#i imagine this is in mondstadt seeing that no other nations so far have a church system

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

I heard that you want some other variety of au

Hear me out, blind saintess/nun reader and FL.

Yes it's part of my oc:3.. (also just want to say if theres any problem to that please tell me, i will change it immediately)

ohhhh oh i can do something with this, thank you anon i'm giving you a big hug :]

ever since you were a child, you've been brought up to be a devoted follower of your nation's Archon, and by proxy Celestia. of course you'd be perfect member of the church- you were blind, and therefore not tempted by earthly desires- at least, that's what your parents said. you weren't allowed much of an opinion on it, as with almost everything, but you were glad that the god you worshipped was real, at the very least. plus, the church treated you well and gave you whatever support you needed, which is more than your parents have ever done. you're taught everything people know and some things they don't, privy to the few secrets mortals have managed to grasp from Celestia and the Abyss, how the Abyss corrupts everything it touches and how Celestia saved Teyvat, long ago

you're not sure about that last part. but you're not the one who decides what happened in history

you've long since learned to navigate the world without sight, since you never had the privilege of experiencing it in the first place, and it's barely surprising that you often sneak out at night for some alone time. your feet always take you to the same place, towards a small cave hidden on the side of a cliff away from the city. something lives in there, something huge and growling and soft and sweet, that smells like icy cold starlight. it can't speak any language you understand, yet it never raises a claw to harm you, letting you sit at its side and speak about your day. occasionally it nudges your shoulder to gently push you closer so it can curl around you, creating a cocoon of warmth and tough armor. you could never tell the church, after they taught you that all un-Celestial monsters were sinners. and you promised that you never would

Foul Legacy, however, simply nuzzles closer to this strange, unseeing person, so kind and gentle with him, soaking in the affection he so desperately misses

[sheep-from-rad]

Stay with me, Sway with me ♡  (SAGAU) Note: This song, I love this so much. This is a request by @mehhiah, sorry it took me so long to tackle this one. Also please, if you have requests put it in the ask box so I can easily see it (also priv messages scares me sorry). Anyway, I’m absolutely involved with this song, I hope you guys enjoy it! LASTLY, MY REQUESTS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED. Warnings: Semi-ooc (?), Prince Kaeya theory (I really love that one so I added it), bullet type, semi-yandere-ish [Masterlist 1] , [Masterlist 2]

Ever since the traveler breaks the wall that separates their lives from the dark reality about them being trapped in a game, music together with other factors has been a part of everyone’s lives. It’s not uncommon for foreign sounding music to be played everywhere, even in churches. Traveler songs being played together with new ones, old ones getting mixed up and rewritten to fit the new ones. While aware, sometimes you just forget that they are indeed alive and can interact with you. 

    You held the broom in your hands, pressing it close to your chest imagining a microphone, the ones that you can see at concerts and live bars. You put on your headphones, eyes fixated on the task of cleaning your room before the holiday ends. “When Marimba rhythm starts to play…” 

Diluc pretends like he’s not paying attention to the song that you are currently singing. It’s not the same as the songs that he is used to hearing both from the locals and from the Bard god. It has a sensual tone on it and it bears an air of refinery that reminds him of the fallen aristocrats Mondstadts used to have. He doesn’t care about crowns and wealth but being named as an uncrowned king, he can’t help but imagine the two of us dancing in such a song. In, in his arms at the after hours of the tavern to the early hours of dawn. Maybe he’ll steal a kiss or two, that if you let him to. 

Kaeya was having a late night drink when he heard the song that you are singing. It reminds him of that time he and Rosaria got so drunk they decided to climb Albedo’s laboratory but ended up watching Eula dance in the frozen waters (she chased them afterwards and chased them at work). Nobles sure love their fancy dances and he was not safe from Crepus’s dancing lessons as well. He can imagine the two of you dancing in the empty, semi-dim ballroom. Just the two of you, with the rich robes on your body and crown on his head. If he can’t run from his fate, he might just go embrace it if it means embracing you as his own. 

Venti writes a song while he listens to you sing. He is so used to the songs of praise or song of tales but a song that tells about desire is something that is new to his ear. Serenades to exist in Teyvat but they don’t go as far as to tell the most intimate desires. They only go on the surface and barely scratch the realm of what love is supposed to feel. Tomorrow comes the musical revolution and for sure everyone who hears the song of the night will make something of the same liking. He hopes that before you descend, he will be able to write the best song that describes his whole heart. 

Ayato finds himself a little flustered by the song. Inazuma just opened again a long time ago and the only references that he has on such subjects are those written by the locals and tales of his workers. It is safe to say that Inazuma is still in the age of conservatism even though it is now slowly advancing to be able to walk at the same pace as the other nations. He can’t help but stand up and away from his work, thinking about the lyrics of the song over and over. Bards sing about their feelings and poets make poems about the things that entices their feelings, does it mean you want someone to hold you close and bend you on the dancefloor? If so, he wants to be the one to do it. 

Alhaitham was taking notes. Dances are not uncommon in Sumeru but it is also not something practiced freely until the traitorous sages fell from their thrones. Dances and arts in general are still in their toddler days and he is glad that they get references from other nations. He notes the song being sensual, a type of song that only sang on weddings or intimate dates. The type of dance that he wants to share with you. To pull you by the hand and cradle your head possessively while he glare at everyone who wants to get close. It’s not like he’s gonna let someone get close to you. Not the traveler, not the sages, and definitely not Kaveh. That or, maybe he’ll let Kaveh join in

Taglist! @tinandabin | @chihawari |@eccedentesiast-sapphic @jaxielous |@uchihaeirin |@zuri-feather

[aha-chuu]

I saw a theory (more of an idea, really) on Reddit that Kaveh might become the next Grand Sage, and I just wanted to squeal about that for a hot minute.

(And for clarity cos I feel like it'll come up: Kaveh doesn't have any reliable leaks relating to his kit nor his rarity (whether he's a five star or four star), and even if he is a four star he could very well still be super important to Sumeru's chain of authority (see Ningguang and Kujou Sara if you're doubtful)).

Anyway, my squealing:

It actually makes a surprising amount of sense for Kaveh to become the Grand Sage based on quest info alone - Alhaitham says at the end of Act 5 of the archon quest that he "wouldn't be surprised if Kaveh was appointed as a sage":

While his tone sounds sarcastic, Alhaitham is typically quite honest with his words. His deceits always come by omission, not by lying. Of course, Kaveh assumes Alhaitham is being mocking here, but then in Alhaitham's story quest Kaveh says himself that he should have been made Grand Sage over Alhaitham -

So we have examples in both of Kaveh's in game scenes that convey a desire (or, at the very least, a capacity) to be a Sage. These exchanges are rather comedic though, so I think we should take evidence from Nahida herself; specifically, her "About Kaveh" voiceline:

(sorry for the poor quality)

Nahida herself praises Kaveh's understanding of their Nation and of wisdom itself, whereas she admonishes Alhaitham's viewpoint in her corresponding voiceline about him. This implies that Nahida would choose Kaveh over Alhaitham as Grand Sage.

Lore wise we know that Kaveh is an accomplished graduate of the Ksharewar Darshan, widely known and well-liked. He built the Palace of Alcarazy(?) and the NPCs there sing his praises. While his interactions with Alhaitham are goofy, he can evidently keep up with him in debates and in Alhaitham's voicelines he says that Kaveh's intellect is equal to his own.

Also, there is a pattern in the game so far: each non-archon 'leader' or 'authority' has the vision matching their archon. Jean for Mondstadt, Ningguang for Liyue and Sara/Yae for Inazuma (depending on your perspective). It seemed that Alhaitham would fill this role in Sumeru, seeing as he's dendro and did take over as the Acting Grand Sage, similar to Jean's title. However, his time in that position is incredibly short-lived since he resigns at the end of his story quest (well, technically before it even starts). It is likely that "who will be the new Grand Sage?" will be an ongoing plot thread in Sumeru, much like "when will Varka return?" is in Mondstadt.

Since Kaveh is dendro, he would suit this pattern very well.

I also do just love the vibes of what it would mean for his character, and I think it would be very fun for Sumeru to be led by someone so wholeheartedly compassionate for everyone around them. Kaveh loves the arts and cares a lot about other people, so he matches Nahida's vision of Sumeru much better than Alhaitham does. Which isn't to say Alhaitham is cruel or uncaring, but that he is (as he says himself) not suited to the responsibility of leadership.

And, speaking of Alhaitham, the way this would develop their dynamic is actually rather funny. Technically Kaveh would become Alhaitham's boss, but everyone around them would be aware that Alhaitham saved the country and that Kaveh has only received the position because Alhaitham passed it over first. Can you imagine how frustrating that would be for Kaveh? Technically in charge, but with this information looming over everyone's heads?

Since Hoyo does like to keep a certain status quo, especially in voicelines, it's likely that Alhaitham and Kaveh will remain roommates. This still works even if Kaveh is promoted, with four possible explanations:

Kaveh's debt to Dori is so huge that he's financially screwed for life regardless of his salary

Kaveh is so bad with money that even once he's paid off his debt he still fails to save up for his own house

Because technically Alhaitham's house should also belong to him, Kaveh is stubborn and refuses to move out

Alhaitham and Kaveh reconcile/figure themselves out enough that they actually want to live together even if there's no financial incentive to

Also, I cannot overstate how amusing it would be for the Kavetham dynamic shift of Kaveh getting to fuck with Alhaitham a little as payback for all Alhaitham's trolling.

Anyways, this is a theory/hc that I really like, so I hope we don't get a mystery Sumeru character in 4.6 or something that we've never heard of before who gets to become Grand Sage.

[life-is-unreal]

Stranger Danger~ {Genshin x Reader} Teyvat Chapter 13 - Welcome Bobetta

Other than a few questions from Paimon on Leila and the drunks, it didn't take too long till the four of you went back into the Angel's Share.

"You're here." Venti grinned at Jean's shocked face.

Did Jean seriously not know? You wondered. She had eyes everywhere, ok, maybe it's just the plot.

"Wait, you're...Aether? Y- Y/N?" 

"Jean?"

Diluc coughed lightly, "Well, first of all, I contacted more than one person. Secondly, she came here as "Jean" herself, not as the Acting Grand Master. A Jean you would never see, even as an Honorary Knight."

Jean frowned, staring at Venti, "What a surprise, I heard about the Holy Lyre, but I never suspected it was you. So, the sound of the Holy Lyre can purify Stormterror and return it to normal... Is that true?"

"That's right! Aether and Y/N is putting themselves on the front line to try and resolve this Stormterror issue. Now that's the hotshot of the Knights of Favonius I'm talking about."

"Feel's like we're breaking the law though..." Paimon mumbled.

"Jean, you wouldn't arrest us right?" You asked. "It's quite stuffy in there."

"I-"

"I understand this kind of absurd explanation is hard to believe. But, we can ask the bard to play the song again to try and persuade-"

"I believe you. And, I promise that I won't arrest you for stealing the Holy Lyre."

"To persuade our stubborn comman- Wait, what?" Diluc frowned, turning his head to Jean.

"I can't think of any reason for Dvalin's betrayal, given it was once one of the Four Winds. However, if it was poisoned in the battle over Mondstadt all those years ago... And then corrupted by the Abyss Mage after it woke up - we can't really blame it." Jean placed a hand to her chin, "But as Acting Grand Master I obviously cannot make such a statement publicly. Diplomatic pressure from the Fatui makes it hard for us to seek a peaceful resolution to the Stormterror issue. People would think I've lost grip on the gravity of the situation. That's why I can only do this in private."

The people in her words doing nothing and pushing aaaalll their problems to her.

"Hmph. That's one of the reasons I don't like the Knights of Favonius." I have to agree with that. "What surprises me is that you would believe an outlander so easily..."

Jean's eyes twitched, "My cautious and meticulous superior, even you trust him. Don't you, sir?"

"I already told you not to call me sir...Never mind. We don't often get to work together after all."

"...Sir?" Aether gaped. Yeahhh, Diluc was the captain of the Knights so basically he's stronger than everyone in the Knights of Favonius except maybe Albedo and Klee.

A moment of awkward silence filled the room. "Wow! Um...This is really awkward..." Paimon giggled, a large fake smile on her face.

"I have a rough idea of where the Holy Lyre der Himmel is." Venti leaned towards you, "Nice recovery! She's really talented at changing the subject..." He whispered. You nodded slightly, pushing him back to his place.

Jean waved her hand, "The conflict between Mondstadt and Snezhnaya stems from the conflict between the seven nations and their respective gods. The Cryo God's fatui seem to be after the Anemo God's power."

"..."

"So are they going to take over the defense of Mondstadt?" Upon Aether's words, Jean's brows furrowed.

"If the Knights of Favonius publicly prevented an attempt on Dvalin's head, then... The only other way to affect the Anemo God's power is to take the Holy Lyre."

"The number of Fatui that have come to Mondstadt is far from limited. I've already managed to... coerce a few reports out of them." More like forced, tortured and interrogated them then killed them."Diluc has determined that the Holy Lyre is not being held in the Goth Grand Hotel. I imagine they don't want to leave something stolen in a place where it could be so easily found."

"Paimon gets it. If too much of a scene gets made then it becomes a big diplomatic issue."

"Hmph, such is the diplomacy between the seven nations. Outlanders, ready to go?"

-.-.-

"Eugh, thank god I left Bob before coming here. He's gonna melt in this shitty place." You scowled, feeling the rising temperature.

"Paimon's melting..." The fairy groaned, her arms wrapped around you like a child.

"How the fuck is Diluc not sweating with his thick ass coat?" You grumbled, glancing at the red head a few meters ahead.

"He left us a chest Y/N!" Aether hurriedly opened the chest throwing the drops to Paimon and You.

"Thanks..." You groaned louder, "I can't even see Diluc now. Hurry up Aether, you're slower than Paimon." 

Aether rolled his eyes. "You're the only one that's not even looking for chests and mora."

"No, NO! Don't eat me! Ah? You're...You're human?"

"...Are you seriously shaking? You're the one with a sword." You mumbled.

