#of his failure to save Khaenri'ah

[cluescorner]

Arlecchino's whole deal is unbelievable

Arlecchino: Huh I wonder what's causing my weird powers? I can't really worry about that right now tho, I've gotta become King and then kill my "Mother".

*Kills Clervie and "Mother"*

Arlecchino: Huh I wonder why I was able to defeat a Fatui Harbinger when I'm like 17 or so? I can't really worry about that right now tho, I've gotta be in jail and become a Harbinger.

*Is in jail for a while and becomes a Harbinger*

Arlecchino: Huh I wonder why I am-

Pierro: Hey what's up hello, anyways you're descended from the Crimson Moon Dynasty of Khaenri'ah. I'm sure that this is a lot for you to take in so-

Arlecchino: Ok.

Pierro: ...You're just cool with that?

Arlecchino: IDK maybe? I can't really worry about that at the moment, I'm a father now. This orphanage full of children I love (who also are child soldiers and are not allowed to leave or else I'll execute them except maybe now I'm just gonna wipe their memories IDK I'm morally complex) isn't gonna run itself.

*Runs the orphanage/spy recruitment initiative*

Me, the fucking player: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE KHAENRI'AN? WHY WASN'T THIS BROUGHT UP IN YOUR FUCKING QUEST?? OR ANYTHING ELSE????

Arlecchino, talking to me through my phone: I honestly don't know why you care, I'm too busy to give a shit. Anyways, I'm gonna go fight fate itself I guess. I'm sure that I don't share any thematic parallels with any other Khaenri'an characters (particularly as it relates to acting and family angst) and that I haven't made the idea of 'curses' on Khaenri'ans and what they entail even more complicated than they already were. See ya.

[conlaluce]

thinking about diluc and kaeya each having their own complicated relationship with religion. crepus is a devout believer of the anemo archon, to me, so he definitely took his kids with him to mass at the cathedral, if not every sunday then at least once or twice a month.

diluc learned to pray from his father; learned to give thanks to the god who gave this city its freedom, the god who blesses them with gentle weather and bountiful lands and protects them from tyranny. he believes wholly and truly in the anemo archon's grace; his father does, after all, and everyone says barbatos is great and benevolent and kind and helped found the nation he loves so dearly.

kaeya doesn't like mass very much, but he never says so. it makes him uncomfortable, especially in the beginning, worshipping one of the gods that his homeland has reviled - but he wants to fit in, he doesn't want to lose his place here. and surely, surely, it would be a dead giveaway to his "true" allegiances if he refused to pray to mondstadt's god. so kaeya closes his eyes and pretends to pray, because better this than losing another home. (better this than failing his mission, than failing in his duty to khaenri'ah.)

and then, diluc's 18th birthday passes. ursa the drake attacks. crepus dies. diluc leaves mondstadt. kaeya is left, alone, the only ragnvindr left (except there aren't any, really, because he isn't a ragnvindr anymore, he isn't allowed to be.)

the first time diluc's vision starts to go out, the light flickering and fading and dying, kaeya prays. for the first time, he doesn't pretend, he doesn't close his eyes and clasp his hands together just for show - he prays.

please. please. let diluc live. please don't let him die. he can't die. i know you hate me, but you can't let him die, he's one of yours, isn't he? he's a child of mondstadt. he has to stay alive. save him, please, please-

(i can't lose him too)

diluc's vision never does go out all the way. it always retains its light, even if only slightly. maybe the anemo archon really did protect him. maybe barbatos answered kaeya's prayers.

sometimes, when diluc's vision is weak, kaeya prays. surely, barbatos will at least grant him this. surely, barbatos wouldn't be opposed to keeping a child of mondstadt safe.

when diluc finally comes back home, kaeya closes his eyes and whispers a quiet thanks to his god.

diluc, on the other hand, no longer prays. hasn't, since that day.

he doesn't think he deserves to.

kaeya said something, that night, about khaenri'ans being sinners. a people who have been condemned by the gods themselves for their sins. he said it so viciously, so bitterly, so sincerely. like he believed it, wholly and truly.

if you're a sinner, then what am i?

kinslayer. a failure of a knight. a man who could not save anyone when it mattered most, who raised a blade to his own family. killer of his own father, and nearly his brother, too. he has learned to kill without feeling the slightest hint of remorse, to steal and torture and deceive. he has committed so many atrocities he can no longer count them all. his sins are far worse than kaeya's have ever been, will ever be.

if you're a sinner, then so am i.

diluc doesn't pray anymore. he's a little scared to.

and besides, no gods would save him now, would they?

not with all the blood on his hands.

some time after his return to mondstadt, diluc starts attending mass again. every sunday, he enters the cathedral with the rest of the crowd, chooses a quiet spot in the back, and waits for the service to begin.

he doesn't pray.

when everyone else's heads are bowed together in prayer, diluc lowers his head to show respect, but his eyes are open. his hands lie still in his lap. he stares at the wood of the pews in front of him as the sister leading the service offers words of thanks to barbatos. he does not pray.

does he even deserve to ask anything of the gods now?

and then diluc finds out the annoying bard that frequents his tavern is actually a god. is actually barbatos. not just any god - his god.

his god trusts him to keep his human guise a secret. his god tolerates him enough to become a regular at his tavern and beg him for freebies.

okay. this is fine.

(vaguely, diluc wonders if it is heresy to say no when your god asks you for something. repeatedly. but their dynamic has been like this for months before venti's true identity was revealed, and the god has shown no indication of wanting to change that. so, for now, diluc will treat him the same as he always has.)

sometimes, he thinks about asking. asking venti - asking barbatos - if he would forgive diluc of his sins. if he deserves to be forgiven.

he never does ask.

[ac-liveblogs]

Genshin Rewrite: Mondstadt Backstory Notes

Notes related to my "what if Genshin was a normal RPG and not a gacha?" project, which is set out to streamline/rewrite Genshin Impact into something more... traditional and character-driven. Featuring a talking protagonist, a canon party and a more involved plot...!(?)

Feat. lore changes, rampant lore speculation and restructuring the entire game around "what if Venti [and later Diluc] were main characters". This post is The Relevant Mondstadt Lore That Is Actually A Bit Different From Canon.

In the spirit of this being styled after an RPG, I'm streamlining a lot of the lore present in Mondstadt down to what's directly relevant to the party/the plot of the overall game and making them waaaay more important...

I've planned two Mondstadt arcs; one is the prologue, which is mostly unchanged except for some fairly minor tweaking, and a second arc set between Natlan and Snezhnaya. The second arc is where Venti's story will close and the seeds of Diluc's will start to move into more major focus.

Areas of Focus:

Venti is the deuteragonist of the game for some time, and it's primarily him motivated to investigate the Fall of Khaenri'ah beyond what Celestia told him as well as the Tsaritsa's actions. Investigating Celestia, and eventually deciding to rebel, might not be something Venti succeeds at - but the party will, in his stead.

La Signora as an antagonist to Venti. She won't die in Inazuma, and will get used to greater effect in Mondstadt later in the game.

Venti's corruption remains an issue throughout the game, resulting in him eventually becoming an enemy to be defeated (and replaced in the party by Diluc).

