#yes I'm very excited for Natlan

[mimithiz]

I just think he's neat :)

[lovelynim]

May the best one win

Genshin Impact - Xiao, Aether, Albedo and Wanderer

A/N: First things first, I want to thank @eliankrios for his support, patience and - above all that - his trust. This is my first big project in a good while and I think (and hope) that I managed to do a good job so... yeah.

I'm not really used to larger fics, but before I noticed, I was already reaching the word count. This was trully a ride, hahah. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, my dear, faithful customer!

Summary: One day away from starting the next cycle of his journey, why not gather a few friends - and a special person - to hang together?

Word count: 6605 words

Aether sat down and placed a bunch of letters on top of his desk, spreading them out in a fan. He couldn’t help but feel the expectation building up inside him, hoping for a positive outcome.

A couple weeks ago, Aether decided to promote some sort of gathering with his friends. A little farewell party before heading out to the next cycle of his adventure - after all, who knows for how long he will be away in Natlan?

So, with this thought in mind, Aether used his bestest writing to invite the ones he held dear over. Delivering the letters across all the continents he visited so far was a tough task, but Aether knew it would be worth the effort. Not only his friends, but he was also inviting him over, so of course he had to do each and every thing in his reach to make it work.

Back to the present, the replies to his invitations began to arrive, one after the other. The different seals in each stamp showed where they were from: Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru and Fontaine. Aether sighed, picking up the first one and carefully ripping it open.

His eyes scanned over the words written down, beaming with excitement with the positive answer by the foot of the page. A sense of relief and happiness filled his heart by the time he opened the second letter. And the third… well, the traveler pouted, maybe not everything would work out, after all. The fourth and fifth balanced each other out: both answers surprised Aether as they came as the completely opposite of what he had anticipated.

So far, Albedo, Xiao and Wanderer agreed to come over, while Kazuha and Lyney had to decline his request: one thanks to The Crux’s sailing plans and the other to his busy agenda. Still, managing to bring these three, with him included, was enough to fuel Aether’s imagination, dreaming of the day of the gathering.

He looked down at the letters, his mind now wandering to the second matter: what was he going to do with those three together? Thinking about it, would they even get along? Well, surely about was an easier person to be dealt with, but Xiao and Wanderer…

Aether shook his head. He shouldn’t be expecting the worst. What if they ended up enjoying each other's company? Or even became friends? Yes! The traveler stretched out his arms above his head, crossing his hands behind his head as he stared at the Serenitea Pot’s ceiling. He couldn’t wait for the day to come!

…

Well, they were talking to each other, at least. Not in the way Aether expected - or wanted, for that matter - but, still, a conversation, he supposed. 

Clenching his hand around his cup, Aether peeked left and right, hoping to spot any improvement in his guests’ mood. So far, however, Albedo was the only one to be enjoying himself, it seemed. He sighed, a faint voice inside his head already telling this whole meeting was a bad idea.

It’s not like he could say things went downhill from the very start. At first, with just him and Albedo - the first one to arrive -, everything worked out just fine: they had a little chat, Albedo tried out one of his dishes and even complimented Aether on the whole idea. It, indeed, felt like it was about to work out amazingly.

However, it seemed like his plans shattered in front of his very own eyes from the moment his second and third guest arrived - both at the same time, coincidentally. As soon as Xiao and Wanderer landed eyes on each other, animosity and an ominous feeling began to fill the room.

For some unknown reason, they did seem to get along. Aether couldn’t recall a time where they could possibly have interacted before and, being in his right mind, he wouldn’t consider inviting them both together if he knew about any of this - so why do they seem to… hate each other?!

Still, at first, Aether tried to think that it was just his impressions. After all, they wouldn’t be at each other’s throats for the whole night, now, would they?

They would. In fact, they were still at it.

There was no need for words when the two anemo users stared at each other like that, silently threatening their opponent and throwing daggers with their piercing looks. Aether could barely breathe as the tension began to get to him. It felt like they would start to throw punches if Aether took his eyes out of them for a single second!

Suddenly - breaking the silence like a rock thrown at a peaceful lake - Albedo hummed, clearly pleased. “The tea is really good, traveler,” he said, taking the cup away from his lips as he lowered it, “where did you say it came from again?”

Aether’s jaw dropped. ‘My savior’, he thought, coughing to clean up his throat before proudly holding his cup up. “From Fontaine! It might be a bit too sweet, but I really liked it, hehe… I ended up getting a couple more, so drink as much as you want, ‘Bedo!”

“Huh, ‘a bit too sweet’?” Wanderer scoffed, leaning back in his seat and cocking his head to the side, throwing Aether a teasing stare. “You have such a childish taste, traveler. I bet you even added sugar to your cup, didn’t you?”

“A-ahah,” Aether giggled nervously, blushing slightly. He indeed added an extra sugar cube… “Well, I just-”

“You don’t have to drink it if you don’t like it,” Xiao interrupted drily, his arms crossed in front of his chest while his brows furrowed. Uh oh. “Aether had all the trouble in preparing it for us. It’s rude to complain like that.”

“X-Xiao, it’s not that ser-”

“So what? Why are you even hurting in his place?” Wanderer snapped back defiantly, barely shifting in his place if not for his head tilting back - moving it just to look down at Xiao.

This was bad. Really, really bad. Aether looked left and right, trying to utter something to ease the tension, but ending up just getting interrupted before managing to utter anything. He didn’t even know if he should step in at that point - what if they thought he was taking a side? Even worse, what if they wanted him to take a side?!

While Aether lost himself in a flurry of thoughts, with one idea running over the other, Xiao and Wanderer continued their ‘little’ bickering, getting more and more flared up with each other.

“You should show proper respect to your host - especially if it’s someone as Aether,” Xiao hissed, leaning forward in his seat as if ready to jump at Wanderer’s face within the next seconds. 

Still, the other guy didn’t seem like he was planning to back down. “I can talk to him however I want. We are friends and he doesn’t mind. Why should I listen to you?”

“Apologize to the traveler. Now.”

“Or what, Yaksha?” Wanderer grinned. “Want to take it outside? I can b-”

Clap!

“Ahem.”

The two stopped, widening their eyes in surprise and turning their attention to Albedo, who still had his hands together. He also managed to call Aether’s attention, who watched him with expectant eyes - almost as if begging him for a solution. Someone as smart as him surely could come up with something, right?

“I didn’t plan to step in, but it doesn’t seem like you two will figure it out peacefully,” he sighed, his eyes scanning the room from one side to the other, making eye contact with Xiao and, then, with Wanderer. “Am I right?”

The two guys looked away, one puffing out his cheeks while the other clicked his tongue. Why did it feel like he was dealing with two kids..?

“He started it,” Xiao mumbled, saddened to see how distressed Aether was at the whole scene. “He was being rude to Aether.”

Wanderer sighed, rolling his eyes, “exactly, to Aether. Not to you. He doesn’t even care, you are the only one complaining.” Just as he finished speaking, Wanderer also shot a glance at Aether’s face and, despite his attempts to conceal his emotions, it was clear that it also bothered him.

However, even when they were aware of the consequences of their bickering, it didn’t seem to be enough to appease the mood. In a blink of an eye, they were about to start the whole discussion all over again.

So, for the second time, Albedo decided to meddle in their fight. “Do you two really wish to fight each other so badly?”

The unfriendly duo huffed, keeping themselves quiet, but clearly agreeing with Albedo’s statement.

“Sure, you can fight, then.”

“A-Albedo?!” Aether gasped, what was he even trying to achieve by allowing such a thing? Did he want to take notes on the results of Xiao and Wanderer’s falling out?! “N-no, you can’t fig-”

“But,” Albedo continued, skilfully capturing the attention of all the people in the room, “to prevent any harm to be done, you’ll have to solve this through a contest. And, whoever wins, gets to be ‘right’ about this matter. Good enough?”

Silence quickly sat in the room. Albedo could be a really mysterious - if not confusing - person when he wanted and, at times like these, it was almost impossible to figure him out. What was he even planning with this ‘contest’?

“Why would I even joi-”

“Fine for me,” Xiao abruptly cut Wanderer’s speech, looking at his possible opponent. “I can do it, no matter what it is.”

