

Alhaitham spoke slowly. Like he was trying to explain the situation to a kid.

"There is a traitor, or traitors on the loose. And, it seems, Sanctuary of Surasthana isn't the most protected place. And [Y/N] need to be protected. And I can only trust myself right now."

Alhaitham noticed a change in Tighnari's expression. "You and Cyno too, but, Cyno will be busy with an investigation, and you are living too close to the former sages."

Tighnari's gaze soften for a bit.

"It does make sense. But, are you sure, Alhaitham?"

Alhaitham, who was now looking around, making mental notes on what to take with him, nodded.

"More than I ever have been."

______

You were barely conscious. You heard voices, that sounded, like they were speaking from the great distance.

You felt, how multiple blankets were put around you, and you were carried somewhere.

You woke up in a strange place. It wasn't your room. The bed was smaller, than yours, and there were too many books there. For a moment, you thought, that you were laying in the library.

The room's door opened. You focus your gaze on an 'intruder'. Alhaitham walked inside, carrying a tray with a bowl on it. Judging by a steam raising from it, you assume, that it was soup.

Kaveh tried to follow after Alhaitham. The architect looked agitated, but, the moment he looked at you, his gaze softens. But, before he can step inside the room, Alhaitham kicked the door, closing it right before Kaveh's face.

"Oh, you are awake, [Y/N]."

You tried to talk.

"Where..."

"In my home." Alhaitham's voice was soft. You might even call it "parental voice". Alhaitham put the tray on the bedside table and helped you to sit down. He put his hand on your forehead, like he was checking the temperature. He frowned.

"How do you feel, [Y/N]?" Alhaitham looked concerned. You whispered. Your mouth was dry and there was a terrible bitter taste.

"Bad. Thirsty and hungry."

Alhaitham nodded. He frowned. He picked up the soup bowl. You get a better look at it. It seems, that you have mistaken. It was a simple plain broth, not a soup. Meanwhile, Alhaitham scooped up some broth with a spoon. He blew on it then hold the spoon towards you.

On better days, you would take the spoon in your own hand. But, you felt so tired. You weren't sure you can move a finger.

You let Alhaitham spoon-feed you.

While you were eating, Alhaitham spoke.

"Someone tried to poison you, [Y/N]. To keep you safe, I volunteer to house you, until the danger is gone."

You stay silent. You didn't know what to feel. Were you that bad of an archon? Only deserve to be imprisoned, or dead?

Suddenly, a pair of arms were carefully put around you. It wasn't a real hug, but still a hug.

"I promise, [Y/N], I will deal with it."

After he let you go, he gave you more broth. Then he gave you water. He gave you some medicine (from stomachache and fever).

He tucked you in.

"Rest, [Y/N]. Rest and get better. If you need company, Kaveh is in a next room."

Alhaitham carefully pet your head, before leaving. The door was left open, and you could see Alhaitham's and Kaveh's silhouettes.

Alhaitham's gestures were nice. But, there was something in his voice. Something strange.

It was wrong to read others' thoughts.

But, you wanted to understand.

You reach your shaking hands towards the door. You made a gesture with your fingers.

You release your powers.

______

"Acting Grand Sage, what an honor. How Dori Sangemah Bay could help you?" Dori's tone was anything, but not friendly. If she could, she would send him away. But, she can't. If she didn't want to get arrested by Cyno.

General Mahamatra was standing behind Alhaitham, observing. Near him was standing another person. Another investigator.

A strange wanderer in a big hat volunteered to help with investigation. Of course, no one would consider allowing him to help, but after Lesser Lord Kusanali themselves confirmed, that wanderer is their old acquaintance and can be trusted, he became a part of investigation team.

It was impossible to cover up the poisoning. So, all of Sumeru knew about the investigation. Including Dori.

Alhaitham's voice was calm. Terrifyingly calm.

"Do you knew, who tried to poison Dendro Archon?"

Straight to the point. Dori focused her attention on her fingernails.

"There is some information. But, I really want to hear, what Akademiya can offer for..."

"ALHAITHAM, STOP!"

A pair of hands grabbed her by the shoulders. She was picked up and shoved into crates, where she had stored goods she planned to sell during the upcoming tournament.

Turquoise-orange eyes met with golden brown. Alhaitham hissed, while Cyno tried to pry him off Dori.

"A life of poverty and exile, if you don't cooperate. A good deal, don't you think?"

Dori tried to struggle, but Alhaitham's grasp was too strong.

"Alhaitham!" growled Cyno. Alhaitham almost spit his next words.

"I have a sick child in my home. A child, who was poisoned and who still suffer from it. And you want me to be calm, when she is demanding a price?!"

A million thoughts were raising in Cyno's head. He was aware of Alhaitham's views on gods. But, thinking about gods as a product of evolution is one thing. And thinking about rule of the nation as a child was another.

Meanwhile, Dori shouted.

"I will help! I will! But, please, I do need a protection! If rumors are true, Fatui might be involved."

Alhaitham let Dori go. His voice was hard as steel.

"Speak. And I promise a protection.

And Dori spoke.

About a man named Elchingen. About strange purchases of rare herbs he made. About him being seen in a company of Fatui solders. About Elchingen mentioning "Master Dottore". And rumors of Elchingen meeting with former Grand Sage.

______

You were sitting in the common room of Alhaitham's home, next to the man himself.

Well, perhaps, at this moment, you should probably call it your home.

Kaveh was working on some project in his own room, while you were trying to focus on the book in your hands. It was hard.

Instead of a text from the book, you have been remembering some articles from "Steambird".

"Fontaine merchant was torn apart during the tournament in Sumeru"

You knew the truth. Azra made sure to leave you a message through aranaras, before leaving to Snezhnaya.

You got lucky, that the poison Elchingen gave you weren't the original one, but a replica. Without all necessary components, it wasn't lethal for an archon.

"Former Grand Sage tried to assassinate Dendro Archon"

"Former Grand Sage is under arrest"

"Former Grand Sage hang himself in the cell"

Alhaitham didn't tell you the truth. But you understand, what really happened.

Traitors were dealt with. You felt much better. You could return to the Sanctuary of Surasthana.

