#takahara mei

[saint-miroir]

Series: Adante

Artist: Miho Obana

Publication: Ribon Magazine (04/2002)

[raes-trash-art]

the person who means most to you 

[hotwaterandmilk]

Chapter colour page featuring Nakahara Mei from Andante as illustrated by series mangaka, Obana Miho. Page scanned from my personal collection of Ribon clippings.

[benevolenceborn]

I’ve done it... I’ve come up with names and descriptions for all of Ganyu’s past lovers and how they helped her develop into who she is today... I took way too long on this aaaaAAAHHH--

plz excuse the wordbarf you’re about to witness:

GANYU’S LOVERS (In Chronological Order:)

BEFORE THE ARCHON WAR, approx. 3800 years ago: Yueyi - She was Ganyu's childhood friend/first love. When Ganyu stopped aging things became strained between them, and they eventually separated. Yueyi was a normal human woman and eventually passed of old age. More information about her in the following post:    X

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DURING THE ARCHON WAR, approx. 3000 years ago: The Perfected Lord who Weaves the Flame and Strikes the Evil (aka Flame Weaver) - A warrior of the adepti nearly as powerful as the Yakshas, he most often took the form of a great red salamander, though he also possessed a humanoid form. Flame Weaver and Ganyu maintained a passionate, desperate relationship during the Archon War, but despite centuries of fighting with the hope they'd one day be able to live in peace together, he eventually met his end in the final battles of the War. All of the adepti, even ornery Mountain Shaper, wept for Flame Weaver's end, but none wept as deeply as Ganyu...

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AFTER THE ARCHON WAR, approx. 2000 years ago: Yaofan - One of the original Liyue Qixing, established after the Archon War. He was a gentle, charming human who helped Ganyu ease into life as a civilian after the tragic War, and was key in helping her become such a skilled secretary. They eventually married, and it was with him that Ganyu discovered she was infertile (she never attempted to have children with Flame Weaver because of the ongoing War, and obviously would not have been able to have children with Yueyi.) Like Yueyi, he eventually passed of old age. Ganyu remained at his side until the very end, however.

Leixing - Ganyu met her a few years after Yaofan passed away, and she helped her cope with that loss. Leixing hailed from a wealthy merchant family and used her riches to provide for the less fortunate. She opened an orphanage and provided aid to the homeless and the downtrodden, among other charitable acts. Yaofan had left a sizeable fortune to Ganyu in his last will and testament, and it was because of Leixing's influence that she used it to provide aid to the people of Liyue, rather than keep it for herself. Sadly, Leixing was terminally ill -- it drove her desire to provide as much of her wealth to aid others as possible in the short time she had left. It also drove her desire to love and appreciate everyone she met, leading to a deeply passionate relationship with Ganyu and truly setting the half-Qilin on the path to becoming who she is today. They would have married, had Leixing not succumbed to her illness earlier than expected, and Ganyu still keeps the ring she wanted to propose with.

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FURTHER AFTER THE ARCHON WAR, approx. 1000 years ago: Xuefang - It took hundreds of years for Ganyu's heart to recover from losing Yaofan and Leixing in quick succession. She almost would have been happy to remain alone, had Xuefang not taken such an interest in her... She was bold, brash, and outright vulgar at times, and for whatever reason, she came to fancy Ganyu. The Qilin had focused so much on her work after losing her previous lovers... and it took a long time for her to warm up to Xuefang. She was able to convince Ganyu to unwind a little, and find some time to relax and simply enjoy life's little pleasures, and she eventually came to deeply appreciate Xuefang's refreshingly casual view of the world. They never married, but they were clearly in love until the day Xuefang departed on a voyage, never to return. Her ship was never found, and she was presumed lost at sea or dead. Ganyu's habit of visiting the harbor early every morning to watch the day's first ships stemmed from those heartbreaking days where she hoped and prayed Xuefang would return... But, she never did, no matter how many times she watched and waited for the sight of Xuefang's ship. Ganyu's not likely to mention it nowadays, but, Beidou reminds her of Xuefang more than she'd like to admit...

Taiyang - Ganyu and Taiyang worked together for the Liyue Qixing of the era, and were good friends even before Xuefang's disappearance. He was a hard worker, and despite being rather stoic, he made his romantic interest in Ganyu clear. Xuefang and Ganyu surprised themselves with how comfortable they were with allowing Taiyang's advances, and the three of them occasionally spent nights together. When Xuefang vanished, Taiyang was a rock for Ganyu, offering her much-needed support and affections in those days of waiting for Xuefang to return. They eventually married, but they always made sure to leave an empty seat at their table and in their homes for Xuefang to one day fill... ..Sadly, she never returned, and Taiyang eventually passed of old age.

Adelaide Dresden - A traveling songstress from Mondstadt. Her style of music and performance was more 'traditional' than modern-day denizens of Mondstadt would expect from their idol Barbara... She traveled with a string quartet, and many in Liyue found themselves enamored by her beautiful songs, including Ganyu. Her music struck a chord in the half-Qilin despite losing Taiyang only a few decades prior, and she made a point of attending as many of Adelaide's performances as she could while she was still in Liyue. Fate conspired for them to properly meet one day, as Qixing business brought her face-to-face with the songstress, and they bonded over their mutual fondness for flowers when Adelaide asked what local flora might best complement her next performance, and before long, they began to realize their fondness for each other... Adelaide's fame and travels made their blooming relationship difficult at times, but they persevered by keeping in touch with letters and always making a point to meet whenever her schedule brought her back to Liyue. When Adelaide eventually retired, they finally had a secret wedding (to avoid any obsessive fans of Adelaide), and lived out the rest of Adelaide's days in peace and quiet.

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BEFORE GENSHIN IMPACT, approx. 300 years ago: Seiko Takahara - A diplomatic envoy from Inazuma, long before the Raiden Shogun's recent mandates of isolationism. Naturally, such an esteemed guest would have to deal directly with the Liyue Qixing, leading to her first meeting with Ganyu. She was a keen and amicable woman, and relations between Liyue and Inazuma flourished thanks in no small part to her. Despite how good she was at her job, Seiko was never particularly fond of it, and yearned for a simpler life, often venturing out into the wilderness of Liyue and taking in it's natural beauty. In some of these forays, she would encounter Ganyu, striking up a fast friendship with the gentle-natured half-Qilin. When she officially resigned from her post (after confirming a new Inazuman ambassador for Liyue) she sought Ganyu out, and the two struck up a romance. It was relatively short-lived, as Seiko one day had to return to Inazuma, and Ganyu could not accompany her. They were lovers AND friends, and had an amicable separation. They kept in contact with one another until Seiko eventually passed of old age. 

Kongde - A humble farmer from a village in Liyue who lost his first wife to illness. He met Ganyu by chance when she fell asleep in a flower field he had grown and tended, and when his young daughter Mei took a shine to the half-Qilin, he gladly struck up a friendship with her. That friendship eventually led to a romance and a marriage, and Mei was thrilled to have such a kind and gentle stepmother. Kongde eventually passed of old age, and Ganyu continued supporting and loving Mei as her own daughter. When Mei had children of her own, Ganyu was more than happy to be their grandmother, and then a great-grandmother to THEIR children, and so on... Mei's descendants are alive today, and are among the few humans in Liyue who know of Ganyu's true nature as half-adeptus...

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Perhaps those living connections to her last lover is why she still has not taken on a new lover since his passing..?

[saint-miroir]

Series: Adante

Artist: Miho Obana

Publication: Ribon Magazine (02/2002)