Wanderer gritted his teeth, growling quietly as Xiao managed to easily get into his nerves. “Ok, let’s do it. I can’t wait to hear the Yaksha begging for my pardon.”

Albedo smiled, looking at his side to meet Aether’s eyes. “Would you like to join as well, traveler?”

“H-huh? Me?”

“Yes, you can take part in it too,” Albedo nodded. “If you win, then they both shall apologise to each other.”

Aether furrowed his brows slightly, taking the offer in consideration. Certainly, winning on their terms would probably prevent Xiao and Wanderer from getting into another fight so it should be worth the try, right?

“Alright, I’ll join you guys too!” Aether clenched his hands, excited. This was getting interesting. “So, what’s your idea, Albedo?”

“Yeah,” Wanderer added, “what’s the ‘contest’ about?”

“Endurance.”

…

“What?” Xiao, Aether and Wanderer asked, almost in unison. 

Albedo chuckled, taking back his seat and elegantly crossing one knee over the other, ready to start his explanation. “So, the main goal here is to prevent you,” he pointed to Xiao, “and you,” then at Wanderer, “to hurt each other. My proposal, then, is an endurance test. Whoever lasts longer, wins. Simple as that.”

“And how exactly do you plan to test our endurance? Making us run around the house?” Wanderer mumbled, supporting his head on his hand as he looked at Albedo.

“By tickling you,” Albedo said with a smile, contrasting the unsettled faces of the other three. “Whoever takes the longest time to yield, wins.”

It didn’t take long for a pink hue to cover everyone’s faces. While Aether’s eyes widened and his whole body tensed up with a shiver running up his spine, Wanderer looked away, trying to hide his blushing cheeks by pretending to cringe at the idea. Meanwhile, Xiao fiddled in his seat, trying to find courage to face such a trial while telling himself that ‘it was for Aether’.

And, just like that, no one dared to object to the idea - each of them with their own reasons to not do so. “It’s settled then,” Albedo said as he clapped his hands together, his eyes scanning the whole room while a subtle smirk planted itself on his lips. “Is there anyone that would like to go first?”

That question seemed to spark a whole new level of anticipation among the ‘contestants’. Eager eyes shifted back and forth between one and another, trying to read who was going to make the first move.

A sharp inhale, then, directed everyone’s attention to Wanderer. “Fine, I’ll do it. Just get over with this stupid contest already,” he groaned, throwing a deadly glare to the other three as if daring one of them to even lift a finger towards him.

And as expected, his silent threats seemed to do the trick for Aether while, as for the Yaksha, it seemed to make him hesitate - after all, he wouldn’t want to start a fight in front of the traveler again. However, during the few seconds Wanderer occupied himself with keeping an eye on them, Albedo made his move.

“AH!” Wanderer squeaked like a toy, quickly shooting his arms down and pressing them against his body as hard as he could, trying to stop Albedo’s hands from climbing his ribs any further. “Y-you- fuhuck! G-grhrr, I wihill f-fuhucking kihill you!!” He growled, leaning his head back into the chair rest, but further into Albedo’s grasp.

“You’re allowed to laugh, though. I think I forgot to mention that,” Albedo mused, his index fingers poking at different spots in Wanderer’s ribcage, prodding at the little spaces between each bone in search for a sensitive spot that would make him crack. “Just say ‘yellow’ when you can’t take it anymore and I’ll stop, ok? That’s also what will count as ‘yield’.”

“I d-dohon’t need a fu- pfft, d-damn it! A sahahafe word! I’m n-nohot tihihicklish!”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Albedo mocked, digging into the back of Wanderer’s ribs with his thumb. Getting behind him was proving to be awfully convenient for him, he thought while making little notes in his head about Wanderer’s ticklish spots.

It was a sight to behold, from Aether’s and Xiao’s point of view. Albedo made touching someone like Wanderer seem easy, even casual, completely tickling his way through the threats and curses. 

“You’re pretty ticklish here, right?”

“N-NOhohoh!! G-gehehet off, ahAHAH!!” 

If it weren’t for the fact that they were up next in the line to get that treatment, it would be a pretty amusing scene to watch. As expected of Albedo, it seemed that every tweak of his fingers, every poke and every stroke were planned, calculated. Wanderer didn’t stand a chance as no matter what direction he arched or twisted his body, Albedo would already have his hands ready to welcome him with more tickles there. “Yohohou jehEHEHerk!! It tihihickles!”

Albedo simply scoffed a laugh and continued with the ‘contest’s trial’, his digits kneading at Wanderer’s lowest set of ribs. “Of course it does, that’s my goal.” 

But despite how hard he tried to make it tickle or how bad Wanderer claimed it to be, he was still not yielding - which meant it wasn’t time for Albedo to stop or let him go yet. A small pout took place in his lips while he pondered if he should try a different spot or, maybe, look around Aether’s place for a quill or a brush?

Then, feeling the gazes of his audience upon him and the current contestant, a different idea popped up in Albedo’s mind. Right, why didn’t he consider asking for some helping hands before?

“Would you like to join us?” Albedo suggested, cocking his head to the right while one of his hands managed to sneak under Wanderer’s arm, managing to tickle the smooth skin with the tip of his digits even with Wanderer clasping his arms down as hard as he possibly could. “Oh, did I hit a good spot?” He mused, looking down to the one squirming in his grip.

“NOHohohoh!! I-it’s ahAHAHahwful!!” Wanderer whined, his feet kicking up as he threw himself back in his seat, hoping to make Albedo lose contact with him, even if it was just for a split of a second. 

Back to the other two, they pondered about Albedo’s offer - after all, that seemed to be a double edged knife: if they did join, that meant Wanderer would also get to join when it was their turn to get tickled? But wouldn’t that also mean they had the chance to make him surrender faster? Well, it was worth the shot, Xiao thought, while Aether only considered that it would make things more fun - and that should be enough to outweigh the cons. 

Wanderer - too busy laughing and squirming in his seat, trying to fend off Albedo’s skilful fingers - barely noticed the two figures walking towards him. Not only that, but it wasn’t like any other sound besides his giggles could make it out of his mouth at that time.

All he could pay attention to was Albedo’s fingers trying to move and wiggle their way further up his torso, still managing to tickle him under his arms even when he tried so hard to protect that spot. Each move sent that awful signal that made him want to smile and laugh through his nerves and straight into his brain, over and over. 

He wasn’t even human, so why was he so sensitive?

Suddenly, that and other inquiries that crossed his mind lost all the room they had inside Wanderer’s mind. With his eyes still pressed shut, he could only feel - as focused for a brief moment - that Albedo’s hands managed to… multiply? Wait, that didn’t make any sense. If he was tickling his armpits, then who the hell was holding him down by his waist?

Oh.

“W-wahahait!! I didn’t sahahay you’d gehehet to join!” Wanderer whined, pulling his knees up close to his stomach as his in a vain attempt of stopping Aether from joining in. “GeEHEhet ahaway frohohom me!!”

“Stop squirming,” Xiao groaned coldly, grabbing one of his ankles and forcing him to stretch out his leg, “Albedo said we could join. You weren’t already thinking of yielding, were you?”

“Don’t be mean to him, Xiao,” Aether said, but didn’t complain about the extra room Xiao provided him. His fingers roamed freely, wiggling over Wanderer’s lower sides and stomach.

“YOHOHOU!! AHahAHaha, y-you suhuhuck!” Wanderer laughed, scrunching up his shoulders and thrashing his head left and right.

Albedo tickling his armpits and ribs from behind, Aether playing with his middle like an instrument and that stupid Yaksha holding his legs down. This couldn’t possibly have gone any worse, Wanderer thought while a wide, careless smile bloomed into his face.

“Tickle tickle tickle! ~” Aether cooed, repetitively poking Wanderer around his navel, circling his stomach and even going down to tease his sides as well. “I think I’m better than Albedo at tickling you, won’t you agree?”

“That’s bold coming from you, traveler,” Albedo snapped back, “I would say he is barely feeling your hands.”

It was hard to even process what was happening around him. Wanderer’s body mostly moved out of reflex, barely having room to ponder about his actions. He arched his back, tried to kick his feet up and even twist his torso, swatting his hands at any ‘threat’ within his reach. “S-stohohop it!! Y-yohou ahHAHare all s-so- aHAHaha, so l-lahahame!”