You can't.

"Because you are still in danger, [Y/N]."

"Because after one will come others, [Y/N]."

"I will make sure, that you are safe. I will change Sumeru and make it safe for you."

You cast a quick glance at Alhaitham. You spoke.

"If you need help with something, I could..."

Without looking at you, he put a hand on top of your head, ruffling your hair.

"Don't worry, [Y/N]. Leave it to adults. Have a happy childhood, my child."

You probably could fight. You could order him to knock it off. You could exile him.

But every time you try to do it, you will remember his thought.

The thought you read a few months ago.

"I wish, that [Y/N], that my child lead a peaceful life"

And you let him coddle you, to parent you. You let him to constantly watch over you. You let h be a gray cardinal, staying a Scribe, but manipulating the current Grand Sage. You let him reshape Sumeru in your honor. You shoved Azar's demise in the deepest corner of your mind.

Sages' actions came from their greed for power.

Alhaitham's actions came from the parental love.

If you were a bird, that never knew the taste of freedom, that sages were a cage, and Alhaitham was an indoor garden. Both were a captivity. But the garden was a better illusion of a freedom.

[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).

[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

[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...) 

[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.

[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 ✧✧✧

[clonesimpextra]

A Shattered Peace: Chapter 1

First Impressions

[next]

Pairing: Wolffe x FemJedi!OC Word Count: 3.4K Series Rating: Explicit (18+ Only) Series Summary: A woman raised to be a peacekeeper and a man created for war, Jedi Knight Amara and Clone Commander Wolffe help lead the 104th Clone Battalion as co-commanders. Both are intent on protecting their men and bringing victory to the Republic. They just have to learn how to work together first. A/N: Eventual smut starting a few chapters in, but this will be a bit of a slowwww burn. Tags updated along the way. Link to AO3

-----

Jedi Knight Amara Kora was many things.

She was the former padawan of Master Plo Kloon. She was strong in the Force. She was a fierce warrior.

Jedi Knight Amara Kora was many things.

But she was not a good liar.

As Amara stood next to her former master in a crowded hangar and watched the men of the 104th Clone Battalion stand at attention in front of them, she struggled to keep the frown off her face. This didn’t feel right - Jedi acting as army generals and commanders, prepared to lead men, created for the sole purpose of war, into battle.

But then, nothing had felt right since Geonosis.

The rules that Amara had been raised with had all but been tossed out the window when Dooku had revealed himself as leader of the Separatists. He’d forced the Republic’s hand. And, in turn, the Republic had forced the Jedi’s.

Never mind that Amara had always thought the Jedi incapable of being forced into anything. If that were true, she wouldn’t have been given the title of commander in the Grand Army of the Republic mere days after she’d been confirmed as a knight of the Jedi Order.

In truth, Amara had requested that she be made commander under Master Plo rather than general of her own battalion. Not everyone on the council had taken kindly to that - they needed as many Jedi as possible to send across the galaxy, after all.

But Amara wasn’t ready. She knew she wasn’t ready to lead soldiers on her own. Not like this.

That didn’t mean she didn’t still want to help, to learn how to become the leader she’d seen other Jedi like Anakin Skywalker turn into almost effortlessly. Thankfully, Master Yoda had listened to her. And, because his opinion was, ultimately, the one that mattered most, Amara’s request had been granted.

“Better it is,” the little green master had stated solemnly, “to have a commander who knows her limits than a general who continuously ignores them.”

Everyone in the room had nodded sagely at Master Yoda’s words, though Amara was fairly certain none of them were entirely sure what he’d meant.

Still, in the days that followed, Amara had poured over intelligence reports about the Separatist strongholds, watched holos about battle strategy, put in more hours in the sparring rooms. She wasn’t sure about this war, but if she was being made to fight in it, she was damn well going to be prepared.

Now, as Master Plo gave the same speech to the men before them that he’d practiced in front of her hours earlier, Amara allowed her mind to wander in the Force, reaching out to the strangers whose lives would soon be in her hands.

This was the closest she’d been to the clones since Geonosis a few weeks earlier, but even then she’d been entirely focused during the battle. Focused on staying alive and keeping those around her alive, on ignoring the heat bearing down on her that had reminded her just a bit too much of the planet she’d once called home. She hadn’t had time to wonder about the helmeted men surrounding her aside from a nod and a thanks to the Force that their arrival maybe meant she wouldn’t die that day. But now, with hundreds of those same helmets - several now painted with stripes and swirls of maroon - turned to face her, Amara tuned out Master Plo’s greeting words and opened her mind to the men.

All Jedi felt the force differently, and for as long as she could remember, the Force had come to Amara in the form of colors. Every person she met had a specific hue, some were brighter than others, some muted but no less encompassing. From what she’d been told about the clones, Amara had assumed they’d each be a variation of the same color. But she couldn’t have been more wrong. When she opened her mind she was immediately hit with a rainbow, no two clones shared the same color.

Struggling to keep her face neutral and her hands behind her back instead of nervously tugging at her two braids, Amara allowed her gaze to flick from clone to clone. She couldn’t see their faces, couldn’t read whatever stories their eyes might tell, but she could feel them, and she could see their colors. And they were devastatingly beautiful.

Before she knew what was happening, Amara found her eyes drawn to the clone - the man - standing in the middle of the group. The only thing physically separating him from the others was a shoulder antenna. But Amara was drawn by his Force color, which was nearly the same as the paint that decorated his armor: a deep, vibrant maroon somehow both louder and softer than all the Force colors Amara had ever seen.

And it vibrated with barely contained emotion.

Something about this soldier felt achingly familiar, but Amara couldn’t quite put her finger on what. Regardless, she found herself wanting to know more about him. With a color like his, Amara needed to understand how it worked. Was it always this vibrant? Did it darken when he was angry? Why did it match so closely with the color of the battalion?

The questions formed quickly in her head and Amara swallowed against the rush of them, barely stopping herself from stepping closer to him. She was used to the curiosity that often came along with interpreting a person’s Force color, but it had never been this intense. It had never made her lose focus.

Curiosity was fine. But this . . . this felt dangerous.

