#falling through hoyoverse

[bronya-official]

(i think i hit my daily post limit, cant reblog the thread at all- gepard mod.)

"It might not be Mondstadt. We haven't walked very much at all. But, you're right, we should ask them."

[ @ask-captain-gepard ]

oof-

"Okay then." Bronya walked towards one of the guards.

She seemed to converse with him for a bit before coming back to Gepard.

"This is Mondstadt, and we can go in!"

[ask-captain-gepard]

[Theres sounds of shuffling, the blonde moving to try to pull Gepard up, or around with a soft grunt, noticing he was beginning to wake up]

“—n you hear me?”

[Thoma moved in front of Gepard, carefully moving him to sit up against something]

“Hey, buddy. If you can hear me, can you give me a sign?”

~ @kamisato-housekeeper

Gepard didn't struggle, merely blinking, trying to focus on his surroundings. He ignored the pounding in his head, as he tried to speak.

"... I c'n hear you.."

[demonir]

watched a zenless zone zero character demo video and it was sooooooooo cool but then i remembered the game isn't gonna be half as cool or enjoyable as the video bc it's a hoyoverse game so here I go imagining a better game in my head instead of downloading it ✌️

[water-to-drink]

You want a request? Sure, here ya go! 😀

Back when Genshin Impact first came out, a lot of folks compared it to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. (Some even thought Hoyoverse was directly copying Nintendo, if you can believe it) This little nugget of info was stored away in my head for some time, and now it's finally borne fruit!

SAGAU universe, bc ofc it is, where Creator!Reader would turn off the Genshin music and instead listen to Zelda tunes as they play! Nobody in Teyvat knows where these songs come from, but the Vision Holders who have heard them believe these melodies to be of holy origin. Something that connects them to their Creator, and is either shared to the masses or kept amongst themselves...a secret that only those blessed to be the Makers Vessels are to know.

If we're going the Imposter SAGAU route, it could be that our poor Creator is awaiting to be executed by the Genshin Cast. In an attempt to comfort themselves, they hum one of the songs that they love from the Zelda games (Zeldas Lullaby is always a favorite of mine personally) and the Acolytes overhear them. Whether this leads to more harm or to the Reader getting help, I'll leave that up to you.

Divine Melody

(Synopsis): After being transported to one of your favorite game you’re a accused of being an imposter but a melody changes the minds of Teyvat

(Tags/Warnings): Reader is treated as an imposter, reader almost dies, (if I missed anything lmk)

(Word Count): 770

(A/n): I remember that era, it was a ridiculous accusation to throw, and I hope this fulfills your expectations

A bright light shines in your face causing you to open your eyes

You find yourself in a grassy field and laying in the shade of a large tree. Odd you don’t remember falling asleep outside, this area looks pretty familiar. After a few seconds of trying to figure out where you are, you looked to see a statue

The statue looked absolutely majestic, walking to the front of it you saw that it was holding a glowing teal orb and the statue is in the likeness of Venti

The realization hit you like a ton of bricks

You’re at Windrise, you’re in Genshin

Excitement fills you and instantly began to run to Mondstadt City

Being transported to your favorite video game is supposed to be an amazing experience. Experience the world first person, interact with the characters, all that good jazz. That’s what you expected when you step foot in the city

Instead of the kind smiles you would normally see from behind your screen you were met with the people whispering amongst themselves whilst looking at you

Odd, you kept walking around the city until a knight came up to you and pointed his sword at you

“Halt, foul imposter!” The knight spat out. “How dare you come here wearing their holy presence.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just woke up like-” You were cut off by the sword coming closer to your neck

You looked around to see a crowd gathered around waiting for you, the intensity of the situation only grew and so without much hesitation you ran away from the knight and the crowd

You ran until you bumped into a person, looking up you see Kaeya

“Oh thank god! Kaeya please explain to these people that they got it all wrong, I’m not an imposter!” You pleaded

But why did he look at you with such contempt and disgust? Without a word from him he restrained you, his grip ironclad threatening to leave bruises to your arms

“I got them!” Kaeya yelled at the crowd

The mob gathered around you and bound your hands behind your back and the two knights lead you to a jail cell that had long been abandoned

Why were they treating you this way, you’ve done nothing wrong. Hopeless you curled up into ball on the floor and began to cry uncontrollably

You don’t know how long you spent crying when a knight came to get you from your dingy cell. She took you outside and you the moment you were out the sun blinded you. As you were lead through the street the people pelted rotten fruit at you

All that was going through your mind was “why”

Why are they doing all of these awful things to you, the yells of contempt was a stark contrast to the friendly smiles you’re used to seeing

As you got closer you saw the stake that you’re about to be tied to and set alight, the reality hit you and in a desperate attempt to calm your mind you begin to hum a melody that you would listen to while playing the game

You hum loudly to drown out the chants from the crowd. Strangely it comforted you, perhaps in your last moments finding solace in familiarity pushes the situation out of your mind.

You hummed loudly that someone heard you

“Stop! Stop! Stop!” A familiar voice yelled, quieting the crowd

You look up to see it was Venti who was standing before you. He gets down on his knees and looks you in the eyes

“That melody, sing it again.”

