#diluc is just perfect

[torgawl]

diluc's sun symbolism and parallels with alchemy

the magnum opus, also called great work, is the alchemical term for the process of working with the prima materia (or aether) - primitive formless base of all matter - to create the philosopher's stone - substance capable of turning base metals into gold or silver and, additionally, believed to make up an elixir of life which made rejuvenation and immortality possible. all metals in alchemy are associated with celestial bodies, gold and silver being associated with the sun and moon, respectively.

the original four stages of the magnum opus included:

nigredo, the blackening

albedo, the whitening

citrinitas, the yellowing

rubedo, the reddening

alchemists used to believe each of the metals grew under the influence of a particular heavenly body and so the connection between metallurgy and celestial bodies came to be. the process of the magnum opus can, therefore, be seen not only as the transformation of impure metals into gold or silver but as the transformation of night in day, which ties with its cyclical nature. if nigredo and albedo are symbolically connected with the moon, citrinitas and rubedo are tied to the sun.

besides the straightforward association betweent the cosmos and alchemy, the process can also be interpreted under a psychological lense. the first metal, lead (representing aether), is the personification of the ego, which must be purified in order to free the soul. is is through the lessons of time that transcendence of the cycle of life and death (like a samsara) is possible, becoming, at the end, beings filled with light and life - as pure as gold, or the sun.

in summary, what happens in each step:

nigredo

all ingredients have to be cleansed and cooked extensively to a uniform black matter. psychologically, it is referred to as the "dark night of soul" and it's the stage of confrontation with the shadow within and it represents putrefaction and spiritual death.

albedo

washing away of impurities, bringing light and clarity to the prima materia. it represents cleansing and spiritual enlightenment, often depicted by the imagery of the white elixir or moonlight. this process symbolises the growing awareness and integration of personal opposites – your anima and animus, the feminine and masculine aspects within all individuals.

citrinitas

besides the literal change in color, it symbolizes the enlightenment and dawning of knowledge as materials are purified and perfected. it's the drawing of the "solar light" inherent in one's being meaning the reflective "lunar or soul light" is no longer necessary. it signifies maturation and a step closer to achieving the ultimate goal of alchemical work. it can symbolize the emergence of consciousness from the shadowy unconscious.

rubedo

final stage of the process, it signifies the achievement of the goal. it’s associated with the act of coagulation where the material achieves absolute perfection and unification and it encompasses the ideas of unity and integration (conjunction), symbolizing the full realization of the philosopher’s stone. the philosopher’s stone is not merely a literal stone but a concept that embodies perfection, enlightenment, and ultimate knowledge. attaining it means achieving unity of opposites and representing the redemption and transformation of base matter into spiritual gold. it's an attempt to integrate the psychospiritual outcomes of the other 3 stages into a coherent sense of self before re-entry in the world, the merging of the ego and the self, resulting in a balanced and fully realized individuality.

it was through researching a bit more on the symbolism of each stage that i recognised the parallels between diluc's character and the two final and consequent steps, which i believe he embodies.

citrinitas as a stage of awakening, being associated with the rising sun or dawn - imagery that surrounds diluc -, and rubedo as the reunification of opposites to create the whole. rubedo manifests through symbols like the phoenix (bird reborn from its ashes, illustrating regeneration and the cyclical nature of transformation) and its colour is akin to things like fire or blood (as an embodiment of life), that are also alusive of transformation.

diluc's character - his red aethetic, his association with fire, dawn, birds of knowledge and the phoenix, the blood he spilled throughout his journey (the gloves with red palms) - and his ministrations as the darknight hero, facing darkness and illuminating the night with his flames, mirror both citrinitas and rubedo quite perfectly. starting with his own name that is derived from diluculum, or 'daybreak' in latin. his family owns the "dawn winery"; and, his 5th constellation is called "phoenix, harbinger of dawn" - which shares name with the sword "harbinger of dawn", that "once shone like the sun", reminiscent of diluc's own path shifting from proudly and openly having the title of "dawn knight" as part of the knights of favonious to secluding himself in the shadows after his father's death.

the rebirth aspect of rubedo is very akin to diluc's own life too. the person he used to be transformed completely after his 18th birthday. not only design-wise, with the shift from light coloured clothes to primarily red and black, but also his views and personality.