Amara closed her eyes and blocked the colors from her sight. It wouldn’t do for the men to see her get lost in her own mind. She was meant to be a leader - she had to start acting like one. She took a deep breath and straightened slightly, tuning back in to the speech.

“My former apprentice, Jedi Knight Amara Kora, will act as co-commander alongside,” Master Plo nodded to the clone Amara had only just stopped staring at, “Clone Commander CC-3636.”

Amara watched, intent on keeping her mind closed, as CC-3636 stepped forward and saluted.

“Sirs.”

His voice was sharp and deep, similar to the ones Amara had heard on Geonosis and in the hangar before this meeting, but still different in its own right and projecting a cadence that she felt sure she would be able to recognize anywhere. At the sound, she felt a pull in her chest, begging her to seek out his color just one more time.

“Do you have a name, commander?” Master Plo asked gently.

The commander tilted his head. “Sir?”

Master Plo looked down at Amara and she nodded, stepping forward.

“We heard some of you have given yourselves and each other names.” She made a point to look at various clones as she spoke. “If you have, Master Plo and I would prefer to call you by your chosen names, if that’s alright with you, of course.”

The commander stared in her direction for a moment before looking back at Master Plo.

“I go by Wolffe, sir.”

Wolffe . . . Amara wasn’t sure what to think of that name. Where did it come from? Had he named himself or had someone given it to him? More questions Amara knew she had no right to ask.

She wanted to, though, and that worried her.

She’d always thrived on her connections with others. Master Plo had once said her empathy was what would make her a great Jedi. But they were walking into a war and Amara wasn’t sure how she was supposed to balance empathy alongside leading men to their deaths. Did she want to know more about these men? Did she deserve to know more about them - when it was her people who helped put them here in the first place?

She blinked when Master Plo placed a hand on her shoulder and bowed his head to the commander, “Ko-to-yah, Commander Wolffe.”

Amara’s eyes flicked up to her co-commander. She didn’t know how, but she was certain she had caught his gaze, even through the darkened visor. Before she could peer too deeply, she nodded. “Nice to meet you, Commander Wolffe.”

He nodded stiffly back at her and moved to stand on Master Plo’s other side as they walked down the line of clones.

Amara smiled at each clone they passed, committed their names to memory when they told her, and opened her mind just enough so that she could associate those names with their respective colors. With every name, every number, Amara tried to pretend like she couldn’t feel the dread pooling in the pit of her stomach as she looked into their blank visors.

But try as she might, Jedi Knight Amara Kora, commander in the Grand Army of the Republic, was not a good liar.

Not even to herself.

* * *

And that unfortunate fact was currently biting her in the ass.

Standing in one of the many briefing rooms on the GAR compound with Master Plo and Commander Wolffe a few hours later, Amara was beginning to regret whatever choices she’d made in her life that had led her to this moment. And, based on the sudden rush of calm she felt the Jedi master push her way through their bond, she wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding her thoughts.

She didn’t think her frustrations were entirely unfounded, though. Not when Commander Wolffe - her co-commander, the man she was meant to work closely with for as long as she was part of the 104th - was proving himself to be one of the most insufferable men Amara had ever met - and she was friends with Anakin Skywalker.

It all started on their walk from the hangar to the briefing room. Amara, still trying to grapple with the incessant pull she felt toward the helmeted man next to her, had turned to Wolffe with a hesitant smile and asked how preparations were coming along for their lift-off the next day.

The commander hadn’t so much as tilted his head toward her as he answered. “Barring this briefing, everything’s ready, sir. I took care of it this morning.”

“Oh,” Amara had fumbled around for a response. She’d expected for there to be something she could help with. Something that would let her get to know some of the men, or at least Wolffe, better before they left Coruscant. “Well maybe I can have a look around the Triumphant later. You know, familiarize myself with everything.”

Wolffe did look down at her then. And even though her eyes fell on the black depths of his t-shaped visor, Amara knew she was peering directly at him. It wasn’t so much the lack of facial features that felt so unnerving - she was used to Master Plo’s ever-present mask, after all - but rather the fact that so much of Wolffe was covered. The helmet, the plastoid armor, all of it working against her ability to easily interpret what he was thinking.

She did have the Force, though, and the heat Wolffe was currently projecting toward her had made Amara stop in her tracks. She wasn’t sure if it was anger or something else - she wasn’t even sure if it was there because of her. All she knew in that moment was that Commander Wolffe did not want to be speaking to her.

His next words, though not spoken harshly, only confirmed that.

“I don’t have time for that, commander. But I can have someone else show you the ropes if you’d like.”

Things had only gone downhill from there, with Amara’s anger and confusion slowly rising every time Wolffe refused to look at her when she spoke or made some passive aggressive comment about one of her ideas. And now, after Wolffe had, yet again, spoken to Master Plo as if she weren’t even in the room, Amara knew she was at her breaking point.

And apparently everyone else knew as well. Because as soon as Amara opened her mouth to finally toss out one of the many insults she’d been mentally yelling at Wolffe for the past hour, Master Plo clapped his hands.

“I think we’re done here, hm?” He nodded to Wolffe, who had resolutely kept his helmet on throughout the entire meeting. “You’re dismissed, commander. Make the most of your last night on Coruscant - There’s no telling when we’ll be back.”

“Yes, sir,” Wolffe saluted and tilted his head toward Amara, still not turning toward her fully. “Commander.”

As he walked out of the room, Amara grit her teeth at the reminder that not only was she going to have to endure Wolffe’s . . . whatever it was he was projecting at her and on her during her first mission, but she’d also be stuck on a ship with him for Force knew how long. The Triumphant was massive, but Amara had a feeling it still wouldn’t be big enough to get her away from that man’s ire - wherever it was coming from.

And that was the main issue for Amara. Wolffe’s actions, as annoying as they were, wouldn’t have bothered her so much if his feelings weren’t ebbing out of his mind and all but forcing themselves onto her. She’d thought clones were trained to build up mental walls to avoid things like this happening, but now that Wolffe was out of the room, some of the anger Amara had been feeling was also fading, meaning he was directly affecting her mood, intentional or not.

