#what's even more interesting that i didn't realize is that this arlecchino is not the original arlecchino

[andersdotters]

Now that Freminet's lore is out, it's emphasized even more that the Arlecchino of the Fontaine siblings is very different from the Arlecchino of the Harbingers. While she doesn't like weakness, she also doesn't order the members to be willing to give up their lives for the sake of the family. She pushes them to value themselves and their lives. She was incensed when she realized Freminet was lied to regarding his mother, but had the decency to give him time to himself after telling him the truth. She even gave him his mother's keepsake.

The Arlecchino of the Fontaine siblings is the kind of person who values life. She understands the motives and feelings of people. So I'm curious in what way she is the insane person Wanderer and Childe make her out to be.

The interesting thing about Arlecchino is that if you read what Wanderer and Childe have to say about her, she's portrayed to be insane and quick to betray. But when you read Lyney's lore and hear about it in game, she's different. She's cold, but even she talks Lyney out of getting a delusion because she knew that's not something Lynette would want. She doesn't allow for betrayal in her house. So it's curious to see how Genshin will reconcile those two facts later on.

[geekyule]

In the alternate world of Teyvat, where you begin your journey to find your loved ones by becoming a weapon of war in the Fatui

CW: violence, mention of blood, angst & fluff Thoughts: It'd be quite a long run. Semi-proofread

Part 1 Part 2

Part 3 - In the sky

The Harbingers at the top, most of them nurture their own formidable armies to ensure their power. The House of the Hearth under Arlecchino, Ajax under the patronage of Pulcinella, and "Dottore's experiment",... There is no doubt about the danger of these "weapons", but from a human perspective, the fate and mission of these "weapons" lie in the hands of the Harbingers, which cannot be considered decent.

At least while he satisfied his thirst for battle, his family always remained safe - Ajax held respect for Pulcinella simply for that reason. Four years ago, after stepping out of the darkness, he became a different person. Unyielding, aggressive, bloodthirsty,... no longer the boy who used to follow his father on ice fishing trips. Since joining the ranks of the Fatui, Ajax has never set a goal beyond honing his combat skills. The more dangerous the battle, the more it calls to his bloodlust, making even his fellow soldiers unable to bear it. They shunned him partly because Ajax had advanced too quickly in the ranks, and more because he himself had become a danger. A bloodthirsty danger. Ajax throws himself into every battle, and if this makes him become the youngest Harbinger to serve the Tsaritsa, then it is simply a bonus that opens up new wars for him to conquer.

Ajax felt that this mission was truly interesting. He had a faint hope that this day would come, or not... It was strange how these circular thoughts kept running around his mind and taking shape. Yes, there it is again.

“Are you ok?” - You raised eyebrows at Ajax, who was also staring back.

“Well, I think it's an honor to carry out this mission with you.” - Ajax replied with a smile that couldn't be more confident. Do you realize how flustered you made him?

“Whatever.”

“Well, it's been a long time since I've had such a terrifying companion.”

“Thanks?” - You frowned even more clearly, not hiding your unpleasant expression towards Ajax.

“But really, I always make my teammates run away.” - As if realizing he just said something wrong, Ajax looked at you worriedly - “No… I didn't do anything suspicious. I mean you're very strong… so…”

“Ajax.”

Ajax was a bit surprised to hear his name coming out of you so he immediately fell silent. There was the fluttering sound of butterflies in his stomach. What happened to the name "Ginger" that you used to call him?

“When the mission is over, I have something to tell you.”

You said calmly, your eyes did not have the usual unpleasant, sarcastic look. Ajax nodded and said nothing more. Well, while he was thinking in circles, this girl kept adding to the confusion in his heart, defeating him from thinking to duels while remaining calm. It’s like a challenge, resonating with Ajax's challenging personality. So much. He had never looked forward to ending the mission that quickly.

But that doesn't come as easily as expected. The two's mission is to scout the Nocturne Lake area in Prekrasnaya Mountain, an area banned because of the unusual activities of the abyss that affected any creature infiltrating the area. 

“Say, Y/n…” - Ajax tried to start a conversation - “What were the superiors thinking when they sent just the two of us to Prekrasnaya?”

