#baizhu attempting to be polite:

[caduceuss]

if baizhu's voicelines aren't half changsheng absolutely fucking dragging everyone i will be so sad

[starbunii]

Can I get Aventurine , Kaeya, Wanderer, and Baizhu with a fem s/o who's literally the root of all evil ? Like she's super nice and sweet and very polite but evil just kinda seems to follow her and result from her existence?

# . root of all evil 𓂃 ♥︎

𝜗𝜚 ┈ aventurine, kaeya, wanderer, baizhu x reader (seperate) ! ｡

notes: WEHEHE AVENTURINE MY HUSBAND I LUV HIM SM

headcanons ノ fluffノfem! reader ノcanon universe

second person pov !! please enjoy! ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶

– ♡ –

aventurine

you're so sweet and polite; so when something horrible initially happens...safe to say, he's very surprised

he does his best to keep you from feeling embarrassed about it, he understands that you didn't mean for anything to happen

no matter what, he always ensures that you're safe after some sort of disaster happens

if you feel excruciatingly embarrassed, he'll patch you up with some retail therapy

kaeya

he barely even bats an eye when something happens. he's known you for so long, he's just sort of used to it now

however, if it's something that puts you in danger, he's immediately moving you to a safer spot

he's always careful to remind you that it isn't your fault; these things just kind of happen. he understands

he ensures everything is dealt with, before proudly strutting out of that safe spot, holding your hand the whole way

wanderer

he scolds you while rushing out of whatever evil situation you've conjured up this time

he's pinching the bridge of his nose, probably fighting off a hoard of hilichurls or an abyss mage you've somehow summoned

there's no time to allow you to fight alongside him, slinging you over his shoulder as he attempts to take off

he sighs, giving you a once-over to ensure you're unharmed

baizhu

a little surprised the first few times, but quickly adjusts to it

oh, you stepped on a bad floor board? he's whisking you out of the way before you can fall through to the dirt below the pharmacy

he's not too concerned; he knows you both have good reflexes, and he can patch you up pretty fast

he still consoles you if you get upset though; he doesn't want his sweetheart to cry

starbunii 2024 — all rights reserved. do not redistribute or translate to any other platforms

[runawaymun]

3 and 9 for the Writer's Asks?

3.       Name a fanfic/story you are particularly proud of writing.

Answered here, and here, but I am also VERY proud of Tinuvion! It's super short, but I feel like I really managed a lot in that oneshot, and I'm so proud of the work I did around in Eldritch!Elrond in that one!

9.       Care to share a sneak peek of a WIP?

From Beneath a Boundless Sky:

The supplies from the caravan naturally went to the bannermen and thanes first. After all, weren’t they the ones defending their borders? And Fram’s father was wise enough to keep none of it for himself. They still had food in the granaries and cellars. Enough for a little while longer. And at this point, anyone who had extra food would be begrudged, king, chieftain, thane or freeman. It was better to keep up the facade of generosity. After all, there were more caravans coming. Stores would hopefully be replenished soon enough. It was up to each bannerman to decide how to distribute the food to their own freemen and smallholders. If their people were starving or else revolted, that was no concern of the King. It only meant that their position was weakened — and that put more power in Frumgar’s hands. Fram doubted much of the new supplies would make it to the freemen. They were expected to forage and fish for themselves, and they could keep their own crops so long as they paid their due taxes and did not poach in the few kingswoods which dotted the otherwise barren landscape.  His father attempted to extend hospitality to the uncanny Men who led the caravan, but they politely declined, saying it would make little sense for them to make themselves a burden on the already strained storerooms. His father was angry about it for several hours, grumbling about his stinging pride, but Fram thought that had been a perfectly reasonable response.  The caravan disappeared into the hills the same day they had arrived, leaving everybody in his father’s keep to wonder and gossip about what kind of Men they were, and if they were even Men at all.

And, from a Baizhu fic I started (I know, I know! But rest assured I only work on it after I have hit my word count goals on other things!)