unlike his outgoing and unrestrained demeanour during his childhood, diluc became a reserved and quiet adult. he believed in the system (knights of favonious) and the honour of serving his paeople as part of it. that innocent devotion and good intent suddenly changed when he saw his father die due to the knight's inefficiency and he learned of the ongoing corruption and willingness to taint the image of an innocent person for their own benefit. after a period of rage, diluc decided to take the safety of the people of mondstadt onto his own hands and started purging darkness during the night bringing light to people's lives as the darknight hero, becoming a vigilante. this "fake" light diluc used to represent contrasts the "true" light he gained after maturing. much like albedo adds light to the prima materia, but that isn't the light necessary for transformation and enlightment (sun light). rubedo is also, specifically, associated with antecipating the emergence of a crowned king or a figure wearing red clothes and one of diluc's titles is "uncrowned king of monstadt".

with diluc's assocation with withcraft and the hexenzirkel, and my belief that the ragnvindr are connected to alchemy and, perhaps, khaenri'ah, i wouldn't discard the possibility that these parallels might be intentional. but regardless, i feel like it's a fun detail. especially when kaeya is so associated with blue, silver and the moon (eclipse dynasty).

there's actually an alchemical stage between citronitas and rubedo called cauda pavonis (peacock's tail), a state between "sleep" and wakefulness. in this stage, instead of association to one colour, an entire array of colours appears, like the iridescent tail of a peacock. this is a bit reminiscent of this dainsleif quote about khaenri'ah, that talks about people "who dream of dreaming". an array of colours is lso interesting because of the connection between light and the different elements (elements originating in the light realm, realm of the dragons). traveler's ascension gemstone also remotely looks like a light prism instead of a one colour/element gemstone, like other characters. and we know, similar to the third descender, traveler is compatible with elements in teyvat.

this breakdown in colours or components is what paves the way for the unification that follows. this unification in alchemy represents the union of opposites, a sacred marriage of the polarities inherent in the universe (e.g. sun and moon, king and queen). the act of combining them leads to the birth of something new and transcendent, an harmonious whole - philosopher's stone. psychologically, it represents introspection, confrontation, and recognition, as well as acknowledging and embracing the diversity within. though i don't think this stage is particularly reminiscent of kaeya besides the duality inherent to his character.

i don't know if anyone will find this interesting but i thought it would be fun to make a more extensive post on it so here it is!!

sources: wikipedia; other sites (1, 2 and 3).

[witch-hazels-musings]

Why would Diluc recognize your footsteps??

Because he's terrified.

He's memorized so much about you. Your habits and when you need your focus, your tone of voice that tells him when you need his full attention or your putting on airs, the rhythm of your breathing when you're asleep so he knows when to hold your hand during a nightmare

He knows the sounds of your footsteps and the words they tell him are as loud as the beating heart in his chest.

He knows these all so well because every morning when he wakes up, for a split second he thinks you're gone. Terrified and unsteady, it's only when he sees you that he can breathe again.

He knows your footsteps because the sound brings him unbelievable comfort, and reminds him that his heart alive, beating, and is wandering through the halls of the Dawn Winery

[moonilit]

Ok but the entire Dawn winery staff jumping around informing each other that kaeya is here so all of them get a chance to see him was very sweet, like i knew the staff cared about him but it’s nice to get a confirmation and few childhood stories lol

[noctualagenaria]

at first I was like why is baizu on my fyp and then I remembered my dear mutual diluc existed. better then my Chucky cheese moot tbh.

i needed to make sure i didnt doom scroll so,,, baizhu.png tag i go

[paimonial-rage]

Thank you so much for sharing 'Wisdom of the Enneagram' with us. It's so interesting learning about the different types in depth and helpful for analyzing characters!

Recently, I've been trying to pinpoint the traveler. Do you have any thoughts on Aether's enneagram type? (#3) Thank you in advance <3

I'm answering this out of order because oh my God I did not think anyone actually paid attention to those tags HAHA. I can't believe you actually looked up that book I am honestly like both impressed and flattered. It is a super helpful book to understanding characters and their motivations.

[Character Analysis Ask Meme]

What is Aether's enneagram type?

Analysis below!