“Are you worried?”

“No way.” - Ajax laughed - “There are two Harbinger’s "weapons" here, but just for a scouting mission. I'm curious to see what lies ahead.”

You just kept silent. This could be the final test; the one who walked away from the mission would be chosen to meet the Tsaritsa and become Harbinger. No matter what the obstacle is, your only choice is to overcome it. And with a little luck, outplay your companion to carry out Dottore's mission at the same time without having to do things against your conscience.

“After this, do you want to come to my hometown for a trip? Ton and Teu mentioned you all the time.”

“Huh?” - Ajax's question caught you off guard. It was as if the two of you were simply going up the mountain for a walk.

“My home. Those two kids. After this, Ok? Oh, I can teach you ice-fishing.”

“Having those kids to play with is great, thanks for the suggestion!”

“Hey obviously there must be me too!”

“Oh, you don’t have to pamper us so much.”

You felt your face relax and a smile appear on your lips as you remembered the idyllic images of Ajax’s hometown. In contrast to the dangerous image in the Fatui, Ajax being with his family is so normal that it's strange. Many times you doubted Ajax's true nature but gave up when remembering your first encounter with him. He almost killed you when he thought you were harming his family.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

You looked at Ajax a bit surprised because the question was quite personal.

“I have a brother.”

“Heh, he must be cool, right? Will you introduce us sometime?” - Ajax is clearly excited. He had guessed you would be the older one in the family if you had siblings. The image of having a younger sister like you seems even more interesting. Wait, what was he thinking?

“I haven't seen him for a long time. We… lost contact, before I joined the Fatui.”

“Oh… I am so sorry.”

Ajax felt guilty for showing excitement. Somehow he felt more sorry for you. Every time you interact with his family, you always seem naturally warm. Perhaps the feelings for your missing brother were passed on to his younger siblings.

“This may seem a bit odd, but if you want to find your brother, I'm willing to help you.”

Once again, you looked at Ajax in surprise. Ajax's blue eyes looked back with absolute certainty. Deep in your heart, you suddenly realized very, very little why you struggled against Dottore's wishes and leaned towards this silly “Ginger". At least in your world that seemed to be only gray, Ajax proactively entered, little by little, adding new colors. The colors keep forcing you to look, pay attention, and sway. How long has it been since you can laugh so freely?

“Haha, you promise?”

Ajax held out his pinkie - “You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life… what was the last part again?”

You slowly hooked your pinkie with his and continued - “You break a pinkie promise, I throw you on the ice. The cold will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend, the frost will freeze your tongue off so you never lie again.”

“Not very pleasant, isn’t it?”

His boyish grin was contagious somehow. The task is still ahead, but the harmony between the two teammates seems more certain. You were grateful that the darkness hid the shyness that appeared on your face as you muttered a thank you to your companion, whether he heard it or not.

You and Ajax arrived at the Nocturne Lake area when the sky turned purple. The frozen lake surface, reflecting the cloudless sky, made it even more serene. If you didn't know beforehand that this was a dangerous area, you really wanted to immerse yourself in the scenery. Ajax gestured with his hand, his eyes pulled you back to alert as you nodded slightly. The two of you looked out at the huge object by the lake shore.

“A Frostarm Lawachurl” - You whispered - “It's going to be difficult to study this area if it's guarding here.”

“We have to defeat it.” - Ajax said simply, weapon at the ready.

“Wait, your vision will be limited in close combat with it.” - You stepped in front of Ajax - “Let me support you.”

“Best defense is good offense, right? I can handle it.”

“It's just good offense. Take my support and we'll make it even better, okay?”

Ajax widened his eyes and smiled enthusiastically.

“Wow, I want to invite you for Fire Wine.”

“Really, Ginger?” - You raised an eyebrow - “I'm not old enough to drink alcohol yet.”

“Huh? You're younger than me!” - Ajax was clearly shocked - “Unbelievable!”

“Quiet! Dumb Ginger!” - You whisper-yelled and bonked Ajax's head - “Listen to me.”

