#not liking yunli is fine as is not liking yanqing is fine too but I hope she doesn't get treated like Yanqing til her development arc

[struggling-jpg]

Yanqing and Yunli Appreciation Post

Keep Reading cut due to 2.4 spoilers~ (also relatively long-ish post)

These two bounce off each other so well! As a writer, it feels so satisfying to see their characters shine through the quest and the event in the way their interactions highlight them. So I'm gonna use this space to ramble about it!

My previous post pretty much talked about it already, but Yanqing!!! My son!!! I was quite worried that any potential arc for him would be shoved down the road or to the side due to the scale HSR has, but the game's been actually holding up to his ongoing arc. As a result, at least to me, he's come through as one of the best written/developed characters on the Xianzhou so far.

The nature of the length of the updates lets what we get in previous quests settle in for a long while, and considering the mentioned of flow of time in-game, Yanqing's had the time to think and develop as a person. The fact that so many players have had their view and opinion of him finally turn around in this quest is a testament to that. We get to see more facets of him, as in, doing his job and the responsibilities of doing so, and how his insecurities are mentioned in a main quest for all to see. He's constantly referencing others and his past encounters. You can tell that Jing Yuan raised him with his manner and approach to things, which is highlighted by the contrast to Yunli (will get to that soon).

His position as a child soldier has made him mature faster, be quiet even when he's been wronged (filial piety/saving face (aka thank you person on Reddit who makes the banger character Yanqing (and other characters in general) appreciation posts)), take a step back and have to be able to read the room (though, reasonably, he doesn't catch on all the time), and much, much more. The fact that other official content has described him as being more worried about diplomacy and all that. He doesn't have the luxury to be as carefree or brash for someone his age.

There's a lot to unpack there still, even with the development he's had now and that's good! If the Hoyo writing team was wild enough, it'd be cool to see them address the grayness of his role and Jing Yuan's mindset in raising him as he did (We love Dad-Yuan and he loves his son dearly no question, but it'd be so interesting to explore his flaws/mistakes in this perspective!).

Now onto Yunli.

I'm saying straight off the bat, I'm irritated by her!

And that's a good thing!

Her being annoying or bratty or irritating doesn't automatically make her a badly written character! She only would become one if they don't do anything with her, and HSR most probably will, and she should be given the same room to develop in her own arc.

She acts like her age, and she doesn't have the same pressures as Yanqing does. Just like how you can see Jing Yuan in Yanqing, you can see Huaiyan in Yunli, if anything he says is to go by. She's tempremental and outspoken to a fault, and based on the way how quickly Huaiyan relented when she talked back, you can tell that Huaiyan isn't as strict/stern with her to give her a sense of being humble.

I had this thought that she's technically what the general fandom viewed Yanqing as initially, and I'm not saying that as a 100% thing, by the way. But like by some traits and the vibes. She, of course, has a lot more nuance that will be explored at one point or another.

But back on topic, she's a foil. They represent two different approaches and lifestyles and can clearly learn from each other. Her inconsideration of the fact that she's on the Luofu but enforcing Zhuming practices (which I noticed people were upset by, and same; which I imagine is the point), her bluntness to no matter who she's talking to—there's a lot to work with here.

Just like with their swordplay, Yanqing could learn from her mental strength while Yunli can learn from his focused speed and defense. He can learn to regain a more firm grasp of his recently found purpose while she can learn to mature and take in her surroundings and be more thoughtful in that front.

Another interesting note is that where we are with Yanqing currently is in the middle of his arc, we've had the time to see him take a long route of struggle to get to this point, exacerbated by irl players views of him. He's in the middle of his growth and we've had since 1.0 to get to know him. But with Yunli, she was introduced very recently, so we're technically at the "beginning" of her character arc. In a way, Yunli now highlights how far Yanqing has come and changed, and in a way Yanqing now is a potential show for the arc that Yunli can have (not being the exact same as him of course).

I think the idea with these two is that they develop to be more balanced. Balance is such an important thing, especially in Chinese culture (Daoism (Yin-Yang), etc.), and 2.4 has shown how much potential they have to make for amazing character arcs.

It's cool that while they have such similar base traits, they're so different from each other. Calling Yunli a female Yanqing or Yanqing a male Yunli is simply outright incorrect. Their backgrounds, upbringings, ideals, swordstyles, perspectives, and positions in life are so distinct. I'm looking forward to their futures!

[razorblade180]

The Grand Bet!

March: Dan Heeeeeng! Can you make dinner tonight?

Dan Heng: You didn’t eat with your masters?

March: We cut training short today. But get this! I bumped into master Yunli on the way here and she confessed her and Yanqing have Cloud Knight business to discuss at his. I would’ve loved to try his cooking!

Caelus:Ah, so you weren’t invited.

Stelle:You two would probably eat his budget.

March:Like you aren’t any different!? I wouldn’t eat that much. Surly less than someone like Jing Yuan.

Dan Heng:Oh, he’s joining as well. That means it’s possible all the Generals are.

March:W-Why? I just said Jing Yuan because why wouldn’t he be there?

Caelus:Why would he be?

March:Because……why would he miss a home cooked dinner? I know he’s busy but eventually he’d go home to at least leftovers.

CSD:…..

March:Why are you looking at me like that?

Caelus:March, Jing Yuan and Yanqing do not live together. Yanqing has his own residence.

March:Really?! All by himself!?

Dan Heng:He gets paid a lieutenant’s wage. He can afford an apartment easily.

March:Well that’s weird! Yunli didn’t mention that at all. I think I even mentioned how fancy the general’s house might be. She could’ve spoken up!

Stelle:Or she was fine with you being wrong.

March:So what, they’re having a dinner together? I wouldn’t tease her about that. Is it that embarrassing?

Dan Heng: What do you think is going to happen?

March:Eating and talking! Maybe someone will say something ridiculous. I guess it could be a date. That explains not inviting me.