"The entire floor's defenses... have been broken. I thought it was the Abyss Order attacking..."

"Brotha, you would've been dead the moment the Abyss Order appears." You commented.

Paimon snickered. Aether coughed, "We have come for the Holy Lyre der Himmel."

"And your life." You added.

"Y/N!"

"Sorry, but come on, look at his face!"

"H-How did you guys know the lyre's here?" The fatui guard shivered as you side eyed him. Now we know, how the hell did he become a guard? The fatui short on people?

"The place it's being kept is locked up tight. If you're after the key, keep going further into the ruins, but d-don't come after me! I don't know which one of the guards have it, but I'm sure you can find the guards and find out for yourselves."

"This guy looks like he's about to wet himself." You and Paimon said in unison. 

"You- you just worry about yourself! One of the Harbingers is already in Mondstadt. Signora. When she gets her hands on you she's going to string you up and torture you. When that time comes, don't you dare say a word about me."

"Aether you go up first to meet up with Diluc, I need to ask some stuff." You pushed him up towards the stairs.

"W- What do you want?" The man squeaked as you turned around with a cheshire smile. 

"Heyyyy, that's a nice sword you have thereeeee. Ehehehehe."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh!"

After a few minutes, you cackled, skipping towards Aether.

"You stole his sword?" Aether gaped.

"What do you mean steal? He gifted it to me." 

"Yeah, and- you robbed him of mora too?!" Aether caught a thick pouch.

"Hooray! Can Paimon have 10 mushroom skewers after we go back?"

You ruffled her hair, "Why not." You cast your eyes down, the fatui guard who was absolutely flattered by your smile tumbled out pretty much everything he knew.

"I- I swear, I know nothing of the water problems! I- I just know that when Signora came to Mondstadt she brought barrels with her. I heard from my superior that it was Dottore's new creation. It might be the cause of all the dead fish and changes. Please don't kill me!"

"Il Dottore? So... he is just conducting an experiment?" 

"M-Maybe."

"Do you know of the fatui that escaped the Mondstadt dungeons?"

"U-Um, I just know that they're higher ranked than me and they're all under Signora. For some reason the knights weren't sent after them. Maybe diplomatic pressure? I- can I leave now?"

"Hmmmmm. Give me all your mora or I'll kill you with your own sword."

"WHAT! UM! UM! These are all I have! BYE!"

You shook your head lightly, so Jean did know about Sofiya's escape.

"Did he say Signora? What a strange name..."

"No.8 of The Eleven Harbingers. Goes by the name Signora. The fact the Fatui can run amok across the seven nations like they do is entirely because of The Eleven Harbingers. We need to act quickly before she gets wind if what's going on." Diluc nodded to you.

"Let's split up." You casually walked towards the furthest room on the left.

"Should I bring a pyro slime back home? Hmmm. Yeah, I should." 

You grinned down at the three slimes. "Hi~"

"Hey Y/N! There's no key here- Wait, WHY IS THERE A PYRO SLIME!" Paimon screeched.

Aether raised a brow, "What's the name?"

You grin stretched wider, "Bobetta." 

Diluc stared at you for a moment, "Wait, are you the girl who brings a cryo slime around the city?"

"Oh? You know me?"

Diluc paused, "Kaeya has mentioned you in the tavern. It's quite a surprise that they choose not to attack you."

Paimon flitted closer to you, "That pyro slime seems to be a bit bigger than the smaller slimes."

You nodded, "Yeah, it's three slimes merged to one."

"Th-that works?!"

"It's new to me too."

"Where did you rats scurry out from..."

You whistled, "Mini Boss arrival guys."

"Leave it to me." Diluc charged towards the pyro agent.

"Signora is not going to tolerate this kind of interference in our aff-"

"Aaaand he's defeated." You nodded in affirmation. "Diluc's pretty good ain't he? One shotted him."

"Finally, the lyre is back in safe hands!" Paimon clapped.

"I still don't get how that eye mask fooled the fatui. You literally look the same." You threw your arm across his shoulder.

"Why are you taller than me..." You hissed in his ear.

Aether smiled smugly, "You can always drink milk."

"Bitch."

"Where did that guy go, though? He was here a second ago..."

"Signora is going to end you. The songs bards sing of your demise will be so terrifying- the people of Mondstadt will never sleep again for the nightmares they give them." The agent yelled behind the barricade.

"Big talk for a guy who still ran off in the end... Chicken." Paimon placed her hands on her hips.

You grinned down at Bobetta as she spat out a small fireball in the agent's direction. "Welcome to the family Bobetta!"

[callophelia-ailingamnemonic]

Oh look, What I have so far for my Cataclysm and pre-canon Mondstadt plot points for my ATWIAWL AU!

CATACLYSM

After defeating Durin, Celestia summons Barbatos to assassinate the Khaenri’an heir, to which Barbatos very reluctantly cooperates with, that is until they get there and discover a baby Kaeya.

Seeing his smile, Barbatos cannot bring themself to kill the baby and attempts to smuggle him away from the Cataclysm, but they are discovered by Morax and the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.

Before all of this, Dainsleif was exiled (for reasons I haven’t really decided yet) from Khaenri’ah but came back during the Cataclysm hoping to save the people, but bumps into Barbatos. Dainsleif is tense at first until Barbatos hands Kaeya over to him and tells him that he must run before the Sustainer arrives.

The Sustainer then proceeds to arrive and Barbatos buys the two time as Dainsleif and Kaeya flee into the Abyss. However, Barbatos quickly loses the fight.

An offence like this would normally lead to the offender’s execution, however, the Sustainer is unable to kill Barbatos without severe consequences (all relating to Istaroth), but leaving them to their own devices is just as equally dangerous, so instead, the Heavenly Principles seal them away.

She still tells all the other archons that they killed Barbatos to dissuade them from also rebelling.

Before they’re able to seal them away, however, Barbatos transfers their powers over to the Thousand Winds, blessing them with power rivalling that of Liyue’s adepti so that after the deed is done and the Sustainer sets out to attack Mondstadt, the Wind Wisps are able to fight her off, sending her into a deep slumber after the Cataclysm weakened her.

PRE-CANON MONDSTADT

After they were blessed by Barbatos, the Wind Wisps essentially became divine protectors of Mondstadt, similar to the Four Winds and Liyue’s adepti. They’re also able to have human forms, identifiable by their white hair and anemo-coloured tips and eyes. They mostly stay in Mondstadt but are also known to live in other nations alongside people they decide to stick to.

Before they were sealed away, Barbatos was able to remove their soul and put it into the form of a Wind Wisp not too dissimilar from the rest of the Thousand Winds. Since their identity as Venti was compromised, Barbatos decided to craft a new identity under the name of Nye and use it to secretly remain in Teyvat.

The fact that Barbatos disguised as Nye is still around is a secret only the Thousand Winds are privy to, because if Celestia were to ever hear of Nye’s true identity, they could potentially awaken prematurely, and that is the last thing anyone wants.

Because they’re around, Venti is able to heal Dvalin of Durin’s poison, but because I’m also a sucker for the gay dragons, close to the present events of the game, Durin gets reincarnated into the most reckless being in all of Teyvat. Initially, Dvalin lets him be out of a sense of guilt from killing his past self, but then Durin (whose name might not be Durin anymore) gets himself in a sticky situation and Dvalin has to appear in his human form in order to get him out of that situation. Afterwards, Dvalin decides to stick around with Durin to ensure that he doesn’t get himself almost killed again.

In his human form, Dvalin has a fake anemo vision and I can imagine him either being a bow user or a catalyst user.

I like to think that Durin would have a cryo vision. I can imagine his weapon either being a claymore or a physical catalyst like Heizou or Wriothesley.

During the Ursa the Drake crisis, the presence of the wisps are able to save Crepus’ life. I haven’t decided yet if present-day Diluc still has the same personality he had before his father died in canon, or if he’s still grumpy. Another fic that inspired me was “A Bard’s Ambition” by OG_CaleHenituse where even though Venti saved Crepus’ life, it wasn’t without people thinking he had died when he went missing which still results in Diluc’s fallout with the knights.

[ereana]

Zhongli/Venti - as a joke/in a teasing manner 

Morax isn’t sure what to make of the new God of Mondstadt. Barbatos,as he calls himself, is as far from Decarabian as one could imagine; full of laughter and song which has sadly become quite a rarity in this time of ceaseless war.

War.

Barbatos beams at him from across the hall, flying over on pure white wings without even touching the ground.

Looking at him one would expect him to be crushed by the cruelty of the times they find themselves in. Those beautiful wings ripped from his back, thin limbs reminiscent of the birds he so loves broken beneath sword and spear, and that spotless white stained with the blood and mud of the battlefield.

Moraz has not lived for as long as he has without learning not to judge based on appearances alone. Could not the most ordinary stone contain valuable gems within?

He cooly regards Barbatos as the other god stops before him, feet still hovering a few inches from the floor. One does not become god of a nation by mistake and Decarabian was no weakling. The enemy of the God of Storms meets Morax’s gaze without hesitation, it has been quite someone from outside of Liyue dared to do so. The smile on Barbatos’s face is as unmoving as Mount Hulao.

Even the lightest breeze has the potential to turn into a hurricane.

“Have I done something to offend you already Morax? If so I must say that’s probably a new record, I didn’t even have to say anything this time.” Barbatos speaks, breaking the silence as he is wont to do.

“On the contrary, I’m pleasantly surprised to see you arrive on time for once.” Morax replies drily. It’s far too early into Barbatos’s visit to chuck a mountain at him yet. “You gave Moon Carver quite a shock when you sped past him on your way here.”

“Hehe.” Barbatos laughs and rubs the back of his head, braids swaying slightly in a wind he has brought into Morax’s domain. “What can I say? It’s been a while since we’ve been able to talk and I was eager to see you again.”

Morax blinks at him. 

Refreshingly honest and innocent. It makes him want to curl away his claws that mere days ago were buried in the heart of some soon to be forgotten god so as not to stain the other.

“It is…good to see you too. Come, let us retire to the garden. I fear you will bang your head on the ceiling if you insist on flying the entirety of your stay.” He wonders if Barbatos flies in order to make a quick getaway once this visit is over, if he seeks to flee Morax’s company as soon as he can or if it is just the preference of one whose being is tied to the wind ever-moving and free.

Barbatos' smile turns sharp with mischief and all of Morax’s well honed instincts urge caution.

“Of course, but I feel as though you’re forgetting something?”

Unlikely.

“Oh?” He says with narrowed eyes.

Barbatos shrugs with well-feigned ignorance.

“I have entered the private domain of the God of Contracts, surely a price must be paid for such a gift.”

Morax tilts his head to the side as the idea takes root, his draconic instincts latch on to it eagerly.

“And what would you offer Barbatos, God of Freedom?” Against his better judgment he’s interested in the answer. What would Barbatos judge of equal measure to his home and would he agree with the value?

A flash of white feathers and roaring wind fill the space, pushing him forward in surprise. Barbatos is there to meet him and then-

A press of lips against his own.

Simple, light as air, and lasting only for a single breathless moment  before Barbatos pulls away with a smirk. He clutches Morax’s robe in one hand.

“A priceless, unique gift of course. The first kiss of a God.”

It’s hard to describe the rush of emotions that crash over Morax in that moment; shock, embarrassment, irritation, pride, interest and a very dragon-like curl of possessiveness that sends him reeling for the normal routine. 

Unthinking he flicks his hand and Barbatos squawks as a boulder comes crashing through the wall.

Lantern Rite

Venti hums a tune as he waits for Zhongli to return from seeing their fellow archons to the door. He sits in an open window, content to watch the lanterns rise higher and higher into the sky to follow the path of the wind until they eventually burn out. If he closes his eyes and focuses he can hear the wishes woven into each one.

His gnosis may be gone but he is still a god and that comes with some benefits. The wishes spoken freely from the heart are the easiest to hear and they bring a smile to his face.

Humans will never cease to amaze him. It’s one of the reasons he’ll never stop loving them.

Behind him the door swings open and Venti turns with a smile, smaller and softer than his usual ones but no less happy.

“I see the illustrious Mr Zhongli has returned! I trust Nahida and Ei are in safe hands.”

Zhongli, and isn’t it an odd thing to call him that after so many years, scoffs and moves to sit beside him. He looks more relaxed than Venti has ever seen him, it suits him.

“Nahida is in the company of her reliable General and Ei left in the direction of a snickering pink fox so I’m sure they’ll be fine. As for my last guest, do you have anywhere else to be on this fine Lantern Rite?” 

Venti laughs and shuffles closer until they’re sides are pressed together. The firm presence of Zhongli soothes his remaining nerves, a reminder that the blockhead is still very much alive and not dead as the wind had told him all those months ago. 

There’s an area of Mondstadt where the grass is only starting to grow back after the storm he’d nearly unleashed at the news.

“I’m all yours for the evening, assuming you’re happy to have me.”

Zhongli hums before a spark of something lights in those striking amber eyes.

“You’re more than welcome to stay. But I must insist on a fair trade in return for my hospitality.” 

Venti takes a second to make sense of the words. It’s so easy to sink into the deep baritone of his friend’s voice that everything else can fade away as rich earthy tones fill Venti’s ears.

“Naturally, I would expect no less.” He makes a flourishing gesture with his hand. “Well then, what price would a simple funeral consultant have a mere bard pay?”

Arms wrap around his waist, the same arms that killed gods and protected thousands for centuries, and pull Venti close. Even through the fabric of Zhongli’s gloves he can feel the Geo-infused skin that marks his companion as much more than human, Venti always wants to trace the glowing golden patterns with his fingers.

Zhongli kisses him.

A soft, lingering kiss that Venti feels all the way down to his toes. He returns it eagerly. It’s been so long, too long and he’s missed it. Missed Zhongli or Moraz or whatever the being in front of him wants to call himself.

They part with a sigh and Zhongli smiles at him. It’s a smile that could inspire a hundred songs if Venti had the will to do anything but smile giddily back.

“A priceless, unique gift of course.”