You kept humming the tune and the vision holders all had horrified looks on their faces, they all drop to their knees and bowed before you

“Your Grace, please forgive us for our grave mistake.” Jean said

“W-what are you talking about?” You asked confused beyond comprehension

“Your Grace, do you not realize that you are the creator of Teyvat?” Eula said

You ended the story and looked around at the faces of the children gathered around you. A story that is long behind you and now you dictate your time in teaching future generations the lesson

“What was the song you sang, your Grace?” A girl asked

“It was a song that the vessels would hear when I would pilot them, here let me hum it to you.” You began to hum the melody and as the song progressed you saw the children slowly get lulled to sleep. Finishing your tune you stood up from you chair and whispered “Goodnight, my sweet children.”

[ruruumin]

i'll love you in every universe.

₊˚ ᗢ modern au! alhaitham x hoyoverse! reader.

⤷ when you're his favorite video game character. - spoilers for honkai impact 3rd, houken gakuen 2, and honkai star rail.

looking for a partner to co-op with, kaveh asked alhaitham to install honkai impact 3rd. at first, the man scoffed at him, reluctantly downloading it to play with his roommate. he would have never expected in a million years, that he would fall so deeply into the rabbit hole called hoyoverse. he stays up late into the night, tapping away on his phone to grind for materials to upgrade his most beloved character: you.

kaveh didn’t understand his strange fascination with you. he had passed on your banner but alhaitham on the other hand, would constantly pull for you no matter what. blame it on his financial freedom, he said. you only deserved the best after all. you had your signature five-star weapon and stigmatas. his entire team was based on maximizing your potential, and he was often known as “that guy who only played (name)” on online co-ops. 

his love for you was very quiet but his actions were loud.

he liked you a lot more than he bargained for. he made you his favorite character on the main screen, tapping your speech bubble to hear your voice lines. you had a very calm and relaxing tone. it was like music to his ears. and he finds that when life gets busy, all he wants to do is lay in bed and spend time with you in the miniature house he’s built. none of this made sense to his roommate. why would a brooding guy such as him, fall so enamored by a bubbly, joyous character like you?

your story mode was the most played-through for him. having started as just another side character to kiana’s journey, you became an integral part of the world. his heart wrenched every time he saw your lowest moments, even when he knew you’d prevail in the end, it kept him on the edge of his seat. he was devastated at first to hear you would be a villain in the later arcs. he didn’t want to fight against you. though, he ultimately would, to see you return to normal (he’ll go out of his way to completely avoid fighting you in weekly bosses). 

when you held out your hand to kiana, looking into the camera with enough warmth to melt the sun itself, he was happy kaveh asked him to play.

one regret alhaitham has is not being early enough to play houken gakuen 2, the predecessor of honkai impact 3rd. he only saw small snippets of your character in the final scene. you were holding onto kiana, the light in your eyes having faded in an instant before the world reset itself.

kaveh suggested he play genshin impact next, considering their world is interconnected with honkai impact. alhaitham would yet again scoff until he saw you in sumeru’s trailer. he couldn’t believe it. there was another you. your personality was a lot calmer and more reserved. more logical, he’d say. despite only being a scribe in this universe, you were a dendro character very closely connected to your archon and played a big role in overthrowing the corrupt sages. 

he was happy to know that your voice had stayed the same. your love for food also remained the same. it gave him jitters when you invited him (technically traveler) into your home. you weren’t the same person as you were in honkai impact 3rd, but you shared the same charm as your previous counterpart. some of the dry comments you had made him smile, like the time you left the traveler with a simple “see ya.”

he continued to grind for your ascension, building his team around you as usual. while you had less of a part in this game, seeing you return was more than enough for him. 

something he was very happy about was because of the popularity of genshin impact, there was much more merchandise for him to buy. after coming home from an exhibit, kaveh was gawking at the sheer size of his haul. from keychains, pins, and buttons, alhaitham bought every single one of your merch. his room was beginning to look less and less professional and more… interesting. it definitely had character. he had an acrylic stand of you beside his computer, with a large statue of your character displayed on his shelf.

kaveh would complain to tighnari and cyno about how you might as well be a third roommate, considering how often he had to see your face around the house. none of that would matter though, as long as alhaitham was less grumpy and going out to play games with him, he actually saw it as a good change. it felt like he got to know more about his roommate than he did beforehand. 

finally, when honkai star rail came out, kaveh didn’t even have to tell him to download it. alhaitham already had it on his devices and started playing before he did. he knew based on the name and hoyo’s previous games, he’ll see you again. and he wants to be more than prepared (with money) to bring you home.

and he’s still not sick of your character yet. his heart was leaping to his throat in the dead of night when you appeared in front of trailblazer during the penacony questline. holding out your hand for them to grab. you pulled them out of the rubble, patting them on the shoulder before pulling them to safety. this version of you was also different from the rest. still gentle and soft-hearted, but… sadder.

in this universe, you had lost kiana and many of your friends. turning to a life of solitude, you became more closed off. it took a lot more time for this version of you to finally open up to him. you talked about your journey before meeting trailblazer. having roamed various worlds until hearing about the express crew. the way you looked at archeon made him hopeful that there was still something between you and the other reincarnations. but you wouldn’t remember her. let alone realize you used to be friends in another game and universe. while tragic, he still wanted to give you the best as he always did. 

the same old tactic: he’ll build another team just for you. and he’ll continue to buy merchandise of you. from m.rage jackets that hung in his closet like a prized possession, to notepads and acrylic blocks. he was single-handedly saving the small business market by how much (name) merchandise he was buying off of every artist that drew you. 

kaveh had given up on complaining and succumbed a little to his antics. for example, on alhaitham’s birthday, he was gifted with a very comical cake with your character drawn on top of it. it gave him a good laugh that day.

in every single universe, whether it be from honkai impact, genshin, or star rail, you’ll always be his favorite character. 