If this was how things went, Wanderer could probably achieve a decent score with much effort. However, there was a missing piece that he failed to notice: Xiao. The Yaksha, while keeping Wanderer’s legs held down, watched the whole scene carefully and plotted his strategy - the main goal was to defeat him, after all. Why show him any mercy?

“I tohohold you to stahAHAHAH!!”

Aether and Albedo widened their eyes as his laughter soon rose a pitch. Maybe even two. To their surprise, the ‘best tickler’ wasn’t Aether nor Albedo, but Xiao. “This is the weak spot,” Xiao muttered, his eyes coldly staring at Wanderer’s laughing face. He kept one of his legs outstretched while, with his free hand, he squeezed the spot just above Wanderer’s knee, sending him into hysterics.

Simple. Effective. Even a bit cruel, if you asked Wanderer. The tickling from Albedo and Aether even slowed down a bit, but Wanderer’s laugh only seemed to grow more and more frantic.

“NOHOHOH MOHOHOREHEH!! AHAHAhah, f-fiHIHIHINE! AHAH ~” He whined, desperately trying to pull his leg out of Xiao’s grip, “Y-YEHEHEHELLOW!! StahAHAH-”

Clap.

Xiao lifted his eyes from Wanderer’s to Albedo’s face. The alchemist had a pleased smile on his face while holding his hand out in front of his chest. 

“A-ahah… ah… y-you freheheak…” Wanderer cursed through tired giggles, his body going limp on top of his seat. His disheveled hair sticking to his forehead while his chest waved, trying to catch up his breath.

“Well, that wraps up our first round,” Albedo explained.

A cocky smirk took place in Xiao’s lips as he looked down at his main opponent, almost as if mocking him. Meanwhile, Aether’s eyes opened wide, beaming with excitement and anticipation - as that was probably what would wait for him. “H-how long was it, ‘Bedo?”

“I can’t say it yet, traveler,” he chuckled, “I don’t want anyone trying to push themselves beyond their limit just because of a silly game. So, let’s just stick with the rules for now, yes?” With that said, Albedo slowly walked around the chair, letting Wanderer rest while looking at Xiao and Aether, “should I decide who is going next, now?”

If it weren’t for Wanderer’s heavy breathing, the room would have been engulfed by silence again. However, just as Albedo was about to say something else, his attention shifted from the pair of “upcoming contestants” to the one next him. “Wanderer, what are you-”

“The Yaksha is going next,” Wanderer said as he got up, walking towards Xiao with bloodlust in his eyes. Did he really remember the goal of this contest was to not use violence?! “Come here!”

“G-get away from me!” Xiao groaned, trying to step back just to be tackled down into the soft carpet. Before Aether or Albedo could express their concern, Wanderer was already… tickling him. “S-stohop it! I dohon’t want y-you to doho it!” Xiao whined, kicking up his feet and swatting his hands at Wanderer's in a rather careless manner - it was not like he would bother himself with trying to not hurt him by accident.

Wanderer, with a wicked grin spreading over his face, continued to knead into Xiao's sides, determined to break him into laughter as soon as possible. “What do you mean? You wanted someone else to tickle you, you freak?” He mocked, pushing his hands away before dig into his lower stomach.

“S-shuhut it!! This ihihis nohohothing!” Xiao laughed out loud, caught off guard by the sudden change of spots. A faint blush began to spread over his face as he realized Aether had been watching him all this time. “I c-cahan tahahake it,” he boasted, almost as if trying to impress the traveler.

Wanderer, however, wasn't going to let that slide off easily - he was also one of the contestants, after all. “Suit yourself, Yaksha,” he muttered, half annoyed by Xiao's stubbornness, half amused by the whole situation.

Xiao was fighting not only one battle, but two. One to restrain himself from laughing, to make that revengeful tickling a bit more bearable and last the longest among them - or, at least, longer than Wanderer. The second was to maintain a collected image in front of Aether - the one he was ‘fighting’ for. It was just a childish, stupid game, not something that could beat a Yaksha. It was just tickling - he could, and would, take it, yes. 

“I-ihihit’s useless!” Xiao mumbled through gritted teeth, trying to mock Wanderer’s attempts to crack him up. “Yohohou are teheherrible at this!”

And as much as he would hate to admit, seeing Xiao taking it so well was starting to get on Wanderer's nerves. He tried tickling his sides and ribs, scratching his stomach and even pinch his waist, but couldn’t find a spot that really worked: all he could get from Xiao was those quiet, annoyed chuckles. “It doesn’t sound like you agree with that, Yaksha.”

“Are they always this competitive?” Albedo muttered to Aether with a surprised smile on his face, unable to do anything but be amused by the whole scene. “I didn’t expect they would take it so seriously.”

“W-well, they never hung together before,” Aether chirped, scratching the back of his head in surprise. At least no one was getting hurt and they were… enjoying themselves? Having fun? Something like that, he thought. “But I think it’s a good thing they… are sort of getting alo-”

“Hey, you two,” Wanderer groaned with a frown, “aren’t you going to help me as well? Or did you suddenly decide to not get involved?”

“H-hah, I knehehew you cohohouldn’t do it b-by yohohourself,” Xiao taunted again, a confident smirk taking space in his lips amidst the restrained giggles. He, however, kept a tight grip around Wanderer’s wrists, limiting a good amount of his moves. “You ahahare not up fohor the tahask!”

“Shut it, Yaksha,” Wanderer groaned, growing frustrated. He moved his head left and right, switching his attention between Xiao and the other duo, “I’ll make you eat your words, j-just you- ugh, let go,” he hissed, yanking his hands out of Xiao’s wrists before latching them at his sides again, making the latter arch his back and kick his feet as a loud fit of laughter nearly broke through his throat.

Aether and Albedo couldn’t help but to snicker at the scene. Nodding as if in some kind of silent agreement, they decided to join Wanderer’s efforts in making Xiao laugh. 

Albedo first positioned himself behind Wanderer’s, further restraining Xiao’s legs. Despite the whines and protests, he managed to pull off one of his boots and pin his leg into the soft mattress to scribble over the socked sole with his free hand. Albedo’s fingers wiggled upwards, stroking from Xiao’s heel up to his toes.

As for Aether, he took upon himself the task to take care of Xiao’s hands, taking a seat right next to the Yaksha’s head and allowing him to use his lap as a pillow. With a bit of Wanderer’s aid, he managed to pull Xiao’s hands up, exposing more of his torso for Wanderer’s merciless tickles. For some reason, having Aether holding his wrists down was flustering him the most among everything that was happening around him. 

With the ticklish feeling running back and forth all over his body, Xiao thrashed his head, pressing it further into Aether’s lap as he laughed brightly. His free leg kicked and his back arched - his defenses had, indeed, crumbled. Still, the whole point wasn’t to make him laugh, but to make him surrender.

“T-thahAHAH- that’s unfahAHAhair!!” Xiao laughed, a faint red shade covering the whole extent of his cheeks. “L-lehehet go, trahAHAhaveler!” He pleaded, his hands clenched into fists while he desperately tried to pull down his arms, only to have Aether stopping him midway and pinned down again

“Not so cocky now, eh?” Wanderer grinned, his fingers digging into the side of Xiao’s ribs while his thumbs prodded at the spot below his chest, determined to find that spot, that sweet spot that would make Xiao apologize for nagging him. “Tsk, just yield already, stubborn Yaksha,” Wanderer groaned, quickly shooting his hands down to pinch Xiao’s sides, “you are clearly at your limit.”

“It would be wise to not push you to your limits, Xiao,” Albedo said, barely bothering himself to look back at the whole scene as he was too entertained with Xiao’s foot trying to squirm away from his fingers. “If you feel like it, just say the word.”

“I’m doHOHOhon’t neh-HEHEHEH NEEHEHED IT!”

The three sighed, something giving them the feeling that Xiao would rather have his brain melted by the laughter than admit defeat. “Oh, Xiao, why are you always so stubborn?” Aether chuckled, his fingers itching to do a bit more than just holding Xiao down… but, if he were to join, he should pick a good spot - but where?