Caelus:If that’s the case-

Stelle: Why not go to restaurant instead of his place? For Cloud Knight matters of all things!?

March:….*red* I don’t like what you’re implying!

Caelus: You mean the truth?

March:Not my adorable masters!

Dan Heng:It adds up. Neither of them seem like the type to be okay sharing a kiss in public.

Stelle:Dan Heng, nobody needs an entire apartment for a single kiss.

Dan Heng:…But they’re responsible.

Caelus:Now since when does that matter around a crush?

March:I refuse to hear you slander them. They’re far too awkward to get passed a dinner and a movie.

Dan Heng: That is Jing Yuan’s disciple. A kiss is on the table.

Stelle:I think you’re both wrong. March, your masters are totally making out. I do believe they’re responsible, but not that responsible! 20,000 credits on it.

March:Well I know them better and I think you’re wrong! 25,000 on just a dinner plus confessions!

Dan Heng: I’m sticking with kiss.

Caelus: Make out session.

Stelle: You can’t steal my-

Caelus:AND….they will be dumb enough to leave evidence. Somehow, some way, they are going to mess up.

Stelle:…Can we be one team?

Caelus:Oh now it sounds appealing!? We split it 60/40

Stelle:55/45! I’m broke. I will do your chores too.

Caelus:Fine.

Dan Heng:If you’re both wrong then you pay March and I 50,000 credits each.

March:Oh I love these odds!

Stelle and Caelus: Deal.

xxxxxx

The next day came quickly. The four stooges all waited in the training garden as Yanqing walked in.

Yanqing:Ummm did I get more students? Wasn’t expecting so many faces this morning.

Stelle:We had nothing else better to do so we thought we’d hangout for a minute.

March:Where’s master Yunli? You both usually race here to try teach your swordplay before the other.

Yanqing:Oh, um she’s probably a little busy. It’s not long before she goes home after all.

Dan Heng:It is getting close to that time. I could imagine her trying to make the most of her time left now that things are getting calm,

Yanqing:That does sound like something she’d do. *rubs head*

The stooges:(He’s holding out on us.)

March:Oh! I almost forgot. You two had dinner last night. Did it get well?

Yanqing:..It was fine. My cooking was criticized but she still ate two plates. We got through Cloud Knight business pretty quickly. Sorry I couldn’t treat you as well.

March:Water under the bridge. I’m amazed you two got along well enough. I thought I would hear another fight.

Yanqing:We don’t always fight.

Caelus:Then what’s the bruise on your neck?

The boy immediately went to adjust his collar, only to realize it was still perfectly in place. Suddenly, his body froze as he felt mortified. How’d he fall for such a bluff!? March and Dan Heng felt their wallets start to hurt while Caelus and Stelle gained a grin that might as will belong on Aha.

Stelle:What’s the matter Yanqing? You look pale.

Caelus:Kindly pull down your collar and we will go in peace.

Yanqing:You all made a bet, didn’t you?

Dan Heng:If it makes you feel better, March and I thought highly of you both.

Yanqing:I’m so sorry.

March:Nooo! *drops to knees*

Stelle:For clarification, you didn’t didn’t…

Yanqing:*red* Of course not! We aren’t dumb!

Stelle:Yeaaaaah! I expect my credits handed, not wired.

Caelus:*pats Yanqing shoulder* I don’t think they’re arguing with the results. Don’t worry about the collar.

Yanqing:Thank you.

Dan Heng:So, where’s Yunli exactly?

xxxxx

Lingsha:Medicine that removes bruises?

Yunli: *in Yanqing’s clothes* Yes. That’s all I require.

Lingsha:….

Yunli:…..Please don’t tell grandpa.

Lingsha:You have my silence. I’m just a little annoyed I now owe Jing Yuan and Feixiao 50,000 credits.

Yunli:YOU MADE A BET ON ME!?

Lingsha:In confidence, and you failed me! Just like that, they got the money back from the medical bill! *sends money*

xxxxxx

Feixiao:And that’s why you’re the Divine Foresight! We drink tonight!

Jing Yuan:Please, I’d rather not pay property damages with this. I’ll give you my share if you don’t drink until you’re home.

Feixiao:Deal!

Jing Yuan:…Was this your endgame?

Feixiao:Perhaps. Don’t worry. This goes towards a good cause.

xxxxx

Moze:How’s it feel?

Jiaoqiu: *holding cane* Natural. It’s pretty remarkable actually. How much was it?

Feixiao: *smiles* It was basically free.

[sorrinslays]

Hot take or whatever but HSR would benefit a lot from announcing more 4*s instead of 5*s. I'm not joking, at this point, we have more 5*s than 4*s. 27/49 characters are 5*s, and we'll be getting 4 more in the next few updates, so that means that 58% of the characters are five stars.

There are characters that don't even need to be 5*s. Some examples are Silver Wolf, Clara, Gepard, Sparkle, Luocha, Bailu, Yanqing, Huohuo, Fu Xuan, Yunli and Jiaoqiu (last two are upcoming characters). And I'm not saying that because I don't like them or their gameplay or something. I'm saying that because they weren't present in the story almost at all. Sure, they are interesting but it doesn't change their inactivity in the story. What's the point of making an almost painfully irrelevant character a 5*?

I could make a post just about why certain characters don't work for me as 5* and how they could've worked better as 4*s lore-wise. Instead, it's better if we look at the 4*/5* ratio of each path.

While most of them are balanced (as of writing this post), looking at the upcoming characters tell us that it's not gonna be like that for long.

Right now, the Destruction has a 50/50 ratio (if you don't count the protagonist). However, in 2.3 and 2.4 we'll be getting two new 5* units (Firefly and Yunli). So that changes the percentage to 60% (again, not including the Trailblazer).

The Hunt is probably is probably one of the worst in this regard alongside the Preservation. 71% of the units are 5*s, with only two 4*s. And it's not even characters that people use all that much (Dan Heng and Sushang)!

The Erudition is fine, it's a 50/50 as of right now too. Next update Jade is going to be added but it's whatever, not all that bad.