… so when you appeared in his world, he was unprepared.

[ironunderstands]

Double Indemnity, Spellbound and how a retroactive plot twist kicked the communities ass (which also has some VERY interesting implications for Aventio)

I had a very enlightening conversation on TikTok about the nature of these two romance/thrillers, and while unfortunately, I have no idea how to watch them, the plot synopses I’ve seen and analysis other people have made have caused me to come to this conclusion/interpretation of these references:

On the first viewing of the Double Indemnity questline, the reference to the DI movie is meant to be played straight, with Aventurine and Ratio being just as doomed to fail as they are in the movie, and their relationship as equally as toxic and fake.

On second viewing, it’s the complete opposite, and the track (and other movie reference) you receive at the end, Spellbound, proves it.

Let’s start with Double Indemnity.

Also disclaimer I’m gonna be over simplifying the plot/themes of these movies because a) both are singular references, DI is only referenced in the name of the quest itself and Spellbound is only referenced in a track you receive once you complete DI, and references this small probably aren’t meant to be anything more than a fun Easter egg for those who notice it b) this is hoyoverse they aren’t clever enough for that anyways c) the nature of references isn’t going to be having everything be the exact same anyways, so I’m just going to go with the overall interpretation of DI + Spellbound/their impact, picking the stuff which aligns with the actual plot of the DI quest, I don’t care what happens in one frame at 30:01.56 minutes in and neither do the writers

Anyways, how does the Double Indemnity reference on the first viewing seem?

On our first play through of the Double Indemnity quest, we are made to believe that Dr. Ratio and Aventurine do not trust each other, but they are begrudgingly working together for the sake of stealing Penacony for the IPC. Then, Aventurine makes it seem as if he wishes to use the singer Robin’s- also the sister of Sunday, the head of the Oak Family and the one they are negotiating with- death as a means to pressure Sunday into forking over some of the Family’s secrets, which Aventurine will then use against him in future negotiations.

With this setup, the Double Indemnity reference is a solemn warning- Aventurine and Ratio will fail.

You see, in the movie, Phyllis Dietrechson intends to kill her husband in order to earn the money from the Double Indemnity clause (which is a real legal thing btw!), roping in one Walter Neff when he falls for her. However, their relationship isn’t stable and in the end, Walter betrays Phyllis, ratting her out to the investigator Keyes, ultimately meaning they don’t earn the DI clause, also killing Phyllis in the process.

Hopefully you can already see where I’m going with this, but it’s time to draw some fun parallels.

Sunday is Keyes, Ratio is Walter, Aventurine is Phyliss and Robin is Phyliss’s husband.

Although Aventurine a) isn’t married to Robin and b) he didn’t actually kill her, he is the one who witnessed her “death” and in the first viewing of the Double Indemnity quest, we are made to believe he intends to profit off of it, although this time the payout isn’t money: it’s Penacony.

To do this, he enlists the help of Ratio- albeit not seducing him, but still convincing him to help nonetheless- and together they go to meet Sunday for negotiations.

However, Ratio “betrayed” Aventurine, ratting him out to Sunday behind his back and informing him of his plan, which mirrors how Walter confesses to Keyes. This results in Aventurine being sentenced to death, much like how Phyllis dies by Walter’s hand, Aventurine seems like he will die by Ratio’s, calling him a wretch before slinking off.

And there you go, their partnership is as doomed as the one in the movie, failing because their trust + love didn’t hold up till the end, a devious foreshadowing.

At least, that’s how it seems on the first playthrough.

Because Aventurine and Ratio’s plan SUCCEEDS.

And on the second viewing, knowing that the betrayal is fake, you realize they succeed because they do the one thing the people in DI (and I’ll get to Spellbound) DONT do- they actually TRUST each other.

Ratio and Aventurine’s plot is a success. And it’s because they deliberately made it seem like they were doing a Double Indemnity plot. Like they were going to make the same mistakes as the characters in the movie. Sunday falls for the false appearance hook, line and sinker, and that’s his downfall.

They win because they TRUST each other, you can even say because they actually LOVE each other, unlike the characters in the movie, where it’s more list than anything else. Walter and Phyllis don’t make it together to the end but Ratio and Aventurine DO, and they get to continue on with their lives because of it. The reference to Double Indemnity in this quest is genius because it works both before and after you learn the retroactive twist of Penacony. It makes you believe Aventurine + Ratio are doomed to fail, and it makes you realize they were always going to succeed, expertly dawning the false appearances Sunday expects from them, becoming literal actors playing out the roles of two people who will fall short due to their selfishness. Sunday believes he’s seen this film before which is why he BUYS IT, and god it’s just beautiful looking back on it. He thinks he’s Keyes about to uncover a dastardly plot to profit off his sisters death, and in turn he paints Ratio and Aventurine with the identities of those he believes would do such a thing, which they do their best to play into. Ugh it’s amazing.