[pen-observing]

synopsis: Kaeya dealt with Fatui in plenty of ways. But when a few of them disguised themselves as treasure hoarders to smuggle a certain trove - he was forced to act personally. But he didn't expect you - a talking mirror - to be the treasure in question. word count: 7.4k

The scenery around this path seems ordinary enough. 2 hydro slimes to the left, a few pillars that once were part of some bigger building used by others that came before for purposes unknown. Perhaps it was a spot for prayer once – now it only serves as the place to hide from watchful eyes of tired guards.

Kaeya supposes that this leisurely walk turned into something else the moment he decided not to ignore the little signs; footsteps in the grass, a treasure insignia that fell in the pond in a manner he can only call haphazard; really, he had himself to blame. Yet, this all came with his obligations and turning away would mean betraying something he worked very hard for. Nobody knows how Kaeya managed to banish treasure hoarders completely from Mondstadt but everyone shall always thank him for getting rid of a group so pesky.

And yet, right now; the wind that touches his hair is as free as ever, but somehow a few of those pesky dabblers were able to come this far.

The scenery around this path seems ordinary enough. For now. That is until Kaeya decides he has had enough of gathering intel on their movements; until he steps out of the shadows with all the nonchalance afforded by his confidence.

He does suppose that the idea of fatui agents changing into treasure hoarders seemed like a good one. If any other nation was to be asked about the matter. Treasure hoarders were a rare occurrence here so suspicion would arise. But, really, Mondstadt has a completely diplomatic relationship with the Fatui; they come to the city, play with the children and are ‘free’ to wander. Other nations have reasons to restrict their movement, but Mondstadt drapes on the cover of trust. And Kaeya has to say: after spending so many hours trying to pick up on the slightest slip ups from them while going to the Grand Goth Hotel – getting to treat them as regular treasure hoarders, being free to return all of their bad jokes he had to laugh at – it felt freeing.

His satisfaction after handing them over to the guards at the gate was almost as high as his curiosity. Just what were 5 of them guarding so seriously? And why did one of them throw the small treasure trove at the other yelling ‘I cannot take it anymore Niko!’

What invention were they trying to smuggle and hide? And just how sinister must it be? Kaeya couldn’t wait to get to his office and learn it all. A simple treasure cannot be hidden here after all.]

Kaeya’s hand brushes over the lid. It is completely dust free but suddenly he feels a shiver slowly creeping up his body so he halts. There are only so many things one should see and learn. Kaeya cannot pinpoint it himself. He felt this way when his father told him stories around a small fire; he specially felt this reaction when his father left him with a legacy. But he also felt it during his fight with Diluc. He even remembers the faint feeling of it as his vision manifested; and back in the past – when he collected a particularly interesting shell.

Those events changed his life forever. Undoubtedly. So, before he opens it he wonders which side of fate will this find be. A blessing or a warning?

Despite a momentary hesitation – he carries on. It is simply how he functions. If you know something is coming, you can prepare for it, right?

Imagine how disappointed Kaeya felt when his curious eyes peeked inside only to find a hand-held mirror. It was made of silver, yes – but he didn’t find anything particularly worthy. And to think that for a moment he imagined something grander would come into his life once more.

But surely, those guards and the way it looked both polished but old – something had to be behind it? Kaeya ran his index finger down the handle with a pout on his face. Maybe it was a secret code they had no other way of delivering? Then, he decided to toss it up in the air a few times to see if anything special would appear; making sure about the dealings of the Fatui never was a bad idea. Nothing once more.

What if he decided to break it?

His hand hesitated. He could give it to albedo instead and make sure. Maybe it had something to do with time frames? Or a specific place? A secret code always had to have specific limitations.

He still couldn’t help but feel disappointed. He rolled his eyes and quickly placed the mirror at the end of his desk.

“Imagine that – the fatui were just guarding a dumb mirror.”

His time is better spent on paperwork.

“Imagine that, I was picked up by a dumb human.”

Now that wasn’t right...Surely his pen wouldn’t start talking as soon as he lifted it? Indeed, he did have this dream a few times after getting particularly drunk in the tavern and sleeping against his door but – he twirled the pen in his hand – and nothing.

“Are you serious right now? Do you think that ugly thing is actually capable of talking to you?”

And then he realized – the voice came from the right side of the desk – from the mirror.

In an instant, his curiosity was back. Kaeya couldn’t let his surprise shine through but a mirror insulting him couldn’t be forgiven either.

“I would say those are bold words from an object that is so close to dangling off the edge of my desk. Do tell, aren’t silver mirrors very fragile? Surely you don’t want me to move my papers around too fast now.”

Oh, his life would surely be changed forever from this.

“It seems like you are not one of them.”

Them? Did you mean the Fatui?

“If you are referring to the big scary men that ‘kidnapped’ you, for the lack of a better word – you are just in luck. Consider me more of a saviour.”

No response.

“..But no need to offer your thanks. I am actually quite humble and would only respond with ‘twas my duty.”

Kaeya was having too much fun with this. The paperwork could wait. He picked up the handle once more and brought it in front of his face.

“Ah, what a shame. I was hoping your image would be the one reflected.” “I am not worthy of being seen.”

It felt like more of a statement that was forced to trickle down until you repeated it. Almost emotionless.  As if such a claim meant nothing to you. It sounded so sad to his ears but his curious mind was only growing.

“Do you see me?” “Yes. I would call the question a bit vain.” “I was thinking of continuing with my good deeds. If you saw me, that would mean you can see everything in front of you and I thought the window view would make you..less cranky... after being trapped in there for so long. But now I suppose that is not something you’d like.”

Kaeya slowly runs his finger over the upper rim. The more he looks at it – the more beautiful this mirror seems. You’re hesitating, he can tell despite not being able to see you,

“..If you would, please.” “Great, I have a lot of questions I would like to ask you.”

“Do you like the view? Everyone says that this town is beautiful no matter the season.” “I’ve once read a book about this place...Or, at least I think. Is this Mondstadt by any chance?” “How perceptive,” Kaeya takes a sip of his tea, “your edges aren’t dull.” “Was that supposed to be a joke? You sound just like the unfunny old lady I spent time with moons ago.” “Well, that depends on if you found it funny or not. But more importantly, how many moons ago was it exactly?” “I do not remember. I stopped keeping time; Stopped counting the moons and years. I only know that she was the 11th person to ever own me. That is how I keep track; or at least I did – before I started forgetting the faces and what number I was on.”

Kaeya’s heart felt pity for you. His own life was not easy – but he at least had memories. Some say the forest will remember, others say it is the stars – but what about you? Are there any others that remember you?

“Just what exactly are you?”

A sigh.

“This is precisely why I called you a dumb human. I am obviously a mirror cursed with magic. Years ago people were able to recognize that in an instant.” “Oh, you are a cursed mirror you say? Funny, I imagined I was talking to a cup this whole time.”

Silence again.

“I want more details, oh, instantly recognizable magic mirror; and you seem to say everything and nothing at all so I will begin asking my questions.”

“Why didn’t you speak before at the Fatui camp?” “I had no way of knowing just which side you belonged to nor did I wish to get involved in the fight.”

“What do the Fatui want from you?” “They said they were taking me to some puppet master and a doctor. I don’t know the full purpose; I think they don’t either. All I know is that they were under strict instructions not to hurt me in any way possible – so I liked insulting them even more than you.”

“Ah, you’re what they couldn’t take anymore. Next question, what is your magic?” “I am forced to tell the truth of everything that I know, think and feel.”

Kaeya couldn't imagine a worse punishment being inflicted upon him before now. Surely, if Diluc were here, he would say Kaeya was nothing without the silver tongue and golden lies.

“Just why were you cursed?” “I was dumb really. Or should I say careless. I stepped on some flowers.” “Flowers? That is all?” “Yes.” “Just who places a curse on another human for stepping on their flowers?” “A witch that nobody knew. I come from Sumeru and there, especially during the time of such conflict, healing herbs were rare. The witch was trying to heal her lover and I stepped on one of the flowers meant for him.... After so long, I don’t even blame her anymore.”

You really were forced to tell the truth. Meanwhile, it seemed like threads of lies were always around him and this was a fresh start.

“Why did she curse you in a way where nobody else can see you?” “She said I wasn’t worthy of being looked at. As unsightly and as selfish as I was. I suppose the thing hidden behind her eyes and a quivering lip was the fact that she did not know how much longer she’d be able to look at her lover.”

“It still seems a bit too harsh to me.” “The curse? I suppose so. Some things were worse than the curse itself. People who thought I knew the answers to everything in the universe and then would try to throw me in a well or break off my handle or feed me to the boars once they realized that wasn’t the case.”

Just how much of life have you seen? And how ruthless was it to you?

“Do you know the way to break your curse?” “I do not. No witch is kind enough to say that to you.”

Your voice was gradually getting quieter. Perhaps his curiosity was just as painful when it made you remember such things. He would end it here for today.

“One more question.” “Hm?”

You could see the coy smirk forming. You thought it would be better if he laughed without control.

“Would you say I am handsome?” “Yes. That is the second time you’ve asked about yourself, might I add.”

Truth be told – Kaeya wasn’t exactly sure what to do with you. Never did he imagine that such a thing would be possible for him to stumble upon simply because of a walk.

For the time being, he looked at two possible outcomes based around the question ‘What would protect you the most?’. More exposure, and knowledge that could be traced back to you, put you at worse odds. The Fatui were never ones to give up easily, so, imagine he told Jean about you, and your presence had to be documented inside a file – that means it would also touch Lisa, a few guards in charge of checking if all documentation was still there and probably all the captains of the Knights.

Immediately that meant more traces the Fatui were able to sniff out and follow until they could come back for you once again. And Kaeya simply felt that to avoid such a thing – there was no need for anyone else to know about you. For now, at least. If his hand was forced, he would let your existence be known but for now; and call him selfish if that is the only way to describe it, he was intrigued and fascinated by you to such a degree that simply having you in his office was enough.

He explained that you should be quiet once someone else was near. Kaeya knew you would answer anything he asked you – because you were forced – so he avoided doing that. He let you be at peace.

On some days, you would not speak at all but Kaeya was content just knowing you could see his pen move. On other days, you would simply ask him to set you up on a chair so that you could see the sunset or the outside from the window. He understood, and never asked how much you wanted to go outside for the fear that it might cause you even more pain. And, on a few occasions, you would start talking first or you would playfully insult the way his letter L was the only ‘ugly’ one in his handwriting. You admitted to being bored then, and Kaeya never took anything personally because he knew this was one of the ways you tried to feel more human again.

And like that – a month had passed. And in it he learned that you disliked when the sky was ‘too blue’; that you enjoyed seeing the birds fly by; that you didn’t particularly care about which shape the clouds were; that once long before you were close to graduating the Academiya and that the mountains seemed particularly beautiful to you.

But you also seemed to be growing more irritable with each passing day; until one fresh morning brought him clarity as to why.

After a particularly enjoyable weekend, Kaeya walked into his office imagining that the stack of papers on his desk would be the worst thing to deal with. He also walked in full of excitement to talk with you.

“I cannot believe Jean just keeps giving me more paperwork; after so long you think we would be able to find someone else to do this. I even do Albedo’s paperwork for him! Can you believe that?” “I see.” “Just because he spends all his time on the mountain doesn’t mean he should be excused.”

No further response. Perhaps you’d like to hear one of the other stories more.

“And then, just as I entered the tavern, I saw Diluc’s face completely red. Venti got up on the table and started juggling apples while violently sneezing because he was at the Cat’s tail just before that. Remember, he is allergic. So it was really a sight to behold.”

Silence again. Even Lisa laughed at that story. Kaeya pushed away his paperwork a bit and propped you up against it.

“You’ve been ignoring me more and more lately. And I usually do not like forcing answers out of you but...tell me, what have I done wrong?”

Kaeya had never regretted asking a question more in his life. Because in the next few seconds, as he was staring back at himself in the reflection, all he heard was a broken voice, forced to answer him through hiccups and tears. To think that the magic curse was this cruel.

“You keep complaining a-and talking about things I have spent possibly h-hundreds of years trying to experience again!”

Please, please God, stop your voice from breaking.

“You get to write all these papers and they mean nothing to you. You are l-lucky enough to leave a mark by your own hands; you are l-lucky enough to see your handwriting! A-At this point I am afraid I have...that I have, possibly, forgotten how to do that – t-that even if I had another chance to w-write an academic paper my hands would not move. I am scared.”

Kaeya can feel something inside him shatter as you continue. And yes, it seems like your hiccups have stopped but they keep ringing inside his mind.

“I only get to see things. My feet cannot climb mountains or simply walk on the ground. I look up at the sky so much because it is e-easier to imagine that this is what birds feel like. That they get to see things from perspectives nobody else can and that my existence, even as this mirror, means something!”

Kaeya can feel that his voice hasn’t been this desperate in a while. He keeps telling you how sorry he is – he did not realize just how much tales of the ordinary can hurt someone. But they do; they hurt you because they are ordinary for anyone else but you.

“And you have friends. You know their faces and their voices and you know how they experience emotion. I don’t have that luxury. And, you tell me about them and in all the tales they know you too. I am not that lucky. I am not that blessed. Everyone I knew before I was cursed would not recognize my face now. Did you know people stop existing as soon as nobody remains that remembers them?”

Your emotional outburst stopped but Kaeya kept on apologizing. His gloved hand raised you up and without knowing what else to do – he simply brought your frame against his chest.

“People still remember you. And, you say my friends get to see me – but you do too. And it might not mean much – but I witness your existence and marvel at you.”

He is unsure where that came from. Kaeya thinks of how little you know, how little you have been forced to know. Even the moments he told you about are just moments in a line created by his loneliness. Yes, Kaeya knows how terrible it is for him to think that – especially considering how you deem him ‘lucky’ but he can’t help it.

Perhaps he would say that he isn’t creating those memories; he only gets to see them – just like you. But if making him out to be a villain so that you feel better and get things off your chest is the only way for you to cope with it all – Kaeya thinks it is fine. It is a small price to pay.

There is a difference in all still. The difference is – you were forced into loneliness. Loneliness had been following Kaeya for his whole life.

