#so those? yeah! but the mondstadt ones? Who cares

[conchfritters]

last post complaining about genshin's writing for the month Anyway i think blorbofication happening in canon is the best way i could describe a lot of the problems i have with it ex. kaeya's relationship with diluc (or klee) is almost the only focus we get on him now, other than his brief appearance in the sumeru archon quest which was just saying his backstory basically with very little actual reaction or characterization on his part OR dainsleif's (also a problem i have in the albedo homunculus reveal in shadows amidst snowstorms). i haven't done his hangout because i. don't care enough to sit through an hour for each route with the quality of content hoyoverse puts out but looking at the ending options i feel like. they missed the opportunity to expand on things we already had for kaeya in favor of Oh he babysits klee! Oh albedo is here! Spend money to pull albedo!Venti cameo! What do you mean him and amber have a complicated dynamic. What do you mean he's apparently beloved by the elderly of mondstadt and the one who wraps up all the incidents there. What do you mean bennett trusts him as an omniscient big brother according to his official cn character profile. We made him talk to diluc again isn't that enough kaeya for you? and it sucks because kaeya feels like a rubik's cube with an onion's layers and like one of their best character personalities in content where he's actually kaeya and not just diluc's brother who is sad and also pretty! we never see anything about his relationship with jean, who he is the Most Trusted Aide of, or mondstadt at large! because every day we get closer to fanon kaeya being canon kaeya and it's just. You can have canon kaeya and fanon kaeya will follow but if fanon kaeya is at the forefront you're just immediately losing all that depth and it's going nowhere

[certainempatheticturkeymuffin]

I love the idea of an unhinged Mondstadt, like, after Decarabian dies, the people are so wary around Barbatos, who has done so much to make them feel comfortable, that one day he just snaps and goes “Be strong enough to kill me too, then!”

And the Imunlaukr took that as a challenge. Because, like, Barbatos gave them hope and purpose, and their whole thing is battling until they die, so when the only person they've ever cared about tells them to get strong enough to become Professional God Killers, that's exactly what they do!

And obv, the Gunnhildrs take this as the Imunlaukr challenging their turf as Most Pious Clan, so they start getting stronger too — and the Lawrence Clan sees this and goes “We survived the blizzard, we can't let these weaklings think they're better than us.” And the general populous of Mond is either like “Well, our god told us to so we gotta”, “These clan members are crazy, we've gotta be strong too so they can't subjugate us”, or “Oh fuck yeah, everyone is actually trying to kill this upstart god, let's get stronger to kill him!”

And suddenly Mondstadt's culture forms around getting strong enough to one day kill Barbatos. Of course, over time, it's less out of “kill him before he enslaves us” and more “one day he will erode, and he trusts us to dispose of him when that day comes”

And obviously, Barbatos has to stick around as a measuring stick, right? So he does, and the strongest warriors (who are coincidentally the most faithful, given that they're usually Imunlaukr, Lawrence, or Gunnhildr, and those that aren't are experienced enough soldiers that they quickly realize Barbatos doesn't actually like hurting people whatsoever) quickly form a rapport with him that easily turns into proper friendship. And when other gods come around looking for a fight (because the Archon War didn't end until 600 years after Decarabian kicks the bucket) they get the perfect test dummies — early on, they are, of course, mostly just in the way, but they get better surprisingly quickly, and by the time the Archon War is over, gods generally stay away from Mond because “They're fucking crazy — they killed [blank] without their god's help, how the fuck–” which of course gets them a reputation that has even Liyue coming over to sign a nonaggression pact because they'd rather not risk it when Morax is basically a shoe-in for Geo Archon.

And by the time Barbatos comes around with a new baby dragon, the populous has mostly taken a liking to him, so there's less “Assassinate the child” and more “This kid needs to learn how to slit throats with his bare wings or he'll be a disappointment”

As for Andrius, he finds the humans that come around for fights more entertaining than before, so he doesn't really mind the change too much. Especially since most of them respect when he says no. Those that don't quickly get taught the difference between a friendly spar and an actual murder attempt.

And when Vennessa's clan comes around, they are welcomed with open arms because “New fighting techniques! A clan of warriors!” and many quickly reach the level of their strongest warriors (who in turn are stronger than their predecessors, the Actual God Killers)

As for Barbatos himself… he's just kinda rolling with it. The people don't mind him hanging around, and it's honestly gotten kinda fun to dodge random assassination attempts (definitely not something he expected to enjoy, given that he still doesn't like fighting that much), and it's super cute when kids come up and try to lure him into a false sense of security before stabbing him. He gets to play songs in the square with the other bards (because a culture is certainly more than a single aspect, and I doubt you'll ever take music out of Mond's blood, especially with Barbatos Himself in the city to fuel it) and people treat him as an equal or a role model rather than a god… mostly. The church is actually concerningly cultish, but they haven't actually tried to undermine anyone's freedom, so if its activities and teachings are voluntary Barbatos kinda has to let it slide.

And yes, this is absolutely an excuse to have a crazy competent Barbara, ready to drown anyone that says something bad about Barbatos, and a Rosaria that is actually super respected in the church for her skills and embracement of Freedom. Is this a role swap where Jean is in awe of her younger sister? Maybe, actually, because that would be cool. The other nuns are also scary — even without a vision, pretty much everyone in Mond knows their way around at least one kind of weapon, and the nuns are particularly vicious, ready for the day they must take down their beloved Barbatos.

And obviously Lisa is the scariest of the bunch. She's not just an electro user, she's also a MAGE. She went to Sumeru, learned very little, and came back to further refine her God-Sealing techniques (a long-held tradition: new mages look over old techniques for when Barbatos erodes and see how they can be improved). You piss her off and you'll be lucky if you suddenly disappear (the less lucky learn that the Knights are almost as bad as the Church, just way better at hiding it)

Bennett too, is generally accepted. His bad luck causes a lot of surprises, but what warrior has bad reflexes? The fact that he's gotten personal training from Sir Kaeya means he's a generally good (meaning, absolutely insane in the eyes of other nations [except maybe Natlan]) swordsman. And, given the general danger level around Mond, the fact that he's still alive is something everyone views as a bit of a miracle — he MUST be good if he's still alive with that kind of luck.

(The Traveler is morbidly intrigued, and when Mond realizes they're a really good swordsman with a never before seen style… well, they get waylaid for a bit longer than intended. Mondstadt is kinda viewed as “home” in canon, so even with this culture shift, the Traveler does settle in nicely lol — Paimon struggles a bit more, but once someone teaches her to use a catalyst after her first experience being useless and unable to help the Traveler in a dangerous situation, she's just as comfortable as anyone else, and she can actually help the Traveler in a fight now! This gets rid of like half of Paimon's attachment issues and trauma.)

Other nations are very politely looking the other way (mostly, because you know Damn Well Tartaglia took one look at them and decided he needed to fight them NOW), but Natlan, oh Natlan. Before the Cataclysm, it was very hard to not find a group of Natlanese in Mond or a group of Mondstadters in Natlan, even now, Mondstadters are often seen there, and they're pretty understanding of the whole "Unable to leave or we'll suffer" thing — they have mages working on it. If they can kill a god, surely they can help their battle buddies out! Natlan and Mondstadt are very close allies despite literally being on opposite side of the continent (hey the trip there is part of the fun!) and everyone else is just begging to not ever have to fight them. (In other news, Thoma scares the shit out of Inazuma and both Ayato and Ayaka are stronger than canon thanks to him — even Sayu's picked up a few tricks! And Verr Goldet is both terrifying and the perfect wife, Huai'an loves her and all her terrifyingness, she is amazing at dealing with bitchy customers because all of them shut up once they learn she's from Mond. Xiao has mixed feelings: she's strong, but that also means she's strong enough to back it up when she bosses him around — he doesn't NEED sleep, just let him do his job!)

Aside from all the stabbings (which are honestly more of a friendly greeting now, don't worry about it), Barbatos actually has a much healthier relationship with his people here. He doesn't have to pretend to be weak to keep their peace of mind, he doesn't have to hide his godhood, and Dvalin is well socialized and not reliant on just him for company. Barbatos can be chilling with a drink, wings out and everything, and friendly drunkards won't even hesitate to sling an arm around him and drag him into a drinking song. Bards actively join him for songs rather than aspiring to reach his “perfection”, and kids love running around underfoot to ask him questions about all manner of things.

But anyway, mostly an excuse for scary nuns, not the hit of sadness when you realize he doesn't have that kind of safety and confidence in canon.

[starglitterz]

CAT & MOUSE.

you and kaeya have been enemies for years. you're a criminal, and he's a knight – it makes sense for you to despise each other. but when he's got you locked up, you wonder if what you feel for him is really hatred at all.