And now, for Spellbound.

You receive this track after completing Double Indemnity, containing the description above.

Now, this is a reference to Spellbound, another one of Hitchcock’s films.

The main characters in this one are Dr. Anthony Edwards, a man suffering from amnesia, and Dr. Constance Peterson, a psychoanalyst who he was meant to replace, who discovers a dark secret about Edward’s while they fall for one another; he’s an imposter. He believes he killed the real Dr. Edward’s, but she thinks he’s just suffering from a guilt complex. Fake Edward’s goes missing, and the real Edward’s assistant arrived and informs them that he’s missing. She finds Fake Edward again, living under the pseudonym John Brown, and although he tries to leave, she convinces him to stay, telling him that with the help of her mentor, psychoanalysis can help recover his lost memories.

Through an incredibly complicated psychoanalysis of dream, Constance begins to uncover the truth- learning the person who believes himself to be Dr. Edward’s (and is using the pseudonym John Brown) is actually a man named John Ballantyne. Ballantyne accidentally caused the death of his younger brother in the past, resulting in his deep guilt, as well as recalling the location where the real Edwards died- skiing off a cliff to his death. With his memories, they find the body, but it has a bullet wound, so Ballantyne is taken into custody.

However, her boss, Dr. Murchison lets it slip that he actually used to know (and didn’t like) Dr. Edwards, and through another complicated sequence gets him to confess his guilt and ultimately kill himself, which frees Ballantyne, ending the movie with the two going on a honeymoon.

So, what does this mean in the context of the quest line?

Well, let’s say Ballantyne and Constance are representative of Ratio and Aventurine respectively.

“Every psychoanalyst must first have someone else diagnose them.”

If we read Aventurine as the psychoanalyst (Constance) and Ratio as the diagnoser/doctor (Ballantyne), it reveals an interesting interpretation.

That being that they knew the truth from the start/ they had already succeeded.

Or in other words, unlike in Double Indemnity, in Spellbound, they actually succeed.

In the film, Constance is the one doing the diagnosing, the one trying to figure out the truth, and you can see that in Aventurine pretending he’s trying to find out the truth behind Robin’s death. However, in the DI quest, it’s the opposite. Ratio’s as Ballantyne is the one doing the diagnosing for the psychoanalysist, Constance, or rather, Aventurine.

To diagnose someone, you must be very familiar with them, or at the very least the ailment plaguing them, and Ratio he knows Aventurine through and through at the start, and what plagues him (his own sense of meaninglessness) unlike the protagonists in Spellbound who despite falling for one another quickly, don’t begin being intimately familiar with one another.

In this way, they have already succeeded. Aventurine and Ratio already know one another, and while they might not know the reason behind Robin’s death, that was never what they were searching for in the beginning, meaning they effectively can skip through all the drama (aka the ups and downs of Spellbound, finding out the truth behind Robin’s/Edwards’ death), and reach their happy ending- a honeymoon; or in DI’s case, Aventurine attaining his cornerstone, and fulfilling his end of the plan.

Interestingly, Aventurine slots into the role of Ballantyne and Ratio as Constance equally well, with the phone call Constance makes to save Ballantyne being reminiscent of the note Ratio makes to save Aventurine, as well as Aventurine being the replacement, or in the sense, the one to find the truth about Robin.

Personally, I think Aventurine and Ratio are reminiscent of both the main leads in Spellbound, which is why it’s complicated to discern the meaning of the reference. Oh how I wish I knew what the original Chinese description for this was (if you do please tell me 🙏).

Is it just meant to signify them being in love? Is it meant to signify that they will succeed, due to how well they know each other? Is it both, which is what the inclusion of Double Indemnity (the movie) suggests?

Either way, it adds onto the already present idea that the trust between Aventurine and Ratio is what allowed them to succeed in Penacony, and that’s not just something expressed by these movie references.

Think Aventurines Eidolons: Stag Hunt Game and Prisoner’s Dilemma, both of which are game theories about trust. Or how Aventurine says that Ratio knows him best, or how Ratio entrusts Aventurine with close secrets of his, like him being the “Genius” of the council of Mundanites.

“Do you trust me?” “That depends on you.”

These are 2 lines in their 2.0 conversation that really stick out to me. Ratio will always offer his trust so long as Aventurine can prove himself worthy of it, and as we have seen, Aventurine always delivers, proving himself long before Penacony in the Final Victor lightcone, albeit in his weird homoerotic way.

Therefore Ratio will always trust him.

And because of that, they win.

Now whether you take the deep trust between them to be romantic or platonic, or infer the literal honeymoon at the end of Spellbound to mean something for Aventio, either way the feeling absolutely there, and it’s crucial for an understanding of their relationship.

Also damn, the retroactive plot twist fucking slaps.

[genshin-impact-updates]

Neuvillette's web event is now available. Take part to obtain Primogems and other rewards!

When the rain begins to fall, pedestrians hurry through the squall. But when it abruptly ceases, the sense of loneliness increases.

"Suddenly the Rain Stops" — The web event for Genshin Impact's new character: Neuvillette is now available.