After that, Kaeya went home and he couldn’t find peace. Just because he didn’t like the feeling of being ignored by you – he forced you to answer his question and it caused you such pain he thought your curse would break from the amount of it. Insurmountable grief; and he was the reason.

He didn’t feel guilty about not telling anyone about you – but he felt guilty about you being unknown. And yes, to some those two might be the same – but in Kaeya’s mind they were different. In trying to protect you in his own way – he caused more hurt. So what should he do?

That question kept him up and while thinking about it for so long he found himself; at 3 in the morning might he add – in front of his office with 2 bottles of wine in his system. Maybe if he showed you other sides of his personality like this – you would see new things and...somehow...it would be new enough to take your mind off of the loneliness.

So, he barged into his own office and reached for the top desk, grabbed your handle and kept it secure while laughing.

“You see it is me! You can talk now.” “Why are you here at this hour? And why are you acting like this?”

Kaeya did not have an answer that would satisfy him.

“I simply missed you I suppose.”

Truths that are not full. They are easier for his tongue to admit to. Especially because the sleepiness and hangover were starting to catch up to his body.

“And that is why you are here?”

He placed you on the right side of his desk, just like on the first day. And then he laid his head down on it, to get a good look at you.

Maybe it was the alcohol or his empty wishes; perhaps some of the strongest guilt he felt in a while – but for a second he could swear that what he saw in the mirror was not his image. That it wasn’t his hair, that it wasn’t his one eye, or the wrinkled shirt he threw on in a hurry to get here.

He could swear that it was you – your own image – that was looking back at him. His next words as his eyes closed were filled with something soft that lingered.

“Well, that, and to tell you that I am taking you home with me.”

And you felt what his words betrayed. For a second, you were hopeful he would take you on a walk so that you could see the view from the window shined on by the moon.  But Kaeya fell asleep and, despite the disappointment, you couldn’t help but smile. Most of the time, he seemed on edge, to see him like this – it reminded you just how fragile humanity makes things beautiful.

Imagine Kaeya’s surprise when he woke up as the sun raised and he realized just how stiff his shoulders and neck were. And.... is he dreaming or did both of his legs fall asleep?

He didn’t feel any danger so he allowed himself to slowly open his eyes.

“It took you long enough.”

Ah, yes, this tone of yours was so much better than when you were crying.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of being woken up by you?” “To your own drinking habits, I suppose.”

Kaeya raised his hands up to stretch and he could feel his shirt rising up too and the fact that one of his buttons came undone while he was sleeping so uncomfortably.

“Those do tend to get me in a lot of trouble you know.” “W-Whatever you unruly animal! Fulfil your promise to me!”

Just what were you talking about? And why were you so flustered?

“My promise to you?”

His legs were finally fine again so he got up to stretch some more by walking around.

“Ah, now I remember. Tell me, are you that eager to go home with me?” “I was excited yes but now I take it back. Please put me in the drawer and lock it and throw away the key from the window. Your vanity is showing again.”

Kaeya couldn’t help but laugh. At both you and the messy state he found himself in. Luckily, he kept spare clothes in the bottom drawer and he kneeled down to get them. Klee always had one way or another of ruining his outfits.

“This day won’t amount to much, now. So why don’t I take you on a tour of the city from here until my house?” “...That does sound really nice.” Kaeya could tell you were trying not to sound too excited. “I will only do it if you promise not to peak while I am changing. Do we have a deal?” “Yes, and its not like I could peak even if I wanted to, you idiot.” “Ah, that’s an interesting way to admit to you thinking about it.” “I’ve changed my mind. Lock me and throw away the key!”

Kaeya wasn’t sure how he would pull this off so he instructed you to keep quiet no matter what. Really, his plan of protecting you meant that others couldn’t find out about you and now look at what he was doing.

“How is you using an old grocery bag, filled with your clothes and me on top of them meant to make this ‘a safe plan’ exactly?” “You should trust my strategy skills more. And I don’t think this counts as you being quiet.” “Well, forgive me for actually thinking I would get to see the scenery for once.”

Kaeya looked down and saw that you fell inside the bag so he propped you up once again so that the top of your frame was able to look outside. “Is this better? Can you see now?” “Yes, as much as you can see through those bangs in fact.” “That means you can see perfectly; I am glad to know.”

Somehow both of you were failing to be quiet but whispering couldn’t hurt too much, right?

When Kaeya walked up the stairs it was uncomfortable but you would forgive him because he allowed you to witness the church and the statue of Barbatos.

“This reminds me of the Academiya!” “Oh?” “Yes, they both give off this sense of grandness. It isn’t much compared to the internal pyramid mechanics I’ve seen but compared to everything else for so many years...I love it.”

A quick flash of blue light. What was that? Where did it come from? He wonders if anyone figured out what was going on. Did some Fatui agents come for you?

“Hey Kaeya....thank you.”

From your soft voice, his shoulders immediately relaxed. Yes, despite the danger he did the right thing. This is making you happy.

The walk down the stairs was even more uncomfortable and you almost spoke up once the person sneezed on you for the 3rd time.

“Agh, Kaeya sorry. I keep sneezing.” “Maybe you should stop going to the Cat’s tail so much?” “Ah, and this coming from you?”

Another sneeze in your direction. Perhaps Kaeya shouldn’t hold the bag so precisely next time.

“What else can I say? They are the best money a simple bard like me can have!”

This man, that you remember being named Venti just became your worst enemy in the last 5 years, At least the Fatui didn’t sneeze on you.

But as his thumb touched your glass to wipe away the sneeze, you saw his deep green eyes – something didn’t feel right.

“There! I am glad I didn’t ruin your mirror!”

A pause.

“It’s a rather interesting one now that I get a closer look at it...hehe.”

And that, Kaeya decides, is enough of a close call so he makes up an excuse to hurry along.

“Kaeya, who was that?”

You should say his name more often.

“That was Venti. The drunk apple juggler.” “I see.”

You want to tell Kaeya that the depth of Venti’s eyes reminded you of the way the witch’s eyes glowed as she cursed you but you decide it is better to keep quiet.

“I usually go to the Grand hotel to negotiate with the Fatui. Oh, and this on the left is a tavern my brother runs, for as much money as he has you’d think he would renovate the place sometimes.” “Maybe he likes to cling onto this for some reason.” “Yes...perhaps you are right... ah, and this is the best fruit stall we have. Would you like so-”

Kaeya halts. This...thing he feels with you almost makes him slip up. He almost asked you if you would like some fruit to eat. Truly, sometimes he forgets just how distant you are from him.

“I mean, would you like to see something else before I show you my home?” “Kaeya...there is no need to pretend, I know you wanted to ask me about the fruit.” “I apologize.”

Kaeya purposefully moves you inside the grocery bag and puts a finger over his lips to tell you not to complain.

“Two Fatui agents are passing by.”

You keep quiet and focus so much on that task that by the time you feel safe again Kaeya is thanking someone and you don’t remember hearing what for.

“Anytime, Flora! Take care now.”

Kaeya raises you up again and places something inside the hole on the top of your frame.

“Kaeya?! What are you doing?” “Oh, I felt bad about the fruit question but I realized how to make it up to you.” “What?” “You cannot eat fruit but there is no reason why I shouldn’t buy you a Calla Lily, right? When I take off the leaves, the stem fits perfectly inside the top of your frame.”

“Oh, there was this old man once who did the same. Except he used Sumeru roses!” “Wow, are you comparing me to an old man right now?”

Kaeya never asked you about your curse after the initial questioning. So, he has no idea what kind of space you are inside. The space is completely empty, always decorated with silver hues. Some corners shine brighter while others are almost completely dark. And in that dark corner, you keep 9 dried Sumeru roses. Once they were purple and lit up this empty space; but it has been years since the last time you were able to hold colour in your hands.

When the witch cursed you, she made you one with this space and that meant that you too – were grey in your eyes.

So, you kneel down and take the flower that Kaeya will never know shines so bright. It has a green stem – they all do; but it is followed by white (similar enough to grey but it doesn’t bother you) and at the very top – the hues melt into a sunset. So vibrant that your eyes get teary and you cover your own mouth to keep your voice down.

“That isn’t what I...”

This means more than Kaeya will ever know. This color – kindness personified. You are able to hold something in your hands again; are able to remember how once you walked among fields of flowers while a friend (you are sure it was a friend) kept you company.

“Kaeya...” “Yes?” “Thank you for the flower.” “No problem. It happens to be my favorite.”

Kaeya’s home made something inside you ache.

This space he spent his life in seemed....too empty. And you should know what those are like. Yes, he had the occasional framed photo and a whole shelf of assorted trinkets that were red and yellow with what you thought was a... clover theme?

But the framed photo was of a windmill, and it stood right above the ugliest vase you ever saw in your life! And everything else was, well, just living necessities. Where were things that represented his personal interests? Yes, he had a lot of books but even something about that put you off. As if reading wasn’t a hobby for him –as if it was a means to an end. And his walls were all painted white. Simplicity seemed to be key to him, but it reminded you on how you sacrificed things all those years ago.

What was Kaeya running away from? And why did it seem like he still had problems throwing everything away?

“Are you disappointed I don’t have an ‘embarrassment corner’ you could sass me about?” “I am not. But that would be fun to see.”

How could he tell you were disappointed?

“It is still better than the stuffy office drawer, right?” “Yes. What are those clover things in the corner?”

Kaeya put down a plate of dinner in front of him while he kept you propped up against some books once again.

“Oh, those? They’re bombs.” “Excuse me?! Why do you just keep bombs around?!” “Oh, they’re not active...at least most of them aren’t.” “That explains absolutely nothing!” “They were a gift from this kid I babysit sometimes.” “You expect me to believe you that a kid gifts you bombs?” “She is the biggest arsonist our nation has – believe it or not. I know! One day I will take you around so that you can see the top 5 places where Klee caused us the biggest problems.” “Klee....sounds like a very odd child.” “You should meet her brother.”

Silence. His tone was hiding something with that last sentence.

“Just what is that supposed to mean?” “It means that you will be meeting him soon, actually.”

Kaeya stabs a small tomato with his fork and eats it as if he just didn’t say something odd.

“Excuse me?!” “I think I will make the way you say excuse me your catchphrase.”

Another tomato.

“Didn’t you say nobody else should know about me?” “Well, yes, but since the two of us cannot figure out a way to break your curse – we need to ask someone else too.”

Kaeya was trying all this time...to help you in more than one way.

“You will see, Albedo is extremely knowledgeable.”

“So this is the mirror you told me about? I have to admit, I thought you were lying to me.” “Now, now Albedo, wouldn’t you say that is rather rude of you?” “Not at all. I simply tell the truth. It doesn’t speak.”

Ah, yes, the truth. He tells it by choice. Something you lost all hope of.

“You can talk to him. Can’t you tell he is making fun of me?” “Yes I can, and it is fun to see.” “You.. Really were not lying. How fascinating.”

Albedo’s hand reaches for your handle and it makes you wince. It is too cold – no, it is like his body doesn’t radiate any degree of warmth.

“I wonder what my mother would say about this.” “Speaking of family members – is your little sister really an arsonist?” “Hmm, oh yes, that is her classification in the files after all. But, trust me, she isn’t scary.”

Kaeya puts down 3 cups of coffee that you cannot see on the table and Albedo raises an eyebrow. His mother would definitely find this fascinating indeed. This... attachment. This possible love and blurred lines of realms.

“Do you have any idea on how to break the curse?” “I am sorry to disappoint you, but alchemy follows rational principles. This curse is purely magical – I can try to help you, but it doesn’t guarantee anything.”

You aren’t surprised. This happened before. Some other owners were kind enough to search for help – they asked merchants and brought you to different spirits and sorcerers – it always amounted to nothing.

And when Albedo puts you down on the table: you catch a glimpse of Kaeya. His hope for this was greater than yours and it somehow hurts more to see it shatter on his face than your own.

“Thank you. For trying.” “You are welcome. All I can tell you is that any curse placed can be purified or lifted.”

And Kaeya knows what that means. Albedo is telling him that he shouldn’t lose hope but...it is hard not to lose it momentarily.

“Hey, Kaeya, it is fine...really.” “I know you think so, but I don’t.”

Perhaps this would be a role reversal. Kaeya never let this side of him show. This insecure and tired side that was forced to shine through eventually.

He sits in his bed covered with a baby blue blanket, knees almost to his chest and he keeps you in his lap.

“I am used to it. You know once, this older woman picked up the sand every day and threw it on me because she thought that if she did that for a year it would break the curse!” “Oh, so she dedicated her own hands to something that could help you? I am sorry I cannot even do that.”

It seems like there is no way to turn this around. The lily next to you has already started to wither down. And this morning you thought that was the saddest thing but... Kaeya right now makes you forget about it.

“Tell me,” Kaeya starts softly, he hesitates remembering the last time he asked you something seriously, but continues on anyway. This question is about him, not you.

“What do you think of me? I mean, my life and my house and the way I live.”

You’ve seen your other owners give you away to their kids before they died. You’ve seen some of them die too. You’ve seen conflicts and resolutions and how much power hope has when it soars and how despair comes once that breaks. It is safe to say you have seen a lot of suffering, that you have continued to suffer on your own but...something deeper than that hurts you right now.

This image of Kaeya, in his bed, covered with a baby blue blanket you remember children love, wondering just why he never answered you deeper questions about him. You remember how empty this house is and how it seems like he could abandon it at any moment and nothing about it would change.

And this sad image reflected on you almost makes you choke – Kaeya's image of some insurmountable constant grief you cannot place – but you have to answer. The curse is always stronger than you. You have to, despite knowing it will hurt him.

“I think it is sad. All of it. I find it empty. I think it is loney...I think, you too, are lonely.”

Kaeya did drink again. He found it right to empty a bottle after Albedo left without even eating dinner. He didn’t take care of himself. He didn’t like admitting loneliness.

“Ah, so you see it too? Too bad, I thought having you hate me for all the ordinary things I do would be better than your gaze that pities me once you realized it. Doesn’t your curse say you aren’t worthy of being seen? I think that’s not true. Even right now you are beautiful.” “It does say that but that--” “What do you feel for me? Now that...you know that this is how I am?”