Diluc's relationships with Jean and Kaeya. In addition, coming to terms with Kaeya's betrayal and his father's death/dealings with the Fatui. Diluc's motivation to join the party is to hunt down Kaeya after his apparent betrayal of Mondstadt, and I will... have a lot of fun with the fallout of that.

Minor focus on Knights of Favonius internal politicking re; Jean and Inspector Eroch.

Major Lore Changes

I didn't want to drop the Lawrence Clan entirely, but keeping them relevant while balancing every other plate in Mondstadt made them feel unnecessary. So I decided to keep Eroch around as a Fatui conspirator working to undermine Jean, and just make him a Lawrence.

Shuffling the map; Dragonspine is now directly between Mondstadt and Snezhnaya and far more dangerous, which sucks for anyone trying to travel between the two regions. Durin's ghost is an active threat there.

Varka is dead. The expedition to the North is changed to an expedition to Dragonspine, which ended in failure and resulted in massive losses. This is for the dual purpose of a) putting Mondstadt on the ropes when dealing with Stormterror/the Fatui and b) hyping Dragonspine as a god-awful dungeon to clear later in the game.

Things that are being cut:

Most of Albedo's stuff. He's still present, as an NPC alchemist. A lot of the plot elements that have been seeded with him have too much crossover with Venti, Kaeya, Durin and Scaramouche, so I feel it'd be redundant. I had a big war with myself over whether to use Albedo or Kaeya (have to use one, but using both would be repetitive), but when I decided to kill off Venti and have Diluc replace him it had to be Kaeya.

Venti's life. I'M JOKING

Alice and Mona. The Hexenzirkel are on thin ice, being one of three Big Mysterious Groups Of Important Lore People that are mostly off-screen, and the least relevant by far. Klee is still in Mondstadt though - Alice is still a deadbeat mom and traveling author.

The Genshin Webtoon. After much consideration, it didn't work out for my timeline, and I don't think Collei needed to come to Mondstadt. She's still with Tighnari and was saved by Cyno, but that all happened in Sumeru.

Most character quests and hangouts. Some Mond characters will be explicitly present as NPCs, with varying levels of relevance.

All limited time events are non-canon, though information from some of them (e.g. Hidden Strife and the Dragonspine events) will be recycled elsewhere.

Recent History:

~4 years ago: Crepus' death, Diluc's defection from the Knights of Favonius. Eroch Lawrence, with ambitions to take Varka's position as Grandmaster, is sanctioned under suspicions of collusion with the Fatui but remains in the Knights.

~3 years ago: Inspector Eroch is passed over for a promotion to Assistant Master in favour of Jean Gunnhildr.

~3 years ago: Varka's failed expedition to Dragonspine cripples Mondstadt's forces. Jean is made Acting Grandmaster in his absence.

~1 year ago: Stormterror first appears in Mondstadt.

~4 months ago: Diluc Ragnvindr returns to Mondstadt.

~2 weeks ago: Venti and Lumine both awaken in Mondstadt. Lumine meets Paimon.

Minor Characters in Mondstadt;

Eroch Lawrence: Disgraced former Inspector of the Knights of Favonius, and Fatui conspirator. Actively works with the Fatui to undermine the Ordo in the hopes of one day returning to power. A minor antagonist. Basically la Signora's stooge these days.

Eula Lawrence: Inspector Eroch's niece, and a nepo hire. Jean gave her a chance to prove herself after her uncle's fall from grace, which earned Eula's grudging respect. And rivalry. One of Jean's closest allies, butts heads with Kaeya quite often. She'll usurp Jean's position and take the role of Grandmaster, just wait and see...! (she does not.)

Bennett: Member of the Adventurer's Guild. Occasionally encountered on the journey across Teyvat, where some grave misfortune has inevitably befallen him. The party first met him in Inazuma, where he'd arrived the day before the Sakoku Decree was enforced�� it didn't improve from there.

Amber and Lisa; their roles remain largely unchanged. Collei never came to Mondstadt, but Lisa is still in contact with Cyno/her cute kohai. Amber and Collei would become fast friends in the second Mondstadt arc, which I'm imagining to take place either during Windblume or Ludi Harpastum.

Razor and Andrius: Literally the same guys. Razor has a slightly more involved optional sidequest that leads to the Andrius bonus boss, which would probably net you a cool sword if you won.

Xiangling: Member of the Adventurer's Guild and part-time employee at Wangmin. Encountered across Teyvat searching for really weird ingredients, and trading you really weird recipes (among other things) if you help her find them.

Diluc, Kaeya and Crepus' Death.

The meat and potatoes of Diluc's arc, and the character-side of the Abyss Order's plans with the Loom of Fate.

Crepus was a loving father to Diluc, a caring guardian to Kaeya and Elzer, a political powerhouse in Mondstadt... and so bitter with the Ordo that he willingly became a Fatui collaborator. Unfortunately for Crepus, he was nowhere near as useful as Eroch Lawrence, and far less cooperative. So, when the Fatui wanted to destabilise Mondstadt by hitting the community and the economy with a two-for-one murder combo to get a stronger foothold in Mondstadt, Crepus was the one on the chopping block.

As we know, Crepus protected his son from Ursa the Drake, and Diluc was forced to mercy-kill his own father once the effects of his Delusion backfired on him. Diluc suspected his father had been set up and wanted an investigation opened, but Eroch -a Fatui collaborator- blatantly disregarded his suspicions. Diluc went to the one person he thought he could trust to help him.

Instead of supporting him, Kaeya took the opportunity to kick Diluc when he was down.

The fallout from that night resulted in the loss of Kaeya's right eye, one of Dottore's segments being injured, the deaths of several Fatui agents, Diluc's Vision being confiscated and a dishonorable discharge. Diluc left Mondtadt to head to Snezhnaya to do his own investigation, where he stayed for several years. "I can't deal with this. I can't be here anymore," Diluc thought, with uncharacteristic cowardice.

During that time, Diluc became extremely proficient with his Delusion. Unlike canon, he has never stopped using it, and never reclaimed his Vision. Diluc is in a truly incredible downward spiral. Diluc killed the previous 11th Harbinger, and was gravely injured in the process, but joined a network of anti-Fatui informants while recovering. Four months before Lumine woke up, Diluc returned to Mondstadt.

For Kaeya's part, he has always known he was supposed to be sacrificed to complete the Loom of Fate. Taken in by Crepus and raised with Diluc after his father hid him in Mondstadt, Kaeya began to reject the Order's plan - the current world is flawed, but there are things he doesn't want to lose. But, he knew he didn't have a choice. It's not like he could've killed himself - the Order had safeguards for that.

If Kaeya viewed himself as a villain destined to ruin everything, he idolised Diluc as a hero. At some point, Kaeya began to believe that Diluc would be the one to kill him - that's what heroes do. They kill monsters. They save the world.

Kaeya truly wants Diluc to be the one to kill him.

When Crepus died and Diluc was vulnerable, Kaeya's response to Crepus' death made it impossible for him to ignore his conflicting loyalties. He then realised; "There is no better time than this."