>> Click to Take Part in Event <<

〓Event Duration〓

2023/9/22 12:00 – 2023/9/27 23:59 (UTC+8)

〓Eligibility〓

Reach Adventure Rank 10 or above

〓Event Summary〓

During the event, help the Melusine Aeife report incidents to Neuvillette to obtain in-game rewards.

〓Gameplay Details〓

1. During the event, report recent incidents to Neuvillette to obtain in-game rewards.

2. When you're reporting incidents, follow the hints provided by the Melusine and select appropriate descriptions in the correct order. The report will be deemed successful when the contents flow and match the facts.

3. Complete specified missions within the event to unlock more incidents to report.

〓In-Game Rewards〓

Complete the incident reports to obtain in-game rewards, such as Primogems and Character Ascension Materials.

〓Event Notes〓

1. Please log in to the event using your HoYoverse Account and select your corresponding character in Genshin Impact to take part. This will ensure that your rewards can be sent and claimed correctly.

2. The event wallpaper is not available after the event ends. Please claim it in time.

3. After completing the incident reports, the in-game rewards will be distributed via in-game mail. The mail will expire after 30 days, so don't forget to claim the rewards in time.

4. Please note that the web event cannot be accessed during Version Update Maintenance. After Version Update Maintenance is completed, you will be able to access the web event as normal.

[fortheloveofarchons]

My fav ship/dynamic in Hoyoverse:

C.W.: A very long post!

Whether romantic or platonic, this is one of my fav relationship dynamic: The goofy, happy sunshine and their stoic partner that has a tragic/dark past.

Or in the hoyoverse case, sunshine protagonist with their anemo partners!!

Top left and right: Caelus and Dan Heng from Honkai: Star Rail

Bottom left and right: Xiao and Aether from Genshin Impact

Both appearing together on official art

Having close proximity with each other, and that both are out of "dire" circumstances, being that Xiao is saving Aether from a falling platform while Dan Heng is reviving Trailblazer with "CPR"

I just love their dynamic so much sksksksksk! Here's a few parallels from what I can find so far:

When they both first meet, things went a bit of a rough, awkward patch, with the whole CPR thing and Traveller trying to contact Xiao for the first time

Both gradually gets closer to each other while fighting enemies and going through quests

Appearing together on official arts

Being "saved" by their anemo partner: Xiao saving Aether from falling off a platform and Dan Heng about to revive Caelus through "CPR"

Caelus and Aether's yellow-brown colour palette; while Xiao and Dan Heng's colour palette is teal-coloured

Caelus and Aether having special powers being that they can switch elements and has light elements; while Xiao and Dan Heng having anemo/wind element

I like Xiao and Aether's dynamic more since Xiao has more chance to flesh out his character development through the quests and limited time events, moreover since genshin is older than star rail so we were able to see more interactions between them.

Although it's been a year or so after star rail was released, there's still a long way to go for the story and the limited time events. That said, I really like Dan Heng's quest in the Luofu, especially that small moment when IL Dan Heng was asking Caelus if he has any questions, to which Caelus remains silent (prob due to the events and confusion) and that Dan Heng was a bit worried since Caelus didn't respond about how he was really feeling. Also, another moment I like was when Caelus and Dan Heng were both stressed when they couldn't contact each other during the Luofu quest and Dan Heng was stressed trying to find the astral gang. I wish I could add more screenshots about their interactions but I can only add 10 pics...

I'm a bit sad that Dan Heng didn't join with the astral express gang in Penacony but it's understandable since dude went through a lot in Luofu. Still, I hope we get to see more of him! (it's also really sweet when Dan Heng was about to come to their rescue through the text messages when he found out that there's some issues going on in Penacony and Trailblazer got hurt)

Whether romantic or platonic, I hope to see more of their interactions cause I'm literally eating any of this type of content I can find on social media aaaaaaaaahhhh! Let me know what you guys think about them! (灬╹ω╹灬)

P.S. I've been thinking about posting a fanfic for Dan Heng and Caelus together on Ao3 so it's been in the drafts so far, also if you're interested feel free to check out my Xiaoaether fanfics on my pfp!

Also here's my spotify playlist for Xiaoaether! Feel free to have a listen!

[anantaru]

guys 🧍🏻‍♀️ okay, so i need to rant about something and please feel free to tell me your thoughts always. okay so skirk was finally revealed and don't get me wrong, i adore the design, she is easily on par with yelan rn and yelan is my favorite genshin girly 🧍🏻‍♀️�� but i knew so many people would be unsatisfied with her design, because quite a few people in the fandom always need to complain, + hoyoverse can never fully satisfy everyone but at least be nice about it but what do i expect from insanely online twitter users💀

i can still remember when ei's model got leaked and everyone hated it + preferred raiden mei from hi3, and now? ei is one of the most popular characters out there 🙇🏻‍♀️, or another example, when ayato was finally revealed and so many people DRAGGED HIM THROUGH THE MUD while now? nothing🧍🏻‍♀️in the end you can always quit playing like am i missing something why are people acting like childe just died or something, or just say that you don't like the design without threatening to storm hoyo's hq and act like the world is falling apart just because skirk has pastel coloring LIKE DID YOU SEE THE ABYSS WHALE, this mf looks the same🧍🏻‍♀️💓

anyways, tell me what you guys think about it, idk i'm never on twitter and my account is just for aesthetic pics and fanart, but is this normal there? i was honestly shocked that SO MANY people acted like the world was falling apart it's just a game character you will be fine 💀💓

[ask-captain-gepard]

[text message]

somewhere called inazuma. currently loking for my prothesic. got injured, am fine now.

are the other guads okay?