Same goes for the Harmony too, it's a 50/50. There aren't any 5*s promised anytime soon but I wouldn't be surprised to see Sunday being announced as Harmony or something.

Nihility is almost similar, there are nine characters and 4 of them are 4*s, so 55% of the characters are 5*s. Soon it's gonna be 60% with Jiaoqiu coming in 2.4.

The Preservation has only one 4* unit for Qlipoth's sake! 85% of the units are 5*s and I bet you the only reason March is a preservation unit is because they couldn't think of anyone else to be the 4* preservation character and since March will definitely be getting a 5* version they just plopped her in preservation (Arlan would've fitted better but I digress).

Once again, the Abudance is balanced, with three 4*s and three 5*s with no upcoming healers any time soon.

So, then, if most of the paths are somewhat balanced. if not for the few exceptions, what's the big deal, right?

Well, this is more of my own opinion but. I think 5*s should feel more special. The ratio of 5*s/4*s should be in favor for the 4*s as a way of saying "yeah, there's a reason this character is a 5* compared to others!" instead of pumping out 5* characters every update for people to spend more money with the only selling point being "they are better than the standard 5*s/the previous unit and they are attractive".

[revserrayyu]

2.5 trailer thoughts

I usually keep all my thoughts together for the story events, but I'm far too excited thanks to a certain character to contain all my excitement, so.. allow me to fangirl about the new trailer from today's livestream a little bit.

(there's really no spoilers but i'll kindly put everything below since it'll be a lot of chatter anyways)

Starting off with how bestest boy Luka is here! Not exactly sure how he hopped planets.. but I'll speculate about his arrival later. I do remember reading some people bring up a npc in the Shackling Prison who mentioned seeing a dude with a metal arm, but I never imagined it to be our boy and that he would actually physically be here!

I'm still a tiny bit bitter he never showed up during any main story mission, though it makes sense since he was released after the events of Belobog happened, so any time he's mentioned or we catch a glimpse of him makes me happy. Letting him get his own side event during this 2.5 patch too will be nice for him too!

I'm so fond of him and I'm always surprised how many people just don't care for the guy. I can understand how he could be a bit forgettable or not an impressive unit though, since I don't even have him built up either despite all the instances I told myself I would.

I know some people aren't fans of his design either, but c'mon, he's cute! Look at this buff, cheerful man with those pretty blue eyes, piercings and little ponytail! Aahhh.. he's precious to me.

Time to add Luka to the 'beat up Yanqing' squad alongside Blade, Jingliu, Dan Heng, Yunli and whomever else I'm forgetting. I hope our favorite boxer knocks his lights out.

Now for the spectators! I didn't notice her while first watching the livesteam, but Topaz is here! With Numby on her lap too, of course. And I was gonna assume that perhaps that's how Luka managed to arrive on the Xianzhou, courtesy of the IPC and their many connections, but then I remembered Topaz was just in Penacony.. so unless she went back and forth between planets then who knows how our boy ended up here. We can always guess the Express picked him up too. I dunno.

We even got Hook cheering on her fellow Moles member! Hard to miss Svarog there too though I wonder if Clara is with him and perhaps we just don't see her in this shot? I wanna say he trusts her enough to be on her own but then that brings up why would he even leave her side in the first place and not keep watch of the Underground, unless Svarog decided to join just to support Luka. That would be a nice little form of respect carried over from our boxer's mission. And Lynx which naturally leads me to question where Serval and Geppie could be right now. I can't imagine Gepard would be fine with having Lynx travel all the way to a new planet when the guy gets stressed out about her simply venturing into the snow plains during her job. Serval on the other hand.. yeah, she's totally let Lynx travel. But I'd still much rather see all the siblings around more! I miss them terribly! I'd love it if there were more Belobogians in the crowd that we just didn't get to see yet but I'm thankful we even get a few and learn that they're finally able to venture away from their cold, icy planet and experience new places like this.

And lastly we have the most handsome man in all of space and Qingque who is undoubtedly avoiding work. The two of them did actually meet previously during that silly hotel checkout event in Penacony so it's fun to seem them be friendly still.

Yeah, okay, so here's where I start to go crazy over our Lacking General more. What a surprise, right? I mean, how could I not after seeing her storm into battle whilst riding a ship like this??

At first, I also didn't notice it was Yukong who said the "Feixiao, the ports of Starskiff Haven are crawling with wolf-like creatures. They're moving fast," lines. My excitement for Feixiao clearly took priority. (I am curious why she bothered to say wolf-like instead of Borisin though? If Yanqing knows about them then surely Yukong knows what they are, right?)

Even if it's just a quick cutscene, I'm so thrilled for us to finally see Yukong fight! We've heard enough of her pilot days so something as simple as this is great, though I'd love to see her fly again too.

Feixiao coming in hot to aide her war buddy, still looking badass as ever, let's gooo!

Ma'am do you know how amazing you are??

She told Yukong to "Hold them back, I will be there immediately" and she definitely kept her word! Even using her follow up attack, or something visually similar to it.

That grin… oh god. I would willingly stand on the other end of her gunblade in order to see that prideful smirk of hers. (also never realized that pattern on the inside of her jacket before. that's pretty neat.)

*Mandatory screenshot for me to giggle and kick my feet to while I obsess over how beautiful her design is* tee-hee~

Okay so for this bow and arrow shot, there could always be the chance that this style of bow is standard and that all military personal use them, but since we don't see that many archers, I'm gonna blissfully assume she's borrowing Yukong's bow here. I was kinda amazed to see Feixiao capable of wielding a bow and arrow too, considering she's already mastered her gunblades and battleaxe, but hey, it just adds to her talent. It makes more sense after seeing that teaser of her upcoming myriad video though.

Ohhh buddy.. I know our lady experiences Moon Rage but I wasn't expecting her to go off quite like this!

Not only is she strong as fuck already but she's gonna end up as a boss fight too? Brooo.. that's insane. I love it. I pray she gets an awesome battle theme.