When Diluc killed Fatui agents, Kaeya covered it up. When his Vision was confiscated, Kaeya stole it back. When anyone asked about Kaeya's eye, he told one wild story after another until people stopped asking. If there's anything Diluc's done that's actually disappointed him, it was rejecting Crepus' wishes by leaving the Knights and selling his old mansion.

While Kaeya is generally very good at setting Diluc up, either to play pranks or to gently lead him to the conclusions Kaeya wanted him to reach, Kaeya is never quite able to properly gauge how much Diluc cares about him.

Kaeya eventually betraying Mondstadt to fulfill his own destiny will motivate Diluc to join the party in the last 30% of the game or so. That won't go the way Kaeya expects it to either...

As far as the Abyss Order is concerned, they're going to rewrite destiny to ensure the fall of Khaenri'ah/they won the war with the surface and Celestia, thus completely deleting several hundred years' worth of history. All the people they're killing and sacrifices they're making just plain don't count, because soon they're not going to exist.

Lumine, as an outsider to Teyvat who is not part of "the world", would survive this, but no one else would.

Dragonspine

Located directly between Mondstadt and Snezhnaya. Originally a land-trade route connecting the two countries, it became inaccessible after Durin's fall in the Cataclysm. Raging snowstorms, turbulent seas and the curse of a vengeful dragon's ghost batter Dragonspine year-round. It used to be pretty easy to travel between Snezhnaya and Mondstadt, but these days you have to take the looooong way around... through pretty much every other nation, first.

Naturally, the party will have to take this route at some point.

The Skynail in Dragonspine seems to be there because Celestia discovered that someone there learnt some truth of the world they weren't supposed to know... that seems to be their preferred method of dealing with information leaks.

Varka's Doomed Expedition

2 years prior to canon, Varka led a large number of the Knights of Favonius into Dragonspine in an attempt to re-open the land path between Mondstadt and Snezhnaya and lay Durin's soul to rest. Intended as a joint venture between Capitano's Fatui Company, the Knights and Mondstadt's Adventurer's Guild. Varka, who wanted to rebuild relations with the Fatui after the... incident with Diluc, had believed this would be a wonderful opportunity for Mondstadt's growth.

The mission ultimately ended in failure. Very few of the troops sent to Dragonspine ever returned to Mondstadt. This expedition crippled Mondstadt's forces and blackened Varka's reputation, leaving the Knights open to Inspector Lawrence's attempts to muscle his way back into power.

Kaeya was part of this expedition. Anyone that made it back did so on his orders. Less than a year later, Stormterror appeared in Mondstadt.

[kaeyachi]

Kaeya Hangout Spoilers

angst warning

Everyone at Mond keeps looking for Kaeya whenever he disappears. It's a reoccurring thing where people tell him to visit more, to stay, to come back.

If Kaeya is, let's say, permanently gone, how could anyone ever hope to explain to Klee that Kaeya isn't simply grounded? That he won't be able to tell her bedtime stories again like he used to? That the one who bails her out and saves her from solitary confinement won't do so ever again?

How could the Dawn Winery staff reconcile with the fact that their gentle boy, their sun, would never return home ever again? They keep telling him to visit more often. They miss him so much, and everything feels lighter whenever he comes back home. What if that all ends?

Diluc seems to be afraid to say it, but he is quick to miss Kaeya. He immediately looks for Kaeya the moment he loses sight of him. Would he keep looking left and right? Up above Celestia and down below Khaenri'ah? Keep turning around in hopes to find a hint of blue again? A shade of blue so rare that he'd never find it ever again?

Venti would mourn for what could never be. He keeps saying he wants Kaeya at the end. He blessed his child, promised him a bright future. What a huge failure to lose one of the people he wanted to be there at the conclusion. The poetries would end. The wine would be less sweet. The hymns are silenced.

Khaenri'ah may have lost one more of their people, but Mondstadt would lose one of their brightest stars

[strdstd-m]

{Things I wanna write hcs for abt Dain:}

Dainsleif's trauma, pessimism, and the fact that he's seen the darkness of Teyvat, yet still strives to save it.

Dain being the remnants of Khaenri'ah's humanity.

Dain's guilt & self-blame both from his failure in Khaenri'ah & knowing the gods view him as just a vile sinner weighing on him.

Dain's resurfacing memories after the Chasm & how long it took him to recover.

[yourfriendlytabibito]

Wanderer and the Acceptance of Past Sins

SPOILERS: This post contains spoilers from the recent Interlude quest. Please finish it before reading. Thanks!

The Tatarasuna incident remained a mystery for four hundred years until today. According to historical records, Niwa Hisahide fled along with his family from Tatarasuna while Katsuragi was slain by Miyakoshi Nagamasa, his lord. Seen among the records was the word "kabukimono", an Inazuman term referring to someone who was dressed in the nines. It also refers to someone who is an eccentric. This kabukimono then unleashed hell upon the five great swordsmith clans of Inazuma, the Raiden Gokaden, as revenge for Katsuragi's death. But little did he know, his whole life was a lie.

The Interlude quest reintroduces Scaramouche, the 6th Harbinger. After his defeat in the hands of the Traveler, the Dendro Archon Nahida asked him to investigate a matter inside Irminsul. Since he still has traces of its power during his brief stint as Sumeru's deity, Scaramouche can access the Irminsul even without a Gnosis. As a precaution, Nahida requested for us to join him to keep an eye on him.

While looking for information about the Descenders, Scaramouche told the Traveler that their sibling arrived in Khaenri'ah during their first time in Teyvat. He came by this information through Pierro who turned out to be a royal mage of Khaenri'ah before the Cataclysm. This confirmed what many Travelers have speculated: Pierro is a survivor of the Khaenri'ah Cataclysm and the one who sent Scaramouche to many trips to the Abyss. But that's not the only information that we got from the Irminsul. It also revealed through Irminsul the truth about what happened during the Tatarasuna incident.

Niwa, the second-in-command in Tatarasuna (and possibly Kazuha's distant ancestor), was seen having a conversation with Escher, a mechanic from Fontaine. He was the one who introduced innovations that improved the process of smithing in Inazuma. However, this came with a price. Over time, the workers began to take ill due to exposure to the dark source in Tatarasuna. Niwa has his suspicions about this and decided to confront Escher. It turns out that he was no mechanic at all but a Fatuus. And not just any Fatuus, but the 3rd Harbinger, Il Dottore. He killed Niwa and took out his heart. In his final moments, Niwa asked Dottore to tell the kabukimono that he will always be one of his people.

Scaramouche was outraged. He couldn't believe that Dottore was the one behind the incident in Tatarasuna. Out of revenge and possibly guilt, Scaramouche entered the Irminsul to erase his existence in order to save the people of Tatarasuna. However, his plan was a failure. Though the details of the disaster changed, many still died. The Traveler went to Inazuma to confirm what changes Scaramouche had brought after his trip to the Irminsul. The history of the Tatarasuna incident and the fall of the Raiden Gokaden hasn't changed much...except for the fact that Scaramouche and the Balladeer's existence is erased from people's memory. The kabukimono vanished from the records as well, and was replaced by a crazed lunatic who exacted revenge upon the Raiden Gokaden. Scaramouche was not able to save Niwa nor Katsuragi.