Baizhu went upstairs. There were still some rice buns leftover from the basket Gui had brought with him this morning for them all to share. They were filling and nutritious, purple from the horsetail mixed into the rice flour, stuffed with vegetables and pork. Baizhu parceled four into a napkin and filled a canteen with cold water. Then, he collected his cane from its hook by the stairs. He hadn’t really needed it all day, but he would for a trip down that irritatingly huge staircase outside the pharmacy.  “Jussst where are we going?” Changsheng demanded as he went back downstairs, parcel in one hand, cane in the other.  “On a walk, Changsheng. A midday stroll is very good for maintaining a healthy constitution.”  “In thisss heat? You?”  “Oh, it’s not that bad. You’re being so dramatic today, you know.”  Changsheng harrumphed, and was still scolding him even as Baizhu told Gui and Qiqi that he would return shortly.  “You’re not well!” Gui protested, trotting after him.  “Nonsense,” Baizhu tsked. “I am just as well as I ever am, Gui. Look after the pharmacy while I’m gone, and if anybody needs something specific write a note for me and I’ll look into it when I’m back. Qiqi—”  A purple hat and the edge of a talisman peeked up over the pharmacy counter, just barely visible. She was probably on tiptoe.  “Eat something, dear,” Baizhu called. “You haven’t since breakfast.”  “Eating something,” Qiqi replied. “Yes. Qiqi will eat.”  “Good girl,” Baizhu said, and despite all of poor Gui’s protestations and Changsheng’s vehement scolding, he began his trek down to the terrace below.

writing ask game

[jade-parcels]

Bedside Manner … 🩻

🥼You’re not feeling so good, let them take care of you 🩺 Gn!reader x Dottore, Baizhu, Tighnari, Albedo and Thoma 🥣

When you enter his lab, hacking loudly, clutching your head, Dottore assumes you’re just being dramatic. It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve come to him with false aches and pains in order to get his attention. However, as one of his clones so politely announced: “Damn, you look like shit” he decided to actually give you a proper once over. Sure enough, you did look like shit. You looked like you’d been stomped on by a sumpterbeast. “For celestia’s sake…” Prime grumbles as he takes you by the arm, practically dragging you back up the stairs you’d just came down, back down the hall you had struggled to walk, just to plop you gracelessly onto the bed in his personal quarters. He asked you a series of questions, mentally noting your answers as he stripped your damp clothes off. Had you been outside? Foolish... Your head was pounding, your throat was sore, your neck and shoulders hurt- honestly your whole body was sore and tired. Dottore inspected the inside of your mouth and determined you had strep throat. You whine as he delivers the diagnosis “Do something, my throat is killing me!” “Yes, yes- I know it is. If you’d let go of me, I’d be able to fetch some medicine for you. You won’t like it though, it tastes awful” he was correct, it did taste awful. Even though he complained about missing work or possibly running behind on reports, he sat by your bedside for the rest of the night. Clones filtered in and out, delivering paperwork for him to complete as he sat and others brought medicine n food for you both. Dottore could be a little soft when he wanted to be…

Baizhu sighs as he removes the thermometer from your mouth, holding up by the light so he can see. “My my, it seems you have a fever. And a high one, at that.” He clicks his tongue, setting the tool aside, tucking you back in. You were certainly ill, you had chills despite your high temperature and wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep beneath your pile of blankets. “Poor darling… You look so pitiful” It’s true, you’re shivering- you should have listened when he said to avoid commissions out in the cold rain. But, as your doctor and your lover, it’s his duty to care for you. Baizhu let Gui handle the pharmacy today while he cared for you- his most favorite patient <3 His time was spent fetching water for you, periodically giving you various herbal medicines and, in an attempt to help soothe you, he sat in bed with you to play with your hair and massage your achy shoulders. He likes watching over you, taking care of you when you need him. It gives him a purpose. There’s been plenty of times where you’ve coddled him while he suffers through flare up’s of his own. Our lovesick sweetheart enjoys returning the favor when you need it. It’s nice to be relied on <3

Tighnari sighs in disapproval as you reject the breakfast he made you. You insist you feel too nauseous to even think about the sugary pastries he’s attempting to tempt you with, you close your eyes and bury your face in your pillow to avoid the sweet smell. The night before, you’d eaten a mushroom that looked familiar. A light brown one with curly top, one you’ve seen plenty of times! However, because it was dark, you hadn’t seen it was orange and not brown. That mushroom had in fact been poisonous- not to the extent that it would kill you but to the extent that you couldn’t get out of bed due to your stomach ache. “I told you to be careful. How many times must we go over which fungi is edible and which are not?” Tighnari clicks his tongue, setting the platter of food aside. You feel the bed dip as he sits beside you and a warm, fluffy tail wraps it’s way around your waist protectively “I’ll take pity on you just this once. I’ll stay home to keep an eye on you… But you’re forbidden from eating any mushrooms without showing them to me first, okay?” You know that he’s just putting on a front, he is worried about you. And you know from experience that this will likely happen again in the future…. You know that you should take his advice and point the shrooms out to him next time before scarfing them down ;-;