Kaeya wants you to hate him. But he wants that in the same way he keeps himself hidden; in the same way he only keeps the necessities in his house and leaves it empty; in the same way he gives his smiles and silver words to others – in the way that he doesn’t. Not really. But it seems like the easiest path.

“Kaeya, I actually l-”

A blue glow. Once again.

“Kaeya, listen to me! You have to wait for me.”

The blue glow is coming from the mirror. Kaeya can see that the lily already disappeared and now you are slipping out of his hands. His life, this life and the instances he chose and the ones that he was forced into – have been followed by loss. And now you are disappearing too.

Kaeya can see you in the remaining fragments, your mouth is moving but he cannot hear what you are saying.

And in an instant – the blue glow disappears. And when it does – you do too.

Kaeya didn’t promise you that he would wait for you but everyone around him can tell that he is waiting for something.

Albedo has been dropping by more frequently – as much as he could in fact. He has also been bringing Klee over but, Albedo thinks it is because of you, his gaze always lingers a bit too long at the next trinket she brings; as do his hands.

Jean and Lisa have also noticed a change – Diluc too, but they have no way of helping.

You told him to wait a month. And the wait came in waves. Day by day it seemed to get easier but a month had passed and you broke your promise. You told him to wait, and he did, but you didn’t show up.

Kaeya had to come to terms with another loss in his life. This was just one of those that would continue to linger. He was right, that day, your meeting did change his life but he just thought this time someone would stay.

He likes to think of you when he sees the things that remind him of you – he doesn’t regret you, maybe that is his point. He has no reason to. It did seem like your curse was broken and now you probably got to walk on the ground again. You got to touch things with your own fingertips; you got to write once more. And if in the process you deemed all those ordinary wonders of humanity such a miracle once more – he is fine with you forgetting him.

He sees Vent in the hallway and remembers how you complained about ‘the sneezing green bard’ on the way to his house.

“Ah, Kaeya, just the person I was waiting for. We need a new prize for a contest and I was wondering if you would sell me that mirror of yours.” “My mirror? I don’t..own it anymore. Sorry about that.” “Ah, I see! In that case, forget I asked. I have to rush and find something else then, the winners are going to be announced tomorrow!”

How foolis., Why did he have to ask?  You forgot about him.

 Kaeya hears a knock on his door while filling out paperwork.

“Yes?” “Captain Kaeya, Master Jean has sent more papers.” “Come inside.”

He sighs and continues to sign his name on each one. That is, until one half of a peeled orange gets in the middle of the paper. Just what is the guard thinking?

Kaeya looks up and instead of Lawrence the face that greets him is yours.

“Oranges.” And Kaeya is too afraid of blinking. What if he says something and everything around him shifts to something empty once more?

“Oranges.” – you say once more. “W-What are you talking about. Is this another dream?” “Oranges are my favorite fruit. You asked me that once, remember? They’re my favorite because I get to share them with you and this way-”

Kaeya stands up and gets ahold of your shoulders in an instant to bring you into his embrace. In his dreams you always disappeared with a blue light as soon as his hand touched you.

So this must be real. It must. This really is your frame and this is your warmth and the hands – the hands that embrace him back – are yours too. They’re real. Your curse really was broken and it seems like you didn’t forget him.

Kaeya keeps clinging onto you and he rests his head against your shoulder. You can feel his lips ghost your neck as he whispers.

“You..you remember me. You didn’t really leave.” “I am sorry that it took me a bit longer to get here, Kaeya.”

Oh, his name. You’ve said his name again. And it sounds so sweet; you really should say it more often. He hopes that you will.

“Aren’t you going to show me the places Klee ru-” “Shut up. You will ruin the moment.”

You roll your eyes and finally answer the last question Kaeya asked you under the curse. “I love you.”

Kaeya embraces you even tighter, and you can feel his lips peck your neck softly.

“I love you too.”

You doubt that either Kaeya or you would be haunted by loneliness from now on.

When you woke up, you were in Sumeru; right in front of the same garden. This time, it was overflowing with flowers and herbs. But the witch helped you get up and gave you a bouquet of the same flowers you stepped on oh so long ago.

“It has been a long time but it seems that you finally broke it. I always did wonder when you would.” “Is it weird that I don’t hate you?” “Perhaps. But do you know why it finally broke?” “I do not.” “Ah the oldest cure ever – love.” “I’ve had other men that loved me and that didn’t solve anything.” “Yes, but it had to be love without lies – that is why I made you always tell the truth. And, you both had to be as afraid as I was to lose something so precious.”

a/n: this was one LOOOONG effort and tbh a real as the people would say doozy. it took a lot out of me but i hope you liked it. originally i wanted kaeya to kiss the mirror a lot and for the curse to break when he was actually in love but,,,,, my brain said naur what IF !!

Taglist:

@venexus-but-not, @iridescene, @x-zho, @niicevibe, @mixed-kester, @souglias,

[snowywanderer]

The Meaning of Flowers

Words: 957

Warnings: eye contact

Description: On a fateful day, you see a view on Starsnatch Cliff that easily beats what you’ve seen previously. You can’t help your desire to talk to the stranger.

—

The view at Starsnatch Cliff is a well-loved one, especially by you. You try to find time at least once a month to dance among the cecilias, before heading to the highest point and staring out at the ocean. You swear sometimes you see islands in the distance, though people look at you weird if you bring it up. They aren’t on a map, after all.

Today, you think you’ve found a view even more beautiful than usual.

If you come early enough in the morning, you don’t usually run into as many people. It’s certainly odd that a man, gorgeous at the dawn sky, stands at the edge of the cliff.

He’s turned away somewhat, but what you can see of his features look beautiful. His forehead is wrinkled as he glared out towards the horizon, yet he still looks breathtaking. It strikes you as odd clothes on his back look Inazuman, though you suppose with the lifting of the Sakoku Decree more visitors from the nation have come to Mondstadt.

“Hello!” You call cheerfully.

He turns quickly, eyes wide. Shock quickly turns to annoyance.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” you say, walking towards him. “I just don’t tend to see people here this early.”

“You didn’t scare me,” he lies, but you won’t call him on it. “Are you a Knight, or are all Mondstadters required to greet foreigners so enthusiastically?”

“Not at all,” you laugh. “Like I said, people don’t tend to come here at this time. I was just curious.”

He doesn’t respond.

“The cecilias look best this time of year. I don’t blame you if you want to see them without dealing with others.” Realization strikes you. “Oh, I can leave you alone if you want.”

“You sure like to talk, don’t you?” Despite his tone, the stranger’s feet are planted firmly. He doesn’t shoo you away either.

“I can talk more, if you want.” He cracks a smile for a second, and you decide to push further. “Cecilias, in the language of flowers, represent a wish to free someone of their current situation. You might give them to someone who feels trapped by work to wish they could get days off or something.

“Oh! And did you know cecilias are said to be favored by Barbatos? At least, that’s what I heard from a bard back in the city. Actually,” you add thoughtfully, “he might have just made it up seeing as he’s written songs the Sisters consider blasphemous.”

“Blasphemous?” You might be imagining, but he seems to have perked up a bit.

“He sang once of Barbatos pranking the Geo Archon with false love confessions, sending letters weekly for months, complete with flowers. Oh, and he once challenged the Electro Archon to a duel, knowing she was far more powerful than he. He, of course, failed to show up.”

The man finally cracks and laughs, loud and harsh like he isn’t used to feeling genuine mirth. His eyes shine brightly. “I like that second one.”

You suppose, noting the ornament in his chest, it isn’t odd for an Inazuman with a Vision to have some resentment for the Raiden Shogun. “You know, he had an Anemo Vision too.”

“I think I’d like to meet this guy,” he says, the last of his laughter fading. “You know, back to cecilias, we have some odd flowers back in Sumeru.”

“Oh?” His Vision’s casing, you now notice, is shaped like those of Sumeru, in contrast with his clothing.

“Kalpalata lotuses aren’t actually lotuses, as they grow on the side of cliffs rather than the water. Sumeru roses also aren’t true roses. I don’t personally like the idea of a name that lies.”

“Do you like flowers, then?”

“I don’t particularly care for them.” He doesn’t meet your eyes.

In that case… you have a terrible idea.

“Actually, I’ve read about them in books before. Kalpalata lotuses you give to people who need to be reminded of their own mortality, and Sumeru roses are given as a suggestion to someone they ought to break up with their romantic partner.”

He covers his mouth and breathes shakily. “Is that so?”

“Not at all. I just made that up.”

Despite him trying to remain cool, he cracks again. You can’t help but grin in return.

“Why did you actually come here?”

“I’m just a wanderer. I heard the view here’s nice.”

“And is it?”

He meets your eyes for a moment, then turns away, hiding his features with his hat. “I suppose it was worth it coming here in the end.”

“The sun’s more visible now,” you point at the ocean. “You might want to head off if you don’t want to run into anyone else.”

His troubled expression from before returns.

You reach down and pick up a cecilia before offering it to him. “For you. I’m not sure if you need freedom from anything, but perhaps the good will will carry on until you need it.”

“Thank you,” he says quietly, avoiding your gaze yet again.

You smile in response, and head off.

—

It’s merely been a few hours since your encounter, and it still weighs upon your mind. You can’t help but want to know more about that man, and wonder if you shouldn’t have asked his name.

You’re taking a walk near the southernmost fountain when something makes you stop dead in your tracks. It’s the man from earlier, and he’s playing with some of the kids. They certainly seem happy, and you think he must be too.

You lose your balance for just a moment, but it’s enough that you step wrong and several heads turn towards you. The tallest of the group has a recognizable flower in his hair.

[to-myalphonse]

"It's you." Venti x Black Reader

Happy Black History Month!

Character x Black Reader

This year I decided to do something for my fellow Black Readers.

Venti is a favorite of mine and a comfort character. I hope you enjoy! (Number) - dont remember how many bard contests Venven won.

"If I could wish for one thing, I take the smile that you'd bring."

"Wherever you go in this world, I'll come along."

The teal-haired bard performed a new tune to the crowds in the streets. Children dance and sing off-key repeating his lyrics. His older audience was entranced by the tune. His sweet voice resonates on the breeze, enticing others to come watch.

"That will be all." You wave to the merchant as you walk through the streets. Mondstadt is a lovely nation. The scenery and some of the buildings mimic the old towns depicted in books. You open the book that the merchant sold you.

Mondstadt's Encyclopedia

People rush past you on their way to their destinations.With your nose in a book, you stroll blindly, focusing on it. You go from one level to the next, step by step.

"Is that a Traveler?" Someone mutters, assuming they're talking about you. A man yelled something about adventurers or something else that you couldn't pay attention to.

Stormterror's lair is in the older areas of Monstadt, where Monstadters used to live under Decabarian's severe authority.

The damaged pillars and wind barrier were captured in the photographs. The images of the Kamera make them appear nearly lost in time. You made a note in the book that you'll come back later.

You pull your curly hair behind your ears.

Music fills your ears as you take the next step up the stairs.

A bard is singing, but their voice sounds far away. The female(?)  singer's voice, which you imagined must have been screaming their song, could be heard all the way down the staircase.

Grimacing, you pocket the book and proceed to see who the singer is.

She probably hasn't taken any lessons.

When you reach the top, you will notice a crowd gather around the girl. Her voice softens as you approach her (?).

The song she performs got considerably clearer. Her voice quietly sings to the company that is gathered around. You let out a tiny sigh as you approach to listen.

Her gaze flickers up to you. Teal, almost glowing eyes gaze over your figure. You feel a sense of comfort almost immediately. As she finishes her song, her(?) eyes move to another individual in the crowd.

The others around you clap, and you do too. She bows and walks towards you.

You swallow freezing up, as she(?) gets closer.Her pigtails flow smoothly as she steps forward.

She looks in your direction before passing you to proceed down the stairs.

You lightly hit yourself on the head; she  just wrapped up her show, of couse she would not want to  speak.

The time rapidly shifts towards the evening. As the sky darkens, everyone closed their stores for the night, except you, who went to visit Starsnatch cliff.

You leave the city to make your way there. Hilichurrl camps make camp for the night as they sleep, allowing you to pass freely.

"It should be easy to pass through." Fortunately, you were able to go cautiously without encountering a treasure hunter or monster. As you climbed the cliff drop to Starsnatch Cliff, white flowers appeared.

"This is beautiful."

"I agree." A familiar voice speaks to your right. You grab your knife, which is easily blown out of your hands.

"Oh, you're the one from earlier." The teal-haired girl pauses in front of you.

"You're the girl who was singing!" He stares at you, surprised, before breaking into laughter.

"That's won't be first that people thought of me like that." You roll your eyes, regretting it, as a long hair pokes you in the eye, making the bard laugh the harder.

"Who are you?" The bard makes a slight bow.

"I am Venti, a bard. (Number) time winner of Mondstadt's bard winning contest." You laugh and bow briefly.

"Name." He nods in greeting.

"So what are you doing up here." The bard hums before taking a seat by a cluster of white flowers on the ground.

"It helps me think." He displays the papers that he has on hand. A tune, maybe?

"It's a poem." He corrects you. He hums while penning another stanza.

"What do you usually write about?" He hums before confronting you.

"Fables, history, travelers." He emphasizes the last point while staring at you. You take a seat next to him, trying not to trample the flowers.

Your curly hair blew somewhat, but thankfully not into your eye. The moonlight and soft wind shine on Venti. A little halo of light surrounds him, making his turquoise hair and clothes shine. His eyes move as he continues writing on the paper, unconcerned by your stare. His colored hair briefly lightened up before disappearing.

"What's wrong?" You jump as his eyes lock on your e/c ones. Embrassment crept up on you as you looked away from him.

"It's nothing." He lays his pen down on the paper. A green light appeared in his palms, revealing a wooden lyre.

"Any requests?" He smiles at you as he gently taps the instrument.

"None that I can think of." He nods while strumming the lyre. The introduction begins slowly and then increases in volume. You hum along to a tune you don't know the name of. Venti hums as you both harmonize.