Now while her condition is certainly a big problem, I don't think she just decided "hey let me go insane at this very moment" and gave into it willingly. I'm sure she's gained a certain amount of control over it throughout the years, so my assumption coupled with her statement of her "lacking in worries" leads me to believe that something or someone (aka Hoolay) forced her into this state..

.. because hot damn, she looks positively possessed. It's such a simple detail but the red ring around her eyes is so effectively chilling, like you know you're in danger when you see her like this. I love this shot of her, honestly. I'm not gonna straight up say that Hoolay is controlling her somehow either, but more like Feixiao lost control of herself. What would get her to snap? I dunno, perhaps any bad news surrounding Jiaoqiu. You know, her right hand man who's supposed to keep her in good health. He wasn't spotted anywhere in the trailer, so who knows what happened to our master chef.

Huaiyan can be heard saying "Merlin's Claw, you have betrayed the alliance," but with how deep Feixiao's hatred is for Hoolay and the Borisin, I have my doubts about that. Of course, we could've all been played for fools and the two could actually be acquaintances of some sort, but it still wouldn't make sense to me. The only similarity these two could possibly bond over is Hoolay's line of them both being "monsters that were born for war and die for war."

I'm not saying I wouldn't love an evil Feixiao, since I do have my fair share of villains, but yeah. Anyways, obligatory screenshot to make me swoon even more.

Also I haven't a clue about what this light is or who or what it's coming from either but I for sure thought it was gonna wipe out our General the first time I watched the trailer..

only for her to just.. ignore it completely. Or re-direct it ever so slightly away from her. Either way, I'm impressed.

Naturally the trailers go by real quickly and are never in story sequence order so I could be totally wrong about this, but I wanna assume Feixiao regains control over herself during the fight to take down Hoolay? If her normal eyes and confident grin are anything to go by anyways.

After hearing bits and pieces about how Jingliu was the one who originally defeated Hoolay, the master of ice does indeed show up again for the upcoming patch! Oohhh I'm so excited. I wonder if Jing Yuan had anything to do with her sudden appearance considering she was locked up on another ship. Imagine if we get to see her and Feixiao team up in order to take down the beast? Oh my god, I think I'd pass out if we get such a scene!

It may just be this one screenshot, but her expression doesn't really seem like she's accepting an alliance with Hoolay. Still feels like there's some anger there to me. Maybe distrust. But nothing close to joy or calm. Or this scene could just be an illusion. Who knows.

Wouldn't it be grand though, if all of this was sorta planned? To get this close to Hoolay but instead of siding with him (because why on earth would Feixiao do such a thing) but to figure out if the war head is truly capable of providing a cure for her condition like Jiaoqiu hoped? Or perhaps she's just getting close to him to get her revenge in a sort of 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer' sort of way, yeah?

Many ideas and many days left until we get our answers. One thing is certain though: we need Jiaoqiu back at her side please, like now! Sir, please come back and calm down your General!

[hawkinasock]

Hello, it's me, Geno.

I thought for a long time, but unfortunately I did not find information related to the theory of Yanqing Abundance.

But I found one detail that might just be of interest.

Like...have you noticed that Yanqing is great at pretending? for example, from a recent event, when he first met Luka, he said his fake name: Lenfen (I don’t remember what exactly the name was, sorry); or from the plot, where he perfectly played the role of a “silly child”, calling March 7 his little sister.

that is, when he needs to, he can completely hide his identity and pretend to be a completely different person..

this is just a detail that I noticed and am sharing with you.

(sorry if there are mistakes. I'm using a translator.)

Hi again, Geno :) Don't worry at all, I can understand you just fine. I'm sorry for how long this took, I got really caught up.

I did notice, but I didn't initially think too much of it. It's probably because the examples are currently pretty limited that It's hard for me to find any deeper meaning to it. Idk if I'd go as far as to say he's capable of being that deceptive, to be honest.

Looking at both examples, the common comparison between the two is Yanqing trying to avoid or get out of a certain situation. With Luka, Yanqing knew about his role in the Wardance and lied to keep that information from his potential opponent (probably because he didn't want to make things awkward, and he seemed to just be enjoying interacting with someone unaware of his status), while with the "big sis" example, Yanqing recognized a dangerous confrontation and was getting himself, Yunli and March out of that situation. Notably, these are small white lies, and he wasn't looking to gain anything significant from them.

Because of the small sample size, the conclusion I've come to is that Jing Yuan just raised Yanqing way too well, and that's why we hardly see him deceive.

Till next time, Geno o7

Edit: i actually just remembered another example of Yanqing being a little deceptive that I wanna add. During his story quest, he runs into two cloud knights and lies to them about his pursuit of Blade, saying he's part of an nonexistent "covert operation", and later expresses frustration in being seen as "incapable". He wasn't really pretending to be someone else, as you put it, but it was definitely a lie someone of his authority shouldn't have been telling.

So that's three examples so far, this one, imo, being the most blatant in terms of him being in the wrong, as he was going behind Jing Yuan's back for the entire quest. All these examples do have explanations behind them, but there is def a pattern here. Dare I say, you might be cooking...