I'm going to answer your question in a more train of thought process because the Traveler is a really interesting character. They're meant to be a faceless character we can project ourselves on, but they certainly do have a personality. That being said, do we know enough about their personality to be able to pinpoint an ennea? If I have to be honest with you, I don't have a set idea of what they can be.

The best way to do process of elimination with ennea is to focus on the triads. What is their core emotion? Shame (heart triad), fear (head triad), or anger (gut triad)? Do they have issues with identity (heart triad), security/anxiety (head triad), or autonomy/control (gut triad)?

The hard thing about the Traveler is that the only time they show emotion is when it has to do with their sibling. But what else do we know about them? They don't like being tricked. They don't like being obligated to do things out of the goodness of their heart. They're friendly. They like cracking jokes. They like playing around.

I think, with what we're given, we can throw the heart triad out right from the start. The traveler shows no signs of shame. They have no issues with their self-image. Based upon their bond with their twin and Paimon, the answer seems to lean the most to wanting support and guidance. But can it be said their core emotion is fear? Could it possibly be anger instead?

Unfortunately I'm going to have to cheat a bit here and go based purely off of my knowledge of actual people and their types. If the traveler is a head type, the only type they can be is a 7. 5 and 6 simply are not their vibe. They'd probably be a 7w8. That being said, a 7's core aspects do not match that of the Traveler as seen above.

If the Traveler is a gut type, the only types they can be is a 9w8 or a 1w9. Simply put, they are not aggressive enough to be an 8. The argument for 9w8 is that... well... this type I fall to when most other types don't match. HAHA A 9w8 is primarily peace seeking, but won't hesitate to fight and assert themselves if they see the need to. The core aspects of a 9 match as well, as seen below.

The argument for 1w9, though, and also the one I'm leaning more towards is that 1s are very judgmental. And the Traveler is extremely judgmental. LOL 9w8s literally don't care. Just leave them alone. 1s, on the other hand, typically have superiority complexes. LOL Not to say that the Traveler does, but I digress. Unlike 9s, the Traveler does not hesitate to judge. They are self-driven and won't hesitate to make decisions based upon what they feel to be right. That being said, the core aspects do not match, at least with what we know of the Traveler currently.

So those are my picks as to their possible type. I am leaning more towards 1w9, even though we don't have enough canon evidence to support it. Probably a 1w9 so/sx. But if we go based off of canon evidence, they'd probably be a 9w8.

[suguwu]

accidental marriage with diluc except it's a handfasting done by a drunken venti to show their customs to a visitor, not thinking about the fact that he's barbatos and any ceremony he does holds

[kaeyapilled]

I saw something or other a while back talking about how ENG Diluc's fatal injury lines were all breathy and sad and regretful, whereas Kaeya sounds angry and almost hisses on some of them, and... yeah! He does!

Also you're so right about the denial and masking and Keeping His Cool

I'm nOt done yet.

That.. was. unexpected.....

ough... Time to fight back.. I s'pose

gUGHUH you're getting on my nerves.. [not even missing a beat you good man you sound like you just got stabbed. and that's what you're following it up with?? take a breath first maybe??]

I'm getting tired of this game >:(

Don't push your luck >:(

AUGH... this... doesn't. look good :/

literally!!! he is constantly trying to keep up the cool unbothered facade like. Babygirl. its okay. you can drop the mask for a moment. its alright i promise. i know you need to be Strong and Cool because that's the person you show to everyone else at absolutely all times and you're deathly afraid of not being in control of the situation but oh my god. how do you live like this all the time

[soft-cristobalite]

Throw back to a moment of geniousness i had bcuz this is the best kaeluc crossover EVER and nothing can change it

[wriochiluc]

There'll be plenty of time to decide on the way to Mondstadt. Guess Diluc will have to make a decision before then. Vote here

[dutybcrne]

Smth smth, Khaenriahns having similar thing to the Ackermans in AoT

[mookybear12404]

The fact that Kaveh's best weapon is the pretty pastel claymore with all the flowers on it feels SO fitting

[torgawl]

i need wriothesley to discover the wonders of milk tea

[cryoweaving]

Oh. OH.

[yusukenui]

miss when scaramouche was red and beautiful...

[cityofmondstadt]

Oh right did I ever post this

Adventures in a new art style, p1

[isaut]

kuroro fic queued up for tomorrow at 5:30 🤍 hope it is enjoyed….. 🙏🏼