[cookiesonfire]

I know zero things about genshin bust that can open

I'm sorry in advance but you asked for it >:3

Okok so imagine two twins (Lumine❤️ and Aether) travel through many worlds/universes and they land upon Teyvat (technically Teyvat is a continent I think) and when they're abt to leave, there’s a mysterious white haired god, the sustainer of heavenly principles, who stops them from doing so (something about "arrogance of mankind ends now"). I chose Lumine as my choice of twin bc she's best girl but either can be protagonist. And then Aether gets swallowed up by cube things and then Lumine fights the god more and ends up the same way. Then she wakes up on a beach saved by Paimon (tiny floating girl with white hair with symbols on her clothes looking suspiciously similar to the mysterious god's) and Lumine is now stuck in this world, some seal on her that suppresses her powers, and her goal is to find her brother. And that's where the game starts, which is 500 years after the original fight with the mysterious god. Lumine was supposedly sleeping/confined the entire time.

Teyvat has 7 nations, each of which has its element and thing: Mondstadt (anemo/of freedom), Liyue (geo/of contracts), Inazuma (electro/of eternity), Sumeru (dendro/of wisdom), Fontaine (hydro/of justice), Natlan (pyro/of war), Snezhnaya(cryo/we don't know yet). So far only up to Fontaine is released, later this year Natlan will be released and next year Snezhnaya will be released (and there will be more). Each nation also has its own archon (god essentially). There was this war called The Archon War like 2000 years ago and there was lots of fighting and whatnot and the 7 that were left became an archon of each nation. Archons can age and die and be replaced and aren't invincible nor are they perfect/omniscient; I like to think of them as a higher/way more powerful type of being compared to humans. Only 2 of 7 current archons are the ones who originally fought in the archon war: Venti/Barbatos(Mondstadt) and Zhongli❤️/Morax(Liyue). The other current archons: Raiden Ei/Beelzebul(Inazuma), Nahida/Buer(Sumeru), Furina/Focalors(Fontaine), Murata/*maybe Aym*(Natlan), Tsaritsa/?(Snezhnaya). All the archons have their current human form name(which is before the slash), a name their people use to refer to them(which I didn’t write), and their demon name(after slash). I believe there isn’t much of a lore implication based on their demon names but we don’t have info abt all the archons yet.

There's also Celestia which is kind of "above" (physically and other ways) the entire world of Teyvat and the rulers in Celestia are called the heavenly principles(type of higher beings than the archons imo). You can also actually see the location from the current version of the game very very far away. Celestia essentially rules all of Teyvat but they don't interfere with the world (except for 500 years ago) or the archons ruling their nations. Each archon also has a gnosis (shaped like a certain chess piece which has lore implications that I don't fully know yet and each is associated with the archon's element). From what we've seen, the gnosis is more of a status symbol/connection between archon and Celestia and perhaps enhances an archon's power. But it is not what gives the archon their power/right to rule (and is perhaps not that important/or archons don't care abt Celestia anymore since archons seem to give up their gnoses pretty easily).

So 500 years ago there was actually 8 nations in Teyvat. The 8th nation was Khaenri'ah, a nation that excelled in,,, creating very powerful things/beings? Essentially the heavenly principles (or just one of them? the mysterious god) saw this as a threat ("arrogance of mankind ends now") and there was a huge war (The Khaenri'ah War lol) and the nation was destroyed. *I think* the twins were involved in some way or found out something abt this which is why the mysterious god attacked them 500 years ago. Tho I also don't think the twins are humans since we have some proof they're immortals of some kind and are quite powerful (Lumine now being suppressed by some seal). We also have some characters from Khaenri'ah: Kaeya (playable/cryo) and Dainsleif (probably playable in future/none of the elements we know currently). There's also the abyss order, who consist of remaining members of Khaenri'ah (monsters now bc they were cursed/"pollution"/etc) and they're one of the opposing forces against us/Lumine who's goal is to revive Khaenri'ah and overthrow Celestia and the archons.

Hoyoverse (the company) also has other games and all their games universes/lore are actually connected. There's thing whole thing abt Teyvat just being one of many universes relating to Yggdrasil (idk I haven't played Honkai or anything but I might just for more lore). There's also this idea/sentence hoyo keeps teasing us with "the skies of Teyvat are fake." There's many theories abt what exactly this means but idk there's a lot.

In the game, Lumine w Paimon is going to each nation (in order that I mentioned above) and her goal is to find the archon and ask abt her brother/the god and we end up saving/solving each nation's problem. In between each nation's quests, we have interlude quests where we learn abt the abyss order and how Aether/abyss twin is fighting on their side and that Dainsleif and Aether used to travel together 500 years ago and perhaps took a similar journey across the 7 nations that Lumine is now. And uh there's a lot more in those quests. Also how one of the common enemies in the game is a hilichurl and that hilichurls used to be humans in Khaenri'ah and the war has but reduced them to a husk.

There's also the fatui and the Tsaritsa, archon of Snezhnaya. They've been going around collecting/stealing/bargaining the gnoses off of each archon. And the top members of the fatui are the Harbingers (there's 11 of them, ranked, and all their names are based off of Italian opera: il Dottore, Arlecchino, Tartaglia, etc.) and they're Tsaritsa's main bitches basically. None of them really like each other that much, perhaps some have admiration as a coworker for someone else’s abilities/power, but all of them have their own loyalties, some to Tsaritsa, others have their ulterior motives. Some of them kind of hate each other. By the end of Sumeru's quests (I haven't started Fontaine), we've fought and made frenemies with Childe/Tartaglia, killed La Signora, and erased Scaramouche from the knowledge base of the world kind of and now he's The Wanderer or whatever you name him, and encountered Dottore (he sucks 1) bc he’s one of those snobby insufferable intellectual bitches 2) if you read the genshin manga, you learn that he does a lot of human experimentation and specifically experimented on a loved playable character Collei). So now they're down to 9 harbingers. They're kind of always fucking shit up just as Lumine is trying to "save" a nation.

So there's like 3 main antagonistic forces for the traveler/Lumine: Celestia/or just the mysterious god specifically(don’t know yet), the abyss order, and the fatui. It’s a bit strange as some of these forces also oppose each other but there’s a lot of layers, like an onion if you will. There’s intra-nation conflicts which we solve as we go to each nation, then there’s inter-nation conflicts mostly between snezhnaya and other nations (though the nations are mostly fine among each other), and then there’s the conflicts between traveler and abyss order+abyss twin which bleeds into some of the conflict between traveler and Celestia, also the the conflict between abyss order and Celestia.

There’s also conflicts regarding the very nature of this world, implied by abyss twin in the interlude quests and Dottore at the end of Sumeru quest and other Hoyo games. When we found out that the twin is on abyss order’s side, he implied that he journeyed through the nations and discovered something that made him realize something abt the world and made him turn and implied that we’ll understand at the end of our journey. OR he truly has been corrupted, but that would be the boring and easy way out. And the fatui collecting all the gnoses may mean that the Tsaritsa is trying to go against Celestia, like the abyss order. So who is the true antagonist? What is the truth of this world? Does it even matter? Who even are the twins? Who else are the heavenly principles? What do they want from this world? Yeah so yeah

[randomnumbers751650]

You probably hear a lot of weird theories daily, so this is another addition to them, but my theory says that Natlan will be destroyed by Celestia at the end of the Fontaine. I’ll elaborate further. But, in short, it’s due to the lack of foreshadowing and the writers aren’t really doing anything to hype the nation and because of unconfirmed leaks that made too much sense in this specific train of thought. There will be discussion of leaks after Read More, so be careful.

So, I started to think of this after noticing how absent Natlan seems to be from everything in the current point. The game started with Mondstadt and Liyue. My friend who was starting playing from the beginning said that Inazuma was mentioned at the end of the Liyue story, but I’m not sure how other characters or just things from Inazuma were referenced.

Also, an interlude: before you ask, I’m not looking at additional material, besides the trailers. I believe these things have to stand on themselves in the main story.

Returning each nation has something to be hyped for:

Mondstadt: a quite vanilla pseudo-medieval European fantasy, even if I see it as analogue to Hong Kong, it plays safe to introduce the player to the world

Liyue: plays a safe Chinese fantasy, but kinda new to Western players, so it feels fresh, plus the Chasm is considered a great level

Inazuma: standard Japanese fantasy, but it makes new things with Watatsumi and Enkanomiya, and the Traveler is essentially Commodore Perry opening the country

Sumeru: combination of Arab and Indian fantasy in a pseudo-cyberpunk story, involving academic cadres, I feel this is where the writers did try to make something actually new, never seen before in the medium

I remember seeing Sumeru NPCs (there’s a couple right at Mondstadt) and various references to things that happen in Sumeru. But there have been references to both Fontaine and Snezhnaya.

Fontaine: a country with many travelers around the other nations of Teyvat, many acting as visiting engineers and artists, known for its technological progress and for being the nation of justice; I imagine its plot will involve parallels with the French Revolution, because the term “industrial revolution” is directly derived from the term “French revolution”, because it implied revolutions in technology the same way the French Revolution implied a revolution in politics; wasn’t there a guillotine in a recent trailer?

Snezhnaya: another country with many travelers, including both Fatui and non-Fatui – which is quite surprising, because the writers are exploring earlier how a lot of Snezhnayans are just normal people, most of them are traders so far we’ve seen –, this is more distant because it’s supposed to be the last nation, and is also technologically advanced. We have, however, an idea of what’s going to happen: after bullying other nations as an imperialistic power for so long, the Traveler is going to bring the war to the Fatui in their home ground and this will shake things up there, so there’s a lot to be hyped about

The problem is where is Natlan in all of this? We know that it’s based on Pre-Columbian America and Pre-1500s East Africa, but what else, besides its trailer (trivia: I saw the revealed character is called Iansan, which is the name of an African divinity worshipped in Afro-Brazilian religions like candomblé)? We have a reference to hot springs in Inazuma City. And Capitano, being based. And…and…that’s all I can remember. Not even in Sumeru I remember any reference, and they’d be interested in learning about it.

From what I saw from old leaks, Natlan is under something similar to the Sakoku Decree, no one can leave the nation. Not only that, but it’s also a country without civilization, just sparse tribes that gather around Aztec-like pyramids. We don’t know why, but it’s something Murata has decreed for whatever reasons, but it seems she’s acting on some sort of luddism… I think.

Wouldn’t it be interesting to have a Natlanese escape their home country and go explore Teyvat? Or having an explorer returning with stuff and maps from there (I think Venti did something to help there, but I forgot where I saw it)? And yet, it’s been four entire game updates and the references are so sparse. We have no idea of what to expect because the writers apparently aren’t doing anything to hype them up.

I even tried to hype it up, by saying we might get chocolate-related recipes (because it’s no news but cacao comes from its real life equivalent) in another post, but the only reaction was a rude reminder that it’s a nation without civilization. Why would the writers just make Sakoku Decree 2: Pyro Boogaloo? And yet nobody in the current nations of Teyvat seems to miss them, it feels they’re kind of invisible. There isn’t even stereotypes of them being savages, it makes me wonder if Teyvat is that socially advanced to just accept the Natlanese way of life as an equal to any other in the world.

What makes each nation unique is their unique civilizations. And then comes a nation that has no civilization. From what we had so far, we don’t know what to expect. The Natlan country might be a sparsely populated continent, like the Americas before 1500 – but even so the Americas had quite a number of civilizations, like Central American ones, the Andean ones, even less known ones, like the civilizations in the Mississippi basin (due to greater unpredictability concerning the Mississippi river’s flood plains, it was harder to establish a civilization, creating cycles of thriving and receding urbanization; the moment right before the Europeans’ arrival was one in a receding cycle) or even the Marajoara civilization at the mouth of the Amazon river. There was also civilizations, big ones, in East Africa as well, like like Songhan and the Mali empires.

We’ve seen the writers will borrow from real life story, even if they do their twists. There’s little that remains from Pre-Columbian civilizations writings, so one thing could be a reenactment of Maya myths (but we have more of East African writings). Or even make a story involving imperialism and colonization, using the opportunity to introduce a new alien faction – like, James Cameron’s Avatar is popular, they could borrow from it – that started colonizing Natlan and might be a problem for not just the Traveler but to Celestia itself.

The point is that there’s nothing in the current story that says anything about what to expect. It feels like an afterthought. And, summarizing everything, there’s also the issue of escalation. Leaks said that there will be 440 hydroculii in Fontaine – this means that Natlan will likely have over 500 and they need to create a lot of things for the player to do there. Given how used the player will be at this point with civilization, how are they going to fill the world map with quests? And they have to keep that for a year and the dev team must know at this point what works and what doesn’t to keep the player busy for a year. Unless, of course, they have a plan for de-escalation.

But recent leaks made me realize: what if it’s the point?

Leaks being leaks, they aren’t supposed to be trustworthy. I will be vague, but the leaks said that some characters will be resurrected (and be playable) and that Celestia will activate at some point in Fontaine. These are bombastic if true, to say the least.

But, suppose they are. I’m more interested in the second one for this theory, because it was foreshadowed – Rex Lapis stepped down and the Geo Archon job is vacant, it makes sense for Celestia to activate and elect a new Geo Archon.

Celestia so far has been treated mysteriously. They’re the ones that govern with an iron fist Teyvat. They wiped out Khanreiah for the sin of wishing for a world without gods (implied militarism notwithstanding – I know there are Nordic influences for the Khanreian founders, but it makes me wonder if the nation itself borrowed a bit from US, with its high level of immigration and isolationism, which used to be a feature of American politics). They curse Seelies and Hilichurls to suffer for eternity. They made the Traveler’s sibling, once a great hero, and the Archon of Love to adopt a “destroy using whatever it takes, lies, murder, conspiracy, ignore morality, kill everyone and let God sort who belongs to him” approach to fight against them. And, considering how Genshin’s story borrows from gnostic mythology, it’s more than obvious that they will be the final antagonist. In my personal theory, Celestia is already eroded and now just follows protocols, like a faulty AI, that is unable to realize the world needs to move on.