After the tactical discussion, Ajax confidently approached to provoke the Frostarm Lawachurl. The monster quickly noticed him and generated a frozen shield before charging towards Ajax. As the creature made contact, a stone column shot up from the ground, blocking it and colliding with the frozen shield, sending out crystalline shards. Seizing the opportunity while the Lawachurl was surprised, Ajax moved to collect the shards and fired three arrows in rapid succession into the beast's back. But the Lawachurl was evidently enhanced compared to its counterparts, roaring angrily and slamming the ground to create sharp ice spikes aiming at Ajax. Another stone column shot up from directly beneath Ajax's feet, allowing him to jump up and dodge the attack, continuing to shoot arrows at the monster, but the arrows were intercepted within the Lawachurl's zone. You, meanwhile, were hiding in the forest around the lake, eyes constantly monitoring the battlefield. You created more stone columns to both block around the Lawachurl and provide Ajax with necessary footholds. Not yet - You focused intensely, patiently observing Ajax's fight, gradually breaking through the opponent's defensive layers while trying your best to catch every sound signal. A very very small sound.  As soon as you heard it from behind a large rock by the lake, you immediately ran towards the Lawachurl.

“Ten o'clock!” - You yelled and slammed the staff down, creating dozens of stone pillars piercing through the Lawachurl's ice spikes.

At the same time, Ajax followed the command, quickly changing direction towards the target hiding behind a rock and found an Abyss Mage casting spells. Caught off guard, the Abyss Mage hadn't had time to create a shield to defend against Ajax's attack. He grabbed its neck and swiftly thrust his dagger through its body, finishing it off. All that was left was for you to break the entire barrage of stone columns overwhelming the Lawachurl. Ajax returned to the battlefield with the Lawachurl, watching the petite girl walk amidst the pile of rocks burying the monster five times her size with even more excitement.

“I told you, you're terrifying.” - Ajax leaned against his hip with a boyish grin - “Are you sure you're not old enough to drink?”

“Someone may be old enough but clearly not mature enough.”

You wiped the dust off your cheek and looked up. Your astonished expression made Ajax quickly turn around to look back. And in the sky...

“The aurora!”

It was the first time you had witnessed it - the aurora in Snezhnaya. You felt your lips parted into an innocent smile. Can’t help it. You had always loved the serene star-filled sky, but you never thought it could be even more beautiful and magnificent. Having a certain someone here to share this sight with was unexpectedly heartwarming… Strange feelings, really. You two just met not a long time ago and this silly troublemaker just slowly, ever naturally, worming his way into your heart.

“Ajax, I…”

Ajax slowly turned back with a smile on his face. But it quickly turned into horror.

“Y/N!!!”

You hadn't grasped the situation yet, but it was too late. The Abyss Herald's blade had pierced through your abdomen from behind and was swiftly withdrawn. The snowy ground was stained crimson. You collapsed. Ajax roared angrily and rushed towards the Abyss Herald but was stopped by incoming fireballs. Both of you had been too complacent with the danger of this area.

“It’s just two kids, such a pity” - The Abyss Lector glided out from the darkness and said indifferently.

“Finish it.” - The Abyss Herald turned towards Ajax.

“Now, now, don't forget one of them possesses the power of the Abyss. Her Excellency will be merciful if they submit.”

The Abyss Lector grasped the back of your head and examined your face closely, intensifying the pain at your wound. You tried to endure the pain and glare back.

“Poor thing. Is it you?” - He chuckled, releasing you - “Just enjoy these final moments.”

“Your opponent is me.”

Ajax said coldly, switching his weapon to a glaive. The energy around Ajax's body jerked with angry purple lightning, like a compressed storm about to explode. His mind now had only one thought: to slaughter his opponent.

“That saves time.” - The Abyss Lector grinned - “You must be the "brawn" of the group, right?”

“I'm the one who kicks your ass.”

And just like that, Ajax and the Abyss Herald suddenly disappeared, or rather, they dashed straight at each other with inhuman speed. Only the clashing of metal signaled the battle, with both opponents attacking, moving, dodging, and countering endlessly. In an instant, it seemed like Ajax gained the upper hand as he summoned his abnormal power to counter the Abyss Herald's elemental abilities. Oddly enough, the Abyss Lector outside the battle circle became more curious than concerned.