✧ feat : kaeya x gn!reader

✧ warning(s) : suggestive, reader is caught by kaeya, light yandere if you squint

✧ a/n : no comment. this was in the depths of my google docs & i wanted to bring it over here! hope you enjoy <3

please reblog w tags + comment ! it helps a lot ^_^

you’re not normally the type to make stupid mistakes like this. especially not the kind that would lead to you being captured and held in a dungeon in the middle of nowhere. the worst part? it appears that your captor is your greatest enemy – the cavalry captain of the knights of favonius, kaeya alberich.

“well, well, look what the cat dragged in,” you hear his familiar voice sneer as he walks down the stairs, footsteps echoing in the small room. you’ve seen him a countless number of times, usually only when you’re escaping by the skin of your teeth as you evade arrest yet again, but the sight of him is enough to knock the air out of your lungs. his dark hair spills over his shoulder in a messy ponytail, and his blue eye gleams in the low light of the dungeon, striking features illuminated solely by a flickering lamp. for someone who’s meant to be your nemesis, you can’t help but think that he’s shockingly attractive.

“get over yourself, alberich,” you roll your eyes, “it was a rookie mistake.” “and one that could cost you your life,” he continues smoothly, voice as suave as ever even as he discusses your potential death. the air between the two of you crackles with tension, all those years of fighting culminating in this meeting where the weight of your shared history of you dodging his attempts at capturing you is almost suffocating.

“yeah right,” you scoff, “if you wanted to kill me, you would have done it by now. or are you too scared?” a sardonic chuckle slips past your lips, “hah, that’s rich. mondstadt’s famed cavalry captain is too cowardly to kill the prisoner he’s been seeking for years-” “i would watch my words if i were you,” kaeya cuts in, an unmistakably icy undertone to his words, “it’s not too late to change my mind.”

“change your mind? you mean you’re not going to kill me?” your brain is working overtime to try and figure out why he wouldn’t want to get rid of you, a potential threat to mondstadt’s safety. kaeya doesn’t deign to answer and instead strolls closer, a smug smirk curving his lips as he takes in the sight of you with your wrists tied behind your back. “you look almost… pretty like this, you know?” you groan, squeezing your eyes shut to hide the way your heartbeat accelerates, “i didn’t come here to hear about your kinks.” “in all fairness, you didn’t choose to come here at all,” amusement tinges his tone, and you know he’s poking fun at you now, doing his best to rile you up so you’ll lose your temper – you hate the fact that it’s actually working.

“shut up,” you scowl and he winces exaggeratedly, the action only serving to make you even more annoyed. then kaeya reaches a hand to cup your face, tilting his head almost innocently though the mischievous glimmer in his gaze gives his act away. his hands are cold against your skin, so you try to squirm away but he easily grips your chin – firm enough to make you face him, yet gentle enough that it doesn’t hurt.

“leave me alone,” you snarl, “don’t you dare-” “tsk.” he clicks his tongue, “i might have to get a gag for you if you keep talking so much.” “you wouldn’t.” your eyes meet his, but there’s a hint of uncertainty in yours. he nods with false reluctance, an easy smile gracing his features, “of course not. i enjoy our banter far too much.”

with one finger, he tilts your chin up, a smirk playing about his idiotically kissable lips, “but be careful – my patience will only stretch so far.” “i’m not scared of you.” the words are filled with venom as you snap at him, but he merely laughs, “that’s what i love about you.” “love?” you gasp, unable to hide your surprise, and kaeya chuckles, “you wish. perhaps i’m just entertained by how much you pretend to hate me.” “i do hate you,” you do your best to seem intimidating, but it’s undermined by how your voice shakes as if you yourself don’t believe your words. you hate kaeya… right? “there’s a thin line between love and hate,” kaeya grins, “i would know.”

you despise the way he speaks in riddles, the way he always tries to arrest you, the compliments that fall from his lips like jewels, you despise everything about him – but you don’t. not really. that’s just a lie you’ve been telling yourself because you refuse to admit that amidst all those years of intense combat, both verbal and physical, you’ve allowed yourself to fall for him. kaeya lets out a low whistle, “i think you agree with me, don’t you?” you’re silent for a moment, unwilling to confess to him how right he is. then you say scornfully, “that’s just your ego talking,” but your heart is thumping against your ribcage so loudly you’re worried he’s going to hear it.

“is that so?” kaeya’s voice drops to a whisper, and his finger skims across your lips almost teasingly, with an undertone of affection he certainly shouldn't be harboring for a criminal. yet the way you can't stop how your pupils dilate as you gaze up at him makes a knowing smirk curve his lips – you definitely like this as much as he does. he moves his hand away and you hate how you already miss his touch, and the satisfied manner with which he smiles at you makes you wonder if he can read your mind.

“i must admit, i don’t think i hate you,” kaeya murmurs, the words hanging heavy in the air. “what?” it comes out rougher than you expected, probably because of the anticipation bubbling in your chest as you try to ponder the meaning behind his words. “the things i’d like to do with you…” he dips his head to whisper in your ear, breath warm against your skin, “i don’t think they’re things that one would do with someone they hate.” a soft gasp escapes your lips before you can stop it, and kaeya pulls back with a smug grin, “how cute.” you hiss at that, exhaling through gritted teeth because you can’t deny the butterflies forming in your stomach from his suggestive words, and you don’t think you can formulate a coherent sentence without your voice trembling.

“you can stay here until the attention regarding your case dies down,” kaeya stands up, “otherwise you’ll be thrown into jail the second you step out.” “but you’re a knight! you should be arresting me!” you blurt out, mind racing through a mess of emotions from how he’s left you with a desperate want blossoming in your core.

“i should be… but i’m not one to play by the rules,” kaeya throws you a confident smirk over his shoulder, and he lifts an eyebrow, “don’t tell me you’d rather rot in a jail cell?” heat rises to your face, and you look away from his playful gaze, “no…” “that’s what i thought,” he snickers. but just as he’s about to turn to leave, you ask, “what do you get out of this?” kaeya turns around to face you one last time, a teasing smile on his lips, “i get to keep you to myself a little longer.” and with that as his parting words, he leaves you in a daze, wondering what on earth you’re going to do about your feelings for him.

starglitterz 2025. do not repost, edit, modify, or feed to ai.

[tsukiglitch]

Another random ramble of mine about Ragbros lol.

Now i have more proof that diluc doesn't hate kaeya. I mean it was pretty obvious, for, many reasons but i guess this one kind of help even more.

In the 5.6 update Diluc seems to be against Albedo in the court, because he apparently killed multiple people,*side eye Diluc lol* and so he considered him as a danger to mondstadt, it's logical and since he doesn't know him personally it doesn't affect his judgment.

And that brings me to Kaeya.

Now it's pretty much assumed by others that the two hates each other but were really close as kids before the whole "betrayal" thing, but honestly I think they already reconciled, well at least a little bit, or well, they're getting there. they just really love to annoy one another and like to be petty because of their ego(very sibling behavior) but they also have this awkward moment tendency because of their falling out and since they don't know each other as much as before. But it's obvious they don't hate each. Quite the contrary, Cause:

1: if diluc really hated Kaeya I don't think kaeya would be in mondstadt or alive at all.

If anything diluc could have killed him right then during their fight, because he's a danger to his home, and he's been lying and using him and their father, Right?(I mean he obviously killed all those fatui in snezhnaya, without his vision might I add) if he truly wanted to, he could have done so easily since kaeya also just acquired his vision unlike diluc who had it since he was a child.

or 2: you might argue that he didn't want to kill him for whatever reason, moral perhaps, he could've bring him to court or just reveal his secret to everyone, he would be in jail, exile or executed. Plain and simple, But guess what? he did neither of those thing!

So why? Isn't him being essentially a spy brings danger to his precious Home?

Why is he easily against Albedo but turn a blind eye to Kaeya's possible betrayal? And ok maybe because Albedo killed multiple people from Mond quite recently and in a short amount of time, but then again if a so-called-spy being in a high position for such a long time may be even more dangerous, since it could make his betrayal even more difficult to prevent, he would have already gained the trust of everyone within the Knights of Favonius, and I sincerely doubt Diluc would be the one to make that mistake, just because he's stupid.

Unless he still cares, and still trust Kaeya . And is too afraid to let go of the one he calls his little brother.

Because really I see no other reason for him to still be there without any spy rumors about him floating around if diluc truly didn't care about. Because that would just be dumb. And I doubt he is unless it's a sentimental thing(which is what this is, he cares for his lil bro so much he essentially allow a potential danger to his so beloved home he vows to protect just to protect Kaeya and keep him safe )

And uh I don't know how to end this ramble so yeah. He still loves his little brother basically is what I'm saying. But I guess everyone in the ragbros community already knows that so i don't know why I brought this up lol. I just wanted to talk about this since I keep on thinking about diluc being in court, on the opposite side of Albedo, and how easily he could've done so with Kaeya long ago but didn't.

