#i just love the OG party sm

[booksandpaperss]

I personally am of the believe that Dustin kinda subconsciously knows Will is gay (courtesy of @aemiron-main ) but also Dustin’s canonically horrendous gaydar has so much crack potential like just consider:

*the og four are doing like a group hug in the UD after almost dying*

Lucas: god I love you guys. Mike and Will don’t ever do something that fucking dumb again cuz I am NOT fucking charging a dragon again. jesus.

Mike: hey! Will charged it first-

Will: yeah and you went after me carrying a stick??? At least I just figured out I have powers, Mike!

Mike: yeah and? I’d do it again-

Lucas: you are absolutely not doing that again mike-

Dustin: guys! Seriously?? We never responded to Lucas saying he loved us it was sweet *is being genuine but also clearly lightly making fun of Lucas*

Lucas: yeah yeah well we almost died so… I mean it’s true. I love you guys. Even Mike shockingly-

Mike: haha verrrryyy funny Lucas

*they’re still in a group hug/huddle by each other’s shoulders though, grinning at each other*

Will, after a soft moment of stillness: we love you too Lucas *then he instinctively turns to look at Mike, and blinks when Mike is already smiling softly at him*

*Lucas watches Mike and Will staring at each other in an ahem very not platonic way, and his eyebrows slowly climb up his forehead before they’re both snapped out of it by Dustin sniffling*

Dustin, still sniffling: I really love you guys too *and then he dives closer into the huddle and they all follow him, fully a group hug again, and maybe Mike and Will and Lucas are sniffling too, just a little*

Dustin: you guys are all like brothers to me yknow?

*sudden dead silence*

Dustin, suddenly feeling awkward: …Like, all four of us were supposed to be brothers together or something?

*mike suddenly starts coughing, Will is staring very hard at his shoes, Lucas is trying not to burst out laughing or maybe start crying, he hasn’t decided*

Lucas, a little more genuine: yeah Dustin, you’re like my brother too

Will, voice oddly squeaky: uh, yeah, you guys are my brothers too. A-all of… um.

Mike, voice weirdly hoarse: uhh yeah, yeah for sure *he is looking anywhere but at Will, a very odd expression on his face, there is an awkward silence between the four*

Lucas, abruptly: Whelp! That’s enough of that. *and he pulls away and starts marching ahead, Dustin staring after him in confusion and Mike and Will staring very hard at the slimy upside-down ground*

And the four of them never uttered the word brother around each other again 🫡

[bl-inkstone]

sometimes, when i open genshin and click through my preset teams, i land on my first team of characters and just. i just miss the days when i only ran around with the same four characters bc i got so horribly attached to them and genuinely believed i could clear the game w/o ever having to take any of them off

but then inazuma came.

[woodsborostabathon]

Liv McKenzie and/or Charlie Walker for the character thing!

ohhh the blorbos...

liv mckenzie:

what i like: first of all she is fine as HELL- who said that! anywho. well her look is definitely part of it bc aside from being down abysmal like on a Vincent Himself level i do fw the whole girly vaguely alt vibe they had going with her. she is also funny as hell like sm of her lines absolutely kill me. her interaction w mindy at the party esp comes to mind like i'm so obsessed w the way she was moving there. stomped in mad as hell bc she can't have sex and can't get a ride home, threatened mindy's life, took her chips??? and left. one thing that girl could NEVER be is boring!!!

what i don't: the utter lack of screentime she had. go girl give us nothing! which also means they could not really give her much of a personality </3 like i adore liv i do. had to make up a million things abt her by myself tho bc god knows RS wasn't gonna do it. she worked the HELL outta the like 3 minutes she had. but she still had like 3 minutes (esp since they cut the scene w her n vince!!!) 😭

charlie walker:

what i like: first of all he is ALSO fine as HELL- ahem. well. again aside from the fact that he's one of the finest gfs to grace this franchise. his brutality as ghostface hands down has gotta be my favorite thing. he was doing it all too like!!! charles lee walker THEE single mom who works two jobs who loves her kids and never stops. bc j*ll sure as hell was not helping that boy. but he was up at the crack of dawn staging crime scenes and making ghostface calls before the first bell of the school day even rang! and then somehow still had the energy and mf SPEED ig to practically teleport around woodsboro n keep killing people!! he absolutely decimated olivia for kinda zero reason (tho in record time gutting and all) but he did what is EASILY my fave kill of the entire franchise flawlessly. dare i say i like him better than the og-*i am shot*

what i don't: Man. does the way he died count. bc that is precisely it 😭 ig everyone's gotta have their Silly Goofy STUPID moments but charlie was op as all hell and then just let himself get stabbed + did the worm on the floor of kirby's kitchen + died there. and for J*LL????? HER???????? it's the one thing i can never get past. esp when it gets him stuck w the 'pathetic lovesick gullible lapdog' perception among the fandom but that's not even rlly a Him problem as it is an Everyone Else thing. also maybe the pettiest complaint ever but i cringe a little whenever he calls himself the new randy. because i literally cannot STAND ran-

[goferwashere]

wait srry if asks rnt open but im a chismoso so hopefully this is OK to ask ;; is the little character in ur banner and pfp ur sona ? they r so silly looking i love it sm but also why is it chowing down on a hotdog bun filled with butter . DONT ELABORATE IF THERES A PERSONAL BACKGROUND ATTACHED TO IT PLS but i srsly think it's so cutesie and ive been curious abt it 4 a hot min ✝️

SAW THE NOTIFICATION AND I ROSE FROM THE DEAD BUGGY U JUST OPENED THE GATES OF HELL /POS

ALSO ASKS ARE ALWAYS OPEN!! UNLESS THE BUTTON IS GONE FEEL FREE TO SEND ME ASKS ANYTIME I LOVE GETTING THEM :DD

ASHSHSSH THANK YOU !!! Yes this is my sona her name is RB 😋 she has lore and comes from her own world but I use her like a persona :3

Here’s the OG image along with a couple others of her :D

Also her as a character can’t speak so she uses ASL to communicate (hence the banner she’s holding) so I don’t use ASL but I do use a website when I draw her speaking

funny ass gif lawllll (she’s signing ‘I am not a crook’) (yes TV Girl reference) the frame rate is too fast but I can’t fix it now

ALSO ALL OF THIS ART IS OLDER. NOTHING NEW FOR THESE GUYS FOR A WHILE I NEED TO MAKE NEW ART FOR THEM 💔💔

auughhh and her lore if you wanna read below but I understand that OC lore isn’t everyone’s thing

OKAY SO she comes from a universe where her kind are robots made by a company to terraform planets for the ultra wealthy. So if you have the funds you can purchase a whole planet and whole armies of these little bots will shape it however you want.

BUT. While on the assembly line, before even recovering her directive, a portal opens up and throws her into this odd pocket dimension, which is just a half built city floating in a bright void. (Also when I say half finished I mean more like brutalist aesthetic with just concrete and no glass on the windows)

This place (named ‘Gearsky’ by locals because massive floating gears are the only thing that exist here outside of the city itself) is full of people from their own dimensions just trying to get by. She explores, and comes across a little bear being picked on in an alleyway. (The lil green bear [party bear] in the pics above)

She saves him and then it subconsciously becomes her prime directive to help Party Bear get home/care for him. So they set up base in one of the empty apartments and she just sorta takes care of him.

NOW. How do you get home you may be asking? Well it’s easy. You just need to beat someone in a deathmatch.

Enter the only form of entertainment on this island. The man who is the dictator of this place and subsequently the host of this game, aptly named Host, loves running this game. The rules are simple. 3 people enter, and two can leave alive. Only one needs to die, and the other two can get sent home. The only thing is, you have no idea who you’re going up against.

Now, RB, being a bot made to terraform, has some power behind her with her explosive abilities. But Party Bear has no defenses. So RB tries to strike a deal with Host.

She offers to kill both people in the ring with her for multiversal travel.

Host is intrigued by this offer, and accepts. After wiping the floor with her opponents, she’s granted access to all dimensions. She’s obviously excited and goes home to try and let Party Bear go home, but is heartbroken when she discovers that she’s the only one who can travel using the portals.

But this catches the attention of someone else.

Her future boss.

Another robot, by the codename TB-89.

He took note of her deal, and approached her with a job offer.

Man’s long story short she works for him as an assassin!

There’s so much more I wanna say but I know I can’t ramble on forever lol if you read all this then thank you so much for sticking it out 🤭 I hope you enjoyed it I love gushing about my characters

[beansnsoup]

Nikko x fem reader

The reader is leias sister there very quiet and moves like a shadow they dont like to socialize mostly speaking in a word or sentence or two that is till the summer her sister wanted to stay at there grandparents the reader didn't want to stay but her parents said it be good for her to socialize with normal people instead of just them so after a week of almost giving red and kitty heart attacks after showing out of nowhere they send her to the basement for some much needed socialization with people her own age much to her and Leias annoyance that's when she meets Nikki the only one there person with some sense in that basement in the readers opinion the two start to talk and the reader develops a cush fast on Nikki but knowing she has a bf hides it and avoids the basement and Nikki like the flu until the end of summer where the two talk after Leia talks to her other friends

Ty for giving me sm to go off of!

Cruel Summer With You

Nikki x fem!reader

fandom- That 90s Show

Summary- You very quiet and composed, not that you didn't want to be social, you just hadn't found the right people, or person.

Warnings- fluff, angst?, self-doubt, og storyline might be a little rewritten for the plot I'm going for, lmk if there is anything else

Note- Originally, I was going to title this bad idea, like the girl in red song, then I wrote a line with cruel summer in it and i was like 'light bulb' and changed the title.

You sat on the couch, catching up on your Saturday morning cartoons, it was really like every other morning. You never had any plans, and if you ever made any, you made them on slow days when the public didn't want to go out. Yet, it was the start of Summer, so everyone was out and about, you chose to stay inside your own amazing home to avoid any sort of danger, that was your common excuse.

All of the sudden your mom comes into the living room and turns down the volume of the TV, you throw your hands up and look up at her offended. Leia walks up next to her, smiling, what has she done?

"How do you feel about doing to Grandma and Grandpas for the summer?" Your mom starts off, Leia starts mouthing for you to say yes. You loved your grandparents, but you knew why your mom was asking you, her and your dad thought you didn't get out enough and needed some social encounters that weren't just family.

"I'm not too keen on the idea..." You replied, sitting up from your position, Leia sighed, "C'mon! We could live a summer like all those teens in the movies that go around doing stuff with their friends and go to parties." Your mom looked at her, "Not like we're going to be doing partying, drinking, and drugs..." Leia laughed nervously and quickly looked away from her mom.

"Well, Leia has asked us if you both could stay there for the summer, and me and your dad think it seems great," As if on que, your dad walks into the room, "We think it'll be good for you Y/N, for you to, I don't know, live a little." He adds, you look down at your feet, you hate how they all cornered you in this situation, it wasn't fair.

"I guess."

Leia smiled, hugged you, and then quickly ran upstairs to start packing, "We'll start heading there tomorrow, get packed please." Your mom informed you as she kissed your forehead. You grabbed the remote and turned the TV back up, this was going to be a very cruel summer.

-

You grabbed your bags and walk downstairs to the car; you stuff it in the trunk with Leias stuff and get in with them. You pull out your Walkman and put in you Nirvana cassette, they were the only band that didn't back stab you with a bad album or song, except Fiona Apple, but she isn't a band.

You finally reach your grandparents house, your parents hop out of the car, your mom starts grabbing stuff while your dad just heads inside. Leia gets out and follows him in, you grab my bags so your mom doesn't have to carry as much.

Your grandma takes her attention away from Eric, "My girls!" She runs to hug you both, giving you both kisses, "I baked some cookies, your both welcome to as many as you like." She tells you both, you follow Leia to the kitchen, grabbing one of Grandma Kitty's famous chocolate chip cookies and stuffing it in your mouth, it was just what you needed after that 3 and a half hour drive.

"I'm gonna go shoot some hoops." Leia tells you, running to grab her ball from the living room, then running straight back to the kitchen. You were better inside, you sat down at the table, later joined by you Grandpa Red, he grabbed the paper that was sat next you.

"So you're both staying for the summer?" He asks you, you just nod as a reply, he let's out a huff, "You won't have to worry about me, grandpa." You knew exactly what he was huffing about. He's always complained about how terrible your dad was in his teens, especially during the summer when he was joined by all his friends.

"And why's that?"

"I'm not planning of loly gagging this summer, I need to catch up on summer reading. Leia, on the other hand, wants the full Point Place experience."

He sighs, patting you on the shoulder, "Help me out with her, I don't want any more kids filling up my basement."

-

"You can use our basement as much as you want!"

"Kitty!"

"Thank you grandma!"

Leia drags you downstairs to the basement, "This is going to be awesome. Think of all the hang outs we can have down here, they boys." The last part made her smile, but it made you cringe. You've never had any romantic feeling towards anyone, you just never found your person you guessed, that's what people you tell you when you didn't have a date for the school dances.

You sat yourself down on the couch with the box of record you found in the corner, they were all your dads, you only figured that out due to his name being written on the cover of most of them. You were about to put on the Queen album you found until a group of people burst through the door.

Wonderful.

"Woah, who's this?" A guy with a short middle part asks Leia, "My sister," She's cut off by another girl, "leave her be Jay." He threw his arms up in surrender and walked off to sit on the arm of the couch. You look over in the direction of the person that literally saved your life to find probably the prettiest girl you've ever seen.

She's wearing a pink outfit, has a perm, and a crazy beautiful smile. She sends you a wink before sitting down next to a bigger boy with fluffy hair, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Once they're all occupied you sneak your way upstairs trying not to get noticed, and thankfully nobody did.

You walk upstairs to the spare bedroom that used to be you Aunt Loris, you could tell by the way it was decorated, she still had most of her stuff here too, mainly skimpy sets. You made sure to change the sheets when you came to their place, even though you grandma insisted that she washed her and your dads' sheets before the two of you got here.

You plop down on the bed, you're practically sulking, this summer had already gotten invaded by a bunch of lunatics, well, except for her. She saved you from getting viciously flirted with by the weird guy you sister seemed to be weirdly warming up to.

You honestly couldn't stop thinking about her, but you knew talking to her was out of the question. Staying locked up in you aunts old room seemed like a better summer than you embarrassing yourself in front of a freaking goddess.

-

It had been about a week or two since you've been staying with your grandparents, and honestly it was growing on you, Point Place wasn't terrible if you knew what you were doing. You went downstairs to make yourself a sandwich, you hadn't eaten anything all day and the hunger was making you go insane. You opened the fridge causing you Grandma to jump and swing a punch, thankfully it only ran into your hair,

"Oh, my Lord, Y/N! You need to stop doing that!"

"Doing what? I'm not scaring you guys on purpose."

"Your grandpa nearly assaulted you with a beer bottle yesterday, dear, I think you need something else to keep you occupied, sometimes we forget you're here."

No matter how much that stung you knew she was right, you had barely seen them, and the only time you did it was kind like a surprise party for them. You were scared your grandpa was going to die from a heart attack one afternoon due to you "sneaking" up on him.

She hands you a bag of chips and send you down to the basement, "Talk to them dear, you might like them."

You walk down the steps, they're all laughing, sitting on the couch while watching cartoons. You hand Leia the bag and sit next to her, they go silent for a bit until Leia breaks it, "Guys, this is my sister, Y/N." Then she begins to point everyone out, "That's Gwen, her brother Nate, there our neighbors. That's Nates girlfriend, Nikki, him over there, that's Ozzie, and him, he's Jay." They all wave at you as their name is called while you just smile back.

"So," Gwen begins, "Why haven't you come down here before?"

"Just been busy."

"During the summer?" Nate asks you, Nikki slaps his arm,

"Some schools do that type of messed up stuff, I'm being trampled in college stuff right now."

You smile at her, turning to face the TV, everyone else follows suit and starts what they were doing before you came in. You glance over to Leia who looks a little irritated, you wait until later in the night for everyone to leave to ask her why though, not wanting to cause a scene.

First Ozzie left, then Jay, Nate and Gwen got called home, but Nikki said she'd meet him there later. Leia left the two of you alone to go throw away the trash and rinse the dishes from earlier in the evening.

"So, how are you liking Point Place?" Nikki asks you, all you can do is shrug, you feel like you heart rate has gone up to 5000 BPM. She lets out a giggle, "Cmon! there has to be something."

"To be honest with you," you start, "I haven't really explored it, I've just been stuck up in my aunts old room reading things for school, snooping through her stuff, and when Leia is out or down here with you guys, I snoop through my dad's stuff since she's in his room."

Wow. That's the most you've ever talked to a person that isn't your family, you barely know this girl, but you want to tell her all of your deepest secrets.

"How about this? I'll tell Nate I have a study group tomorrow but instead I'm taking you out to tour the best spots in town." She offers.

"You'd do that for me?"

"Duh! You seem awesome, you just need to get a little out of your comfort zone." She checks her watch, "Oops, gotta run, I need to run to Nates to tell him about my study group, and he's my ride home."

She starts to run off but stops and turns back around, she grabs a pen off the side table and runs over to you, "Write your number on my hand so you'll know when to be ready tomorrow." And you do just that, but instead it's your grandparents house phone number.

-

You walk outside to find Nikki waiting for you in her car. You didn't tell your grandparents or Leia that you'd be going out today, it's not like they noticed you when you were home.

"Hey, good looking." She greets you,

"Hey." That's all you could muster out,

She starts by driving you to The Hub, the both of you go in and get an ice cream to share, and if you're being honest, it was the best ice cream you've ever had. Maybe it was because you were sharing it with someone that you felt genuinely comfortable with.

You both head out side back to her car, she starts driving you to the woods,

"Is this the part where you kill me?" You ask her, she laughs at your joke that you personally thought wasn't that funny, but hearing her laugh at somthing you said felt nice.

"Nope. I'm taking you to the famous water tower, don't fall down though, I don't want my family to get sued."

You smile and nod. You both hop out of the car; she grabs your hand to aid you to the direction of the tower. You feel your face lose feeling and your stomach drops, honestly, you've never felt this way before about a person, it was weird.

She starts to climb up the water tower and you follow her up the ladder when there's a comfortable distance.

"Isn't just a perfect view?" She asks you,

You're looking off into the distance, then you look over to her, "Yeah, it is."

You both sit there in comfortable silence, nothing could ruin this moment, you look over to her again after a few minutes, she's distracted by the wind causing the trees to move in a gorgeous motion. Then it hit you,

You've never had any interest in getting a boyfriend, Leia talked about it all the time, it always made you have nasty taste in your mouth.

Maybe boys didn't spark your interest because of girls were what you always wanted, you just never figured it out yet, if you're being honest, you always had a sort of crush on Jasmine while your sister was fawning over Aladdin.

Nikki was your Jasmine.

You quickly looked back towards the trees, hoping she didn't catch you staring.

-

"Are you going to go down today?" Your grandma asked you, you shook you head. She put her hand up to your forehead to check for a fever then kissed the top of your head, "Just let me know if you need anything, okay?" You nodded.

She walked out of your "bedroom," leaving you to wallow in pity all by yourself. Was something wrong with your mindset or something? Why were you feeling this way, it felt wrong, but you knew that it was right and would make you happy in your mind.

The only problem was that Nikki probably didn't have this same "mindset," not only that, but she had a boyfriend. You didn't want to be a homewrecker, especially to someone you've grown so close to. You hated avoiding her and everyone else, but you didn't know what else to do.

This is not how you wanted to spend the last 2 weeks in Point Place, yet you knew you couldn't bring yourself to go down to that basement and look at her. Not that she was a bad person and spread a rumor about you, you just didn't think you could hide your feelings well in front of her and everyone else.

Your mom had called later that day, you guessed that your grandma told her, "I really hope you get better hun, that really sucks." You mumble a "Mhmm" into the phone as you stare off through the window, you catch a glimpse of Nikki and Nate leaving, your mom starts talking again you can't help but accidently tune her out.

His arm is around her waist, he's holding her close to him tightly. You couldn't help but wish that was you, she's laughing at him and pushing him away as he smothers kisses all over her face. Then she looks up to your window, you feel your heartbeat speed up and your stomach drop.

She smiles and waves at your window, you send a lazy wave back, she blows you a kiss before walking away with Nate over to his house.

"Y/N?" Your mom says, knocking you out of your trance, you were hoping that she wasn't doing that for a while, "Yeah, Sorry."

"I should let you go, you probably need some sleep."

You both exchange your goodbyes, and you hang up the phone, putting it back on the receiver.

You didn't know how long you could keep this going.

-

It was the last day of summer break, honestly it wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. Everyone is saying their goodbyes, mainly to Leia, you're just inspecting. Nikki comes up to you, "Can we talk?" Your face loses feeling while you nod, you feel like you're going to throw up.

She drags you behind your grandpa's garage, "I just want to let you know I had a great time this summer, hanging out with you though, may've been my favorite."

You smile, "Mine too, I'm sorry I was so distant, I was just figuring things out." You hated how this was most likely going to be the two of yours last interaction.

You don't really know what to say after that if you're being honest, she looks like she's examining you.

"Can I kiss you?" She asks you, you nod fast, this was your first kiss.

It was warm and it felt comforting in a way, it couldn't have been better. She pulls back, "Oh my God."

"What? I'm sorry." You instantly apologize,

"No. It's all good." She pulls out a pen and writes her number on your hand, "Call me."

You nod.

--

OMGG this took literally forever, i hope you guys like it! Some of it is kind based on my struggle with identity, but instead of Jasmine it was Ursula, Mulan, Roxxane from the goofy movie.

[hearts401]

ngl the split aftons au thing with the laika song. i’ve had that song stuck in my head since LMAO

anyway how do they all reunite ?? bc you said they do at some point i think. is it just 2/3?? or 3/3 all at once ?? how does it happen ?? i think this is a super duper cool au

HEHEHEH I love that song sm <333

them reuniting was completely on accident. All of them had relatives with ties to the fazbear company (which is just a lot of diners with springbonnie and fredbear, with the other ogs simply being characters involved instead of entire animatronics)

Henry, ofc, owned the business and worked on the robots

Freddy (glamrock freddy but human) helped with maitenance and design and henry named freddy fazbear after him as a thanks

Vanessa is a manager at one of the locations

I'm thinknig Henry hits some sort of milestone in the business and they toss together a party. Vanessa and Cassidy bring Liz because she doesn't feel like being bored at home, Evan's scared of being home alone, and Michael gets dragged in because Henry doesn't WANT to leave him home alone and then its just

[manyfandomocs]

(Okay I feel like there are specific gossip girl/reboot crossovers that we talk about a lot and I love them all so fucking much but also open invitation hit me with any neglected or not yet talked about ideas 👀 )

Okay for OG Gossip Girl I had two from the list for Catalina that I really loved which is

Alia ; Okay similar taste in guys love that for them they’re meant to be. Catalina has a complicated relationship with Serena so even though she’s the new Constance Sweetheart and has history with Serena she will not listen to anything Serena says about Alia and just instantly wanna be around her not even for status she just likes her

Katrina ; Watch Catalina be the biggest fan of her band’s one EP because that’s the random stuff she’d know about. She’d love having her around and want to know everything

And then reboot

I can talk more about Gavin and Haz all day because he will become obsessed with Haz. He'll write songs about him

I have thoughts about Olivia but I'll get them when I do the crossover list

Wesley and Autumn would definitely know her from his acting days and least and he'd be so happy to see her at Constance-St. Jude's

Natalia and Kyla obviously have to be a thing either platonic or romantic. She will encourage Kyla's insane behavior and party and have a blast

Andrea and Carmela are so good I love them sm. Real "do I wanna be her or be with her" behavior from Andrea and the answer is just both that's why she's basically Carmela's sugar baby

[lildoodlecat]

At last, it is complete! Tales of Destiny Director's Cut Stahn's story is done :D

(I'll be playing Leon's story next)

I loved it a lot!!!!! As I suspected, the addition of skits really expanded my affection for the characters, but I also rather enjoyed the changes they made. I honestly can't remember what exactly comparatively was different all around, but the changes to the depiction of Leon's final moments got me really hard,,,, idk if it was more similar in the original jp since I played the official English release of Destiny (I hear there were skits in jp? that might've helped my understanding lol) but I really really liked the director's cut take on things.

See my posts crying about Leon for those exact reactions lmao (they can probably be summarized with ;w;)

I also actually liked that we didn't have to see him come back as like. a raised husk or whatever it was og Destiny did bc even tho his fate seemed definite, it's still ambiguous. I haven't played the sequel obviously but I think?? the Leon looking guy is actually Leon???? idk. maybe it's a bit of a retcon. but yk

Anyway I actually liked every character quite a bit this time!! I liked my fav characters even more (coughcough Stahn and Leon living in my brain now) bc the extra conversations and voice acting were fantastic ✨✨ It really helped the emotions hit for me. I don't remember it all super well since I took so long to play it but I was a giggly little bastard abt the relationships and got a little teary at parts.

Cried at the end despite it all,, Stahn finally finished writing a letter like he was attempting for his family and it was for Leon ;w; That plus just. Tales credits. got me just a liiiittle teary lol. I liked it soso much. Also the reunion at the end made way more sense to me this time around lsjfd;lk just bc of some added dialogue and whatnot

The final boss is kinda meh as a character honestly but the overall story despite that guy was awesome!! I have a lot of fondness for the character arcs of Stahn, Leon, and Rutee, and also just the overall party dynamic was quite fun :3 Silly little creatures, the lot of them.

I missed having anime cutscenes after playing Destiny ps1 alksdjl; so they definitely got me there even tho they really only had character ones at the beginning and the end. But it's not like they do too many of those anyway.

Briefly on the character designs: they're goofy. I can't deny they're goofy. I love them sm they're unique lolol I'm attached to them

Oh yeah I LOVED the tie in to the title lol it was heavy handed as hell and it was perfect.

Bouncing back to what I said abt og Destiny, the dungeon designs were still kinda interesting here and there but less cool than the original, however the combat was definitely some of the best in the series. It's a serious learning curve but very fun!!! It was fun to see how they adapted the puzzles as well; a lot of them were similar but the final dungeon was way different. Hated the mirror area way way more than in og Destiny laskjdfkl;dsj I got stuck for a while but I do like the split party collaborative puzzles!! I remember Abyss did the same sort of thing an I liked that quite a bit, so it had that factor going for it too.

Umm final gist is it was really really fun and even tho it was actually pretty hard for me a lot of the time, but I think to a point that made it still fun. Except the 3-ish hours I spent on the final boss goddamn.

In any case, this definitely bumped up into the favorites!!!!! Stahn is an especially endearing protagonist to me and his relationship with the party was fun to watch develop <3

Fin~

[ragnar0c]

Gonna talk about my main guild too... I gotta...

Yes, it's going to be long, the effects this game has had on me... LISTEN...

Anyway... I'll try to not say anything I'll regret since... I am writing about these characters.

1. Alope

Did you know I am Alope's BIGGEST HATER?? Jk I love her sm, it's just that since she's a gladiator she's prone to missing a lot when I need HER

But she also comes in clutch the most. Nine smashes when she has TWO target goggles on + pop flares + she actually smashes 9 TIMES??? Amazing!! LET ME TELL YOU, THE TIMES SHE LANDS CONFUSION??? I never doubted you once girl!! (I doubted her the whole time.)

During a fight I used to have a ridiculously hard time on with each new guild, she landed confusion twice in a row and made the poor thing unable to move AT ALL. She is *chef's kiss*

I yell at her a lot bc during all the dragon fights, she is stunned over and over to the point where she can't hit much, but I realized that no other offense class would be able to take that many hits...

She used to be the highest leveled before post game, but slipped up in some unfortunate times (mostly right before the enemies would die) but she is her own unit and I love her for that.

2. Ignis

I picked his portrait bc my old guilds were primarily femme little kids. Let's spice it up! Old man!!

I usually tried to avoid hoplites and would sub a princess as one ( a MISTAKE). The game is just so much easier with him. Tho his subclass is a little weird, it made it easy for exploration.

He's a Hoplite. He never does anything wrong anything bad that happens is MY FAULT NOT HIS!! (Or its everyone else's)

I've almost maxed out his parry skills and hes been doing so well!

Whenever he got koed I felt bad, it's always last minute so he got robbed of EXP a lot. I also tried to replace him due to his subclass, but he came out to be the better hoplite in the end.

Only bad thing I can think about (besides his subclass which isnt really THAT bad) is how I maxed out anti fire and volt before anti ice which made the beginning of the post game awful since almost every postgame boss has an aoe ice skill.

3. Tank

The power crawl this man had... he was okay damage at first. I think now if he's set up correctly he can do several thousand damage a turn.

He ALWAYS COMES IN CLUTCH !! ESPECIALLY AGAINST THE DRAKE'S ICE WALL SKILL!!

He's never done ANYTHING WRONG. (Actually when he's confused he has a habit of killing Enid??? That's pretty wrong. But idk maybe Enid deserves it. Oh yeah... and his alcoholism... that's bad too SJSKSK)

Tank is notoriously one of the last ones standing when my guild gets f-ed over. Which put him over Hana and Alope for highest leveled. (He survived a few tough fights they didn't.) But they're close behind him!

I also picked his portrait in retaliation to my girls only phase. My first Arbalist, whom I never used, was named "Tanaku". I named Tank after her.

4. Enid

Fun fact, Enid was in older versions of Ragnarok but was a different gender and or character each time. So gender fluid!!

Enid does their job, unless they don't...

Enid has a thing that when they get bound or have an ailment they'll be stuck that was for 5 million years which has got to be the most annoying thing... (other than my fingers slipping and picking the wrong skills) but I just prioritize defending him more.

I have him equipped with the speed dagger bc Enid HAS to move first. The times I've forgotten that thing and got wiped is... oddly high.

She's also with Tank for the last one standing. (Best friends till the end) an example of this was the Anemone fight where the both of them had to frantically bring Hana back to deal damage. (I'm not writing that fight so it's not a spoiler.)

THEYRE SO GOOFY.

More recently, when Alope and Hana get koed, Enid, Tank, and Ignis have a party set up that can kill a super boss with just the three of them.

5. Hana

(Her stats are in the previous post, I ran out room so pretend they are here!!)

The OG. She remains the offense ever, even with Tank. Enemies remember her patterns just to stop HER. And when they slip up and focus on hindering another member she obliterates them. (Probably full of rage too.)

She's just a real champ and pulls through so often it's normal. Though... recently her Berserker vow puts her in danger.

She always has the last hit, especially against bosses. She recovers from ailments the fastest too... (Her, Ignis, and Tank.)

She also has two fighting styles, which is nice bc the other two fighters spam the same move over and over. And the Elemental scrolls too... she is just so fun to play as.

...

Anyway, hands down my fav guild to play as. EO3's enemies are just so quirky by reading my inputs I come back to it more than the other games.

I might buy EO2 or the original bc... I don't know the untolds felt weird and I didn't get as attached to my guilds as I did for EO3 and EO4.

But yeah. I kinda... don't know what to do with myself now. I cleared the game I hadn't in like NINE YEARS it feels funky.

I need a fix of smt else... or this will fester in my mind LMAO!!

[yourkimjaejin]

What are your favorite songs from the Time Of Day Series? 

From u/SmokeyPanda

As our girls embark on their first world tour, we as fans come to the end of the Time Of Day Album series. It hard to believe we've been in this series of four year but I can. I literally started high school when TOD:Dawn came out. And now I'm heading to college. I wanted to take the time to make a discussion thread and ask the simple yet complex question; What are your Top Ten songs of the entire Time Of Day series? 

Some parameters before I start us off. You can be as detailed as you want! No pressure to explain your choice unless you want to. Second, Just because your opinion doesn’t match someone else's opinion DOES NOT mean they are wrong, i.e. no fighting in the comments. Lastly, This list should only include songs from the following albums: Time Of Day: Dawn, Time Of Day: 6:01, Time Of Day: Noon, Time Of Day: Dusk, Time Of Day and Time Of Day: Tomorrow. No AG songs from other albums should be included on this list okay.

Now! I’ll start off the proceedings with my list :)

Special Mention: GO! - I have mixed feelings about GO! as a whole. For the negatives, The rap verse is lackluster and it didn’t show Moxy or Aurora’s unique talents. The bridge is a mess of different genres that don’t mesh together. Lastly, the final ten-twenty seconds of the song could easily be cut. As for the positives, THAT DANCE!!! Jesus, it's intense! I can’t believe SM gave that choreo to trainees (I say trainees cause the girls were given this song before their debut announcement). I mean there's a reason AGzens have called GO the mother of Do It Like This. The verses are fun to sing along to. I find myself frequently trying to replicate Hannah’s tone at the beginning of the song. And the chorus is just plain catchy. I both can’t stand and understand why SM chose to scrap GO and chose SLAP as their debut song. All this adds up to be an honorable mention but it didn’t quite make the list

10. Something Like A Party - Which is why SLAP is my number ten pick. I get why a lot of AGzens dislike the song. Those are the exact reasons why I love this song. Think about it. AG, for most of their careers up to that point, were doing everything boy groups do(and doing it well). SLAP gave them a chance to dive into the realm of what Girl Groups do but it also added their experience as female idols in predominantly male groups. Any OG czennies remembers what the gp were saying about AG back then. SLAP proved them wrong. 

9. Do It Like This - There is nothing I love more than a catchy song. Add an unforgettable video with killer choreography and you’ve got Do It Like This. While I do agree with some of AGzen’s opinions. I have to put all of that away when I remember how much I was singing this song. My friends started glaring at me everytime Moxy's opening verse came out of my mouth. That being said I put it this low because the faults of the song can’t be ignored. DILT, you will always be remembered

8. Give It Up/Emergency - Am I breaking my own rule by having two songs on the same number? Yes, yes I am. I had to put these two together because they both mean something to AG’s growth process. First of all we have Give It Up. The song that created AG as a concept. SM added all the talented girls to each NCT group and had ZERO plans to debut them as a group of their own. They planned to drop Give It Up and never do anything with it. But us Liberties wouldn’t let them. Even after Boss dropped down the charts. Liberties kept Give It Up on the Gaon and Billboard charts for seven weeks straight. On top of all that, anytime anti’s try to devalue AG’s singing abilities. Just drop the video of OT4 singing Give It Up on Queendom. They’ll learn to keep AG’s name out their mouths. Now on the subject of Emergency I added this because it’s another defining moment in AG’s history. After releasing WTTJ for NCT 2020 promotions, Alot of AGzen’s felt SM backstepped AG with the release of Do It Like This. Then NCT 2021 dropped and AGzen’s got what they'd been asking for, a more mature sound to match their tenure in the kpop industry. Emergency was exactly what we were all looking for. Emergency broke Give It Up’s record on the Gaon charts and still remains AG’s longest charting song. So yeah that's why I put both of these song together

7. Welcome To The Jungle - Of course after talking about Emergency I had to put WTTJ on the list. As an avid AGzen, I had no idea where SM was going with the teasers for this song. We were all skeptical. Until the song dropped. My God, AGzen’s were in shambles that day. All four members rapping and all the girls lower registers. I almost fainted watching the video. Besides that, the beat is disgusting. I went to a kpop club event and I swear as soon as WTTJ started everyone was flocking to the floor. WTTJ was everything we didn’t know we wanted. I hope SM continues to expand AG’s discography with more songs like WTTJ and Emergency

6. Circle Game - Most of the time, When AG’s talents are brought up, everyone always brings up two things. Their insane stage presence and how good they are at making any difficult choreography look effortless. No one really brings up their vocal talents. The vocal ability of this group has always existed in the background of the netizens minds but AGzen’s have never forgotten. You don’t get into SM as a vocal slouch. The girls practiced their vocals by singing 90’s girl groups. Groups like SWV and En Vouge. Circle Game reminded all of us of the groups vocal talents. There are no fancy runs or high notes to be found in this track. Just pure vocal brilliance mixed with AG letting the emotions of the song bleed into their voices. No more words just go listen to this track. 

5. Shut Up and Dance - I had a hard time choosing fifth place. I am a passionate Circle Game defender and I could have easily put that as my number five but I choose Shut Up and Dance because pure fun won out over desperate emotions. Some of my friends aren’t into kpop like I am but they know a few songs. When this dropped, I played it in the car and they FELL IN LOVE!! Now anytime it comes on you can guarantee we're all screaming “Shut up and dance” at the top of our lungs. Some of AG’s best songs are the ones that are just pure fun personified. Shut Up and Dance is one of them.

4. Let Me Get Me - I was so proud when SM dropped the members solo song info for the TOD album. To me, it felt like every member's song fit them perfectly. So I knew at least on of them had to be on the list. To be honest, it was almost another tie between Juno’s History and Hannah’s LMGM but my bias won out. Hannah’s parts are some of my favorites on WayV’s tracks. Her voice just fits the vibe of their sound perfectly and she brought that energy to LMGM. That mysterious yet sexy, WayV vibe is ALL OVER this track. Every time it comes on, I can't help but dance and shake my non-existent booty. 

3. Hit Me Up - whenever you see stan twitter discussing which of AG’s bside’s come out on top, there’s always two that win out. And both are in my top three. Netizens were (rightfully) skeptical when SM announced AG would release a repackaged mini album. Literally unheard of in the history of kpop (as far as I know). While Breakthrough was a fun title track after the release of SLAP, the real star of The Dawn: 6:01 was Hit Me Up. There’s a reason whenever the girls performed at any festival or concert HMU is on the list. This was Emergency and WTTJ before either were recorded. This was the more mature sound we were craving before we knew it. HMU is one of my favorite AG b-side but another one beat it out

2. Breakout - Before my number one choice, let's talk about Breakout. I couldn't make this list without Breakout being in at least the top five. There's a strong argument to be made for Breakout to be number one and I would agree if this list wasn’t based on my opinion. Which is why its number two. This song is literally AG history. Breakout broke so many records. It still holds the most wins in AG’s career. To this day, I believe if SM had debuted AG with this song, they’d have MAMA’s best new artist in the bag. Breakout remains as AG’s hardest choreography to date. The amount of precision meeting power for stepping to work already takes Breakout to another level. Like I could talk about Breakout all day but we have one more pick to get to

1.  Fuego - Like I said earlier, AGzen constantly picks two b-sides when asked which is the best. Hit Me Up is one and the other, Fuego, is my number one favorite song from the TOD series. This song is pure AG vocal perfection. The harmonies, top tier. The dance, fire while also bringing attention to regional dances from across the u.s. The track video had me levitating. AG has never been afraid to release a song without a rap part and this one is a perfect example. Fuego didn’t need a rap part, just the girls' delicious vocal talents. Which now that I think about it, Fuego is a challenging song that AG nails every time. Doing all that dancing while singing live. Only they could. 

In conclusion, we’ll have a different opinion on what are the best songs from the Time Of Day series. All I can say as faithful AGzen is I can’t wait for more music from these four talented ladies. Maybe I’ll bring this back once another series of albums finishes. Let me know your picks below. I can’t wait to read them. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Comments: Top

u/PearlSapphireBlueSky - Love the picks in this list. I’m a casual AG listener (I would consider myself a PinkBlood) and AG’s discography really reminds me of F(x). I guess that's why people consider them the functions little sisters. Anyway i gotta say my favorite AG song is Fly. AG really needs to be considered one of the best groups in 4th gen on vocals alone. Fly is the song I play every time I need a pick-me-up. I’m a small business owner and when things get hard Fly is always there to pick me up and remind me of my power. 

u/BlackWidowsWife - I’m probably one of few DILT enjoyers out there. I love to dance and when this song came out I challenged myself to nail the choreo. Long story short, any time someone is crazy enough to play DILT on a random play dance I always get a huge reaction for being the only one out there killing it. 

u/It’sAllAboutFamily - Any other fans of the Technically Single/Down In Flames pairing. I’ve never heard two songs that fit together lyrically so well. 

u/HeHadItComing - I wouldn’t know how to pick between the four solo songs. History makes me feel like I'm the main character in my own meet/cute story. Let Me Get Me gets me dancing every time. Pre-Roll is my bad b**** song. On + Off gets me on a deep level. You can’t make me choose between my four kids. 

u/LumosNox - As an og Liberty, I’ll Be There gets me in my feels every time…

u/RosesAreWhite - I’d have to listen to everything again to make a top ten list but I do know Cannonball is somewhere in the top three. AG won me over during Queendom. I start every workout with a treadmill session to Cannonball. 

u/TroubleTravel - As a new kpop fan, I'll definitely listen to all the songs on this list. AG has been all over my timeline recently. Now, I got a starting point

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

I'm posting this today cause its my birthday!! I wanted to post something fun and this post has been sitting in my drafts for a minute!! I hope you enjoyed and if you've even listened to any of the songs I added to AG's discography let me know what your favorites are!!

[bklynmusicnerd]

I’m glad I found ppl that can have a good perspective on the show. I’m not one to overreact to things so it’s nice to read comments from others who aren’t acting like everything is on fire. I’m one of the ones that was drawn to GH because of Sprina, more specifically TA & NAC version of Sprina. I did watch some of the SM version of Trina and she and NAC had great chemistry and she was really good, it just didn’t pull me in enough to keep watching so I stopped. Fast forward probably 8 months later, I saw a clip of TA & NAC at Trina’s party at the Savoy and I was immediately intrigued and kept looking for more. I don’t know exactly what it is but I saw the fire, the chemistry, the angst, this beautiful slip of a woman and I wanted to know more. I know recasts are hard for all involved. For me, this version of Sprina did something for me that I can’t explain and I’ve been watching ever since. Ironically, those scenes were leading to a big Sprina drought since Spencer was going to prison and we had to deal with the cop bf, I was still hooked because there was still angst between the two even though they didn’t share scenes for a while. I’m looking forward to this version of Sprina for however long we have left. They really nailed it with these two for me

I'm glad you're enjoying GH tumblr as a discussion space, anon. I've said this a couple of times but I really do think SM's Trina and TA's Trina is one of the best recast transitions I've ever seen on soaps. It was just really seamless to me, and I still feel like I can see the foundation of SM's Trina in TA's young adult Trina. I tend to feel that way about the two versions of Sprina as well.

I think the more fiery chem that drew you in with current Sprina works as well as it does because we got to see this sweet connection build up with og Sprina. I still really love how TA played Trina's first big fall as a character. We'd never seen her really screw up before she got arrested and she played the beginnings of that loss of innocence, that realization as a late teen that you actually don't know everything, really well.

It was this real transition from "Awww" to "Wow" that has really added to the richness of both Trina's an individual arc and the Trina and Spencer story. And I agree, I'm looking forward to seeing this iteration play out as well. Hopefully, the writing makes the most of these performances.

[doubleddenden]

Okay so I'm thinking about how the Pokémon Day Presents is 20 minutes. I'm usually pessimistic about these because last time it was mobile game garbage with like a minute of okay stuff.

But here's what's guaranteed:

Scarlet and Violet DLC teaser or equivalent. Everyone that's played knows why so there's no point going further

What's most likely coming:

RBY, MAYBE Green for US I doubt it; GSC, and at the least RSE for NSO. I'd say FRLG too but they may opt to ignore it since LGPE exists on Switch. Either way, it's most likely the case due to the Nintendo Direct that announced Gameboy and GBA games but only showed the Pokémon TCG game for then. The trailer for the Presentation also previewed the old school sprites, the RBY intro, the RBG balloons- we know they like nostalgia, it's coming. Couple the GBA games with the events and the fact that 3ds will be closing shop next month, they pretty much are guaranteed to make it available.

PMD- something is being announced. My bet is on an Explorers remake since they recently dropped the OG remake. We know something is up due to the copyright being on the website code showing Spike Chunsoft 1993 to 2023, and unless they're suddenly going to drop Donphan Rompa and have Pikachu have to figure out which of his classmates killed Butterfree, that pretty much just points to PMD.

That alone should comprise at least 15 minutes. We could probably toss in a minute or 2 to casually remind everyone to download all the Pokestuff they can on the 3ds before the end time comes (so basically Bank- which will be free- and the SM demo for Ash Greninja).

Other than this that leaves a little wiggle room. A minute or 5 is guaranteed to be nostalgia bait and probably a montage of photos from the hashtag campaign they did for Twitter recently.

The only thing left I could guess would maybe be the usual rock cast at Pokémon Sleep, but only because it had a recent stir a couple of months back for... I think trademark, I might be wrong, but it was definitely a small behind the scenes ripple.

As always, I'll be praying for some reminder that Colosseum and XD existed. Won't happen because there's just not enough time. But I'll still hope for a third party studio to bring it back some day- and it'd fit since the GBA games will come back.

But anyway, why don't I have fun with a prediction of what the SV dlc will probably look like:

1. Hexagon legendary revealed, basically a piece of it exists in all Terra Orbs and its basically been soft fusion this whole time. Full form probably has something to do with a world turtle, 2 forms: ancient and future, dragon /Psychic type

2. New uniforms. Not full customization, but probably some special uniform for exploring deeper into Area Zero or some extra variants on the uniforms- maybe even straight up copies of Arven, Nemona, Team Star, and Clavell's uniform variants.

3. Probably mostly going to be artwork, couple of new characters locked to versions, and probably the professor OPPOSITE to the one we worked with- aka Arven's parent that bailed shortly after his birth- showing up suddenly.

4. 2 parts most likely, maybe a third if they really want to milk this. Hexagon is one part. The "Imagined" Pokémon the other (the Johto Beasts and Unovan Swords hybrids). Potential third is up in the air. One location is probably deeeeeeper into AZ and sort of a Hollow World (kinda like Halo 4). The other most likely that chunk on the north east of Paldea. My next guess would be islands way off the coast since apparently Paldea's oceans just go on forever, according to a recent Boundary Break video on SV- Essentially plenty of space for it.

5. More Paradox Pokémon. If I were a betting man- and I do enjoy gacha- I'd wager either paradoxes for Kanto starters OR Sinnoh starters since they basically got left in the rain for new forms. Probably Kanto because they love jacking Charizard off and Ohmori can't go one game without giving his favorite special privileges. But if they ever wanted to drop Gorochu, it's now or never. Probably an ancient pokemon with either a future counterpart or Eevee or Meowth gets a future counterpart.

6. a forgotten Pokémon gets a new form and evolution akin to Slowbro. Betting on Oddish or Poliwag, or generally a Pokémon with a split evolution so they can milk it like Slowbro in Isle of Armor and Slowking in Crown Tundra.

7. Called something like "Azure Ocean" or "Topaz Tunnel" or "Quartz Quarry"- keeping up with fancy color names.

Of course I could be entirely wrong, none of any of the above happens, and it's just something very, very minor.

[mikashisus]

Thus Always to Tyrants

"i hope you live a life you're proud of. if you find you're not, i hope you have the strength to start all over again."

— f. scott fitzgerald

chapter 2 (part 1) wc: 16k

author’s notes: timeline is in chronological order from now on bc i confused myself with the mixed one 😵‍💫

madge venti is sm fun to write, esp since i think he deserves to go batshit crazy in canon (in his archon form specifically. — hyv PLEASE LET HIM).

insert curious venti who wants to know more about this person who is causing trouble and messing with time and he doesn’t realize he’s falling.

ik some of yall didnt want her to come back, but the og cryo archon is making a return bc she actually plays a huge part in this fic and i planned a long time ago for her to play this part.

enjoy!

previous chapter

CHAPTER II: i loved you like the sun (part I)

The winds grew restless as a powerful storm began to brew overhead. You were mounted in place as you stared at the god before you, who right now, was beyond furious. He seethed with anger, his shoulders heaving as he tried to steady his breathing.

“Why didn’t you go back…?” his voice was shaky, teetering between the lines of concern and something greater, something darker.

Amidst the tempest winds, you couldn’t find an answer to his question, coming up empty as you tried to think of why you hadn’t taken the chance to go back through that gate.

You’d never see your friends or family ever again. You’d have to spend the rest of your life stuck here, in a timeline that you didn’t come from.

“I… I don’t–” you trailed off, your voice failing you.

You couldn’t see his face, but you could feel his fury radiating off of his slender body, and it terrified you.

You’ve never heard of any instances where Barbatos had gotten angry or even remotely upset. Every record of him in Mondstadt’s history told of the kind and gentle archon who always treated humanity with a sort of fondness. He referred to the people of Mondstadt as his children for goodness sake.

Every bone in your body rattled as the winds around you whipped violently. You were at a loss for words as you stood before him, your jaw hung open in absolute disbelief. As soon as he made eye contact with you, a sharp shiver ran down your spine, and you suddenly wished you had passed through that gate.

His eyes glowed, as they usually did, but this time with an inexplicable anger. His brows knitted together, and the way his lip curled up into a snarl was frightening.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve just done!?” he roared, the winds matching his fury. “Do you have any idea how lucky you were that you had a chance to go back home!?”

You were left utterly speechless as he continued to yell at you.

“I’d give anything to go back! ANYTHING! And you just– you threw your chance away!” His voice cracked as he began to calm down. Tears pooled at the corners of his eyes, and for a moment, you thought that he was going to hurt you.

That thought was incredulous, and made you realize that there was so much more for you to learn about the Anemo Archon– more specifically, Barbatos, the god behind that title.

As soon as the winds tempered and the rising tornadoes slowed to soft breezes, Barbatos’ eyes widened significantly. The look of pure terror on your face made him pause for a moment, and before you could take a step closer to him and try to explain yourself, he shied away.

His wings twitched and he didn’t meet your eyes as he muttered, “I just… yelled at a child of Mondstadt…” he gripped at his scalp, the guilt and regret from his former actions filling him up to the brim.

You stepped forward, attempting to reach out to him, but he immediately outstretched his wings, flying away before you could touch him, leaving behind a huge gust of wind and feathers in his wake.

Back in the city, the festivities for the Windblume Festival were still in full swing. You weighed your options in your head, wondering if you should continue to party with the rest of the town, or if you should find lodging and call it a day. Based on the recent events with Barbatos, you thought it wise to go and find lodging instead of giving in to temptation and continuing drinking.

However, you still hadn’t processed the reality you were living in, and decided to drink away your sorrows just this once. One time couldn’t hurt… right?

Grabbing a random bottle from a table that Lawrence and his sister occupied, you popped the cork and downed a few gulps. Lawrence cheered at the sight, rising to his feet and clapping obnoxiously. The rest of the table joined in, and as soon as you removed the bottle from your wine coated lips, you gasped for air.

You searched for the label on the bottle, a feeling of familiarity welling within you at the aftertaste of the wine. You’ve had this before.

“A toast to the lovely lady, (Name)!” Lawrence, drunk off his ass, yelled. The rest of the table whooped and cheered before returning to their own conversations.

In your peripherals, something red caught your eye. A gentle hand rested on the small of your back as another took the bottle from your hand. A deep, soothing voice filled your ears.

“I believe you’ve had enough Thousand Wind Wine for tonight, My Lady.”

Looking up, you felt the air get knocked out of your lungs. You had to be dreaming… there was no way that Diluc had followed you here, right?

Before you could speak his name, the man placed the bottle back onto the table and ushered you away to a calmer, quieter atmosphere. Now, the two of you stood right in front of the cathedral, overlooking the loud partygoers at the foot of the Barbatos statue.

“You look at me as if you’ve seen a ghost,” the man beside you said, keeping a reasonable distance so as to not make you uncomfortable.

You swallowed thickly, nervously fiddling with your hands. “My apologies, I was just caught off guard.”

You could tell that he called your bluff with the way he hummed noncommittally, but he didn’t pry any further. You wanted so desperately to ask about the wine’s name, so you did.

“What is Thousand Wind Wine?” you questioned softly, your voice a little hoarse from all the alcohol you consumed tonight.

The redheaded man looked at you as if you had two heads. “You are a child of Mond, yet you do not know of Thousand Wind Wine?” You kept your lips pursed. At your silence, he briefly sighed. “It is made with the basis of dandelion seeds. The rest of the ingredients can be decided upon by the brewer. I brewed that bottle, therefore I used dandelion seeds, wolfhook, and a few other berries.”

Thousand Wind Wine was just like Dandelion Wine, just made a little differently. You came to the conclusion that it was most likely the original name for dandelion wine.

“You are not from Mond, are you? Not this one, at least.” The man questioned, glancing at you with a knowing look. “I apologize for eavesdropping, but I was there when you spoke with Lord Barbatos.”

Your heart dropped to your stomach. You sighed heavily, “So you know then…” you turned to look at him, only to see remnants of guilt in his crimson eyes— eyes that looked so much like—

“You remind me of someone,” you muttered. “That’s why I choked up when I saw you. Your— most likely—descendant, Diluc… he’s like my brother. I’d recognize him anywhere… he looks so much like you, that it threw me off.”

He nodded solemnly. “I see.” It was silent for a moment. “How is my family faring in the future?”

Sighing, you leaned against the stone railing of the small balcony. “Diluc is the last of your bloodline. Master Crepus passed a few years ago. We were only eighteen.” You blinked back tears as you remembered the man that treated you like his own daughter.

“Would you mind indulging me in some happier stories?” the man asked, not wanting to make you cry.

You laughed softly and nodded. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—“

The man smiled, and it was then that you realized just how similar Diluc was to him. “There is no need to apologize. It was I who brought up terrible memories for you. Please, do not blame yourself.”

Entranced by his gentleness and charm, you relaxed and returned his smile. Taking a deep breath, you decided to tell a story from your childhood.

“There was this one time that Diluc, Kaeya, and I tried to steal a barrel from Master Crepus’ reserves—“

Landing on the soft brush of Mt. Aocang, Barbatos felt a sense of relief wash over him. He raised his head, watching as the first signs of dawn crept over the horizon.

The view was magnificent from this height, and he suddenly remembered why he decided to include wings in his godly form.

He liked feeling weightless. He liked feeling free. He liked being able to soar through the skies like a bird, an animal that his friend once dreamt of seeing one day.

“I do hope you’ve come here regarding serious matters, and not to pull tomfoolery like you usually do.”

The commanding voice of Rex Lapis drew him out of his daze. He smirked as he turned around, only to be met by intimidating amber eyes and a very unimpressed Geo Archon.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, old friend—“

“I’d say we are hardly the like.” Morax seethed.

Ah, Barbatos almost forgot. This brute was still very much a hothead. He was a blubbering buffoon that was still in his prime and at the end of the day, was still the one that hurled mountains at Barbatos during the Archon War not too long ago.

“Come now, we’re friends aren’t we?” Barbatos took a seat at the table Morax was occupying. “After all, I sent you a whole month’s worth of the finest wine my children have brewed! I don’t do that for just anyone!” He crossed his arms over his chest.

Makoto giggled, “I would like to try some too, Barbatos! If you’re willing to share. I could send some Inazuman sake to Mondstadt for you as a ‘thank you.’”

Barbatos gasped and abruptly grabbed the woman’s hand enthusiastically. “Of course! Why, the Windblume Festival is occurring right now! I shall send you the finest wines Mondstadt has to offer! I look forward to trying this ‘sake’ you speak of!”

A tall figure sat down in the last open seat, placing a plate of baklava in front of Barbatos. The calming voice of Rukkhadevata entered his ears, “Wine, you say? What would you consider the best out of every brew that Mondstadt makes?”

Barbatos smiled at his newfound friend. Out of all of The Seven, Rukkhadevata was the most delightful to have a conversation with. He entertained her, “My personal favorite is Thousand Wind Wine, made with dandelion seeds. It is a trademark of my nation. Would you like me to send you wine as well?”

Rukkhadevata nodded, a gentle yet eager smile pulling at her lips. “Of course. As a gift, I’ve brought baklava for everyone here to try. For our friends who could not attend this get-together, I have sent the same to their nations.”

Barbatos would’ve loved to try the delicious treat in front of him gifted to him by his dear friend, but so many thoughts were plaguing his mind, drawing his attention away from the food and stripping him of his appetite.

“I came here for a deeper reason than just to see all of you,” he said, his expression turning serious. “Someone passed through the gate…”

There were three varying reactions from his fellow archons. Morax’s eyes slightly widened in surprise, Makoto gasped as a hand rose to cover her mouth, and Rukkhadevata simply hummed in understanding.

“I had assumed as much,” she sighed softly, closing her eyes. “As soon as I felt the change in Irminsul, I immediately rushed to see what had caused it. …How could this have happened?”

Barbatos clenched his hands into fists as he gripped at his exposed thighs. The glowing marking on his thigh did little to soothe him. If anything, it only served to mock him and his foolish actions.

“I can only assume that my future self failed to prevent it from happening. How? I don’t know…” he muttered, staring into the stone table.

Rukkhadevata placed a comforting hand on one of his clenched fists. The whitening of his knuckles served as confirmation that he was frustrated about this whole ordeal. She gently grabbed his hand, forcing his fingers to unclench. She rubbed soothing circles into his now reddened palm with her thumb, brushing over the crescent shaped markings he created.

“Self deprecation will only make you feel worse, Barbatos.” She calmly stated. Her soft tone made his shoulders relax and his wings drop to the ground. He was no longer tense. “Do not blame yourself for this. It was an accident, and accidents happen all the time. You can’t save everyone, and even though it hurts to hear, it is true.”

He knew she was right. She was the god of wisdom, after all.

He refused to let himself cry in front of anyone. He wouldn’t let anyone know just how much he was hurting, especially not his dear friends.

“Oh, Barbatos…” A soft hand was placed on his cheek, and upon feeling a small spark of electricity shock his skin, he knew it was Makoto’s. “It’s okay to cry. Let your emotions show. We are no judges here.”

“Egeria would be, if she were here,” Rukkhadevata joked softly, earning a slight chuckle from Barbatos at the thought.

His smile prompted the others to smile. If Barbatos was happy, then everything was okay. If he was upset, that would spell out disaster. All of The Seven were aware of this fact. Barbatos was like the glue holding them all together. He was the sole reason there was peace between them, and the reason they all held these get-togethers.

“How long has it been since we’ve last seen her?” he wondered aloud, only for Makoto to give an answer.

“A few months, at most. She’s been quite busy recently.”

Morax sent Makoto a confused look. “You keep in contact? Fontaine is a long way from Inazuma.”

Makoto giggled, “I have my ways of communication.”

“Do not sound so malicious, Baal.” Rukkhadevata scolded, though the words held no weight. The two of them held each other’s gazes before they burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles.

A cold, piercing voice cut through the airy atmosphere the four gods had created. “Do the three of you have no semblance of shame?” The feminine voice questioned in distaste.

Barbatos perked up at the voice, his eyes practically sparkling in delight as he watched the elegant figure grow closer to the table. Morax pulled a chair up for her in between him and Makoto, but she simply formed her own chair out of ice directly between Makoto and Barbatos.

Makoto’s hand retracted from Barbatos’ cheek, and instead was replaced by a chillingly icy touch. “Continue, Barbatos. Let off everything that is on your chest.”

Barbatos sighed heavily, melting into her touch even though it sent a sharp shiver down his spine. He was cold, but he could bear it if it was her. He always could. He smiled at the touch, his cerulean eyes boring into her sapphire colored ones. She could always tell when there was more that he wished to say.

“The girl had the chance to return to her time…” he trailed off, his voice small as the others stared at him, giving him their full attention. “But… at the last moment, she… she didn’t. She stayed, and I– …I lashed out at her. I didn’t mean to lose my temper with a child of Mondstadt, but I did… and I–”

“You regret it.” The Cryo Archon answered for him.

Barbatos’ lip trembled. He pulled his face away from her hand and sighed. “I don’t know what to do. The only chance I had to save her is gone. She’s stuck here forever.”

A tense silence passed over them before Makoto spoke gently. “Did you ask why she chose to stay?”

He nodded. “She didn’t answer… well, I think she was too scared of me to get a single word out.” His voice trembled with guilt.

“Darling,” The Cryo Archon placed a finger under Barbatos’ chin, turning his head to face her again. “Everything will be okay.”

“What do I do?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The Cryo Archon smiled sweetly at him. He loved her smile— it was so fitting for the god of love. “Apologize for the outburst, but make sure she is okay. I can’t imagine this is easy for her.”

Barbatos nodded. “The next time I see her, I will.”

“Good. Now here,” Rukkhadevata smiled as she handed him a plate of baklava.

You didn’t know how to pass the time. Barbatos told you to meet him at Windrise so he could speak with you, but that would be at sundown. You had about two hours to kill until then.

The stone arch you passed through stood tall and proud in the exact same position it was always in. You stood before it, waiting to hear the small whisper of a voice that would call out to you and urge you closer. However, there was no such whisper.

Placing your fingers on the odd markings lining the stone, you found that they no longer glowed underneath your touch. It was as if the whole thing had been a dream. The only way you could tell that it hadn’t been was your surroundings.

Taking a leap of faith, you stepped through to the other side, wondering if you’d feel that odd tumbling feeling again, as if you were falling down a hole. You didn’t. Nothing changed. The city was still young, and so was the nation.

“You appear lost and confused.” A voice whispered.

You whirled around to find where it came from, only to see that you were still alone. A shiver crept up your spine as you could suddenly feel the presence of something all around you, the force overwhelming. Yet, you couldn’t see a thing.

It almost sounded as if it was coming from inside your head. “Changing the past and altering the future are two unachievable things… yet you pulled it off without so much as a flick of your wrist.”

Your brows furrowed. “Who are you?” you demanded, your heartbeat roaring in your ears as you continued to search for the owner of the voice.

“You need not know who I am, and you needn’t search for me. The only thing that matters is that I know you.”

Another shiver ran up your spine, and you shuddered. “That doesn’t make me feel any better. Are you… a god?”

The voice chuckled softly, “Such an interesting question. Consider me a passerby.” The feminine voice paused for a moment. “It is fate that we meet like this again. And it is coincidental that you have asked me the same questions you did before.”

Confusion brewed within you. You gave up on searching for the source of the voice, and instead focused your gaze to the city sitting upon the lake. “We’ve met?”

“In a distant dream. Or perhaps you could say… in a memory.”

Whoever this was, they weren’t intending on telling you their true identity. Nor were they intent on revealing themselves to you. All you had was a voice speaking inside your head.

You sighed. “I think I would remember a voice like yours speaking inside my head like this,” you crossed your arms over your chest. “Why are you here? What are your reasons for hiding yourself from me?”

“Those who are lost need to be guided back home, do they not? You are lost, and you are far from home. And I am a guide.”

“Is there any way I can get back home?” you questioned.

You were holding onto a slim bit of hope that she would say yes. You hadn’t taken the chance to go home when it was presented to you, and your actions were slowly catching up to you.

The more you thought about the reality of your situation and the consequences of your own actions, the more you wished you could go back home. You didn’t have a future here, and you couldn’t keep messing with the past like you have been doing.

“Home. What does home mean to you?”

Struck with that question, you remained silent as you thought it over. What did home mean to you? Was it a place? A person? A thing? You had never once thought about it before.

You always assumed that home was your childhood home in Springvale, and the apartment you rented out above the jewelry shop in the city once you turned eighteen. It had been that small home on the coast of the beach that one summer when you and your mother had taken a vacation to Fontaine.

It was that cottage in the mountains Northeast of the City of Mondstadt near Dornman Port, when your older brother had been stationed there for half a year. It was your host family’s house in Inazuma City when you studied abroad in the Spring one semester.

Those were all places you had considered home at one point in time. Home wasn’t just one place for you. It was a bunch of places, but perhaps it was also the people around you. Your mother, your brother, your friends back in the present, your friends from overseas, and the two black cats your brother took in after they kept coming back to his porch everyday.

Maybe home was wherever you went. Maybe it was your heart.

“I suppose… it’s wherever I go.”

“Then do you consider this past your home too? It is Mondstadt, is it not?”

You rubbed your temples in frustration. “But I don’t belong here! In this timeline! I belong in the present.”

There was a small beat of silence. “Fate is your true home. You have run from it before, and you will continue to do so in the future. But you must remember: you cannot change your fate.”

“What does this have to do with me going home!?” You were beginning to get a little irritated now. Her ominous behavior and her incredulous words were hurting your brain. None of this was making any sense at all. “What does this have to do with what I asked?”

The voice sighed. “Your answers never change, and your searching for an escape never ends. Greed will inevitably lead to your ruination.”

You felt even more lost than a moment ago. She was dodging your questions, and she wasn’t giving you any clear answers. As far as you knew, it was all gibberish. There were underlying meanings to her words, that much you were aware of, but none of it made sense to you.

It was all going in one ear and out the other.

“Your choices thus far have affected your future. If you continue to make the same final choice that you have been, then this cycle of your damnation will persist, and you will be left to an eternity of chasing a fate that will never be within reach.”

The overwhelming presence around you dissipated, and the wind that had once ceased was now picking up again. You stared out at the city, repeating her words over and over again in your mind.

Eternal damnation? What did that mean? And more importantly: what did she mean by ‘the cycle will persist’?

There were so many questions left unanswered, and you felt even more lost than you were before. She called herself a guide, yet she did nothing to help you along at all. Because of that, you felt as if she was far from a guide. All she did was speak in riddles that you couldn’t understand, ones that made absolutely zero sense whatsoever. Usually you loved riddles, but these were a kind you simply couldn’t solve.

You didn’t mention the voice you heard to Barbatos, and you definitely didn’t mention the mysterious note that appeared in your pocket after your conversation with the aforementioned voice.

“Barbatos is not who he says he is.”

You didn’t know what to make of the elegant words written on that small piece of paper. What did it mean? Was the Anemo Archon not to be trusted? That was what it was sounding like, but you weren’t entirely sure. It wasn’t like you could ask anyone, especially the ominous voice that spoke to you.

“Thank you for meeting me here, (Name).” He said softly, a small innocent smile pulling at his lips. It seemed forced, though you didn’t comment on that.

You sat down in front of the Statue of The Seven and pulled your knees up to your chest. Barbatos inhaled and closed his eyes, taking in the scent of nearby windwheel asters and the serenity of a fresh gust of wind. Then, he took a seat next to you, one of his wings falling to rest on the stone behind you.

It was silent for a few minutes as the both of you relished in your peaceful surroundings and the serene weather. It was the perfect day for a walk around Falcon Coast. Sometimes, on Kaeya’s days off, the two of you would take a relaxing stroll on the beach, letting the cool water lap at your bare feet. He would share stories about the Knights, ranging from funny and embarrassing moments with the rookies, to serious drama happening between a few of the captains.

You would silently listen, occasionally giving your input when he asked for it. When you got tired of walking, the two of you would sit down in the sand and talk some more, filling the air with loud laughter and enjoying each other’s presence.

Today reminded you of one of those days. A sense of longing filled your chest as you realized you would never get to experience that again.

“I’m sorry,” Barbatos’ mutter brought you out of your stupor. Surprised, you turned your head to look at him. His aqua eyes were downcast, avoiding your gaze, and his brows were furrowed together in guilt. His voice was small, shaky. He curled in on himself somewhat, resembling a hurt dove lying in the grass.

“For raising my voice and getting angry with you. I shouldn’t have done that. It wasn’t right of me to do. Please accept my heartfelt apologies, and I promise to be a better Arch–”

You turned your whole body to face him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Stop. You don’t need to promise me or the people of Mondstadt anything. Do you know how much you’ve done for us already? How much you’ll do in the future? You are already an exceptional Archon. You protect us time and time again, and you care for us like no other Archon has. So… you don’t need to promise anything, because– because you’re already amazing.”

His head whipped up, his eyes blown wide with surprise. You immediately retracted your hand from his shoulder and bowed your head. “I-I’m sorry for touching you, I–”

Two gentle hands grabbed your cheeks and lifted your face to meet his warm, welcoming smile. “Please, do not be frightened. I am no different from you. I make mistakes and I am flawed. Do not treat me differently from anyone else just because I am a god.” His soothing voice and comforting words were enough to make you relax a little.

He chuckled softly, “You remind me of someone… A boy I met once.” There was a deep sadness that reflected in his eyes as he said this.

Your mother always told you that eyes were windows into the soul. You searched his eyes, looking deeper to find the source of the immense sadness that Barbatos was feeling. This was clearly a touchy topic for him to talk about, yet he brought it up anyway. The wound had not healed yet, and maybe it never would…

“He was just like you… a beautiful soul with a heart made of gold and a determined fire in his eyes,” he continued, looking far off into the distance as dandelion seeds rose up in the wind. He handed you a windwheel aster he had plucked earlier, and you watched as the petals twirled in the breeze. He sighed heavily, a solemn smile gracing his pale lips. “The most beautiful people leave us in such cruel ways… and way too soon.”

Nodding, you hummed in agreement. Taking the flower from his fingers, you traced your finger over the soft petals and thought of the many people you’ve lost in your own life. All of them were compassionate people with beautiful souls. They were taken away too soon for you to process, and even now, you couldn’t come to terms with the reality of their deaths.

“To a god, time may seem indefinite… but it can feel way too short all at the same time.” He muttered, letting out another sigh as he stretched his legs out in front of him. In a flash of light and whirling feathers, his appearance changed.

He was no longer adorned in those white garments he always seemed to wear. Instead, he was now wearing a getup akin to a bard’s. You knew this bard form better than anyone in this time period. It was the form he used to disguise himself in the modern day. The reason behind why he walked among mortals even though he was a god was unknown to you.

But there was one thing you knew for sure: you loved his songs.

Studying your expression, he smiled. “You seem to recognize this form of mine. I take it that it has not changed in the future?”

The frown on your face deepened at his words. Noticing this, his smile abruptly dropped. “Indeed, though there are some minor differences.” You couldn’t help the slight animosity in your tone as you thought of the last conversation you had with Venti. More like the last argument.

Barbatos was silent for a moment. When you met his eyes again, he was still frowning. “Your tone suggests that you are not so fond of the future me…”

You scoffed, “You could say that. You’ve been nothing but a dick to me ever since I met you.” It went silent again, and as soon as you registered what you had just said, a loud gasp escaped your lips.

Had you really just talked to him like that? Had you really just said that to his face? Him, the Anemo Archon.

As you whirled around to apologize profusely and even beg on your knees for his forgiveness for how you spoke to him, he promptly hummed. He seemed a little lost in thought as he processed your words. Eventually, he exhaled deeply in disappointment.

“Though it doesn’t make sense why I would treat such a lovely maiden that way, I am deeply sorry for my behavior. I hope you can forgive me for how I’ve treated you in both this timeline, and your own.” He held your gaze as he spoke, his eyes filled with guilt and sorrow. “You don’t deserve that. I’m sorry.”

Barbatos was oddly human, even though he was a god. Just like he stated before, he also made mistakes and had many flaws. He was just as much a sinner as anyone else. He felt emotion like everyone else–pain, suffering, grief, joy, fear, anger, sorrow.

He was just like you, and that revelation made you feel more comfortable around him than before. It would take you a bit to get used to the fact that he was a god, but once that went away, you could completely relax whenever he was present. Until that day came, you’d have to remind yourself of how human he was.

This time, with a bit of confidence, you took his hands into yours. His palms were soft, but you couldn’t help but notice how calloused his fingers were. You suspected it was because of how much he played the lyre.

“I forgive you,” you said. “Well, I forgive you for raising your voice with me. It might take me a bit to forgive all that you did to me in the future.”

He nodded “I understand.”

With a small smile of reassurance, you said, “How about we start over?” His aqua eyes met yours. They sparkled with delight and something else you couldn’t decipher. “My name is (Name). I am a child of Mondstadt, and my favorite thing to drink is the fresh beer my brother brews every year during Weinlesefest.”

He chuckled and cleared his throat. He sat up straight and smirked, “Well… my name is–” he paused for a moment, a frown pulling at his lips as he brought a finger to his chin in thought.

“How about the name Venti?” You suggested, thinking of the jovial bard that you saw from afar back in your own time.

He snapped his fingers and laughed, “That’s perfect! You have an eye for names, my dear.” He smirked again, knocking his shoulder with yours, causing you to giggle softly. He took your hands into his. “I am also from Mondstadt, and I may or may not be the Anemo Archon… don’t tell Mondstadt though!”

You couldn’t help but giggle again at his playful tone. Was this what it was like to have a real conversation with him? This… freeing?

“The wonderful taste of Thousand Wind Wine brings me ease. It is undoubtedly the best brew that Mondstadters make!” The pride in his voice was very much evident, and you could see it in his eyes: the unconditional love for his people. “I suppose the wind is also one of my favorite things.”

Just then, a gust of wind blew his hair around, and he laughed joyfully. “As long as the winds blow, as long as endless spring engulfs this nation… Mondstadt will stand tall and proud as a beacon of hope and freedom for all.”

The determination in his eyes upon uttering those words was admirable. The Anemo Archon undoubtedly represented how an Archon should act and think. He was picture perfect, though that didn’t mean that he was exempt from having any flaws.

“‘As long as the wind will blow, Barbatos will protect Mondstadt.’ That is what my father always told me before his passing.” You muttered, relishing in the late afternoon breeze.

Venti stared at you for a moment, his eyes wide. You chuckled, “Are his words that surprising? Your people love you dearly.”

He looked away, a small smile on his lips. “I’m just not used to it is all; you know, all this praise and adoration. It leaves me baffled. But… I can confidently say that I love my people just as dearly.”

“I’ve never heard of an Archon loving their people so much that they refer to them as their ‘children.’ You truly are an astounding Archon.”

Venti turned to you with a warm smile. “Of course I love my people. I adore them, in fact. I wish to see my people happy and free without the pressure of living under the rule of a god. I wish to live peacefully alongside them someday. I adore all of humanity, each and every side to it; The bad, the good, the dirty… all of it. The flaws that encompass humanity are what make them have the power to rival the gods.”

The power to rival the gods? What did that mean? You decided not to think about it for now, and instead relished in the soothing voice of the man next to you.

“May I ask you something?” he questioned, his tone carrying a sense of seriousness in it. When you nodded, he pursed his lips. “Why did you choose to stay here?”

Ah, there it was… the question you still couldn’t provide an answer to. The less you thought about your reality, the less it pained you to realize everything that you lost by staying here. Ignorance was bliss. You knew that eventually, the weight of the situation would come back to bite you, but for now, you’d ignore it all and try not to think about it.

Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes. “I truly don’t have an answer to that. I think that maybe… maybe I decided to stay because I need some sort of closure, I guess. I know that doesn’t really explain anything, but… that’s a good enough answer I can give at the moment.”

He didn’t press you further, and you took that as him being satisfied with your answer. However, when you studied the stoic expression on his face, you were doubting if that was true.

“I don’t mean to scare you more than you probably already are, but… do you understand the severity of your choices?” He paused to let his words sink in. “Do you understand how much of an impact this will have on the future? You have interacted with me, Lawrence, Ragnvindr… and many others. You have altered the course of history, changed what was originally written in Irminsul.”

He turned to you, his brows furrowed in slight irritation. “I don’t mean to be harsh, but I must say this to make you understand: The way you have changed history since coming here is utterly unforgivable. Time is sensitive, and messing with it is dangerous. It can cause immense repercussions to those who dare alter it.” His tone was even, firm. He wasn’t joking around.

He wasn’t leaving this open for discussion… He was forcing you to understand just how serious this was.

You gulped as his intense stare sent a shiver down your spine. He continued, “Every action, every word that flows from your tongue has a consequence. Everything will affect the future. Each word you’ve said to me, each drink you’ve shared with Lawrence. Time is not your plaything. Everything that has happened in the last hour, the last day, the last week, has already changed what will happen in the future. Do not stay ignorant. Do not brush these words off. Please heed my warnings, and understand just how serious this is.”

He wasn’t going to say it out loud, but he wanted you to take accountability for the things you have changed. Although part of it was also technically his fault because he pushed you through the portal, you were the one who decided not to return back from whence you came.

His gaze hardened. “I will say it again: Do you understand?”

The air around you grew silent and tense as he softly uttered those words. You nodded, “Yes.”

You didn’t see him for three weeks after that, and you couldn’t get the words written on that mysterious note out of your head, as well as that feminine voice that warned you of your fate.

“Barbatos is not who he says he is.”

You spent the next few weeks accommodating to your new life, though it was harder than you imagined. The weight of your reality settled heavy upon your shoulders, and to rid yourself of the feeling, you drowned your sorrows away with alcohol.

Angel’s Share did not exist in this timeline, but there was still a tavern in Mondstadt. Mondstadters were known for their love of alcohol. The nation itself was known for its many taverns, love of music, and its many bards that roamed the land. The tavern near the cathedral was bigger than Angel’s Share– significantly so –and was owned by a family known as the Blair family.

The head of the family was a kind man by the name of August. He was often seen bartending with his two sons, Klaus and Arbor.

His darling daughter, Guinevere, was a waitress whom many adored. Her long, oak brown hair fell along her back in elegant waves. Her verdant eyes shone with sparkling curiosity and hope. She had a lean figure, and her stature was no more than most of the women in the city. Her hair was often pulled back into a low ponytail, with her platinum colored bangs framing her pale face.

Her apron was always discarded somewhere behind the counter, leaving her in a white button-up blouse with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and black fitted pants. She appeared more masculine than feminine with this look, but it suited her well nonetheless. At least she was more presentable than her brothers. Their hair was always unkempt and their shirts were wrinkled. It was obvious they had little to no care for their appearances.

After becoming a regular at the North Wind Tavern, you quickly learned that their mother had passed away in the battle against Decarabian. She had been one of the fighters on the front lines, with a bard whose name was completely unfamiliar to you, and an archer named Amos. Unfortunately, all three of those people had perished.

Spending another one of your nights in this tavern, you decided to ask Guinevere a question that was on your mind for some time now.

“Say, Gwen…” you got her attention as she set down a glass of Thousand Wind Wine in front of you. She hummed, sending you a kind smile. The harmonious sound of a bard strumming a lyre could be heard from the far end of the tavern. “Where does the inspiration for this tavern’s name come from?”

“Oh!” A brilliant smile graced her lips as she clasped her hands behind her back and bounced on the balls of her feet excitedly. “Have you not heard the tale of the North Wind?”

With a shake of your head, you waited for her to tell you the tale. She pulled out the wooden chair across from you and sat down, leaning her elbows on the table.

“The Tale of the North Wind is one every child of Mondstadt knows. At least, those from the Eastern most part of Mondstadt. My family, the Blairs, were once ardent worshippers of the god of memories. She was a kindhearted, gentle soul who adored humanity and wished to set us free from the shackles of the harsh weather that engulfed the land. She was so powerful that she even challenged the Wolf King himself, though the two had no real qualms with each other.

“She worked hard to protect her people from the evil clutches of Decarabian, but she couldn’t protect everyone. My family was amongst those who were kidnapped by the evil tyrant and brought to live under his rule. However, we never lost faith in Queen Catalina. We continued to pray and hope for her protection and guidance– the guidance of the North Wind.

“Many years ago, the people of Mondstadt used to think she was the female counterpart to the Wolf King, and thus gave her the title of “Queen of the North Wind” to match his title as the King. Although the two gods were allies, they were anything but lovers,” she giggled. She let out a sigh. “But alas, the tale of the humble and gentle Queen of the North Wind had to meet its end. She perished after the death of Decarabian.”

You leaned forward in your chair, circling the rim of your glass with your finger. You had already downed it in the short time that Gwen was telling her story. “What happened to her? How did she die?”

Gwen sighed heavily, placing her chin in her palm. “That’s a bit complicated. No one resided in her territory by the time of Decarabian’s death, so no one really knows for certain how she died. However, there are speculations that she gave up her mortal body so that Lord Barbatos could become the Anemo Archon. There are some theories floating about that say her spirit merged with the wind, and that she and Lord Barbatos share a deep connection. But… there’s not really any proof of such claims.”

“I see.” You didn’t know what to make of that. After all, most of Mondstadt’s history had been lost after its extensive library had been burned to the ground hundreds of years ago. You hadn’t even known that there were other gods residing in Mondstadt other than Barbatos.

“There’s nothing we can really do about it, I guess.” Gwen sighed and stood up. “At least the Thousand Winds of Time are still with us,” she swiftly grabbed your empty glass and sent you a wink. “I’ll get you another glass.”

When she came back, you had more questions. She laughed loudly at your next one. “Are you sure you’re from Mondstadt? Every child of the Wind knows who the Lady of the Thousand Winds of Time is! She’s the one who watched over Queen Catalina for a time, and she’s also said to have a very deep connection to the Anemo Archon. The Lawrence family is working on building an extravagant temple for her as we speak.”

Suddenly, it all clicked. The Thousand Winds Temple was a temple built for– presumably –another god in Mondstadt. You wondered just how much of this nation’s history had been lost in the great fire all those years ago.

Just as you were about to ask another question, Arbor, Gwen’s older brother, approached the two of you. He sent you a small nod and handed Gwen a guitar. “How about you show our new friend how we party in the North Wind?”

The guitar had beautiful, intricate engravings of flowers on the wood, and was polished over with a fine sheen. It glittered under the orange tavern lights. Gwen eagerly took the guitar and beamed at you. “I can’t believe it’s been a few weeks and you still haven’t witnessed a Blair family show!”

Arbor sighed. “It’s not really a family thing… Gwen just likes to make it one–”

“Oh, stop it, Arbor! It is a family thing! After all, it’s the three of us that participate! And… Pa says he loves it when we perform on the stage together. Because it reminds him of Ma.”

Letting out another sigh, Arbor reluctantly agreed. “I’ll get my violin ready.” He walked off towards a room behind the bar that was only reserved for employees.

With a giggle, Gwen scurried off towards the stage in the left corner of the tavern, calling out to Klaus as she did so. As you took a sip of the second drink that she had given you, a familiar soothing voice entered your ears.

“We meet again.”

It was none other than Ragnvindr. He sent you a curt nod and gestured towards the chair across from you. “May I?”

You smiled. “Please.”

He took a seat and called for a glass of Thousand Wind Wine. August made quick work of the drink, deciding to fill your glass too while he was at it. Ragnvindr sighed contentedly. “Fresh wine is perfect after a day of hard work. It seems you think the same.” His crimson eyes flitted down to the glass in your hands.

Shrugging, you decided to agree with him instead of telling him why you were really here. It seemed as though he had already caught on, as there was a knowing look in his eyes. He already knew why you were frequenting this tavern, and you weren’t that fond of someone knowing your secrets.

He motioned towards the stage where Gwen and her brothers were preparing to play a few songs. “They’re a magnificent trio, Emilia’s kids. They were what kept spirits and morale high during the rebellion. Them, and—” He abruptly stopped, leaving his sentence unfinished as he took a lengthy sip of his wine.

“What was she like? Emilia?” You questioned, watching as he took a deep breath to compose himself.

A sudden smile broke out onto his lips. “She was like everyone’s mother. She had a particular love for music… that love of music passed to her gifted children. Even that guitar that Guinevere is holding was Emilia’s. Arbor’s violin too— and Klaus’ hand drums. Even August used to join in with her. He’d play her violin or drums to accompany her rich singing voice. A bard friend of ours would often sing duets with her. The two of them together were what kept us from giving up. Them, and our now mighty Anemo Archon.”

You raised a brow in intrigue. “Lord Barbatos was there?”

You didn’t receive an answer to your question. Assuming it was a sensitive topic, you turned towards the stage and watched as Gwen easily grabbed the patrons’ attention.

She giggled, “Now, I want all of you to sing along! This song was written by our mother, Emilia. May her soul rest easy with others who we lost in the battle for our freedom. We dedicate this song not only to her and the late Queen Catalina, but also to the Anemo Archon! The one who saved us!” She cleared her throat, bowing her head. “We hope you hear this, Lord Barbatos, wherever you are on the wind.”

With a deep breath, she strummed the guitar. You were quickly entranced by her rich voice, and you couldn’t help but smile as you watched her get lost in the music. Despite his earlier opposition to participate, you could see a small smile form on Arbor’s lips. He was undoubtedly enjoying this.

The door to the tavern opened, inviting in a large gust of wind from the outside. Gwen laughed into the next verse of the song. “To the Anemo Archon!” she shouted mid-verse, causing a chorus of cheers to ring throughout the tavern.

The other patrons shouted their own praises to the god of wind, raising their mugs and glasses into the air. Most of them had recognized the song, singing along in a brilliant harmony.

“Nothing you can take was ever worth keeping—!”

You turned your attention to gauge Ragnvindr’s reaction, only to see him tapping his foot along to the beat of the song, and mouthing the words as if he had known them by heart. You assumed that this song was one of many that was frequently played during the rebellion.

Gwen truly was a performer— weaving in between tables and eagerly getting others to join in on the fun. Some couples rose from their seats and began to dance, while others stomped their feet along the wooden floors, adding to the already lively atmosphere of the North Wind Tavern. If every evening was like this, you supposed you wouldn’t mind spending the rest of your days in this era.

As you allowed yourself to get lost in the sound of the Blair family’s music, you failed to notice the pair of cerulean eyes that were watching you from afar. A chill ran down your spine, and you downed the rest of your drink. When you looked up, you met eyes with Barbatos, who was currently in his bard attire.

You sent him a warm smile, and he returned it. He winked and raised his mug, a silent toast, and your smile widened. Your attention was redirected to the Blair siblings as the song finished and Gwen cheered, turning to her brothers with tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. The three shared a long hug, and you could feel their sadness from where you sat.

“Thank you!” Gwen wiped her tears and took a small bow. Her eyes landed on the bard who had tried to hide himself amongst the crowd, and a beaming smile graced her lips. “We hope you enjoyed the song, Lord Barbatos!”

Flinching at the newfound attention drawn his way, Barbatos chuckled softly and nodded. “I loved it, in fact. Do you mind if I play a song of my own?” He pulled out an elegantly crafted lyre– one made of gold with a gem placed in the middle. The strings glowed aqua, a clear indicator that this was no mere lyre, but a divine creation.

Everyone in the tavern gaped at the item. You knew that lyre; It was none other than the Holy Lyre Der Himmel. It was kept away in the basement of the cathedral with high security in place to make sure it wasn’t stolen. The only time it was brought out was for Ludi Harpastum.

“Why, of course!” Gwen hopped down from the stage, giving a small bow to Barbatos. “The spotlight was made for you.”

He nodded in acknowledgment, taking his place up on the stage. He sent her a warm smile before clearing his throat and turning to Klaus and Arbor. “Do you mind accompanying me with this song?”

The two men shared a look before nodding. They were not about to pass up an opportunity to share the stage with the Anemo Archon. Arbor reached for Gwen’s guitar, to which she eagerly handed over.

Barbatos began to strum his lyre, leading the song as Klaus and Arbor followed suit. “Some of you may be all too familiar with this song. Please, sing along! Let the wind hear your melodic voices!”

Of course, no one was going to deny his wishes. Bright smiles adorned every patron’s face. Although he spoke of the people’s voices sounding like a melody, Barbatos’ voice outsold any others you’ve ever heard. You were more than familiar with it, always stopping to listen to him sing whenever you got the chance.

His voice was just as ethereal as ever, carrying a light and airy feeling akin to that of the wind. It sounded like the echo of an angel’s silky voice. You supposed that now that you knew his true identity, it all made sense on why it felt that way to you.

As the song continued, you realized you knew it like the back of your hand, word for word. It was the one about the soldier, the poet, and the king—a famous tale written about three influential figures in Mondstadt’s history. Over time, the real meaning of the song faded away, replaced with a new meaning.

In the present, it was sung about The Seven, with the soldier representing the Geo, Electro, Pyro, and Hydro Archons. The poet solely represented the Anemo Archon, and the king represented the Dendro and Cryo Archons. The amount of times it was sung in Mondstadt taverns was way more than you could count on both hands.

You didn’t know if anyone outside of Mondstadt really knew of the song, as it had originated in this nation.

Taking a glance at Ragnvindr again, you spotted a forlorn look in his eyes. Despite the smile resting on his lips, his eyes held a deep sadness. You had yet to find out what secrets he was keeping and why they were troubling him.

“Are you not going to join him?” He questioned suddenly, turning his head to look at you.

You glanced to where he was pointing, only to see that Barbatos was staring at you as he sang. He only broke eye contact when a patron cheered next to him, causing him to excitedly sing the next verse.

“What do you mean?” you replied. You had an inkling of what Ragnvindr was implying, but you had to be sure first.

He scoffed softly. “I think we both know what I mean. Just look at the way he looks at you.” He pushed your chin, turning your head to face Barbatos once more.

Sure enough, the bard was vying for your attention again. However, he looked away from you almost immediately, a pink tint coating his cheeks. He was embarrassed that he had been caught.

You laughed, somewhat in disbelief. “I don’t see how he could—“ you stopped short as Ragnvindr sent you a smirk. You gulped, shaking your head. “He’s—“

“A god?” he finished for you, raising a brow. You nodded. A soft chuckle left his lips. “And why is that stopping you?”

You couldn’t think of an answer to that question. Instead, you simply shrugged. Barbatos ultimately wanted you to see him as human— something he was without even trying to be. It was easy for a god like him to mingle with humans, and the more you learned about him, the more you started to realize just how beautiful he really was.

“He’s taking an interest in you,” Ragnvindr continued. “You should welcome it with open arms. Unless, that is, you don’t want it.”

You didn’t know what you wanted. Everything was piling up on your shoulders all at once, and it was beginning to take a huge toll on your mental state. And there was only so much that alcohol could do to stop it. You knew that eventually you’d snap, because the pressure kept building and building.

Deciding to stay silent, you watched as the man across from you pieced everything together. You didn’t even need to say anything, he already understood, and that scared you. The only other person who was able to understand you like this was Diluc.

The song ended, the obnoxious cheers from the crowd hurting your ears. You were brought out of your stupor, watching as the humble bard on the stage took a dramatic bow and gratefully accepted a few mugs filled with wine. Gwen handed him a freshly picked rose from a vase, to which he eagerly took and thanked her in earnest.

“To the Anemo Archon!” A patron raised their glass, followed by the rest of the patrons in the tavern. A unanimous cheer erupted throughout the tavern.

Ragnvindr raised his own glass, making eye contact with Barbatos as he also muttered his own, “To the Anemo Archon.”

You would’ve joined in on the praises were it not for your swirling emotions and thoughts. Instead, you made a silent toast, before you abruptly stood from your chair and bid farewell to Ragnvindr. Your chair scraped loudly against the wooden floor, making you flinch.

Paying your tab to August, you hurried out of the tavern. The cool night air engulfed your body, providing a brief solace to your hot skin. You inhaled deeply, slowly exhaling as you stood under the light of the moon. The sounds of lively banter and cheers filtered out into the street from inside the tavern.

A faint yell followed, Gwen’s thick accent entering your ears. She had taken the stage again, this time singing a song that she had written herself. As the tune began, a mellow one opposed to the last song she sang, you walked away from the North Wind Tavern. Everything got quieter the further away you were, until finally you could no longer hear Gwen’s harmonious voice.

The streets were mostly empty at this time of night. It left you completely alone and vulnerable with your thoughts. The silence, apart from the howling wind, made you feel more uneasy. Feeling a sudden pang in your chest, you made your way to your comfort place– a place where you knew you could relax and wouldn’t be interrupted.

Although your mind was running rampant with the thought of wanting to go home, you knew you needed to be alone right now to think. Taking a seat on the steps beneath the Statue of The Seven in Windrise, you let out a shaky exhale.

The words Jean had spoken to you all those years ago in the rain made your lip start to quiver.

“All you ever do is think about yourself!” She yelled in a fit of fiery rage. The words had tumbled out of her mouth so effortlessly, as if she had been meaning to say them for a while. However, there was a deep pause between those words and her next sentence, a clear indicator that she did not truly mean what she had said.

“If you had to make a choice between me and your future… which one would you choose?”

As soon as she uttered those words, you were at a loss. You knew the answer: you would always choose her, but in that moment, your voice failed you. With a devastated look in her sky blue eyes, she gulped and nodded. Whether the water droplets on her face were her tears or just the rain, you didn’t know.

You have regretted that night ever since. Why hadn’t you just told her that you’d choose her over and over again, no matter what? Were you actually selfish like she claimed you were? You knew by now that she didn’t actually mean anything she said that night, that it was all just pure, unbridled anger, but a part of you still wondered if what she said was true.

If you really were selfish.

Before you could stop it, a tear rolled down your cheek… and then another… and another, until you were choking and sobbing as you gripped the fabric of your pants tightly. This wasn’t just about that night. It was also because of how much you missed everyone back home.

Ah, that word again. Home. That mysterious voice had asked if you considered Mondstadt your home– regardless of the time period. You still didn’t have an answer, and you weren’t sure if you ever would.

You missed your friends dearly. You missed your older brother, even if he treated you poorly most of the time. You missed the man you considered to be a brother to you, Diluc, and you missed your best friend Kaeya. Of course, you also missed Jean and the tradition you two had of sending each other dandelion seeds every Windblume Festival, Weinlesefest, and Ludi Harpastum… you also missed the opportunities you didn’t take in your former relationship with her.

You missed spending your nights in Angel’s Share and watching multiple talented people perform. Sometimes you’d even perform a song or two and get the crowd going. Diluc was always thankful for the way you effortlessly brought in business whenever you performed.

He used to always tell you that you were made to be on stage—to be singing and performing for others. You never considered a music career something you were passionate about pursuing until he said those words.

There were so many things you missed that you would never experience ever again. Ducking your head, your shoulders heaved as you continued to sob. The sound echoed throughout the open space. A soft breeze whistled by, carrying along a sweet melody that you heard one too many times.

Without a word, Barbatos sat down next to you. It was quiet for a while as you cried, the only sound permeating the air being the strumming of a gentle tune and your sobs that were still wracking through your throat.

The last time you had gone through a serious depressive episode like this was when you and Jean called it quits— the night that hurtful words were said.

It was cruel of Barbatos to be playing a tune that you so often matched with your past relationship with Jean. You hadn’t spoken your worries on the wind, so what brought him here? Was it the sound of your cries?

The wind was especially prominent here. You chided yourself for making the mistake of coming to a highly windy area. Though, in the end, his company was very much appreciated, as was the strumming of his lyre.

It no longer mattered to you how he knew you were here or why you were crying. All that mattered was the comfort he brought you, even without having to say anything.

You glanced over at him, only to see his eyes closed and his lips pursed into a thin line. He was in his element, his fingers flawlessly plucking at the strings of the Holy Lyre. With every note, tiny aqua colored light particles emitted from the strings, floating into the air before dispersing into nothing.

For a moment, you wondered if the Holy Lyre had some sort of ability to calm the soul, as your mind was not only clear of the worries you were facing minutes ago, but your tears were now gone.

You relished in the serene moment for a little while longer, wishing you could stay like this forever.

With your mind and body now calm, you thought back to everything that happened with Jean. Instead of the intense feeling of self hatred and confusion from before, you now felt numb. You tried to wrack your brain for any positive memories to look back on, and sure enough, you were presented with many.

Like the one time the two of you sat by the river and talked about your insecurities. Jean was always so terrified of not living up to her mother’s expectations of who she wanted her to be. She was scared of not being the perfect, headstrong and chivalrous daughter that she wanted.

Little did she know, she was already exactly that: strong and resilient. She fought for what she believed was right, and she was ready to face any challenge head on no matter what. You told her that to her face in that moment, a smile breaking out onto your lips subconsciously as you praised her.

You could still remember the way her cheeks reddened when you did so.

She listened just as intently when you told her your own worries. You were scared of not being able to do anything for anyone— that you were useless. You were scared that you were selfish and only thought about yourself in any given situation. You didn’t want to be like your mother. You wanted to help people, to at least do one thing to help the world grow.

When you said all of that, she stayed silent for a while, and you feared that your worries were indeed true. What were you trying to achieve in your life? You didn’t have any expectations to live up to or some huge duty to fulfill like she did. You were just a normal person, someone that didn’t have anything to offer to the world.

Unlike Jean, who had so much to offer to Mondstadt. Unlike Diluc, who protected Mondstadt. Unlike Kaeya, who was the last hope for his fallen nation.

…Unlike Barbatos, who has helped and protected Mondstadt so many times in the past, and continued to do so from the shadows. He built the nation into what it was today. His principles and beliefs were the core foundation of Mondstadt. He participated in the revolution that saved the people from the evil tyrant. Without him, Mondstadt wouldn’t be standing tall like it was.

Maybe it wouldn’t even exist anymore.

His influence shaped the nation into what it was. The three important people in your life also helped to shape the home you loved so dearly.

But you? You hadn’t done a single thing. Your fears had come true.

Your lip quivered, and the stinging of tears pricked at the corners of your eyes again. All the while, the tune you loved to associate with your ex was still being played. You gripped at your pants, your knuckles becoming lighter from the force.

What did you even have to offer to the world? That question plagued your mind so much, and you always knew the answer: …nothing.

“Sometimes,” Barbatos spoke quietly, his soothing voice cutting through your self deprecation. “The purpose we have in this world is not a big one. It can be small… but that small purpose can lead to bigger things in the future. Just like how a small breeze can bring hope to all in the darkest times.”

He smiled softly when you glanced over at him. “No matter how small that breeze is, the impact can change the world.”

Barbatos’ words resonated with you, giving you a small ounce of hope that you didn’t have before. You set out to find the answer to the question that you thought you had the answer to.

If everyone had a purpose, what was yours? Giving up wasn’t an option— not anymore at least. If Barbatos had faith that you had one, then you were going to believe him and find what it was.

With a newfound determination, you awoke the next day bright and early. Today you were going to set out and begin your journey of self reflection and acceptance; Something that you had never explored in the past because of the fears that laid beneath your skin.

But now, you were going to step out of the box you placed yourself in and explore the world without the rose colored lenses you always hid behind.

You didn’t know where to begin, but you supposed the mysterious note you received was a good start. Reading the elegant calligraphy again in your mind, your brows furrowed.

Why was someone trying to get you to find out who Barbatos really was? And why you of all people? You didn’t belong to this time. The choices you made here were already affecting Mondstadt’s future— Barbatos made that clear through his lecture a few weeks prior.

Although it severely frustrated you, you figured that you would have to find the answer for yourself.

Stepping out of the inn you were staying in, the bright rays of the sun beat down onto your exposed arms. It was a beautiful day, with a gentle breeze drifting through the streets. The city seemed to come alive, with vendors stocking their wares and tired bodies exiting their homes. A few dogs trotted down the cobblestone, barking happily.

You smiled brightly as one of them ran up to you. It was a breed that originated in Mondstadt— its black and brown coat shining in the sun. It eagerly pranced around your legs, letting out a small yip of happiness as you scratched behind its ears.

Cooing softly, you gave it the attention it wanted before it bounded off to find someone else. You took in a deep breath, the scent of dandelions on the wind relaxing your mind.

Lively chatter could be heard around every corner. As you passed by a few vendor stalls, you greeted them with a polite wave and a smile. They waved back with a smile of their own, bidding you a good morning.

Mondstadt was just the same as it always had been: a peaceful haven with friendly smiles and a welcoming atmosphere.

Your first stop for the day would be the North Wind Tavern to gather information.

Hundreds of years ago, the original library in Mondstadt was burned to the ground. Barely any records of the nation’s history had survived, gradually causing the people of Mondstadt to forget it.

You decided to take advantage of your trip to the past and venture out to the library to see what kind of books you could find on Barbatos. Seeing as how the nation had recently been built anew and it was currently the early years of The Seven rising to power, you wondered if you’d find anything at all.

However, you weren’t about to give up hope. One thing you learned from Barbatos and Gwen was that you had to stay positive.

Swinging open the door of the tavern, you spotted a few day drinkers littered about. Jovial music was being played on the stage by a bard and his companion. Behind the counter, Arbor was organizing bottles.

You could hear some clattering on the second floor. Upon craning your neck to try and see what it was, you saw Klaus taking the wooden chairs off of the tables and lighting a few candles.

“Good morning,” Arbor greeted with a curt nod.

You sent him a shy smile. You’ve never talked with him one on one before. “Good morning, Arbor. How are you?”

“Alright,” he answered shortly. “What can I help you with?”

You shook your head. “I’m not here for a drink, but thank you. Is Gwen here, by chance?”

He perked up at the mention of his younger sister. “I’m afraid not. She’s not working the tavern today. At least, not on day duty.” He turned to place a few freshly washed glasses onto the shelf, organizing them in a certain way that made you wonder if he was a bit of a perfectionist.

Your shoulders drooped. “Oh.” You could feel a pit of disappointment settle in your stomach. You were going to ask Gwen to accompany you to the library. “Well, I’ll be off—“

“Is there anything in particular you needed from her?” Arbor questioned, turning to face you with an expectant look. “I can pass along a message if you would like.”

“Well, there were a few questions I had, but… I suppose I can get them from just about anyone.”

He motioned to a seat at the bar, to which you sat down and watched as he prepared a non-alcoholic drink for you. He worked with a certain precision that answered your previous suspicions. With a final touch, he slid the glass to you and got to work on a second glass.

As soon as he finished, he rounded the bar and took a seat next to you. “Well?”

“There’s a library in the city, right?”

He raised a brow, taking a sip of his drink. “In the city? Not necessarily. There is a library, but it’s not in the city. It’s a little to the north… Why do you ask?”

You sighed. “I wanted to research a few things. I came here hoping Gwen could accompany me, but I guess I’ll have to go alone.” Going alone might be better for you. That would leave you with time to yourself to think.

“I could go with you.” He told you, his deep voice steady as his gray eyes met yours. “If you’re willing to wait until lunch, I can go with you during my lunch break.”

A smile broke out onto your lips. You were nervous to be completely alone with him because of how intimidating he seemed. There was a constant frown on his face, and his fierce gray eyes warned others to stay away. Despite his initial sharp tone and broody demeanor, you were slowly realizing that he was quite kind.

Not wanting to turn his idea down (and wanting the company on your journey), you nodded. “Okay. Sounds like a plan.”

You spent the remainder of your morning out in the streets. Before long, midday arrived, and you made your way back to the tavern. Arbor was finishing up an order as you walked in.

He placed the drink down in front of a patron and left the bar. “I’ll be out for my lunch break, Pa.” He told his father, receiving a nod from August in response. The older man saw you standing by the door and sent Arbor a small, knowing look.

Without a word, Arbor tossed his father a warning glance and joined your side. “Ready?” He slung a small bag over his shoulder.

With a hum, you nodded and the two of you began to set off for the Mondstadt library. It turned out that it was not that far from the city at all. A little north near what would later become Wolvendom.

There was minimal chatter along the way, but you didn’t mind. Sometimes silence was a better choice, and spaces did not always need to be filled with conversation.

Arbor was a comforting presence, despite your original unease towards him. You learned he was a swordsman, and quite a skilled one at that. Having to stop to deal with some monsters on the way, you watched in awe at how Arbor elegantly moved to take care of them.

Just like when he was mixing drinks, he was precise and flawless, defeating each foe with a flick of his wrist and not even breaking a sweat. He was a seasoned soldier, that much you could tell from the battle scars lining his toned arms.

He swiftly wiped the excess of remains off his blade, scowling at the sight. His scowl disappeared as he turned to you, urging you along the path that was now cleared of danger.

“Where’d you learn to fight like that?” You couldn’t help but ask, eagerness in your voice.

You’ve met your fair share of swordsmen—Kaeya being one of them. Arbor’s movements reminded you of Kaeya’s in a way. Though, Kaeya wasn’t as graceful. Diluc wasn’t either, but he was a bit of a different story.

Arbor placed his sword back in its scabbard and sighed heavily. “I reckon Gwen told you about the tale of the North Wind?” You nodded. He continued, “I worked closely with Her Majesty— I was one of her bodyguards. Among all the North Wind Knights, I was deemed the best of the best by Her Majesty’s lover.”

“She had a lover?” The surprise in your voice made Alaric let out a small huff of amusement.

“She did. A god from Natlan,” he answered, “the Mighty Lord of Fire, Lowen. They were an exceptional warrior of immense prowess and undeniable power. They were considered a god of war. According to those who only knew of them by name, they were ruthless and bloodthirsty. But to those who knew them personally, they were incredibly kindhearted and fiercely loyal.”

“But?” You glanced at him expectantly.

A look of sorrow flashed in his gray eyes. “They did not win the title of Pyro Archon. And Queen Catalina did not win the title of Anemo Archon.”

It was silent for a moment. “What happened to Lowen?” you questioned softly.

“No one knows,” he muttered. “Since no one resided in the Queen’s kingdom by the time of her death, no one knows what happened to Lord Lowen. It is assumed that they fled into the Dark Sea, but there is no proof to back such claims. Not when the Dark Sea is impossible for mortals to enter. …I am sorry, we got off track from the original conversation.”

“It’s quite alright.” You sent him a small smile.

“I was appointed under Lord Lowen as their protector each time they decided to pay a visit to the kingdom. Eventually, they took me under their wing and began training me. Although my skills with a sword were admirable, Lord Lowen claimed I had more potential that I needed to unlock. They taught me the ways of combat from their homeland, and as they surmised, my skills grew.

“They didn’t just train me in the art of the sword. They also taught me to wield a polearm, though I prefer to use a sword,” he let out a deep exhale, “and then it was Amos who taught my siblings and I the way of the hunt.”

There was that name again: Amos. You could’ve sworn you’ve seen it somewhere in the present, and it kept getting mentioned by the people around you. For now, you decided to keep your questions pertaining to Amos to yourself. If you were lucky, you’d be able to find their name in a book in the library.

“We’re here.” Arbor announced, gazing up at the fine work of architecture.

The entirety of the library was made out of fine stone, with marble pillars in the front and gold trimming lining the edges. The symbol of a triquetra laid engraved at the top. The anemo sigil was engraved into the wooden doors with a silver sheen, and the windows reached from the floor to the ceiling, allowing a generous amount of sunlight to filter through.

The name of the library was etched into the stone underneath the triquetra. The large, oak doors were extremely heavy, requiring a great amount of force to be pushed open. Arbor pushed them open without so much as a grunt, taking a step inside. You followed, your jaw falling slack at the wondrous sight.

Hundreds upon hundreds of books lined shelves on every wall. Near the entrance on both sides were tables and chairs for resting, and you could spot a few more tables near the back of the library. The ceilings towered above you, making the building look bigger than it was. Elegant chandeliers hung down from the marble ceilings, all of them lit.

There were more aisles of books than you could count on both your hands and Alaric’s combined. It seemed to go on forever, though you knew it didn’t. A receptionist desk sat to your right, with a blonde woman looking to be in her thirties occupying the space.

She greeted the both of you with a gentle smile. “Welcome. If there’s anything you’re searching for in particular, feel free to ask me,” she said in a hushed voice, maintaining the peace and quiet of the library. Even though her voice was quiet, it still echoed off of the walls.

The fact that this very library would be destroyed in the future caused a pang in your heart. This place was absolutely gorgeous, filled with possibly more knowledge than the Sumeru Akademiya’s House of Daena. It made you not only upset, but angry at whoever caused the downfall of such an important piece of Mondstadt’s history.

“Thank you.” You returned the woman’s smile and began to walk towards the many aisles of books. Where would you even start? It’d take you years to find what you needed, and possibly centuries to read every book in here.

A little overwhelmed by the gargantuan selection of books, you sighed. You could already feel a headache forming.

Arbor’s eyes flickered between the labels on the aisles, and you wondered what he was looking for. You hadn’t told him your exact reasons for coming here, so he couldn’t possibly know that you were here looking for books on the Anemo Archon. So what was he searching for?

Instead of interrupting his search, you split off to browse on your own. There could be multiple options on where you could find books on Barbatos. Either the ‘A’ section— for Anemo Archon, ‘B’ for Barbatos, ‘G’ for gods, or maybe even ‘T’ for The Seven Archons.

You took to the ‘A’ aisle first, thumbing over every book’s spine in hope to find what you were looking for. In the end, your frustration led you to the woman working the front desk.

“Ah, you aren’t the first nor are you the last to look for information on Lord Barbatos,” she smiled as she led you to the back of the library. You would’ve never thought to come all the way back here. “Luckily for you, I have donated a few books in the past few months. Everything you’re looking for is in this section.”

She pointed to a relatively small section in the very back of the library, a shelf tucked in a corner near a doorway leading to an employee only area. There was also a table with a few chairs on your right. A few books had been left on the table. Seeing the books, the woman sighed.

“I wish people would put the books away after using them. If you need anything else, let me know.” With a final smile, she gathered up the books on the table and left you alone.

You turned to the small section she directed you to. There wasn’t much… only a few books in total, but you took what you could get. You pulled the first book off the shelf and read the cover.

“The Pale Princess and the Six Pygmies”

Your brows furrowed in confusion. This book still existed in your era. There were many copies of it in fact, mostly in Mondstadt. Had this book been one of the few that survived the destruction of the library? That couldn’t be… nothing survived that fire. So what was it doing completely intact in the future?

And why was it in a section of the library pertaining to Barbatos?

Regardless, you placed the book in your bag and plucked another from the shelf. You suspected that this one was one of the books that that woman had donated, as it was practically untouched and in perfect condition. You placed it in your bag.

The next book you pulled from the shelf caused the one next to it to fall off. You reacted quickly, catching the book before it could fall to the polished floors. You sighed in relief. A few loose papers slipped from the pages and fluttered to the ground. As you picked them up, you noticed they were sheet music.

Taking a look at the book they escaped from, it was none other than a journal. The leather binding was worn from years of wear and tear, and there was a small windwheel aster drawn on the spine. The front of the journal did not contain the name of the author, though there were multiple scratches on it. In the bottom corner was a set of initials that you concluded was the author’s.

On the inside was a name you recognized; One that Ragnvindr had uttered the night prior. If you remembered correctly, the name belonged to a young bard in the rebellion who was among the many that died. You had never heard of the bard’s name before this. Since this journal was here in the library, you considered that it too was burned in the great fire.

However, you recalled seeing a similar journal in Crepus’ old study. You never went prying in his stuff, unlike Diluc who was extremely nosy and always up in his father’s business. If your suspicions were correct and this was the same journal that you had seen in Crepus’ study, then how did it end up in the hands of the Ragnvindr family?

You put the thought aside for now and focused on the contents of the journal. You took a seat at the nearby table and opened up to the first page, absentmindedly running your fingers over the engravings on the spine of the journal. The writing was messy, but still legible.

A date was marked at the top of each entry.

“Today, with a few others, I picked some windwheel asters just shy of the wind barrier. My hand almost got whisked off, were it not for one of my companions! A close call.”

“Today, I have found my very own windblume.

It shall stand as a beacon of hope for the future that is to come.

If these flowers can survive this harsh climate, then so too can I and the others of Mondstadt survive these trying times.”

“Today, a family hailing from the West joined in on my singing. They are quite the talented bunch. The parents are even skilled soldiers!

When asked about their origins, they claimed to have been living under another god’s rule. We did not even know there were other gods outside the wind barrier.

We do not know of anything outside this barred city.”

You paused your reading. The family mentioned was most likely the Blair family that had been taken under Decarabian’s rule.

“The people are growing restless and impatient. Waiting around for a miracle is no longer an option for anyone. It is time to put an end to this tyranny.

I have taken matters into my own hands. A rebellion is what is needed to finally regain our freedom.”

“A miracle arrived after all.

A small wind spirit born from our cries for help has revealed itself to us. Such a small thing it is, but that matters not.

It is fond of my playing. It is also fond of my voice. I shall place all my hopes in this new beacon of light that has graced us with its help.”

“More people have been brought under Lord Decarabian’s rule. More of Queen Catalina’s people.

It is assumed she is losing power. The small wind spirit seems to be quite familiar with her name. I find myself wondering about their connection.”

“The people among the rebellion are growing discouraged. There is not much I can do. I am no soldier, I cannot rally troops.

My only talent lies with the lyre. With this, I hope to ease their worries and raise their spirits. This is my role, and I will see it through. For the people, for freedom, for Mondstadt.”

“The wind spirit has not given up hope, and therefore I will not either.

Today it spoke. It was humming a tune I have never heard of before. I wish to turn it into a song, however, the spirit claimed to have already known the lyrics to the song I want to write.

As peculiar as that might be, it gave me more hope for the future.”

“Meetings for the rebellion have gotten more frequent. After today’s meeting, I stayed behind.

When asked why, I confided in Ragnvindr, and told him of my worries. He had enough on his plate, but listened to my ramblings anyway.

‘Do not worry about your strength of body’, he told me. ‘Those who wield the blade will carry all the burdens of the people. You need only focus on your strength of will, and pass all your worries to me.’

His words resonated with me. He is a good listener… and a good friend.”

“I admire the bravery of the Gunnhildr Clan. They have not once put down their blades, nor have they shown any signs of surrender.

The wind spirit admires them too. They are what brought the Gunnhildrs to us. If not for both of them, I fear that we would have failed much sooner.”

“Lately, a terrible feeling has consumed me. I fear that we may fail, but… my worries should not discourage me. Nor should I trouble Ragnvindr with them again.

I will continue to play my lyre and sing. It is my role in this war. And I shall leave the fighting to my allies who can.”

“I fear I will not live to see tomorrow’s dawn. Should I die, my only regret would be not giving my wind spirit a name. But how could I give it a name when all the names that came to mind did not fit?

I considered giving it my name… but that would be quite selfish, wouldn’t it?

I asked Amos if it was selfish. She promptly said ‘It is not. We often name things after ourselves to better understand them, and perhaps even love them better, because it is hard to love who we are. By doing this, we learn to love ourselves.’

Her words touched my heart. When I asked if it was even fair to name an immortal being, she replied, ‘Naming it after yourself would further immortalize you. There is nothing wrong with immortalizing the ones history has its eyes on, especially if they are a paragon of hope and virtue.’

I believe this was her way of saying that I am important to history… However, I am hesitant to believe so. If history were to have its eyes on anyone, it would be her, Ragnvindr, the Gunnhildrs, and of course, my wind spirit friend.

I am but a bard. My name will not be remembered, unlike those of my allies.”

“Oh how I wish I could have seen the birds in flight, and the open skies beyond the wind barrier.

I will fight for my people, my freedom, and for my beloved Mondstadt.

And of course, I shall fight for my wind spirit friend, who still goes without a name. Should I live, I will give them a name I have been thinking of for quite some time.

Should I live, we will travel the world together, and we shall sing songs for all to hear in an era where Mondstadt is free.”

That was the last entry. You knew what happened after that. The bard died, just like many others during the rebellion. Ragnvindr was the one who told you this.

Carefully closing the journal, you placed it in your bag. You didn’t know why it was so significant to Barbatos. There was no mention of him anywhere in any of the journal entries.

Standing up from your chair, you made your way back to the front of the library. You took the woman at her word when she told you to come to her if you needed anything else. Perhaps she had some insight into the journal you found.

As you were approaching her desk, Arbor joined your side once more, two thin books tucked under his arm. You eyed them curiously, trying to get a peek at the titles on the spines.

“Have you found what you were looking for?” he questioned, redirecting your attention to his handsome face.

You sent him a small smile and nodded. “I have.” You then placed the books on the desk before you. “I’d like to check these books out.”

The blonde haired woman nodded and sent you a warm smile. “Sure thing! Just write your name down here, as well as the names of the books, and you’ll be good to go!” She slid a piece of paper towards you and you took the quill from her hands, elegantly writing your name down on the paper.

You handed the quill back and placed the books back into your bag. Arbor did the same, and soon after, the two of you were retreating back to the city. A subconscious smile graced your lips as you traced your finger along the spine of one of the books.

Arbor peered over, a small scoff escaping his lips at the book’s title. You could’ve sworn you saw a hint of a scowl on his face. However, it was gone as quick as it came.

“You’re interested in the Anemo Archon?”

You nodded, “Yes. I’d like to learn more about him, so I’m hoping these books will help.” You showed him the other books you signed out, and he hummed disinterestedly.

He turned away from you, his gray eyes narrowing. Studying his put off expression, you could see him clenching his jaw. Various assumptions filled your head at that moment, all of them shouting the same thing. You didn’t want to believe them, so you shut them out and decided to play the role of being ignorant instead.

It was a not so wise choice, but you’d take that over the possible truth of the matter.

Clearing your throat, you pointed to the books tucked under his arm. “Were you also looking for something?”

You remembered the way he immediately darted off to look for something in particular the moment you stepped foot into the library. You were more than curious to know what it was he was looking for, but you also knew when to keep your nose out of others’ business.

Arbor shifted, hiding the books’ titles from view, and sent you a curt nod. “A few books were recently imported from Sumeru’s Akademiya. I have been waiting for them for a while now.”

His grip on the books tightened, as if someone were going to steal them away. You certainly had no desire to.

Sensing he was not going to talk further about the matter, you didn’t pry into what it was he was hoping to learn about from those books. Instead, you glanced back down at the book in your hands and traced your fingers over the cover.

It was a beautiful cerulean color, with the depiction of Barbatos’ wings in the center. Gold trimming lined the wings, glittering under the light of the sun. The drawing looked like an exact replica of the Anemo Archon’s grand wings. Except, this drawing had two pairs of wings instead of just one.

You considered he might look more grandiose if he had two pairs of magnificent ivory wings— or maybe even three. A subconscious smile broke out onto your lips as the thought crossed your mind. The image you curated in your head did not help.

Closing your eyes briefly, you vowed you would uncover his secrets and therefore learn more about him not only as an archon, but as a person. And through that, you would also uncover the mysteries behind that note you still kept tucked in your pocket.

But if you were going to learn more about the god, that meant you had to spend an awful lot of time with him. That was going to be a difficult feat.

It was hard to catch him when he was as free as the wind and went wherever he pleased whenever he pleased. But you were not going to give up, because if there was anything to praise you for, it was your hard work and determination to see things through once you set your mind to something.

You would see this through, no matter what.

author’s note: not even halfway done with chapter 2, which is why i decided to split it up into 2 parts. how are we liking the blair family so far? arbor and gwen?

for some context on the “queen catalina” and “lord lowen” i wrote about, they’re two of my ocs. in the genshin universe, they existed during the archon war. catalina ruled over a small portion of mondstadt and was just as kind and gentle as barbatos. she was the god of memories. lowen ruled over a portion of natlan and was calm, strategic, and calculating. they often came off as intimidating, but they were actually quite kind and compassionate. lowen was the god of wrath.

every time i insert catalina and lowen somewhere, they’re always lovers. and for some reason i always give them the tragic lovers trope or right person, wrong time trope.

yes, catalina has a connection to barbatos. in one of my other fics that’s on wp, catalina and barbatos had a very close relationship that was akin to that of lovers, but i never explicitly state what their relationship status was. im leaving it up to reader interpretation 👍 just like im going to do for this fic too. so u can view them however u want - whether it be past lovers, close friends, allies, or a qpr. but they are never enemies.

if u’d like more insight into their relationship from my other fic, feel free to ask! i love talking about them! :D

also ofc if u have any other questions, pls ask! i’ll answer them as best as i can.

[ickymichi]

TOKYO REV CHARACTERS WHO SMOKE!!

-by a stoner

warnings: drug use obvs.

things to know: all of age to do this blah blah no illegal shit, well. be quiet. 1 suggestive sentence in hakkai’s. this is all 4 fun

note: first thing i post in ages and it’s this lol. i thought of this in depth while smoking so i had to let it be known cause it’s all true.

mymattsun 2022. don’t repost or modify on this or any other platform. reblogs and feedback are greatly appreciated.

DRAKEN. he’s that calm and collected while dealing with mikey 24/7? and you think he’s sober doing it. no chance. he probably smokes every other day. like 3 times a week. but would probably smoke 2 or 3 on a good day. he prefers blunts just bc, he’s unfairly good at rolling. like if he rolls for u, it’s gonna go down like heaven. is already more calm then he normally is and gets really giddy. like kinda just sits with a smile and lidded eyes the whole time.

BAJI he has allll that energy and attitude and listens to “baji-san! baji-san! baji- san!! all day, but doesn’t smoke? yeah okay bozo. mf does it literally every day, like shit lemme join. also would light up while in public walking around like it isn’t illegal. he sets cars on fire mf doesn’t care. definitely another blunt r joint guy. did a bong with chifuyu and got sent straight to sleep. convinced fuyu he now has asthma after that time. we got ourselves a muncher here ppl. will eat anything in sight. also gets sleepy sometimes. also questions everything. including how tf draken survived getting stabbed. also laughs too much. like calm down.

MITSUYA takes care of two ankle biters and hakkai for a living. and you gonna try?- just shhh. doesn’t like to do it alone tho, he gets paranoid asf. draken is his favourite smoke bud. he got sewing fingers so he’s ofc gonna be good at rolling, but prefers bongs or pipes. weirdo. gets a burst of energy most times and gets the giggles. he’s the complete opposite of sober him. doesn’t do it too often maybe 2 times a week 3 max. one of those that doesn’t eat all that much just gets cotton mouth.

HAKKAI does it cause taka-chan does. he did at the start now probably does it more than him. but he also only does it with people, unless he wants a late night one then will do it himself. probably like 4 times a week. prefers joints but can’t roll for the sake of his life so gets someone else to for him. loves doing it with baji r fuyu jc they’re so funny to be around. eats his whole body weight in chocolate or ramen. HE TURNS INTO A WHORE!!!! thinks about all that shit sm when he’s high.

MIKEY found shinichiro’s stash and proceeds to investigate it with draken. that’s how they got introduced to it. doesn’t do it that often but only does it with kenchin. blunt r bong kinda guy. questions life then cries laughing in the same minute. feasts on snacks only. FEASTS!!!!

NAHOYA you.. you’re going to tell me. HE. HIMMM. isn’t a fucking POTHEAD??!!! will light it up before a fight or meeting. another daily inhaler. also does it inside if he’s too lazy to go outside?? pisses off souya smmm. another fucking animal who will order a whole apocalypse worth of food. either sits around and play loud ass music or movies or gets up and runs the world. no in between. does it with draken if he wants to chill, baji if he wants to laugh and hakkai if he wants to fuck with someone(hakkai gets so fcking paranoid)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

HANMA. he’s a crazy mf and probably does coke too c’mon.

CHIFUYU baji-san does it. fuyu follows.

HAITANI BROS they from ropongi ain’t that like party city ?

YUZUHA she deals with hakkai. c’mon now

SANZU hate this mf but he a purple pilly popper

OG BLACK DRAGONS seem like a chill group of guys so they definitely did in some abandoned building. grandpa sano deffo found shins shit but didn’t care.

ROTATION.

1. DRAKEN. always. he will always start.

2. MITSUYA. a good second. puff puff and pass religiously

3. NAHOYA. would be lower but look at the lineup.. tends to ramble and tell bullshit stories n forgets it’s his turn.

4. BAJI. inhales half the fucking joint like calm down it’s not going any where bro..

5. HAKKAI purely cause he coughs till he red n is a wet smoker.

6. MIKEY. you thot he gonna be up there? mf SATURATES THE TIP!!!

[baeshijima]

𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫!𝐚𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫!𝐲/𝐧

A/N : i have nothing to say other than the fact there will be an excessive amount of twitch slang bc why tf not + just,,, heavy streamer!albedo brainrot ;-;

masterlist

AIGHT

streamer albedo

…

pog—

so before we get into him being whipped for u, let’s go over the type of strimmer mr Kreideprinz is

fun fact that’s his twitch name—

albedo would be the type to do lots of variety streams of different games, but also the occasional art one if he wants to have a chill stream with his chat !!

speaking of chat… they’re an odd mix of wholesome supporters, KAPPA + POGGERS + catJAM (bc he always has some bangers on in the bg like yes u bless our ears my guy) + KEKW + EZ Clap + his own emotes spammers, mr albedo’s very own shrimps (me, ahEm—), and ppl who just appreciate his voice + gameplay

if there’s a troll he just bans them OMEGALUL

omg he has lots of emotes (which he made in some of his art streams so his viewers could choose some) for every scenario but we’ll get into the popular ones in a bit 👁👁

he’s most definitely one of the bigger, well-known streamers but with a smaller group of friends

his discord server has,,, a lot of ppl,,, 70k+ ppl big,,, rip notifs if ur in it ;-;

he has it muted tho 🐥 like, sir, that’s ur server pay the goddamn price smh

wait i forgot to mention this but he has his webcam on when streaming

so u can bet ur chickens that when ppl come to visit his stream bc of whatever category he has on, they stay for his visuals and voice <33

his twt 🤡 mans gets 1k+ likes, rts, comments within the first 5-10 mins

omg he gets soft when he receives sm support from his community 🥺🥺

gifts so many subs when hitting milestones, chat is wholesome or just whenever really HJKSDHKL 

also doesn’t swear much unless he gets played by his own game and/or someone is being incredibly annoying <//3

he also just,,, eats on stream

albedo straight up takes his webcam with him to show him cooking if his viewers ask for it

or he just orders food then and there and eats while chatting to everyone or watching youtube with his chat 🥺

nOW ONTO HIM BEING WHIPPED FOR U AS A GENSHIN STREAMER

this AR55 man 👩‍🦯

he can literally produce content from anything

from artifact farming, to spiral abyss, to running around mindlessly, to building characters he would normally never build, to him seeing how high up is considered too high to dive

and everyone eats it up bc it’s albedo <3

also !! he’s the type who includes the story quests in his streams so his reaction and thoughts on everything is just,,, there

now when u were first introduced in the prologue (yes ur one of the ogs + involved in the dvalin fight <33) he blanked and all his viewers could see was u on screen with him staring blankly in the bottom right of the screen

this man straight up saw u in a cutscene for one second and fell in love

his chat went wild omfg

he immediately made an emote for u and that’s his most popular one 😌

but i kid u not, the moment u appeared in that cutscene (one in which he will forever treasure in the crevices of his heart) was the moment he asked this exact question ;

“ so (y/n) banner when? ” 

and mihoyo heard his pleas and answered with ur event banner 

except it was like,, 4 months later 

at least ur finally here tho :’)

now he can have his lil science-y moments with ur voicelines ;-;

yes, ur the chief alchemist but ✨ 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 ✨

. . .

shut up

n e who

when he saw the notification from mihoyo’s official forums that u will be a playable character in the new update — along with new characters, region, events & a domain — i shit u not he did a rt, his own tweet, an announcement on the community feature on youtube, and made constant reminders to his viewers on twitch abt how he will be a (y/n) haver no matter what

he even added future (y/n) haver in his twt display name

what a shrimp—

the 1.2 update stream 🐥 he was there waiting for it to go live with like,,, 19k viewers spamming his chat abt predictions and obv ur official release + showcase

and when i say this man fell even more in love while watching ur trailer and character showcase 🥺 he wouldn’t stop smiling or being in awe bc ur just??? so stunning???

mihoyo clearly has a favourite child and it’s u

chat was spamming ur exclusive emote like crazy oml

u can bet it was also flooded with lots of POGs and POGGERS 

overall it was a very fun, chaotic stream filled with lots of (y/n) appreciation and love <33

also a very memorable stream for all his viewers bc of the side of albedo they rarely see unless ur involved

the day ur banner was to go live tho 🐥

the streams leading up to the fateful day consisted of him farming ur mats 

that’s it

boss runs, local specialties, hero wits, talent books, the mats needed for ur weapon he was inevitably going to pull for (only the best for the best, afterall) and many domain runs

many painful domain runs

all of it was worth it tho bc ur worth everything :’)

an actual quote said by him—

at least he can get u and ur weapon to lvl 90 right off the bat with all the artifacts tailored for u ;-;

and get u to that point he did HJSDKJF

once ur banner dropped? immediately started wishing

2 multis in and he gets u 😣

albedo nearly cried and was the literal embodiment of head in hands

wHEN I SAY HIS CHAT BLEW TF UP AND HIS MODS JOINED IN

modCheck has left the chat

everyone’s rooting for him :’)

pulled for ur weapon and got it in 1 multi

sir give me ur luck pls and ty

but yes he nearly choked on the gASP he let out while chat screamed even more

he blanked for a bit, i won’t lie ;-;

but when he realised this was real, he immediately went to his party set up and put u in

can we all get an f in the chat for his lvl 10 tartaglia 😔💔👊

his chat usually rages at him to build him but if he’s being honest, he cba

ur vl when he put u in the party tho <333

now he’s just spent half an hour running around with u, letting u do ur idle animations (will always be grateful for mihoyo creating u like this), reading ur very limited (for now—) character story and going through ur voicelines 

ur morning & about us (when he unlocks it) voiceline >>>>> his heart be running laps rn i swear

eventually he does begin to build u after much admiration on his end and at lvl 1 with lvl 20 artifacts, u already have 1.6k atk 🐥

now after he levels u and ur weapon to lvl 90, u have 2.8k atk 🐥

rip mobs <//3

he now plays u as his main dps 😌

the kit initially designed for u is meant to be more for support?? kinda like the whole ganyu or zhongli debate abt them being a dps or a support/sub dps ;-;

except ur more utility like venti or bennett

and even though the majority said at the beginning (aka, mihoyo, pretty much any other streamer and the larger part of the fanbase) that ur meant for support, he said fuck that and built u as his main dps

and i won’t lie, u do more damage than any of his characters, and ppl who co op with him

ur his pride and joy :’)

he went to take a look at ur consts to see if they were worth the rng suffering and, lo-and-behold,

they were

so now he’s using all his saved primos for u to try and get ur c6 const, along with making ur weapon r5 :’)

his chat gets a free view of him internally suffering when the gold light doesn’t come, and his external suffering when he loses the 50/50

in the end, he decided to whale for u <33

after nearly an hour, he has u to c6 and ur weapon to r5 ;-;

now all he’s been doing the whole stream is running around with u in open world, doing his daily farming, doing more domain and boss runs, exploring the new region (dragonspine) + ur story quest

he’s saving the event quest for another stream bc ✨content✨ 

in ur quest, he had multiple heart attacks and now has many, many screenshots <3

he now has a zoomed in pic of ur face as his twt pfp <33

okay so i also feel like he’s not all that bothered abt getting characters to friendship level 10 immediately and would rather let it happen through time

but obv ur not any other character *proceeds to debby ryan at u*

even if ur not fit for a particular domain or boss, he still puts u in the party so when collecting the blossom/rewards, u can get the friendship exp ;-;

he just wants ur name card so he can show off okay 🥺

when he lets his viewers pick out the playlist, 98% of the songs are from ur character demo theme 

they just know him so well 😩

they also just wanna see the way he smiles when he hears it play but shhhhhh

now he just has his in-game avatar as u, and ur namecard too <33

also his signature is just ;

“ (y/n)’s favourite streamer ”

[4shfur]

im late to the party but i did the favorite warriors __ challenge!!! something happened to the lineart so uhh just ignore it sorry

explanations are under the cut if anyone wants to read them cause i dont want this post to be unbearably long 😅

favorite mother and kit: leafpool and jayfeather. idk i just thjink their relationship is very interesting! the lost stars bonus scene made me cry. dovewing and shadowsight and yellowfang and firestar are close seconds

favorite siblings: the og 3 OBVIOUSLY. i love them sm im gonna name my children after them. hollyleaf is a beautiful name for a baby girl.

favorite m/m ship: i hc half of these character as nby but whatever. i chose jayberry, rootshadow, and firegray. i just think theyre cute. theyre my scrinkly scrimblos.

favorite father and kit: tree and rootspring!! i just think they have a really sweet relationship in tbc. i also really like togerstar and shadowsight

favorite friendship: idk about you guys but i always thought the medicine cats should get more time as a sort of friend group! nowadays in asc everyone hates each other 😔😔 but anyways yeah i like to think jaypaw, kestrelpaw, willowpaw, and flamepaw were all friends and got into hijinks

favorite f/m ship: bristleroot 😔 idk they just really grew on me in alitm. i think they definitely could have been written better but oh well. i also like sunbeam/shadowsight but this art is kinda old so yeah

favorite grandparent and kit: firestar and the three!!  i adored the family dynamic in po3 it was so wholesome (too bad it couldnt stay that way ._.) i like to imagine firestar was always trying to be hip and cool with his grandkits and other apprentices and they were just like please dont grandpa.

mentor and apprentice: leafpool, jayfeather, and alderheart!! they were totally a chaotic trio

favorite f/f ship. i also hc these characters as nby fhksbdjshf anyways i chose hollyolive and dovebriar! hollyleaf x olivenose is a rarepair of mine (they interact i think 0 times) but theyre cute to me. dovebriar is also cute. enough said.