His eyes roamed from Xiao’s flushed cheeks down to his neck, then up to his ears and to his arms, which were held up next to his head. Oh. Aether smirked, letting go of one of Xiao’s hands and reaching out for his exposed underarm, clawing at it with his free hand. “Come on, Xiao ~ I know it tickles too bad, even for you ~”

Just as expected, Xiao bursted into a louder fit of laughter as soon as Aether joined the efforts into cracking him up. The Yaksha’s banged his free hand against the soft mat underneath him, clenching it into a fist. 

His cheeks and the sides of stomach were hurting from laughing so much and he couldn’t even make some meaning out of the conversation that was happening around him. It tickled so, so bad… Xiao pressed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the tickling, but each second of that electric feeling running all over his body felt an eternity. He couldn’t take it.

“AHAHAHAH, YEHEHELLOW!! YehEHEHEllow, plehehease!!” Xiao barked out among his cackles, turning his laughing face to the side and trying to bury it into Aether’s legs to hide his blushing cheeks. It took his brain some solid seconds to process that the tickling was over and, after all that “torment”, he was free.

“H-hehe, are you ok, Xiao?” Aether hummed, brushing his hand through Xiao’s head and wiping out the little tears that clung to the corner of his eyes.

“Tsk”, Wanderer pouted, totally not jealous of the little aftercare the Yaksha was receiving, “it’s just tickling. What kind of warrior would he be if he can’t take it?”

Albedo chuckled, but spared Wanderer of the reminder that he was the one laughing his head off just moments ago. “Don’t be mean, he did a pretty good job at this round,” he added, sliding off Xiao’s legs, “now… there is only one contestant left, right?”

That comment seemed to switch something inside Wanderer and Xiao’s heads. While Albedo displayed a playful smile, the other two locked their gazes into Aether’s face, one from below and the other in front of him, the latter just a half-a-Xiao away. “A-ahm… wait a second, I-���

“You’re not going back on your word, right?” Wanderer said with a smirk on his lips, already moving off of Xiao’s lap. Before Aether could even think of arguing back, the Yaksha was already sitting back up, staring at him with his golden eyes.

Aether swallowed, already accepting that there would be no way out for him this time. “F-fine, you cahAHA! W-wahahait a second, Xiao!”

“No,” Xiao muttered in a quiet, almost serious voice tone while he shyly pawed at Aether’s exposed sides, kneading into any patch of skin he could reach. 

Truth to be told, Aether would have to deal with both him and Wanderer tickling him from the start if it weren’t for the way Xiao looked at the other two - like a wild animal fighting for its territory. Still, Aether was too busy laughing and trying to defend himself to notice those bits of possessive behavior. “You shouldn’t have agreed to this, traveler,” Xiao hummed, his words as firm as you’d expect from a warrior, but still… gentle somehow. “You’re too ticklish for it, it’s unwise.”

“I wahahanted to try!” Aether giggled, letting himself be handled by the Yaksha and comfortably placed on Xiao’s lap. With one arm around his back, Xiao continued to tickle Aether, smiling fondly as he managed to hang this close to the traveler. “X-Xiahahao,” Aether whimpered, scrunching up his shoulder, “n-not my ehehehar!”

“But I’m not tickling you there, I’m just breathing,” Xiao chuckled, his fingers dancing around Aether’s stomach while he nuzzled his face against the side of Aether’s neck, “I told you, you’re too ticklish for this contest.”

While Xiao insisted on teaching and lecturing Aether about the sensitive spots in his body, Wanderer and Albedo exchanged glances, watching from afar as Aether laughed out brightly. “Doesn’t this count as going too easy on him?” Wanderer pouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he sulked against the couch.

“Let him have it,” Albedo sighed with a slight chuckle, “and I’m not talking about the traveler,” he added quietly, making Wanderer arch one of his eyebrows. Well, at least someone in the room knew how to read in between the lines, after all. “Besides, don’t you think you’re taking this competition a little too seriously?”

“What?” Wanderer huffed, entertaining himself with the conversation while Aether’s laughter grew in the background, “do you expect me to compete for the second place? Someone needs to teach that Yaksha his place.”

Albedo laughed, covering his lips with the back of his hand in a charming manner. “Well, if you say so,” he shook his head, returning his attention to Aether - who was already blushing from laughing. For some reason, Xiao was also blushing just as much, if not more, while tickling the traveler.

“Xiahahahao, n-not thehehere!” Aether giggled, tugging at Xiao’s wrists and leaning his head back into Xiao’s shoulder while Xiao pinched and squeezed his waist, prodding at the soft spots just above his hip bones. “I-it tihihihickles too bahahahad!” 

“I-it’s supposed to,” Xiao nodded, resting his chin by the side of Aether’s neck and allowing him to sink deeper into his embrace, “but you’re d-doing quite well, traveler. I expected you to tap out much faster than thi-”

“It’s because you’re going too easy on him,” Wanderer interrupted with a smirk, pushing himself back up into his feet and walking towards the little couple duo. Xiao frowned, too greedy to share his precious traveler with that… guy.

“I know how he likes it,” Xiao snapped, making Aether groan in embarrassment. Did he really need to say that out loud, the traveler thought, but didn’t voice it. “Unlike you, it seems.”

However, against what he expected, Wanderer chuckled at his snark. He shook his head and clicked his lips, almost as if spotting a fatal flaw in Xiao’s method. “That’s the problem. He shouldn’t like it, right? He needs to beg!”

“AHAHAH!!”

Xiao widened his eyes as Aether bursted out in a loud, unrestrained fit of laughter - and only then he realized the traveler was only giggling all this time, and not laughing for real. “He is pretty ticklish all over, all somewhat the same,” Wanderer scoffed, pushing his hands under Aether's arms and clawing at his ribs and the sides of his chest, “you need to go harder or you’re not going to make any progress.”

As much as he hated to admit, Xiao couldn’t deny that Wanderer seem to be… right. Could he actually have been going easy on Aether all this time without notice?

Despite the little bickering happening around him, Aether could only mind the fact that it tickled. Xiao’s gentle, playfully tickles around his stomach and hips made him feel lighthearted, made his heart flutter. Meanwhile, the restless, almost maniac-like touches from Wanderer’s fingers around his ribs made his head spin and even made his chest hurt a little from the lack of air. “A-AHAHAHALBEDO,” Aether cried out, pressing his arms down against his sides as he tried to protect his vulnerable torso from the tickles that seemed to come from all sides, “HEHEHELP MEHEHE! AHAHA!!”

“I can’t,” the alchemist said from the distance, his voice barely audible among the loud cackling, “you didn’t say it yet.”

Right, the word. That word. Aether shook his head, gritting his teeth as he tried to gather strength to say it. “Y-YEHEHE- AHAHAH!! Y-yehehell- hhahAHAH, I CAHAHAN’T!”

“Come on,” Wanderer mocked, “it’s a simple word, how come you can’t do it?”

“I’M TRYHIHING! AHAHAH, PLEHEHEASE!” He whined, shaking his head while tears of mirth clung to his lashes, “Y-YELLOW! YEHEHEHELLOW!”

Wanderer grinned triumphantly and Albedo sighed in relief, but Xiao pouted slightly, feeling like his fun was ruined by that other guy - even though he was still glad he managed to have Aether for himself, even if for just a bit.  

“A-ahahah… o-oh my…” Aether giggled, nearly melting over Xiao as the tickling finally came to halt. His head was spinning and he could swear he almost ascended to Celestia right there and then. “T-thihis was fun, heh…”

“It’s not supposed to be fun, it’s a competition,” Wanderer corrected him, that self-assigned superiority back in his eyes. “Now, alchemist, who wo-”

“Wait,” Aether stopped, shaking his head as if to force himself to recover, “it’s not over yet,” he smiled, taking one last gasp of air to stead his breath. “It’s Albedo’s turn now.”

“What?” Albedo blinked in confusion, pointing to himself with one of his hands as if to emphasize his shock. “But I’m not participating,” he said while letting out a small giggle, trying to hide his nervousness.

“How come?” Wanderer added, reading through Aether’s intentions and deciding to encourage them for once, “it’s only fair you get a turn too, this was all your idea, after all.”

Albedo’s eyebrow twitched slightly while his body leaned back into the couch, the apprehension growing within his chest. “M-my idea to solve your conflicts, I’m not part of the deal. W-what would I even win by beating you?”

“That’s up for you to decide,” Xiao added, standing up again before helping Aether to get back into his feet, “but I agree you should participate.”