After our trip to Inazuma, we came across Scaramouche, now going by the name Wanderer, helping a store owner in the Grand Bazaar. Unlike his previous incarnation, Wanderer is gentle and kind, and a bit of a weirdo. We took him back to Nahida and discovered that she managed to keep a record of Wanderer's past incarnation. It was in the form of an allegory (and Kitty Scaramouche is so cute). Which means that any form of alterations done on Irminsul's records can still be bypassed through songs and stories. Unlike the rewritten version of history, these accounts kept by Nahida and the Traveler are not affected.

Despite the discomfort Wanderer felt as he perused his previous memories, he forged on and confronted his past. By doing so, he was able to reconcile his past and present. The gods rewarded his efforts with an Anemo vision, a sign that his ambition to unshackle himself from his past is recognized by the heavens. Wanderer did not let it define him. He accepted it as a part of him, rather than something to be discarded. In my opinion, it is a hard thing to do, especially for someone with a really bad record like Scaramouche. Regardless of what happens next, Wanderer is ready to face whatever comes his way. It was admirable of him in a way, even though he is still a bit of a prick.

I think that the key takeaway us Travelers we can get from Wanderer's story is that it is our choice to be what we want to be. Our choices should define us. Not our past. And whatever decisions we make now and in the future, we must held ourselves accountable in order to move forward.

[reginrokkr]

‘ you are not a failure. please believe that. ’ (from nahida!)

Heinous laughter that emerges from uttermost darkness rings his ears, the eerie presence of life-consuming poison rises short, platinum blond hairs on the back of his nape. In Dáinsleif's eternal search to understand if there was something he could've done to spare Khaenri'ah from its cruel fate, he encountered the most horrific scenario he never hoped to find. Hushed whispers that invoke forbidden and tainted mights feel no different than feeling all demons of his body trying their luck to find their way out of him by force, and a smile. Smiles that belong to astral pupils of kings of yore allow dark ooze to fall from their mouths, dilated pupils look straight to him as if they could trespass the limits of his soul.

It is that dream what marked the end of the self-imposed Samsara to find answers, a hundred years in abyssal time spent for that purpose alone— for it is then when Dáinsleif knew: Khaenri'ah had no saving if great part of its very kings are the responsible ones of the kingdom's downfall.

Blood coloured heavens fill his vision next, witness of the horror of celestial beings releasing their punishing wrath over innocent and guilty alike. The rain of the Heavenly Principles forgives none, with little to no regard whether all of them have sinned or only a part of them were too deep into their madness. Everything that mattered was the identity as Khaenri'ahn, so feeble was the divine filter to impart their so-called justice.

Twilight is meant to represent the end of the last drop of light and the beginning of dawn, as the blue hour that allows golden sunlight permeate everywhere so long as it is under the Seven's watch. In the dark corner of the world that Khaenri'ah was, Dáinsleif was a beacon of light, a ray of hope.

And yet, what could he do to protect them from divine's wrath? Nothing.

Warm tears roll down moon-kissed cheeks, a gasp that abandons roseate lips preludes a heavy panting that comes with the habitual pattern of having nightmares— as part of his own guilt, as part of the divine curse that threatens to replace his soul anytime were he lower his guard just a second. Dáinsleif sits up on the bed, shoulders rising and falling byproduct of the heaviness of his pants, then they tremble with the might of his crying. 500 years has it been since then, yet his guilt still persists and it is bound to last forevermore. Not even now has shame and remorse have diminished.

Truth is, this is the comeuppance he deserves. For failing to protect them, for failing himself. He is failure incarnate, committing sowing chaos everywhere he walks. It did not suffice to fail to protect them that nowadays he has to be on their search to mercy-kill them and prevent them from scheming more against those whom are not at fault for what happened. Everywhere he goes, there are those whose suffering resonates within him— though forgetting may equate to death to him as the only analogous that can be applied to him, there is truth in the belief that those Hilichurls fare the best without knowing. He failed them, too.

「You are not a failure. Please believe that.」

Amidst all sorrow and misery comes a ray of light to shine his dark voice in the form of a young and hopeful voice that shocks him whole. Glacial sapphires widen as his heart skips a beat seconds prior to come to the realization to whom this voice belongs. The audacity, is the first thought that crosses his mind at the prospect of a god leaving him no space even in his mind after all the irreparable harm that was done. Then a second thought crosses his mind, one that makes a heh escape trembling lips. Are his thoughts so troubling that they threaten the stability of Irminsul?

Whatever the reason for her intervention may be, it helps him relax in an odd way. Despite one may think that this is no different than rubbing salt to the injury, that this is the same as being insulting... he finds a strange sense of comfort in her voice. Just like he did from Greater Lord Rhukkadevata before her passing. How ironically fitting.

To give credit to a divine being despite how out of character it might be of him, recent events of Sumeru helped him inter a strange fact about himself he did not know— or perhaps it was stolen from him, a memory pertaining to his person from halcyon times preluding his arrival to Khaenri'ah. There can only be one reason for not being affected by Irminsul despite the unbreakable bond he harbors with it, one that he daren't utter albeit unbeknownst to him, it is related to his seraphic origins.

His frantically beating heart lowers its rhythm to what little sense of normalcy that exists around Dáinsleif, as his heavy breathing does. All sense of time eludes him, for he ignores how much time must've been since Lesser Lord Kusanali communicated with him through telepathy— sifting through delicate connections that unite them both via the Axis Mundi. This wayward luminary bears no doubt that the obscure nature of his thoughts related to his person must be concerning in view of his connection to Irminsul, how could he blame her for stirring the pot and set things right so they won't affect the sacred tree? Regardless of the little importance he has in comparison to Irminsul, there is an unmovable truth the Bough Keeper is cognizant of: just like Greater Lord Rhukkadevata before her, even if Irminsul is a priority, her sentiments are genuine.

「I cannot do that lest I risk believing in more lies than that.」 He responds at long last, partly unsure if she would listen him still, partly positive that she does and that she's been waiting for something— anything indicative enough that he hasn't lost himself and that he can still form an elaborate answer to assuage whatever concerns she has.

「But I can try. To suppress that thought and impede its pass to my soul before it's too late.」

@maquiscursed ✦

[interwovenrhapsody]

Spoilers for Genshin 3.5 Archon Quest within this headcanon. Do not read unless you've completed that quest.

Melanie has a long memory. Most commonly known as Panmesia, it's the ability to remember everything that has happened in their lives, what they've read, ect. She remembers people, their faces, locations she's been at, the tiny details in a conversation-- everything.

But, she sealed off the memories of her time in Khaenri'ah. This is because, as the Princess of Khaenri'ah, she felt like she failed her people. Although her parting with Dainsleif was amicable, the adventures she had after parting with him just solidified the fact she'd failed the people she was supposed to lead.

Unlike the people of Khaenri'ah, however, Melanie was never cursed. This is because she is already cursed due to carrying the 'God Killing Curse' in her left hand. Her punches always strike true and, in the case of Gods, can outright kill them if she punches them with her left fist. This means she is the only one from Khaenri'ah who escaped the curse laid upon the godless land.

This means that she has failed her people and escaped without consequences while the people of Khaenri'ah suffered. The reason she didn't go to the Abyss Order is because, despite the guilt she felt on failing them, it wasn't the right way to do things.