[nogenderbee]

Could I request Diluc, Kaeya, Childe and Ayato with an s/o who has amazing good fortune and luck?

Sure! I did these in oneshot format because I thought it'll be a bit more interesting ^^ Well hope you like it dear anon!

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ 𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕜𝕪 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕞 ₊˚ˑ༄

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Diluc, Kaeya, Childe, Ayato x lucky!reader

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ @bleachtheidiot

You visited Diluc in Angel's Share to classically ramble about your day and adventures. He seemed to expect you by now before as soon as you say down, your favorite juice was right under your nose and when you looked at your partner, you noticed his eyes softening. It was like alternative of a smile since he can't let other read: Venti, Kaeya or Rosaria see him like that and risk getting teased to death.

But going back to current time... there was almost no one else close to bar so it was basically just the two of you.

"So how was it? I heard you accepted one of more dangerous missions today."

He gave you the strict look and you knew just by that that he was worried for the whole day even if he didn't wanted to admit it!

"Yeah, but it was easy! My luck never disappoints me~"

"That's great and I don't wish it to be otherwise but you should stop relying on it so much. It's just luck. What it won't be on your side one time?"

"Oh stop worrying so much! I'm all safe and sound!"

"And I couldn't be more glad for that..."

He was gently caressing your hand by now. It may seem like normal gesture but you could see he's being a bit mean because he cares about you. Maybe next time you should take some extra stuff just to make him less stressed text time?

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You and Kaeya were just hanging around on Mondstadt's festival. There was game based on luck so of course he encouraged you to try it! And naturally, you win every single one of them~ Eventually it ended with hosts stopping you from playing because you'd win all prizes in this tempo...

"See? I told you it's worth checking out!"

"Did you had something to do with it again?"

"What are you assuming me of? But just maybe I made a bet with host that you won't loose a single round! I'm treating you to dinner tonight, my dear~"

You should've expected it honestly... he will use every opportunity to show how amazing luck his partner has after all. But you can't really complain since he's treating you to dinner!

But he doesn't do it just to use you or so, it's more like showing everyone your amazing talent. And you can see it by the way he always compliments you before even suggesting bets or anything like that.

"Another bet? Really?"

"Well yes but you know it's not me who suggested them... they were just a bit too confident that you can't have those sort or luck."

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

Childe brings you everywhere with him. And it's even worse if you know about him being part of the Fatui... he'll always bring you to negotiations, competitions, fights and so on.

Since that one time when you both were just shopping in Liyue Harbor and he won over 3 negatiations with you on his side, he literally started calling you "his lucky charm".

That's how you ended up watching him fight on the sides, like today. It doesn't matter if it'll be whole boss or few slimes, he'd always tell you to give him some of your luck with that grin on his face.

And when he comes back after his win, he'll be a bit flirty, saying how it's all thanks to your luck even tho you both know very well it's thanks to his fighting skills.

"Thanks for cheering for me there! I couldn't have done this without your help~"

"C'mon... these slimes were nothing for you... you said it yourself plenty of time."

"But it could've been your luck this time! You won't mind accompanying me for some time, right?"

"Aren't you just trying to show off by now?"

He definitely does try to only impress you... and you're sure of it by the way he sends you that little grin of his symbolizing he's planning something.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

You came to Ayato rambling about how lucky you got with winning a prize on some festival. He was genuinely happy to see you smile like that and the way you were so sure it's because you're lucky person is making him adore you even more.

"I guess I just have incredible luck! No one won this one before me and it's the one I liked the most anyway!"

"Of course. I'm so proud of you, my love."

It's not immidietly noticible but he doesn't really believe in so called "luck". He's sure it's a simple coincidence but that sparkle in your eyes just makes him go with your thoughts to not accidentally ruin this day for you.

"Well then, why won't we celebrate your another lucky day by going out for dinner?"

"Well I can't say no to that!"

He softly smiled at your reaction. He liked to spoil you in the first place but he adores how childish you could be sometimes.

He'd always listen to you rambling about your newest achievements and how it's all thanks to your luck with a smile. He's saying that he's proud of you and acts as if he's sure that's how it is, but in reality he thinks it was just coincidence. As much as he doesn't want you to ALWAYS rely on your luck, he can't just tell you what he thinks in the face, you're simply too pure in his eyes.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

[a-998h]

Can you do a Genshin Jean x Reader? Like they were one of the Watatsumi soldiers but following the end of the war they left. It can be a tit for tat situation.

Jean helps them enjoy their new found sense of freedom and they can help her bring more order in her life. I think she takes too much upon herself rather than delegating things to her subordinates.

TRIGGER WARNING IMPLIED TRAUMA AND IMPLIED ANGST!

SLIGHT SPOILERS FOR INAZUMA ARCHON QUEST!

Freedom on Two Fronts

You were exhausted. You have left Inazuma a few weeks after the borders had been reopened. You were the children of a merchant and adventurer, so the desire to see the world had been in your veins since you were born. Then the borders closed, your friend had lost their vision and mind, and your parents business fell apart. This pushed you to join the resistance. It was a mix of genuine care for the trapped people and also a need to get revenge for those you love.

Now, that was all behind you as you got off at Dorman Port. The smell of Cider Lake soothed your worries about leaving Inazuma. Walking up to the knights at the entrance the asked you questions and checked documents before welcoming you into the city. You looked around, the homes, clothing, smells, and everything felt so foreign, but not unwelcome. Pulling out a piece of paper one of your mother's business partners had sent you, it was an address. You start walking, looking for either to business partner or building the address belonged to.

Yeah, you were lost. The city was small but you somehow ended up turned around while going down random side streets. Anyone with eyes could tell you were not from here and while they offered you help the values instilled in you during the war kept getting in the way, mostly your own pride.

You wouldn't remain lost forever as you would bump into someone. You both are steadfast in your stance, apologizing to one another as you both offer a helping hand. You look, see a pale, blonde haired and blue eyed woman with an anemo vision.

"Are you alright, sir?" She asks in a firm but friendly tone.

You nod, asking her the same question. You two stare for only a moment before the woman, who introduced herself as Jean, would ask you why you were wandering the city. You tried to brush her off, insisting that helping you would be no trouble. You eventually give in, letting Jean lead you to the person you were looking for. Before she could leave you thanked her and she gave you a tired smile back.

"So, have eyes for the acting grandmaster?" You mother's would ask.

Your face goes red as you deny it, after all you had just met this woman. But, something deep within your heart stirred. The feeling was hot but not unpleasant, it was a warm hug to the soul. You thought you had lost the ability to feel these types of feelings a long time ago, but that woman... Jean... She brought them back fast and hard.

Meanwhile, as Jean worked in her office she couldn't stop thinking about the person from Inazuma she helped. She had to focus on work but she just couldn't, which was frustrating. Lisa and Barbara would enter her office with plans to make her get so real sleep, if even for a moment. Jean would give in, and even her dreams were haunted by this stranger.

***

It has been a little over six weeks and you still gave into the behaviors devolved during the isolation of Inazuma. They made you stick out like a sore thumb is Mondstadt. You watched the care-free nature of the city's people during you daily goings on, seeing how they could be free in ways you'd never even dream of. Though, sometimes you'd dream, dream of never having experienced the kind of isolation Inazuma faced or having to be in battles that lead to a terrifying amount of dead on both sides. During those moments, you would default to the rigid schedule you had back in Inazuma.

Though, you didn't know that your pattern would be noticed by Jean and in turn she wouldn't notice you staring at her drinking coffee like water. This dance of observation was clear to those around you both but you'd both deny it.

Soon, you tow would meet again as she had gone to help you escort some deliveries for your family-friend's business. For a moment it was quite, until your rigidity kicked in during the afternoon. You sat on a rock and started unpacking the lunch you packed.

"Why did you stop?" Jean asked.

"Simple, at midday you eat lunch," you tell her flatly.

She gives you a look but just shrugs it off. Once you finish lunch you start following her and the delivery once again. The silence would return and by the time you two reached the city the only words spoken between you two were at lunch. Jean would soon start noticing more and more how militaristic your behavior was, even the most diligent knights still were able to take time off.

***

Next time you saw Jean was when Lisa and Kaeya decided to play match makers. Lisa dragged Jean with her to the business you worked under the lie of getting a book back. Jean looked around before spotting you. Once she sees you she tries to talk to you, only for you to ignore her. Lisa is annoyed and Jean is confused. Once you go on break you finally talk to them.

"So, why did you ignore us earlier?" Jean ask.

"Oh, sorry, my mind just defaults to following a strict schedule. I'm sorry for ignoring you," you explain.

Soon you two would start hanging out as Jean would introduce you to the concept of having fun and personal freedom. It was strange at first for you. But with Jean's help the weight that held down your soul was lifted. This friendship would grow, becoming a romance that the knights were rooting for.

