#this is the best bit of genshin lore i have heard of. in Ages.

[qserasera]

the wanderer spending his spare time writing incisive political commentary on inazuma and Accidentally becoming a phD scholar at the akademiya is the Funniest thing i have seen in ages!!!!!

[beingatoaster]

Okay! I'm going to focus on Steam games because I've become mostly a PC gamer in the last few years (the only non-outdated console I have is the Switch and most of the games I have for it are ones I'm sure you've heard of XD). But I am also going to mention the Epic Games store/launcher/app/whatever they're calling those things these days! Because every week, changing on Thursdays, they offer a different game (or sometimes two!), for free, that would normally cost money. I have discovered some VERY fun games through this that I never would have if I'd had to go browsing through the store and pay cash money (and in fact, some of those will be listed here). Even if you don't like the game, you can always just uninstall it after you've tried it out and you'll have never spent a cent, so I definitely recommend it. :>

(Please bear with me for this post, my dashboard is covered in crabs that love me and I cannot bear to vanish them in order to type more clearly. u_u)

First, some stuff with a bit more of what you're looking for:

Tales of Zestiria: The entire Tales of series is great on whatever machine you play them on, and no that's not JUST my nostalgia speaking, but Tales of Zestiria is the one I actually have on Steam so if you're a PC gamer it may be a good place to start! (Steam also has Berseria and Arise, both of which I own but haven't played yet, and Symphonia, which I've heard you SHOULD NOT buy on Steam--it's a port and very badly done :( which is a shame as it's one of the best games in the series.) They're all very classic JRPGs with sweeping, not always sensical storylines and engaging characters; Zestiria was the last game eating my life before I got into Genshin. If you have a Switch I also recommend Tales of Vesperia, which is another of the best-in-the-series ones (honestly, a bit better than Zestiria) and well worth the money.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (three games bundled into one): HOLY SHIT IT'S ON SALE (at least where I am) and if you think you have any interest at all I definitely recommend grabbing it at 75% off, holy shit. This is one of those "do I even have to explain Mass Effect?" game series because in my head everyone knows about Mass Effect, but in case you don't XD it's a sci-fi mostly-shooter with a sweeping storyline and incredibly compelling characters, and it's one of my most beloved games of all time even though I hate shooters. (It's not purely a shooter? Steam lists it as an RPG, actually. But any game where I have to shoot things in real-time is a shooter to me. I'm so bad at them. My party members carry me every time and I love them to bits.) It's very, VERY good. You will cry over a cover of a Gilbert & Sullivan song. (You will cry a LOT in the third game, they build up a whole bunch of things over the first two in order to deliberately cash them in for PAIN in the third game. I am tearing up just thinking of certain lines right now.)

Dragon Age II: Also on a very good sale right now (in my region)! The Dragon Age series is made by the same studio as Mass Effect and is almost as good, but isn't as tightly linked together as the first three Mass Effects, which is why I'm recommending II separately--I think it's better than the other two, and it's easier to play it, then decide if you're interested in the world and lore enough to play the others. (Also, the first one, Origins, has such incredibly clunky combat that every run after my first I've played entirely by spamming a cheatcode that kills all enemies in the area for every fight. II's combat still has issues, but it's miles and miles better.) Also, I know that you're a tragedy lover, and this game is a perfectly-played-out tragedy in, literally, three acts. It's one of my favorite video games EVER in part because it's willing to let the story run to its conclusion without Hawke winning in the end off pure Protagonist Disease. You know that post/meme that goes something like, "The love was there. It wasn't enough, it didn't save anyone, but it matters that the love was there"? It's a perfect encapsulation of Hawke and their found family and the way that things play out.

Additionally, while I won't link them individually, in the same category of "you do know about...? but I'll mention it anyway" is the Elder Scrolls games. Skyrim is the one everyone KNOWS and is the best technically (combat, graphics, other elements like the house-building and adopting children and such), but frankly I 100% think it's predecessor Oblivion is better in terms of both storyline and quest design. And Morrowind has the best story in the series by a long shot, and IMO the best environment, but I understand that it is essentially unplayable technically to most modern gamers and won't try to sell you on it without the hook of my nostalgia. XD Seriously, though, best story in the series, so keep an eye out if they ever drop a remake. (They won't. They'll drop another version of Skyrim instead. Yes, I am bitter.) If you like traditional-style MMOs, Elder Scrolls Online is also quite good, IMO!