Albedo has never fallen ill himself but he’s seen enough sick people to know when something is wrong. That and the fact that he’s been around you almost every day for years now, it isn’t hard for him to notice how tired you seem, how your eyes droop shut as you stand or how your face flushes with fever. He stares at you with a doubtful expression as you attempt to convince him that you’re ‘fine’… That excuse never works on him. Before you can argue any more, Albedo drapes his coat over your shoulders and offers- no, demands, to take you home. That’s how you find yourself in a cocoon of blankets, a mug of hot chocolate clutched between your cold hands. Within the cocoon, Albedo subtly smiles to himself. He likes taking care of you, he enjoys making you stay in bed all day with him. It isn’t often that the chief alchemist can have a day off, he’s going to use your illness as an excuse to stay home as long as he can. Not that he’ll admit that. Instead, he’ll him and rest his hand on your face ‘Mm… still signs of a fever. Perhaps we rest one more day just to be sure’ ‘Bedo, it’s been four days I wanna go back to work’

Thoma is the supreme worry wart. He’s bound to make himself sick too with how much he’s fretting about- making food, doing extra laundry, asking a billion questions, all of which is for your comfort of course. He can’t help it, he just hate hate hates seeing you so weak and tired. You even find yourself comforting him on occasion. “Thoma, I told you I’m fine. You don’t have to go through the trouble of-“ Your boyfriend is having none of that, he simply interrupts you to assure you that: “It isn’t any trouble at all! I don’t mind!” One way to get him to stop pacing around is sighing… sighing again… groaning in discomfort… He’s on you in an instant, asking if there’s anything he can get you, anything at all he can do! “You can come warm me up. I’m awfully cold :( I could use a big, strong, pyro wielder right about now” That’s really all it takes for his resolve to crumble. He’ll gladly slip into bed beside you, snagging his vision off of his belt to press between your chilly hands, his own hands on top of yours. Maybe you could even coax him into a nap too in order to sleep off this nervous energy…

[jitzlemonade]

Zhongli x Reader: Unrequited Love

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Suicidal thoughts, attempt suicide, angst

Also contains: one-sided pining, unrequited love etc

If you press keep reading, it mean you consented to anything that’s in this fic. Don’t sue me QAQ

Also, moved this from my ao3 acc under the same user name Summary:

You love Zhongli, but he doesn't love you.

As you walked down the streets of Liyue, you saw in the distance the silhouette of a familiar tall man browsing through the merchandise offered by various stalls. "Zhongli xiansheng!" Hearing the call of his name, he tilt his head towards you, and a smile graced his features. "Ah, it's you. Pleasure to see you again." Somehow merely hearing his voice is enough to flood your brain with dopamine, rendering you into a helpless mess. Indeed, you were smitten with this man.

Your eyes met his but you quickly diverted your eyes away. His eyes had an unfathomable depth to it, as if he had witness the rises and falls of countless civilization. You chastised yourself, what were you thinking? Zhongli may be mature, and each of his opinion held deep wisdom, but it is impossible for a mortal to live pass a century. You shook your head slightly to clear your mind before walking up to him.

Zhongli looked at you with worried eyes, concern laced his voice, "Are you alright? If you have a headache or experiencing any discomfort, I could accompany you to see Dr. Baizhu to get a check-up," Once again, his concern made you blushed a shade similar to tomato. You shook your head again, "I'm okay Zhongli xiansheng, it's nothing to worry about." You flashed a big smile at him, he nodded towards you, seemingly convinced. "Very well, however, please do not hesitate to inform me if anything plagues you,"

It's these little things that made your heart whelm with warmth, made you melt like ice on a summer's day. He had always treated you politely and never mistreated you. What truly captured your heart was his patient demeanor, he had never brushed aside your feelings or thoughts as immature or baseless. You could still remember how bad it cut when your own parents dismiss your words that once time you tried to reach out.

You felt you were stranded in a stormy sea with a single driftwood as your lifeline. You kept going underwater, buried by the strong waves and you could hardly breathe for even a moment. The lack of air burns your lungs and death beckoned you to its arms. You tried to seek the embrace of your parents, to find something to anchor you to the living world, safe from being swept by the turbulent waters. Yet, your desperate gesture for help was returned by a mere "You think too much."