[text message]

Lady Brnya? it's gprd. phone broken, and m not in Belobg.

stay sfe

( @ask-captain-gepard )

"So, what Anon said is true..." Bronya murmured.

[text message]

Captain Gepard? Where are you?

Bronya sighed. "All these missing people... I saw other planets' citizens have also gone missing. What is happening?"

@ask-captain-gepard

[ask-captain-gepard]

Gepard had decided, although against his better judgement, to head into Backwater Pass alone.

He had a heavy grip on Earthwork as he carefully walked the sectioned off streets.

He heard it before he felt it. Before he saw it.

Gepard fell.

And fell. Or floated. He couldn't tell.

All he knew was that everything went black.

[kaeyapilled]

I’m pretty new to kaeya ships and I want to know how Kaebedo appeals to you!! /This isn't a sarcastic question I promise 😭

So far, the only ship I get is Rosakae because haha bi couple/girl that says bruhh x guy that says hiii

Do you have any recommended kaebedo fanfics? Thank you <33

i think the biggest appeal of kaebedo to me is the parallels between them. both are from khaenri'ah and were abandoned by a parent figure with an unclear mission on their shoulders and ended up finding a home in a place they fear they will have to betray one day. even without a romantic lens there is SO much potential here!!! they must know of each other's secret to some degree, there's no way they don't. they could form such a deep connection based on these shared origins. let them bond hoyoverse!!!!

its insane to me that kaeya and albedo have never exchanged more than five words in game when theres so much material to work with here.. especially because they DO know each other! the game tells us that! kaeya has an "about albedo" voiceline (Albedo, eh? Calm, collected, and incredibly talented. He's the type everybody likes, some even more so than others. What, you into him as well?), albedo doesnt have an "about kaeya" voiceline but he does mention him in one of his "more about albedo" ones (The time required to sketch portraits closely correlates with one's mood. I could spend half a day sketching Huffman, while I might only need three strokes of the pencil to sketch Kaeya — one for the face, one for the eyepatch string... and one for the eyepatch.) and, actually, pairing that with this

from a past event i think we can say it's implied that albedo draws kaeya fairly often. kaeya seems to babysit klee frequently, which is all the more chance for them to get to know each other more..... they live in the same region and have so many themes in common LET THEM TALK! LET THEM TALK!! kaebedo as a ship is kind of built from the ground up with just minimal canon content and our wild imaginations but hey. the potential is right there. also i think they look cute together. anyway, fanfic recs, you say? i have some<3

Calcium, Carbonate, and Other Things That Run Bone-Deep by Princeliest

Albedo comes knocking at Kaeya's office door, and asks Kaeya to kill him. All in all, it's the worst falling-in-love experience that Kaeya has ever had. (Albedo fears a lot of things. He's never reached out for help with any of them, but he's also never had anyone see him and reach out first.)

this is genuinely one of the best fics ive ever read in my life it's SO good. i kept rotating it inside my mind for days afterwards. and the kaebedo dynamic here is one of my favorite renditions of it too!!!!! like they cannot live through a normal love story it has to be weird when they are both involved. and this fic executes the brand of weirdness i expect from kaebedo perfectly. the characterization for both of them was really good. warning for some body horror but if you're okay with that it's part of the charm in this fic i really enjoyed reading those parts

this wordless dance, in the night by untunedviola

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Kaeya mutters into Albedo’s chest. Albedo pulls him closer. Gentle fingers thread through his hair. “You don’t have to.” He sighs. “I know.” Kaeya’s relationship with his mother tongue, his family, and Albedo develops in fits in starts.

i just reread this while searching through recs on my bookmarks and!!!!!!!!! this is THE kaebedo relationship study EVER. it's so good. its more focused on kaeya since it's from his point of view but albedo is a central crucial part of it. it explores their connection to khaenri'ah and the connection they could have with each other because of it SO well it's really amazing! the angst is delightful i love this one.

and you should check out this author's other works!! seriously the way they write kaebedo is like the best ever. i havent read all of them but the ones i have read were immediate favorites. untunedviola if youre out there

The Curious Investigation on the Investigation Captain by evesbeve

“This is not an invitation to spoil me,” Albedo says through a bite, a hand over his mouth. “As you have with Klee.” “I have no idea what you are talking about," Kaeya laughs. “Although… would it really be that bad, if I wanted to take care of you?” (Or: When Sucrose mentions that she's been worried about Albedo and his constant cases of zoning out, Kaeya takes it upon himself to investigate the situation.)

a lighter, fluffier work to make up for the angst of the previous recs. so sweet youll get cavities honestly. works to read while giggling about how much you love these silly little characters. bonus ragbros and other mond characters. really nice read!!!!

i wish i had more recs but i really dont. i need to read more about them honestly.

im deeply sorry for taking like three months to answer!! many such cases im afraid. i hope my kaebedo propaganda has worked on you or anyone else reading this

[crystal-cliffs]

Arlecchino x Xianyun

It’s a continuation of the original birthday post I had sitting around, and I decided to pull it out of my Google docs dumpster and clean it up.