But there was something else, simmering under his rage and annoyance, that Amara could only just feel. Whatever it was, the remnants of it pooled in the depths of her stomach and set her on edge almost more than Wolffe’s anger.

She couldn’t quite believe how quickly her earlier feelings of curiosity had turned into whatever the Force she was feeling now. She wasn’t even sure at the moment where her feelings ended and his began.

Dangerous, she thought again.

“Something bothering you, Amara?”

Master Plo’s voice rang loud in the quiet room and pulled Amara from her thoughts. She looked up at her old master, who was staring straight at her, his hands folded gently in front of him. Amara remembered a time when she’d had difficulty reading the Kel Dor - his mask that filtered the oxygen poisonous to his species covering everything that might have clued her in to his feelings, even his eyes. But after nearly ten standard years by his side, Amara prided herself in her ability to notice the subtle shifts in Master Plo’s posture, in the smallest tilts of his head, the ways he held his hands or crossed his arms, that most people, even other Jedi, missed.

Now, Amara could tell just by the master’s folded hands that he was amused. She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think my co-commander likes me.”

Master Plo hummed but made no indication of wanting to say more. Of course he wouldn’t. Every time Amara was upset, he always gave her space to speak her worries out loud.

Giving a voice to our fears means we don’t have to fear them alone, was something he’d taught Amara long ago. And now, even though they were no long Master and Apprentice, he still practiced this with her - no matter how often she thought she’d rather sulk in silence.

“It’s just,” Amara sighed, “I thought we’d be able to work together. And before you say it, I know. I know we only just met and that he has no reason to trust me. But he wouldn’t even look at me!”

Amara hadn’t meant to raise her voice on that last part, or to sound more like the Padawan she was supposed to have graduated out of than the Jedi Knight she supposedly was, but the more she spoke, the more her anger (and her fear) leaked out.

“And you know I can’t help what I feel through the Force, but with him I-,” she hesitated, eying Master Plo’s patient form.

She trusted her old master with her life. She trusted him more than anyone in the galaxy and she knew that he would treat whatever she told him as something to be guarded. But Amara wasn’t entirely sure she was supposed to be feeling what she was from Wolffe - especially if Master Plo himself hadn’t felt it the way she had.

Yes, Amara’s power in the Force was much more connected to empathy than most Jedi. It was natural that she’d feel certain emotions from others more keenly and clearly. But, try as she might to deny it, Amara had never felt what she had when Wolffe was in this room. And something about that made her afraid to tell anyone.

Even Master Plo.

She opened her mouth to change tracks, to make up some excuse, but in a rare move, the Kel Dor interrupted her.

“You felt his emotions more clearly than you have from anyone else.”

It wasn’t a question. And Amara flushed at his ability to see right through her.

Definitely not a good liar.

“And his feelings were . . .” Master Plo trailed off, waiting for Amara to tell him the truth.

Again, she hesitated. She never lied to Master Plo. But the emotions she was feeling weren’t her’s alone - they weren’t even meant for her to know about. She might trust her old master, but that didn’t mean Wolffe felt the same - not yet.

And no matter how Wolffe had acted toward her, he still deserved his privacy. Amara knew all too well what it was like to have one’s feelings poked and prodded and questioned - she wouldn’t do the same to someone who was supposed to be an ally, not even if that someone was currently at the root of her current issues.

“I’m . . . not sure he’d want me to tell you that,” Amara stood up straighter, a feeling of absolute certainty filling her for the first time since she woke up that morning. “He didn’t ask for me to be able to feel his emotions so clearly. So long as he’s not endangering himself or others, I don’t think I have a right to tell anyone else what he’s feeling. Not without his permission. Not even to you.”

Amara resisted the urge to bite her lip as she watched Master Plo closely. They were still navigating how to work as equals rather than as master and apprentice. And though Master Plo had been gracious and encouraging in the time following her knighting, Amara sometimes found it difficult to stand on her own, especially when it was against the person who had practically raised her.

Even now, a small part of her was worried that, for the first time since she’d known him, he’d admonish her. But of course, he didn’t. He never did, because that wasn’t the kind of person Plo Koon was. Instead, he bowed his head ever so slightly, before reaching out a hand to place on her shoulder again. He didn’t squeeze or pat or move at all. And, in his silence, Amara knew she had done right.

She might question her place in this war. She might question most things these days. But in this decision, she knew she was right.

Even with the hurt and annoyance still coursing through her veins at Wolffe’s attitude, Amara couldn’t deny that her co-commander’s sudden presence in her life had inadvertently brought her something she hadn’t felt since before Geonosis: a small moment of peace.

As she walked out of the briefing room with Master Plo, clones nodding and saluting as they passed, Amara wished she could convince herself that the feeling would last.

But the residual anger and confusion left in her mind from Wolffe had also fueled her own tumultuous emotions, reminding her that even though she was a Jedi - peacekeeper of the Republic - this was war. And until the war was over, there would be no peace to keep, only fragments of it to fight over until they either won enough pieces with which to rebuild or lost enough to watch the Republic fall.

Maybe that’s what Wolffe was upset about. Amara had approached him with questions and ideas born from nothing more than what she’d read about and the small amount of experience she’d had in Geonosis. But Wolffe had been preparing for this his entire life. He knew what she was only just beginning to realize: win or lose, people would die.

Amara wasn’t sure how there could ever be peace in that.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Hello, I was wondering if you could write up some mid-level Hello. Requesting some adventure hooks that incorporate dragonborn characters, since I play a dragonborn born in my game. Thanks. I’m looking forward to Fighter Week soon.

Villain Ally: Ilxadon the Vanquished

“ Won’t you join this old wyrm for a game? It’ll help pass the time between now and armageddon” 

Setup: What happens to evil when the story ends? After the heroes are victorious and darkness is banished back to whatever dank hole it crawled out of? Old Ilxadon would know, given that he’s lived through it all before, perhaps he can give the party some advice as they near they weather their own journey’s tribulations.  

Little more than a hermit in his current existence, clutched on the edge of the world, Ilxadon was once an aspiring dark lord, who’s grand designs are today mostly forgotten save by the longest lived sages, and those celestial figures who still hold a grudge against the mad old lizard. 