Aether looked at Wanderer, at his right, and then at Xiao, at his left. He didn’t expect them to join or support his plan - he only wanted an excuse to tickle Albedo, after all - but this whole ‘contest’ thing seemed to, indeed, have made them closer. “Get ready, ‘Bedo! ~”

“A-Aether!” Albedo gasped, trying to get up in a hurry to evade Aether, but only managing to get a few meters away from the couch before being tackled down by the traveler. “S-stohop!”

“I didn’t even start,” Aether laughed, straddling Albedo’s back before starting to tickle his sides and lower ribs. “Show them how it’s done, ‘Bedo!”

Damn it. Of all the things that could’ve happened, a turn of tables against him - with even Xiao and Wanderer fighting on the same side - was the last one Albedo expected. “Nohoho! I dohohon’t wahahant to pahaharticipate!”

Aether smirked, shaking his head, “too late for that! But don’t worry, I’m rooting for you,” he said, letting out a short giggle while trying to move his fingers towards Albedo’s armpits - an attempt the alchemist promptly blocked, stopping to flail his arms and using them to try to protect his body instead. “You two,” Aether called out, looking over his shoulder, “aren’t you going to join?”

Xiao and Wanderer nodded, walking towards where Albedo had been restrained, “of course, he is the ‘most promising contestant’, after all, “Wanderer commented sarcastically.

“W-wahahait! Yellow! I-I quihihit!”

“That’s not acceptable,” Xiao added in a cold voice tone despite the warm, playful smile on his face, “you’re clearly not being fair with us. You should always give it your all, no matter the circumstances.”

“Nohoho! W-what ahahre you two doin- aHAHAH! H-hehehey, lehehet me go! ~” Albedo laughed, feeling some more weight against his legs before the new sets of fingers began to roam and tickle any spot they could find around his legs. If they were already so determined to tickle him, Albedo didn’t even want to imagine how they would react when they found out that there was no true winner - after all, he had never timed their turns to begin with.

Sigh, at least they seemed  more friendly towards each other now, Albedo thought while trying to sound “genuine” enough in his attempts of yielding between his laughter. This was going to be a long - but fun - night…

[fischlcatgirl]

okay here are my thoughts about genshin at the moment. i have been not making this post for a little bit because it. pisses me off.

I don't know what the fuck they think they're doing with these characters. HONESTLY. yes the state of them was getting worse gradually. it doesn't take a genius to figure out that when part of a character's draw is how strong they are, in order to get people to buy more and more characters, they have to get stronger and stronger.

but what felt before like a gradual incline turned into a fucking cliffside when natlan dropped and mualani was released at a similar power level to neuvillette (who had just just just powercrept every other hydro dps) WITHOUT the same investment or supports he needed.

The problem I think really is not the character kits themselves. It's not that they're out of ideas. It's just that the multipliers are fucking crazy. and to be frank!! I don't think i've seen one person who is happy with the direction things seem to be going.

i can't deny that there are a lot of good older characters and i wouldn't try to. I am. and perhaps will forever be. a fischl main. (all things considered a very lucky main pick. i considered xinyan) But i am annoyed by ccs who will try to tell you that international is still perfectly abyss viable. like girl. go play international then. go play kokomi taser. go play morgana.

content that should be designed to be challenging mechanically is NOT because it's way easier and more profitable to create a situation where the game looks you dead in the face and goes. drop 2000$ for c2 mauvika and citlali and just kill the enemies before they 1-shot you. otherwise enjoy the next half hour of restarting the chamber.

the fact that they changed the rules for the chronicled wish to put shenhe on rather than let go of hu tao, especially when they have arlecchino right there to give as many regular reruns as they want, is particularly scummy. especially after over a year of shenhe not having a rerun. incredibly nasty. just a flagrant display of how little they care about the feelings of their players as compared to their bottom line.

They're a business. Whatever. That doesn't make it cool or right.

I love genshin's story. I'm concerned for its direction. I'm concerned for the writing of its characters. Maybe I'm missing something, but Mualani's hydro vision doesn't represent jack shit in terms of a duality of character. Citlali could have been absolutely fascinating but has instead been reduced to a tusundre love interest for the traveller to a degree they didn't even inflict on Ayaka. We're supposed to see playable Skirk soon-ish, which I would love to be excited about but tbh with how they handled citlali (another woman who is hundreds of years old and incredibly powerful) I am preparing myself for disappointment.

WHICH SUCKS! I love genshin! I love it! I think that it started out a good game, and that it could be a good game again. Who knows? Maybe natlan will be the character-release equivalent of inazuma's story quest: kind of bad, but with much better things after it. Maybe they'll finally start running three characters at once. Maybe Childe will come back and I will forget my troubles again. I will quit genshin once it becomes virtually unplayable, or once they start releasing doubles of the same character, whichever comes first.

tldr; natlan powercreep needs to end and i really hope they don't fumble any more characters like they did citlali, but ultimately i still really like genshin and want to know where it is going.

anyway, if you got to the end of this long ass post i would love to know what you think and I would LOVE to talk about genshin i will do it until the sun comes up in the west. please talk to me about genshin

[transmascaraa]

random but yes my final thoughts on all the new natlan chars with a conclusion in the end lmao

mualani .

i love her she's so cute help i knew i would love her ever since her first appearance i literally can't wait for her drip marketing tmrw

the tattoo typa things on her skin help?!????!??!? beautiful?!!?!!?!??

hydro women>>

~

kachina .

SHE'S ADORABLE HELP

i love all the genshin children sm they're so precious i swear even dori /p

i love her hair a lot tho

~

kinich .

LOOK.

MY FAVORITE CHARACTER(scara) HAS COMPETITION NOW.

I WILL REFRAIN FROM SAYING TOO MUCH BUT BASICALLY I LOVE HIM. (and ajaw lmfao that little thing about to become like boothill)

~

citlali .

ANYWAYS LOOK AT HERRRR

she's so cute i love her

something about her reminds me about hsr fu xuan but either way she's probably the cutest char from the trailer imo^^

~

xilonen .

help me i can't do this anymore the women are literally top tier(offtopic but she's almost identical to one of my ocs which i won't rant about rn lmao)

THE MAKEUP AND HAIR???? MY FAVORITE WOMAN FROM NATLAN?????????

SHE'S THE DEFINITION OF SMTHN LIKE "in war rn but at least i gotta look hot" AND IT'S TRUE

~

iansan .

somebody help why did we only get like 0,6sec of her😭

still i'm very excited for her

for the design at least since i truly have no idea of her personality lol

~

chasca .

i love this woman already

also the mole she has on her shoulder bro i have the one on the same place

cowboy vibes from her btw??

~

capitano . and ororon(olorun?) .

about capitano; first, i'm very excited, and second, i wish he said more than just "hmph."

about ororon(olorun?); heard that he turned out very bad based on who he references and even his name is very messed up i'm pretty sure?? basically the same situation that happened with candace/kandake EITHER WAY i'm excited to see him more and like will he be the first tall male anemo help lol i like his design

can't wait for them although i have other preferences for now

~ ~

mavuika .

THANK GOODNESS SHE'S NOT LIKE THE LEAKS

i absolutely love her design and everything sm about her literally please don't die and yeah she's now my third favorite archon along with furina and nahida

also despite the outfit not being revealing and all and literally a 10/10, i have a feeling she's gonna get very sexualized because of that zipper😭

~

in conclusion, i absolutely love the characters.

the only problem is that there's not really many dark skinned characters aside from iansan and kinda tanned mualani and xilonen ig

here's a link to a petition to try and stop hoyo from making the skin colors as light as they always do😭 i personally didn't look into it too much at first because of which countries the nations were based off of, but now this is supposed to be africa/south america and there's not really much skin representation

yeah, sure there's representation, but not of skin color other than iansan(and mualani and xilonen too)

finally, i think that all the designs are truly 10/10 it's just the skin colors bothering me aka hoyo's typa racism due to them being a chinese company. again, don't get me wrong, shitty company and i hate racism(as a white person) but the characters are great in all honesty and all the other types of representation are great^^

~

(good thing i personally don't play the game because of my phone storage and i'm just in the fandom from it's release bro and i love the lore so that's how i know the characters and story in the first place)

~

update:

my honest thoughts on the drip marketing(no pictures)

KACHINA IS ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE SHE'S SO CUTE AND PRECIOUS TO ME THAT'S IT(what animal is she supposed to be btw??)