Though, now you started noticing more and more how much Jean would run herself into the ground when others were willing to help. This would annoy you cause she should be practicing what she preaches damn it! So, on one of your nights out, you grab her by the shoulders and look her in the eyes.

"Jean, my dandelion, my heart and soul incarnate, you need to give work to your subordinates and rest damn it!" You loving yell while shaking her shoulders.

She tries to deflect but you don't buy it, of course Lisa and Kaeya are listening through the door and chuckling at the bits they could hear. Now you both make each other better, and how each other to the same standards of character development.

[chronophobias]

In regards to your opinions on Genshin's (extremely obvious) racism & lack of representation... yeah. YES.

(PS: Turns into a bit of a rant... sorry about that. 😅)

—————

It's always irked me that Sumeru is so fucking white. It's also irked me with Natlan. Every other nation can kind of "get away with it" (even though it's bogus to assume there are no dark-skinned people in Germany, China, Japan, & France), but when you suggest an area is based on ethnic groups that're generally darker and then lighten them up, you should be flamed for it!

Not to mention, it makes it incredibly obvious that they don't know anything about the cultures/areas Natlan is supposedly based off of. For the rest of these nations' inspirations, it's feasible that the employees at Hoyo could've literally visited them. China (duh) is where they all live, Japan is literally right next to them, as is India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc. (explaining Liyue, Inazuma, & Sumeru's cultural representation being more flushed out and well-integrated). Then there's Germany & France, which were both actually quite easy to access for most people when this game was being formulated (aka: pre Covid) as most European countries were. I also honestly bet that Snezhnaya will be banger because it's based on Russia, their upstairs neighbor.

Regardless, my point is that I doubt any employee at Hoyo (who matters towards production) has traveled to South America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, or wherever the fuck Natlan is "supposed" to be based off of. In all honesty, it didn't take me very long to think, "This place isn't any of those! It's AUSTRALIA!!" after seeing the green marsupials bouncing around everywhere! The other animals & their focus, the landscapes, even the PEOPLE. It all just feels like Australia to me with some Mexican-style flare here and Hawaiian-style flare there... Yet, look on a map. What would be more easily accessible to China? Australia and the islands leading up to it, or South America? And the entire Hydro Tribe looks like the Sydney Opera House. It's really not hard to see. 🙄😞

But, I think you get my point.

There are game companies that ACTUALLY CARE and will travel and research and whatnot... and then there's Hoyo. They're really fuckin' lazy. They don't care. Tbh, they don't even care about Genshin at all anymore, but I digress...

Also, if I see another dark-skinned male with white hair (aka: using optical illusion to make them LOOK darker when they're not actually dark at all, referencing: Cyno, Ifa, Arlan, Nanook, etc.) I think I'm going to break something!! 😠😡🤬

...rant over.

tl/dr: I agree wholeheartedly. 👍👍

i'll be responding point by point since i'm not doing anything right now

for your first point (dark-skinned characters). yeah, i agree they could've definitely "gotten away" but plenty of characters also would've made more sense to be darker skinned, which is super disappointing. yaoyao, xiangling, amber, beidou, thoma, and so on). it's, in fact, incredibly common to see dark skinned east asian people (i am one). and yeah, they should be flamed for it.

i actually think a lot of sumeru isn't fleshed out culturally. they used a LOT of countries that are culturally islamic, but the chinese government really does not like islam (see: the uyghur genocide, just as an example). from what i hear from a couple of my uyghur peers, there's a decent amount of anti-muslim propaganda... i wouldn't be shocked if this anti-muslim was also incorporated into the game. but that's besides the point; sumeru takes way too much inspiration from different countries and hoyo tried to kinda "toss" the parts they thought were ugly. they utilized buddhism (which isn't as prominent in SWANA/MENA) and zoroastrianism (which isn't the predominant religion because zoroastrians are Pretty rare) without using practically the largest religion in those regions, despite them doing so with other nations (fontaine and mondstadt, as an example). a lot of it is very superficial in general. i don't think they really know much of anything at all for sumeru to say the very least.

i also think they know much of anything about any of the other countries they based their nations on. mondstadt inazuma and fontaine were all egregious, but they were covered with this kind of aesthetic illusion that was somewhat put together that made it look nice. mondstadt is idyllic, which is a pretty common stereotype of, like... medieval german i'd say. fontaine has this steampunk vibe so you kinda ignore all the random shit it pulled from. inazuma is pretty offensive in the sense that it's blatantly obvious that it's anime-japan, not japan-japan. also with its pretty bad representation of the tokugawa shogunate and why the sakoku decree was put into place in irl japan

but yeah, natlan is like . EGREGIOUS with its representation. its character design is very bad (i liked a couple but only divorced from its main source obviously). it takes from all over the place and people try to say it's because of the ring of fire, but it's not. it's just taking from anything "ethnic" and "tribal," which is disgusting.

[kindatired]

Genshin Impact: First Impression

I know, "You just NOW getting into Genshin after four years?'

Well, I didn't want to play on my phone so I waited to buy a laptop. I did bought a MacBook for school but then I found out that even though this game runs on IOS it doesn't run on MacOS...

(I should've known since the game isn't on the Switch...

Why most of the games I want to play isn't playable on the devices I have- Anyways back to the point.

I just finish Mondstadt in Genshin and so far I really like the story which makes me excited for what they have in store in Liyue. So this is all my thoughts about the first Archon quest, all in one go.

This chapter was a nice introduction to the world of Tevyat and I like how we already have to worry about two antagonistic groups (The fatui and Abyss Order)

Matter of fact let me list down how I think of each character:

The traveler:

I wish they have more character to them especially during the cutscenes. Despite being the protagonist I feel like they’re just in the backseat most of the time with the exception of them needing to action scenes. (Due to this my version of the traveler is that they're snarky but their heart is in the right place.) But I like how they showed us what the other sibling is doing because most stories they will have it a mystery right before the final arc

Paimon:

She’s cute but also WHERE IS HER PARENTS? At the start, she said that she was saved from drowning and I was like “Who was watching you?? Do you have any friends or anything?” I truly believe she will be a plot point in the story considering she can float around and have a space aesthetic to her

Venti:

I really like how mysterious he was at the start of the story and then later we see how much of a doofus he is. (Not saying he's dumb but carefree) Despite not wanting to be a ruling god, he still cares for his city in his own way. I don’t know why but if you mix Pit and Palutena together and then boom there’s Venti.

Amber:

I love her design so much. It's simple yet effective especially with the red bow. I feel like the team knew this too which is why she comes with her own plushie which is so freaking cute! Her character quests is fun too when she taught us to get our own glider's license. I don't know why but she gives the first classmate you befriend in class energy (Probably because she is the first person beside Paimon that we met in the game)

Kaeya:

I’m down bad I like how he has a laidback personality yet he’s always behind the scenes. Despite the front he puts up, you know he’s doing something else. Kind of wish we get to see more of him but I’m satisfied with what we got

Lisa:

At first I thought she was going to be a flirt she kinda is But I found it funny how she’s has a “I don’t have time with this bs” attitude on her side quest but still have a lot of patience for people's BS at times. I can't exactly remember but I think when she was trying to find all the overdue books, she went "I might as well make it fun" and brought the traveler and Paimon along too.

Jean:

Once I take a step back and think of all the things she had to deal with during this arc, it was definitely something. Abyss Order, The Dragon, The Fatui and trying to keep the citizens calm. She doesn’t get enough credit where it’s due. There's this one line delivery in the English version, I can't exactly point out when but it was about how the Fat couldn't get the upper hand in the situation. I don't know why but her tone of voice was passive aggressive, like she was praying on their downfall.

Diluc:

Mix opinions on him due to him sending us to find four of those ice flowers and I had to spend a hour and thirty minutes trying to find the fourth one. So yeah I have bitter feelings about that Serious note, he's probably my favorite character in Mondstadt if we're not including Amber and Kaeya. Bro is the Batman of the game, they even call him the Dark knight

Abyss Ice Mage:

Yeah I dedicated a whole section to this NPC because Imagine being electrocuted by Lisa and flamed by Diluc within a week. Like bro was put in the wringer (rightfully so). Kinda hoped they appear in the future story so this trend of Ice Mage being comedically abused continues.

My thoughts of the story:

I thought the first archon quest of the story is neat. It has nothing too spectacle as it works as a exposition to the world of Teyvat and it done that job very well.

The twist of knowing where the traveler's sibling is doing was definitely something I never thought would happen. Usually in most stories, they would have the sibling in prison but nope.

Your sibling is doing fine just helping out the big bad organization that is trying to destroy Teyvat.

Now this may be a reach but I like how each character has the freedom of accomplishing their goals by their own way.

First you have the traveler, by default they have the freedom of not being born in Teyvat as they are not from this world. Because of this, they have the ability to use more than one element. Another note is that because the traveler isn't bound by the nation's rules as they wasn't raised in Teyvat, they're always the person with a third option, sort of like a spectator...

is this why they're so quiet? So he can hear the opinions of others before making their own conclusions???