Recettear: Kind of drifting away from your specifications, but closer to than the ones below. It's about running an item shop in a fantasy world, technically. You have to GET the items first, though, and that involves combat and some exploration. There's also a really fun cast of characters! There's time pressure, but every time you "lose," which you're supposed to do a lot, you keep a lot of your gains as you start your new game, which eventually lets you build up to a point where you can succeed in the game's ostensible goal. But the actual goal IMO is unlocking the story. >>

Next, some games that don't quite fit your parameters but that I personally love:

Dwarf Fortress: City-builders are my #1 genre but if you like combat and adventure/exploration, it sounds like they won't be so much your thing. That said, I've been playing Dwarf Fortress since its earliest development days and, while it's got a super high learning curve, I love it far too much not to mention it. It does also have an adventure mode you can play in! I am not sure if that's available in the Steam release but as of the last time I downloaded it from the creator's website, that version did. The caveat is that I've never actually played adventure mode (I'm too busy watching my dwarves slaughter each other) so I can't speak on how it plays. XD;;

Other highlights in the city-building genre that I've enjoyed recently are Banished, Aven Colony, Frostpunk, Going Medieval, and Timberborn, though most of these are still early-access so they're not polished games, and Frostpunk is polished but is also INCREDIBLY demanding on PC hardware.

Stardew Valley: A farming game in the classic Harvest Moon style, but with combat options in the mines and after nightfall on the monster farm. You raise crops and animals, gather items to build up your farm and make money, and befriend villagers. I'm not sure how to hype it up, but I've put over 1000 hours into it at this point!

Eidolon: My other #1 genre that isn't necessarily what you're looking for is walking simulators, and Eidolon is close to my heart: you're walking around post-apocalyptic Washington State, collecting the lost journal entries/letters/etc. of the people who lived just before, through, and after said apocalypse. There's a LOT of death in this one, but somehow, it's become a go-to game for me when I'm sad. Very low-poly graphics on purpose, excellent soundtrack, minor survival elements, but mostly wandering about.

Journey: Technically also a walking simulator according to my Steam folders, but honestly I would more call it a gliding simulator. XD Definitely has exploration and adventure! You're a little person making your way through a big, sometimes thrilling, sometimes scary world, solving puzzles using your movement abilities in order to pass from one stage to another. It's a breathtakingly beautiful game, very short (you can do a playthrough in about two hours) but definitely worth replaying now and again, and I can't think of much else to say about it that doesn't spoil things that I, despite usually being spoiler-happy, heartfeltly believe should not be spoiled.

Other walking simulators I love include TIMEframe, Eastshade, and Firewatch; there's also Dear Esther, but MASSIVE trigger warning for suicide on that one.

Cinderella Phenomenon: Yes, this an otome game. It's free, though! And it's my favorite that I've ever played (and I have played... a lot >>). A fantasy storyline set in a world where some people are cursed to live out fairytales--the title character's is "Cinderella," which is a hard blow for a former princess. She's honestly kind of a bitch, but she Gets Better, and I love most of the love interests (I could do without the step-brother. Frankly I'd have rather dated the step-sister). Some of the routes are genuinely heartwrenching, especially if you play them in recommended order.

FTL: Faster Than Light: I genuinely don't know what genre this is? You have a spaceship, and you are fleeing your enemies, trying to reach and warn your side without falling prey to the perils of space, while traveling through randomized areas where you may get upgrades and fuel but may also get blasted to pieces. You get blasted to pieces a lot. Because of the randomization, each run is different, and it's one you lose more than win, but it's quick to play through each time and it can be a lot of fun!

My #3 genre is the general area of "strategy, real-time or turn-based," which can cover a fair bit of ground (and also, surprise surprise, overlaps with city-building). I won't link any games from that because it's all series, but the Civilization series, the Crusader Kings series, and the Galactic Civilizations series are all some of my favorites.

Finally: if you have the Nintendo systems for them, OBVIOUSLY the Fire Emblem games, but you also follow canonical-transformation so I'll assume you already knew that. XD

does anyone have any video game recommendations? 👀

[delvalentine]

draft dump

once upon a time i had a plot bunny for a school genshin au in which the adults were teachers in a modern setting, and mc/reader was a TA working with them

i won't be revisiting that but it would be a waste to send the first draft to the void so here that is!