MUALANI LOOKS SO PRETTY!!!!!!! I LOVE HER SM PLUS HER SHARK IS ALMOST AS CUTE AS HER

KINICH JUST LOOKS SO GOOD. I LOVE THAT MAN. I AM NOT USED TO LIKING TALL MEN AT ALL BUT HEAR ME OUT...........

I LOVE ALL OF THEM FR I'M SO EXCITED FOR MORE CHARACTERS

~

(is it just me but do they look like they all have the same skincolor on their drip marketings???? like are kinich and kachina a bit darker OR is mualani lighter than she looks???)

[m1d-45]

Asking The Important Questions and Answering:

-you still alive everybuddy?

~Yes, yours truly is alive, a year older for some time now already and suffering BECAUSE I'M MOVING WITHIN 2024!

-freshest news?

~i became an uncle/aunt for the 8th time, his name is (blank) and i'm VIBRATING! He's so tiny! And blonde and has these BIG eyes i wanna squish them! We're giving the parents a bit of themselves time but gosh i wanna gush over the wittle baby in person and not over pictures!

Anyways, do the people of teyvat celebrate babies?

We're celebrating in a few weeks!

-🥘Stew

waves!!!

minor spoilers for sumeru + natlan AQ, i use natlano instead of “” natlanese “”

1) i am still alive!!! somehow!!! however comma,

i am in college now!!! holy shit!!! and it has been HELL on my schedule be so fucking fr- i’m taking online classes and with the adhd you can imagine how that’s going (hint : bad). i’ve also just had a bunch of trouble that has killed my motivation (lotta personal stuff blah blah) and i’ve been falling back to less taxing blurbs rather than anything actually post-able. also as such i just have Not had the energy to answer asks,, i read them all and i love you everyone who sends them but i don’t wanna reply with the equivalent of “i ain’t reading that but good for you. or sorry that happened.” yk?

2) congrats on the new relative!!!! baby kids are WILD and i wish them good health.

for me… well, i’m finally getting a hold on things, and i can feel that i have more energy again, which i’m really excited about!! i’ve had some ideas SLOW COOKING for MONTHS that im very excited to serve!!! not really news though, just a Development,,,

(​yes it took me like 2.5 months to get a grip on things. it’s the autism. shhhhh)

for actual news.. uh, i learned that there’s a 10$ fee for getting locked out of your dorm! uhhh i have the object permanence of a d6, how obvious is it

3) i think like.. remembering that teyvat still uses oil lamps, of course they’re happy about children!!! different nations show it in different ways, though.

mondstadt is a very “it takes a village” city, so celebrations focus on allowing the parent to recover and preparing for their new life. lotta time off work and pages of advice, you know?

if mond is the present, liyue is the future. lotta focus on practices for good health — that vary between families, ranging from calming teas for the parent to necklaces with herbs tucked in the pendant for the child.

inazuma is… inazuma. post-decree lifting, though, things somewhat go back to normal adjacent. like liyue, it’s about a prosperous future, but in non physical forms. intangible blessing and faith over physical jade beads, you know?

the forests of sumeru are run by the akedemiya. wisdom does not take breaks, and neither should you. one brief event close after the birth is enough — the closest to modern baby showers. gifts given, the clock strikes, and that’s about it.

the deserts, however, follow mondstadt’s lead, especially in places such as aaru village. children are very communal, and even those without biological children are often parental figures. health for the parent while the child is raised with the others, the best childcare this side of the chasm.

fontaine is extravagant. for some of the richer families, lady furina herself would come down and personally wish the child well. lotta impractical, flashy gifts given over a too many days. it’s a social event, for those around the new family just as much as it is the child themself.

natlan is also very aggressively communal. nobody fights alone, after all, no matter the shape of their battle. celebrations consist of the tribe giving practical gifts, anything from clothes and food to a promise to be there when needed. specific preferences switch between the tribes — the people of the springs someone give seashell necklaces for good luck, the scions of the canopy a set of soft gloves, suitable for new skin while also sturdy enough to climb ropes with. natlano treat the parent the best, i think.

snezhnaya is small, private. close family and friends only, whispered prayers and tight, worried hugs. the everwinter is not kind, so it is made up for with the embers of what was once a tight knit community. they cannot give what they once could, cannot sing and knit and give blankets with blessings woven into the fabric, but they do what they can. they huddle around the fire, hoping against hope.

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

hoo…ray ? (ᵕ—ᴗ—) beep boop beep boop . . 🍓bunny here , reporting . . .

so . . . (っ- ‸ - ς) might have taken a few months off of tumblr - AO3 got to me . also I just can’t be bothered to hide my profile >^< but yours truly is back ! (acting like I was so active) but , wifi your writing pulled me towards tumblr again ! ( FL does NOT get enough attention in any other platform , darn it ! )

but I have returned to my origins , big moth boi . ( NATLAN & 5.4 / 6.0 + SPOILERS !! 🥸 )

Natlan has been a SORE disappointment for me , the plot ; representation , characters . . . WHAT THEY DID TO CAPITANO ! (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ ) it’s an oof all around . but - one thing that has me thanking hoyo for is the added Harbingers lore . Capitano and Columbina ARE FINALLY BEING TALKED ABOUT ! (≧ヮ≦) 💕 you’ve got NO idea how excited I am for Columbina , seeing that she will be the one sent to get the Gnosis in 6.0 and we will FINALLY get to see Nod Krai , small strong seele girl . but that also gave me a thought - 👀 celestial / angel being!reader x dragon!FL . . . just think about it for a second . dragon (or not) FL , this big strong ( dragon ) wandering until they spot a glowing - heavenly looking being and are threatened but also obsessed ? :3 this is just brain rotted stuff . . . but I crave more stuff with FL after being gone for so long ! (◞‸ ◟) teeth rotting typa fluff is what I need and CRAVE right now . oh and also getting trapped within big moth boy’s wings as he snuggles me . that too . (੭˃ᴗ˂)੭

~ hehe ><

(fair warning my reply is half rambling half moth thoughts because it is fun)

eheheheh got AO3 grab'd did you >:] you can never escape big fluffy moth guy or else he gets sad!! he is very glad you are back and is giving you a BIIIIIIG hug right now!! also he would like scritches right behind the horns please teehee

Natlan has been aaaaaaah... well. it certainly Is There. i like the environment and music a lot, story is okay for me, not nearly as good as Fontaine then again Fontaine had one of my favorite characters of all time AHEM. most of the playable characters didn't really grip me either, but as a silver lining i really loved Xilonen and Iansan, i'm going to get the former on her rerun. i was saving for Capitano BUT NOOOOOOO WE COULDN'T HAVE NICE THINGS!!!! I MEAN WHAT HE DID WAS COOL (also Ronova's design is genuinely sick we need more horrors in this game) BUT I WAS LOOKING SO FORWARD TO KICKING ASS AS THE CAPTAIN!!! i'm just waiting for Nod Krai at this point i want to see all the other Harbingers and hopefully Foul Legacy again NOW

okay brainrot time teehee

Foul Legacy isn't nearly as ancient as the Sovereigns, dead or alive, but he's still been around longer than most beings in Teyvat. he's seen countless nations rise and fall, has witnessed the beginning of mankind and the end of his superiors, grateful that he has managed to survive as dragons dwindled. it's lonely, yes, but it's better than being burned into oblivion like that kingdom of sinners. his tail sways and curls as he hunts down the perfect tree or patch of grass to sleep in- one that's not too open, but not too confined. it's late, and no one is out, and it's the only time he can walk freely even in the wilderness, trotting around almost cheerfully in search of a quick snooze

a faint gleam in the distance catches his eye, grumbling curiously and tilting his head. it's not a firefly- those are duller, blinking on and off as they flit around. this is constant and bright, a gentle light radiating from one spot. Legacy hunches down in the grass, slowly creeping closer and closer towards the bundle collapsed on the ground, wrapped in feathers and soft light, and he chitters in surprise

something angelic and lovely greets him, asleep with your wings tucked firmly around your body. Foul Legacy stares and leaps in alarm when you sit up with a yawn, his fur puffing up and tail lashing behind him. Celestial beings are evil and cruel- he's seen them slay his kind, burn entire nations, make gods fight to the death. but you don't attack him. you just sit there with an awestruck expression, slowly holding out a hand halfway. he trills, flapping his wings a few times, and your feathers ruffle gingerly in response as Legacy approaches in small steps, craning his neck to sniff your fingers and circling in examination of your wings, the feathers on your cheeks, the halo resting around your head. after a moment the dragon huffs, curling up a few feet away and simply staring at you intently

you glow a bit brighter, and his eye glitters anew with growing interest and admiration

[themultiuniversal]

Probably a controversial opinion but I think the genshin 5.1 archon quest could've been a lot better.