[vryivs]

time for the hsr update liveblog

im gonna sob. jing yuan is such a Dad. yanqing is such a Son

thinking so much about yanqing being forced to act older than his age but getting to let loose and actually be a kid when it comes to the things hes interested in

i love him

"miss march" LOOK AT MY POLITE SON!!! LOOK AT HIM!!!!!!

save my son from bureaucracy. and also from my daughter

ok why does huaiyan have and old man model when its canon that xianzhou natives dont physically age

hes old enough to be blades master so hes not an outworlder. what gives

he talks like a man who's had to spend extended time listening to the ramblings of a toddler and now is fazed by nothing

fu hua please give these old men a break

the fact yanqing looks to jing yuan to answer questions... oh baby

also jing yuan is so proud of him its so cute

hes so polite. even though she stole yanzhuo

oh yunli is an ASSHOLE

'you lost your sword because you were unfocused and now you have to fight me to get it back instead of expecting me to hand it over'

lmao the dad voice came out

i really like how its clear that yanqing is a lot more even tempered now. he only even entertains the idea of fighting yunli when she directly challenges him (after insulting him too!)

and when jing yuan warns him he immediately steps back

baby's first diplomatic mission

yunli darling i think yanzhuo is scared because it was possessed by a demon, not because yanqing is mean

this is so sweet. he really is jing yuans son

and remembering blades comment that jing yuan was a hothead as a kid. oh man. the parallels. oh boy

ok im not crazy. thank god

JING YUAN LORE

man it must be crazy for huaiyan to see this rebellious kid who became a knight against his parents wishes eventually succeed teng xiao and grow into one of the best generals the xianzhou has seen

i am ignoring the death flags yet again

hes so sincere its adorable

ok bestie cool it down. you have bigger fish to fry

I AM IGNORING THE DEATH FLAGS

jing yuan you cant die. he will be orphaned AGAIN

i dont know if he can take that

the parallel of jing yuan being told hes overthinking things by huaiyan and yanqing overthinking jing yuan

he is literally jing yuans mini me its so cute

yanqing, dan heng and jing yuan all sharing the same thoughts. i love their dynamic. they are the understanderrrrrs

MISTER DAN HENG

sobs

man yanqing is too young to be implicated in political intri-

hang on. if the abundance yanqing theory is true its gonna look real bad on jing yuan for looking after him. and like. that would be the ideal twist for this

but its only a continuance its fine nothing too important will happen

i hope

YANQING STEPPING IN TO PROTECT LINGSHA HES SO CUTE

hes good boy. jing yuan raised him well

this is maybe the first praise he's had to his face like. ever

at least in the entire game

well now we know why jing yuan was so uneasy

huaiyan's remark was so pointed jesus.

im curious to see where they'll go with this because i bet jy feels guilty as all hell

yes yunli thats what trauma does. and adding to it by insulting him and confiscating his property will totally help

she is so. 13. this is a 13yo

its striking me that yunli is everything yanqing haters claim that he is

i really hope yunli gets some character development. i can see all the yanqing stans realising this ^ and talking smack about her.

btw. dont do that. thats my 13yo edgy emo daughter

FEIXIAO IS SO HOT

well. i guess i do need a wind dps

oh my god shes so hot. oh my god

hes so excited to see her this is so cute

hey. she. she kinda looks like kiana. now that i think about it. with her hair like that and the blue eyes

ok its fine they dont share a va. false alarm. no kiana yet

bur GOD does she make me nostalgic for the og

kiana would absolutely say this

acheron come get your girl

DIPLOMACY KING!!!!

fearing how westerners will react to him being ticked off by yunli because they dont understance face

every girlboss must have her malewife

this warms my heart

she really is kaslana coded

[twilightbloom]

Thoughts on the 2.4 HSR story quest

As anticipated, I'm yapping about the 2.4 continuance story quest. Spoilers ahead, so I'm putting a read more - hopefully it works like it should.

So, we're back on the Luofu huh. Can't say I'm exactly happy about that - everything about that region except the High-Cloud Quintet bored me to death, but this time around I think they did a better job with the characters (and the stakes, frankly. I found Phantyllia to be a yawn inducing antagonist).

This time, while I still found some parts to be still a little wonky pacing wise, I enjoyed myself more. Mostly due to Feixiao and them finally deciding to utilise Hanya and Xueyi more. These two had so much potential and I felt like they were terribly underused the first time around.

Yunli was a fun little character, very prideful and somewhat bratty just like Yanqing is, so it was no surprise they butted heads lol. Their arguing dragged on a taaaad much during the March 7th event, but during the story they were fine and they had a fun dynamic.

The story was alright. The IPC are back to being villanous, though this time after Aurum Alley I found them to be pretty pathetic (the main threats were their mechs and what the experiment with biological life + metal means for the universe *shivers*). The Borisin are basically being herded by Phantyllia who clearly finds some usefulness in Hoolay, so hopefully they interact and it makes me enjoy her just a little bit more.

The jailbreak part was absolutely the highlight of the story for me. Moze's right though, security in the Xianzhou Luofu is wack lmao. Like I can buy the borisin infiltration somewhat, but the invisible random mara-struck soldiers? xD The parts with Hanya and Xueyi were great. They really needed some extra screentime, the ghost event was not enough, and I feel like this quest showcased them a lot more as characters AND sold me on their relationship more.

My biggest disappointment in this quest was probably not showing Jingliu at all. Like, I get it, they are saving her for the continuation and all of that, but having no insight at all on her thoughts on the situation is frustrating. Jingliu is probably one of my favorite Luofu characters, if not my fave tied with Blade, and we've been teased with some action with her and Luocha since what, 1.3? 1.4? I really hoped to see at least a snippet of her, but nothing. Oh well, since Hoolay definitely wants revenge we'll probably see her somewhere along the line, hopefully sooner rather than later. I feel like the Luofu has burned too much good will among the fanbase to afford to dangle plot threads over our heads like that.

Overall, I enjoyed the quest, and it definitely suffered less from trying to stuff all characters inside of it than the first time around (or, at least, this time the characters actually came across as interesting) but I think the first part dragged a little bit. We'll see how they continue it; hopefully they don't drop the ball like they did the first time around, because the Luofu is already hanging on by a thread.

[felibrary]

╭──╯ SLY FOX, DUMB BUNNY !

PAIRING: jiaoqiu x gn!reader

SYNOPSIS: in your hands, the ever so cunning and sly fox jiaoqiu turns into nothing more than a mere poor rabbit. one could say the roles are reversed. because you have him wrapped around your little finger.

WORDCOUNT: 1.3k | CONTENT & WARNINGS: written before jiaoqiu's release so might (def. is) be ooc !!, mentions of yunli, yanqing, astral express crew, banter and bickering, fluff ; ficlet

TAGS: @eccentric-planet, @mitsvriii, @iceunhie (send me an off anon ask to be added to the taglist ^^)

AUTHORS NOTE: posting this cause im going on a trip next week. i have a lot time to write on the way there (6hrs by train lolll) so there'll prob me many scheduled posts (can't promise that though..)

“are they fighting again?” march asks as she takes a sip out of her drink, eyeing you as you mindlessly pass by jiaoqiu without batting an eye at him - not sparing him a single glance, before she's turning her gaze back to dan heng and the other members of the astral express.

dan heng replies with a shake of his head “but at this point isn’t this like... a normal thing between the two of them?”, he sighs before crossing his arms and looking away. 

suddenly march feels a heavy object bumping against the back of her head making a small thump sound. “ouch! what was that for?” march turns around in disbelief, scolding the person who hit her.

“oops! my bad, sorry miss march!” the young girl with gray hair behind her giggles in delight, the “culprit”, was none other than yunli who was cleaning her sword with a lush piece of fabric. “but to answer your question, yes, they’re fighting..again.” there’s a small apologetic tilt to her voice that implies that she too is somewhat affected by this.

at that march can’t help but laugh too “oh aeons,really? you’re lying!” yunli can only shake her head in exasperation which basically says “i wish i was.” 

“those two should just get over their lover quarrel or whatever's going on. they’re adults they should make up!” out of nowhere yanqing pops up behind yunli, scaring both her and march. “yanqing!” march puts her hand over her heart “you scared me!” at that yunli can only sigh.

“yanqing.” the grey haired girl says in an annoyed voice. “yunli.” yanqing replies in an ever so cheery voice. (or does it only sound this happy when he’s with yunli?) “how many times have i told you to not randomly scare people!” yunli scolds yanqing by slapping the piece of fabric which was previously used to clean her sword against yanqing’s forehead, leaving dirt stains. 

he lets out a quiet huff before nodding in agreement. “fine.” he mumbles under his breath and upon hearing that yunli can only smile. “sooo whose fault do you guys think it is - so who’s at fault for them fighting?” march asks curiously, interfering with the little banter.

“definitely jiaoqiu’s.” both yanqing and yunli say in unison. “oh. how come? what did he do?” march was surprised by the sudden response, her lips forming a little “o” in befuddlement. “what did he didn't do? should be the question.” yunli sighs. 

“i bet on 50 strale that he didn’t open the window after showering or something.” yanqing scoffs. “it’s probably him behaving more like the pet than their actual pet.” yunli replies. “they have a pet?!” yanqing asks in bewilderment. “you didn’t know?” yunli asks in surprise. 

as the two teenagers keep on debating on what jiaoqiu might 've done, you continue to stride forward in the direction of the stargazer navalia, holding heavy boxes in your hand which you’re supposed to transport to the mechanics. jeez, do they need several lifting stones or why are the boxes so heavy?

before you’re even able to take another step you can feel something soft tickling your face, covering your eyesight. (you don’t even need to look around to see who it is - well, you can’t because there’s literally someone blocking your vision).

“guess who it is.” a cheery sing-song voice calls out to you. you sigh “do i have the option to not guess?” you reply in a dull and annoyed tone and at that you only receive a tut followed by a “nope.”

“sweetie, you have somewhere to be, don't you? well time’s running out. start guessing.” his words are laced in faux sympathy and he drags out the syllables of each word. some strands of his tail keep brushing along your nose and you can’t help but giggle. 

unfortunately for you, you’re stuck in this predicament. due to the boxes you’re holding you’re not even able to suppress your laughter with your hand. “jiaoqiu, get away from me!” you complain, there’s amusement in your words, he can tell and his foxian ears can’t help but slightly perk up at the sound of your laughter.

“oh-hoh! so you do know my name.” he removes his tail from your eyes and finally you’re able to look straight forward again, although the view doesn’t last long because jiaoqiu immediately and firmly grabs your shoulders to make you turn around and face him.

he grabs the boxes off of your hands and decides to put them down at which you can only raise an eyebrow at. “i really much preferred the other view in the other direction, can i turn around again?” you blink at him unimpressively as you try to stop your lips from quirking up.

“pff, in your dreams.” he scoffs smilingly. “y’know when you don’t want to look at me i’m gonna make you look at me” he reaches out his hand that was previously holding his neat fan before brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. “you can’t just avoid me for an eternity, right?” he smiles. the faux smile that you just can’t stand. 

you return his actions by shooting him a forced smile and looking away awkwardly. at that he can’t help but open his eyes and tilting his head to the side “oh my are you okay? you look constipated, do you want me to give you any pills, medicaments?” he jokes.

“you’re so not funny jiaoqiu, i was just trying to be nice.” you cross your arms before loosening them once again to shrug your shoulders. “well, i guess nice conversations aren't your specialty. if you excuse me, i’ll have to go now. see you or not doc.” you pick up the boxes off the floor to carry them once again and turn around to proceed to your destination. 

if he was going to initiate a game of cat and mouse, you were certainly not going to end up as the prey loser.

you’re pretty sure you’re experiencing a deja vu, because again, before you were even able to take another step forward jiaoqiu stops you by grabbing your wrist. “wait.” .. “i’m waiting.” 

“sorry that.. i ate your last ice cream and didn’t tell you beforehand.” he apologizes to you, his grip tightening around your wrist. 

is he serious right now? does he seriously think you’re mad at him for eating your last ice cream? that’s so stupid who’d be mad over that? that’s bullshit. though why were you mad at him in the beginning again? stupid jiaoqiu with his stupid doctor degrees and title should probably figure it out.

“what?” your face contorts into an expression of disbelief. “you think i’m mad over that?”

“you’re not?” 

“of course, i’m not!”

“then why are you mad?” “i’m mad because you can’t figure out the proper reason why i’m mad!” 

“that doesn’t even make sense!” 

“are you invalidating my feelings?”

“wait no of course not, i’m sorry!” he reluctantly apologizes.  “Is it because i didn’t do the dishes last week - or wait no is it cause i forgot to clean my pile of documents off the dining table or oh!” he snaps his fingers. “is it because i used all of the hot water in the shower so that you had to use the cold one? ah, or is it because instead of my-”

“jiaoqiu.” you softly call out his name. “i’m just joking, i should be the one to apologize because in all honesty i can’t even remember why i'm mad anymo-”

“-shampoo, i used your shampoo and conditioner?”

wait what?

“i knew it! how come you suddenly smell like lavender instead of medical herbs and spices! you thief!” you accuse him as you drop the boxes to the floor (if you’d later on receive complaints about the insides being damaged you’re so going to blame jiaoqiu). “sorry, sorry.” he sighs.

you look down as you shake your head smilingly before gazing up to put your hand on his cheek, slightly rubbing over it. “you always give in so easily.” there’s a fond look in your eyes as you continue to stroke his cheek.

“i suppose you’re just too irresistible.” he fans himself in the face to distract both you and him from the fact that his ears are turning red.

(a futile attempt.)

if i were to think of a platonic soulmate id think of @azullumi. hi azull beloved i hope youre doing well!! i know youre not the most active on social media rn but it was still fun talking to you the other day!! i enjoyed it a lot, talking to you is always fun. doesn't matter what i do with you it's always fun. you're my most precious friend, i'm not lying, you're such a fresh breath of air to be around. i know that i might not be your first choice because you have your own precious people. but i just want you to know that you're so incredible and that im so grateful to have you. but knowing that you also deem me as someone important to you which not only is proven to me in moments when i'm vulnerable around you or through silly or funny tiktoks means so much to me. my heart aches and swells every time i think of you - but in a good way. "but how can an aching heart be good?" you'd know if you'd get to meet and talk to azul. he's so amazing that it hurts - i love you so much that it hurts. hurt is associated with pain but really, it's only painful to me that i can't always be with you. anyway growing apart - losing you would be absolutely terrifying for me. you're so precious and ear to me and im so so fond of you. i hope these little notes of mine can somewhat cheer you up and make your day sometimes (they make my day - both writing them for you and receiving them by you (so the ones you write me)). hope you enjoy this little jiaoqiu fic!!

© VYNICITY 2024. stealing, copying, translating, reposting my works on other platforms or feeding them to ai is not permitted.

[mrch7th]

an awed march 7th bounces on the toes of her boots, gaze darting this way and that to follow miss navia— that was her name, right? the little one (miss sedene, she thinks to herself) had called her that— with her umbrella gun and her blade and—

“wow!” she can't help but exclaim, eyes all but sparkling as she clasps her hands together. “miss navia, you're incredible!” but she turns her gaze away when mr. jiaoqiu addresses her, attention dutifully tracking toward their opponents at his question. “oh, mr. jiaoqiu! they're just...” a pause, a blink. march falters. “uh, actually, i don't know what these things are. i've never seen anything like them. but miss sedene and miss navia seem to be handling them just fine, so it can't be too challenging, right?”

and the conversation ends there, because the stray bolts of lightning that flick toward her at mr. jiaoqiu's wave of his fan have her jumping and scrambling away. gloved hands ball instinctively into fists, closing around the now-familiar weight of twin swords in each hand.

she's just ducking out of the way of one enemy's swing when another comes right at her.

archangel a attacks march 7th! roll: 2, hit! -1hp. march 7th 8.5/10hp my sword zaps demons counters! roll: 18, hit! -1hp. archangel a 4/10hp

sword raises, swats it away with a disgruntled, “hey!” that her masters would definitely scold her for if they were here. as lightning sparks around them again, another enemy takes the opportunity to take aim at her, earning a pained hiss from the nameless for their troubles.

ranger attacks march 7th! roll: 2, hit! -1hp. march 7th 6/10hp

“if i had my bow right now...” she grumbles, hand rubbing idly where it had connected. but she doesn't. what she does have are her swords, and all the lessons yanqing and yunli spent weeks drilling into her.

her wandering gaze finds miss navia again, entranced by the swing of her blade. it's nothing like march's, more similar to yunli's choice of sword, but a sword is just a sword, right? it's how someone wields it that makes the difference.

brows be smitten, heart be bitten! roll: 5, hit! -3hp. ranger 2/18hp

she hops once, twice, on her heels, then march darts past miss navia with her own twin blades flourished wide, swung down upon their enemy in tandem. it stumbles back, bow clattering from its hand as its gaze swivels toward her instead. any super cool attack name that might have been on her tongue dies as she instead jumps away and yelps, “ahh— miss sedene, quick! please shoot it!”

✿　@sedena

　❅　bubble up like soda pop!

spiral abyss  |  floor one　 ▪  ▪  ▪ 　team five

[razorblade180]

R&R

[Infirmary, slight 2.5 spoilers ]

Lingsha:Now I’m only going to say this once….if you leave this room, you’ll be back in it after regaining consciousness. I may be a healer, but I do not enjoy spending my time redoing bandages, so stay in bed and rest. Do I make myself clear!?

Jiaoqiu:Yes ma’am.

Feixiao:Loud and clear…

Moze:I’m not even that injured.

Lingsha:….

Moze:Hmph, well it’s not like I have any other place to be.

Lingsha:Good! Now if you would excuse me, I have other hard heads to yell at. *leaves*

Feixiao:….*gets out of bed*

Jiaoqiu:General? I know you’re used to doing as you please but I think Miss Lingsha really will try to knock you o-

A brisk breeze hits his right side as his covers are pulled back. The brief coolness is replaced by a gentle, growing warmth that spreads across his body and rests on his chest; the familiar scent that has never dared to leave him steadies his wary heart.

Feixiao:I know you’re a fan of long winded remarks and explanations, but let’s follow the rules this time. *closes eyes* Rest, Jiaoqiu. I’m…tired.