Paimon also has freedom as she doesn't have a parental figure which allows her to tag along, traveler on their quests.

Moving on to the people of Mondstadt, even within the Knights of Favonius who are under strict codes, handle tasks using their own method.

Example of this is the uniforms.

While Amber, Lisa, Kaeya, and Jean share the same motifs as being in the same group, their uniforms are completely different. You know how in magical girl shows, where you have sailor moon, where every soldier wears the same design but different color palette? Then there are other shows like Magica Madoka, where the girls where completely different outfits? The knights of favonius fits the latter, with the exception of the NPCs.

Even the way they handle tasks are different. Amber make sure she does her best to follow the rules but with a bit a flare. Lisa is a tad strict but her approach is passive. Kaeya always tries to find a loophole in the situation to see the whole picture. (Example: Him "staying behind" in the city, to get more information about the Abyss Order). Jean who follows the rules, but know there are times when the rules have to be bend.

Then you have the outliners like Diluc and Venti who are not apart of the knights. Diluc doesn't trust the knights to completely solve the problem so he acts as a vigilante, to pick up the pieces they fail to notice.

Venti who is the god of freedom, decided to not rule his region like the other archons. Instead, he watches it from afar, like the guardian he is, and steps in when the time is right.

All these characters are different in one way or another but they all come together to work together because they all share a common goal. Still even if you do things your own way, you still have to bear the responsibility of your actions.

Venti was too nonchalant in his approach of protecting his region which resulted in a Harbinger, La Signora, taking his Gnosis.

I say he was nonchalant because he was focus on the current problems of his country, which was storm bringer, and not future problems such as the Fatui. Because he wasn't focus on them, he let his guard down when the problem with storm bringer was solved.

I know this may be a stretch and I'm just writing what pops up in my head but that's what I got from the message of the archon quest.

Speaking of La Signora, how the hell did no one saw her attacking Venti and traveler or at the very least heard it? I know Barbara did but you're telling me that only ONE person heard that shit?!

So after talking to Venti it appears that we have to go to every seven regions to find the traveler's siblings. Or in this case, try to convince them to not destroy this world.

The fuck do we look like Pokemon Trainers?... Because I can sing the theme songs if you want

Either way, I had fun with the story. Gamplay-wise... I'm not really much of a gamer myself. I don't go into the mechanics of the game.I play fighting game, barely knowing the combos and just smash buttons to win

However, I can say the gameplay of Genshin is easy to get into. Unfortunately, it's a rpg so I have to farm for materials... yay, I guess. But it's not as bad as Fate Grand Order, Fate grand order farming system is a shit storm especially considering how it's a turn based but doesn't have a auto-farm system.

(for those who want to get into the story of FGO, just look it up on Youtube, do not play the game. )

When exploring, I often hesitate of where I go, because the game doesn't want you to explore said region yet, They will send Paimon telling you "Let's explore that later" only to yeet you off the cliff.

Speaking of Gameplay Paimon, she always setting us up. There was this purple spot, and she told us to blow it away to see what it is, only for it to be the eye of the storm... Its not like it was hard but it was annoying to fight it.

At least she let us control the time though.

Overall, I had fun with the game, I'm looking forward for Liyue and thank you for reading all of this as I was writing as I go so I know there is MANY grammar errors in this review.

Can't wait for Liyue because then I will get to see the character that convinced me to play the game.

[erabu-san]

So, about your found family head canon, I absolutely LOVE it and I wanted to give you my own take on it!!

I like to also include Candace, Razor, and Wanderer (I know that one might not make sense but hear me out lmao)

I think Cyno would Candace as a big sister! She gives off that vibe to everyone but I feel like she would be more close with Cyno considering they're both from. Or maybe they knew each other while Cyno lived in the desert. (We NEED more more Cyno lore *sob*)

As for Razor, I think during their visit to Mondstadt Razor would become intrigued with Cyno because of the ears on his helmet (hat?). Also....those two are suspiciously alike🤨 white hair, red eyes... (Cyno has lighter eyes but they're similar) I wouldn't be surprised if genshin pulled a long lost brother thing on us🧍 Anyway, I think they would become close, and Razor would look up to him a lot!! He would start to see Cyno as his "lupical" and I think Cyno would enjoy spending time with Razor, teaching him fighting tactics and so on

And Wanderer (or Scaramouche). I think his bratty mean persona would make him really...hard to be close to. But I think he and Collei would actually be somewhat "friends". I think the traveler would be talking about Collei to Wanderer and bring up her relationship with Dottore which would immediately peak his interest. And maybe he would go to see her to ask her about it, and then they would be able to bond over being victims of Dottore. I think he would gain the role of the "overprotective big brother" and glare at anyone who dare LOOK at her the wrong way. I'm not saying this relationship would be likely, it's just fun to think about!

I also think about how awkward it would be bringing up the time when Tighnari got struck by lightning....

"Master Tighnari actually got struck by lightning once! Now he has a scar on his back!"

"*Nervous sweating* Yeah......about that-"

I also hc that Kaveh and Tighnari are childhood friends!

Sorry I know I typed a lot😭

Have a nice day!

WAAAAH Cyno and Candace are so BESTIE CODED !!! Yes candace give a big sister vibe ! I love to imagine that Cyno likes visiting Candace, when he has time... And also I imagine he participate to girls party once, with Candace Dehya Nilou Dunyarzad and Setaria. Idk. I just feel like he wants to be included. Dehya and Setaria would be a bit against at first but Candace Nilou Dunyarzad thought the idea funny, so he joined. In the end, they all spend great time ! For Razor and Cyno, yes !!! I agree with your idea. I also enjoy a lot the potential friendship between Collei and Razor !! They are both studying language, they could study together. Since Razor has more difficulty about language, Collei would help him (and I am sure she will feel accomplishment,, like,,, she is helping someone!!! in studying!!)

Razor would definitively talk about Varka to Cyno ahahaha (i love varka plz when is he playable, at least i need to know how does he look like) And for Wanderer... I saw a lot of fanart of Collei and him, trashtalking about dottore. It would be super cool if Wanderer first friend (after his redemption arc, if we don't count Nahida nor Traveler) is Collei ! I have another scenario for them starting to talk Wanderer is just chilling in Avidya Forest (missing school). Then he heard a voice in a tree... like wtf. It was a girl voice, ranting about her life. He wouldn't care a lot but then he heard the mention of Dottore. The curiosity gain him. Trash talk about dottore ?? It is not often he can hear it. Bro is eardropping (bad thing to do) but Collei notice him (someone find her hidden place, she could die of embarrassment) but Wanderer couldn't help himself to trashtalk to dottore- and they keep talking But I wonder... if Scaramouche participate in those same experiment, and saw Collei ? He was about to end the conversation, feeling guilty, and never talk to Collei again, but Collei thank him for the talk. Maybe it wouldn't bad to see her again, one day ? OOOH YOUKNOW I AM SURE KAVEH AND TIGHNARI MET WHEN THEY WERE KID. I MEAN !!!! Their parents knows each other when they were young. Maybe they met, but they wasn't that close. After Kaveh asked some advice for his project, they started to talk more, and then their friendship come more naturally Have a nice day too!!!

[liviavanrouge]

Small Talk

Albedo: Minata! Follow my voice!

Minata: *Turns and walks over to Albedo* Hi Albedooo!

Albedo: Hello Minata, I heard that you've had fun with the others

Minata: I did, I did! Hehe!

Albedo: That's good, head back over to them

Minata: *Turns and listens for a moment before running off* Guys, wait for me~

Vixo: *Smiles, running off with Minata and the others*

Jean: I'm happy to see Minata being free like this

Albedo: Indeed, she's come a long way from the little girl who's scared of everything....

Kaeya: Indeed

Eula: Did I miss something?

Albedo: You did...

Jean: Albedo found Minata a long time ago and brought her to the knights for some help, never before had I seen such a little girl so afraid

Jean: She stayed in a corner for days and wouldn't let us come to close, whenever we did she'd huddle more into the corner. She didn't eat either...

Kaeya: When she finally came out of the corner, she let us give her a bathe and make sure she ate and drank water

Kaeya: And even after that she stayed cautious of us, especially the men here as it turns out bandits had scorched her eyes and blinded her

Eula: What!?

Albedo: *Looks at Minata, watching her play* I built a foundation of trust with her and she came home with me, I've been taking care of her since then

Albedo: I've been teaching her how to navigate on her own if I'm not around to help her and I've been taking her with me when I go out to do my research, I didn't feel comfortable leaving her all alone...

Albedo: One day, I'm hoping I can send Minata to Sumeru so she can learn from the school there

Albedo: I've been saving up any and all Mora I've got just in case I have to send her elsewhere and an entry fee is needed

Jean: *Smiles at him* Albedo....