Though mostly forgotten, the wizened shaman’s crimes are manifold,  the list topped by the capture the sungod and using blasphemous rites to drink the light from the divinity’s soul. Ilxadon always wanted to shine brightly, but his actions caused a months long eclipse that through the world into chaos and brought a coalition of heroes and demigods to defeat him and the little army of followers he’d built up with his stolen power. 

With the coalition triumphant, the stolen powers returned, and the god restored to their place in the heavens, Ilxadon was left in a story state, rendered immortal by his consumption of divine humors but trapped forever in a blind and burnt-out body that his enemies had no trouble imprisoning.  Time turns however, and sustained by the guttering embers of his power the defeated villain had only to wait for his bonds to rust, his prison to erode, and his jailers to die off. 

While most evils would have gone mad in captivity, Ilxadon has simply become benignly senile, drifting off into fond recollections of his old schemes while puttering about the ruins of his old prison like a dottering old beachcomber. 

Adventure Hooks: 

The heroes may unwittingly stumble into the former villain in some innocuous place, such as on the outskirts of an ancient dungeon or traveling up the road towards a plot-relevant volcano. He’ll likely be searching for something he’s lost, though what exactly it is and where he lost it fade in. If the party manages to reunite him with his treasure, he’ll gladly act as their impromptu guide, though his directions may take a turn for the rambling at points. Possible objects for this task include: The staff he’s enchanted to see through, some marbles, a precious stone he fashioned into a gamepiece, or an unprecious stone he thought was neat and decided to take with him because it was lucky,

Ilxadon can also appear as the advisor to a younger, upstart villain, interested in acquiring the power the shaman used to capture and chain the solar god, or just looking for advise. The failed tyrant often councils caution and graciousness, even in wickedness, and will perhaps betray his mentee if the “ disrespectful punk” goes too far in violating the oldtimer’s sense of propriety.   

A party of a more.... villainous persuasion may seek out Ilxadon as a sort of mentor, perhaps hearing about his unfinished legacy, or just that there’s an immortal sage of evil lurking around some cursed ruins somewhere in want of someone to dispense ominous lessons to. 

If the party ends up befriending Ilxadon, they may end up taking him along with them on their adventures, as the old lizard has quite the archive of apocryphal lore and blasphemous knowledge squirled away in the dusty corners of his mind. These lucid incites usually come about in the middle of one of the many impenetrably obtuse games of dice and counting Ilxadon is fond of, either recalled from a time before his imprisonment or dreamt up during his long incarceration. Learning these manifold games takes time, patience, and more than a shred of kindness, but can be well worth it, as Ilxadon thinks best when he is matched by a challenging opponent. 

Art

[foxghost]

Hello, I'm curious about your opinion on the emperor Li Feng. You can go into spoiler territory, if your opinion involves some plot points that occur near the end of the novel~~

So this has been in my inbox for LITERALLY MONTHS, and here’s my possibly unpopular opinion --- as of end of season 2 to the end of the book/audio drama, Li Feng is right about pretty much everything, also, Li Feng is not at all a villain.

While the former emperor was capable of sending assassins to kill his former trusted general based on rumours, and could rightfully be called a villain, Li Feng is incapable of this. I'd like you to sit in his chair for a minute, and consider his story (and the entirety of the SPL story) from a classical chinese perspective:

Li Feng and Gu Yun are heroes, Chang Geng is the villain, and SPL is a tragedy.

LONG spoilery meta under cut

Li Feng is your standard Confucian gentleman --- he fulfilled his duty, which is more than most emperors will give you. After all, what an emperor has is the Mandate of Heaven, and it is Gu Yun’s duty to serve him and the empire and Li Feng’s right to kill him whenever he wants as long as he has proper (even if trivial) reasons. But Li Feng studied the sages and believed in the old philosophies --- everything belongs to the empire, and he administers the state as the MASTER/OWNNER of the empire, not a CARETAKER of it.

He worked himself to the bone, he was filial to his father, he never shorted his little brother on festival gifts and let him do basically what he wanted throughout his youth, going so far as to let him not marry because CG didn’t want to, he cares about his family right up to the point where they turn on him (or when he's SURE they had turned on him), and lastly he fulfilled his duty to his heir by attempting to get rid of all threats to Li Zheng’s throne: Gu Yun, the old aristocratic families (including Fang Qin and his father), and Chang Geng.

And you're probably thinking wait a second he what.

Consider this --- the entire last part of the book is not Fang Qin vs Chang Geng. It's actually Li Feng vs Chang Geng. This is a fight Li Feng could never have won, because he's by nature a Confucian gentleman and would never order his own brother killed, unless that brother tried to kill him first. But Chang Geng is perfectly capable of that. He's admitted it in narrative.

Chang Geng has pretty much everyone on his side: the military, the merchant guild, the Lingshu academy, everyone who works for the Grand Council. Li Feng has himself, an 11 year old son whom he's forcing to grow up by throwing him into court assembly since last week, and ... not much else. He knows this. He doesn't even have himself. He knows he's going to die soon, and the only way Li Zheng can hold onto the throne and not made a puppet is if the old aristocratic families who’ve grown to big for their breeches, Gu Yun, AND Chang Geng goes. Once they do, since neither Chang Geng and Gu Yun have heirs, all the other court powers will shift to serve the crown prince, Li Zheng.

Here's Li Feng's endgame plan: - He lets Fang Qin's dad go ahead and send off that diplomatic delegation to kill Gu Yun, while holding onto evidence that they're doing so. - The foreign enemies are on their last legs, so they'll win that war anyway without Gu Yun - It is in the aristocratic families' interest to make peace with the invaders and end the war. BUT - Li Feng will not let that happen. He now has evidence that they conspired to kill Gu Yun, who's great Liang's war god by this point. They all GET BEHEADED. - the war ends with the invaders capitulating and paying reparations. - Without Gu Yun and any military power, Chang Geng's influence over the court is cut in half. - The war is over, dissolve the Grand Council. By then, Li Feng expects that Chang Geng has made enough enemies that someone will get rid of him. - He'll make someone intelligent, young, and pure as grand tutor (Xu Ling), and make the empress regent. If Chang Geng lives, he'll be assigned some land VERY FAR from the capital (south coast, probably, or northwest in Xinjiang).