It did nothing to help and only made you sunk deeper into the dark ocean. The storm still rages and you knew no one would come extend a hand to you. You were so tired, as for what happened next, you were ashamed to say it, you still are, you were tempted and finally chose the easy way out. Dead in the night, you walked barefooted, still dressed in your night clothes. Before you knew it, you had reached your destination.

You stood above the bridge, starring at the you reflected by the dark waters. You climbed past the fence, your toes arched as you stood on the ledge, your hands still clung into the bars of the fence. A part of you suddenly hesitate to go through with what you had planned, while the other part continues to entice you with a world free of suffering. You closed your eyes and you no longer hesitate.

Your fingers loosen, and you fell. However, before you could meet your doom, a hand caught yours and pulled you up. The close brush with death blurs your eyes as tears came pouring down. You clutch onto the clothes of the kind stranger that saved your life and you cried. You could feel the person's hesitation, unsure on how to comfort a crying person, before they finally settled on patting your head while the other hand hugged you.

You poured out your grievances, all your pain and they calmly accepted it all. You felt no judgement, no condescension from this mellow hug. This stranger who you had never even seen or communicate with once had become your lifeline, the lighthouse in your dark world which lead you back onto shore. This stranger was the same person that stood before you now in the present, Zhongli.

Even after the humiliating breakdown you had in front of him, he had never treated you as someone with an illness, never the excessive and delicate care as if you were glass and would shatter with a touch. You adore it, he had seen you at your lowest, yet he never pitied you. You didn't realized what you were feeling until it was too late. You were already falling into the enchanting void known as "Zhongli", and it was endless. All you hope is that at the end, there would be someone to catch you.

-----------

The soft caress left on your skin reminded you of the unavoidable truth. one which you turned a blind eye to for a very long time. While his eyes possess compassion, warmth which make you feel adored, you were drunk on the wonderous feeling that lit your world up. You failed to notice within those eyes, they do not possess love.

[blzzrdstryr]

Battle of attrition. Yandere!Zhongli x gn!reader

Wordcount: 1417

CW: Sexual harassment, insomnia and yandere.

Adeptis can walk through dreams.

You see a mythical beast, a gorgeous yet terrifying mix of Qilin and Dragon before you. They’re a creature of a stark contrast between darkening brown scales and golden fur. You want to pray and worship them upon the sight, yet stop, holding onto your dignity.

They speak and their voice rattles you to the very core, urging you to kneel and cower. They speak and there’s nothing but lies and deceit in their speech. They speak and you shout in return, angered by the sacrilege coming out of their maw.

The serpentine body comes to life, coiling around you, like a snake around the mouse. Golden claws rip through your clothes, leaving you naked and shivering and vulnerable. They continue to confess their love to you, sullying your God’s name and it frustrates you so much: you scream and kick and bite at them, your fury doing nothing but evoking a deep rumbling laugh out of their throat.

Vibrations produced by it travel through your body, disturbing you further, and soon you can do nothing but shiver: there are claws and fur and scales travelling on your skin and you sense how they ignite a shameful fire in you, cheeks burning hot and eyes watering. A long tongue forces it’s way past your lips.

You wake up.

It's a twelfth time you emerge from the same nightmare tired and terrified, exhaustion and anxiety slowly eating away at your sanity. With a heartbeat booming and echoing in head and nightgown sticking to your body from all of the sweat, you finally make a decision - there’s no other way for your nightmares to stop.

After hurriedly dressing up and hoping that your appearance doesn’t betray the fact that you haven't had a decent sleep in over a month, you make your way to the familiar house located in the Feiyun Slope.

The trail feels both endlessly long and instantaneously short, the courtesy of your fatigued brain warping the reality around you. You are pretty sure you almost fell on your face a couple of times, but you can't be sure since your body is zoning out in a desperate attempt to rest.

Standing in front of the door, you reach out your hand, still hesitating to knock - an animalistic and primitive part of you wants to sleep, yet another, the one that remembers politeness and societal norms, screams against disturbing it’s owner in the middle of the night. You continue to stay like that for a while, unsure should you wake up the consultant or wait until the morning comes.

A door suddenly opens, solving your inner dilemma, the man in front you looking absolutely unsurprised to see you there: with a hastily put on outfit, deep eyebags and almost mad eyes surrounded by them you must be a sight to behold, like a Jiangshi who just arose after being denied a proper burial. The consultant, on the other hand, is as elegant and refined as ever, with his intricate outfit and no signs of drowsiness on his face, you suspect that his head didn’t touch the pillow at all.