Feixiao:…Me too.

xxxxx

Lingsha:*grabs doorknob*

Yunli:Quit moving around so much.

Lingsha:Hmm? *peeks inside*

Yunli:*sitting on bed*Keep this up and the unnecessary stress will do you in.

Yanqing:*laying in the bed* It’s not has bad as it looks. I’m fine…

Yunli:Please, you’re so exhausted from fighting that I could beat you now problem. Enough with the tough guy act.

Yanqing:Heh, funny. Almost sounded like you’re admitting I could best you in normal conditions.

Yunli:Because that’s exactly what I’m saying.

Yanqing:….

Yunli:Congratulations, you have my respect. I’m willing to admit that you may hold a slight edge over my blade for now. Know-it-alls like you are always going on about proper rest, so stop moving and rest. I can’t challenge you properly as a rival otherwise.

Yanqing:…Yunli, thank you. *closes eyes* I couldn’t have asked for a better comrade beside me. Can you…stay a little….zzzz

Yunli:*red* What an idiot. Did you forget I need rest too?

Her eyes become heavy and her body raises slightly to return to her own bed when she’s suddenly hit with a wave of drowsiness more fearsome than today’s foes. Unable to best it, Yunli lays her head down beside Yanqing. For once, she was thankful they were both small. It wasn’t cramped at all. It wasn’t perfect either, but Yunli would dare to say that somehow, it was fitting.

Yunli:I guess I could stay beside you for a little longer. *closes eyes* Somebody’s got to.

Lingsha:*smiles*…..*gently closes door*

[razorblade180]

Lingsha:Out of curiosity, what are your true thoughts on Yanqing?

Yunli:Annoying, disappointing, and not living up to his potential. Tsk, not to mention arrogant. I’d rather not talk about him.

Lingsha:Hmm, interesting. Fair enough.

Yunli:What’s with the weird question. You never do anything with a reason.

Lingsha:Oh it’s nothing major. Merely curious on what your thoughts might be when it’s finally time for you to return home. I suppose you’ll be fine.

Yunli:…..

xxxxxx

Yanqing:*medating* (I won’t fail. I won’t fail. I won’t-)

Yunli:Hey!!!

Yanqing:For the love of- *opens eyes* We already have a scheduled match! Do we really have to fight even sooner?

Yunli:All I said was “hey.” Quit being dra- sigh… this ship is massive.

Yanqing:…Okay? You lost or something?

Yunli:As if! Grandpa keeps nagging me about not staying too far on my own, and I haven’t gotten the opportunity to see where the interesting really is. *red* I just figured you’d know where to take me.

Yanqing:So now I’m your escort?

Yunli:Would you rather have me aimlessly walking around causing potential work for you to clean up? I’m actually saving you the hassle.

Yanqing:*stands up* At least you’re aware you are one.

Yunli:Not remotely what I said! Looks like you’re the one who wants the fight!

Yanqing:I’ll pass on that, for now. Anyways, let me guess; you want to see where we keep Heliobi?

Yunli:Don’t act like I’m easy to ready. *grabs his wrist* Lead the way.

Yanqing:You- Fine. I’m not about to talk in circles today…

Lingsha:*watching* I kinda feel a little guilty for him now.

March:Don’t be. This is easily one of his better interactions with a swordmaster.

[razorblade180]

Feelings are hard

March:Sensei, what’s your opinion of Yanqing? Your training methods feel so different.

Yunli:That’s because our styles and mentors aren’t the same. I’ll admit he’s talented but he’s flashy and always trying to stand tall; as if he doesn’t get in over his head. A person his rank can afford some humility and not charge into everything so boldly. He’s such a kid at times.

March:Oooh, you like him.

Yunli:That is not what I said in the slightest!!!!

March:You didn’t have to.

xxxxx

March:So I’m training with two mentors. What’s Yunli like?

Yanqing:She’s phenomenal in her craft and dare at admit, could probably best me often. Her way of calling out flaws however can be so arrogant and she always thinks she’s in the right! She really gets under my skin.

March:I didn’t know you had a crush.

Yanqing:Now when did I say that!?

xxxxxx

March: *crouching* like this?

Yunli:Keep your posture straight. Most of your weight should be on your front leg and you pivot your turn into-

Yanqing:*watching closely*

Yunli:*red* Geez, could you stare any harder!?

Yanqing:Am I not allowed to learn too!? Even masters know to observe other masters!

Yunli:You should have these basics done already, or has flying on swords ruined your fundamentals?

Yanqing:You’re just mad your swords can’t fly!

Yunli:I don’t need sentient swords. I’m too busy talking to normal people cause I have social skills!

March: (Man this pose hurts….)

Yanqing:I have social skills!

Yunli:And they’re as good as your fundamentals apparently. It would appear my master takes training a little more seriously in every aspect of life. All that work in presentation to draw eyes instead of more work.

Yanqing:All that hard work to hide your attitude and weak presentation. clearly the lesson about conditioner was skipped.

Audible gasps

March:Yanqing, you never go a for a girls hair!

Yunli:Not everyone can have naturally stunning hair you jerk!

Yanqing:You think it’s stunning?

Yunli:Perhaps! Does mine really look that bad?! *touches it*

Yanqing:No no no! I was being mean! It’s pretty!

Yunli:Don’t lie to me now!

Yanqing:I’m not! It’s cute…

Yunli:*pouting* Yeah well…I guess I’m a little envious of your style. The swords are cool.

March:*trembling* May I stand up now?

Yunli:I’m sorry for antagonizing you…

Yanqing:I shouldn’t have brought up looks. That was a low blow.

Yunli:*red* You should pay me back by letting me borrow your conditioner, since it’s so good and everything.

Yanqing:Hehe, that’s fair. As long as I can keep watching you.

Yunli:I suppose that’s fine. *turns around* March, you-

Thump

March:*on the ground* My legs…jelly…

Yunli:Maybe a break is in order.

Yanqing:I’ll make the ice packs.