The problem with this plan is that Li Feng is not a villain. He's not ruthless enough so Chang Geng counters and makes his move first. Even at the very last minute of his life, he's incredulous that his brother would use Li Zheng as a hostage to steal the throne.

He’s incapable of thinking that his brother, no matter how good at court intrigue he may be, would disregard familial ties (and Li Feng has fulfilled his duties in those ties) in his pursuit of power, because he himself is incapable of doing so. Li Feng is very intelligent but unable to think outside of the Confucian philosophy box, and that’s what kills him in the end.

So that's my thoughts on Li Feng. The poor man. If only his father acted like him, Great Liang would have had a lot less problems.

Btw, while I say that Chang Geng would have totally killed his nephew and his brother in order to seize the throne, I also don't think it's his own morality that stopped him from doing so --- he just doesn't want Gu Yun to hate him.

[bookofjin]

Annals of Chuping 1 (190)

[From Yuan Hong’s Houhanji 28]

Annals of Emperor Xiaoxian [“Filial and Offering”], Part 1

1st Year of Chuping [“Beginning Peace”]

[23 February 190 – 11 February 191]

Spring, 1st Month, xinhai [4 March], a great amnesty Under Heaven.

Palace Attendant Zhou Bi and Colonel of the City Gates Wu Qiong, argued to Dong Zhuo, saying:

In all cases the affairs of deposing and installing are great, and not attained by regular people. Yuan Shao did not comprehend the greater structure, and fearful and afraid set out and ran without having other aspirations. Now with the urgency of a bounty, circumstances are certain to make him change.

The Yuan clan have planted kindness for four generations, the students and former functionaries from their gates are everywhere Under Heaven. Suppose they gather the prominent and outstanding so as to assemble a crowd of followers. The gallant and bold will follow them and rise up, and East of the Mountains will not be possessed by Your Excellency. It is not as good as forgiving him, and designate him the Warden of a single commandery. Then Shao will delight in avoiding punishment, and there is certain to be no worries.

Zhuo considered it to be so, and therefore used Shao as Grand Warden of Bohai.

On guichou [6 March], Zhuo killed the King of Hongnong.

Zhuo sent the Prefect of the Gentlemen of the Palace, Li Ru, to advance with poisoned wine to the King, saying:

Ingesting the drugs can expel the foulness.

The King said:

I am not ill. In truth [you] wish to kill me this way.

He was not willing, they forced him. And so the King was together with Concubine Tang and the palace people to drink the drugs. The King himself sang, saying:

Heaven's Way is easy, and destiny why so hard.

Forsook the ten thousand vehicles, and withdrew to guard the border.

A traitorous subject is coercing, and fate will not be delayed.

Going away [I am] about to leave you, and depart for the hidden darkness.

Concubine Tang rose up and danced, she sang, saying:

August Heaven collapses, and Sovereign Earth crumbles.

Somebody is Emperor or King, and fate is cut short and swept away.

The dead and living have different paths, and following this [will] turn aside.

Dismayed, I am alone and solitary, and within the heart is sorrow.

Following that she wept, and those sitting there all grieved. The King spoke to Concubine Tang, saying:

You are the former consort of a king, and in the circumstances will not become the wife of a functionary or commoner. Take care of yourself, from that [I] bid farewell with you.

Thereupon he drank the drugs and died. The Emperor heard about it, he came down from his seat and thoroughly grieved.

At that time, the Inspector of Ji province, Han Fu, the Inspector of Yu province, Kong Zhou, the Inspector of Yan province, Liu Dai, the Grand Warden of Chenliu, Zhang Miao, the Grand Warden of Bohai, Yuan Shao, the Grand Warden of Donghai, Qiao Mao, the Grand Warden of Shanyang, Yuan Yi, the Grand Warden of Henan, Wang Kuang, the Chancellor of Jibei, Bao Xin, the General of the Rear, Yuan Shu, the Consultant Gentleman Cao Cao, and others all rose up with righteous troops, wanting to execute Zhuo. Their multitudes each numbered several tens of thousand people, and they pushed forward Shao as master of the oath. Shao titled himself General of Chariots and Cavalry. Cao was Acting General who Exerts the Martial.

The Grand Warden of Changsha, Sun Jian, likewise raised troops to execute Zhuo, and by the time he arrived in Nanyang, his multitude numbered several tens of thousand people. Zhuo used Jian as General who Routs the Miscreants, hoping he would be agreeable and restrained. Jian denounced Zhuo as being past his prime, and advanced to station at Yangdui. Zhuo was greatly angered, and dispatched Hu Zhen and Lü Bu to strike Jian. They fought at Jianping, and Jian greatly routed them.

Zhuo, since the troops East of the Mountains were abundant, wished to move the capital to Within the Passes. He summoned the Excellencies and Dignitaries to discuss it, saying:

Gaozu's capital was Within the Passes for eleven generations. Later during Han's middle flourishing, the eastern capital was Luoyang. From Guangwu until now there then has been twelve generations. Leaning on the the Stone-Wrapped Chamber Prophecies, [we] ought to again return the capital to Chang'an.

Among the hundred officials there were none who dared to respond. The Minister over the Masses, Yang Biao, said:

Moving the capital and changing the regulations are the great affairs of Under Heaven, and always must follow the heart of the people and ensue from what is proper for the times. Formerly Pangeng made the fifth move, and the people of Yin where altogether resentful. For that reason he composed three chapters to shed light on and explain it.

In the past when Wang Mang usurped and rebelled, he disarrayed and made chaos of the Five Constants. And in the disarray of Gengshi and the Red Eyebrows, they burnt down down Chang'an and harmed and wounded the hundred families. The population drifted away and absconded, and out of a hundred not one remained. When Guangwu accepted the instructions, he altered the capital to Luoyang, and this was appropriate for it.