God, it’s been so long since I’ve actually sat down and written this pairing again it feels like even though it really hasn’t. Praying I was able to jump back into their characters and if they’re slightly off then I hope we can cling onto our suspension of disbelief.

Just a note though, this one ends a abruptly due to time constraints ✨

Word count: 557

Genre: Fluff

“How is Liyue Harbor?” Arlecchino removed her eyes from the ceiling and looked at Xianyun who was still messing with one of the small mechanical cranes that had been in the giftbox.

“Certainly less lonely.” The adeptus laid down sideways, resting her head on Arlecchino’s stomach and hanging her legs over the side of the bed. She held the mechanical crane above her face, moving the individual body parts to simulate flying. “Did you make this?”

“…With help.”

“It’s impressive craftsmanship.” Xianyun glanced up at Arlecchino. “Truly commendable.”

“I’m glad you like them. I would’ve done something more but I’ve been… busy.”

Xianyun sat up and set the bird on the nightstand. “It is not the gift but the thought behind it that counts. Anything you give one will be appreciated. Besides, a fully articulated crane that fits in the palm of one’s hand is something one didn’t even know one needed.”

“…Have I mentioned how much I enjoy listening to you talk?”

Xianyun blinked and then smiled. “Most adepti talk like this, it’s nothing unique.”

Arlecchino rolled her eyes and held her arms out with an expectant look. Xianyun sighed and laid back down, letting Arlecchino wrap her arms around her. A missed feeling that still felt natural despite their months of barely seeing each others faces.

“I guess you’re right, but I don’t know any other adepti. It’s only natural to view this trait as unique to you.” Arlecchino brushed her hand through her hair, gently grabbing onto the feather shaped pin holding it up.

“That would be untrue, but one supposes it's not a terrible lie.”

Arlecchino smiled and pulled the pin out, letting her hair fall. “So, are all the bird motifs on purpose?” Arlecchino laughed lightly as she looked over the pin, colors segmented to mimic the separation within a feather. “I’ve been meaning to bring that up.”

“You would be correct.”

“Cute.” Arlecchino shifted to place it on the nightstand before turning back to Xianyun, brushing her hand over the blue feathers on her cheek. They were scattered in random spots and they were one of Arlecchino’s favorite things about the crane adeptus.

Unfortunately, she hardly ever saw them. She was stuck imagining them under her fingers as she reread letters sent to her for a semblance of closeness. The mechanical bird that sits on her desk as a reminder that she has ‘x’ number of days until she can make her trips to Liyue.

Maybe she should invite Xianyun to the House of the Hearth. Would that be ideal? She’d prefer to keep her job seperate from her relationship, but every time she had to return to Fontaine she grew more restless as she waited for her next break.

“Is something troubling you?”

Arlecchino snapped herself out of her mind and fixed whatever minute expression must’ve concerned Xianyun. “Of course not, Love.”

“Really?” Xianyun frowned, propping her chin up with the palm of her hand.

“Simply thinking about our eventual parting. Is it not normal to dread such a moment even for a little while?”

“Normal, but not of much concern right now. One didn’t think one would have to remind you of living in the moment.” Xianyun accentuated her point with a soft jab to her chest.

“Right.”

“Then relax and sleep,” Xianyun laughed softly and laid her head back down. “It doesn’t happen often for us.”

My pookies, my everything. Hoyoverse knows they’d be to powerful if they canonically interacted.

[enihk-writes]

[haunting]

pairing: tang bo x chung myung

summary: just another ghost story.

word count: 0.33k

author's note: so i was writing a few outlines for my xreader fic and got halfway through the tragic doomed yuri between my oc and the reader i had planned and thought to myself, you know what? why not double the pain and give it to the next person? (tangchung) so the next time you listen to nightglow just know that hoyoverse is the root cause of all my issues. there are other reasons but they are my no.1

═══════════════

everywhere he goes he cannot escape that man's image standing beside him as a faded memory he's starting to forget. like sand falling between his fingers he can't remember what he loved most about that man — was it the way his name fell off that man's tongue? was it the way his nose would be filled with the scent of incense and herbs when he woke up to that man nursing him after another night of being blackout drunk? was it this or was it that or...

chung myung barely remembers much else other than the name of the man who plagues his dreams and waking thoughts whenever he's granted the gift of a lonesome moment.

hyung-nim

he was a younger man that followed his tail, no. that man never followed his tail, the two of them were very much equals in more ways than one. the only person who he never had to worry about leaving behind wasn't with him anymore.

what was chung myung to do now?

he's found traces of that man in his descendants, some have his face but it's not him. it never could be. even his home that he's been in multiple times in the past has changed, what was there left?

he's become friendly with his descendants, trying to catch every glimpse of that man in these people. he hopes they don't catch onto how he's using them to fill the emptiness left behind in that man's shape in the place that was always his, the one right next to him.

he's growing tired of waiting for his better half to come back.

bo-ya

chung myung downs another bottle of wine while sitting up on the rooftops one particular night, bringing along snacks that he couldn't finish alone. who's going to nag at him for drinking too much now? it's not fair that he has to take care of himself all alone. come back quickly tang bo, he doesn't know how to live with your ghost.