"Ah, [First], I had an inkling you might come today" he says, a small smile appearing on his face and gestures for you to come in, before you even have the chance to apologize for possibly waking him “You shouldn’t worry about it" he adds, seemingly sensing a mild guilt you experience, "Funeral parlour business usually forces me to stay a bit later than most and I am always delighted to be in your company”

You still thank him for hospitality, taking a step into his abode. Despite the house being on the smaller size, it still steals a breath from you - it’s a masterfully decorated place, with high quality dark wood furniture embossed by subtle golden patterns and further embellished by various pieces of art, each produced in the style of different Liyue eras.

He heads for the kitchen, having to prepare a kettle of his special herbal tea, talking about the various plants used in it. You sit down on the offered armchair, it’s softness and the calming scent of incense making it harder to focus on Zhongli's speech. You think you zoned out again, as the consultant reappears in the room in one moment, carefully setting down the kettle and tea set on the table near you.

He still talks as he pours the boiling liquid into the cup and gives it to you, his hand accidentally brushing your fingers for a second. You find yourself unable to concentrate on his words, preferring to just look at Zhongli and nod in time.

You sense a bloom of something warm and fuzzy as you look at him - Zhongli is so handsome, intelligent and caring, and you catch yourself wondering how a man can be so perfect. You heard about him, prior to your acquaintance - he was adept at virtually every field there is, having an extensive knowledge even in the most obscure area, and your first meeting just proved it again, as he effortlessly found a cure for your insomnia, something that even Baizhu couldn’t do.

You asked for the tea’s recipe, not wanting to bother the man further, but no matter what you did it always failed - herbs were hard to come by and even harder to properly treat, you had to order them again and again, spending ridiculous amounts of Mora for a chance of decent sleep. Defeated, you asked Zhongli for help once more. You remember as he was making another dose of miraculous sleeping tea back then you wondered out loud how a man can be so talented at everything, at which he just laughed with his tranquil and pleasant voice and deflected your praise. Truly, there is not a single man or a woman in the entirety of Liyue as reliable as a humble consultant of Wangsheng parlour.

“[First]?”, he lightly touches your shoulder, stopping your incessant staring as you stutter out an apology for not listening, head hung low from embarrassment.

“No need to apologize, one of the effects of insomnia are issues with concentration. I suppose it’s hard for you to focus on the conversation in your condition, so you should probably drink it”. He nudges a cup in your hands to your lips, as you realize you haven’t even touched it, just nursing the cup the whole time.

Further ashamed by the previous realization you drink one big gulp, tea's effects rapidly appear, as you feel the improvement in the mental clarity and cognition. Seeing that you’re better now, Zhongli chats with you for a while, as you finish the rest.

“It may seem invasive, but can I ask what your nightmares are about?” He asks when there’s almost no tea left. You hum, contemplating what to say, bits of your nightmares flashing in your mind:

“I watched over you the moment you were born, I saw you bloom from a precocious and innocent child into competent and mature adult you are today, I heard your prayers full of grievances and wishes, there are no person who knows you better than me” the creature exclaims, it’s thunder-like voice both scaring and enraging you.

“Stop, my prayers weren’t for you” you squirm in it’s hold, trying to break free: “There’s no way Rex Lapis would do this. He is a fair, just god and you are anything but”. The creature laughs, vibrations shaking and rocking your frame. When they stop, they intently look at you with their piercing eyes: “It doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not, as I will always win in the battle of attrition. You will come into my arms willingly, no matter how stubborn you are right now, and then we shall unite our fates with an eternal contract”.

You hate them more than anything.

“I am afraid I can’t”, you drink the last of his tea and stand up, intent on finally sleeping, as a wave of drowsiness hits you with a renewed strength. Your vision goes dark for a second and your knees buckle, but Zhongli catches you in time, saving you from a nasty fall.

“You should sleep there, you are too tired to go back to your house” he sounds genuinely worried, a detail that makes your heart skip a beat, as he helps you to go to the guest’s bedroom and prepares a bed for you.

How can a person be so kind, you think later as you fall asleep in his house, I think I am falling for him.

[kyogre-blue]

I LIKE lore and I didn't care about this.

The problem is that Liyue doesn't need new lore or more immortal characters or another (functionally) dead friend for Zhongli and the adepti gang. We have plenty. What Genshin desperately needs to do is advance (and close!!) existing plot threads.

Here is one simple plot they could have done instead:

Following the conclusion of the Liyue chapter, Cloud Retainer (as the animal adeptus with the most personality) decides to follow up on their character growth of accepting human governance... and shows up in the middle of Moonchase to declare that she will also participate in this quaint human imitation of adepti customs.

This is a political fiasco, naturally. You can have Keqing singled out as that girl who made impertinent remarks about Rex Lapis, so she's very keen to both smooth things over and also prove the worth of humans, so she partners with Xiangling, the most famous young chef known for her experimental dishes, to give Cloud Retainer a dish she'll never forget (because Moonchase is about, because we remember having to cook for her, or both).

This intrepid duo ultimately decides to use an ancient recipe Keqing's grandfather had been studying. But they put their own twist on it.

They explain that some of the original ingredients don't even exist anymore. Time has passed. But Xiangling passionately defends her substitutions, and in the end Cloud Retainer acknowledges that it is a delicious dish and does not lose to the original. A new dish for a new era - and new happy memories.

Researching the original dish and the substitutions can also nicely explain going to Hu Tao, who is familiar with ancient customs and having to adapt them to the modern era, and to Baizhu, who researches plants and also adepti stuff, and then to Xingqiu and his books. Naturally, you have Ganyu freaking out in the background because her mom is going to embarrass her for sure.

In between all that, you can insert any necessary reminiscence about traveling from Guili. And of course, Cloud Retainer's cooking machine.

I feel like, at the very least, this way we would reasonably follow up on Liyue's story line and use a character we already have instead of adding yet another one.

I don't even have anything against Xiangling having the... no longer intelligent remnants of a god as her pet. But this is not acceptable focus for a major event. This is a side quest or a minor event fodder at most. Like, Endora-level.

I just... Liyue is SO weirdly structured, as a nation and a culture. It's not cohesive at all, and the attempts to make it suddenly heartwarming just don't work. I get that this is the nation based on Mihoyo and the major playerbase's home country, so it probably resonates more for them, but it really is just.... not good.

Moonchase storyline done. 

It was………. aggressively mediocre. It’s not outright awful like the Archon quests, but you can’t really call it good either. On the whole, it’s an improvement on Genshin’s average, but it’s still below even Windblume, which wasn’t exactly spectacular either. 

Broadly speaking, Moonchase is poorly structured as a storyline. It’s been 3700 years. It’s only natural that things from the migration to the harbor are forgotten, and I don’t understand why they’re so fixated on preserving it suddenly. Why are they chasing around with this rock? Did the Stove God do all this to be remembered? What impact does it have on the present day whether this is forgotten or remembered? Either way, nothing changes and Guoba remains Guoba, perfectly content. 

A much more relevant point would be remembering that Azhdaha turned on Liyue and Rex Lapis because humans damaged nature and the Ley Lines with their carelessness, but we know that people continued doing the exact same thing. (Putting Azhdaha in the background of that video is like a bad joke. You guys remember how you drove him into insanity by torturing him via the ley lines and how he seems to have continued to suffer for the last thousand years while sealed away??) 

Genshin has so many points the storyline needs to elaborate on, but instead they add yet another totally unnecessary god. 

Additionally, the character writing in Moonchase is… pretty sloppy. The Traveler doesn’t know Xinyan, but instead of just having someone introduce her like normal, we get an on-screen bio. It’s so clunky. Ningguang and Beidou are a mess too, since they are inexplicably at each other’s throats, which is made all the sillier when you remember that Ningguang isn’t some picky rich girl. She’s a self-made woman from a poor background. And then Paimon says they got along when they were actually sniping each other, and Xiangling says Beidou told her how well they get along, when Beidou herself mentions repeatedly how she just can’t get along with Ningguang.  

Xiangling’s personality basically takes a 180 to justify the plot. Her story quest had her be too experimentative and “boom shaka-laka,” but here she cooks too safe and needs help finding creative inspiration. There’s no sense of character growth from all this either, since her dilemma is written in the most bland way possible. Her and Keqing’s awkward relationship stuff is also extremely poorly fleshed out and just kind of petters out without any meaning. 

It’s just not good, and it’s a waste of everyone’s time, bluntly speaking. But you don’t have a choice because there’s no skip button. 

Also worth noting: 

Xinyan is mentioned wanting to perform a contest abroad. In a reasonably written story, this would be leading into her supposed role in 2.2 in an event with Childe and Sara. In practice… who can say. 

The Guili Assembly migration was due to the whole place getting flooded. There was still a storm as they traveled to the harbor. (Was this due to Osial?) It’s unclear how this timelines in relation to Guizhong’s death.