The Heavenly Principles had left her alone because she was not of the world, nor of Khaenri'ah. To me, the only reason the Heavenly Principles attacked was because the Abyss Sibling had decided to stay on Teyvat for the Kingdom/People of Khaenri'ah and became a part of Teyvat itself while the Traveler was blameless- just got caught up in a fight they shouldn't have gotten into. I know it's "Outlanders, your journey ends here", but realistically..

The Heavenly Principles only goes after the sibling. She only goes after the Traveler when they interfere and try to get their sibling back. That is the only reason the Traveler is in the situation. Because THEY WANTED THEIR SIBLING BACK.

Melanie, realistically, has no stake in Teyvat. The Heavenly Principles doesn't fight her nor toss her away because she does not fight. She asks if she could talk it out with the Heavenly Principles instead. This is the difference. Because Melanie did not want to remain on Teyvat, she did not get thrown aside and into the unknown like the Abyss Sibling did.

But, because of the traumatic experience of Khaenri'ah, and knowing that Dainsleif didn't return to his post to protect her... Melanie sealed her own memories of Khaenri'ah and of what happened. She doesn't remember it because she sealed her memories away... and they only returned after re-experiencing what happened with Charibert and "Eide".

The failure and guilt stay with her once she's regained her memories, but she has decided to continue forward on her path. After all, Teyvat isn't going to save itself, is it?

[dutybcrne]

siidera / @strdstd :

Twilight Sword. A title once the highest regarded thing to Dainsleif, yet he was never boastful about it, merely grateful he was given such a position. And he was going to continue to prove he was worthy of receiving it. Even with the stress it piled on his shoulders as — unwittingly to him at the time — the fall of Khaenri'ah neared. He’d long accepted there was very little, if anything, he could’ve done to change the outcome. Perhaps it was foolish to believe such a nation could even dream of defeating gods, yet he had back then, bolstered by the strong belief the fellow knights harbored for him. That hadn’t been enough. Defeat and grief were overwhelmingly acrid tastes in his mouth, equally unpleasant feelings of regret and failure soon followed, only for fury to overtake them all. Avenging. That was all he could do for his dear, lost Khaenri'ah now.

Head moved back in response, the glare unwavering. “There is nothing that can be done for them now! The curse is embedded too deep in them. Nothing can undo their curse, I know that well,” he stated, releasing his grip and stepping backward a few steps. “If there was a way, the Abyss or I would’ve surely found it by now. But five-hundred years have passed, and no progress has been made.”

Eyes widened before narrowing. “Everything I’ve done is to avenge those lost. To make their sacrifices not be in vain. Does that truly equal me not caring to you?”

          ・⊱ Kaeya slumped forward a slight, no longer held by the other. If his back felt a little sore from the impact, he gave no indication. He’d felt so much worse time and again before, after all–

          “If you did 'truly care', you would do whatever it took to save those who remain,” Kaeya answered coolly. Teeth bared a slight as he scoffed a laugh. “When you care for something, you never give up on it. Or them. No matter four measly years or five-hundred, any and every dedicated effort can count for something. Your revenge little quest means nothing when your people who yet remain live and breathe agony each and every hellish, passing day. All while their beloved–ah, former–captain thinks them not worth saving.”

         Stilling, he took a breath then shook his head. “Then again, I shouldn’t have been surprised you gave up so easily. You did start losing your mind and memory to that curse of yours over the years, didn’t you? Tell me, how much more did you lose? Your dedication? Your true duty? Thoughts of your old comrades? Halfdan?”

          He was kicking a wasps’ nest here–he knew it well. It's what he did best, after all. But what could Dainsleif do to him now? Now that he knew what brute strength to expect of him, thought of ways to counter his should he dare try again-

        “But it would be a vain hope to assume that was also the reason you kept everything from me, hm?" The grin shifted a hint, almost warped into the beginnings of a snarl as frost spread along the wall behind him- “Everything of my fucking right to know? All save just enough to keep me satisfied, like a damn child...is that right?”

[alatus-imperatrix]

you're the star i look for every night.

pairing: dainsleif x gn!reader

genre: fluff, angst, hurt/comfort

warnings: !spoiler warning for requiem of the echoing depths archon quest! other than that, kissing, stargazing, sleeping together (non-sexually), crying

word count: 1,026

a/n: omg it's been a hot minute since i've been on here anyways i love dainsleif enjoy <33

art credit: mybloodynails on twitter

The cool breeze caused tufts of hair to tickle your cheeks; dark green grass prodding at your feet. Here you were, near the edge of Starsnatch Cliff, stargazing with the man you had fallen in love with. As he explained in intricate detail the stories regarding certain constellations, you found yourself to be quite enraptured by his beauty. His blonde hair was swaying gently in the breeze, moonlight reflecting upon his teal irises. He spoke while looking intently at the stars, and though you had been listening earlier, right now you felt an immense urge to kiss him. And so you did.

Dainsleif's eyes widened initially, but you felt him smile in the kiss once he got used to the feeling. It was a soft kiss, once that you cherished greatly and wished for to never end. You felt an arm snake around your waist to keep you steady as you deepened the kiss, tangling your fingers in your lover's oh-so-silky hair. Disappointingly, he pulled away after a few moments, but not before planting one last peck on your lips.

After your short interruption, Dainsleif continued explaining the tale behind a certain constellation, while you listened keenly. Curious about a certain pattern you observed in the dark sky, you asked Dain if it was another constellation. A pained look flickered across his features, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“That constellation depicts an octagram: an eight-angled star that represents Khaenri'ah's royal Eclipse Dynasty. Would...you like to know more about it?”

You shook your head, not wanting to bring up bad memories for the knight. Though it seems the damage had already been done, judging by the way he wistfully continued staring at it, as if caught in past memories. You looked away, focusing on a Cecilia nearby, when unexpectedly you heard a soft sniff from your right. Glancing at Dain, you noticed a single tear flow down his cheek.

“Hey, what happened?” You said, alarmed at the sudden display of emotion, immediately rushing over in front of him to wipe away the tear. “I'm sorry for asking about the constellation. I won't bring it up again.”

“No, it's not your fault,” said he, voice becoming somewhat deeper as a result of emotion. “I'm fine. It's nothing, i-it's probably just the breeze. Shall we return now?”

Not convinced with his explanation, you reassured him, “You can talk to me about anything. I won't judge, of course. I'll try my best to comfort you, Dain.”

At this, the male seemed conflicted. He knew you'd never be able to understand the pain he went through. Seeing his homeland be completely destroyed in front of his very eyes. Seeing the people he tried so hard to protect ultimately turn into monsters of the Abyss. Spending each day knowing that what you did simply wasn't enough to save his people. He had failed. And his failure had affected all the people he once knew and loved.

Unbeknownst to Dainsleif who was lost in his thoughts, more tears fell from his eyes as those painful thoughts swirled around his mind. You didn't know exactly what was going through his mind—you just assumed it was about the cataclysm that happened half a millennium ago, and so you brought his head to your chest, rubbing his back gently to try and console him, whispering words of comfort into his ear.