Just now [we] have established and installed a sagely ruler, brilliantly raising high Han's benediction. But then for no reason to give up the ancestral temples and palace halls, abandon the former emperors' parks and mounds, the hundred families will be frightened and alarmed and not figure out these intentions. There will surely be boiling gruel and an assembly of ants, and so cause disturbance and chaos. The Stone-Wrapped Chamber Prophecies is a book of bewitching perversity, how can [we] trust and make use of it?

Zhuo changed colour and said:

Excellency Yang wishes to obstruct the strategies of the House of State? East of the Mountains, the Yellow Head-scarves make chaos, and is where thieves are rising up. Chang'an's strategic points of Yao and Han are firm, they are the important defences of the state.

Also from Right of Long [one] obtains timber, the work is not difficult. And below the Southern Mountains of Duling there are Emperor Xiaowu's old place for kilns to make brickwork, in one morning and one evening it can be managed. The palace houses and official storehouses, how are they not sufficient to talk about! The hundred families and small people, how is it sufficient to discus with them! Suppose there are [those who] go forward and come back, [we] will use our great troops to spur them on, how will they get to be by themselves?

The hundred companions all lost colour. The Grand Commandant, Huang Wan, said:

This is a great affair. Excellency Yang' speech, might it not be [you] could think about it?

The Minister of Work, Xun Shuang said:

How is the Chancellor of State enjoying moving the capital? Now East of the Mountains, troops are rising up, it is not possible to corral them in in a single day. But West of the Passes is still quiet, and for that reason we will move there to plan, as in the circumstances of Qin and Han. Stand firm and fight, without stop, and misfortune is certain to be what comes back. I will not do that.

Zhuo caused to have the ministers memorialise to dismiss the two Excellencies.

2nd Month, dinghai [probably a mistake for yihai, 28 March], the Grand Commandant, Huang Wan, and the Minister over the Masses, Yang Biao, were retired by bamboo slips.

Earlier, Zhuo made use of the opinions of Wu Qiong and Zhou Bi and selected the famous scholars of Under Heaven. When Fu and others had set out, they all raised up troops to plot against Zhuo. Zhuo considered that Qiong and Bi had sold him out, and in his heart was angry with them. Reaching the discussion on moving west, Qiong and Bi firmly admonished. Zhuo, greatly angered, said:

You Lords said [we] must draw out and employ good scholars. Zhuo followed the two lords' scheme, and did not dare to disobey the heart of Under Heaven. When the various lords arrived at their offices, they raised up troops and plotted, how can Zhuo count on [you]?

Thereupon he beheaded Qiong and Bi.

Biao and Wan were fearful and afraid, and hastened to Zhuo to apologize, saying:

It was because of small people's fondness for the old, not a wish to obstruct the affairs of state. [We] request to consider [our] shortcomings as accepting punishment.

Zhuo was not fully furious with them at the time [?], and when he killed Qiong and Bi, he had come to regret it, so for that reason the petitioned for Biao and Wan to be Brilliantly Blessed Grandees.

Zhuo used the Governor of Henan, Zhu Jun, as Grand Coachman, to be considered as deputy for himself. Jun was not willing to accept, and because of that advanced to say:

The state ought not to move, it is certainly undeserving of Under Heaven's expectations, and will complete the rift with East of the Mountains. Your Subject does not see that it is possible.

There was a minister who said:

The summons to audience was for you Lord to accept the designations, but you Lord resisted it. [We] did not ask about the affairs of moving, but you Lord put it forth. Why so?

Jun said:

To be deputy for the Chancellor of State is extremely weighty and is not something Your Subject is capable of. That moving the capital not be planned is what is pressing for Your Subject. To decline what he is not capable of, and advance what is urgent for him is what is proper for a subject.

There was a minister who said:

The affairs of moving the capital, earlier there were no plans for that, and even if there are, they have not yet been exposed. How did [you] gain knowledge of it?

Jun said:

The Chancellor of State, Dong Zhuo, arranged to make Your Subject talk about it.

The ministers were not able to bend [him] and so the great subjects of the court, and the Gentleman of the Masters of Writing, Hua Xin, and others all commended him.

Owing to that, they desisted and did not make him deputy to Zhuo. Zhuo increasingly hated him, and he feared he would certainly be destroyed by Zhuo, he therefore ran to Jing province. The Intendant of the Brilliantly Blessed, Zhao Qian, became Grand Coachman. Wang Yun became Minister over the Masses and caretaker Prefect of the Masters of Writing.

On dinghai [9 April], the Son of Heaven transferred the capital to Chang'an. Zhuo stayed behind to station at Luoyang, he thoroughly burned the palace houses, and moved the people to Chang'an.

On renchen [14 April], a white nimbus passed through the sun.

3rd Month, jisi [21 May, possibly an error for yisi, 24 April], the Chariot Drove to arrive at Chang'an. During the chaos of the Red Eyebrows, the palace houses had burnt down completely, and there was only the Exalted Temple and the Jingzhao office buildings. Thereupon they went and made the capital there.

On wuwu [10 May], Zhuo killed the Grand Tutor, Yuan Wei, and his three sons.

At that time, Yuan Shao was stationed in Henei. The Grand Warden of Chenliu, Zhang Miao, the Inspector of Yan province, Liu Dai, the Grand Warden of Dong commandery, Qiao Mao, and the  Grand Warden of Shanyang, Yuan Yi, stationed at Suanzao. The General of the Rear, Yuan Shu, stationed at Nanyang.

The Inspector of Ji province, Han Fu, held a great assembly at Suanzao, wanting to make an oath. The various provinces and commanderies in turn pushed forward and yielded to each other, nobody was willing to be the one in front. The Board of Merit Official of Guangling, Zang Hong, climbed the altar holding the blood, and said:

The House of Han is ill-fortuned and the kingly guide-ropes have lost control. The traitorous subject  Dong Zhuo exploits feuds to indulge in harm. Calamity is inflicted on the most venerable, cruelty flows to the hundred families. There is great fear for the loss and destruction of the altars of soil and grain, and the shearing away and overturning of the Four Seas.

The Inspector of Yan province, Liu Dai, the Inspector of Yu province, Kong Zhou, the Grand Warden of Chenliu, Zhang Miao, the Grand Warden of Dong commandery, Qiao Mao, the Grand Warden of Guangling, Chao, and others, have brought together and joined righteous troops, and together hurry to the state's difficulties.

