#i love asase shrine

[neros-w]

new stray coming to asase shrine

[glouris]

About some characters’ possible incarnations in previous samsaras

So Teyvat is trapped in a cycle, is constantly going through samsaras, and reincarnation really is all but confirmed now apparently. 

A lot of people jumped to point at Childe and Parsifal, then speculate which other historical figures could also be his previous incarnations.

Childe's case is really, really interesting, but I wanted to bring up another character that also seems to be pulled into this samsara vortex somehow - Itto. 

(This is gonna be long and have A LOT of reaches and speculations.)

Let’s look at Akuou (Touzannou) from Watatsumi Island. We don't have confirmation on which species he actually belonged to, but from what information we have on him, he would most likely be either a vishap hybrid, or an oni. He was described as “the wicked fangs and claws of the Great Serpent, the savage, demonic invader of Yashiori Island”. “‘Fangs and claws of the Serpent” makes it sound like he was a vishap, but I think him being called “demonic” is a more important characterisation here. The name ‘Akuou’ also may be a reference to the legends of Akuro'ou - “an ancient demonic warrior in the Japanese folklore who fought against the imperial court”, so again, demonic, an oni. And, well, oni also have claws and fangs, but I did have to mention that this guy could be a lizard person instead. 

If we assume that Touzannou was an oni, we can start to notice a lot of coincidences pile up. First, Touzannou’s personality seems to resemble Itto’s - he was reckless, boastful, presumptuous, but very kind. Not the brightest mind, as it’s said that “his strength was his only strength". He came up with his own fighting styles that are still passed down on Watatsumi. Itto’s fighting style is his own as well: 

(I love Itto so much man.)

Touzannou fought the Tengu Sasayuri and was called Akuou  - “Wicked King”; Kokomi’s Everlasting Moonglows story mentions it like that: 

Itto’s Redhorn tells a story about an “Otogi King”, who was boisterous and boastful too. And that’s where it gets weird, please walk with me. One of Itto’s passive talents is getting more wood, and if we look at how the trees are distributed on the map, the VAST majority of the Otogi trees are found on Yashiori Island.

As already mentioned, Yashiori was invaded by Orobashi and his people 2000 years ago, and ultimately became the resting place for Akuou (Touzannou) and shrine maiden Mouun, a very important figure I’ll talk about later. 99% of Itto’s story quest also happens to take place on Yashiori.

A cornplate detail, but Itto was also at Nazuchi Beach (Yashiori Island sub-area) in his dedicated album posted on genshin’s youtube channel. The ost playing on Nazuchi Beach is called Stranded Wish, which is quite an interesting name choice for a place that suffered so much tragedy and war. 

(This is also actually a Watatsumi ship, as mentioned by an npc we can talk to there)

Speaking of Watatsumi, Itto’s most obvious connection to it is through Gorou, as he is his dedicated support. The less obvious connection is his similarities with Akuou, and some things involving Kokomi. Sure, his quest is only accessible after you complete Kokomi’s, and their signature artifacts in the same domain, but her involvement seems to run a bit deeper than that. 

You see, the whole thing that started it all is Akuou being mentioned in Kokomi’s donut. At first I thought it’s actually the same guy from the Redhorn, because their description was so similar, basically just ‘evil king that fights a tengu’. But it was exactly this description that made me notice some interesting pattern of interconnected characters.

2000 years ago: Akuou the Evil King, Mouun the shrine maiden and Tengu Sasayuri. 

500 year ago: Tengu Reizenbou, Asase Hibiki and Ako Domeki.

Present day: Arataki Itto, Kokomi, and Kujou Sara. 

Take a look at depictions of Asase Hibiki (left) and Mouun (right) from the TCG cards:

Their haircuts seem to be identical, with the hair color being the only difference. Better yet, it's also similar to Kokomi's haircut. 

The oni from their respective time periods (or samsaras) are named Akuou, Ako and Arataki. Inconsequential, but interesting. 

Let’s take a look at Ako Domeki, and speculate a little (or a lot). Both Akuou and Itto had conflicts with a tengu, but Ako seemingly didn’t. But, since he’s 500 years back on the timeline, it puts him on the same time period as Tengu Reizenbou and the ‘otogi king’ from Itto’s redhorn. There is a slight chance that this ‘otogi king’ was actually Ako Domeki post Serai and Golden Apple, but there’s nothing really to prove or disprove this, apart from the fact that they both have similarities with Akuou and Itto.

Another thing that could possibly have something to do with Ako Domeki are those weird oni symbols scattered around Watatsumi. These symbols are connected to Rinzou's Treasure world quest - you look for pirate treasure, and find Rinzou’s letter where he talks about his life.

This “outlander king” inspired Rinzou to leave Watatsumi when he grew up. And, it’s interesting that he chose an oni mask as his insignia when he left Watatsumi. If this old man was the reason for him to go into the world to seek adventure at sea and become a pirate, it would make sense for his insignia to be inspired by this old man. Which would make him an oni. 

Could this be Ako Domeki, an oni pirate, that inspired another person to become a pirate? It’s far-fetched, but again, as we don’t have any confirmation for the end of Ako Domeki story, it could have really been him. 

Getting back to Akuou and Mouun. Mouun’s name has a very interesting possible origin: 

Kokomi’s ‘slumbering dragon’ constellation comes to mind here. 

Mouun was friends with a great 900 year old whale called Daikengyou.

They both were slain during the Yashiori Island invasion. But, the fact that this whale managed to live for so long almost definitely means that it was no ordinary whale - perhaps it was the same creature as the All Devouring Narwhal. 

Meanwhile Kokomi had a whale in her demo, which should definetly raise some red flags.

Akuou was taught different rituals by Mouun and her sister Ayame, including an art of whalesong. Interestingly enough, Itto is a very good singer apparently:  

So, in light of recent developments with whales in the main story, I don’t really think that this art of ‘whalesong’ was something connected to ordinary marine life, it’s too specific now. Given that Orobashi was actively opposing Heavenly Principles, I won’t put it past him and his followers to be involved with the likes of Surtalogi that keeps celestial whales as pets. 

Last thing, the books about Akuou and Mouun, as well as about other Watatsumi dealings (Debates on the "Viceroy of the East", A Preliminary Study of Sangonomiya Folk Belief, The Life of Mouun the Shrine Maiden, and more) are not in the book archive, but in the quest items. Must be important. 