Upon your embrace, he grounded himself, wrapping his arms tight around your body. Allowing himself to freely cry after centuries-long of bottling up all his guilt and remorse. What had occurred just a week prior with his old comrade, Halfdan, just increased the burden in his heart. Right now, in your arms, he finally felt free, even through all the tears that didn't seem like they were about to stop anytime soon. You rested your own head atop his shoulder, still rubbing circles on his back to try and give him some sort of comfort from the pain he was likely reliving.

Once the sniffling became less frequent, Dainsleif, still holding onto you, said quietly, “What have I ever done to deserve you? Me, a cursed knight, who couldn't even protect his people. I don't deserve y—“

“Stop right there.” You said firmly, letting go of Dain and looking him straight in the eye.

Poking a finger square in his chest, you continued. “Look at me.”

Hesitantly, Dainsleif did as you asked (or rather commanded) of him.

“You did your very best to save your people. But unfortunately the gods had other plans. How could a single mortal be able to counter countless gods? It's not possible,” you said, though your voice started to waver a little. “And it was unfair. Extremely unfair. And I know it hurts feeling like you were responsible for its destruction, but you weren't. It was the gods. So don't you dare think you don't deserve anyone like me. Hell, I should be wondering what I did to have an all-round amazing man like you love me.”

“Dain, you deserve me and more,” you ended quietly.

At this, his gaze flickered towards the ground, more tears threatening to spill as his hands balled into fists beside him to try and compose himself. You cupped a hand around his cheek, pressing a light kiss on the tip of his nose while you told him: “I love you more than anything, Dain.”

Sighing, Dainsleif leaned his forehead against yours, whispering hoarsely, “I love you too.”

The rest of the night was spent in each other's arms, laying flat on the grass while watching stars pass by until slumber took over the two of you.

Even though he still felt guilt for the events that happened five hundred years ago, Dainsleif was confident that he had never felt so happy and content, cherished and loved as he did just before he fell asleep, with you huddled up close to him for warmth, his cape acting as a blanket of sorts.

Your hair tickled his neck as you snuggled closer to him in sleep, wanting to be nearer. The action caused him to crack a smile.

He was absolutely smitten.

[latimeria-fell-from-heaven]

𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞

𝐟𝐞��𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: dainsleif my babeyyy

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: dainsleif is in love, and he mentally panics every time you smile at him

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠(𝐬): spoiler's for dainsleif's backstory

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫: gender neutral

𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠: slow dancing in the dark ー joji

My first ever post and it's about the man I'm going feral over. I hope I didn't get Dainsleif's character wrong and I hope you guys enjoy! ( ´ ▽ ` )

Dainsleif believes that he's built a wall around himself when it comes to love. He doesn't deserve to be loved, not after he failed to protect Khaenri'ah from disaster. He failed them, and he failed to protect his homeland. He's a complete and utter failure.

It would take him a lot of time to fall in love with you, much less admit that he's fallen in love with you. It's not that he's stubborn about it, he just doesn't want you to get hurt. He's been cursed with immortality, and he doesn't want to go through the pain of losing you.

But just this once, he wants to be selfish. He wants to be happy once more in his long life. He wants to be able to live life without any more strife in it.

He realizes he's in love with you when you don't see him as a cursed immortal; rather, you just treat him as human. It feels refreshing to feel like a normal person. Or it could be when the two of you encounter an Abyss Herald on a commission, and it severely injures you, throwing you into a wall. He's never been more enraged than he was at that moment.

After coming to the conclusion that yes, he indeed loves you, he becomes more...awkward per se. He is knowledgeable in many things, yes, but he's not experienced in love. So he's a bit stumped.

Since he's not well versed in the world of love, he fumbles a bit. He does try to spend more time with you and offers his help with any commissions you may have. You, of course, offer to give him the usual 500 Mora, but he politely declines, saying that he has saved enough Mora for himself. He's lying, of course, he feels guilty taking your hard-earned money.

The way he interacts with you is quite...interesting, to say the least. He does his best to convey his affections to you, but he's pretty awkward about it. He'll compliment you on your appearance or clothing, then will go back to discussing the commission you two are working on. You're confused as hell because did this very stoic and handsome man just tell you that you look gorgeous tonight?

He has a very bad habit of staring intently at you whenever the two of you are out together. He doesn't mean to, it's just that you're so beautiful, especially with the moonlight reflecting off your (s/c) skin. He thinks you're the most gorgeous person to have ever graced Teyvat. And nothing can change his mind. kiss me you handsome bastardddd

I honestly see him as the type to secretly follow you around whenever you're out adventuring, be it in Mondstadt or Liyue. He'll either watch over you from the shadows or trail after you. He doesn't even realize that he's going out of his way to get rid of enemies you might encounter.

Despite his relative awkwardness, he is still a gentleman at heart. He'll open the door for you when you enter or exit a building, pull out your chair for you, offer you his coat if it's cold outside, etc. He always puts you before him, putting your own comfort above his own. He's whipped for you even before you two are even in a relationship together.

He may be an awkward, fumbling mess in love, but he's an awkward, fumbling mess in love for you. He wants you to know that he does indeed love you and will do his best to guarantee your happiness.

[hellonoblesky]

Gotta wait for all my friends to finish We Will Be Reunited before I scream in depth on our server, so here’s all my thoughts/theories on Chapter 1, Act IV: We Will Be Reunited (ft. thoughts about the Archons (who I think participated, who I think didn't), Kaeya, Gold and their motives, Dain, and Abyss Heralds)

Spoilers ahead!!

(tw/cw: trauma mention, loss)

(also TL;DR's will be at the end of the post!!)

Ok so apologies if this is disorganized, I’m still getting all my thoughts about the quest together

Cryo is the single and only element needed for the domain, which as a Kaeya main and someone with his backstory pretty much memorized, that’s pretty sus?? Especially because I’m pretty sure that the last Abyss domain that had to do with Dain also only asked for Cryo

Dain and the Abyss Heralds share a very very similar color scheme, is it possible that the rest of the royal guard was turned into the Heralds? That would also explain why the Herald ceases their attack once they realize who we are. They need to report back to their royal, not only to update them on the situation with us and Dain, but to make sure we’re an enemy they’re aloud to fight (and possibly injure severely)

Field Tillers.... are they designed for the attack, to reap the lives of other people in order to give wealth in land to Khanri’ah, or to defend Khanri’ah from those who wished to bring it down? Either way, they failed

Kaeya. Has his plan been abandoned (and him by extent)? Or is he actively working with the Abyss Order, to assist them and bring his plan forwards? Was he the one who took (or assisted in the taking of) the statue? It is a Mondstadt statue, after all. And if so, I don’t think Kaeya’s “I triumph over you” poem was a fun little thing that just got thrown in as a cool and funky hint into his backstory. I think he’s letting Venti know (or perhaps reminding him) that Venti has no power over him, and with his Gnosis in the hands of the Tsaritsa and her Harbingers.... he won’t have the power to defend his own land against whatever attacks may come Mondstadt’s way. Also does Kaeya know Dain? Does he know about Dain? Does he purposefully avoid Dain because he knows Dain is anti-Abyss? Does the Traveler's sibling know about Kaeya? Is the sibling the one who set up Kaeya's plan? What. Is. Up. With. Kaeya????

Dain is cursed with immortality for his failure to protect the royal family... but cursed by who?

The Abyss Heralds have similar movesets to Childe, so Skirk is either a Herald, or someone of a high enough rank to command the Heralds to help Childe train.

Also uhhh Gold, we didn't get any mention of them, but now it's entirely possible that instead of overthrowing the government, Gold just snapped after losing everything. Gold's corruption very well could have been their attempt to avenge Khaenri'ah. Maybe they corrupted Durin to strike Mondstadt in rage against our boy Venti?

Speaking of Venti, with the confirmation that Khaenri'ah was destroyed by the gods for being a land free of higher rule... I have thoughts. First of all, it seems Venti didn't partake in the fall of Khaenri'ah considering that he only awoke when Durin attacked and the people of Mondstadt prayed for him to save them. It's possible that Venti was against the destruction of Khaenri'ah and got knocked out by someone else (perhaps the Unknown God?) so he wouldn't interfere with the majority vote.

The Tsaritsa I think was strongly against the Cataclysm. After all, 500 years ago was both when she was traumatized and fell out with Venti. As well as her very very likely being the goddess of love. She probably wanted to negotiate for peace with Khanri'ah so no one would get hurt, Khaenri'ah could continue to create more and more advanced technology and advance their Alchemical arts in peace without threat. That way their arts could spread to other nations and there could be peace while mankind advanced. She also probably didn't want to see anyone (let alone her friends) hurt, but was younger and less aware of her power/hadn't yet come into her full godhood so was forced to stand aside. I think her falling out with Venti was rooted in the fact that Venti is older, and slept through it all until his people called for him. He left the entire godless nation of Khaenri'ah to the hands of gods bent on it's destruction. So now the Tsaritsa is against Celesta because they knowingly condemned an entire nation and she hates that. She may have even been so wrapped up in her anguish that she looked at her people and began to worry that she wouldn't be able to protect them, so she got harsher and harsher on them. Until she was just cold and closed off, hence the "no love left for her people".

Zhongli I don't think is free of charge though. 500 years ago he would have still reigned over Liyue, and likely seen the threat Khaenri'ah was becoming with it's machines stronger than Vision users and it's Alchemy with the ability to create life. It's entirely possible that he partook in the destruction of the nation if the majority vote of the Archons was to bring it down. He may have even brought the Adepti with him, which would make his entire team a deadly force and one that the 'Tillers likely wouldn't stand a chance against. Perhaps the Cataclysm was even the fight that killed Pervases. However, I think that Zhongli regrets his actions, and that's his motivation to handing off Liyue. Perhaps what he traded his Gnosis in to help the Tsaritsa go up against Celestia so he could have a sound mind, and help stop anything like the Cataclysm from happening again.

The Dendro Archon (the dead one, not the current one) I think participated hesitantly and then perished in the conflict. Khanri'ah's specialty was their Alchemy; Khemia could very easily have a reverse form that takes the life away from things. Being aligned with Dendro would likely make the Archon much more susceptible to a reverse form of Khemia's life-giving because Khemia was mainly used to grow plants. Khemia is how the Khaenri'ahn people were able to grow their civilization like they did, keeping agriculture alive underground via means that didn't require the sun. It probably was common practice to use it to grow plants (and kill off weeds).

Baal probably definitely was on the side of wiping out Khanri'ah. Yk, considering how she's the god of eternity and currently is collecting Visions to preserve power in the hands of the gods? She probably went "Khaenri'ah is literally building machines that could pose a Threat. We are not letting this order fall, gods will always rule that's how it's been that's how it will be."

Fontaine's god just dipped and watched the drama unfold, then judged everyone afterwards.

Mureta probably was all in and that's part of the reason Venti is so salty in his description of her. She heard the war, heard the reasons, and went "Where we dropping boys?"

TL;DRs:

Dain's Abyss Ruins only having Cryo as an element is sus because of Kaeya's place as the only playable Khaenri'ahn character (so far)

Abyss Heralds could be the rest of the Royal Guard

Are Field Tillers for attack or defense? Either way, they failed

Is the plan Kaeya's involved in abandoned, did he help the Abyss Order get ahold of the Statue they use, his poetry is probably him rubbing Venti's helplessness in his face

Who cursed Dain with immortality?

The Heralds and Childe share moves, so he probably trained with them

Gold's corruption might just have been them snapping after losing their entire nation

Venti probably slept through/was left out of the decision and execution of the Cataclysm

The Tsaritsa probably hates Venti because Venti probably could have stood up against Celestia but slept through the entirety of Khaenri'ah's fall instead

Zhongli probably participated in the Cataclysm and regrets it immensely

The Dendro Archon may have died in the Cataclysm (specifically via Khemia, I think)

Baal was pretty much definitely for the Cataclysm

Mureta was also very much definitely for the Cataclysm

[ccaptain]

"i’ll find you again, wherever we end up next." PUPPY DOG EYES... THE PUPPIEST OF EYES! is he cradling kaeya whomst has been saved from part of khaenri'ah's eventual attack... while bleeding out real fast from his own crippling injuries? in mean only if u want. i want. heh. has he physically shielded kaeya from an attack only one of them could survive i mean ig ig. did he carry kaeya outta there regardless, & into very, VERY r e l a t i v e safety & is he begging barbatos to do the rest?? also yes. anyway- | he's a little too red, a little too vibrant where it stains a face not merely pale but ashen. dark & soaked through where his coat is already black- kaeya's cheek comes away smudged copper. he lays over the haywire beat of diluc's heart. it fights valiantly, pumping through the emotion that could carry him further, carry them b o t h to safety instead of this halfway FAILURE to save the only thing bright in the darkness--were he less incompetent. soft, sweet, & far too bright - a smile. if only. there's someone who isn't, though: "run."

   Khaenri'ah was always, always a cursed place, and he was a fool to not believe it.

   Even when he began to mutate here and was ripped away from his home ( and his friend, who he can't remember, such a sad coincidence -- ) he still considered it to be someplace familiar. The vishaps felt like family, the Abyss Mages danced around him without harming with bubbles or ice or scalding heat or purple crackling electricity. He sits among them unscathed, an intake of breath that smells like death and destruction. He can feel it approaching, and that's why he had to come here one last time.

   Half a day, he tells himself. I have half a day before it gets worse.

   As fire starts raining from above, he hopes for Childe to appear.

   They have both been spat out by the Abyss, both honed their skills in the ruthless hellhole that used to be his homeland -- and both know eachother well on the battlefield. He hopes for his lover to appear as if mystically pulled to the captain and aid him --

   -- So, when bright red hair dance in front of him, Kaeya's jaw open to let out a distraught, desperate

   ' NO! '

   when the slash meant for him gets caught in dark cape. An hand shoots out to grab at the familiar silouetthe -- and his Aquila Favonia HEARS the chaos within him, brings destruction to the battlefield in return with Kaeya barely noticing. His mouth hangs open in a bellow, demonic enough to let out a clue of his true nature ( a monster, always, always a monster ) as he defends the fallen brother that he always, desperately wanted to apologize to.

   And then, among bloodied corpses, it's all over.

                                   ---------------------------------------------------

   This isn't happening.