“And that brings our little guided tour to an end.” Mr. Zhongli turned around once reaching the front door, smiling languidly. “I hope it wasn’t too much to take in at once.” “No, I think I got everything.” You shoved the notepad deeper into your purse, taking a steadying breath. “Thanks for showing me around before orientation. It was really helpful.” “It was nothing. I do hope you’ll like it at our school, Ms. [Surname]. If there’s anything you’re unsure about, feel free to ask me—and if I’m not around, seeking out the vice principal should suffice.”

He caught your soured expression and chuckled deeply. The VP—Mr. Xiao—was not quite as amiable as the headmaster before you. You had tried to make a good impression by being polite, but the slender man had merely scowled through you like you’d insulted his mother’s mother or something. The memory of his scathing glare made your cheeks burn.

“He may be temperamental, but he’s unmatched at his work. Just try to catch him in a good mood and you’ll be fine.” You weren’t sure Xiao would know what a good mood looked like if it hit him in the face, but you brushed it off. The infrastructure here was breathtaking—as you’d expect from a boarding school so deeply steeped in history and so well-funded. Royal Celestia School, aptly named after the heavens, for there was no other institution so highly regarded in all of Teyvat. Graduates that called RCS their alma mater went on to forge great paths of success. Only the best of the best got to attend. Its newest hire: yourself, of course. You had applied for their TA position amongst many others, not really thinking you’d get it fresh out of post-secondary or anything. It didn’t hurt to try. But when you got the callback, you had to wonder if you had died and gone to heaven yourself.

“Now forgive my memory, but I seem to have forgotten who you told me you’ll be working with.”

Zhongli wasn’t just the principal—he was the founder of the whole shebang. He was as top brass as you could get, here, and he looked the part. Despite his age, he was incredibly sharp in his copper-black suit, and those warm honey-gold eyes weren’t helping with the whole tall-dark-and-handsome thing. Attractive looks aside, he was the overseer of all administrative operations, though rumour has it he was quite… spacey at his job. If anybody needed an assistant, it’d be him.

Xiao, the second in command, left a far less sweet taste in your mouth. You noticed the dragons tattooed on his arm in an impressive sleeve first, and the deeply beautiful look of calm second. It was as soon as he opened his mouth that he ruined it all. He was snappy and peevish. If Zhongli hadn’t been with you, he might very well have eaten you alive.

Speaking of grumpy men—Dr. Ragnvinder. You’d never had entirely good experiences with math teachers, and he was the living embodiment of all those hauntingly long questions you’d cried over on long nights. According to Zhongli, Diluc Ragnvinder was the one of the youngest in the teaching department to hold a PhD. During your meeting, he was nothing but cold and brief despite his fiery red hair and eyes. You loathed to think of how he’d crack down on you for not grasping a topic.

In stark contrast, Mr. Alberich was far more easy-going, if not a tad bit… seductive. He had a certain way of phrasing things with innuendo that kept you second guessing yourself, and if you weren’t careful, he’d easily take you off your feet. No wonder he specialized in the arts of literature. How you would’ve liked him to read excerpts to you in that suggestive tone of his.

Ms. Lisa had seemed to be cut of the same cloth, leaning in so close to you that you could smell the perfume wafting off the skin of her neck. The librarian oversaw one of the outlandishly largest collections of books you had ever seen in your life. (It wasn’t the only big set you’d noticed.) She invited you back with a smile, though it seemed less an invitation and more a given task to see her again.

Zhongli had then taken you to the theatre, equally as massive and ornate. You could imagine full opera shows occurring rather than silly school plays. Private school kids were a different breed entirely. Inside, a pair of men were practicing something together. There, you met Venti, who insisted you call him by first name alone. Beside him was the taller, leaner man named Childe, who assured you it wasn’t his real name, but that was a secret of the trade. Venti had a voice of an angel and played a lyre so daintily you were almost moved to tears. It was no surprise he taught music. And Childe, whose mere presence made you feel like he was putting on some sort of show, oversaw drama.

Next door was the gymnasium, which, once again, wowed you with its size. Perhaps Zhongli was hoping to train generations of Olympic athletes-slash-artists-slash-geniuses? A hearty dark-haired woman took you in with great familiarity, shaking your hand and inviting you to drinks before you’d even managed to introduce yourself properly. With the force Beidou had exerted in a mere handshake, you were afraid to think about being under her training regime in physical education.

A far more sobering presence, Ms. Ningguang looked to have the same stable ethereality as Zhongli did. As an educator of finance, you’d heard that she had single-handledly changed the entire stock market just to prove a point in her lecture. You had made a note to ask her about your taxes.