All of us in the same oath must unite our hearts and join our strength, so as to cause a subject be steadfast, and that perished heads and lost principals are certain to not cause division. [If] there are those who pull out from this oath, they will tumble to their fate without having offspring. August Heaven and Sovereign Earth, the founders, ancestors and luminous spirits, will truly all oversee it.

The spirit of Hong's speech was sorrowful but strong, with weeping tears flowing down. Of those who heard his words, even among the squads of footsoldiers, the servants and cooks, there were none who were not excited and brought up.

Zhuo's troops were strong, and Shao and the others did not dare to be the first to advance. Cao Cao said:

[We] raised up righteous troops to punish violence and chaos, and now the multitudes have already joined together. How can you Lords be doubtful afterwards? [When we] caused Dong Zhuo to hear about the troops of East the Mountains rising up, [if he] had relied on the veneration for the kingly house, occupied the defiles of the Two Zhou, and turned to preside over Under Heaven, then even though he was without the Way in how he acted, it still would be enough to troublesome.

But now he burns down the palace houses and forcibly moves the Son of Heaven. Within the Seas shake and stir, and do not understand where to resort to. This is the time when Heaven destroys him. With a single battle Under Heaven will be settled, [we] cannot neglect it.

He guided his army to go west and fight at Xingyang. Cao's troops were greatly defeated.

At that time, the Inspector of Qing province, Jiao He, also raised troops to chastise Zhuo, [but] He and the various generals when they travelled west, did not make protective defences for the common people. When they started to cross the He, the Yellow Head-scarves had already entered their region. Qing province was flourishing and wealthy, and the army strong, [but] He looked at the robbers and ran north, not once catching the wind and dust, or mixing with the banners and drums. He excelled at divining with stalks and trusted ghosts and gods. When one enters to see his [kind of] person, Pure Talk impinge the sky. When one sets out to observe his government, rewards and penalties are in smashed disorder. The province thereupon is barren and bleak, and thoroughly becomes hills and wasteland.

Soon after, He became ill and passed on. Yuan Shao sent Zang Hong to take charge of Qing province. He consoled He's people and multitudes, and the thieves and bandits ran off and fled. Shao admired his ability, and moved him to be Grand Warden of Dong commandery.

Summer, 4th Month [22 May – 20 June], used the Great Minister of Horse, Liu Yu, as Grand Tutor.

The Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Wang Yun, memorialised, saying:

Grand Scribe Wang Li explains the Classic of Filial Piety' Six Secret Affairs. Make the Imperial Court act on them, to dispel and hold off calamity and evil. He has increasingly the body of a sage.

A decree said:

[We] have heard a king must study virtuously. [We] have not heard that Master Kong made the Classic of Filial Piety to be [like] this, and then held off evil.

Yun firmly memorialised his request, saying:

Li's studies are deep and substantial, these are the confidential mysteries of a sagely person. Act on them without reduction.

The Emperor therefore followed it. Often on auspicious days, Wang Yun, together with Wang Li, would enter to make the Emperor recite one section of the Classic of Filial Piety, and use canes and two bamboo mats to delineate the Nine Palaces on top of them [?]. On subsequent days, [he?] at times then set out from and entered them. When Yun came to harm, he then did not again act it out.

Yuan Hong says: The gods in truth are perceptive, bright, principled and straight, they comply with people and then act. For a king who esteems virtue, to abundantly make offerings to be used as banquets for Heaven and Earth can be said to be the utmost. Suppose in all regards the affairs of the Six Secrets was not the Way of a sagely person, and for a regular fellow it is in the same way still not possible, then how is it with the fates of emperors and kings!

5th Month [21 June – 19 July], the Minister of Works, Xun Shuang, passed away.

Shuang, courtesy name Ciming, was the son of the Prefect of Langling, Shu. Aged twelve, Grand Commandant Du Qiao taught him. He was recommended as Filial and Upright, and Worthy and Good. During the partisan affairs, he was proscribed and forbidden, and went in seclusion by the sea. He again went south to hide at the banks of the Han. When the partisan affair was loosened, nominations and instructions arrived criss-crossed, there was summons to be [Scholar] of the Way and Broad Scholar. In all cases he did not go.

At the beginning of Emperor Xian's reign, Dong Zhuo endorsed Shuang as Chancellor of Pingyuan. He had not yet arrived at his post, when he was summoned to be Intendant of the Brilliantly Blessed. After being in his office building for three days, he moved to Minister of Works. At that time, those who were loyal and proper had a brave forbearance, and those who held close the Way were deeply silent. Shuang had dispersed calamity at the court of Dong Zhuo, and also in the space of a ten day ranked at the pinnacle of subjects, a lordly person would use this to deride him.

Earlier, Shuang and his brothers, eight people, were titled as the “Eight Dragons”, and Shuang most of all was praised as a Ruist and for his refinement. His older brother's son Yu's fame carried weight in his generation.

6th Month, xinwei [22 July], the Brilliantly Blessed Grandee Zhong Fu became Minister of Works.

Zhuo opened up the various mounds of Luoyang and the graves and tombs of the great subjects. He destroyed the bells and bell frames that were within Luoyang city, and melted them down as coins. In all cases they did not complete the engravings. Furthermore he melted the Five zhu coins, the engravings and the outer rim were impossible to hold on to. Hence money became cheap and things expensive. One hu of grain reached several millions.

The Grand Warden of Liaodong, Gongsun Du, titled himself as Shepherd of Ping province, and erected a Temple of Shizu of Han.

When the Chanyu, Qiangqu, had been killed by the people of his state, his son Yufuluo should have been installed, [but] the people of the state installed Xubu as Chanyu, and Yufuluo went to the imperial palace to lodge a complaint. It happened that Emperor Ling collapsed, and the kingly house was in chaos. Yufuluo brought along several thousand cavalry, and, together with the White Waves thieves, he robbed the region of Ji province. The hundred families had all made tall walls and emptied the countryside, so there was little to obtain by plunder and robbery. He wished to return home to his state, but the people of state did not accept it, and he thereupon halted in Hedong.