“This kid fights like someone…”

The Abyss Lector muttered, flipping his spellbook and summoning three fire pillars beneath the ground, causing the snow on the ground to evaporate. A magic circle connected the three blazing pillars, instantly forcing Ajax to dodge. He slightly showed signs of fatigue from using his power, while the Abyss Herald had almost depleted its protective shield.

“The borrowed power comes with a hefty price. Where did you learn to fight, kid?”

“My mentor taught me not to waste time on cowards.” - Ajax stood tall and waved his hand provocatively at the Abyss Lector.

“Hahaha, that's enough to narrow down the search range. You've learned to fight, gained power from the Abyss. Isn't it time to pay the price?” - The Abyss Lector raised his hand towards Ajax - “Do you want to come back?”

“I am the weapon of the Tsaritsa.” - Ajax said simply.

“Too bad.”

The Abyss Lector summoned a large fireball and hurled it towards Ajax, creating an explosion that shook the entire icy lake. Any creature caught in the fireball would surely be obliterated. He was about to leave, but couldn't help but stare in disbelief as Ajax emerged from the mist. He seemed much taller now, wearing a red mask with a bright blue gemstone like his eyes in the center. His body was surrounded by a golden light.

"You forgot another deadly weapon of the Tsaritsa." - Ajax said coldly.

The Abyss Lector looked back in astonishment at you. Temporarily out of the battle circle, you had quietly created a shield around Ajax and managed to block the Abyss Lector's most powerful attack. Instead of wasting blood from your deep wound, you used your own blood to activate hidden tattoos, unlocking the "weapon" implanted on your body. This is the moment. The tattoos had been soaked in blood, spreading throughout your body, the price had been paid for a power more dangerous than elemental Delusion as Il Dottore wished - Blood manipulation.

"I should have finished you off first." - The Abyss Lector felt amused but also gradually lost patience. At the same time, he had to quickly dodge Ajax's attacks.

The Abyss Herald lunged towards you but collapsed after a few steps. His whole body trembled, trying to resist your control. All the blood in his body seemed to want to flow back in reverse. He screamed in pain. Terrifying, maybe Ajax was right all along - You thought.

"It seems we should meet another time." - The Abyss Lector stepped back and summoned a teleportation gate to escape. But just as the gate was about to open, you stretched both hands forward and called forth a series of blood-colored chains from the ground to bind both of the Abyss henchmen.

"You! You've also been through the Abyss!?" - The Abyss Lector exclaimed, showing panic for the first time.

But you couldn't answer. This move drained your last ounce of strength and the tattoos felt like they were cutting into your body as the opponents struggled against the chains. You could only scream in agony. Just before losing consciousness, you dimly saw the giant shadow of a Narwhal leaping up and crashing straight into the two Abyss henchmen.

Somewhere, faraway, unbeknownst to you, or maybe to all-livings in Teyvat, something was awakened to the sound of your weakly beating heart.

Darkness enveloped everything.

[joshy-tomato]

Furina managing to sus out that the her newest coworker has intentions for her, hahahaha. Makes sense if she was a child actor and has been in the business for a while now. She has yet to realize how far the rabbit hole goes with this 'Arlecchino', however. Love how the Knave has to change gears and be more genuine to actually get closer to her. She really is desperate.

Perhaps, Furina's instincts are just that good. Or its karma for attacking her in their past life. Arle probably plays up being Furina's fan and someone she admires hard. Very intense, but oddly fitting in Furina's eyes. Almost endearing, really.

And ohhhhhh. That sounds so cool! Furina taking action in her majority, when she's just 18 or in her early 20s. Not willing to let them use and verbally abuse her half-brother like that. Could imagine her parents' marriage barely functioning, both sides cheating and one of them managed to get little Freminet out of the infidelity. Such a twisted perspective of love and marriage, here's to hoping Arlecchino can correct that. Otherwise, romancing her will not be a smooth ride. Given how screwed up her upbringing as a 'successful' child star, Furina just latches onto her little half-brother when she's able to spare the time.

Furina encourages his interest in the ocean and engineering, whispering how she likes to take things apart too; hopeful that Freminet can achieve what he truly wants to do.