Albedo: I've also been giving Minata her own allowance, so she'd have something to spend with when she goes

Albedo: ....Wait, what time is it?

Kaeya: About time for lunch!

Albedo: Minata! Let's head on back, it's time to go eat!!

Minata: Coming~~

Albedo: I'll see you all around *Walks away, Minata running over to him*

Minata: Can we have those little veggie things?

Albedo: *Nods* Of course, we have some baby sprouts saved up

Minata: Yeah!

Albedo: Count the steps, remember, you gotta remember how many steps it is to Mondstadt

Minata: Oh right!

Jean: I'm happy that Albedo is the one who took Minata in, he's really been helping her

Kaeya: *Chuckles* He went so deep in thought when it came to her, he's truly her guardian

Eula: *Watches Albedo and Minata* I have to agree, she's lucky to have found him

@albedomestic-airline

[pikablob]

Trick or treat? as a straggler

By the time the knock came at the door, Yoimiya's father was long-asleep. So was half of Inazuma; the moon was high, filtered through thin night-shining clouds, and most had long-since extinguished their lanterns. But Yoimiya was still up, mixing gunpowder and metals by lanternlight, trying to get one last order finished before she had to turn in too.

So she was the one to call out a weary "coming!", and make her way to the door. She wasn't sure what to think; who would be visiting this late, here, so long after closing time? But when she slid the doors open, all of those thoughts deserted her.

Standing on under the front eave was a boy about her age; a boy who definitely wasn't Inazuman; a boy she'd seen before, but only during Irodori, amongst Lumine's visiting party. And back then, he definitely hadn't been this disshevelled.

He squirmed a little at the sight of her; he was stooped awkwardly, cradling something large and uncomfortable-looking in his arms. A dark shape which might have been a backpack dangled from one shoulder, weighing him down even more. He almost looked like he might topple over.

"Venti?" she broke the awkward silence.

"Hi!" he replied, jolting whatever he was holding up as he tried to keep balanced. "I'm really sorry to show up like this, but we need help with something important and Lumine suggested you, 'cause of what you did at Irodori." Instinctively, Yoimiya felt her vision start to warm; requests from Lumine generally equalled danger.

But he wasn't done. "It's a really big favour, but-"

A sound from the bundle in his arms cut him off; a yawn, small and quiet. And then a new voice spoke, a little voice that sounded halfway to sleep and halfway to tears. "Are we there yet?"

Yoimiya blinked; she knew that voice. She hadn't been able to see at first, her eyes unadjusted to the darkness, but now it was uncomfortably clear; Venti was carrying a child, a little girl in a red coat with two blonde pigtails, who was clinging to him like a sleepy limpet.

Immediately, a new worry replaced the old; what was Klee doing back here, and why did she sound so upset?

"Yeah," Venti breathed, gently jostling her, "yeah, we are." His gaze turned back up to Yoimiya, a forced, almost-desperate smile on his face, but she wasn't having it.

"Venti," she began briskly, stepping out onto the threshold. "What's going on?"

"Klee..." the girl cut in before he could reply. "Klee did something really bad." Her voice cracked, like she was one spoon away from shattering, and Yoimiya felt her own heart cracking just a little in response.

"It's not like that," Venti replied quickly, giving her a squeeze. Then he sighed, glancing down at the floor, before finally looking back up at Yoimiya. "One of Klee's bombs did some damage to the bridge into Mondstadt, and Jean was already having a really bad day before she found out, so things kinda blew up." A strangled nervous laugh escaped his throat; clearly, he wasn't saying everything. "We thought it would be a good idea for Klee to be away from Jean for a while, and Lumine says you were really good with her during the festival, so...?"

"She can stay with me," was out before Yoimiya had any chance of stopping it; she didn't know the details, and Venti didn't seem to want to spill them, but in that moment her mind was made up. If there was a hurt child's happiness on the table, especially one she'd come to care about as much as Klee, then she was all-in.

"B-but Klee's bad," Klee cut in again, whimpering softly into the neck of Venti's ruffled cape, "Klee's really really bad."

"Klee is a child," Yoimiya replied; this time she was the one to step up, opening her arms in offering. "Children can't be really bad. They just can't."

Klee sniffled at that; she didn't say anything else, but she did finally pull her face away from the bard, half-turning to look back at the older girl for the first time, as if guarding the far side of her face from view. And even in the darkness, Yoimiya could see the tears and doubt in her eye.

Venti seemed to understand what was being offered, and what was being accepted. He shifted his own weary arms, pulling Klee carefully away from himself; gently, she let herself be passed into Yoimiya's grip, falling against the young woman like a sack of tearful potatoes. She squeezed the girl tightly in response, one hand rising up to run through soft blonde hair.

"Thanks," Venti put in briskly; shrugging one shoulder, he finally dropped the pack from his back, letting it fall into his hand. As he did, Yoimiya recognised the familiar leather that she had once complimented, as well as Klee's hat hanging from the side next to a small stuffed shape.

"It's okay," she confirmed as she raised a hand for it. It wasn't okay, it clearly, blatantly wasn't, but it was also blatantly clear that Venti had no intention of telling her exactly why it wasn't. So she just took the bag when it was offered, and began to turn away.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Venti promised; who he was promising, Yoimiya wasn't sure, but she tightened her hold when it brought a sniffle out of Klee. Then he turned away too, ready to head back into the night, back to whatever mess apparently awaited him in Mondstadt.

Yoimiya waited for him to go, with a final nod, before letting herself head back inside. She awkardly nudged the shutters closed again, hands full, and then made her way towards the bedroom-workshop where she spent her nights. As they crossed the doorway, Klee sniffled again, then murmured quietly into Yoimiya's front.

"He left Dodoco, right?"

"Yeah," the young woman soothed, lifting up Klee's backpack so the girl could see. "He's right here, okay?"

She set the backpack down on the end of her sleeping mat, then awkwardly sat down next to it, shifting Klee gently off beside her. Immediately the girl turned away, shaking little hands reaching out and grabbing onto the stuffed toy like it was a lifeline. It brought another sigh out of Yoimiya, and another little crack in her heart to see.

"Klee...?" she began, not sure which of her many questions it was even fair to ask such a young and hurt kid. "...why do you keep saying you're bad?"

Klee sniffed sharply, clutching Dodoco just a little tighter. "Because..." she near-gasped for breath. "Because the Knights of Favonius always say that only people who are b-bad deserve to be hit."

Suddenly, there was a rushing in Yoimiya's ears. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. Venti had said things had blown up, that Jean had been having a bad day... did that mean...?

"This Jean person... hit you?"

At that, Klee finally turned, and for the first time, under smouldering lantern-light, the far side of her face was finally bared. Under the sticky mess of old tear-tracks, a small, ugly bruise marred her cheek. "Venti said she didn't mean it," she quietly half-sobbed, finally breaking down, "that she was just mad about everything. B-but Klee's the one who made her mad! Klee always does!"

Yoimiya knew, logically, that Venti had just been trying to keep the peace, unsure of how to comfort such a hurt; that he hadn't been trying to make excuses. But at the same time, party of her wanted to strangle him anyway. Instead, her arms found Klee again, pulling the girl back up onto her lap and into the tightest embrace she was sure she'd ever given.

"It doesn't matter if you made her mad," she began quickly, her own voice shaking; where had the burning in her throat come from? "Nobody should hurt a kid like that, ever."

"B-but-"

"No buts, Klee." For a moment, she scrambled for the right words, before a thought settled. "You remember what I said earlier?"

It took a moment for the tears to recede, but when they did, Klee murmured, quiet but affirmative, so Yoimiya went on. "Children can never be bad, not really. And if only bad people deserve to be hit, then..."

"Th-then... Klee doesn't know," the girl admitted softly, shaking her head as more tears bubbled up.

"Then you didn't deserve to be hit, Klee." Yoimiya's voice shook again, but this time it was with conviction. "It doesn't matter if Jean was having a bad day, or you did something really wrong, or, or anything! Nobody has the right to hurt a child like that." She had to take a deep breath, just to ground herself. "I'm sorry, Klee, I really am, but it's not okay."

"So... so Jean should have just put Klee in Solitary Confinement, like she normally does?" Yoimiya breathed in sharply at that, before letting her chin come to rest on the top of Klee's head.

"That... that's not okay either," she breathed. Klee only whimpered softly, so she went on again. "I don't know what things are like back in Mondstadt, generally, but there are some things you just don't do to children. And I promise you, Klee, that while you're staying here, I won't do any of them to you, ever, even if Jean or whoever normally does." She took a deep breath, before adding, soft and open. "Okay?"

Klee squirmed a little, but she did reach out, one hand finally leaving Dodoco to hold on to her new guardian. "Klee... Klee doesn't think Klee knows what okay is anymore." And at that, fire burned through the little cracks in Yoimiya's heart.