   Dark hands with ripped up gloves and cracked nails and bleeding digits cling tight to the soaked fabric. Navy hair have been plastered to his face, the expression so horrified he could have seen a ghost.

   i’ll find you again, wherever we end up next.

   Why? Why did you came? How did you find me?

   He wants to ask Diluc the same questions over and over, yell until his throat is hoarse and he can no longer speak treacherous words. Instead, as crimson liquid begins to seep through both their clothes ( and, poetically, he finds it to be their last shared thing ) and Kaeya lets himself be carried, even through it's seeping at Luc's energies, and he doesn't deserve it.

   Selfish until the end. Unable to unclench and part away from the walking corpse that is his brother, knowing that, the moment they fall, is the moment they have to say goodbye.

   ( He'll have to carry his brother's cold corpse out of the Abyss. Then, carry him back to Mondstadt. Back at the winery. He'll bury him next to Master Crepus, because -- because he owes them both, both the people he got killed, to at least rest nearby. As a family. )

   There's so much blood, and a normal human wouldn't normally have the strenght to be both injured and carry a full grown adult. He both admires and loathes it, the realization settling inside his chest like he swallowed a stone.

   His face is wet and streaked with tears digging scalding tunnels into a dirty face. ' I don't want you to die, ' he begs his brother, clinging to him for dear life, the voice like a child's one reacting to something unjust.

   A roar behind them. run, diluc tells him.

   But Kaeya is done running.

   Disintricating from his brother is harder than he thinks -- but he manages. The next of his energies he spends pushing Diluc behind him. He commands an harsh ' stay ', like the other, dying man is a dog and he's the owner snapping at him.

   Diluc has always, always come to his rescue.

   It'll be good for him to see the sins of his little brother atone in defending him, for once.

[the-sayuri-rin]

Outlanders and the three cataclysms:

Long before Zhongli was born (Three Moon Sisters and The Seelie:

-An outlander falls in love with an Seelie’s ancestor get married in the Lunar Palace.

- World falls to ruin after 30 days

- lovers are caught, permanently separated, and had their memories wiped.

- Moon Sisters turned on each other and all died, only one sister's corpse continuing remains in the sky

Sal Vyndagnyr ( Khaenri'ah was being created):

- An outlander named Imunlaukr arrives at the Kingdom

- had a close relationship with its princess (based on what little we know they could have been in love)

- At some point Celestia breaks ties with the people, they no longer communicate with them

- The Skyfrost Nail descends upon the Kingdom shattering and destroying the Irminsul tree, the civilization is engulfed by blizzards and sheer cold and making the land inhospitable.

- Imunlaukr sets off to try and find a way to save the kingdom, only to return empty-handed and find all its people dead.

The Fall of Khaenri'ah and the Eclipse Dynasty (the reason behind our current Journey:

 - People heavily involved and are currently labeled as a cause of the Cataclysm include: Gold (and/or Rhinedottir), the sages,, Yuurakusai, Dainsleif (his apparent failure to protect the nation adds him the list)  

-In this instance, since they were awake before us, our Sibling would be the main outlander

- The book “The Pale Princess and  the Six Pygmies may hold an important secret as to what Volume has yet to be seen

- The Art of Khemia plays an important role in what happened

- It is hinted at or at least possible that the Eclipse Dynasty may have tried to have the gods overthrown or hunted

- The sages tempered with a “ veil of sin“ than then  ushered in “a tide of divine wrath, destruction, and foolishness."

-The Kitsune named  Yuurakusai “ made a "mistake" that greatly incited the Kitsune Saiguu's wrath. She banished him to parts unknown then left the Grand Narukami Shrine to reside in Tenshukaku, predicting the impending catastrophe

- It is possible that  whatever he did five hundred years was connected to the Abyss

[strdstd-m]

{Currently wandering through the Vourukasha Oasis, which gave me Dain thinkings (but then again, doesn't everything give me Dain Thinkings)- Just, the only fact that he survived the Fall of Khaenri'ah being bc of him being cursed, and him coming out of Khaenri'ah after downright decimating any Abyssal beings before his remaining common sense told him to cut his losses and leave. Bruh how that must've felt, seeing the nation he swore to protect overrun by monsters and left to burn. The nation lacking any belief in the Archons forever marred by the mark of gods by their destruction of it & thusly erased.

And upon coming out of the Khaenri'ah, the curse beginning to overtake him, only intensified by his fury, guilt, and trauma... I can only imagine how BAD his cursemarks must've looked, nearly covering his whole side and beginning to cover his opposite side. Much more monstrous features beginning to appear as well, more prominent fangs and claws. Until he was helped by Zurvan and the Pari.

Once he the curse was "eased", he definitely had strong feelings of him not deserving the help, thinking they should've just let him succumb to it, as punishment for his failures, bursting out at them and yelling out "why? why did you save me?". Tbh, can see Zurvn being all, "because you were suffering". Dain going quiet before softly saying, "...I deserve that suffering" before going off alone to collect his thoughts and try to process what happened.

I also imagine when it came to him teaming up with the Skeptics, that was when he regained his past will to continue on, knowing he could help rid the world of the Abyss. Ofc, it was likely a gradual change, but it likely occurred before the Traveler's sibling arrived.}

[strdstd-m]

"One victory ― even one as monumentous as this one ― doesn't and won't erase my wrongdoings and failures very easily."

Voice was heavy and gaze haunted as he focused on the wall beside him. Five hundred years of carrying guilt so strong it may as well be made of reinforced steel. Such a thing would be something he'd likely always carry with him. Even with his body no longer marred with that vicious curse, it'd still left a permanent mark in the form of deep scarring. He could still feel the fangs and claws as well. Almost like, this curse wasn't fully intent on leaving him unscathed after wearing him down for centuries.

Then there was the sheer mental toll, regardless of how much he'd tried to deny it. No, there was no way being the sole survivor of his home's destruction by Celestia, being afflicted by a horrid curse as an almost form of punishment for that survival, resigning himself to the fate of succumbing to said curse... could traumatize him. All that bitterness, fury, grief never given a proper chance to be felt and processed. Mind bursting at the seams due to the expanse of knowledge it held, experiences the worst and best of Teyvat, coming face-to-face with his lost comrades (stars, he'd never forgive himself for thinking of them as enemies). Catastrophically aware of it all. Everything and anything.

It all coming to a head during the spontaneous journey through the Chasm. That blasted Chasm... Should he be grateful or resentful? Grateful that it brought him closure with Halfdan, gave them one last exchange? Or resentful that it utterly left him devastated, wracked by memory after memory?

Eyes fell to his hand, lifting it up to better see the scarring left behind. Slowly turning it as he listened to Halfdan speak.

"It doesn't feel like I gave enough, or maybe I gave too much." Why bother saving a world ruled by the very beings that destroyed his home and ruined him beyond recognition? Yet, there was still good worth fighting for. Khaenri'ah lived on through him. He had one last duty to fulfill. The three very things that kept him going.

He then scoffed, gaze finally turning to face him. "It is definitely your own bias. But... perhaps what you say is true." Ultimately, a sigh left him, the smallest flickers of hope lighting his eyes. "Seeing is believing, after all. Yes, I'd... like to see for myself."