The court case spirals into something massive and it's a very good thing that Neuvillette is leading things. (Dragon) Man be dedicated to ensure Furina gets what she's suing for and more. Arlecchino using what influence she has at the time so the trial goes well.

Not sure if this is the OG Neuvillette, a reborn and remembers Neuvillette, or just a Neuvi who wants to give his client her dues.

Is karma and karma is me. I will gently bully Arle every oportunity I get because of the assassination attempt, your welcome. In universe is because Furina is really sharp.

This would make their parents the source of Furina's loneliness in this life. They probably burned bridges with their immediate family because they didn't approve of Furina and Freminet's treatment, they didn't allow Furina to be a normal child and because of that she didn't had many friends growing up and even now, and once Furina reached adulthood and became more of her own person they kept her beloved little bother away from her. Im thinking they force her to pay to see him, to only way they found to make easy money out of him and continue draining Furina's wealth. Say that Arlecchino was livid once she found out would be an understatement. Like, Arle was far from being a good person and a perfect parent on her past life, but at least she treated her kids like people and not like cash cows.

I like to think of Neuvillette as the og one, having a really long life span and taking a page Zhongli's book and pretending to be a normal lawyer to continue watch over Fontaine citizens. He still has a soft spot for Furina and will make sure that she gets her brother and her money back. Him and Arle working together there will be a pair made in hell.

[idyllic-affections]

tbh, when I saw Skirk, I just thought she kinda looked like a knock-off Jingliu. I mean, we glimpse some more interesting design bits like fins (possibly indicating some sort of connection with the Abyss Whale, the whale btw is just.... mmmm *chefs kiss*, water-themed kaiju ) which brings an issue with howna good portion of the adult model Xianzhou women are all wearing extremely similar outfits with some small personalization and differing color palettes, which is something I honestly didn't realize until someone on discord pointed it out. But that's a discussion for a another ask.

Ans I agree with you, I was always envisioning this rugged, scarred, battleworn woman. Somebody whose spent so much time trapped in a lightless hellscape, fighting day-in and day-out against the monstrous inhabitants, that she herself has started to become something of a monster herself. She's beautiful, but not in the traditional/generic way. Paraphrasing you slightly Alphe, she's not elegant, she's not super precise or surgical with the way she fights, she's feral, monstrous even. She's beautiful not in a way that beguiles, but unnerves, perhaps even terrifies the viewer. That's the vision for her that was in the back of my mind when she was described.

This also brings me a very annoying trend I've noticed. How there's literally not a single female genshin character (or just hoyoverse female in general) who has any visible scars. The closest I can find is Beidou with her missing eye, but I would argue that still doesn't really count because we can't see the area (I’m not saying we need to see her fucked eye, more that'd be cool if we got a glimpse of the area poking out around the eyepatch). And she's not the only one who I feel like we should see some scars on.

Dehya, Candace, Sara, Shenhe. And those are just the ones I can think of.

And I can definitely understand  🦢Anon's feelings for Natlan and Snezhnaya. I'm particularly worried about Natlan, particularly what they're gonna make of Murata, who - to paraphrase Christopher Judge - is a FUCKING GOD OF WAR.

she SOO reminds me of jingliu, you're right. and that's also very true. i noticed that when designing my first honkai star rail oc, lian. it was a huge issue for me because it made it hard to find inspiration.

YOU GET ME SOBS i understand the appeal of delicate designs, i do, but there's so fucking many!!! in hyv games!!!!! is it so bad of me to wish for One rugged lady warrior....... arlecchino is good though i like her design <3 BUT YOU GET IT!!! SHE IS BEAUTIFUL AND ELEGANT BUT IN A NONHUMAN WAY!!!! SHE'S ELEGANT LIKE A HUMAN WHO HAS SLOWLY BEEN CORRUPTED BY EDLRITCH FORCES!!!!! SHE IS BEAUTIFUL IN AN OTHERWORLDLY AND UNNERVING WAY!!!!!! she is a warrior with little honor left in her, because there is no such thing in the abyss.

NO YEAH it's like :((( give them scars!!!!! scars tell stories!!!!!!!

i've been generally gentle about my thoughts on skirk but i will be LIVID if they do this with murata and the tsaritsa.