Her vision flared just a little, shedding gentle warmth over both of them, and she gave the girl, her child now, she decided, then and there, another soft-but-tight squeeze. No matter what, if she could help it, Klee was not going to have to go back to that. No, from now on, things would be okay.

"Then I'll show you," she found herself promising, reaching up to run one hand through soft blonde hair again. "You'll know what okay is, because you'll be okay, Klee, and I'll help you every day until we get there."

It might not have been much, but it was enough; Klee nodded, softly, and murmured something close to a silent thanks. And then she sniffled, and leaned into her new guardian's front, and let the last of her tears flow away.

"Klee... Klee can try that."

[waltzofphoenix]

εїзεїзεїзεїзεїзεїз *Slamming this down, one each for Kaeya, Diluc, Klee, Zhongli, Cyno, and Albedo* <3

Send “εїз” to hear a Headcanon the Mun hasn’t been able to organically implement into the blog yet~

Kaeya

Before they went to Mondstadt, Kaeya and his birth father wandered Sumeru for several years. During that time, little Kaeya was often left alone at safe camps for long periods of time while his father left to deal with Stuff.

But things worked out for Kaeya anyway, and do you know why?

Because the Aranara stumbled upon this strange, lonesome, hungry child and thought: "the big Nara is scary, and the little one is a bit strange, too, but... we can still look after the little Nara, right?"

So, young Kaeya had strange, wonderful dreams filled with fanciful jaunts in the forests, and whenever he woke up he'd find platters filled with fresh fruit, nuts, and... strangely bland soups?

(And, many years later, after their little summer adventure, Kaeya's surprised to hear some of the stories Klee picked up from the little woodland fairies that swear they remember him...)

Diluc

While he's known to keep tabs on pretty much anything noteworthy that goes on in Mondstadt, one thing Diluc takes especially seriously are matters dealing with orphans and other children in need of help.

He ensures they are looked after and get whatever they need, often finding homes for them where they will be cared for and loved.

The part that hasn't yet found it's way onto this blog is this: one day, Diluc is going to meet a kid that's a bit more difficult to house for one reason or another. Maybe they're especially prickly, prone to bouts of righteous fury? Or they're cold and have a distant, aloof vibe?

Either way, Diluc sees something of himself and/or Kaeya in this kid and decides he's going to look after them himself.

Klee

The "Thelxie's Adventure" event got me thinking about some stuff, among which is that... While it was never outright said, the disorder that event dealt with was heavily coded as autism/depression.

Why do I bring this up? Because I think Klee is neurodivergent, too, but with the key difference being... she's not depressed.

The people taking care of her are patient with her, and gentle, and (most importantly) they listen to her and treat her whole deal as Very Serious Business.

And, especially since Albedo also has neurodivergent traits, I think... Klee is an example of a kid that being given coping mechanisms at a young age, by people that completely understand the importance of letting her have her fantasies and special interests.

SO YEAH. Sort of a two-in-one there, but I definitely write both Klee and Albedo from that angle.

Zhongli

As much as he has changed other people, the relationships he's had with others, especially other gods, have changed him a lot over the years as well.

Perhaps the most notable change? There was a time when Rex Lapis could not produce a shield.

He learned that ability from one of his dearest companions, a god who valued the defense of her people above all else. Fighting by her side taught him to value this, too.

The last time he saw her, she asked him to continue defending Liyue --- his people and hers. While carrying out her final wish, Zhongli discovered he'd inherited her precious jade-strength shield.

Cyno

Since he really likes going for night strolls in the desert because the cold, dry air helps him clear his mind... I believe the opposite must be true as well! The hot, humid air in the rainforests makes his brain very foggy --- which is why he deals with any business he may have in those regions as swiftly as possible.

Sumeru City and Ghandarva Ville are alright, though. It's the places deeper in the woods that really get to him.

Albedo

SEE KLEE'S SECTION FOR A BONUS ONE!

But also, for one that's specific to him, if still tangentially related to the previous idea... I think he has a lot in common with the Tin Man, Pinnochio, or the Little Mermaid.

He finds people so difficult to understand, doesn't feel things the way he's "supposed to" and, while he's content minding his own business, I think he sometimes feels a deep, quiet ache to be more... ordinary.

Also, it's one of his own personal goals to be more human, especially because of the relationships he has HERE AND NOW --- he doesn't want to watch his friends and loved ones in the Knights grow old while he remains exactly the same, frozen in time.

Whether his agelessness is due to his nature as a construct OR part of the curse of Khanri'ah... he's searching for a way to resolve it.

[superman--yoosung]

hi! i'm aurora, i prefer males in a genshin matchup, i'm straight, and i go by she/her

i would like to be matched with adult characters from genshin impact

i like music (i play like piano, cello, ukulele, etc but i also love listening to music), i love making friends, and i like doing anything fun (involves going to like amusement parks or arcades). i love !!!! sleeping, lots of people tend to think im super hyper all the time but tbh all i want to do is sleep !! i like drawing, dissecting animals, i like observing ppl and essentially psychoanalyzing them, i like debating controversial topics for the giggles (playing the devil's advocate my beloved), i like sending people cursed images, and i like flirting w/ people (platonically most of the time). i love cheese ! ! and i like noodles a lot <3<3 my fav drink ever is either iced coffee or like cranberry juice bc both of them are actually amazing

i hate worms. like i actually despise them. i don't like eating most vegetables (spinach is good), i dislike math because its boring, i dont like people who are close-minded and dont consider all the perspectives of a situation, i dont like bananas, i dont like watermelons, i dont like 3-spiked forks, and that's abt it ! !

i'm kinda friendly to most ppl and i love meeting new people because it gives me opportunity to analyze someone new !! i come off as a lot more carefree and spontaneous, but underneath i observe ppl a lot and im like that one friend who knows more and is more mature than u'd think (lmao im also the advice friend while being the chaotic one). i was raised up religiously, but rn i'm agnostic! i somewhat believe in justice, however i believe justice isn't always the way to go because of how everyone has such different and conflicting views of moral and ethical laws! i believe in the pursuit to know more, and to always consider every kind of perspective.

lots of people and i think that id have a hydro vision? bc i have a messed up sense of justice but its still justice and i'm quite confident

i have like bad commitment issues ? i think that counts as a personal flaw, but yeah

i'm southeast asian & i have like black wavy hair that's like a lil bit longer than jaw-length ! lots of ppl have told me that i have an rbf and i look scary when they first meet me so yk !! if ur my friend or like kind of know me, i will always send you a cursed image and/or a pickup line because i have an entire long list of pickup lines saved in my notes app. i want to be a biomed engineer some day, biology is cool and engineering is too <3<3 tysm for this! love you

Hi aurora, hope you're having a good weekend!

Your matchup is..........

ALBEDO !!

The people of Mondstadt were well-acquainted with a somewhat odd sight in the City of Freedom's town square from time to time: that of the Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius, standing near the Alchemy station, having a highly controversial debate with his lover.

Some would wonder why he entertained her points as anything more than a means to stir up trouble; but to those who cared to observe more keenly, it became abundantly clear that while Albedo was not the type to dismiss a hypothesis immediately, no matter the reasoning behind it, he simply favored opinions voiced by her.

The Spark Knight put it best: "If you like someone, you should always listen to what they have to say!"

Fun details:

Albedo is always busy with work, but even so, he makes time to see you. (Unless he's up on Dragonspine... That distance can't be helped.) It is clear in the way he has your interests in mind, be it by inquiring about your studies, your music-making, or in the simple act of bringing a cup of iced coffee from your favorite local cafe.

Many an afternoon is spent sitting outside the local Mondstadt restaurants people-watching. Albedo listens intently as you voice your psycho-analyses aloud, and will accompany your thoughts with sketches if the individuals in question, or the scenery that day so you both might recall the discussion. He will voice his own observations, too; it will be fascinating to hear what conclusions you two reach! (And a little scary, for you're often too accurate.)

Albedo is not a highly musical person, but it is fascinating to him to discern pure talent from diligent practice. He'll undoubtedly find both in your musical pursuits, but will wonder which you think matters more in the long run. If this leads to a debate, even better - he loves stimulating discussion, especially with someone intelligent enough to keep up with him.

Unlike most people, you both let logic lead true fights, which is why they become quite nasty as you pick each other apart, flaw by flaw. Eventually, one of you will step away to cool off, and when you next discuss it, you'll have to let emotions dictate where to go from there. Seeing the situation through the other's eyes, it becomes easier to find a suitable solution. Luckily, these fights rarely occur due to your practical natures, and have only strengthened your relationship.

The cursed images you choose to show to Albedo will need to be explained. (Like Cyno's jokes, only with detailed visual descriptions, too.) Once he understands the context, he'll find them extremely humorous, Whether you still do or not... Well, at least his reactions are equally amusing to you!