Like it's decent but fuck man there's so much they could've done to help with the pacing, making things more exciting, and just make it better.

I acknowledge that a lot of it was good - I really like Citlali as a character and how she was portrayed in the quest. All the lore drops was huge especially since genshin tends to try not address these hidden away lore nuggets. Showing explicit death in an archon quest when they've been very reluctant to do so before was also I think a good decision. And of course the whole Natlan War combining gameplay elements into the story was a pretty cool way of doing it.

But the bad stuff does a lot to undercut all the good stuff.

For one, the Chasca and Chuychu pseudo-stealth segment was just ??? Like if you're not gonna let me actually engage in gameplay and do a stealth section then why not just give me exposition via text? Just have Chasca tell us that they found that Fatui found the secret source? There was zero point to sitting through the like 5-10 mins of zero input Chasca and Chuychu going through the camp.

My main gripe however, is mostly with the Natlan War. It's supposed to be like the climax, I feel (I know there's more to come but it does feel like a climactic story beat) yet

1. Like half of Natlan isn't even out yet. It feels a little jarring that for this "war all across natlan" we only see half the nation and only interact with that half. It would've been so much cooler if they delay the archon quest for like an update or two until they release at the very least 2 more tribes and then suddenly we have this much larger battle map to play with.

2. I respect the split story choice stuff but at the end of the day it still feels pretty linear when there's only a few decisions and they're all between only 2 spots. And also we can't really see how stuff elsewhere are going or the stuff along the way outside of fluff text on the map.

3. We literally never team up with the other cool characters except for kinich and xilonen. Like you have this all star cast all working to fight for Natlan and you're telling me that I never went to the same location as Capitano and team up with him or with Mavuika? I understand story-wise it wouldn't make sense since you'd want to split up to cover areas but like godddd please let me interact with those characters during this big giant set piece battle!

4. The enemies are too easy/too few. We've been told over and over that it's waves and waves of abyss monsters but when we get there it's like 3 waves at best and they're ez to fight like cmonnnn at least make the battles harder or longer or something make me more immersedddd

5. There's no that feeling of hopelessness or like not being able to help that comes with war. Like yes there's the whole "the deathcount keeps going up" and "you get to this location and sees everyone is dead" and "you can't go everywhere all at once" but those are all kind of distant. I understand that while the deathcount is like... each number is a Natlanese dead, it's still pretty arbitrary especially when it's a video game and I'm already part way unimmersed. They could've made it a lot more personal if the traveler personally fails to save people. If the traveler goes to a location to rescue someone and they were alive at the start and despite everything the monsters got to them too fast for the traveler to stop even though he's there. They could've done a part where there's so many monsters it overwhelms the party and you have to struggle not just to defeat the monsters but to actually survive and get out. They could've done traveler fighting together with other warriors and have the warriors die and the traveler physically react to someone fighting with them dying. Like GOD they could've done so much to make it feel more personal and i would've been so much more immersed than "ok you defeated this group of monsters and saved this people now head here next and oh look the number of dead people went up and also abyss corrosion went up".

6. Chuychu. Chuychu, chuychu, chuychu. She died onscreen but for what it's worse she might as well have died offscreen. The moment she and Chasca appeared it was pretty obvious she was gonna die and Chasca was gonna become a hero and then the whole plan goes ahead and etc etc. We barely knew Chuychu and she could've used a lot more time and interaction to get us invested in her character. Her dying message was kind of cliche and Chasca gaining power after that was also cliche. They could've made us try to defend Chuychu and fail because theres too many monsters but instead she was already fatally wounded before we got there. God, they could've done it better.

Like the quest was decent but goddd it makes me so much angrier that it could've been a lot better.

[roseapov]

I've finished the Natlan Archon Quest today

1st act - 29th and 30th August, 2nd act 31th August

! Spoilers to the 1st and 2nd Natlan Archon Quest act under the cut + mentions of Fontaine Archon Quest act 1!

I won't lie, with every passing nation genshin just constantly improves upon their storytelling and I'm positively surprised that the thing back from Mondstadt, namely - purification has come in handy.

On the day where they had to do the Ode to Ressurection on Kachina I sensed the ominous vibes already but it was still quite shocking to know that she couldn't be broguht back. Atea also looked gorgeous, hoyo really upps their game with npc's

The Archon? Super cool, sacrifices herself and all, also her fight with Capitano? So long and amazing! Haven't expected that to last this long. She looks absolutely fire and I can't wait to pull for her already! Her family also looked gorgeous.

Also Capitano in itself should also be talked about, it was so wow. I love the way he discarded his cloak, it felt so cool! His design is also stunning!

Now speaking about this screen, seems like Xilonen is really skilled in the craft of Children of Echoes, just as the fact that she's a part of the plan to save Natlan. I honestly haven't expected her there at all but it still seems better than dragging a whole child to that (even tho sending Kachina to the war with the Abyss where she can die is still not ideal-)

For the other 2 participants I can guess they'll be Chasca and Citlali, since they both are from the clans that had not yet been awakened, and they're the only soon-to -be playable characters from those tribes.

I have not much to say about this patch since yes, it was exciting but it only builds the anticipation for the mainer and grander parts of the story, where this whole quest seemed to introduce us to at a stedy pace. Unlike Fontaine where we've been quite literally thrown into a trial in the first act - opposite to being only infodumpled in Natlan.

Still can't decide which ones I enjoyed more...

Btw Pacal is great- We love a responsible adult figure around here! (kinda concerned over Mualani chief) and Chasca's sister with a cool design, wow! Her name is still a bit of a tongue-breaker to me, like wdym her name is spelled like that and yet you read it so differently.. Iansan has a very nice design too! I like it a lot

And the answers from the Archon to our questions

And this pics with Mualani were really cool! Haven't expected them in the main story at all, since I did saw them before, I 100% thought they were from the Story quest

[liviavanrouge]

Reveal

Paimon: Hello Fatima!! Hey Jascal!

Fatima: Traveler, Paimon, Luna, hello!

Jascal: WE'RE GOING HOOOOOME!!

Luna: Back to Natlan? How come?

Paimon: Yeah? Didn't you say you were chased out of Natlan and that you were only able to really escape because you both are from a different place

Jascal: No, I was born in Natlan! I escaped thanks to Fatima!!

Fatima: Yes, well uh...we found out some stuff from my adoptive mother..

Paimon: Huh?

Fatima: My adoptive mother is the Pyro Archon, she found me when I was a baby and raised me

Paimon: WHAT!? WAIT, YOUR MOM IS THE PYRO ARCHON!!!?

Fatima: *Chuckles quietly* Of course, she also struggled because well...I wasn't the best kid growing up but eventually she got the hang of me!

Fatima: Ah! BUT PLEASE DO NOT ASK HER ABOUT BABY PICTURES AND ALL THAT!!

Paimon: Why? Does she have embarrassing pictures and stories behind them of you?

Fatima: That's exactly why!

Paimon: I'm getting reminded of a certain someone

Luna: Cloud Retainer!

Paimon: *Giggles* That's right, Luna!

Aether: Why did you two come to Sumeru in the first place?

Fatima: We're both from Khaenri'ah, my mother sent us here to find out more if we could...we did but I still see Natlan as my home and that's where I want to stay

Jascal: ME TOO!!!

Paimon: That's...a surprise...

Fatima: So, if you don't mind, may we accompany you when you go to Natlan

Luna: Oh can they Big brother Aether! Can they!!

Aether: *Smiles at Luna and nods* Of course they can, the more friends the merrier

Luna: YAAY!