So, let’s round things up. Akuou, Ako Domeki, Arataki Itto, all with similar sounding names, are boisterous, kind oni, that all have mentions of being called ‘kings’ (Itto’s ult is called ‘raging oni king state’), all have some ties to Yashiori Island (Ako Domeki is mentioned on a note on Nazuchi Beach, and if the Otogi King and him really were the same person, there’s Yashiori having the most otogi trees in Inazuma), all being exceptional fighters, all having ties to a notable tengu and a shrine maiden, that also have connections to characters taking on the same role from a different time periods. 

Ako Domeki is up in the air, but Akuou and Itto really do seem to be connected somehow.

[daxdraggon]

WOO! Finally got her done* and got a damn name and vision for her!

Nekomamure Kyouka - Kyou for short. She's 52yo. She's the High Priestess of the Asase Shrine on Serai Island.

I settled on Geo for her element, but am kinda indecisive if I want her to be a Bow or Catalyst user. All I know is that one of her abilities is Smash With Kitty Rocks.

Personality-wise, she's a ginger cat. Head empty. No worries. Only meow. She's also very loyal and loving, and isn't bothered by much, which makes her very useful in most stressful situations.

[ha-ule-nalu]

hehe but IM on pc >:3

for Eiji<3

First time they realized their "calling" in life

First time adopting/taking care of a pet

First time leaving their home country

First time facing their fears

First thing they remember feeling proud of

First time they felt accepted/welcomed by another character

aaaand

First introduction in their story (share a snippet or description)

WAAHHHHOOOOOOOOOOO been working on this since the morning i got these dont look at me

first time he realized his “calling” in life.

eiji never really had his own “purpose”. he was created to serve the shogun’s will without question, and after he ran from the shogunate, he didn’t really know how to live, or what to do. you could say his first “calling” was when he decided to look after lady neko, the asase shrine, and all of the cats on the small island since the place was abandoned. he figured that would be his purpose, but he still didn’t know how to live life. but once he met katsumi, he finally felt as if he had found his calling. it wasn’t fighting, it wasn’t eternal wandering, it wasn’t purely to take care of an abandoned shrine. he felt as though his calling, his purpose, was purely to love and to live. to make sure there was a roof over his partner’s head, to make sure there was food to eat, there were books to read, and there were blank canvases to paint. he wants to enjoy the life he has, despite what he is, and enjoy it with the man he loves the most.

first time adopting/taking care of a pet.

this would be when he first stumbled across the asase shrine. when he met lady neko, he was curious about her. she could speak, she could walk, she looked like him but definitely not the same as him. she taught him a lot about the world , the shrine, the history of inazuma. and in exchange, he took care of her, the other cats, and the shrine itself. he caught them plenty of fish, made them safe places to sleep, and kept the shrine clean and tidy. he also would nap with them frequently, letting them cool off on his cold skin as they relaxed in the sun.

first time leaving his home country.

i’d like to think it was a trip with katsumi to mondstadt for a few weeks. one day when he was at a market in ritou, he ran into kazuha, and they had a very lengthy conversation. eiji had made an offhand comment about how he wished he could take katsumi somewhere nice, and kazuha offered them both a spot on the crux on their next voyage from the islands. he wanted to treat katsumi, so he wrote letters reserving a room in an inn he read about in an ad, researched sights to see and built a little pamphlet of info on places with maps of areas and everything. he was more than prepared. and he kept it all a secret until he brought it all up as a surprise a few days before the trip. despite his fears of leaving inazuma with his condition, he was excited and the trip went very well.

first time facing his fears.

100% when he went to any populated cities for the first time since he fled tenshukaku. he was so weary of being caught, but he knew he needed supplies. he started slow at first, visiting just small villages or thanking his lucky stars when he stumbled across traveling merchants. he eventually made his way back to inazuma city and ritou after the traveler resolved things with the shogun.

the first thing he remembers feeling proud of.

that would be when he first started working on his own hobbies. it started with mending tears in his well-worn clothes after months of living in the same garments as he never felt too cold nor too hot, and the clothes never dirtied from anything but his environment. when he finally made it to the markets, he purchased a few rolls of fabric, needles, and a few spools of thread. he enjoyed teaching himself how to sew, taking apart and resewing his own clothes to learn how the stitches were formed. he made extra trips to the city for more fabric, and began working on sewing himself entirely new clothing rather than patchworking his old raggedy haori and kimono. his creativity spread to small crafts like making windchimes out of little trinkets and shells katsumi would bring back for him, little sculptures out of wires and assortments of things, and a little bit of embroidery. his crafts make him feel more like a real, living being rather than just a puppet soldier.

first time he felt accepted/welcomed by another character.

as corny as it may be... it would be when he met katsumi. there were no prejudices, no questions, just two people who fell a bit outside of the category of "person", two runaways with no home, and no one. but once katsumi just kept coming back, no matter what eiji said to him or how many times he told him he should find somewhere else to stay, he would wake up to a pile of shells near the front of the shrine and a bloodied kitsune resting in the grass near the beach just a few yards away. he didn't have to feel like he needed to pretend to be a human with katsumi. he wasn't a rogue warrior on the run with him. he was just eiji.

first introduction in his story.

since he was made for genshin i'll put his genshin intro, but really no matter what it's nothing flashy. he doesn't really even get his own story quest or big explosive introduction, he just kindof appears during the seirai stormchasers pt 1 quest in the background, curiously watching the traveler as he speaks with eiko and taisuke, until traveler ends up at the shrine where he intervenes. he helps through part of the quest, speaking with the traveler and lady neko. but after pt 4 of the quest he isn't really seen in the story again. all of his lore would be hidden in the journals he wrote that could be collected inside the shrine, or from raiden herself during the archon quests.

[bunnhildr]

i need all of them for eiji im sorry he makes me twirl my hair you understand

I UNDERSTAND.

Are there any names they like to be called in bed/names they call their partner? Any names they wouldn’t use/can’t stand?

eiji himself isn't a pet name user, the most he'd use is probably 'baby boy' (he read that one in a book lol), 'my love', and 'darling'. the pet names usually come out when he's being really stimulated during sex, otherwise he sticks to regular names

Are they a “the socks stay on during sex” kind of person?

it's honestly not a detail he cares much about, if they're off before he starts they stay off, if they're on before he starts they stay on. since they don't really get in the way of sex he doesn't really care either way. if the socks go up to his partner's calves or higher, he will roll them down because he's a stupid little tease and likes to nibble on calves/thighs

Quickies vs Planned sex—thoughts?

both! both is good. if his partner is needy and he is needy, he's more than happy to engage. he won't be complaining any time soon

Are they more of a dom, sub, or switch? If applicable, are they a top, bottom, or vers?

eiji is 10000% a service top. absolutely loves pleasuring his partner in every way, and loves to be in control. he will, however, not complain if his partner wants to take control every once in a while. (asase "i'm obsessed with hearing my partner moan and whine and i will do everything in my power to get them to do so but getting a blowjob is REALLY nice every once in a while" eiji frfr)

Do they have any really out-of-left-field kinks/fantasies? Maybe even something that they wouldn’t necessarily want to act on but have still thought about?

not really, he's extremely inexperienced and isn't familiar with kinks or the like. he's very much just "it's you and me being intimate in this way" and he likes just to explore his partner's body and find out what makes them go insane. would be open to anything his partner would want to try except pain or weapon play

Any place they absolutely would not have sex?

public. ever. like, in the secluded forests around the shrine? yeah. but he would never be down to do anything near other people or in a public place.

Are they into (consensual) pain during sex? Either giving or receiving

no, he would never want to try this

How often do they have sex dreams?

not very often, but on occasion. these mornings his partner would wake up to him acting kind of weird before a very blunt "would you be in the mood for sex?" or something like that 😭

What’s their favorite way to get in the mood? How do they set the mood?

cuddles -> making out -> inappropriate touching -> foreplay is his fav pipeline, just because it feels natural

Are they down for casual one-night stands?

no !!!! sex is very intimate for him, he would only participate with his lover, someone he had been with for a really long time.

Are they attracted to anyone (specific person or just negative qualities) they really shouldn’t be?

nope! he and katsumi were meant to be for ever and ever <333

Would they be more or less likely to send a risky/risque text to their partner in the middle of a crowded/public area?

no, he's the type to receive the text and accidentally leave them on read bc he is rapidly moving to their location LOL

Morning vs evening sex—do they have a preference?

morning sex, because in noctis aeternitas terms morning sex would be a hello and evening sex would be a goodbye

If they send nudes, are they tasteful or just quick pics?

not really a nudes sender, if his partner really wanted to see him that badly he would just go to them

Describe their favorite sexual encounter.

just any time he gets to fuck katsumi.

Describe their least favorite/most embarassing sexual encounter.

probably still his first time 😭

What’s their go-to safe word?

i feel if he and katsumi were to pick a safeword it would be nature-related, like "pine" or "boulder" or something idk

Their favorite actions during sex—chin-grabbing, hair-pulling, wrists being pinned, etc.

oohh,, CHIN GRABBING. holding katsumi's face so he can maintain eye contact. close second would be pinning down the wrists (if katsumi would be okay with it)

When they “dress-up” for sex, what’s their go-to outfit? Lingerie, suit, gown, etc.?

not a big dressup guy, he knows its all gonna come off anyway so he doesn't see a point in it

What do they like seeing their partner in when they “dress-up?”

nothing at all <3

What scent of candle do they light after sex?

no candles, but he has a habit of opening one of the shrine windows. that nice cool ocean breeze with the smell of salt and wind-battered wood <3

Favorite thing/part about sex—intimacy, role-playing, etc.

just the intimacy of it, he loves how close he can get to his partner

Least favorite thing/part about sex—cleanup, setup, etc.

doesn't really have a least favorite part tbh

A song they would fuck/get fucked to

not a big music guy when having sex, but if there is music it would be soft and slow with no lyrics!

Share a sample line of dirty-talk

"ooh, baby boy, if this is the way you like it you better speak up. come on, look at me. tell me how i'm making you feel."

[fishareglorious]

I’ve never played a card game in my life. Wish me luck.

Timaeus and Sucrose my babygirls!!! How are you two

Lmao Timaeus is playing tcg at work isn’t he

Okay Imagine if someone gave you a card of yourself though when you’ve never heard of it before. Like once you realize your image is featured in the game and gets... egh?

Also now that I think of it, how exactly do people get their faces into the game? Look I can understand the brooding ex-captain of the KOF with a pyro vision and other well-known people as character cards and all, but like... fucken Timmie’s there.

Did the creators walk up to him and go ‘heya random pigeon kid wanna be featured in your favorite card game?’

Oh Yae’s gotten in on it. Is it before the fabulous fungi event or after she played a few games with Cyno?

Timaeus gagi lmaoooooo. Kinda relatable ngl

Oh yeah they furnished up the Cat’s Tail didn’t they? Let’s go there I guess

Forgive me if my memory is spotty but isn’t this the cat we tried to catch at Jean’s Story quest? Prince, wasn’t it?

Lmao nice call to one of Sucrose’s character stories.

Man’s really is going full-throttle on the ‘I was serve no one but my pet cat’

I mean, Neko from the Asase shrine can talk so idk what you’re at. But I guess she can’t really play card games with you

Oh I like her voice. Very spunky kid.

More people means more business, and more business means more mora. But he cat’s tail doesn’t quite look like a bar at first sight though, so I get ya.

Okay I love this tuna plush

I wanted to explore and I just walked into this random Inazuman woman chilling here lmao

[theleetoalerandalertoalee]

Here’s the fic from the poll results~

Sara x Kokomi ^^

I know it’s kinda short, but I tried man😭

Anyway, enjoy<33

The priestess smiles up at the member of the Kujou Clan, “hello, I’m happy you could make it.”

Kujou Sara stands awkwardly beside the blanket that Kokomi is sitting on, “of course, why wouldn’t I?”

“Well…it’s a shorter voyage to Asase Shrine from Watatsumi than it is from Narukami.”

“It was nothing, really…”

“Here,” Kokomi pats the spot on the blanket beside her, “have a seat. I brought snacks.”

“Ah…wait- you did?”

Sara sits down beside Kokomi as the priestess smiles and nods at her.

Kokomi pulls out her signature dish from a neat, purple box. Each snack was perfectly wrapped with a flawless, thin egg sheet. It was filled with flavorful and smooth sushi; the egg sheet added a beautiful crunchy element to it, as well as being a functioning vessel. Sara’s head tilts, seeing the snacks as they are revealed.

“You,” Sara said, “didn’t tell me that this was going to be a picnic.”

“Hehe, that’s true. If I did, you’d bring a whole buffet. I wanted you to come here relaxed, after all.”

“Hmph. What a stunning stratagem.”

Kokomi winks, giggling, “aha~ I see what you did there, clever.”

Sara smiles shyly, “thank you.”

“Ah, what’s wrong? Do you think we’re being watched?”

“No, it’s just…”

Kokomi waits patiently, looking at Sara with compassion and understanding.

“I don’t know, ever since the Vision Hunt Decree was appealed, people have been…attacking me for my role in it.”

“Oh…that’s only natural. Those people were oppressed, after all.”

“Well, yes, but I was simply serving the Almighty Shogun.”

“Precisely, so their criticism of you is exaggerated and untrue. You had no personal motive, just loyalty. You’re a wonderful warrior, Sara.”

“Hmm…thank you.”

Kokomi smiles, “it’s only the truth.”

Sara sighs, “possibly…”

A passing black cat comes by and snuggles next to Sara.

The tengu warrior’s eyes flash with a lightning of alertness before dissipating, “ah…I almost forgot we are guests here. You somehow manage to make every place feel like home, Kokomi.”

Kokomi giggles, “hehe, not every new place is hostile, Sara.”

Sara sighs, “I know…I’m working on it.”

“And you’re doing a fine job.”

“Thank you-”

The black cat snuggles into Sara’s lap, it nuzzles against her thighs and Sara giggles slightly.

Kokomi smiles, amused and surprised, “thinking of something funny?”

“Ah…hahaha, yes you can say that…hahahaha.”

“Care to share?”

“Ah- hahahahaha, maybe,” the black cat purrs and starts to make biscuits where Sara’s thigh meets her hip and the warrior starts to laugh a bit more.

Kokomi smirks slightly, “I think I can make an inference as to what’s so funny, hm?”

Sara shakes her head, still laughing as she covers her own mouth with her hand.

“I think,” Kokomi teases, “the great tengu warrior has ticklish thighs, hehe.”

“What makes you say that-? Hahahahaha!”

“Oh nothing~ just a hunch. But why don’t we see if my hunch can turn into a definite conclusion.”

Kokomi cracks open one of the snacks she brought, revealing the fish inside. The delicious scent of it brings more of the shrine’s cats to the scene.

Kokomi sprinkles a bit of the fish on Sara’s thighs with a smile, “if you won’t eat these, maybe they will, Sara.”

The cats start to lick and nibble at the fish on and around Sara’s thighs. Sara’s laughter became increasingly louder and lively, and her legs were shaking as she tried not to startle the cats by suddenly scrambling away.

The cats meowed and continued nibbling and licking at the fish, making Sara giggle like crazy as Kokomi pulled out a Kamera.

“Don’t you dare-” Sara’s eyes widened at Kokomi, but Sara’s smile only widened at the idea.

Click

Kokomi looks at the picture, shaking it so it sets in, “aw, you’re so lovely in this picture~!”

Sara sees herself, her legs completely covered by cats as she blushes and laughs uncontrollably.

Sara suddenly smirks, “your turn~!”

Kokomi tilts her head, “hm-?”

Sara suddenly tackles Kokomi, leaning over her body on the blanket.

Kokomi gasps, “ah-! A brash maneuver!”

“Hehe, you know those are my specialty.”

The cats meow, closing in on the two as Sara gently massages the priestess’s sides. The air fills with Kokomi’s soft laughter, until Kokomi lets out the smallest little chortle and Sara smirks.

“Ah,” the tengu warrior said, “that’s new~”

Kokomi continues giggling, as the cats nudge at Sara, wanting her to lay back down with them.

Sara sighs with a smile, laying down next to Kokomi, as the cats snuggle into the both of them.

Kokomi turns her head to look at Sara as Sara does the same. The two hold hands.

“I’m really happy you’re here,” said the priestess.

“Me too.”

[https-furina]

archon, venti, vision, freedom, delusion, adventurers guild, guizhong, rex lapis, barbara, sakura blooms, lantern rite, ganyu and dainsleaf <3

aaaa love of my lifeee<3

archon; "which nation's known 'ideal do you like the most: freedom, contracts, eternity, wisdom, justice, or war?" this isn't fontaine bias at all but !! justice !! but if you know me well enough, you know that i have a degree in criminology (and explains it) but it's just coincidence that justice happens to be fontaine shshs

venti; "which character(s) do you think you'd get actually get along with if you were to meet in person and who do you think you'd actually dislike interacting with?" on the list of people i'd get along with: zhongli, childe, hu tao, beidou, kaveh, nilou, candace, kaeya & venti (together, pls take me drinking /hj), amber, heizou, ayaka, yoimiya, itto and thoma!! on the dislike list, i actually don't think i'd get along too well with bennett? (cries), ningguang (intimidating) and miko (also intimidating, i'd be very much like gorou)

vision; "if you were visionless, how would you compensate for the lack of elemental boost? pure skill and wit or would you invest in some premium fatui-made delusions..." i highkey think i'd pull a diluc with a delusion, go on a 4 year murder spree and become banned in snezhnaya and act like it never happened /j. but i think i'd genuinely be like heizou with wit and intuition? instead of martial arts (although i did karate shshsh) i'd make up for it with archery though <3

freedom; "if you were blessed with a vision, which one would you want to have (and which one do you think you'd actually get?)" i'd want a hydro vision !! but i'm fairly certain i'd end up with an anemo vision oopsie...

delusion; "what are your genshin unpopular opinions?" following metas is boring ): if you wanna focus on builds and teams that make sense and have good compositions, fair enough!! but also you don't have to do that, you can make teams out of whatever the hell you want. don't want to put an artifact set everyone recommends onto someone? don't! want to make someone a main dps who isn't typically one? do it! i'm a mix of both but like it's so annoying when people comment on others' teams. if it works for someone and they enjoy it, why the hell not <3 another one (which is gonna be controversial i apologise) but the community leans heavily towards mlm ships and seem to dislike wlw ships more and more. lyney x scaramouche is currently a ship but i saw people shunning clorinde x navia ???

adventurer's guild; "which genshin group would you align yourself with?" okay so i'm not 100% on the groups but perhaps 4ggravate? (i'm like someone put all four of them in an afab body) and also the losers who like books (alhaitham, xingqiu, lisa)

guizhong; "which characters have your favourite aesthetic and/or design?" alhaitham (aesthetic, if you've seen my bedroom + phone it's literally his colours), lyney (aesthetic + design), kirara (design), kokomi (design + aesthetic) <3

rex lapis; "what's your favourite cultural aspect of each of the released nations?" hmm okay, does windblume count for mondstadt? because i hecking adore windblume so badly - liyue would be the architecture !! inazuma is the shrines and their torii gates, sumeru is their attire and fontaine is food <3 if they all count shshshsh

barbara; "you're a tourist traveling teyvat, which locations in the game would you want to visit in person?" windrise, guyun stone forest, wuwang hill, dragonspine !! the grand narukami shrine + tenshukaku, serpent's head, watatsumi (all of it hehe), pardis dhyai, devantaka mountain, mawtiyima forest, opera epiclese and elynas !!

sakura blooms; "what is/are your favourite world quest(s) you've done?" the heckin melusines !!! and also neko at the asase shrine <3

lantern rite; "what is your favourite cutscene in the game so far?" i have too many favourites aaaa !! possibly the parade of providence event cutscene though <3

ganyu; "which character's rerun are you waiting for desperately?" albedo. hoyo. hand him over. (:

dainsleif; "what theory do you have about the lore and the archon's involvement with the destruction of khaenri'ah?" my current fave theory is celestia clearly destroyed khaenri'ah because khaenri'ah didn't believe in them? and i believe that khaenri'ah was possibly a very technologically advanced country - maybe so advanced that it scared celestia into using the archons to do their bidding. obviously we may not know because of his contract but i like to theorise that zhongli doesn't like khaenri'ah's blood on his hands but he made a contract with celestia to not tell the truth as to what happened.

[aidollzz]

Mouchie @ Asase Shrine because I love this place + he preddy 💜💙

[momijiba]

@hoshiszora wrote:

Dear Kazuha,

I was jealous of you. You had everything I wanted. You made me want to punch you across the face sometimes. I think... we should just let that go though. Maybe. Someday I will bring you you Asase Shrine. You + me = brothers. If I saw you now I’d probably actually cry. I want to forget about you sometimes. I would build a little bonsai plant just for you. If I could sing you any song it would be Hakushin's Lullaby. We could share some warm tea under the stars.  Love,  Hyousuke 

P.S.

Writing this letter doesn't quite make sense to me with how it's being formatted. But... It was Itto's idea and he sort of talked me into this. I think it'd be better if we could just meet up somewhere again sometime and I can tell you everything.

throw it away....                         burn it....  the little voices inside of his head said to him. he called them brothers after he wrote he wanted to punch him, the audacity of this man. but somehow he kept on reading every single word of this letter.

an underline feeling of anger was swirling through him like a strong storm on the open sea. he properly should meet him and hear what he has to say. put his feelings of anger towards Hyousuke to rest, the past is the past and dwelling on it for too long can only be damaging.  

[la-hannya]

Well a month late. But glad that my girl, Amanozako aka Ama-no-Sagume is getting more recognition in recent days. The "heavenly priestess" turned og demon queen mother of demons is finally in the Onmyoji game. And I love that she's even carrying an arrow that refers to part of her story aswell that her "evolved form" design has even more references like the origin of the word Tengu/Tiangu (Heavenly Dog).

Before the fall

About Ama-no-Sagume 天探女

(source JPN wiki. Translated by DeepL)

In the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), she is called Amasagume, and in the Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan), she is called Amatanagume. In the Hirama Shrine, the name "Amagusume-no-mikoto" is added to the name.

In the account of the pacification of the Plain of Reeds(aka Japan) in the Kojiki, Amaterasu talked with Takami-no-Misuhi and dispatched Amenohohohi-no-Kami, who did not fulfill his role, and then dispatched Amenowakahiko. When Amenwakahiko did not return to life for eight years, Shikinushi sent a pheasant named Nakīme to Amaterasu to advise him to ascertain Amenwakahiko's true intentions. The pheasant perched on a maple tree at the gate of Amenwakahiko's house and said, "You were dispatched to the Plains of Reeds, where you were ordered to bring the raging gods to submission. Amateru heard this, and he told her that he had been sent to the Land of Reed Plains and ordered to bring back the raging gods. Hearing this, Amesagusume told Amenwakahiko, "The cry of this bird is ominous. Amewakahiko then shot the pheasant with a bow and arrow, but the arrow pierced Nakime's chest and reached Amaterasu and Takagi (another name for Takamimisusuhi). Takagi picked up the arrow and said, "If you shoot an arrow at an evil god, it will not hit Amenowakahiko, but if Amenowakahiko has an evil heart, it will hit him." He threw the arrow back and it pierced Amenwakahiko's chest (this is called "kaeshiya," or "return arrow").

Although she plays an inauspicious role in the Kojiki, she is thought to have originally been a deified version of a miko, a priestess who received oracles and judged good and bad omens, and the existence of a miko who twisted oracles in an age when politics and rituals were one and the same was considered to be a rebellion against the gods and a disaster. It is also believed that perhaps for this reason, Amagusume was given a unique position different from other deities, and that in the Chronicles, the deities are addressed as "life" or "god," while Amagusume is called by a title [2]. In the "Settsu-no-Kuni-fudoki," Takatsu, it is written, "When Ame-no-Tsukihiko descended from the heavens, she belonged to Ame-no-Tsukihiko and descended to the gods, Amenotansume. The "Chronicles of Japan" says, "There is a national deity at times. In the Nihon shoki (Chronicles of Japan), however, there is a reference to a "national deity" as well. There is also a theory that she is the original image of the Amanojaku in folklore.

In the classics, Takatsu is sometimes said to be the place where Ama-no-Tanjo, riding on the Ama-no-Iwa boat, anchored. For example, the "Settsu-no-kuni-fudoki" (Anecdotes of Settsu Province), quoted in the Edo period's "Shoku-ka-rin Ryozai-shu," states, "Namba Takatsu was the place where the god Ama-no-Tanjo, who descended from the heaven when Ama-no-Chikohiko descended, arrived here on a rock-bottom boat(Iwafune aka the sacred stone boat of heaven which Sagume apparently owns and rows). The name "Takatsu" is derived from the place where the boat stayed. The Manyoshu also states, "Hisakata no ten no tanjo no ishibune no tomari shi Takatsu wa asase ni naruke (Hisakata no ten no tanjo no ishibune no tomari shi Takatsu wa asase 尓家留香裳) (scroll 3, no. 292).

Amanozako (天逆毎)

Alternatively: アマノザコ

Korean: 아마노자코 (Amanojako)

Traditional Chinese: 天逆每 (Tiān nì měi)

"Heaven Opposing Everything"

Amanozako like a Kijo (Female Oni, Ogress) or even amanojaku ⤴️

A rebellious yokai goddess that originated when her father the kami Susanoo let his own ferocious spirit and rage build up inside him (his aramitama) until he vomited her out. She is said to have a beastly face, a crooked long nose, pointed ears, sharp fangs and tusks so strong they can break even the strongest blades.

Amanozako is known to go against conformity and does the opposite of what is expected in society and social norms. She is said to be picky, and will go into an atrocious rage if she does not get what she wants, or if things do not go according to her way. When in this state, she can hurl even the most powerful gods distances of over one thousand villages in a single throw. Her wrath can't be easily stopped.

Stories of Amanozako were being told long before history began being recorded. It is said that she is the ancestor deity of all yokai who share her personality and disobedience. Some of these yokai include most notably the tengu, as well as amanojaku.

While she's said to be ancestor of many yokai her only child that has been named, thus far is Amanosaku. Which, due to her obstinate behavior, she brought into being all on her own. He is Amanozako's spawn, and is said to be just as terrible and disobedient as she is. Apparently, Amanosaku drove all 8 million gods in heaven mad, and because of this, Amanosaku was made the ruler of every malevolent or troublesome kami.

In terms of her godly abilities, other than what has been mentioned, the legends and stories say that Amanozako is a trickster, of sorts. She can peer into people's hearts and likes to possess the hearts of humans and manipulate their emotions and personalities. She's been also said to be able to fly for thousands of miles. It's also assumed she posseses all the powers of a demon goddess of her stature, and powers like her descendants including transformation (変化, へんげ, "Henge").

Amanozako holds titles like Hime (princess), tengu kami, metengu and possibly even of Queen due to what she is among yokai. As Susanoo's daughter she has many relatives including her aunt the sun goddess Amaterasu, her uncle the moon god Tsukuyomi, her brother Yashimajinumi (八島士奴美神 – Mighty Master Ruling Eightfold Isles) who was the original ancestor of many earthly kami and later humans as well like his aunt Amaterasu. Another notable relative mention is Izanami, her grandmother who later on went to rule Yomi and like her granddaughter, she was also one of the progenitors of Yōkai, birthing demon gods like Raijin and Fujin, thus making them also uncles to Amanozako.

While normally looking similar to a tengu, she's also been depicted like an ogress in various media.

Amanozako as seen in Touhou media ⤵️

Amanozako as seen in Shin Megami tensei

Original depiction of Amanozako

Amanozako as a regular tengu, like a karasu tengu and a guhin Tengu (dog tengu).

It's been fun studying yokai for my story.

[saikiscleansink]

Okay so i love sagau fics n have always had some of my own headcanons so i wanna share but idk if i would ever be able to write it bc i suck n have no idea where n how to start. Will come back and edit things every once in a while. More like my own notes for sagau fics. This is all my own opinion!!Pls dont come after me for this.

Sagau basic headcanons:

Blood red slowly turns gold (like really really slowly) glitter? Looks normal but slightly different? = can justify acolytes attempt to kill cos seems fake?

Lore: why kill someone for looking like their creator? Impossible for anyone to mimic creator’s look due to creator being god. Only if have gold blood then is creator. ie blames abyssal magic for creator looking person but no gold blood (refer to above point for lack of gold blood)

Can hear through screen? If game is on then they can hear you clearly. Places they can see you?: luhua pool, mona’s thing, holy places (church of favonius, narukami shrine, asase shrine etc) (my fave place ok its so pretty) If game is off then its muffled? Maybe blurry image?

Acolytes feelings warmth around the creator? Yes but also no? Godly aura wont load in so fast. Maybe can feel a little bit similar to when around the traveller.

Godliness doesnt really load in so fast. Reader’s body has to undergo cjanges to adapt to being in a place filled with magic unlike homeland?

Imposter au headcanons:

If creator dies and is sent back to homeworld. Only they can see their blood is gold? Go doctor or smt and they only see normal red blood? Scars also only reader can see.

Abyss can tell imposter is actually creator due to ancient connection with creator from Khaenri’ah / curse???

Kids cant tell but dont want to hunt? Cautiously looks after reader bc of morals? Too young to be clouded by their obsession with creator.

Khaenri’ans in general ie kaeya, albedo, dainsleif can tell bc abyss n curse?

Albedo n kaeya have me a little on edge tho. Cause they were raised in a human land? Maybe albedo would be better at sensing their grace? Albedo isnt exactly as human as kaeya and doesnt get influenced by others as easily as a normal human? But kaeya is khaenrhi’an so he can just tell?

Razor probably doesnt really understand all that much about their grace? He understands that theres an imposter and imposter=bad but he finds reader and only understands that reader feels warm and safe. Even if reader is an imposter, razor is safe and comfortable. Reader smells like home.

Heizouuuuu!!!! Hes literally the best detective. While the dumbass “acolytes” r so focused on hunting reader, he just notices small details about reader. He notices that the blood you leave behind has a faint golden shimmer that gets more and more gold as time passes (?). He notices the way that not only the “bad” creatures of teyvat flock toward you but also the innocent animals (squirrels boars even pigeons). While the rest of teyvat is saying that reader is the imposter because of the way hilichurls and slimes crowd around reader, heizou notices the way timmy’s pigeons dont fly away until someone else comes by. He notices how the birds seem to guide reader in their escapes. He sees the squirrels giving reader wolfberries (to help heal wounds) and mints and sweet flowers and berries. He can put 2 n 2 together to realise that an imposter wouldnt be able to earn the favour of innocent animals the way his grace can.

TRAVELLER JUST KNOWS!!! They spend the most time around you!!! Even if they are not in the party i hc that they are still there. They are you in a sense. 11/10 most loyal and huggable acolyte

Dancer!reader:

headcanons: graceful. Flexible. can treat minor injuries (dance= injuries) sprained ankle, muscle cramp. Used to injuries ie hit in the head. Big stamina. Can work through stitches (exercise stitches)

imposter au: 9/10 avoiding and protecting? Very graceful. Can fix slight injuries due to past dance injuries i.e. sprainend ankle muscle cramp? Taekwondo dance= better hand-to-hand combat. Better at hiding due to flexibility?

darling au: teaching teyvat dances and music from homeland. Obv vv graceful & elegant. Scares acolytes due to dangerous dance moves / literally folding in half. Dancer!reader is very flexible. No safety in mind, only cool dance move.

Senku!reader:

headcanons: ALBEDO/ RUBEDO. Teyvat equivalent of homeland materials/scientific reactions? Electricity?? ALICE!!! she would work w albedo n reader (like the dodocommunication device). Reader probably can figure out a portal to homeland but doesnt want to go back because SO MANY NEW THINGS TO EXPLORE AND LEARN!!

imposter au: surviving and thrIVING. Doesnt care about being hunted (but also doesnt really want to die) albedo finds reader n is ?cautious? but reader shows albedo science from homeworld. Albedo protect? Albedo n reader learns. After finding out that reader is indeed the creator, everyoen tries to apologise but albedo probably says that reader has gone back to their world because they dont want to keep being hunted (reader can probably “off themself” due to stress from being hunted) but reader is actually still in teyvat vibing n trying to research? Albedo keeps portal a secret?

darling au: acolytes LOVE to help reader find stuff to mess around with. Probably turns albedo’s lab into kindom of science 2.0. Instead of food n hymns people gift stuff like rocks and crystals and weird stuff to reader bc everyone knows n accepts that to be reader’s thing. IMPROVE DODOCOMMUNICATION DEVICE. People cant reallt go see reader much bc dragonspine is hecking dangerous so ppl r sad. But even better for reader bc can focus on research?

[theinkedfoxsl]

Soultember #4 - First Words

"Eiji. Do you remember when we met?"

The question came as Katsumi lay on the man's chest, rays of morning sun filtering through the window and warming them comfortably. The shrine guardian hummed, fingers lazily running up and down Katsumi's bare arm. Of course he remembered.. How could he forget that day? 

"Hello. I am Katsumi."

Eiji jumped, turning around as electricity crackled at his fingertips, getting ready to summon his sword. But that electricity grew stronger than weaker with a sudden but strong burst of wind. A man sat on the bed, blond and brown hair tied in a high ponytail with a strange wave embellished ribbon. His armour was slashed in several places, showing the bloodied white kimono underneath. His blue eyeliner was smudged, blue-green eyes glossy as he stared at Eiji. His tails were larger now, up behind him, the bandages still on the left one to keep it together.

"Hi.. Katsumi. I am Asase Eiji."

The kitsune stood slowly from the bed, gloved hand pressing to his stomach as he turned towards Eiji. "Asase Eiji…?" He tilted his head to the side, eyes narrowing as he drew closer with strained steps. The feline puppet straightened out, still prepared to attack if necessary. "'I won't hurt you.' Do you remember?" His voice was eerily calm as he approached the shrine guardian. Those words.. the ones Eiji had said upon approaching him.

Katsumi exhaled shakily, collapsing against the door beside Eiji, unable to fully hold himself up any longer. "Humans. So uninformed sometimes.." He explained with a laugh that made him grimace at the sudden pain. Eiji assumed he was talking of his injuries, the shrine guardian relaxing as Katsumi's calm tone became more.. playful. "Your wrist."

Eiji blinked, then looked down at his right arm. The words that'd been there since he was created. A puppet, maybe, but a soul nonetheless. Katsumi released his abdomen, shakily removing the bracer over his right forearm. He then pulled his sleeve up, revealing the inked words on his wrist. Eiji's words. The feline puppet slid his own sleeve up, he hadn't looked at the words in years, long since giving up on finding the person.. 

Katsumi's introduction.

It was him.

"Of course, I remember. You were attacked by humans who tried to cut your tails off. Saved by yours, truly." Eiji teased softly, turning his head to kiss the top of his head. Katsumi hummed affirmatively, a soft purr escaping the kitsune as his partner kissed him. Eiji couldn't help his smile at the purr, it was always so sweet.

"That was almost a decade ago." Katsumi pushed himself up, long strands of brown and blond hair messily falling over his shoulders. Eiji reached up, tucking some of the strands of his hair behind his pointed ear. "I never.. liked my birthday." The kitsune leaned into his touch, blue green eyes closing. "But that day.. Us meeting.." He turned his head inward, kissing Eiji's wrist. 

Eiji brought his hand to the man's face, gently tilting his head up at him. "I know, my darling." Tomorrow would mark ten years they met. Today marked the kitsune's two hundred and sixtieth birthday. "Happy birthday. Forty more years and you'll get another tail." Eiji smiled when Katsumi opened his eyes just to roll them at the shrine guardian. 

"You just want a third pillow."

"Haha, maybe." The feline puppet leaned forward, resting his forehead against the kitsune's own, his hand still on his cheek. "Would you like to go into the city with me tomorrow? We can get inarizushi?" Eiji suggested, thumb gently brushing the edge of the scar that extended over the bridge of Katsumi's nose onto his cheek. 

Katsumi lit up immediately, blue green eyes widening in glee. The shrine guardian never failed to cheer him up and excite him. Eiji laughed at the sound of the man's tails wildly whipping back and forth against the bed, the fluffy tails loudly thumping against the mattress. "Yes! Archons, I love you, droplet." He beamed, unable to contain his smile. 

The shrine guardian chuckled, closing his eyes as he rested with his lover. "I love you too, Katsumi." Eiji mumbled, voice soft and genuine. He immediately smiled into the kitsune's sudden kiss, barely managing to kiss back with said smile. Katsumi giggled, arms coming around Eiji's shoulders. Eiji brought his free hand up, cupping the man's other cheek. 

Ten years ago, Eiji wasn't sure where his life was going to go. He wasn't sure what would happen. Even more uncertain when he stumbled upon that injured kitsune in the forest clearing. But as Katsumi knocked him onto his back, tails wagging in the air behind him.. Eiji couldn't have imagined it turning out any other way. Those words on his wrist were perhaps the only thing the Gods gave him that he could truly appreciate. 

Or rather, it was Katsumi he appreciated so much.

[toesmokee]

it's because he has that Chosen One energy, where cats naturally will approach him-- he already acts calm and collected around people, so it's no wonder that cats like his company

if he ever needs a change of pace on his vacations, i bet he would love to visit Neko and the cats at the Asase Shrine on Seirai Island. or maybe The Cat's Tail if he can make it out to Mondstadt. either way, it wouldn't take long for him to be surrounded by cats. it's pretty impressive (although it makes more sense when he reveals that he smuggled in some cat treats).

i want to adopt a kitten with heizou :(

[risingsol]

@kichiboushi​

As Traveller, Aether is always welcome in Komore Teahouse. As One Who Literally Robbed Him, Aether must also pay for the grave injustice he has wrought upon him. He conveys this all with a simple Look and, "Woof." 

 He can start by offering him the dango Taroumaru can smell on him. And maybe some scritches. Many, many, many good scritches.

“I know, I know.” The respected master of the Komore Teahouse needed to do no less than that one little woof; there were few who had as commanding of a presence as Taroumaru being silent so when the other spoke, it really demanded respect. Plus if Aether wanted to continue passing through here peacefully as he did before, then it was almost a requirement to follow through on what the other wanted. 

Luckily though, it wasn’t really much of a task for him - who didn’t love giving attention to the fluffiest and cutest pup in all of the east? Even as someone who frequented Asase Shrine and was well acquainted with Neko, there was no one who could beat the fluffy Taroumaru. Animals really were respected and well trained in this nation... and Aether relinquished his dango along with a special little salmon onigiri to the canine commander with little resistance. Did it seem like the other wanted some scritches too? He was pretty good with the scritches... 

“How’s that? Here, I’ll throw in this bonus too.” Super special traveler ear rub special!

[yuri-cocaine]

finished the tsurumi quests and im reminded why i love genshin impact’s lore ;w; i’ll try to collect my thoughts under the cut

summary of tsurumi stuff:

over 1000 yrs ago, “something” (probably another piece of celestia like the sky nail) fell onto tsurumi island and caused the whole place to get covered in an unnatural fog. there are underground ruins with murals depicting this civilization and it looks really similar to sal vindagnyr on dragonspine. just like dragonspine, the environment got fucked up by debris from the heavens falling onto the surface

the thunderbird, a storm god, came to roost at tsurumi island. the islanders descended from the civilization in the murals mistakenly believes thunderbird to be the one who caused the fog and by worshipping her, the thunderbird would protect them from in the sea of fog. the islanders used human sacrifices to worship the thunderbird, but being a god and also a giant bird, she didn’t give a shit about them. the only exception was a boy named ruu, who sang to the thunderbird and named her kanna kapatcir. ruu becomes friends with kapatcir and promises to sing to her again.

the islanders take kapatcir’s fondness of ruu as a sign that she wants ruu to be the next human sacrifice, so they kill him. upon seeing ruu’s corpse, kapatcir went mad with grief and destroyed tsurumi island, killing all the villagers. she leaves tsurumi for seirai island instead, where she was eventually killed by the electro archon for being a threat to inazuma. when gods die in teyvat, the element they controlled explodes out of them, so when kapatcir died, a massive lightning storm utterly fucks up seirai island. to keep the storm from spreading, asase shrine is built with warding stones in place.

on tsurumi, the thunderbird’s lightning causes a massive leyline disorder. the events leading up to ruu’s sacrifice and the destruction of tsurumi replays over and over indefinitely. outsiders who travel to tsurumi can see phantoms of the slain villagers re-enacting these events, but ruu’s phantom can be interacted with. the tragedy gets replayed nonstop until the traveler brings ruu’s ghost to seirai to sing for kapatcir and the leylines get fixed.

the weird shit doesn’t stop there!! asase shrine eventually comes under the ownership of hibiki, high priestess of the narukami shrine and disciple of kitsune saiguu, ei’s friend. 500 yrs ago, celestia destroys khaenriah, and the cataclysm that follows after kills ei’s twin sister, corrupts kitsune saiguu and chiyo, and also turns hibiki’s lover into a monster. hibiki eventually comes to care for ako domeki, who grows up to be a legendary pirate, but during his battle with the shogun’s navy hibiki releases the wards on the thunderbird’s residual power to destroy the shogunate navy and protect domeki. domeki is swept out to.....golden island archipelago, the summer event islands that you will never go back to if you missed that event. now asase shrine is managed by hibiki’s immortal pet cat.

the cause of the cataclysm is the khaenriah alchemist rhinedottir, who is also albedo’s creator. albedo is her greatest work, and all the monsters that wreaked havoc and even killed the old electro archon are considered failures compared to him. that’s....really ominous lol

so to sum it up: celestia is actively hostile towards human civilizations. if they didnt drop whatever it was on tsurumi island 1000+ yrs ago, then the fog wouldn’t have isolated tsurumi, and the islanders wouldn’t have used blood sacrifices in a desperate attempt to appeal to an unrelated bird god for protection. celestia destroyed khaenriah because they allegedly became too advanced for a human civilization without an archon as their patron god. but the unknown goddess and whoever else is in celestia doesn’t care for the regions with archons either, because they don’t seem to care that fucking up one place leads to other places being impacted too. the archons themselves suffer from celestia’s actions, and the humans in teyvat are so powerless against these divine forces that they suffer fates worse than death as punishment for daring to make their own small lives better. 

final thought: what the fuck are visions??? each vision holder is an “allogene” or genshin, and they all have potential to ascend to celestia themselves. are all the gods in celestia mortals once? are they perpetuating some kind of fucked up cycle of destruction, like what happened on tsurumi only on a worldwide scale??? our twin is one of the main antagonists who wants to topple the gods after learning the “truth” of teyvat, whatever it is. despite the inazuma archon quests kinda sucking ass, the overall story of genshin is still too fascinating to give up on.