Your Hydro will Crystallize with his Geo, so you will always have shields to buffer you during battles. His elegant style complements your sharp-moving one well - your movements together are very fluid.

Albedo was initially attracted to you for your intellectual mind, and found in you a kindred soul who viewed the world of Teyvat in much the same way he did. If someone asked him now, though, he's have a harder time picking one thing that stands out the most. He loves your smile when you drop a cheesy pick-up line; he loves the look on your face when your fingers glide across the piano; he loves the way your eyes droop when you're feeling sleepy. In a way, all of those are testaments to how your mind works. Even so, Albedo would prefer to say thst his favorite thing about you is your least-favorite thing about yourself, for even that which you consider the lowest quality is worth only the highest of praise and devotion to him.

~~I hope you enjoyed your matchup! I considered Scara for you also, but went with Albie. I had the worst time trying to get Tumblr to post this ask, it refused to do so!! Ugh. I apologize that it's shorter than others I do, I really don't know what it was Tumblr didn't like about this post... ;-;

[bluemoonfantasiesiii]

The man replied to Candace happily, "we've been doing great! Since the sand storms and the monsters stopped appearing every now and then, everything seems to be going smoothly for us." He then took a bite of his food while his wife added, "Thanks to our beloved Archon~. She is such a lovely and caring one!" Her voice was covered with joy.

Saad went to join in saying, "yes~! My foxes friends started to visit more and more lately! I and some other kids enjoy having them around!". Lily's eyes had stars into them when she heard that, "Are they the same three mama named~?" She asked with excitement in her voice. "Yes!" The boy replied with a happy nod.

"Do you hear that~, mama~? They are here~! Vini~, Roro~ and Lala~!" The girl said, looking at her mother, who smiled so warmly at her, "yes~, sweetie~. When we're done~, we shall go and play with them~" Rosa said to her child, placing a gentle hand on her back.

Vincent felt warmth in his chest as he watched before feeding Rosa another spoon of her plate, which she obediently took with a shy smile at him. Lily 6 her parents together again was one dream coming true.

The host couple felt happy about their friends, and they both exchanged a sweet smile of victory for Rosa having her prayers finally fulfilled. Saad was unaware of the adult world and just simply asked Ruby, "So Ruby, what did you see in Sumeru so far? I can show you around the village if you and Lily are going to stay the night~!" He suggested with a sweet smile.

"Good~! And we can also get some Redcrest for him and big brothers~!" Lily added, which confused the human boy, "Wait.. your big brothers?" He asked with silly blinks. The mother was also confused about what's going on.

The girl chuckled and nodded her head before pointing her finger at the twin looking brothers, "These two are my big brothers~! Mr. Nigredo~, who is an amazing gardener~! And Mr. Albedo~, who is the chief alchemist of the Knight of Favonius~! They are both amazing~! One is an artist like papa~! And the other is far more knowl-edge-able.." she looked at her mother for confirmation about the spelling, which Rosa nodded her head with a proud smile.

"Um.. yeah! More knowl-edge-able about any kind of flower or plant~! And he is on his quest to collect all kinds of flowers in the world~!" She finished while sounding too proud of them. The boy's jaw kinda went open upon knowing the identity of his guests, "Wow~! That's cool~!" He said, clapping his hands together, "I never thought I would be meeting a real knight!" He commented with a bright smile at the two men together.

Rosa was still confused, thinking quietly to herself 'how..? Did she wanted to leave us forever..?' Although she didn't say a word, Vincent did understand what's going on in her mind through that troubled look on her face and leaned to whisper to her, "you know how she likes to call any new old friend. Relax, she longs to have you back by our side." Those words calmed her and returned the colors to her face.

“I got to see some sumpter beasts in Gandharva Ville.” Rubedo said. “And I got to see a dusk bird in the city. The animals here in Sumeru are so much different than Mondstadt! All we have back home is squirrels and snow foxes and itty bitty birdies. I’m excited to see what the desert has!”

The alchemist brothers both looked a bit bashful as Lily talked them both up. While Nigredo looked more confident and outwardly happy at the praise, Albedo timidly averted his eyes.

“Well, well~” Nigredo teased his little brother. “Looks like you’ve got a new fan, Al~”

[wxndswept]

"Huh. Your legs, they look nice."

"What?" Lyza, who was lying on the couch suddenly sat up and wrapped a blanket around herself. "What the fu-"

"Ah, no, wait! Not like that! I just meant... y-your legs! I mean, the markings on them, a-and your wrists and face, they're gone is all I meant! It's just, that I didn't notice it until now. I-I'm sorry, I was just thinking that, even though I haven't known you all too long, but you've changed since we came here. You're more like how your father and sister described you."

"Ugh... Whatever, I get it. I didn't even know you knew... them." An awkward silence fell over the duo before Lyza let out a long sigh. "How... how did you come to know them? Are they... are they...?"

"Are they okay?" Yuuki nodded. "Mhm, at least I think so. I don't know them all too well. But your sister never stopped talking about you, and your father was very... intense about finding you. Almost like he was mad at himself."

"Tch, yeah. Sure they are. I'm sure they're heartbroken over the least favorite's disappearance." Lyza scoffed and folded her arms. "Father out drinking in Mondstadt and sis enrolling in the Akademiya. Those two are just wallowing in sadness, huh?"

"Aha. Is that what you think? Well, it's kind of true. It was only the one time, but I met your father in Mondstadt, at Angel's Share. But he wasn't a drunk traveler, he was searching the library for information on ancient transporters and inquiring at the Guild branch to check if anyone had seen you. He had a picture and everything. And while Kris is enrolled in the Akademiya, she's been attempting to reverse-engineer the device that took you away. Or find another one. She told me it was the best way to get access to all their knowledge." She huffed, a smile creeping across her face as Lyza looked back at her with wide eyes. "I won't say I know the full scope of your situation, but it looked to me that they never stopped looking for you."

"I..." Lyza suddenly stood, turning toward the door. "I need a minute. Alone."

"Sure. Oh, and Lyza? They're uh, not the only ones who care about you." Lyza only grunted in response, closing the door behind her as she left. Yuuki signed and ran a hand through her hair. "I should... really get her home."

[cluescorner]

My theory is that like 1/2 of Mondstadt already knows (or at least the Knights and Dawn Winery). And they don't really care about it, Kaeya is such a sweet boy and it's very clear that he doesn't WANT anything bad to happen to them. He's been with them since he was so little and they have decided that 'yeah this is objectively shady but he's our baby boy and so it's ok'. I especially believe this because I'm like 80% sure Kaeya has some unique Abyssal power or something, ie the teleporting thing, and I doubt he'd be able to keep it under wraps for long.

But Kaeya is clearly insecure about the whole thing! So why would they bring it up when it could hurt Kaeya so badly? Kaeya's origins are an open secret among much of Mondstadt and the only person who DOESN'T know that everybody knows something is weird about Kaeya is Kaeya. And every time he does something that kinda shouldn't be possible or clearly has unique insights into the Abyss Order everyone pretends nothing is wrong.

Kaeya's pupil is weird? How rude! Don't you know some people have strange appearances? There's this thing they're researching in Sumeru called genetic mutations, this is obviously one of those.

Kaeya teleports halfway across the training grounds because he saw someone was about to fall wrong? No he didn't, Kaeya just ran really fast. We all saw his legs clearly hit the ground and he was visible the entire time.

Kaeya's presence is enough to convince some Abyssal entities to just leave during a fight they were already winning? Yeah, of course they did! Everybody knows that the Abyss Mage's weaknesses include the type of gold Kaeya's lucky coin is made of! He's so smart always having that on him.

Kaeya is seen talking to the hilichurls? He's learning hilichurlian for the sake of Ella Musk! How sweet of him, that's just like our Kaeya. Ella, dear, please update the dictionary accordingly.

Kaeya reacts suspiciously similar to Abyss creatures and the hilichurls during the Chasm incident? Oh please, that's far from unique! My cousin's husband's aunt reacted the exact same way. It's totally normal!

Meanwhile Kaeya thinks he's doing really well at this whole 'being a spy thing' despite having given people his REAL FUCKING NAME, but in reality a good portion of Mondstadt at least sorta knows what's going on and the number of people on team 'yes Kaeya is probably someone tied to Khaenri'ah, no we will not talk about it.'

No way people don't know Kaeya is Khaenri'ahn at this point. I'm like 100% certain the devs didn't mean for Kaeya's last name to end up being everywhere, but it is and it's impossible that people don't know.

"Kaeya what?" "Alberich, why?" "...Alberich like the Alberich Clan like the Khaenri'ahn clan Alberich?" "How do you know-?" "How do I-? My man you are high nobility from a highly important fallen nation, how could I not know?"

Kaeya failed at being a spy the moment he said his last name. Literally how is he still alive.