But, we’re shown, like what happened to the hilichurls in the Chasm, but these are indirect ways to show this. There needs to be an event that makes the Traveler witness with their own eyes how far Celestia would go and let the Traveler (likely) judge they’re beyond redemption – the moment they’re tempted to say “My sibling did nothing wrong!”

That moment would be the destruction of an entire nation – Natlan. Why? I don’t know why they’d choose Natlan, but there are some things I consider signs, with the apparent disinterest of the writers in trying to make the player excited for it. Why would you do that with, essentially, a disposable country?

Of course, I might eat my words in August 2024 and feel really silly when reading this again, and they make something good out of it. But, eh, this wouldn’t stop me from having these thoughts.

[hopemakesstuff]

borrower!Collei headcanons

Quite a few people left some lovely comments in the tags on my borrower!Collei snippet, and I don’t know if or when I’ll get around to writing more for that AU (because unfortunately my brain can be very fickle with inspiration) but I figured it might be fun to share some of the headcanons I and a good friend of mine have come up with so far!

And also use this opportunity to explain some stuff that I didn’t include or didn’t clarify in the snippet itself.

So yeah here’s that below the cut ^_^

For this AU, generally speaking, most people in Teyvat know of borrowers. Borrowers are still reclusive and mostly try to keep themselves hidden from humans, but they’re existence isn’t a total secret.

As mentioned in ‘New Recruit,’ borrowers aren’t formally recognized as citizens of Sumeru (or any of the other nations for that matter). They’re viewed somewhat similarly to how the Aranara are viewed—almost like a fairytale. Most people don’t expect to ever meet a borrower.

Also as briefly mentioned in ‘New Recruit,’ Collei was still experimented on by the Fatui and she still has Eleazar.

Like in the manga, she somehow found her way to Mondstadt, where she met and befriended Amber.

Cyno still came to help seal away her archon residue powers. He then brought her to Gandharva Ville in the hopes of having Tighnari keep an eye on her and care for her.

Even though Cyno told her that Tighnari was trustworthy, that didn’t stop Collei from being wary of him.

She decided she would remain hidden from Tighnari for as long as possible and try to learn more about him on her own first.

Cyno respected her decision, but made her promise to seek Tighnari out if her condition worsened.

He still obviously told Tighnari about Collei, though—and warned him about her wariness.

Tighnari discreetly always kept an eye out for her, but had every intention of letting her come to him on her own terms.

There are other borrowers besides Collei living in Gandharva Ville—pretty much a whole community of them. For the most part, the human residents of Gandharva Ville don’t mind their smaller neighbors and generally try to coexist with them.

When she wasn’t gathering food or other supplies, Collei spent most of her free time just watching Tighnari and the other forest rangers work around the village.

She came to greatly admire their skills and the way they helped people, which led to her imagining what it would be like if she could help people in a similar way—whether they be humans or fellow borrowers.

This eventually culminated in her decision to finally approach Tighnari and ask him if he would train her to become a forest ranger.

Once she gets more training from Tighnari, Collei acts as a sort of middleman between him and the other borrowers in Gandharva Ville. They feel much more comfortable going to Collei for help than to the official forest rangers, so it’s a lot easier for them to get any necessary care/treatment that way.

Because of her Eleazar, Collei has a bit more trouble getting around compared to most other borrowers.

Climbing can be especially dangerous for her if she has a flare-up, since she could easily lose her grip on whatever she’s using to climb. She has to be a bit more creative with how she gets up and down furniture. Maybe making little elevators/pulley systems?

Aaaand that’s all I’ve got for now. But if I get more ideas in the future I might do another one of these. We’ll see. x’D

[fatedevour]

♢  —    @lumenstellaris​​​​​ asked:  "why are you here?"

UNPROMPTED: ALWAYS ACCEPTING  

 “  Ever the inquisitive mind I see.  “  Dottore responds with an UNBOTHERED tone yet does not answer the question that has been directed towards him.  “  Unfortunately, simply ASKING only gets you so far in the ways of garnering answers and information. I’m under no obligation to answer you, nor do I have any intentions to do so.  “

He clasps his hands behind his back, observing the traveler in turn. The last time they’d properly met had been but in brief moments. Though they had never been the FOCUS of his attention at any of those particular moments in time. He’d heard MANY interesting rumors of course, even reports in some cases. But alas. Even HE on occasion must follow orders rather than pursue a topic of personal interest. 

“  Besides, it seems more fitting to ask YOU such a question. Traveling to all the nations in the desperate attempt to find information, yet getting tangled into so many other affairs. You’re quite BAD at sticking to an original goal, aren’t you? Don’t be so surprised. It isn’t particularly hard knowledge to uncover. Especially in Mondstadt.  “

  He steps forward, beginning to calmly walk around her like a SHARK circling a school of FISH it planned to devour.  “  Yet, I imagine you haven’t made much progress? It’s no surprise really...  “

[muses-archive]

whispers of old #1

Even as the weakest of the original Seven - hell, even of the current Seven - Barbatos still has something he excels at. No, it’s not singing - though of course he’s unmatched in that: it’s sleeping! He’s seen how his people can do without him, so he just slumbers, and slumbers… he won’t ever be bored, because he can just close his eyes, and enter a dreamless state. Should your desires for freedom are strong enough, he will grant you a Vision, trusting that you will do your best with the power you obtain.

Well, honestly, he might have been hoping someone else would be the Anemo Archon in his stead. … funny that the carefree god would want even more freedom. He had never thought of obtaining Decarabian’s power for himself. He was just a little wind sprite, content with rallying behind his beloved friend. But then he died. This one insignificant force of nature carried within itself the hopes of the people, and it felt compelled to continue carrying the torch. 

Thus, Barbatos was born, taking on another’s form as part of his legacy. He grants the Four Winds their titles, the least he thought he could do, before he slips into the background, scattering his blessings borne on the wind.

Imagine always looking out for your people instead. He can’t imagine that for Mondstadt; would that be true freedom? Hardly surprising he gets drawn to Morax - those contracts he oversees couldn’t be more different than his own lackadaisical attitude. 

The war and his ferocity aside, Barbatos is also very, very curious. His people leave him a variety of offerings at the Windrise tree, and nothing can match dandelion wine in bringing people together, right? He’s almost scared off by the thunderous look on Morax’s face when he comes to visit. Would he not like wine? He offers it regardless, a tad forcefully they might say, dropping it on him. "Let’s drink!”

The dandelion wine spreads far, with the other Archons also stopping by to sample his nation’s pride. Barbatos is in awe of the golden rock goblets Morax shapes for them, cooing in delight when he notices his has the tendrils of Anemo embedded in it. He lavishes the Geo Archon with praise for his craftsmanship, the other five sometimes joining in and teasing Morax for having interests beyond his contracts.

It’s worth staying awake for, as he laughs and cheers with the rest of them. Other times, he joins Morax incognito, sometimes passing off as his elder brother, or her cousin from far away, as he listens to how Morax’s love for his people comes through every word, patiently answering every little question he has. 

Someone must have asked him why he doesn’t act his age. He’s never thought about that. Why does being a functionally ageless being mean he has to be a dour old spirit? Morax does enough of that for both of them. Besides, he wants to think his friend wants him to enjoy himself. That’s his duty, to live for both their sakes. He asks Morax if he’d ever encountered reincarnations of his Vision holders. 

For the first time, he would hear the Geo Archon answer, “I don’t know.”

In the silence that follows, he folds a wing over Morax. He wouldn’t ever know if he’d see his friend in another form either. Perhaps that soul already resides within him, finding respite from the cycle of life. 

Ah, he could sing about the mortal concerns of the apparent divine. Was there some power beyond even their comprehension, that decreed even the gods would be as fallible as the people they oversaw? Burgeoning feelings grew within Barbatos as he took in the details of his fellow Archon in a new light: the unchanging amber eyes. The chestnut sheen to his hair. He reaches out to cup Morax’s cheek, something bubbling up within him. 

They hold each other’s gazes, before Barbatos pulls at Morax’s cheek and laughs. The moment is diffused, and seemingly forgotten in the exchange of jabs that follow.

Gradually, over countless of years in mortal terms, the original band of Seven grow ever smaller. The new Archons make courtesy visits every now and again, but they are not the same, and have no attachment to either Morax or Barbatos. Out with the old, in with the new, be it for Archons, or for adepti.

He manages to share another drink, before he closes his eyes one day. Time ceases to have meaning when it falls off into the oblivion of unconsciousness.

He thinks he hears crying. He awakes in an unfamiliar grove of trees, startled as he feels Dvalin approach. 

Well, you already know that story, and the next, don’t you? 

They watch over the crackling fire and the sleeping Otherworlder. The stars are dim this particular night, as though even they were asleep. Venti plucks at his lyre’s strings idly, with no intention to play. He looks over at ol’ Morax, now just ordinary Zhongli, who’s gazing into the flames. He scoots closer, leaning into him a little. Zhongli responds in kind, resting his head on Venti’s.

“No mora for your thoughts?”

A chuckle spreads a light rumble through Venti. “My duties have been completed… right?”

“It’s too late to regret that retirement,” he admonishes, lightly. He adds, in a lower voice, “You did far more than I ever had.”

A soft sigh. “You wouldn’t be Barbatos otherwise.”

Feeling the weight of Zhongli is a comfort, that he’s real, they’re real, and he’s finally in the present again. Who knew how warm someone else could feel like after being suspended in a dreamless state for however long had passed? 

“For what it’s worth, I think you did all you could, Morax. Your people have grown so long under your watch, and they’ll never forget you. I mean, look at me,” Venti’s voice becomes self-deprecating. “They don’t believe me, but they still know Barbatos. They’ll be fine.”

He dismisses the lyre in favour of wrapping his arms around Zhongli. Venti ruffles his hair, something the other had often done back in the day. Zhongli closes his eyes, leaning in more to the touch and muses, “Is this what they call love?”

“Not when you say it as unromantic as that,” Venti tugs lightly at his cheek, the feeling from that day returning with a vengeance, thrumming up a rapid beat in his chest. “Just make sure to wake me up this time, okay? It’s a promise.”

“You have my word,” he offers his hand. Of course Venti takes it. 

“Goodnight then, Morax,” Venti kisses the back of his hand, receiving one on the top of his head in response.

“Rest well, Barbatos.”

Seeing through the end of an era doesn’t sound so bad with a… friend by your side. He’ll think about the connotations of that another time. He’s got all of it in the world anyway.

[hiraya-rawr]

I can go anywhere I want, anywhere I want — just not home .

characters !! diluc, thoma (ft. ayato), kaeya, kazuha

content !! gn reader, kamisato reader (thoma), character lore spoilers, can be platonic/romantic, found family themes

about !! you encounter someone who can go everywhere but home

inspired !! my tears ricochet - taylor swift 🎵

— diluc .

“I hope you know how generous I’m being,” You say, sliding a bowl of mushroom soup to the redhead, “Not everyone would let a stranger stay in their home for a few days. More so if said stranger refuses to say a thing about themselves.”

It’s been a few days since you found the wanderer on the brink of death, snow piling on top of him by layers. Snezhnayan winters were not kind, if it weren’t for your dog demanding to go on a walk, you wouldn’t have bothered to check for any dying men on your street in the middle of nowhere.

“. . . I have offered my thanks,” He mutters, grabbing a spoon for the soup, “And I’ve told you. I’m simply traveling.”

“Travelers don’t usually lie soaked by their own frozen blood around here.” You sit across from him, your own hot bowl of soup nestled between gloved fingers, “But seeing as you have a delusion, I suppose you’re trusted by the Fatui. It makes me wonder why you won’t simply ask them for help instead.”

“. . .”

At his silence, you chuckle, “Calm down. I don’t know your story, but I’d understand why you’re hiding away from them. They tend to abuse their authority, but I guess that’s the government for you.”

“Not Mondstadt. . .”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.”

You point your spoon at him, a large smile on your face, “You said Mondstadt. You’re a Mondstadter, aren’t you?”

He doesn’t reply. Not that he needs to, you’re already rambling away with the newfound knowledge, “I knew it! Your accent suits Mondstadt the most! Not that I would know much. I’ve been in Snezh my whole life– oh, oh but what is it like? Out there? The land of freedom and song–“

Diluc finds himself sitting back, amused by your outburst. It’s certainly the most you two have talked in the days he spent recovering from his injuries. Despite initially not wanting to divulge any information about himself, he can’t help but beam with pride at the praise for his beloved nation.

“–And the wine! Oh, the wine- I’ve heard all about it. They’re imported here at a very high price, I could only imagine what a dandelion wine would taste like-“

“It’s not that amazing as it’s made out to be. But there are other drinks worth noting-“

“Like Death After Noon?”

“. . . I was going to say grape juice and cider.”

“You’re a little on the boring side, aren’t you?”

He rolls his eyes.

The conversation flows. The topic? Mondstadt. He tells you about the giant statue that looms over the city, one that you’ve only seen in paintings. You ask about the fields and weather, and he tells you of Dragonspine’s cold akin to that of Snezhnaya. When he starts to talk about the seashell filled beaches, you note the longing look on his face.

“. . . You really do love Mond, don’t you?” You ask, pushing aside the now-empty bowl.

“I do.” He answers, it sounds soft but firm.

“Then why are you here?”

It’s a question you were scared of asking. In fear that he’d hide away in his shell again. He goes quiet, looking down on his bowl.

"I. . . I can't go back."

"And why is that?"

Because going back would be acknowledging his father's death, his brother's betrayal, he's running away— he wants to go far, far away from the reality he's found himself in and fulfill a vengeance that couldn't be satisfied—

"There are things I have to do." He places down his spoon. It clanks on the hard wood of the table. "Please leave it at that."

He ends the conversation and you bite back your lip. He was building his walls again, walls that took you too long to crack down. You stand, taking his bowl in your hands along with your own to wash.

As you turn away from him, you hear him reach out softly.

"But. . . If I ever go back," he starts, "And if you'd like to explore beyond Snezh, then. . . " You turn to him, an eyebrow raised. "You're welcome to seek me out. I wouldn't mind touring you of my homeland." A small smile graces his face, it's the most expressive he's ever been since arriving.