[aeroblossom]

more on albedo and rhinedottir

what is transmutation, if not rebirth?

okay. i think i figured out the motive behind rhinedottir's creations, among other things.

bear with me and my poor explanation, i'm also really bad at linking sources lmao. do correct me if i've gotten any details wrong. much of this was possible thanks to conversations with a friend of mine!

rhinedottir's reason for creating durin, elynas, albedo and everything else was to find the meaning of life itself.

i'm gonna try and make it as simple as possible to get, i hope.

so, back in search in the algae sea, during the third orthant - cater gives us a riddle, to which the answer is 'love'. some discussion upon alchemy and the orthants with my friend later, we decided to match the stages of alchemy (in rene's given order) to the order of orthants we travelled. that makes citrinitas corresponding to love. the third orthant is also the one of the soul. love and soul.

so here's an idea i've had for a long time. one motive for rhinedottir's actions may be that she was trying to recreate someone dear to her through albedo. someone she loved - be it a family member, lover, anything. with my friend, i discussed how rene quotes aleister crowley's poem regarding the womb of pan, which is essentially a void where all souls originate and/or return to in the time of rebirth. durin and elynas both speak about how they existed in some empty darkness before rhinedottir called them forth - but not albedo.

albedo's earliest memories, he says, are of traveling with rhinedottir. so.

'primordial human project'. rene's search led him to primordial humans. he tried to become one and failed. it involved dissolving himself to be reborn.

'primordial human project' - consider, albedo is not an original creation, but a reborn being.

the rebirth of someone dear to rhinedottir whom she tried to make a primordial human.

why? because albedo is her last ditch effort at saving the world - just like rene. like how citrinitas corresponds to the age of glory for empires and their subsequent collapse with the coming of the stage of rubedo, rhinedottir - khaenriah as a whole - knew its end was destined, and they must have known this. she asks albedo to reach the far side of philosophy and create a better future for them all.

think about it. societal collapse is imminent, your country is crumbling, the end of the world is near and everything feels so utterly doomed. and you know it. you know you're doomed. she must have known of the world formula, must have known rubedo must follow citrinitas.

in the hexenzirkel trailer, she sounds just somewhat reluctant when it comes to being called a mother. you know what this reminds me of, who she reminds me of? ruan mei. ruan mei, upon learning of the infinitely transient nature of life, sinks into emptiness. she can't show love to the creations she's made with her own hands. she knows so well how short, and thus meaningless their lives are. she fears forming attachment - she dissects the scientific meaning of attachment in her character trailer instead of seeing it as something people just do.

rhinedottir must thus have attempted to flip the last two stages of alchemy to prevent their fate, yeah?

if everything is truly meant to end, if it's all destined to fall from rise, what is really the point?

most hoyoverse games are about fighting this sort of nihilistic thinking. the character of otto apocalypse makes it abundantly clear. otto's character takes great inspiration from friedrich nietzsche, whom many people misunderstand for a nihilist. however, nietzsche's philosophies were actually staunchly against nihilism.

rene tried to save the world because he wanted to believe it has meaning. it troubled him that the rise and the fall are void of purpose, he wanted to save it because he believed there was a point in its existence.

rhinedottir is no different. there is no force greater than love. and guess what?

in wagner's play 'the ring' - the dwarf alberich steals the rhinegold from the rhinemaidens. the rhinemaidens tell him there's nothing greater than love in the world. and what does alberich do?

he denounces - wouldn't you know - love.

like rene, rhinedottir became the scapegoat for the cataclysm for her deeds.

i've expressed previously that the primordial human rhinedottir was trying to create through albedo may possibly be the third descender. one who descends.

so, then,

that may be what dainsleif means when he says "we will defy this world with a power from beyond", no?

[side theory :: i once came across the idea of the twins being meteors. the rifthounds induce corrosion on you, making you bleed. gold corrodes. and gold on the earth is also theorized to be extraterrestrial, ie, it came from meteor impact. so then, what if the twins are the source of azosite, or any other such materials derived from gold, that khaenriah now prizes?]

so, tldr : rhinedottir, amidst a world rapidly approaching its doom having learned of the world formula, seeks to prove it wrong, to prevent it, undo it - she tries to fight back against collapse by finding meaning itself. there is nothing more transient than life itself, and thus she sought to prove that there is meaning in something as short lived as that. i'm shaky on albedo being a life reborn, but i do believe it's not impossible. he could have been somewhat dear to her that she tried to make attain the status of primordial human - descender, even - so as to undo the laws of fate.

(some screenshots of the discussion, NOT in chronological order)

[mystically-yours]

WHICH FANDOM BY HOYOVERSE!!! IM CONVERTING YOU (IF I AM INTO THAT FRANCHISE.)

Okay okay I'm going to be honest: It's Honkai Star Rail

I never got into the game, nor the fandom, however a certain pretty winged-eared man caught my eye and now I am somewhat updated through my friends who are OBSESSED with it.

Which is funny because I used to play Genshin, Honkai Impact, and now I am currently trying to get back into playing ZZZ. I swear not to fall for another gacha game but... pretty people...