Paimon: *Laughs, smiling* It's settled then!

Fatima: Thank you, this will be a fun journey, I can't wait to go home and see Mom again!

Jascal: Yeah! Yeah! I can't wait to return to my home!

Aether: *Nods* Let's all have a safe trip then

Cyno: *Walks over* Fatima, Jascal, are you both leaving?

Fatima: Tomorrow, Mister Cyno, we will! Thank you and Mister Alhaitham for taking care of us!

Cyno: It was our pleasure, you both are great kids, I wish you a safe trip home

Jascal: Thank youuuuuu!!!

Fatima: Yes, thank you so very much

Cyno: Your mother raised you well, Fatima

Fatima: *Chuckles* I'll tell her you said that, it'd bring her mind some ease

Fatima: Traveler, can you have one last spar with me before we head in for the night

Paimon: Huh?

Fatima: As my mother says, "We let our blades do the talking", I want the Traveler and you all to see how happy and excited I am to go home

Traveler: Then I accept

Fatima: *Beams* Thank you, once again!

@queen-of-twisted @albedomestic-airline

[aprivateplace7]

Oops 😶

Time to cont Natlan act 5~

So last night i watched part of a lets play of the quest to remember what happened... cause some how its been more like 2 weeks since i was doing it 💀 left off right after the sad part...

Idk what's up w/ me but here we are... this week has been a week :)

Kinda sad... prob not gonna get Citlali :( not enough wishes... but at least i have a guarantee saved now! No idea who i wanna go for next... i'm actually thinking about getting Venti, bc now i have all the archons except him. Sorry i haven't started yet, i'm just yapping...

I'm like nervous-excited, but also pretty confident... like, this game can rly throw me off but i don't believe that they will let it end badly. Kinda my fav thing lol, angst w/ a happy ending.

Its srsly crazy that they kept pyro Traveler from us for this long... i haven't seen anything so i wonder how good they are?

Idk if i've said it here, but man i actually love Kachina. She's like... the only "little" character that actually feels like a little sister... i mean, Klee is cute but i don't feel very close to her. Feels more like... a distant cousin we only see during family reunions, or smt...

Natlan isn't my fav ensemble, but i don't understand the complaints i've heard... i feel relatively close to them. My fav is prob still the Sumeru squad tho...

Lol. Ajaw is just like "don't die, idiot". I actually kinda love him, ngl xD

I keep calling Hine, "hina" 💀

Oh yeah, maybe i shouldn't be surprised since this is a Chinese game, but this comfirms that reincarnation is a real thing in Genshin. Huh, so who knows? Maybe the "Ningguang is the reincarnation of Guizhong" theory could be on to smt...

Ngl, i kinda hated Guthred from the quest, but rn he doesn't seem so bad.

Ugh, Chuychu's name gives me a headache... hardest for me in the entire game, its nothing like its spelled 💀 tho prob doesn't help that i play in Cn... how do u even say it? "Coo-e-chee"?

Hey so... did they ever say, like do we posses these saurians? Or just like... shape-shift? Idk how/why we can do that, but the Traveler is just kinda like that so...

Its so nice to have everyone's support 🥹 "no one fights alone"

Aw 💙 i love Paimon, like actually 🥹

I had no doubts, but still that was emotional!!! AHHHH

...soooo, how does Capitano come into this? We saved Natlan... but maybe he saves Mavuika? Cause i heard he's the GOAT so...

Mualani is so wholesome 😭 like, idk how anyone can't like this... (i mean, act 3 kinda bored me a lot, so its not like Natlan is perfect but still... i think those ppl r just burnt out...)

Crazy how in every Nation we go to, we basically become a national hero... u know, i was thinking. The Abyss sibling expects the Traveler to "come to the same conclusion" as them, bc we're so similar, but i doubt it. I mean... we didn't exp a tragedy like Khaenri'ah, but also... i suspect that they & Dain's journey was more... low-key. They travelled yes, but we're rly getting involved in this world. In the ppl of it, & not just 1 group of them... we're pretty much *miss worldwide here... it seems like our sibling only rly had Khaenri'ah & the Abyss Order. Like, it would take a crazy last-min twist to turn us against Teyvat, & the archons (or gods, since most of them tech don't have their gnosis anymore so) are mostly our friends. But then again, i wonder what the Traveler as a character will think. Maybe all they truly care about in the end is their family? ...not like that they *don't* care about anyone else, but if they're forced to choose... i wonder what they will do...

Oh yeah, Paimon is our best friend 🥹🥹🥹🥹 power of friendship defeats the pure evil moment TM, but i actually loved it :3

Uh oh, I was wondering where Citlali was...

Hm... i wonder... we're just now dealing w/ Mavuika's "death" & i bet this is when Capitano comes in... i've already been here for a couple hrs, so i wonder how long this will be... honestly idk, but for Archon quests i always assume it'll be around 5 hrs in total...

Wow... i know she's trying to make sure no 1 can stop her, but did Mavuika rly just plan on leaving forever w/out an explanation to her ppl? I guess she is still an Archon, mortal human or not :p

Ew the eyes... i hate it >~<

Its sad that he dies but... from everything i know about the cursed Khaenri'ah ppl, this is prob more of a blessing for him... rotting body or not, i wouldn't want to be immortal either :/ i feel like i would be one of those who goes into a millennia sleep... sometimes just the state of being awake & conscious is exhausting...

XDDD challenging the Ruler of Death right to her face... amazing

Ok, he's spitting facts. Its crazy that a whole Nation, including children like... what was his name... Calibar? The kid from the post-Sumeru interlude. But anyway, that a whole Nation was condemned for the sins of the minority... its like if everyone in my country, the US, would be punished for the actions of ppl like Genocide Joe, Trump... ect. Those rich, 1%-ers that got so rich by commiting horrible acts of human depravity. Its just not fair... the math isn't mathing. Anyway...

He rly said "fuck Celestia, & esp u" huh? ...ok, i like Capitano now :3

Tbh, i'm not sad about this death at all. This is even better than when i just thought he would sacrifice himself for Mavuika... but i know a streamer who is going to be sooooo mad x3

Wow... he rly got everything he wanted, huh? Good for him, good for him

Mavuika: "lets pay our respects". Also her: *fistbump* 👊 xD love it... sorry, i'm rly happy rn. Can't be srs, bc rly this isn't sad or even melancholy

Oh yeah, i was wondering what would happen to the Pilgrimage... its reason for existence sucked, but the ppl rly seemed to want to participate in it...

Omg Ororon...

THE PAINTING +_+

Aw... ;~;

...time for the funeral... Hoyo pls...

Kinda sucks that the Traveler is the only Nightsoul chara to not have a cool movement option... kinda auto makes them the worst one :v

...the chara model scaling is kinda hilarious. I'm looking at Mualani & Kachina next to each other & Kachina's head is so big... they like blew her up so she isn't too small in the camera, but she's still shorter than Mualani...

Oh yeah! At least as of now... this is the 1st time the Fatui haven't gotten another gnosis... altho, i guess well see what Mavuika is about to say about it... """

Ok, so Mavuika is the only 1 who is planning on actually fighting the Tsarisa over it... i wonder how that will turn out? """ tbh by this point i expect the Tsarisa to get them all & we'll just have to see what she's up to when we get there...

Idk how i feel about the Fatui. They're kinda messed up, they employ very *interesting* methods... but idk. After all i've seen, if the Tsarisa is going to war w/ Celestia, i support her. Like, i hate those bitches. Totally valid... but i'm still worried what exactly she is planning to do...

...oh yeah. What about Xilonen? I mean, obviously they're not gonna kill her off but... we never rly got more into what it actually means for the cost to be her "life"... maybe it is like i thought? That forging the Ancient Name will decrease her lifespan...

2,013 ppl died for this...

Annnd done.

[doe-chatters]

Okay so Update post Natlan Quest -

(spoilers for that ahead! I'll try to keep it to a minimum but be aware!)

I have since thought a LOT about this game and what it does and doesn't do great. And I say this with all the love in my heart! Because I really do love this game and the story. So I'll just reiterate my points and add things.

I have nothing bad to say about the music score except that I wish some titles were longer because they're all so delightful, and especially in special areas with a very notable score where you spend a lot of time (like Neuvillette's office, The fortress of meropide, