#or it was a way to force diluc to use the delusion and also get rid of crepus

[masqueradeoftheguilty]

d’yever remember that diluc is like. meant to be dead.

like. the attack by ursa the drake wasnt by random chance, it was p clearly an assassanation attempt by the fatui on both diluc and his da and the plan was almost certainly to kill both of them.

or. if it wasnt, and the plan was to actually leave diluc alive, then it was a scheme to force him to use the delusion made for him, bcs maybe the fatui realised crepus was never actually going to give it to him.

[fallingdownhell]

Could I request Diluc, Kaeya, Zhongli and Childe finding out their sweet, gentle s/o has a delusion given to them by their father, who is a former Fatui harbinger?

Very interesting concept. I like it!

Characters Included: Diluc; Kaeya; Zhongli; Childe

Content: gender neutral reader; established relationship

Word count: 1k words

Have fun with this!

Diluc

given his history with Fatuis and delusions, he'd want you to get rid of it as soon as he finds out

and if you refused, than he'd still ask you to at least not use it. At all

he knows all to well the effects and sideeffects that using a delusion could bring and he does not want any of it to happen to you

he couldn't bear losing another loved person the same way like he lost his father all those years ago

He can acknowledge it's sentimental value to you, seeing as it was given to you by your father, but it's still a delusion

if you are unaware of its effects, Diluc would take it upon himself to inform you about everything, every little detail he knows about

and if he didn't tell you about his fathers death and the circumstances by then, he would definitely do so now

on one hand, it would serve as an example as to why not use the delusion and on the other hand, he hoped that you would better understand why he absolutely does not want you to use it

if you would absolutely insist on still using it, because it was a gift, he would not like the fact, but keep a close eye on you every time you do so, to make sure you were safe and nothing would happen to you

however, if you insist on using the delusion more and more, I feel like Diluc would have no choice but to leave you and this relationship, since he absolutely does not want to see you succumb to it

he will tell himself that he tried his best to protect you, but in the end, you're still your own human and can make decisions for yourself. And as much as he wouldn't like it, he would never force anything onto you, even if it means the end for you two like this

Kaeya

Kaeya also learned about Delusions and their effects through the events that happened with Crepus when he was still a teenager

he knows that delusions have a close tie with the Fatui

and while he thinks of them as dangerous, he does see the benefits that come with using them as well

so he's torn about it when he learns that you were gifted one from your father

on one hand, he views it as a tool that will allow you to keep yourself safe, since you don't handle a vision and don't belong to the knights of Favonius

on the other hand, he's concerned about the side effects that might befall you when using it excessively

So, the best thing he can think about, is to sit down with you and talk to you about everything. About his concerns, the potential benefits, his overall thoughts..

if you are unaware, he would lay out all the facts for you as well, so that you can decide for yourself how to best handle this situation

the best case outcome for him would be if you agreed to only using it in times of danger with no other way out. It would be the ideal solution

However, in the end, the choice is still up to you, and Kaeya will stick by your side no matter how you decide. He tells himself that he can deal with everything that might be thrown your and his way, so long as you don't leave him as well..

Zhongli

He's painfully aware of the existence of delusions

and while he does not fully understand how exactly they work, he knows that they are dangerous and should be handled with utmost caution

When he finds out that you're in posession of one, he would first ask you how you even got around to one, because that would mean that you had ties to the Fatui themselves

When you told him that your father had gifted it to you, he began to do some research about him and that's how he found out that you father was a former Harbinger

The next thing he would do was figuring out what you fathers intentions were when he gifted the delusion to you. Was he genuinely concerned about you and wanted you to be able to defend yourself if need be? Or did he have some form of hidden agenda in mind?

Overall, Zhongli would try to find out all information possible, trying to answer all his questions before he takes any action whatsoever

He would not be too happy if you decide to keep the deluison, mostly because of it's uncertain origins and effects, but he would also not act against you

Instead, he keeps to monitoring you, making it his duty to remember every little change that may or may not occur to you when using it

And should he notice any bad signs, he would take you to the doctors immediately, wanting to keep you safe as much as he possibly could

Childe

Being a Fatui himself - and a Harbinger at that - he knew exactly what the risks and benefits of using a delusion were

And he was also aware that it should be used sparingly, lest normal people like you want to suffer the same fate as those resistance soldiers in Inazuma did

He knew your father, Cholde had the utmost respect for him, but he would have never thought that the man would gift his own child a delusion, knowing all that he knew about it

He wanted to rip that thing out of your hands, throw it away and tell you to never even think about using something as dangerous as this

Then again, he would only come across as a hypocrite, seeing as he himself was using one, and rather openly and often at that

So that option was out the door right from the start

Instead, he tried to have an open talk with you where he explained everything about delusions to you, hoping that ot would set your mind in the right direction

In the end, the decision is up to you on wether or not you want to use it

But if you do decide on using it, Childe's only demand would be that he would be the one to teach you how to safely use it, so you wouldn't risk too much

[syre-stane16]

DOES THE PYRO VISON HOLDERES DESERVE THEIR ELEMENT?

PYRO

Ye, so Pyro is associated with war in Genshin. Why? Wecause war ravages the land and it kills everything its touches. A heavily destructive force, the element is also related with bad temperaments and rage.

Pyro's positive qualities is its warmth, light and energy.

It can be used to represent love, courage, strength and passion perhaps even ambition.

Now, I am bad at explaining the way I feel a character would represent the love aspect. But basically big positive feelings towards a select few or the entire world. You get me?

Let's begin.

AMBER

Amber is a warm and friendly character but so is most of the cast, so I won't call it out unless a character's warmth is significant enough to do so.

She's energetic, passionate and courageous.

KLEE

BOMB

Also, she a very energetic and passionate child. Klee is also considered the strongest of the knights of Favonius. Also the destruction aspect.

LIGHT

WARM,FUZZY SWEETHEART.

Guys she would love so hard oh my gods. Family, friends, random strangers. It's hard not to adore her and she just loves. I feel so upset about characters that love, like why do we deserve you. Why do we deserve your love. We are horrible, HORRIBLE people.

DILUC

His vision burned out after Crepus died. To compensate for this, Diluc used his father's delusion whilst he hunted down the Fatui. That man went on a rampage and he was exiled from Snezhnaya. So.. rage and destruction.

There's also the case that he lashed out at Kaeya and attacked his brother when he told Diluc about his connections to the Abyss Order allowing Kaeya to gain his vision.

Diluc's vision was rekindled of course, but it was interesting that his passion died the night his father did. The man still holds his dedication to justice.

Power.

Courage.

Also, he and Kaeya have a fire/ice kinda deal going on. I think Diluc and Kaeya deserve to get more story quests, like there is so much more we need to know about those two.

I can't really tell anywhere from the game, the comic or anything about what his relationship with Kaeya used to be, and how badly it broke. I feel that they both want to rekindle their relationship but aren't sure if the other wants to.

Even then, I feel like Diluc also falls int the love aspect. He got banned from a REGION because of what he did after they took his father away from him. His relationship with Kaeya is messy but you KNOW that man has a LOT of feelings.

And that may just be why I think he works with the love factor. His actions gives us an idea of how large and heavy his emotions are , you guys get me, right?

XIANGLING

Let's be honest, her dedication to the art of cooking already explains it. Also she's a chef.

XINYAN

Passionate of course, she's really friendly as well and she has a fiery personality.

Courage in a way. Imagine going onto a stage time and tome again and despite your audience constantly throwing tomatoes at you, you keep coming back to perform what you love.

HU TAO

Energetic.

She also has an interesting relationship with death. She believes that death is a natural part of life and feels that trying to prolong it is meaningless. Hu Tao embraces death.

Also she's a funeral parlour director. Cremation.

I adore how she's associated with butterflies, a symbol of death and change.

YANFEI

You would expect someone who works with law to be a hydro user wouldn't you.

Oh well, Yanfei is very passionate about the law. Like damg.

Also. Fun-fact: She finds Fontaine 's laws too difficult. Which is understandable.

THOMA

I'm not a ThomaTo shipper, but he definitely loves the Kamisato siblings. They are like a family to him and he is extremely loyal to them.

Thoma is a very friendly character and hardworking. He's also protective of the Kamisato siblings. idk guys, he's just one of those characters that you just know loves with all their heart.

YOIMIYA

FIREWORKS

passionate about fire works

friendly

DEHYA

She's from the desert.

She's strong.

Destruction.

Courage.

Her vision came to her at a low point making it a light at the end of her tunnel .

LYNEY

He is passionate about magic. He's the extrovert of the hearth siblings. He shares an element with Arlecchino, which may hint to them having a closer bond.

Light.

Courage.

The terms 'smoke and mirrors' is used when referring to a magician's tricks.

I'm gonna say a case can be made with love, for his siblings, 'Father' and for the magician that trained him and Lynnette. This boy rarely leaves his sister's side for long periods of time. Also he loves the traveller I don't make the rules you gays can't change my mind.

MOVING ON

CHEVREUSE

Passion

GUN

Courage

GAMING

His name is FIRE. He's passionate about his art. He's friendly. REALLY friendly and courage works too. His animations are LIT.

What more do you want?

CONCLUSION

Passion seems to be the most common trait amongst these fiery little guys.

Cryo next and I promise you I will gush about Kaeya and his beautiful face .

Bye!

Edi: i forgot Yoimiya.

[defiedlife]

@haereses

Diluc stared at the glove covering his left hand, eyes focused on the crimson orb attached to it. It glistened even in the dim light of a cell somewhere within Haeresys, and yet its shine mocked him. It was the delusion he'd come to rely on for the past three years, not to mention something his father had meant to give him as a gift...and it was also the cause of his father's demise. It was time to move on. Three years was already tempting fate too much, he told himself.

No matter the allure of its power, no matter its sentimental value, the risk was too great. He would discard it, and in the process, use it to send a message. He slid the glove off his hand and curled his fingers over the delusion, channeling some of his natural pyro energy into it and forcing its temperature to rise as high as his bare fingers could tolerate. Swiftly, before it could cool, he shifted his grip to clutch the fabric of the glove instead and slammed the face of the gem into the stone wall beside him.

A sharp crack sounded, and with it, Diluc felt a part of his heart crack as well. His body lurched, instinctively holding back a dry sob that tried to claw its way up his throat. But it was done.

His mask followed suit, though it was simply broken under his heel instead. He would need neither after a successful escape.

Working quickly, he gathered up both items, tucking them away into a package for the guards to find. The next step was to actually escape—which seemed to go well at first. The lock pick previously hidden away in his boot served its purpose, freeing him from both his shackles and his cell. He slipped out undetected, swiftly dealing with the first few guards as necessary. Even without the aid of a vision or delusion, he was still more than capable of holding his own in regular close combat. Left and right, the guards that rushed to stop him were rendered unconscious and cast aside.

...Until he made a mistake.

He'd forgotten the possibility that he might go up against someone more powerful than the average guard. A pesky little electro cicin buzzed right into his field of vision, and just as he went to swat it away, a powerful current of electro energy mercilessly surged through him, stunning him and causing him to stumble mid-step. He tumbled to the floor, a heeled boot bearing down into his back to pin him in place. A second shock followed, just as debilitating as the first, and darkness claimed him.

"Tell the Lord Harbinger that his newest prisoner will be moved to a more secure cell in short order. Shame on all of you, almost letting this one get away. He seems fun."

[scarletooyoroi]

After getting a good gauge of the Sumeru Archon quest. It inspired me to get a good look at Collei's situation from the Genshin manga once again, except with a little more context applied.

Primarily why her condition always scratched me as odd in those events. Initially I always pictured the Archon residue/God remnants playing a part of just being a force that eventually tries to conquer you. Over time, we've come to learn that without the sufficient defenses, it inevitably just kills you one way or another through healthy issues.

So what was going on in Collei's case? I believe that the AR/Delusion might've established an unforeseen link with the Eleazar.

I want to break the ice of the initial ability of this black fire delusion and what it does. Above all else, it actively holds the ability to give form to what is imagined by the wielder.

As explained in the manga, despite being called black fire, it doesn't burn as much as its a force that active devours. The utilizes of this technique also never go in with that intent, only to transform it into other abilities to form their use.

This is what I believe the Eleazar is taking advantage of, on top of using Collei Mind/Imagination/Will as a catalyst alongside the Archon residue. Crepus, Diluc and Barnabas all retain their consciousness when involving themselves wit the power of Delusion.

Same goes for Teppei from Inazuma's Archon Quest. In fact the guy seems like the most innocent and lacking in malicious thought compared to all of them, no branches of possession reached for him, only death through the use of these experimental delusions.

Collei on the other hand? She's experiencing Eleazar symptoms like victims in the days of old.

The fact it's retaining memory on the happenings of how it got this form is another detail to take note of.

This deterioration of Collei's mind isn't from her desires becoming bastardized through dark powers. (Strictly.) She's facing a genuine inner battle with this entity that I believe is the Forbidden Knowledge itself. It managed to take the Delusion's power and fashions itself a body, a serpent, similar to the affliction of gray scales that encroaching a human's body as it eventually erodes at them.

The power of the Dark Flames were absorbed by this entity, allowing it to branch and break free in this form it takes, power that's genuinely just beyond her control outside of willpower. She holds the trigger, which is why I believe the Eleazar plays upon her hatred to allow her to embrace the madness instead.

And I just find this circumstance unique due to never seeing it before. Not in reports in game, or in any cutscenes. Usually the Eleazar kills the user by mind deterioration or the virus itself, rather than having them meltdown from the intensity and bursts of power.

Same case for those who use Delusions. Where it's simply power for a viciously high price, never the case where you're actively getting possessed by an entity.

So this simply remains one of those moments I want to keep noted. Idk if we'll ever get another chance to explore this relationship between dark powers, but I feel like this may be a mini breakthrough on Forbidden Knowledge's many forms that can be taken. Through the use of human and Delusion power, it gains the wisdom to actually manifest itself and making its madness understandable.

[kyogre-blue]

Finally did the stupidly-named first quest of inazuma ch3 and some more (until right before the special shogun training) and I see the resistance still has no clue what the fuck they're doing, cool cool. Are you seriously telling me that NOBODY realised that using whatever kind of fucked up elemental energy Delusions use wasn't normal (like. elemental energy shit ain't subtle) until people started dying bc of it? And when exactly did we learn Delusions drained the bearer's life force?? Viktor didn't know shit about how they actually work. I'm so confused... (plus, yknow, Signora had a delusion for like 500 years and it did the opposite and kept her alive, but I guess she's a special snowflake. And it doesn't seem to track like how Diluc's dad died)

I wouldn't even know Teppei had died if it hadn't been for the mission description like. You can go to the back to talk to Teppei after the Dramatic Death Scene and he's still alive there even if his breathing is getting weaker?? Aren't we still in time to save him? Hello??

love how the domain letters were like 'we need to make sure nobody knows NATHAN is the spy, sure would suck if NATHAN's cover was blown bc NATHAN's role is crucial' did kokomi really have no clue about all this stuff? The GIANT RADIOACTIVE ZONE between your island and the rest of inazuma is pretty hard to miss, did she seriously not put any thought on how it got that way? How the hell did they get to the beach without trawling through that?

On the plus side finally met the scarameowmeow and I want to study him under a microscope he's so fascinatingly fucked up. humans always die so it's all the same if they do it sooner rather than later? (hello three betrayals trauma) seems to really believe killing yourself for power is worth it? just. Wow. Also he really sounded like some kinda sith lord for a hot sec there lol, more like he was trying to turn us than kill us. scara vc: EMBRACE THE ANGER!! EMBRACE IT!!!

As a result I'm kinda dubious of Yae Miko's claims of saving us bc sure, Scara was kinda laughing at us as we blacked out, but he really didn't seem interested on fighting us at all, given that the first thing he told us was that he wasn't in charge and to get going to find who was. Kinda thought he'd leave us there passed out and dip, plus given that Traveler's resistant to dead god taint (re:xiao's karma) + has purification abilities + it's hard to be angry when passed out = I'm sure we'd have been fine. Maybe I'm just looking for in-canon reasons for the main character shield though

But glad to know SOMEONE (even if it's Yae) sees how the inazuman people SHOULD be gunning for the shogun's head even though nobody does against all common sense (seriously, if that's not the goal of the resistance then Why The Fuck Are They Fighting. Fighting should be a means to an end, not the goal itself!)

I've stalled out on starting Inazuma act 2 on my alt because I don't want to deal with all that drama. Inazuma is so unappealing, especially as it keeps going... hot take, but Genshin is vastly improved by just not engaging with the story at all.

A lot of the information Genshin presents is misleading or just straight up wrong, so it's probably better not to think about it too hard. (Example A: Archons don't give out visions regardless of what characters keepsaying).

I'm amazed you got all that out of Scaramouche. Doesn't he say like 3 lines total to you there? I only recall that he sounded like a bland evil type and that was my first time ever seeing him, so I wasn't particularly impressed.

As for the resistance, Genshin's writing has a very strong pro-authority undercurrent. The authority of the archons and the divine is absolute and correct. We can only go against human usurpers who are misleading or misusing divine authority that doesn't belong to them. Since Raiden is the rightful god of Inazuma, naturally she can't be rejected or opposed, only lightly persuaded so she can find her way back to the right path or whatever.

The ultimate outcome for Watatsumi is that Kokomi advances the idea that people need to get over the Orobashi being killed (and used as material and tool to forge weapons??) and makes a backroom deal with Yae to have the government provide aide to them. And that's basically the outcome for the desert people as well. So yeah.

[abyssmal-skies]

Mind if I put in my 2 cents?

I think putting Diluc as a Hydro Delusion would be interesting. I could see it.

For me, what I think would be entertaining would be if Pantalone or Dottore notices how Diluc's expression changes when faced with Cryo because of his past with Kaeya, and they force him to use it. I'd like to think that'd break Diluc mentally - having to deal with an absence of warmth after he essentially defected, and the coldness that comes from his hands after they used to burn with heat. Not to mention all the other lovely side-effects that come with having a Delusion.

So imagine Fatui Diluc with a cryo vision as he faces down Kaeya, the Cavalry Captain, and Kaeya remarks about how cold his brother has gotten. That hits a nerve, and then ice starts coating Diluc's Claymore. And it's in those moments Kaeya sees that darkness in Diluc's eye. That dark shadow of a little boy with conflicting allegiances who is trying to make it through life. A little boy who thinks that he has no choice but to shoulder the entire burden alone.

And then Kaeya's vision starts to resonate with Diluc's pyro vision on his waist, and flames start to form on his sword.

Anyway. Don't mind me though. Rambling musings of a passing anon.

oho, cryo? that does seem interesting, and with him and Kaeya resonating with each others visions it seems so cool!

//tw for torture and other types of medical malpractice

As for me choosing a Hydro delusion for him. I chose it because being a witness and victim to how Dottore handles his... patients would spark a sense of justice in him, but as stated before he is currently the main victim, constantly being tortured, drugged and undergoing several 'medical' procedures to keep him complacent and unable to currently escape the clutches of the fatui.

I also believe that in the early days of his capture, he would've tried to fight for/with the other captives of the fatui. Before he was eventually 'pacified' i.e. put under a few rounds of electroshock and lobotomies by Dottore. After he became docile enough they would give him a hydro delusion to mock his sense of justice that quite literally led to his captivity in the first place (because he went there for revenge/justice), along with how they constantly keep him in a sort of... underwater mental state? Like the way you feel when immersed in water, your brain is heavy and you're sort of numb and everything is muted.

Also as like a metaphor for how his flame was pacified by everything that i'mthe fatui is putting him through.

It would also be tragic if Dottore is the one to hand him his new delusion, as he was the one to give Crepus his delusion (well his subordinates but you get it.)

--

@2broschlininahotub, if you want to add any of this to the fic, please feel free to do so!

[moonilit]

I'm just going to rant here sorry.

As a strongly found family enjoyer I find the whole 'Ragnivdyr family being saviors' is by far the least creative take

there is so much room for more when you look into it from a realistic standpoint, all the character growth that gets stunned when you just put all of them in that 'saviors' trope, like you kill all three characters that way, they don't get any development or any insight into their personalities and arcs because they are trapped being a shy victorian orphan, clinging to his adopted family and two very perfect saviors who know it all

like Kaeya is mischievous, he will ship himself to another country because he wanted to check something out, and he will trigger a ruin guard to force a bandit leader to face him, he was always mischievous, that quality didn't pop out suddenly as an adult for him and I'm so glad they give us that confirmation/story lol. and while I agree that kaeya do have 'shy' as one of his quality it isn't being timid, Diluc entire social life is the work of kaeya, he is and always was the more sociable one between the two (diluc literally was a captain by 14 there ain't a way he had a social life by himself) (++ Kaeya is literally in Sumeru using his vacation time to see how to enhance their family wine and find new opportunities)

Diluc is more onto his own codes and Justice + he is an incredibly single-minded person, part of what makes working with him hard is that he will not stride from what he believes in even if what he believes in is partially unrealistic (this is why I believe Crepus didn't actually, actively pushed his dreams onto diluc, but diluc adopting them then being stubborn about it), if I'm guessing I would say in the brother's early life, Crepus told Diluc he is an older brother now and he has to act like it and Diluc took it like it was the law lol, acting like its a duty that he should have a good score in, he definitely wanted to take the lead on everything and arguing with him is pointless so that added even more into kaeya's manipulating ways lol (for a child ofc)

Crepus also do have interesting character traits and build-up to him that could be explored, the fact that he couldn't let go of his deepest desires and obtained a delusion even if the excuse is to 'protect his family, I can honestly go on about the narrative set up between kaeya and Crepus that I see a lot of people ignore and only focus on what they are getting out of him at face value (AKA how his death impacted diluc and later the brothers fight, but not noticing how his actions impacted kaeya and his world view, and also how he view himself ) so much depth gets lost with just making him the 'perfect father'.

the brothers definitely clashed more then than not, it seems because now they have walls between them ppl assume it must have been the opposite in the past, let me be clear when I say they defiantly weren't lol, they always fought and they always got on each other nerves, we even see Diluc jump on the chance of teasing Kaeya of where did his swagger go when the chance show itself, this is what they always were like, not some saviors and the kid who they saved they are family, they are a mess, so write them so, please

one thing i like is kaeya’s run away story. like no offense to ppl who enjoy this type of content, but i feel like that the fandom is too enamored with the idea of ragnivdyr family being saviors, of this image of kaeya being this poor, shy victorian orphan, who is just so happy to be there, clinging to his adopted family 

now we have confirmation that he was always mischievous schemer, capable of acting by himself. but also like. he was a little kid and he thought he had a duty to his father and he STILL ran away to sumeru just because he read in a book that it was near khaenriah. that’s how much he wanted to go home. 

like he obv loves mond and his adopted family, but lets not pretend he’s not attached to his roots or was perfectly happy. esp bc even now, while claiming he’s not the type of person to care about heritage, first time we see him outside of mond is in sumeru!!! where he tried to run away as a child bc it’s close to khaenriah!! on some bs excuse that he obviously orchestrated himself, bc he wanted to go there, like??? 

[merakiui]

Yandere!Diluc, Childe, Pantalone (separate/you can add more if you want) & Prostitute!afab!reader

Hear me out, the darling is in desperate need of money & hey she has features and a body that can rival even the most beautiful of Goddesses but she can also be very bratty & spoilt although, kind too children and the elderly.

And maybe this is her first night working as one &  coincidentally the Yandere just so happens to be her first customer. Then boom for the few weeks they have been their only customers for some reason & has been given extremely large sacks of cash or expensive things like jewelry or clothes from the Yandere before leaving.

And then oh no the Yandere got a lil too attached and basically asked the reader how much for them to be theres forever? Name your price they have mountains of money they don’t even use.

Oh? Your into rich men & don’t really give a f*ck what else happens just as long they have money?

My brainfart stopped there :p

-🌿

(cw: yandere, female reader, nsfw, baby-trapping/forced pregnancy mentions, unhealthy behaviors/relationship, obsession, implied kidnapping/captivity)

Diluc is always so stiff and cordial throughout every meeting. You’ve told him countless times to loosen up and that he’s allowed to be himself around you, but he never seems to fully let his guard down. Perhaps he’s fearful of getting too attached and possibly losing you once this obsession roots itself into his very bloodstream. He’s the type to present you with a bouquet of fresh flowers or a necklace with a gemstone that reminded him of your radiant beauty. His gifts come from the heart, and he’s always so gentle and kind around you—a true gentleman whose heart has been pierced by Cupid’s whimsical arrow.

Even in bed, he seems to regard you as if you’re a fragile sculpture who’ll crumble at the slightest touch. He worships you, hanging onto your every word, and he sinks deeper into infatuation every time he finds himself tangled in bed with you. Diluc knows that as one of Mondstadt’s few eligible bachelors anyone would be delighted to have him, but he’s not interested in any proposals or romantic outings with anyone who isn’t you. His eyes are reserved solely for you, and when he looks upon you and realizes you’re wearing the sheer nightgown he gifted you his heart warms considerably.

There are moments where he can’t bring himself to get out of bed and instead keeps his arms wrapped securely around you, burying his face in your skin and inhaling the perfume that clings to you even after he’s done everything to ensure you’ll smell only of him and no one else. Even if this relationship is devoid of true love and you’re only providing a service, he’d like to delude himself into thinking it’s real. For just a moment, won’t you humor his delusions? If not, he might just have to find clever ways to keep you by his side forever.

- - -

As one of the Tsaritsa’s elite Harbingers, Childe has always been wary when it comes to prostitutes and red-light districts. While he doubts anyone would be able to assassinate him, it’s still a thought that lingers in the back of his mind. After all, he’s not the most well-liked. With his involvement with the Fatui and his schemes in Liyue, it’s obvious that Childe would be outcasted. And anyone who might be looking to collect a bounty or a reward for his head might try their luck when he’s most vulnerable and prone to lower his guard in the bedroom.

And yet he finds himself trusting you. Only slightly, mind you, and he keeps his Vision close on his person should you prove to harbor malicious intent. When he realizes that this is your first time with such a high profile customer, he can’t help wanting to jeer and tease. It’s so precious to watch you fumble with the clasps of his belt. Even if it’s an act, he’ll play along, guiding your hands with his calloused and scarred ones. Cooing at you that you’re doing so well when you lower yourself onto him, gripping his shoulders so hard that your fingernails leave crescent-shaped indents in his skin. Oh, he’s absolutely enthralled with you. You’ve given him a taste of something he didn’t realize he was craving, and now the chase is on. He won’t let you go.

Childe will pry into your life in that usual casual fashion of his, conveniently crossing paths with you while claiming that it must be some stroke of fate that’s brought the two of you together. What started as late-night meetings in the dimly lit room of the brothel you work at soon evolves into the occasional nightly rendezvous in which he whisks you away from the city under the inky vastness of night. It almost feels like he wants more from you when he takes your hand in his and guides you through the shadows to a hilltop that’s perfect for stargazing and watching the moon as it’s veiled within wispy strands of cloud.

Surely he’s not seeking actual romance. It’s a thought you can’t help but laugh at. The both of you are very content with the relationship you’ve cultivated. You provide your body and in return he pays you a hefty sum of Mora, along with some other spoils and treasures he’s acquired throughout his travels. And yet when your body is pressed against his and your heartbeat aligns with his and you exchange heated breaths through smoldering kisses, it really feels like he’s a man starved of true affection. So you can’t blame him when he insists on cumming inside one evening, ignoring your slurred protests and pressing himself against you in a position that’s certain to get you pregnant.

And bathed in the reddish hue of the candles and lamps that surround you in this silken paradise of a room, he looks positively devilish.

- - -

Materialism is a concept Pantalone is intimately acquainted with. As a wealthy man with a position of considerable power and strength, he could throw his Mora at any pursuit that catches his fancy and he wouldn’t have to worry about losing anything. With an abundance of Mora at his fingertips, the world becomes his oyster. And you exist within that shell as his precious, perfect pearl. He’s not offended when you ask for expensive things in exchange for your services. If anything, he encourages your greed, wishing to see just how deep it runs within you.

For someone as rich as he is, there are no limits to the things he can covet. And despite this he finds himself unable to make you his. To claim ownership over you and to prove to you that you belong to him and him only. How exactly can one put a price on human life when yours is so priceless? You’re his missing puzzle piece—the sole person who makes him uniquely whole. It’s as if the entire world melts away when he’s with you, holding you against him as he forces you to eye your reflection in an ornate mirror, his cock buried in your gummy walls. He’ll lavish you with all kinds of gifts, but what he loves most of all is when you wear them with pride. He’ll drape finery over your shoulders, tie jewels around your throat, and dress you in gowns so lovely it’s almost a crime to dirty them in the bedroom—each luxury a step in making you his.

There will be no dreams of fairytale romance here. Not when Pantalone is so certain that you’ll return his affections eventually. And even if you don’t, no one will look into the disappearance of a prostitute—especially if her captor happens to hold the economy in the palm of his generous hand. Your prison cell may sparkle and your shackles may be silver, but confinement is still confinement no matter how opulently furnished it may be. Pantalone assures you that you’ll be content here. Though you may cower from him now, pressing yourself into the corner of the bed whenever he wishes to lie with you, he’s certain you’ll come to understand his reasoning.

After all, the two of you had such a genuine connection before. Why are you so frightened now? He’s always been dangerous; this isn’t anything new. You’ve just mistaken the devil for an angel in the intoxicating shroud that is bedroom whimsy.

[cynettic]

Kissing Genshin Characters before you Die

Summary - Kissing the Genshin Characters one last time before you enter the battlefield.

Pairings - Reader x Albedo / Barbara / Bennett / Beidou / Chongyun / Diluc / Eula / Kazuha / Kaeya / Ayaka / Ningguang / Childe / Venti / Xiao / Zhongli

Warnings - Angst, death mentions

Tips - I wrote this listening to ‘Lovely’ and ‘Listen before I go,’ so it might make it better if you listen to both those songs while reading this :’) Both are by Billie Eilish btw, both reverb and slowed down songs for the extra angst

A/N - Im so tired, so so tired of human interaction and having no motivation to talk to people. Its like my social battery simply does not recharge, and I'm stuck writing about interactions I wish I could have, even if it's angst. Burying myself in the delusion that being in a different reality would change everything, burying myself in little imaginations and dreams of a love that doesn't exist.

Also yes, if you did notice the song lyrics playing at first are from "If the World was Ending," used to listen to that song so much. Thought it would fit this :)

“If the world was ending you’d come over right?”

It was absolute chaos, flames crawling up the wooden buildings and spreading smoke through the nation of Teyvat. Everything burned with the scorching heat, children crying, men and woman trying to run from the unescapable flames. Terror etched into citizens faces when encountering the monsters who appeared unaffected by the destruction.

Hilichurls and ruin guards smashing past people, till there was nowhere to run. And it was the mere decision of whether being beaten to death or burnt crisp was a better way to leave this world.

“You’d come over and you’d stay the night.”

But there you were, weapon in hand as you stood up against the blaze. Strong against the unblinking inferno in front of you, unwavering as you stood in front of the monsters that eagerly rushed towards you. Cut and obliterated in seconds, your eyes held nothing but a sickening disgust.

You slowly turned back to your s/o, relief quenching your heart when they were safe in the little location you’d found for them. They were injured, they wouldn't be sitting on the sidelines otherwise. And holding your weapon up again, you claimed the role of protector against the hoard of monsters.

“Would you love me for the hell of it?”

Their voice broke past your focus, a ragged sound that was suffering. It only took you a few strides till you reached them, crouching down to face them fully. Your faces were mere inches away, and you could see the frustration on their face. A deeply rooted feeling that fueled the action as they curled their hand around your head. Pressing your lips against theirs, one last kiss before you assumed the role of predator against the monsters.

“All our fears would be irrelevant.”

Both hands coming to hold their face, you pressed forwards into their kiss. Grasp tight against them, clinging onto them as if they were your lifeline.

“If the world was ending you’d come over right?”

You kissed them as if the world wasn't a aflame, like it was just you both sitting there. Hands grasping for their skin, for their lips, for them. Because without them you couldn't live in this smoldering world, a bright light that cocooned you in its comforting warmth. Nothing like the blazing flames that surrounded the two of you.

You kissed them like they were the only thing that mattered.

“The sky’d be falling and I’d hold you tight.”

But you felt the shake in their hands as they pressed their hand against your back, scared to let you go, scared to lose you. Scared to let this kiss end and have to face the scorching reality.

“And there wouldn't be a reason why.”

You pressed one last kiss to their forehead, basking in their embrace once more between you broke away. The look on your face was confident as you faced them one last time, softened by their teary eyes. Whispering soft words to them, you could only watch as they broke down, a tight feeling in your chest urging you to do the same.

But no, you had to be strong. For them, for yourself, for all of Teyvat. You slowly turned to the flames and monsters, holding up your weapon, screaming one last battle cry as you let your weapon lead your actions. As you let death become your only objective in a flurry to protect your partner.

“We would even have to say goodbye.”

Sobs wretched out of their throat as they watched you crumble, watched you fall the ground and collapse. Till the movement of your chest came to an abrupt stop, and monsters pooled at your sides.

They were forced to watch, unable to move.

“If the world was ending you’d come over right?”

Their cries turned to whimpers, until they couldn't hear the noises that spilled form their lips. Until they didn't care. What they cared about was thrown on their battlefield, beaten and ragged, torn and broken.

Dead.

“You’d come over… right?”

_-_-_-_-_

Albedo

He takes his time, hand on the back of your neck pushing you so hard against him till he’s woozy. Memorizing the feel of your plush lips against his, molding them into memory with every kiss. He’ll break away from your lips, pressing soft pecks up your face, along your nose, to your forehead. Infatuated with the way your hands gently hold his face, careful, delicate. He doesnt want to let you go, and with one final peck right between your eyes, he’ll close his eyes, whispering a goodbye as you leave. He doesnt open them when you die, he doesnt open them when the monsters reach him. No, he dies in your embrace, even if its not real.

Barbara

Desperate, oh so desperate. She doesnt know what to do with you when you press your hands to her face, tearful. You’ll have to be the one to initiate the kiss, muffling her cries with a short lived sweetness between the two of you. She’ll have her hands all over you, unsure of how to hold you, how to press you against her. She wants to stay like this forever, and even if her kisses are sloppy and messy, she’s crying too much to notice. She won’t break away, you’ll have to tug your way out of her grip and press one last kiss to her forehead. Her voice is angelic, even when she cries. You remind yourself that this is what you’re protecting as you enter the battlefield, giving it your all.

Beidou

Oh she knows, knows how this will play out. The kisses shared between the two of you are strong and compassionate, its more intense than any other kiss you’ve both shared before. Because she knows. She knows what’ll become of you and her, that this is the last kiss she’ll share with you, that there's nothing she can do about it. She lets herself indulge in you, her strong hold on you never letting go until you vocally ask her to let you go. You make her promises she knows you can't keep, but simply smiles, telling you to come back to her.

Bennett

Awkward, his hands will grab your shoulders when you approach him, pressing for a kiss immediately. He misses his mark, accidentally pressing his lips to the edge of your lips, noses bumping against each other as he tries to shift his face. You chuckle, holding his face as you adjust the angle, till you can fully reach his lips and press him against you. Like Barbara, he’ll cry, letting himself melt into you. He doesnt resist when you back away, whispering to him. Just sitting there he’ll cry, sob through it all, vision blurry with tears. But its better that way, he can picture you better when everything is fuzzy.

Chongyun

Everything was smoldering hot, too much for Chongyun who has so much yang energy trapped in him. He’s going through one of his rushes when you get to him, eager to tuck you into his arms. His kisses are sporadic, like he’s trying to kiss you but he cant. Like no matter how much his lips meet yours, it isnt enough. He wants more, he wants the promise of your forever embrace ingrained in his head. And when you break away, he’s left empty, the kisses he’d given you the only warmth on his lips. Suddenly everything was cold, so cold, and he only wished for you.

Diluc

Too rough, mashing your lips against his until you couldn't breath. Dizzy with the lack of oxygen, he didn't stop. You were ‘his,' right here right now, no one could take you away from him. You belonged alongside him, crouched in front of him, pressed into his arms where he could keep you safe. He wouldn't let you go, strong arms pulling you to his chest so firmly that you couldn't escape. He wanted to be selfish, he let himself indulge in the promise to himself that you weren't going anywhere. You’ll have to physically break out yourself, pressing back his hands as he tries to make a grab for you, tears brimming.

Eula

You were her everything, and she’ll tell you it through her kisses. She’ll run her hands along the curve of your back, holding you tenderly against her. She doesn't wish for vengeance for all the soft kisses you’ve stolen from her good days long ago, no, she’s willing to forgive you for everything as long as you’ll ‘stay.’ She promises that in all honesty, she loves everything about you, even if she denies it sometimes. And when you leave, she tells you to come back. That its the one and only thing she’ll hold against you if you don't.

Kazuha

Soft, so incredibly sensual with every touch. Kazuha was always filled with words, filled with lovely compositions made for you and only you. But now, he couldn't think of anything, no haiku he’d written in the past that compared to what he felt right now. Metaphors and hidden meanings couldn't compare to the raw pulsing throb he felt in his chest. “I love you,” he whispered, plain and simple. It held so much affection, he was afraid even those words weren't enough to express what he felt, but he settled with it either way. “I love you,” he repeated, brushing your lips against his before he said it again. “I love you.” He said it again, even as you left, entering the battlefield. He didn't stop saying it, not when he saw the monsters take you, not when they approached him with the promise of death. “I love you.”

Kaeya

He doesnt kiss you, because kisses to Kaeya are a sort of affection that brings the sense of normalcy. He likes the way your lips feel against his, but holding you against him is more special. He doesnt depend on kisses to express what he feels, instead pushing your head to his chest, sighing when your own arms come to wrap around him. No kisses, no touches, just you and him. Offering each other your last shreds of hope, because in the end, you only need each other.

Ayaka

“Look at me.” Her hand cups your cheeks just as you do to her. Now you both simply stare into each others eyes, love and adoration filling hers. She loves you, oh she loves you so much. But she understands duty better than anyone, the urge to protect you almost consuming her. When she kisses you, its soft, butterfly kisses. She doesn't rely on the contact to keep her grounded, no holding your face is a gift enough for her. To stare at you, even for one last time, is all she needs. You’ve given her so much, she would follow you to the ends of the world if you asked her to, and that's why it hurts her so much to watch you fall. She closes her eyes, noticing that she’d follow soon after and perhaps see you in the afterlife. No, she would, that's a promise she makes to herself.

Ningguang

Ningguang has delt with loss before, the concept isnt foreign to her. But you… you’re more than the jade chamber, more than any possession she has. You’re precious, like she sold a piece of her heart to you that she could never gain back. You took it from her, and you plan to take it with you to the battlefield. All she can do is press her lips against yours. Kiss you and the world beside you both becomes meaningless, until air becomes a chore instead of a necessity. Because without air she'd kiss you forever.

Childe

Details, in the case that Childe himself cant fight alongside you, he’ll hold you and repeat the details in his head. The way his hand feels on your hair, how soft or rough your lips are against his. How you fit against him, how badass you look out in the battlefield. He won’t stop you from leaving him, because he knows that if this case was reversed, he’d want you to let him go too. So he presses intimate kisses, slow ones that dont consist of a fight for dominance like they usually do. No, he wants to tell you how much he loves you, one last time.

Venti

He doesnt know what to do, pressed against you firmly. He presses soft kisses, but theres no emotion, he doesn't know how to express himself here. He’s lost a lot, lost so much in his existence, but nothing prepared him for this. Only after a kisses will he ask to cry, and when you tell him yes he’ll press his head against your shoulder. He’ll sob, hands gripping the fabric of your shirt as he does so. And then he kisses you while tears stream down his face, mashes your lips against his until his face grows numb. And he’ll continue to feel numb when you leave, when you die, when he dies.

Xiao

He doesn't know what to do, Xiao has never felt so utterly useless when you crouch to him. Form battered and bruised, when you embrace him he feels whole again. You’re his world, he doesn't care about the blazing inferno just beside you, the monsters that threaten all of Teyvat. You are his everything, what he strives to protect and keep safe. Kisses with him are breathless, both of you passionately pulling each other closer. He cant get enough of you, he wants all of you, every single piece. Molded into his embrace until you cant get out. When you break away, he tries to pull you to him, but he finds himself only able to move in the slightest. But Xiao is a protector, he is ‘your’ protector. He follows you as you head to the battlefield, dragging his limp body in a crawl to get closer. He doesn't stop when he sees the monsters overtake you, no, he continues. Just until he reaches your body, grabbing you and holding your corpse into his chest. He numbs out the monsters that attack him, knowing sullenly that he's going to die. But death doesn't seem so bad, not beside you.

Zhongli

As someone who always has control over the situation, Zhongli will be able to adapt quickly. But he doesnt want you to suffer, admiring you for being so strong when everything presses against you. He wishes to relieve the weight if only a little bit with a few kisses. Sensual and intimate, he wants to support you, and if he cant do it on the battlefield he’ll do it right here. Hold you close and promise you that he’ll always be there for you. Only after you die does he allow himself to cry, not wanting to have burdened you with his tears.

[genshin-impact-fics]

Finding out You're in the Fatui

Characters: Jean, Childe, Keqing, Albedo, Diluc, Xiao

Diluc:

Whatever way he finds out he’s very upset; he trusted you, he fell in love with you yet now he finds out you’re with the enemy? He’s fearing that everything that’s happened between the two of you was a lie, that you just used him until you got what you needed. His brain is just in a storm of thoughts

He wants to believe that you’re good at heart, that all of this was because you didn’t have much of a choice. He’s going to ask questions, but more importantly he will offer you a way out: abandon the Fatui and just live with him he will vow to protect you and even find a safe area to work if employment was a concern of yours

If you accept his offer he’s glad that he didn’t have to lose you, he loves you too much and it’d be just too sad for him to have to cut ties with you especially since you’re the first one he’s felt such strong feelings for

But if you refused and you made it clear that you willingly joined the Fatui, he’s absolutely heartbroken. He’d probably start crying out of how painful the reality of the situation was and try to beg you to leave and stay with him. He does not have the heart to even consider having to fight you, he didn’t want to harm you yet here you were showing a completely different side to you that not even he caught onto

Xiao:

He is enraged at the new information when he finds out. He curses himself for being so blind and having trusted you as much as he did. How could he be calm about this; you played a hand in the fall of the archon he served under, the archon that saved him from his horrible past and gave him a new purpose in life. How could he ever forgive you for such a betrayal

Though he refuses to bloody his hands with those of mortal blood, he will lash out and attack you. His heart hurts as how could he let this happen, he loved you yet was this the world’s way of punishing him for his past he could only wonder

If you plea to him to listen to your explanation he’s conflicted; you were either telling the truth or you were lying to just buy yourself some time… But he stopped and kept a safe distance from you as though you hurt his trust in his heart he still very much loves you so if there was a glimmer of hope that you can be saved he would be willing to listen to judge for himself. His expression softens when learning that you essentially got forced and trapped into working in the Fatui and at that point he is willing to keep you with him which mainly consisted of you living at the Wangshu Inn with him

However if you confirm that you’re in the Fatui of your own choosing he’s hurt, but he’s already withdrawing his own emotions so it didn’t get in the way of his duties. You’re no longer the mortal he fell in love with, you were just another mortal trying to use him for your personal gain. He’ll warn you to never to return and that you are no longer permitted to call out his name because from that moment on you were enemies

Albedo:

Deep down he didn’t want to accept the possible fact you were potentially bad. There were small things you did or said that made him slightly skeptical of you yet he overlooked them because he was in love with you, there was something that always made him so curious and so fascinated with you. You never judged him, you were patient with him, as you even put yourself at risk with plenty of his experiments

Of course this conversation was in the privacy of his lab in Dragonspine, surely there was no need to have a big scene be made especially when he wanted to simply hear what you had to say for yourself. He’s very composed and calm for someone who’s feeling this pain in his chest at the fact that you’ve kept this from him for so long

If you were truly innocent it saddens him to hear how you were stuck paying off a debt that wasn’t even your own and that was the only reason why you were stuck in the predicament that you’re in. Surely there had to be some way to hide you from the Fatui right? Maybe not up there in Dragonspine since there were already so many of the agents scouting the mountains, but maybe he could ask Jean if you could stay with him; however, that then led to another possible problem. If he tried to explain the details the fact that you were associated with the Fatui, Jean might just want to arrest you for interrogation which he might have to simply keep that knowledge to himself for the sake of your safety

But at any time you're telling your story he will call you out on something if he feels you weren’t being truthful. Hearing that you were a third generation agent he came to understand that it was initially a family legacy to uphold; rather unfortunate but oddly enough he still didn’t look down on you for that. Of course he’s unsure of what to do as things are surely to be complicated now, but how could he come to really see you as the enemy when he loves you

Regardless of the case, he will continue to stay with you; however, he’ll take a few precautions to insure his own safety. He won’t be sharing details of things he’s working on, no more asking to help with experiments (unless they’re just something mundane and nothing too serious), but other than that he just can only hope that you will continue to be truthful from there forth

Childe:

You are his favorite and it’s very obvious to everyone in the Fatui. You are just about the only exception out of all the agents that he will go a little bit easy on when it comes to missions not going accordingly. He love you to bits and surely made sure that you knew he was serious about your twos relationship

You are not allowed to go on missions with the other Harbingers, Childe is very keen on having you accompany him and only him on missions. He also personally sees to your training because he sees the potential in you and it just seemed like the other agents who are in charge of training don’t seem to up to the level that best benefited you

You get spoiled a lot, he also makes sure to always praise you after any mission or task you do: you had a minor task to go collect a debt? Childe will tell you a job beautifully done. You were away on a big mission that had to do with looking for evidence of the whereabouts of another archon? He’ll tell you how proud he is and how much he loves you. He will make a request the Tsaritsa to bestow a delusion onto you; cuz surely if one of her Harbingers is speaking so highly of someone truly they are worthy of her gift

There was already so much to love about you already but ever since he found out how good you were with his siblings he knew that you were the one for him. He can trust you to look after his siblings to keep them safe since they already know that you are his significant other (but of course have no clue either of you work in the fatui). You two are in Liyue and Teucer suddenly appears out of nowhere: you’re already prepared to take care of and look after the younger brother. Childe just loves how good you are with him and it shows how much Teucer likes you too. Childe only wish that he could marry you the next day (something he says often to you)

Jean:

Needless to say she was distraught when she stumbled upon you speaking in a hushed tone with La Signora in the dead of night in an alleyway during her patrol. She didn’t know what to think but of course she wanted to confront you yet she’d stay hidden and wait till you were alone which didn’t help her spiraling thoughts wondering if you had been with the enemy this whole time and what the two of you had was just pretend to you

The moment the coast is clear Jean will come out of hiding and stand tall with her arms over her chest though the expression on her face does not match the rest of her body language. She knows she should keep this professional without getting her emotions involved, but how could she not when it was you; you were her lover so naturally she can’t help it

You knew you were in trouble as you could have hightailed it the other way, but you knew it would only make matters worse though also even if you had run now you’d have to face her eventually so what was the point. You answered whatever question she asked you; Though Jean did have a slightly difficult time being able to tell when certain replies you gave were possibly a lie. It pains her to have to consider breaking up because she did love you yet how could she love someone that could pose a great threat to her home that she’s sworn to protect; would probably have you put into custody for a while just to fully ensure that you weren’t just a spy or scheming behind the knights of favonius’ back

You of all people did Jean not expect to have such a high standing in the Fatui; you weren’t just some agent to be stationed there, you were a younger sibling of one of the harbingers overseeing everything the agents did. It made everything all the more painful for Jean as she thought she finally found someone who understood her and loved her despite her business along with her flaws, but she started to doubt your relationship. She’d have to take you in for further questioning to see what information you’ve leaked out, but when you made a run for it Jean knew she should chase after you yet… She let you escape, she didn’t want you getting hurt as for this one time will she let you do so; however, if you two crossed paths again unfortunately you’d give her no other choice but to warrant your arrest

Keqing:

She’s surprised at the fact that you’re associated with the Fatui, but of course she’s going to act as if it doesn’t bother her or hurt her in the slightest (though we all know just how badly she’s hurting on the inside). She knew it was too good to be true that you so happened to share the same ideologies and that you got along so beautifully.

She has put so much trust in you that she’s brought you up to the Jade Chamber with her to have peaceful tea time dates a couple of times before its destruction. Yet you made her look like a fool, as even if you never intended to hurt her or betray her, Keqing takes it very personally even if her love for you runs deep

Regardless whether or not you were good of heart that was trapped serving the Fatui or truly was lying about everything and using her that whole time she will coldly cut you off. She’s putting on her tough act saying how she simply cannot love a traitor that has put liyue in harm's way

It’s not until she’s alone or possibly just with Ganyu that Keqing breaks down into tears sobbing over her heartbreak. Nothing hurt more than letting you go, how she wanted to give you that second chance, but she couldn’t let love cloud her judgement, as maybe one day in the future you two could be together, but for now she’d need time to heal though she probably never really gets over you

[caelestis-composition]

killshot anon! YEAH i totally agree w/ your view on kaeya. it's so weird to me that people will blame him for his role in a situation he was forced into as a child through no choice of his own. that itself had to be traumatic, not to mention everything that happened later. i hate when people say he's untrustworthy - like yeah, he's lied, so has everyone? it's clear he does it mostly to protect himself. not to mention that (& sadism) can be symptoms of trauma. kaeya deserves nothing but happiness

take a seat folks it’s time for a “brynn should’ve been an english major” lesson! today we’re gonna learn some literary theory; specifically, we’re gonna apply psychoanalytical trauma theory to kaeya’s backstory and current character. killshot anon i bet you never thought this would result in a whole ass essay.

disclaimer one! you are allowed to dislike kaeya! i am not saying you need to like him or his character, you’re entitled to your opinion and i’m not here to change your mind.

disclaimer two! i am in no way an expert and this is all for fun! this is just my silly little analysis of one of my favorite characters as someone who’s studied literary theory and rhetoric and can also apply personal experience. seriously analysis is like a hobby to me and this is just an excuse for me to ramble about kaeya.

disclaimer three! this contains lots of spoilers! basically for everything we know in-game, general knowledge as well as stuff from his voicelines and character story. don’t read this if you don’t want spoilers.

since this is going to be filled with spoilers and is about to get really long, everything will be under a cut. for those who wanna read my dumb super informal essay: enjoy!

final note: yeah this is over 2000 words long can you tell i like analysis

⭒

let’s start by getting a quick rundown of trauma theory out of the way. to begin, what is “trauma?” in this case, trauma is going to refer to an experience that greatly affects and changes one’s life; attitudes, memories, behaviors, mental state, etc. while not all changes may be bad, per se, the overall effect of trauma is generally a negative one, which is why it’s so significant. literary trauma theory, then, explores these changes and the impact of trauma in literature. it analyzes the psychological and social effects of trauma, explaining what those effects are and why they happen. in the context of a specific character, trauma theory breaks down said character’s behaviors, feelings, and general mentality in relation to their past experiences; trauma theory hopes to explain to others the reasons for why a character may act or feel the way they do, all based upon the character’s experiences, particularly traumatic ones. our character today is the lovely kaeya alberich, with the “literature” being genshin impact. i’ll be referencing kaeya’s wiki page to ensure i get all details correct for his character story and voicelines.

it would be good to review kaeya’s backstory before delving into the actual analysis. though we don’t know much about his life before living in mondstadt, we’re told he was sent as an agent of khaenri’ah. and by “sent,” i mean his biological father abandoned him in a completely unfamiliar land to serve khaenri’ah’s interests and fullfil his mission—what this entirely entails hasn’t been revealed. mondstadt, however, welcomed kaeya “with open arms when they found him.” crepus ragnvindr took him in as his adopted son, with diluc as his adopted brother. kaeya and diluc were “almost like twins,” so close they “[knew] each other’s thoughts and intentions without a word.” he’d began a new life in mondstadt, one surrounded by friends and family that loved him; one that was completely shattered by crepus’s death. kaeya arrived at the scene of the disaster, and was led to believe diluc was the one who killed their father to “set his father free” from the effects of his delusion. there’d always been one big question in kaeya’s life: if it came down to it, who would he support? the nation that abandoned him, but he still felt loyal to, or the nation and family that took him in and really loved him? overrun with guilt, kaeya confessed his purpose to diluc, sparking a fight between the two brothers. in this fight, kaeya receives his cryo vision. though both brothers stepped away alive, they’ve never been able to make peace with one another. now, kaeya is the eccentric and charming cavalry captain of the knights of favonius; a man who gets his way by using any means necessary, regardless of whether or not it seems right.

kaeya’s not evil; he’s morally ambiguous, and that stems from what appears to be a general distrust of others. his life is one shrouded in secrecy. from the moment he stepped foot into mondstadt, he was surrounded by secrets. even now, he doesn’t talk about a lot of things, namely his past, vision, and feelings. though he’s always willing to get information out of others, kaeya never reveals anything about himself. he repeatedly tells the player they can confide in him, but whenever you try and pry into his life, he deflects your questions with some sort of witty comment or flirty remark. anything he does reveal is vague, or spoken in some sort of “code.” for example, his “interesting things” voiceline. he tells us about the owl of dragonspine, how it “seems to look right through you, while letting go of none of its own secrets,” and then tacks on a “quite fascinating, don’t you think?” it seems like an awfully accurate parallel to himself; kaeya does all he can to get information from others, but never gives anything about himself. now, this whole thing—his relationship with diluc falling apart and his need for secrecy—could have probably been avoided if he had just come clean about his mission years ago. so why didn’t he? to start, kaeya was a literal child. not only are children unable to properly tell the difference between right and wrong, but they’ll also typically follow their parents’ orders blindly. kaeya had just been abandoned, and he wouldn’t want to risk being cast out by mondstadt as well if he came clean right away. you see, there’s this thing about trauma, something that trauma theory states. traumatized people feel a sort of shame or guilt regarding their traumatic experience; they’ll keep quiet because they don’t want to cause problems or bother others with their issues. of course kaeya wouldn’t tell the truth about his past, he doesn’t want to destroy the genuinely loving relationships he’d built in mondstadt. his fight with diluc only proves what he was afraid of: if he’s honest, he’ll be abandoned again. and if kaeya’s used to all the lies, why should he bother changing?

another thing, if he’s not going to tell the truth, then why would he have initially gone along with his father’s plans? again, he was a child. he really had no choice, and was forced into a very wrong and cruel situation. there’s a good explanation for this, too, which is also stated in trauma theory; traumatized people will still do their best to please their abusers. especially if said abuser is a parent, that will drive traumatized people to work even harder to please them. although his father hurt him by ruthlessly abandoning him, kaeya still sought to make him and his homeland proud. he was willing to be used as a tool for their gain; that is, until he found people who actually cared about him. he was an impressionable child, of course he’s going to obey orders. but as he gets older, he feels torn. does he serve those who abandoned him, or those that took him in? his father—and arguably, khaenri’ah as a whole—hurt him, sure, but he still feels some loyalty and connection to his former home. instead of revealing anything, he lets the situation play out. that way, he can’t be blamed when things fall apart.

the thing about claiming he’s untrustworthy is that hardly anyone in-game believes that. he’s adored by the older folks in mondstadt, and foes and allies alike find him easy to talk to. despite seeming lazy and uninterested in work, kaeya takes his job very seriously. in fact, his story states that crepus’s death was the “first and only time kaeya failed in his duty.” the “only time” is especially important, because it signifies kaeya still fulfills his duties successfully. he’s had a total of one slip-up, and hasn’t failed since. no, kaeya is not untrustworthy. rather, kaeya finds everyone else untrustworthy. it’s not unlikely that this is a direct consequence of being abandoned as a child. although it’s been established that kaeya and diluc were very close as children, when crepus dies, kaeya assumes diluc is the one that killed him. in order to jump to such an extreme conclusion against someone he was so close to, there had to be some underlying sense of distrust. furthermore, kaeya expresses feeling as though he doesn’t belong anywhere. he was abandoned by khaenri’ah, and then worried he wouldn’t be accepted by mondstadt. he is, but there’s still that worry. if you place him in your teapot as a companion, he tells you that your home feels like someplace he belongs, following it up with a “heh, who’d have thought…” kaeya still feels as though he doesn’t belong in mondstadt; despite the fact that he’s a high-ranking knight of favonius and rather popular, he still feels like an outsider. he doesn’t trust that anyone actually wants him around, and he finds joy in testing peoples’ trustworthiness. it’s noted in his story and through his voicelines that the beloved cavalry captain has a rather sadistic nature. he likes putting people into difficult situations, to see what decisions they will make. he does this to both opponents and allies, testing to see who’s going to back out and who’ll keep fighting; in the sake of allies, who can he trust? or who will turn tail and abandon their teammates at the slightest hint of danger? i mentioned it previously, but kaeya doesn’t care what measures he has to take so long as his job gets done and he gets the answers he wants. it’s a sort of self-preserving mindset, putting himself above the safety of others. kaeya’s trying to protect himself, which makes sense with all he’s been through. he doesn’t want to be hurt, and instead finds pleasure in threatening harm upon others. it’s twisted, sure, but it’s because he can only trust himself in a world that he believes is out to get him. he’s got as many enemies—if not more—as he does allies; of course kaeya focuses on protecting himself first, whether physically or through keeping his secrets, well, secret.

his most obvious traumatic effect is definitely his alcoholism. but he uses it as a distraction, not just to wallow in self-pity. this is seen again in his story, particularly in story 3. it’s found that when his favorite drink, death after noon, is out of season, mondstadt’s crime rate is decreased drastically. at face value, this just means kaeya spends more time working when death after noon is low in supply. but kaeya doesn’t skip work to go to taverns; it’s already been established he takes his job very seriously, so this means he actually patrols and tracks down threats while off work when he can’t indulge in his favorite alcoholic drink. he doesn’t get drunk simply because he’s depressed. if he did, there wouldn’t be a drop in incidents when death after noon is out of season. no, kaeya uses both the alcohol and fighting to distract himself. after all, it’s a little hard to think about feeling sad when you’re either drunk out of your mind or fighting for your life.

despite being so secretive, kaeya gives us glimpses of his true emotions from time to time. as previously mentioned, his flirty attitude is nothing more than a mask to hide how he really feels; and kaeya is terribly, terribly lonely. that may be why he seems so extroverted. constantly being around people should, logically, drive away that feeling, but it doesn’t work like that. when he talks with the player, he frequently expresses disappointment when you have to leave. each time, though, he dampens the weight of his words with playful or flirty language. he’s lonely, but doesn’t want you to know that, like he’s afraid of asking you to stay. he takes the seriousness of his feelings, and basically bends it into some sort of lighthearted joke. kaeya hides his true feelings—negative feelings, to be exact—so that he doesn’t bother anyone. which is, again, something that happens with traumatized people. he displays that hesitance to reveal his true feelings, because there’s a shame or guilt that comes with his past. he doesn’t want to bother others or hold them back, so he puts on a smile and amps up the charisma. one other very important thing—but very small detail—i would like to note is his feelings toward family. his fell apart not even once, but twice, and kaeya still holds familial relationships in high regard. we know he doesn’t exactly care how he goes about getting his work done. he doesn’t pay attention to what’s “right” or “wrong,” so long as he gets what he needs. but one of his informants, vile, notes that the cavalry captain has one exception: he won’t work with those who threaten others’ families. in fact, kaeya claims those who do should be hunted down and destroyed. even though his own families have caused him so much pain—and he ended up estranged from both—he still understands the importance of having people who love you in your life. because he didn’t get that.

kaeya’s not evil. ultimately, as a knight of favonius, his goal is to protect others, because no one was there to protect him. and because no one was there to protect him, because he’s been hurt time and time again by people who were supposed to love him, kaeya has taken to protecting himself. he hides any and all negative feelings with a charismatic, friendly façade, because he thinks it’ll drive away his persistent loneliness. any “bad” actions of his were hardly his fault; he was forced into a life of secrecy and lies, and then abandoned by the first people who truly loved him. kaeya’s a multi-faceted, tragic character, one that toes the line between good and evil, and that’s what makes him so interesting.

[yostresswritinggirl]

Antinomy

Part 2; things are brewing. VIBE

“Do you know the spiritual meaning of 11? What about in numerology? You’ll find it quite intriguing, funny even… until it starts making sense.” You’ve witnessed and harnessed the way and days he had grown to be; this fic enumerates the trials of the 11th before he became a Harbinger under your care. From strangers to mentor to friends to love- Childe made a grave mistake, now you’re once again strangers.

Pairing -> Childe x Harbinger!Fem!Reader

Word Count -> 5217

Themes -> Friends to admirers, mentor, fluffy, suddenly ANGST

Series -> #Sojourner Specials (600 Followers Event) Part 1

Warning -> Blood and injury

Maybe it was stubbornness, his unhinged desire for the thrill of a fight, or you mistaken misguidance. Many possibilities, really, but Childe knows it had nothing to do with all of those. You're not to blame for his mistakes, but he sure as hell would have to pay for the mess he just created.

vi. fontaine

The show felt like a dance made to lure and trance such audience, and despite his resolve and difference in agendas, the strong Harbinger had been victim to the beauty of the show. Of swaying thin clothes and alluring flicks of the hips.

“We’re not co-workers, we don’t know each other, remember that.”

Tambourines and lyres synced through the performance as men and women alike cheered and stumbled to the songs. The Snezhnayan dancers set the bar high in terms of beauty as the Fatui disguised as performers indulged the crowd in symphony and dance, as if the whole nation was under a mania, no one saw and no one heard. They just followed lead as the agents lulled their own targets into a sense of security and joy.

In the middle of the crowd you lead the choreography as the main dancer, distinguished by the colors of your garb and its grandiosity, yet still respectably covered compared to the other performers. Your main objective was to catch the havoc of a man that left the headquarters of your organization in flames at his wake; and yet, it was instead Childe that was allured to your spell.

An intoxicated man had been eyeing your behind with drooling eyes for a while now, and with the assistance of liquid courage, he reached his hand out to get a feel- when it landed on gray pants of firmness. “Oh my, I didn’t know you swing that way, citizen,” you whipped around to see Childe directly behind you, who was also has his head angled to look behind him where a Fontaine man stumbled back in disgust. His hand clutched to his chest as if it were burned. “Sad news tho, I’m off the table, try someone else maybe.”

Before you can register the edge in his voice, he was already guiding you by the hand back to your dancing stride. You were momentarily stunned but devolved into a glare at his current recklessness, “Come now, Lady Viscaria.” He addressed you by your dancer name. “The whole world is high in the clouds around us, this would be a moment no one will remember.” You didn’t even need to look to know he was right, and you succumbed with a sigh.

Childe didn’t realize just how small your hands are compare to his, the softness of it in contrast to the rough texture of his gloves. If he knew, if only he knew, he would have removed them before you had entertained the idea. Your steps were lithe and your turns were grace manifested, eyes closed yet a gentle smile equipped on your face, the ones you had been wearing ever since you started the performance. “So this is how you fight.” He mumbled with his own grin when he had spun you back against his form, your feet glides against the pavement yet barely touching it as you seemingly floated to place. If he hadn’t known better he would have thought you were an Anemo Vision wielder.

Soon enough the square dissipated to give way to the ferocious dance you two had eased into. Steps became more pointed, arms tensed and strong, and the turns was almost reminiscent of martial arts as you seemingly evade each other’s swings. Suddenly a kick aimed to hit his chest forced him to jump back, and at the other side you dropped your foot, a taunting smirk and a condescending gaze set upon him. His blue eyes widened.

And the elegance of the tango from earlier turned into a vicious round of capoeira, powerful kicks and jumps yet not made to touch each other. Your figure leaped into a crescent kick when he had made a sweep to hit your ankles, him immediately rolling to the side to evade the blow. Dropping to the ground with your ankles and knees bent, a leg outstretched you gasped, and went into a running start towards him, “Lift!” A single command yet he knew what he needed to do.

Gripping your hips upon your leap his strong arms easily eased you high up, your legs were kicked high up and one bent farther back and you steadied yourself by gripping on to his shoulders. The atmosphere turned tense and the only sound you can hear were the ragged breaths you heave up close. And the crowd around then explodes into a round of applause.

Childe seemed to have snapped out of a trance from the foreign noise, breaking the eye contact you both held as he slowly placed you down. There was a sudden bashfulness to him then. But was once again pulled away from his reverie when you quite literally pulled him out of the square into a dark alley, eyes glinting dangerously as a toothy smirk donned your lips, “I saw him, the redhead.”

...

The chains felt sentient. As it flies forward to try and capture him, Childe conjured a wave to sweep it away only for it to change angles to strike at him again. It pierced through the pavement he was once on before it moved to retract back to the owner. At the other side, Childe had a glimpse of your more successful fight with the fugitive as your polearm easily deflected the advances of the chains, even if it gets caught sometimes. Your Cryo Vision would always make quick work of freezing and breaking the chains.

None of you expected a non-elemental fight, and this seemed more complicated of a battle than you would have thought. The man carried with him the aura you feel when you use your delusion, you grimly thought as you ducked out of another barrage, sensing the frustration and desperation of the enemy. You were barely breaking a sweat, you’d see his red eyes take notice, and you weren’t even using both of your hands to fight. With another smirk, your Vision then glowed by your side as you raised your arm. The hooded man braced for impact, but instead he felt a force hit his lower half- water current from Childe, and suddenly it solidified to ice upon your avalanche. His hand where the strange device were also covered to render him useless.

An arrow and a spear’s tip was now aimed to his heart. “Well, well, that was a nice fight, Ragnvindr,” you leaned down close enough to see the finer details of his hawk mask, you saw his eyes squint into a glare. He knows he lost. By your side Childe relaxed his arms and dematerialized his bow, the next part should be yours to work on. “Thank you for your dedication, but this atrocity ends now.” You straightened your back and took a step back, angling your spear to his throat. As his eyes close to succumb to death, your head would angle itself slightly to see Childe’s reaction

when a golden flicker appeared past his shoulder.

“CHILDE!” The devil himself felt the air leave his lungs at the force that punched at his chest, enough to immobilize him as he was punted to the ground. Before he could even recover, the pavement around shifted and crumbled to create a wall between him and the frozen Diluc. He heard the ice breaking and two pairs of feet scrambling away. “Fuck, he had an accomplice,” he breathed as he took his stand, about to give chase to the escapees. That is until he registered his mentor-

barely standing with a stalagmite pierced through her stomach.

“Chi...lde.” You gripped the pointed tip of the structure to keep yourself up as your legs started to lose feeling. He was there hovering over you, unsure where to touch or how to assist. Fuck. Fuck. This was his fault. “Go... chase, I’ll be- I’ll be fine...”

And then you blacked out.

vii. seven correspondence

There were multiple parchment of the same color littering his office desk filled with different lengths of paragraphs. Childe's quarters in the palace was cozy and wide, and nothing could be heard but the sound of his fountain pen scratching the surface of the paper with ease.

"Letters are important in Snezhnaya," you perked up from your unfocused gaze from his window, where you silently watched the brewing blizzard manifesting outside. Your eyes made contact with his genuinely gentle ones that still lingered at the task at hand, "why not write one?"

"Letters are commonplace in Snezhnaya," you corrected as you made your way to his side to snoop in his letters. He did not seem to mind. After all you'd pretty much already the whole of his family that one awkward encounter. He was working on the seventh letter and your eyes lingered around the six finished ones: there was one for each younger siblings, one meant for the two older brothers, another for the older sister, and one for his parents. "It's not necessary for me to write, I don't have an address in mind to begin with."

Is that so, he mumbled under his breath before the conversation died down once again to little scratches. A lot of his words had tales to tell about his stay in Fontaine, you realized the most details were poured into the contents for his parents. At the mention of this nation, your hand ghosts over your stomach.

The bandages from long ago had already been dispatched. And yet the stiffness of it has still affected your composure as well as the weird pull of the skin from the stitches. Only a nasty scar was left in its wake to remind you of the failed encounter and it forced you to make drastic wardrobe changes to your performing attire.

You saw Childe's shoulders slightly tense at your action.

"Childe," his grip on the pen tightened yet he kept his head down. You didn't mind. His mind was going overdrive again, probably. "Who are you writing that last letter for?"

He felt like he'd dodged an arrow over the way he had relaxed, slumped down even when he met eyes with better resolution within it. "It's for a special someone," his signature smile was back, "I've met her long ago and I've always made sure to send her a letter yearly as thanks."

Thanks? "Thanks?" The letter (it was short, you realized) was already folded before you could peek at the words within. You knew Childe was good-looking, but for him to have a girlfriend waiting for years as he drowns in his work, quite irrational and yet painful. Painful... to you?

"I've met a girl back when I was 14," he was suddenly up and bustling as he bundled up his letters. Urgent you followed to listen to his tale as best as you can with his long legs. "I never knew her name or her face, but she saved me from the wolves back in Morepesok. I never properly gave her my thanks, so yearly I would leave letters at the woods where she'd gone, and hope that she'll be able to read them and know that I lived because of her." You already halted your advances to chase after him as you stood before the doors of the Palace. He didn't seem to mind, he kept going until he was gone.

...Morepesok was a seaside fishing village with a vast white forest by the edges in which ferocious wolves and bears usually haunt. After your promotion to the Palace, you had never once set foot in the village, much less the woodland. Where you are right now.

You held a steady hand against your stomach as you retraced the familiar route you'd gone, something so far away you would have expected to forget it by now. That was six years ago, you counted as you reached the clearing in horror of its emptiness, there should be six letters here by now.

A snapping twig had you whirling to look behind you. "So, it really was you." His gentle blue orbs had met your widened ones, breathless you both were, but for different reasons.

"So you lied about the letters," the mocking pout on your lips had made him laugh. A sprinkle of red dusts his cheeks, and he was quick to hide it with the familiar letter on his hand.

"I didn't lie about this one," your upturned palms received the crispy envelope, carefully opening the seal and unfolding its contents, "I wanted to make sure I was right."

'Your sacrifice had given me a new chance, a new life, a new beginning. I wish I was there to thank you for protecting me, but this time, I will get stronger and make sure-'

"I'll be the one protecting you from now on." He finished, and the red dust over your own cheeks felt like torches made to melt the mightiest icicles.

viii. fleeting glances

Signora had always been the type of person to only make appearances when necessary, but most of her dirty work were done by her subordinates, her own little army. She's the coordinator and observer at the back as things were weaved into place for her. Like a flower on the wall, the Fair Lady knows and notices details.

The first one was by the entrance, the second was by the veranda. The third, fourth and fifth were by the hallways. The sixth was by the throne room. The seventh was outside. And the eight was that in front of her—

Childe disliked being in the same area or even breathing space as her, this much Signora knew. He was a kid still under training over the ways of the Fatui, but there was nothing more he hated than the way the Fair Lady handles her work, her soldiers. But it came with the aesthetic, and he had no other means to pry until he had finally grasped the way the cogs turn in this organization known as the Fatui.

The youngest Harbinger never looked her directly in the eye or even dare spare her the glance when it was not needed. And in all honesty, it was quite bothersome the first few times. After all, Tartaglia carried with him a certain charm.

His eyes would either narrow or be guarded for any other Harbinger that comes his way, respectful or dismissive, the options fleet through those whenever. But there was one humane and warm look he gives at special occasions, for a special someone, and Signora finally witnessed it in full view and detail—

The crease between his eyebrows would immediately ease as his eyes break free from its squinted, slanted form. The dark depths at the middle would dilate as his expression quirks up, teeth usually visible through parted lips as he dons an easy smile. And Signora would be taken aback by the immediate change as she follows the trail of his stare.

The gold was the first to strike with the way the trinkets hang by the waist, and the warm and mellow colors so contrary to the Fatui colors draws away the unease of onlookers. It was to make sure that no association with the Fatui would be made, that was your calculated explanation was upon your choice of 'uniform.' You've just came from a short trip to Natlan to gather all data to be reported to the Tsaritsa, and during that time the 11th had been under no one's particular care.

You passed by their forms (pass is a strong word, they were off to the far side, honestly) with your report in hand, humming to yourself as you continued your way to the throne room. That demeanor only means that you had good news to tell, good news for everyone.

The glance was gone fast as the moment ended, and his hard look came albeit much lighter this time. But the way Signora smirked signified she'd noticed, and his look only grew stiffer.

"Come now, pretty boy, show that look often."

The Fair Lady's laugh echoed inside the Palace walls as Tartaglia stomps off to where you had gone, to wait after the dusk convention respectfully.

ix. years of employment

Of the many milestones that could have been celebrated, it was done in an odd number at the most peculiar time. Yes, it is no surprise for everyone to know that you had been working for the Fatui for nine whole years now. And honestly, you shouldn't have been surprised that your younger colleague with the weird ways of his Abyss-induced brains, decided that it was time your anniversary be celebrated instead of waiting another year for the double digits mark.

"Please tell me we're not going to your house again," you softly pleaded as Childe continued to guide you through the paths in the main city of Snezhnaya. "As much as I appreciate their caring atmosphere, I'm not too keen on the idea of pretending to be the head honcho of the toy-selling company of Snezhnaya."

To this, Childe guffawed to a boisterous laugh, pulling his hand away from your back to clutch at his convulsing stomach. You pursed your lips in distaste of his reaction, but then it would loosen up to a smile as you watched him still try to catch his breathe.

After that, the trip had continued with only small chatter in between as you descended further to the edges of the city. You haven't been to this area, simply because of the fact that there were no patrols needed around the cityless wasteland where you are headed, and the glint of surprise had fixed a knot at Childe's back. Relief painted his face.

And you found yourself in front of a frozen lake, with hanging lights decorating the leafless trees by it, and a small table filled to the brim with food. "Lady toyseller!" You shot a glare at your student who averted his gaze away easily to focus on his other siblings. This heretic lied—

"Big brother said it's a special occasion! To commemorate your anniversaries for being in the toyselling business!" Your glare died down to a look of confusion, and the family gathered back into a homely atmosphere. So it seems that Childe coincidentally joined the Fatui the same day as you, two years apart. And he said nothing about it.

"We've been celebrating since the last three years, if we had known, you could have been with us!" And with that you were pulled in by Tonia to the table where her mother was, congratulating you for your hardwork and patience as she offers you to taste some of the food they had brought for the picnic.

"I know you've been helping my son ever since he became a Harbinger," you looked up to Childe's mother in wonder as your mouth was currently stuffed with her delicious homemade Pelmeni. She gave a light laugh at the sight of your wide, curious eyes paired with stuffed cheeks. "Childe mentioned how you saved him when he ran away from him..." and the mother continued to spill the details you were never given the chance to hear from the man himself.

You suppose this was the cause of your perfectly crafted aura of trust, to lure in your targets and make them spill to their heart's contents as you indulge them. In the end, Childe's mother's true intention was to thank you for all that you had done for her son, and to help him cultivate into the best person he could be among the ranks of the Harbinger. You gulped the last bits of the dumpling, a shy smile placated on your cheek, "It is my honor to take him under my wing."

"Hey, master, I sure hope mum didn't say anything embarrassing about me while I was gone!" A hand holding a tissue softly wiped the cream at the edge of your lips as Childe- Ajax finally made his way over to your table.

"It's okay, really, it's normal for children to pee their bed." You mused as Childe's mother laughed at the way her son choked over his own spit. Ah, you were right.

The rest of the day was filled with ice-skating, something you have forgotten, clumsily held up by the three younger siblings as they expertly excelled in the field. And right after was a session of ice fishing with their father, who was greatly impressed by your strength upon reeling the 50-centimeter long tuna. Flopping on to the ice platform as if to chase the children on land.

"Don't want to stay? There's a spare room here, you can borrow my big sister's clothes for the night. It's a long way back to the Palace," he stood next to you outside the entrance of his home while you face the other direction.

You sighed. "Tartaglia, I'm your mentor. And as the 10th Harbinger, your ascension should be my priority." You didn't see the way his jaw clenched at the intonations of your words. "If it were a different circumstance-"

"Next week," the snow caught on to your lashes as you closed your eyes, basking at the cold that bites at your cheeks. "Will be my last try. And after that, please see me as your equal."

"Alright." Your hands trembled.

x. final spar

Fatuus lined the veranda surrounding the quadrangle in quiet anticipation, skirmishers and agents alike that had yet to be assigned under Harbinger supervision and even those who just had nothing better to do.

Childe had anticipated the spotlight, but it was a greater scale he was not comfortable on. He was lucky a Harbinger had yet to watch the spar, the last spar as he had promised, and it seemed the gossip had spread enough to alert the whole organization. The Delusion mask sat by the side of his hair as he watched you at the other end of the field.

Your eyes held no emotion as they stared through his soul. A different kind of emotion he'd have wanted to see. He thinks to himself at the thought of you once being in the same predicament as him, did you feel the same fear and worry as he did? Did it take you ten tries? Maybe more, maybe less?

Tartaglia said this will be the last spar, and the final chance for both sides to make it a fair fight (to give it their all). But when you suddenly disappeared and materialized above him with your spear ready to strike, he thought, maybe not this time either.

The spear collided with the dirt floor as blades of winds seem to have exploded from it, a series of gasps resounding through the crowd as they stepped away from the edge. Tartaglia softly landed back on his feet after the successful somersault, materializing his water polearm to strike his elemental slash from the distance. But you stood still, unscathed as the wave that was meant to slice you turned into ice before it could come any closer. Fuck, Tartaglia knew his Vision was weak to yours.

You charged at him once again with the boost of your Anemo delusion, your polearms clashing painfully as you both tried to get hits on each other. There was a nick at this cheek to draw the first blood, your dominant hand twirling the spear easily Tartaglia retreats back to avoid the wildly spinning blade.

Soon enough he dons his own mask and the real fight begins. Electric currents ran through the field as an icy fog starts to envelop the floor, superconduct reaction running the parameter of the field as the Fatuus back away further. The next time your blades meet, a crackle of lightning resounded through the whole palace. Smacking his blades upward, your spear quickly sweeps down to swipe at this ankles, forcing him to leap as the fog obscures the reach of your polearm. Mid-air, he was kicked on the chest as your acrobatic arms held you up and over.

Soon enough his hunger for victory begins to manifest, and his biggest advantage comes into play: overwhelming strength.

Tartaglia felt huge triumph when you finally used both of your hands to parry his blows, your feet sometimes sinking into the dirt floor under the pressure of his attack. For the first time in the fight, your facade cracked with a grimace as you held your polearm up against his dual blades. Quickly leaning away, you brought your foot up and pushed at the spear's shaft, enough to force him back as you leaped out of his range. There was sweat trickling at the back of your neck now, feeling the sizzle of the current on the slight moisture. You swiped your spear in a crescent motion as a snow avalanche bombarded Tartaglia's side when he tried to approach, giving you just enough time to breathe as he tries to free himself under the snow.

By the time he's set himself free, you were already running forwards with your hands gripping your spear at your right for a swiping motion. He fashions his dual blades as he too sprinted in the middle to clash, weapons encased with frost and electricity. In a split second, his arms raised to your left, knowing this was your non-dominant side would make it easy to send you flying at the angle of approach. A powerful blow against another was about to shake the whole Palace—

"Columbina!" The vagrant's voice pierced through the crackle of elements, and Tartaglia's eyes widened when he had noticed your foot slip at the distraction. The inertia of his arms unable to stop the course of action; superconduct and electro-charged reactions creating a powerful explosion as the iced fog seem to have imploded from the force.

Childe's moist hands trembled as his vision tries to refocus. There's a ringing in his ears as he tries to grip at his hands, the electricity coursing through his nerves to make it numb. He desperately closed and opened his fists, and when he finally settled his sights straight, the dripping red liquid had splattered all the way to his mask and arms. With hesitation his sights followed the trail of blood and frost splayed across the field barely visible as the mist still covered the floor with a thin veil, his steps halted at the sound of glass crunching underneath his shoes, and he didn't need to look to know what it was.

"GET THE MEDIC NOW, PREPARE THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT!" Pedrelino's voice reverbed through the field as the few agents that finally recovered from the shock went into emergency actions, some running off and some running to the direction of where the blood trail ends.

There was an obvious pool of blood forming under you, as your whole torso was littered with the same redness. Your left ribcage was angled inwards in an anomalous way as the dual blades had logged itself in between the ribs. You were already unconscious as blood dripped from the side of your lips;

how unfortunate, Childe collapsed to his knees in front of you. You didn't get to congratulate him.

xi. eleventh of the fatui harbinger

His mission had been explained to him concisely and accurately alongside Signora's assignment right after he had been acknowledged as officially part of the Fatui. The throne room had itself full of the Harbingers (with a glaring absence of one) as the Tsaritsa empowered him with her will and concise plan, the gravity of the law and order of the universe and its incoming divine war finally weighing on his shoulders. It was, after all, his wish to end the ministrations of being under someone's supervision and finally walk his path of conquering.

A month after the fight had him standing by the piers of the Snezhnayan ocean. Here he will finally depart to Liyue where his true mission lays, as well as the franchise of the Northland Bank he'd have to oversee. The influx of information for both his and the other's works had his head reeling, pleading silently at the hope that you'd be there to reassure and clarify what exactly he needs to do.

But you're not. In fact, Childe hasn't seen you in the whole month after that fight. He was prohibited from approaching your ward as you were still unstable and fragile to risk; no, everyone was not allowed to enter, he assured himself. He had not seen nor heard you throughout the grieving process of a moment he should have been proud to boast.

During that time, Childe had also adamantly avoided Scaramouche.

He heaved a tired sigh as the consequences weighed his resolve once again, were you still unconscious? Are you still in critical condition or are you recovering? If things ended ever so differently, would you be there next to him to wave him off to his first major assignment? "Liyue, huh, that's a pretty nice nation."

Childe produced a strangled noise when he turned to his right, where you stood, watching the ocean horizon. Your hair was slightly disheveled yet framed your face naturally. There were bandages wrapped all over your torso, peeking out from the sleeves of your unusually covered attire, and your left arm settled on a sling meant to lessen the constraints of your side instead of sporting an actual broken limb. When Childe's calculating gaze settled on your face, you had a calm expression.

"Congratulations, you're finally on your way to your first mission."

"Thank you, although I heard it's quite different from what I'm used to. Besides seafood, too many new customs."

You produced a soft gasp as your eyes widened slightly. Childe stood guard, waiting for you to tell him what was wrong. "I'm a failure of a mentor," what. His eyes watched as you turned to face him (as he did) with an amused glint in your eyes paired by a light smirk. "I didn't get to teach you how to use chopsticks."

His face dropped into a deadpan, before you two harmonized into bouts of varying laughter. Your other hand placed itself on your chest to minimize the vibrations of your giggles, not wanting to put pain into yourself. A flash of hurt recognition passed through his eyes.

"Master, I'm so-"

"(Y/N)." You immediately interjected as you gazed at him past your eyelashes. His breath hitches.

"Ah, (Y/N)," you nodded at his experimental taste of your name and urged him to continue. He opens his mouth before closing it again, a silent debate within the depths of his brain, before his lips parted with a different thought. "Teach me when I come back, please?"

Your eyes widen in surprise and amusement, "I'm sure you'd pick it up easily."

You're not wrong, but he's adamant. "Nah, I'm sure I wouldn't, I heard they're really a handful. I'd rather wait for you."

Giggling again, you raised your mobile hand as he did own, exchanging the most genuine smile. "Okay, pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise."

I wrote this for two hours straight to the point that my left arm doesn't work anymore....

@moaa @kookieyachi @zelos-simp @legionqueensav @dandelion-dreams @snackgod @rxsalinee

[mrpenguinpants]

hellooo this is not a request but what do u think of the new upcoming character (he'll probably get release like... at least after 2 years ig TAT) Dainsleif?

Major spoilers for Kaeya’s Character Story and Khaenri'ah Lore. 

TLDR: I like the potential Dainsleif has plus his design is really nice. He might be a catalyst or sword user with empowered auto's or he might be similar to Zhongli that uses field effects and has a delete button for his elemental burst. 

I have many theories on who Dainsleif is and that he is either some type of traveler/god/homunculus and he has the element of ash or quintessence. The opposite of dendro and nature. I'd like to believe that the lore of Khaenri'ah relates to his story and his attitude (since he's from there originally) and it's a desolate place with no archon blessings so the people themselves had to develop their own methods to survive, hence the art of alchemy Khemia. When Dainsleif get's introduced, mostly likely towards the very end, we might find out why Scaramouche said the sky and the stars was a gigantic hoax and the truth behind Kaeya. 

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ANON. YOU. YOU GET A COOKIE. I LOVE TALKING ABOUT STORY AND CHARACTER LORE SO MUCH.

Please, if any of you wanna talk about this I’m totally on board. I love Dainsleif and I’m so upset he’ll probably be released towards end game so yeah two years at least;; 

Okay, so level with me. I’m about to bring out the whiteboard for this. I tried to format it so it was easier to digest but this is pure word vomit and I went overboard again. 

What do u think of the new upcoming character Dainsleif?

I’m very excited. I think his design is beautiful and I want those lore bomb drops. 

Firstly, I can’t wait for him to drop. I’m always a sucker for lore and he’s been dropping hints from the start since he narrates all the character’s collected miscellany. He does remind of me Dimitri from FE3H but I’m excited for more Khaenri’ah lore. 

I have some theories about where the story will go with him and  Khaenri’ah but those are some major spoilers so I left a read more tag if you’re interested. 

Tumblr won’t let me upload his splash art but just google it lol.

Which weapon will he use? 

Catalyst or Sword. He might have empowered autos like Diluc and Razor or he might apply a mark like Childe. 

I can see him being a castor since his right arm is glowing. But he might also be a sword user that uses empowered auto’s like Diluc and Razor. Since the name Dainsleif was King Högni's sword during the battle of Hjaðningavíg. According to the reliable source of wiki, whatever wound the Dainsleif sword cause could not be healed. 

I think it would be cool if his auto’s apply a stack/mark (similar to Childe’s riptide mark), and after 3 auto’s the mark is consumed and the enemy gets dealt heavy damage. Or maybe you can apply debuffs like “defense down” or maybe even a blind, based on the number to stacks you have on the mark. 

What vision will he have?

A hydro vision or a custom one (similar to a delusion). Or he doesn’t have a vision at all and uses alchemy or is secretly a “god”.

As for vision, he might be a hydro character since his splash art appears like he’s coming out of a ball of water. I’ve heard people say he might be cyro also, which wouldn’t be extremely off if visions actually correspond with their user. 

Or he might be introduced with an entirely new element (perhaps a new type of alchemy?). His star is a dark blue too so he might have the element of black mist/dust or ash/shadows as a potential power. 

In the Albedo trailer he mentions:

"But I know it well. It hails from Khaenri'ah: The Art of Khemia. Soil and chalk, the universe and earth, pure dust and the birth of life.”

Perhaps this is the vision/power that Dainsleif has? Maybe even the creator or maybe he even taught Albedo’s Master how to do Khemia. I don’t think he really encompasses the Geo vision (I will seriously write an 11 page essay on how vision’s correspond with their holder). We don’t know a lot about Dendro but I think he might be related to it. But just like Khaenri’ah, he’s reflects the opposite. Instead of “birth of life” and tree’s, he’s the “death of life” and ash. (wow doesn’t that sound deep lolol sorry I don’t really know how to explain it). The way he talks in trailers, he says “mortals” a lot but does vouch for them so it makes me wonder if he might actually be a god. 

Also his title is the “Bough Keeper”. A bough means: a main branch of a tree. This makes me believe that he can either do something similar to what Albedo showed us and can create life or he does the opposite and creates ash. Honestly, a part of me believes he might just have generic moveset’s like everyone else but let me dream lol. 

Or he might not even be a vision holder since we don’t see him holding one, but we only have this angle and art to go off on. He might even use stars haha. If anyone remembers, during the falling star event, Scaramouche says the sky and stars were a gigantic hoax. I would not be surprised if the world is actually upside down or the “sky” isn’t even a sky at all. More like a sheet over Teyvat or some kind of illusion. 

Or another theory, perhaps Dainsleif is the god of time since he says in Travail during the Traveler chapter:

“Defeat me, command me to step aside, show me that you are worthier than I to rescue her. Then, the threads of all fate will be yours to re-weave“

It would explain how he knows so much about the other characters and what happened in the past since he brings up “the war” a lot. I’m assuming it’s either the Archon War or something before that. 

Or mihoyo could shred my thesis paper and Dainsleif has nothing to do with this and he’s some random guy from Khaenri’ah with plot convivence. 

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I just want to mention at the bottom of this, but the classical elements are water, earth, fire, air and (later) aether. I find it funny that the male MC shares the name. 

“Aether, also called quintessence, is the fifth and highest classical element. It’s a material that fills the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere.” 

“It permeates all nature and is the substance composing the celestial bodies. The essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form,”

Or this is just a hint to the traveler’s power since the traveler is the only one that can use all the elements. 

Possible moveset?

He might use stars or air/anemo in his moveset. He could be a very good dps with a lot of trapping potential. Or he might be a field effect support like Albedo, but can still do a lot of damage. 

Imagine Dainsleif uses stars haha, throwing them to do damage like Ningguang’s rocks. The splash art of him shows two stars in the top left. He might have a teleport (similar to Keqing + Mona dash), or maybe he could even have some sort of telekinesis with his right arm. I’m just getting Xayah from league of legends vibes where he can throw the star, it places itself at max range, then he can recall them and the star does damage on the way back. Similar to how Keqing’s elemental skill works but instead of teleporting to the stiletto, the stiletto comes back to you when you press e again. (Sorry I play on keyboard). 

The opposite of nature is void or cosmos so that could be relating to his power as well since the only animation we get of him is in Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview: Travail (I’m just gonna say Travail) and this black mist comes from his hand and he says: 

“"We will defy this world with a power from beyond.”

Could be interesting hehe. He might even be a field effect character like Albedo. He doesn’t really strike me as the guy that likes fighting but in the Albedo trailer he says: 

“I am content to watch most crises play out from the sidelines. But if Albedo were ever to make a single wrong move...I could not let myself ignore it.”.

Seems to be that Dainsleif is pretty powerful or at least has some type of influence. It could be interesting if he’s similar to Zhongli and has a giant delete button for his elemental burst haha. Or he has some type of imprisonment power like Mona’s burst. Or as I mentioned earlier, it would be fun having telekinesis but this is just me taking liberties haha. 

(and yes I totally understand that I’m forcing the story to support my theory BUT IGNORE IT OK.)

Black Mist/Dust and Ash/Shadows?

Uh I gave up on these summaries lol 

I touched on it briefly but I say black mist or shadows since I believe that Khaenri’ah is probably not a good place to live originally. Similar to how Mondstadt was in the past, it is probably surrounded by some type of barrier (hence the mist or even the sky) that both traps and makes sure no one get’s in or out. Khaenri’ah is quite the opposite of most regions besides the whole “no archon” business but in “Travai”, when Dainsleif brings up Khaenri’ah this shows up:

It seems like a star to me in some hidden pocket in the sky and what not. This is what I would assume Scaramouche saw (possibly, we have no idea) and therefore there are people and an entire region that’s in the sky. But why would  Khaenri’ah be above Celestia? Since you can see Celestia in Teyvat. I would like to think that Teyvat is either upside down and Khaenri’ah is actually below everything or this pocket in the sky isn’t even in Teyvat and is similar to how you reach spiral abyss. You have to go through this circle in Cape Oath and you get sucked into this worm hole thing and you make it to Musk Reef. Where we saw Scarachmouche and he tells us the sky is a hoax. 

This idea kinda supports my idea that Teyvat is either upside down or the sky isn’t real since how could Dainsleif know who all these people are (since he narrates all the 5 star character’s trailers). Either the man is just really smart and travel’s around a lot but he’s aware of who Zhongli is, an archon from 6000 years ago. This makes me believe he is either a god himself or if he is also a homunculus. Or he’s in the third category and perhaps he’s also a traveler like the main character’s.

I don’t believe he’s an archon but it would be interesting if he was a potential candidate for becoming the Khaenri’ah archon. Since I believe vision holders (human) can become archons and rise to Celestia but Dainsleif refused or he was capable of becoming an Archon

“A human with a Vision is an allogene — one with the potential to reach godhood; however, it isn't clear if having a Vision is a requirement, or simply makes a person more likely to meet the qualifications to reach Celestia.”

But going back to the state of Khaenri’ah, I’d like to think that since the art of Khemia is from Khaenri’ah that would mean that they had to learn how to make their own food and life since they didn’t have an archon to bless their lands. Barbatos had swept the snow and land away in the region of Mondstadt but Khaenri’ah doesn’t have that luxury. Naturally, I would imagine that there are some downsides of Khemia when it was first being practiced, hence the ash. But ash isn’t a bad thing, in fact you can use ash to amend soil and boost your lawn. 

But obviously having a vision would be a whole lot more useful since it’s literally god given talent/blessing so if you have a vision, you might be able to break out and go to the “above” world of Teyvat. If you have a vision you’re seen as being blessed by the gods and you might be able to ascend to Celestia itself. I believe that Khaenri’ah is secretly the abyss and doesn’t see the sun so it’s always dark and it’s hard to grow anything so the people of Khaenri’ah had to find ways to make their own food, hence alchemy. This could be why Dainsleif is so adamant about humanity and questioning the Archons and visions. 

If we are going on the theory that Dainsleif is actually a normal human, then I’d like to imagine he was one of the people that prayed for a vision or some type of blessing and finally got it. But an incident happened and he lost his faith or resolve in the Archons. He mentions it a tiny bit in the Diluc trailer but this is just me spit balling. 

Also, Kaeya’s talents also mention about an abyss and void before the change. I don’t think abyss was made to relate to the abyss order and more the actual definition of abyss but it’s still interesting. 

What is Khemia?

Well I don’t know and I don’t know how accurate google is but let’s try and go through it together. I have no idea if what I’m about to type is offensive since I do not have a history degree and I’m pretty much paraphrasing what google tells me.

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So Khemia, is an Egyptian sacred science. When Egypt was occupied by the Arabs they added “al-” to the world “Khemia” and “al-Khemia”. Al-Khemia means “The Black Land” and is now seen as a possibly origin of the world alchemy. 

Not gonna lie, I did not know al-khemia meant the black land so idk if my hindsight is 2020 or it was just super obvious for my monkey brain. 

As for the world “Chemeia”, it was used to designate the art of metal-working, specifically changing base metals into gold and silver. The Arabs later prefixed it with “al” and the world “alchemy”. Alchemy came to signify the art of chemistry in general. However the word "Chemeia” was probably derived from the Greek word “chemi” which means “black”. This could be because: 

In the sense of "dark" or "hidden", since the Dark, Hidden or Divine Art was the only name by which this science was known to the ancients.

However, the word chemistry might have had a Chinese origin.  It may have been derived from the Hakka term KIM-MI or the Cantonese term KEM-MAI, which signifies "gone astray in search of gold" or "secret of gold". 

Assuming it’s from Egyptian origin, the ancient Egyptian word khēmia means the transmutation of earth, thereby the science of matter at the atomic to molecular scale. According to some etymologists, khēmia or “preparation of black powder” ultimately derived the name from Khem or Kēme, Egypt, the land of black earth. 

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So if we are going with the Chinese origin, I’d like to think that this is a hint towards the story and people trying to find the “gold” or perhaps a vision. This could explain why Kaeya was sent to Mondstadt to hopefully require a vision and come back. 

What is the lore behind Khaenri’ah then?

So, why do I think the people of Khaenri’ah are looking to be saved or want a vision so badly? Well, time to go through the entire Khaenri’ah lore with you lads. 

The Khaenri’ah lore goes as this:

At least 200 years ago, the Eclipse Dynasty threw the kingdom into chaos (meaning it was the last Dynasty).

The people were cursed and transformed into monsters.

Mondstadt’s Knights and Grand Master Arundolyn went on an expedition to Khaenri’ah to fight off the monsters.

In the present,  Khaenri’ah is still struggling against the effects of the curse. Kaeya was sent to Mondstadt as their last hope and for the sake of the “ancient plot”.

1. For those not aware, China’s time periods were separated into Dynasty’s (sort of). The Chinese characters of “Eclipse Dynasty” are [古国黑日落] or "The Ancient Civilization of the Black Sunset". There is probably some type of history or connection to this since Zhongli’s voicelines are full of them but this post is long enough and I don’t know if people want to or care about hearing Chinese history but um let me know? Cause I’m really into that and I will gladly write about it.

2. We’re not completely aware if the people transformed into Hilichurls or were apart of the Abyss Order. But since the last dynasty was literally called Eclipse I would like to believe this supports my idea that Khaenri’ah isn’t someplace you can easily reach and you have to entire a fucking worm hole to get to. I’m in love with the idea that Khaenri’ah is the spiral abyss or at least part of it, that Childe fell into when he was a younger. Perhaps even the spiral abyss is where he landed since time technically doesn’t pass in spiral and it’s just a wave of enemies. I would 100% not be shocked if we have to enter the that wormhole to get to Khaenri’ah or something similar. 

3. Arundolyn was a previous Grand Master and while he did not possess a Vision, he was naturally gifted through intense training. He was formerly one of the Four Winds and had the title of “Lion of Light”. So Khaenri’ah is possible to get to and someone from Mondstadt has done it, but without a vision. The Traveler also doesn’t carry a vision so it might be interesting to see. Kaeya didn’t get his vision until he was 18? 17? When he had a falling out with Diluc. 

I would like to think that perhaps the Archon’s betrayed Khaenri’ah or someone fucked up in their pursuit to develop Khemia to it’s fullest potential or wanted to make their own vision, hence the delusion and how it transforms Childe into a foul legacy form. The Dragonspine lore could point to how Celestia has the power to seal away Khaenri’ah. This also might have been where Dainsleif lost his resolve (assuming he’s a human and just happened to get some sort of power or is really good at Khemia he saw the past or fate or whatever lol)

“Murals, Record of Serial No., and other lore bits in Dragonspine indicate that those who dwelled there attempted to fight against Celestia but lost. As punishment, the Skyfrost Nail was dropped, and the area was turned into a frozen wasteland.

Therefore, people with visions cannot enter Khaenri’ah because of the Archon’s and people that receive visions (which I still think is highly unlikely if you’re in Khaenri’ah) might be able to break out. Think of spiral abyss as some sort of “purgatory” except to enter Khaenri’ah you go down. To get out, you start AT FLOOR 12 and make your way up. Similar to Kid Icarus and how the hardest level was at the beginning and as you went up, it slowly became easier. 

4. I like the idea that Khaenri’ah is a land that either doesn’t have vision holders or the people that do have visions aren’t seen the same way as other regions. People are are actually cursed by the Gods or people that require visions leave Khaenri’ah because they now have the power to. In Travail Dainsleif says this:

"Some say a few are chosen and the rest are dregs, but I say we humans have our humanity. We will defy this world from a power from beyond”

Naturally these are his ideals and I’d like to believe that Khaenri’ah is actually split on this. Some believe in Dainsleif ideals while the other half doesn’t. If we’re going on the theory that Khaenri’ah is actually the abyss then the abyss order makes a bit more sense. 

Plus the idea that Lumine/Aether (I think the story is just going to stick with Lumine being the “villain ”) working for the abyss, it could be because their twin was separated by an unknown god. Aether was asleep and plagued by nightmares with his sister saying “it was too late”, perhaps he lost his memory since he doesn’t know what he was late for? Maybe this is what she meant since I’d assume the story has you going from place to place and the Archon’s stepping down like in Liyue and the Tsaritsa collecting all the gnosis. 

Why is the Tsaritsa collecting all the gnosis?

“She is a god with no love left for her people, nor do they have any left for her. Her followers only hope to be on her side when the day of her rebellion against the divine comes at last."

I can imagine that Tsarista or the Cyro archon is collecting all the gnosis because she believes in the Khaenri’ah attitude and is apart of the ancient plot or is trying to protect them somehow since she isn’t an evil person based on Childe’s voicelines:

“Her Royal Highness the Tsaritsa is actually a gentle soul. Too gentle, in fact, and that's why she had to harden herself. Likewise, she declared war against the whole world only because she dreams of peace. And because she made an enemy of the world, I had the chance to become acquainted with you.”

Or maybe even more interesting, she was actually a citizen of Khaenri’ah since the Tsaritsa wasn’t apart of the original seven but this is a huge stretch. Maybe she’s collecting all the gnosis to finally break the seal on Khaenri’ah? Plus the people of Sneznaya strike me as “I don’t care if you’re blessed by the gods or have a vision, if you can fight then you’re good in our books”. Plus the people of Khaenri’ah are probably pretty mad at the Archons so when the rebellion does come I’d assume the Tsaritsa wants them on her side. 

What happened to Kaeya?

Now Kaeya’s character story goes into how he met Diluc and Crepus. It’s hinted that it was on purpose since Kaeya’s father left him there specifically. 

"One afternoon near the end of summer a decade ago, my father and I passed by the Dawn Winery."

This matter-of-fact description hides a carefully constructed lie. Kaeya has never once spoken the truth about what happened that afternoon:

"This is your chance. You are our last hope."

Kaeya would never forget the look of both hope and hatred in his father's eyes as he uttered those words.

Now you can interpret this as many things, either collecting all the gnosis and obtaining a vision to hopefully come back to save Khaenri’ah could be what he meant or he want’s Kaeya to stop the Abyss Order from literally setting Teyvat on fire. You can probably sympathize with the Abyss Order if we are following the theory that they are actually the mutated monsters of Khaenri’ah citizen’s during the Eclipse dynasty but it’s also like, how about we not set the world on fire ya know?

But interestingly, the reason why Kaeya’s father left him with Diluc’s family is because they have a long history of participating in the rebellion against Decarabian 2,600 years ago and Vennessa’s rebellion against the Aristocracy. 

What will happen when Dainsleif get’s introduced?

So, I’m fully on board with the “Kaeya being the secret prince of Khaenri’ah” theory. I like the idea that Dainsleif is Kaeya’s servant or trusted advisor but I think that’s mainly rooted in the ship. Dainsleif strikes me more as someone who observes and only steps in if he has to because it might affect fate or whatever.

“I am content to watch most crises play out from the sidelines. But if Albedo were ever to make a single wrong move...I could not let myself ignore it.” 

I don’t think Dainsleif is the King of Khaenri’ah that Jean mentions in her hobbies voiceline but perhaps he was related to them somehow. Maybe the first King or the King that Jean mentions was real and Dainsleif was his friend or the God that helped him become King, then the Eclipse Dynasty happened and everything went downhill. Since I believe in Kaeya being a secret prince from  Khaenri’ah, Dainsleif would still be somewhat loyal to the Kingdom or perhaps he had lost faith after what happened and how so many people got corrupted and turned into monsters. 

I was talking about this with my friend but what if genshin pulls an fgo and “kills” Kaeya? Similar to FGO where Leonardo “died” in a car accident and when we visited a shop, there was just a hologram. What if genshin’s story kills Kaeya in a cutscene, and we can no longer use him since Kaeya was a free character, only to return as - THE 5 STAR WE WERE ALL WAITING FOR - the prince of Khaenri’ah.

When will we see Dainsleif?

According to the “Travail” the order of appearances is this: 

I believe part 1 is finished with Zhongli and dragonspine was just an add on for Albedo. But this makes me believe that Dainsleif and Khaenri’ah will be after we go to Snezhnaya. Also side note, the music for Natlan slaps hard. 

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But yeah, I kinda went a bit off track and started talking about the story haha. I really love lore so if anyone has any questions about other characters or want’s to discuss the genshin story I am all ears^^. Also, if any of this becomes true in two years time I WILL BE BACK TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO. 

Or genshin prepares to rip this post apart and none of it is true. If you actually read my word vomit I appreciate you and you get a free cookie. If you’re wondering where I’ve been, it was writing this haha. 

[kae-karo]

The beloved Kaeya for the ask game

the beloved kaeya indeed 🥺👏 tyty anon!!!!

How I feel about this character:

rose asked me once why tf i put kaeya in my 3rd slot when i use him as a dps/sub dps (for her, those are 1st/2nd slots), and i was like 'uh idk' only to realize that he's there because when i got him, he was automatically put into the 3rd slot. and literally i haven't taken him out of my overworld party since then. i feel like that says basically everything u need to know lmao

but! i will wax poetic anyway. i think his design is dumb and sexy and obnoxious and i love it, it suits his personality perfectly and makes him look sus as hell with the eyepatch that he wears supposedly just 'because'. everything abt his personality is WONDERFUL and so much fun, i absolutely love writing his perspective cause it's so interesting. he's so deeply intertwined with the lore by virtue of being khaenri'ahn, which adds like twelve more layers to the iceberg that is kaeya, plus his whole actual backstory itself? and you never know if he's lying or flattering or being earnest, it just adds so much depth to his personality

from a gameplay perspective, he's not exceptionally interesting, but he is absolutely reliable, and i've been using him in a freeze comp with childe since i got childe lmao. i also actually adore his lil teleport, though he has the same issue with his E that diluc does with his Q, which is that sometimes the targeting is Bad lmao

overall, i adore this man deeply

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

diluc (duh) and childe, in that order. often diluc and childe at the same time lmao. albedo! i do like a good kaebedo every now and then. i'd ship him with zhongli but from a writing perspective i tend not to have much to go on.

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

rosaria is the big one, within mond. i also love a good benny/kaeya mentorship type role. i think he could take a similar one with chongyun? i think kaeya and kazoo would be two sides of the same mischievous coin, too. when i'm shipping kaeluc exclusively, i love a good chaeya friendship lmao. oh! i think beidou and kaeya could be great drinking/pirate buddies, and i'd love to see him talk strategy with kokomi

My unpopular opinion about this character:

i mean off the bat, kaeluc lmao. beyond that, i'm not sure i have any unpopular opinions? i think i can get behind most hcs of him that i've seen, and i don't think i have many thoughts that other ppl would disagree with about him lmao

oh, maybe this - i really don't agree with the idea of him being like...canonically cold/heartless? i think a lot of ppl reference the 'that's...interesting' line when crepus dies or the fact that he endangers his men in combat, but i think it's more complicated than that? i talked about it somewhere at some point, but i really like the idea that, because he has spent his whole life being forced to make impossible decisions, he wants others around him to feel the same way. wants to test their loyalty, perhaps. i also am not certain that his 'interesting' comment was some offhand, cold comment about crepus' death, but rather a reference to the use of his delusion or even diluc's actions

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

more interactions with diluc, not even in a kaeluc capacity just...i want their reconciliation in canon. i want them both to admit that they're stuck in the past with regards to each other - kaeya believes that diluc detests him when diluc really is still struggling to reconcile the fact that he doesn't feel like he can trust kaeya with the fact that he still cares about him. diluc believes that kaeya's forgotten all about their past and either never cared about diluc to begin with or no longer cares. they're both idiots and i want to see them figure that out

also just generally more kaeya backstory? even a kaeya hangout 😭😭

my OTP:

kaeluckae. i swear for every fic i write of another pairing, i write three or four kaeluc fics lmao. i can't help it, their story just has so many layers in canon, let alone how much more you can put into it with fic. the brainrot is real

my cross over ship:

once again, not really something i can speak to much...that said, i'd love to see how kaeya and hawks interact, or how kaeya and dabi interact lmaoooo

a headcanon fact:

i still wouldn't be shocked if kaeya wasn't ever actually intended to be a khaenri'ahn spy, if he misinterpreted the 'you're our last hope' line that his father gave him. i'm also still on board with the 'dain is kaeya's father' or 'kaeya is the last prince of khaenri'ah' theories. lots of fun with kaeya, i really love his character 🥺🥺

send me genshin ships/chars to talk abt or rank!

[merctrovert]

Ragnvindr || Chapter 1

“I am not much but I am all I have.” ~ Phillip K.D

Four years ago.

The end of Diluc Ragnvindr's life was on a happy day.

It was his coming of age and he was celebrating at Angel's Share alongside his father, Master Crepus, to whom he worked hard to impress. You were sat in the corner, wedged between your two brothers as you watched the young man approach the table, a large smile on his face.

But he only ever looked at his father.

"Let me introduce you to my friend's sons! I know you're on duty, but this should be fine. Always hardworking, you are."

"Don't forget my daughter!" Your father had chuckled, raising a jug to clash against Master Crepus's.

"And his daughter! Diluc, this is ..."

He had looked at you then indifferently, raising a gloved hand to shake your hand. "Hello."

"Happy birthday." You had smiled and he had smiled back, red hair gleaming in the sunlight that beamed down into the room.

When you sat back down, you had to still your heart which had started thudding slightly faster.

"Did you drink something? You're still not allowed to you know, so why do you look so flushed?"

Annoyed, you hit your brother on the head with an empty cup. Your other brother slung a hand over your shoulder, nudging his twin.

"I think it's because of..." All three of them looked to the red-haired boy sitting in front of them.

You wanted to kill your brothers then, all three of them, although your third brother seemed to be enjoying the food in front of him instead.

Master Crepus and your father were good friends and being the only daughter, you had often overheard jokes of a future between you and Diluc shared between them hopefully.

You clenched your dress, looking down and away from Diluc's straight gaze.

The rest of the evening had gone in that way. Avoiding his stares consistently, all the while trying to avoid your father's attempts to get you to interact with them all more.

Eventually, you had sidled up against your oldest brother's wife, exhausted from the interaction.

"I am slightly fortunate your brother dragged me here," She quipped, sipping on some wine. "Being the only girl in this ruckus would be... difficult."

You couldn't help but laugh, looking across the table.

Indeed, everyone was happy and the joyous laughter coming from within the tavern could be heard throughout the winery.

Diluc had become a Knight and had come of age. It was a celebration and you would never forget the light in his eyes, even as he stayed quiet, smiling gently.

It had all gone so well, until the way back home.

"I remember when you were both tiny children," Your father spoke as you all headed for the door of the tavern. You mumbled a thank you to Diluc who held the door open for you last, hiding behind your brothers.

"Yeah, you were really cute as my baby sister. Now you're just as horrible as us."

You stepped on your brother's foot, letting him hop away in pain.

"You two were inseparable." Master Crepus commented, nodding in agreement as you all walked up to the carriages. "Diluc wouldn't let his hair down when you braided it that one time."

Though it was all blurred memory, you still flushed and looked away from the boy who did the same thing, turning to the side, hiding his face with his vibrant hair.

"It seems to have gotten darker quicker. We should head back. Crepus, here are the last boxes."

Helping your father load the rest of the carts onto the carriages, you hopped onto the carriage behind Diluc's, unable to restrain yourself from sticking your head out and take a peep at the boy in front of you.

However you only glimpsed his hair and you fell back, biting your lip.

"Try harder."

You scowled at your oldest brother's words as his wife laughed, patting his shoulder.

"Remember when we were still children? You couldn't even look at my face." She teased.

Still, you sighed, it was better being stuck with him and his wife whom you were fond of rather than your two other brothers who were closer in age to you.

Shivering with the sudden gusts of wind, you watched your father clamber onto the front of the carriage. You didn't even need to worry about your other two brothers— you could hear them from the carriage behind.

"It's surprisingly dark already." Your brother muttered, letting you glance out of the carriage, at the darkening sky and the trees which had started shaking violently.

"I hope everything is okay."

"It will be."

But unbeknownst to you, that was the last time you ever saw your brother smile.  And the last time Diluc ever held his father.

The carriage at the front toppled first, out of the four that had left the tavern. You had heard screams, but they were cut off quickly, just as the carriage suddenly halted, the horse neighing in restraint.

"Why won't this horse go..." Both you and your brother peered out as your father struggled to control the reigns, unable to control the horse as it restlessly shook.

"Father..."

Your brother was the one that saw it first. The giant darkness falling over you all, taking the form of a creature with wings and glowing, amber eyes peering down in the darkness.

"Duck!" Your brother wrapped his hand around his wife as the darkness came down.

You barely registered your brother's yell as both you and your father were toppled to the ground, the carriage blown away.

You were thrown to the side, wincing in pain, but you were okay. Your eyes searched the area for your father, who had landed several metres away, but he too seemed alright.

The loud shouts of your two brothers alerted you to them as you ran towards them, despite your father yelling for you to stay back.

"Are you okay?"

They were shaking but nodded as you supported them to the trees, searching for your eldest brother and his wife.

Even his name was muted in the roaring winds and you couldn't shout any longer, your throat hoarse.

Fear clutched your chest as you headed towards the carriages at the front, body trembling as you passed scattered crates and strewn bodies.

"Brother?"

There was a groan from under crates and you ran towards them, knocking them off.

"Brother!"

But it wasn't him.

Wide red eyes looked into your teary eyes and Diluc forced himself up, holding your shoulders gently.

"Are you okay?"

"My brother is... your father..."

His eyes widened and he was gone in the blink of an eye, also shouting for his father.

You were about to turn back until you watched the boy freeze in position.

It was then you saw it too.

A large, dark creature with scales that glistened purple and dark magic. You had heard of them before but never seen such a creature made of some kind of dark magic.

Its firey amber stare made your knees tremble and body collapse as Diluc too fell to the ground, his hand clutching at his stomach.

"Diluc!"

You watched his father clamber out of the carriage with difficulty, throwing away an empty box, his hand covered in a black glove.

Your eyes widened.

You had overheard your father's conversation once. It was a Delusion. Dangerous, mimicking the abilities of a vision.

"Wh-"

"Wait!"

It was Diluc that shouted first, your lips parted but voice never emerging. Your hand was outstretched as you watched Master Crepus yell in a loud voice, summoning something darker than you had ever seen before.

Black chains emerged from the ground, winding around his body, but it was all in his control.

You were terrified as the chains slid towards the dragon-like creature that roared in equal fury as the black chains tightened around its body. Abyssal power radiated it off it in black flames as its eyes turned into a crimson colour.

You saw Master Crepus's fist shaking as the purple marks around his arm tightened, his knees staggering.

The creature bellowed and roared, slashing its claws at the chains until they came undone and winded back into Master Crepus, who finally fell to the floor, clutching his chest.

Diluc had crawled to his father, arms wiping away his tears that came so quickly as he took in his father's weakened state.

You could only watch as the monster growled, seemingly pleased before leaving, with a sharp gust of wind, sending you back onto the rough ground with your arm shielding your face.

"Father!"

You weren't sure if he replied, as Diluc shook his father's body, his own trembling. His hands trembled as he clutched his father's wound, the gash from the claw of that creature bleeding severely.  

His own skin had turned black, corrupted and becoming consumed by the Delusion on his glove. The black flames had sunk into his body, the chains around his neck and Diluc could only watch, helpless, as his father weakened in his hands.

He couldn't even utter a single word as his father's hand dropped in midair, unable to even reach his own son's face. It fell limp onto the ground. His father's lips moved and shifted into the curve of a bitter smile. But he never heard what his father said.

Your hand came onto his stiff shoulder gently, as both of you stared down at the dead body of Crepus.

You never saw the light you saw in the tavern shining within his eyes after that day.

Diluc only stayed silent as you watched Kaeya and the other knights run onto the scene, checking for injuries across those who were injured.

He stayed silent as his father's body was taken away, head drooped, staring down at his empty blood-stained hands.

He stayed silent, even as you were all escorted away by the knights, never once moving from his position in the ground.

And you stayed and watched, shrugging off all attempts to move you.

You stayed and watched as he stood up on shaking legs and lifted his eyes up to the starless sky.

Alone, in the rain, in the silence, enveloped by the darkness. Lightning illuminated his trembling body, his fist clenched as he faced the storm.

But no tears fell from his face, not once. They never did.

The rain fell as his tears instead.

The sky, weeping its cold tears, the wind singing its grieving song as Diluc Ragnvindr surrendered himself to the storm, the blood on his hands never washing away.

And that was the last time you ever saw him again.

next 

Good day :)

I hope you all enjoyed reading the very first chapter of Ragnvindr. I sure am enjoying writing it hehehe. For this chapter, I read the manga like 100 times and the fansite 100 times more just to make sure everything was accurate enough... even then, I hope I wrote it well.

See you next time ~ merc

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