Keqing next door taught geography. Her classroom had been lined with maps and globes, each marked with such numerous and precise points that you felt like you couldn’t even recognize what each place was. She spoke to you with succinctness, like everything she said was pre-determined and you had better understand what she meant <i>or else</i>. But she was fairly warm in comparison to the men of earlier, and you’d take what you could get.

A room with even more clutter was Dr. Mona’s. Contraptions like Newton’s cradles, plasma domes, lava lamps, and even a wall-to-wall Ruth Goldberg machine made your head spin. Her eccentricity was clue enough to her role as a science teacher. Somehow in your short conversation, she managed to boast about herself a total of six separate times, but Zhongli quietly assured you that her claims weren’t unfounded. She was confident and intelligent, her blue eyes sparkling with knowledge. Spending a day with her sounded exhausting but thrilling.

The last classroom Zhongli showed you to was Jean’s, who was a startling calm presence right after exiting Mona’s Wonderland. She was a history teacher, well versed in lore and social sciences, and you couldn’t help but feel warm and fuzzy just talking to her.

“Well?” Zhongli nudged as you thought back on your day. “Which professor were you to help out with?” You answered…

[seelestia]

hii Liaa :''D

idk why I'm writing an ask but after getting knocked over the head with piles and piles of performance tasks, I think I just wanted to seek u out to bring some kind of joy in my now research-blinded cave :'''D

sorry to suddenly dump all of that on u btw I know ur pretty busy urself :'))

but yeah, just wanted to come on here to see an answer from my dearest author :''D

so here's just a bunch of things I want your opinion on (its giving 20 questions realness lmao)

If you were in a situation where you had to pick between having to constantly reincarnate, or be immortal, which one would you pick?

if you were to name a shade of color a different name, what shade of color would you pick, and what/why you'd give it that name?

If you were to ever receive an item (any item) that you wish for BUT it's single use only- what would your item be and why?

What's your opinion on biblically accurate angels (have u ever seen one?) and if you have seen it in the internet, are you creeped out or are you just as fascinated as I am lmao (this is the crack question lol)

But yeahhh- I'm sorry if I'm bothering you with a less than normally-happy aura of me :''D - Every so sincerely yours, 👹✨ Jae (also- my boi hating on paimon)

aww, jae, no worries! you don't have to be at your best all the time, we all have our downtimes, ;( those performance tasks must be super draining for you, i hope you'll get thru them soon 😭 and frankly, i actually really like these kinds of questions and if it also helps you feel better — then even better, i'm all for it! >:)

If you were in a situation where you had to pick between having to constantly reincarnate, or be immortal, which one would you pick?

i think i'd choose immortality. it is the loneliest option out of the two but there is just smth abt experiencing the evolution of time before my very eyes... having to move around to avoid suspicion for my questionable age might be a bit of a hassle tho. wait, why am i thinking waaaay ahead rn LOLLL but yeah! ;D

if you were to name a shade of color a different name, what shade of color would you pick, and what/why you'd give it that name?

not my smartest answer, but i'd rename light blue (#ADD8E6) to cotton blue! not sure why but i just feel like that name is fitting. like the color is somewhat fading into a light/white shade but still retains the blue. and when i think of white, i think of cotton, hehe <3

If you were to ever receive an item (any item) that you wish for BUT it's single use only- what would your item be and why?

hmmm, hmmm. i haven't wished for anything material for a long time (like even during my birthday last month, all i asked for was a family dinner and i got it), so idk what i should pick 😭 but let's see, i think i'll just pick smth that goes along with the 'single use' concept which is... a 'infinite' amusement park ticket that allows me to go on every single ride without having to pay for each. (this is such a basic answer HELP)

What's your opinion on biblically accurate angels (have u ever seen one?) and if you have seen it in the internet, are you creeped out or are you just as fascinated as I am lmao (this is the crack question lol)

yep, i've seen them before! literally heard holy music playing in the back of my mind when i saw them hdjejkse. to me, they're equally creepy and fascinating, tbh! they also remind me of bill from gravity falls for some reason (it's the shape) like y'all must be related but then, i remember that the evil doritos chip is a devil 😭 (/j)

LOLLL I PLAYED THRU THAT SCENE AND I SNORTED SO HARD. this one too. he'd bite me for this, but why he is such a funky little guy. (/lh)

psst, also, idk if you know but there's this creator on tiktok that i just recently followed and they do great genshin lore videos with pleasing formats! literally thought of you when i followed them, hehe.