“So you can smile!” You laugh, turning to the sink and starting the tap. He’ll have to help you wash them. “You look more prince-like when you do. Like a noble.”

He nearly chokes on his drink.

It takes years before you found the courage to ever step foot out of Snezhnaya, much less enter Mondstadt. One of the first things you signed up for was a tour of the ancestral Dawn Winery fields. Imagine your surprise, spotting a certain young master jotting down stocks as he looks over the vineyard.

Your shock mirrored his own, before it forms into a smile.

"I believe I promised you a personal tour?"

— thoma .

"What do you mean the borders are closed?"

"The borders are closed, the ports are closed, no ship is allowed to dock, these are the orders of the Shogun under the new decree."

Trapped in a foreign nation with little to no knowledge of its culture; with only ten mora in his pockets and a bottle of dandelion wine for a father he can't even find, Thoma finds himself in quite a predicament. This happened hours ago, with no idea what to do or where to go, Thoma sits under a shady tree.

"I don't think I could even buy myself a meal tomorrow. . ." He sighs, glancing down on the only thing he could afford. A measly looking meat bun wrapped within rice papers.

"Woof!"

Thoma turns to the side. A dog looks at him with eager and beady eyes.

"Hello there," he grins, "You on your own too?"

"Arf!"

The dog eyes the meat bun eagerly, tail wagging. Thoma really shouldn't, he really, really shouldn't be offering his only (and probably last) meal he could afford to a stray.

So he turns to the side, holding the meat bun closer to his chest. It's his meal.

"Woof woof!"

He nearly sobs in defeat. "Alright, alright, we can half–" ripping the meal into two, he gently places it in front of the stray who's only too eager to wolf it down from him.

"Arf!" A second dog appears by the first, eyes just as sparkly as the other as it eyes the half Thoma's holding.

Curse his weakness to puppy eyes.

He sighs, offering the other half to the stray, "You're lucky you're cute. I'm willing to starve because of y–"

"You there! What suspicious things are you offering to my dogs!" Several footsteps make their way to his spot, he looks up at the sound of the voice. Two individuals approach him, their garments clearly worth more than anything Thoma has ever owned. One was a taller male with a mole on his face, the other a little younger, following them was a small entourage of what Thoma could only assume were guards.

"A-ah, suspicious things?" He stutters. Did he somehow trespass into some noble's territory?

"Yes! That thing you handed. Are you poisoning my dogs?" You huff accusingly. This foreigner was a little suspicious. In the first place, it was strange to meet anyone foreign in the land of eternity, much more someone lounging about in the streets holding a bottle of alcohol.

"Poison? No way! It's just a meat bun! They looked hungry so I offered them my meal."

"A. . . meat bun?" You repeat carefully. That measly thing can't possibly be a meat bun, right? You turn to Ayato, whispering to him with a hand held up between your lips, "Brother, what do we do? Father said to be wary of suspicious individuals. I think he's suspicious. He's feeding the dogs weird things!"

Ayato smiles in amusement, "That meat bun certainly looked odd, but I don't think he's suspicious-" He turns to the blonde, standing upright, "You said that that was your meal?"

Thoma isn't sure why they looked so wary, "Yes? I mean, I'm aware it isn't much. But it isn't poison or anything!"

You share a look with your brother, Thoma recognizes that look to be pity. Was he really being pitied right now because of his meal? He wanted to groan away in embarrassment.

"Look, I don't want any trouble," Thoma says reluctantly, "I wasn't aware that these dogs were yours. If it solves anything, I can find another place to sit–"

"Brother, this poor foreigner must be starving! We must help him!" You whisper rather loudly to the boy next to you who only nods in agreement.

"I agree. How kind of my sibling to think of others." He pats your head, turning to Thoma with that same somewhat sly smile.

"These dogs are strays my sibling often feeds. They must've bothered you for your. . . meal since we're late to arrive today," Ayato explains, approaching him, "To repay your kindness of feeding the strays we're responsible for, you're welcome to join us for lunch."

A maid lays out a blanket across the ground, while another server brings out various goods from a basket. Thoma isn't sure how to reply as he finds himself seated between the two nobles.

"Um- ah, is it really alright for me to be eating this?"

Still a little shy about being on the receiving end of kindness, he gestures to the quality looking meat sandwiches.

"Eating this? No, this isn't for us." You state, reaching to grab a sandwich and handing it to an eager puppy, "This is for the strays. What my brother meant was that we'll treat you back in the Teahouse."

"Erm. . . teahouse?"

"Yup! Komore Teahouse. They serve excellent cuisines."

"O-oh, I've never been to one."

"Where are you from anyway?" You ask curiously, eyeing the blond's pretty green eyes.

"Mondstadt."

Ayato smiles, "You're a long way from home. . . The situation for foreigners now is rather difficult. If you stay with us, perhaps my family could offer you some assistance."

Thoma stares at the two of you, he's weighing his options. He needs a place to stay, maybe find a job, at least until the decree is stopped.

It's only temporary. Surely, he'll find a chance to go home someday.

"Alright."

— kaeya .

"I know I said I'd accompany you for the day, but don't you think we've traveled all of Mond already?" You whine, massaging your aching knees. It's been a long day of walking; from Springvale to Starfell Valley to Windrise, collecting Calla Lilies, Lampgrass flowers, and seashells by the beach.

It was an odd adventure, and an even more unusual request from the cryo user.

"I simply don't feel like being alone today." He told you hours prior. The tone was flirtatious and it almost made you blush, but you're not exactly an ignorant person. You're aware of the date.

It's April 30th.

To many, it's simply another day on the calendar; but to two brothers, it means so much more.

You never did find out what happened on Master Diluc's birthday. You were aware that it marked the passing of Crepus Ragnvindr, but that was pretty much it. The events that followed were more important to you; from befriending the seemingly lost Kaeya (you might never forget the heartbreaking look on his face back then) to witnessing his significant change into Cavalry Captain.

"Truly, I'm grateful for the good company," Kaeya chuckles at your display, snapping you from your thoughts, "How about one last stop? Then I'll escort you back home."

You hold back a sigh, reminding yourself that he does seem a little melancholic today. Besides, you don't exactly abhor his company.

"Very well."

He smiles, leading you up the hill near Springvale, where the Anemo Archon statue rests. It was a scenic view; the wind was gentle and the sun was slowly sinking into the horizon. As the archon statue comes into view, with fluttering crystalflies wary of your presence, you notice Kaeya's pace slowing.

He pauses right before the statue, but his starry eye was set on a more distant view.

The Dawn Winery.

There's a certain look on his face, something you can't quite identify but it clenches your heart all the same. Somehow, you want to reach out and hold him.

"You can place the flowers here." Kaeya says, kneeling by the statue and taking out the seashells he collected from the beach.

"I didn't take you for someone religious." You raise an eyebrow curiously, yet you follow his instructions and start arranging the flowers.

". . . There's a gravesite in the winery. It's entrance is reserved for family only." He says softly, fingers brushing over yours to hold the bundle of flowers. "Perhaps Barbatos would be so kind as to bring our prayers with the wind. That it may reach F- Master Crepus."

You stay silent, biting your lower lip. He's showing that face again, the one you've always hated on him during the early days of your friendship.

"If you ever feel. . . " Lonely, you think, but the word sounds like it could scare him away, "Like you need company, you could always invite me again. We can go anywhere you want."

"Anywhere I want, huh?" He smiles at you, a rare and gentle smile, "Alright."

The offerings did reach the tombstone that evening. Though it wasn't by Barbatos' grace, but by a redhead passing by the statue and recognizing the odd combination of gifts.

— kazuha .

"Captain Beidou doesn't take kindly to stowaways." You point your sword at the man. It was a normal day, having just left the port of Inazuma. You decided to check on the stocks below deck to ensure that nothing falls around as you go through a thunderous storm.

Imagine your surprise upon seeing a ragged samurai hunched behind crates with one bloodied hand holding onto something shiny.

You frown at the lack of reply. "What's that you go there? Something you stole?"

In all honesty, you're a little scared at his dead expression. His eyes are faraway, distant, like they're refusing to acknowledge a reality.

". . . are you hurt?" You ask, this time trying a different approach. His sword rested ways away from him, he seemed defenseless, almost like a lost kitten seeking shelter from the storm. You slowly kneel in front of him, weapon still by your side as you try to peek at what he's holding onto so tightly.

It was a vision without a glow. A musty fog seemingly trapped inside the crystal.

You've heard of the vision hunt decree— it's why the crew was in such a hurry to leave the archipelago, after all. You knew visions were being forcibly taken away, placed like trophies on the archon's statue. Frankly, it disgusted you to be displayed like that.

But why was this one murky? What had happened to the owner?

You weren't sure what kind of look you had on your face. Maybe it was confusion or anger, but the wanderer's eyes landed on your own and he pushes himself to speak.

"Please. . . don't send me back." He says and it sounds heartbreaking with the softness of his voice. You clench your jaw, holding back a sigh as you stand back upright.

"I'll inform Captain Beidou about you. I don't think she'd send you back, but. . . we should also get your hand treated." You say, reaching out to help him stand, "I have some bandages in my quarters. Do you think you could make it there?"

He nods once, grasping your hand as you both make your way above deck. Later, you'll find yourself with an incomparable travel companion. One that hums of songs that can lull any pirate to sleep. You'll reach every end of Teyvat with him, with the ocean welcoming you in every turn.

You're never stationary with him, always on the move. Despite that, perhaps he could find a permanent home with you.

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note !! this was written before i played kazuha's quest. in the lore, im aware that kazuha escaped inazuma thanks to the yashiro commission and not as a stowaway hahahah

taglist !! @absolut-wildflower @boundedbyfate @sadlonelybagel @eissaaaa @ladycoleigh @milkypompon @bloodreaper08 @irethepotato @x-zho @roriver @mich-cola @mxsomn @ackrylik @nicebonescomrade @starforecasts @stygianoir @nejibot @yuminako @eccedentesiast-sapphic @nebulaera @nuttytani @r4gnivindr @stygianoir14

[sweetobsessive]

Your Creation

Desc: You are a being older then the stars. And yet, you have memories of a life long past...

Characters: None specifically, but Teyvat’s mentioned as a being.

Once upon a time, many years ago, you were human.

You lived an average life - having a job that barely paid the bills, occasionally attending events with friends.

And there was a game you used to play. Genshin Impact. You fell in love with the characters, the story. You got to know them, and you lived alongside them.

And at a young age of 31 years old, having just celebrated your birthday...

You were struck and killed.

“Too young.”

“So much potential.”

These words were spoken in hushed tones as people came to attend your funeral - loved ones. Ones who had been such an integral part of your life, you couldn’t imagine it without them.

They moved on.

They remembered you, but dying so young only left you as a sad note in their hearts.

They moved on.

And as you turned into dust and space and nothingness yet everywhere, the universe sought pity onto a soul who had been too young.

You awoke again, floating in the void.

And you instinctively knew.

There was something different about this body.

The first couple years (or was it months? Time never moved the same...) you struggled.

But after the first century of life, you knew what you had to do.

You were so, so very lonely. 

And so you breathed life into your first creation. A soul whispered back from the abyss.

“Who am I?”

And as a bittersweet reminder - an homage - you softly spoke.

“You are Teyvat.”

And so the soul grew and spread. You spent eons slumbering, but part of your consciousness became messengers to know of the latest events happening.

There was a city you’d grown up in, once.

You’d travelled so far from home, but always returned. 

And so, you whispered to Tevyat.

“Mondstadt.”

“Liyue.”

“Inazuma.”

“Natlan.”

“Sumeru.”

“Fontaine.”

“...Schneznaya.”

Teyvat took these words, building upon them great sprawling locations. Teyvat took from you those brief glimpses of places you’d once travelled to on great metal machines with the ability to fly, and constructed nations.

You awoke fully one day, the universe shifting. Ripples of stars and the trinkling of dust brushed against you, and you shifted.

You went to see your most favored.

“Teyvat.”

“Your Divineness. Are you pleased?”

You look down upon the people.

Memories from a time long gone - 

You forget, what were you thinking about?

There was something...

The last connection to your past life slips between your fingers.

“Yes.” A pleased smile reaches your lips. “I think I’d like to see it for myself.”

And yet, you watch a traveler - Aether... sounds familiar? - travel across the land, taking months to reach one of your nations.

Mondstadt.

Every time you watched the city flourish - the rebellion, the rebellion, the rebellion something was important something was important about that the rebellion - you had a feeling.

There was something almost... off. 

The city sang songs of freedom, praised and worshipped an archon who only viewed, never intervened. It drank all day and all night, never stopping for the sun or the moon. People from every other nation stayed there, the hospitality never unwavering.

It was you it was you it was you

In the town square, you could hear music ringing right now. They sang songs of you - an untouchable being that was always there yet never, a presence that was larger than the void.

Teyvat had told every creature of you, whispering it into their ears as they were born, flooding their eyes, desperately making sure you were never forgotten.

And yet... something was off.

It was always you.

But one day, you decided to grace Teyvat with your presence. Your child had only heard from you from the small bits of your mind that drifted in your sleep. Perhaps it was time to see them fully again.

And you wandered back onto what they had created. The people there never could see past the mortal facade you held.

But the archons - the spirits - the monsters - the elements - the world.

They were blinded by your presence.

And the glow that you emitted became something they’d basked in.

How could they have gone so long without it?

There was something missing that you had filled.

And yet, as they sung praises louder and louder, filling Teyvat with their worship of you.

You felt something was off.

Your memory was gone, you had missed something, this wasn’t right this wasn’t right this wasn’t right you weren’t supposed to be here you have ruined it all there was never any chance of you getting your past life back you should’ve given up

But as Teyvat sang sang sang sang

But as Teyvat worshipped you, as you were showered upon with meaningless gold and riches, the last of your memory slipped away again. Their love suffocated you, but you were...

You were the Void, you were Creation, you were Everything and Nothing. 

You had lived for Eons upon Eons of days, nights, years, and centuries. 

You deserved this, right?

You were fine with a couple lapses in memory...

Right?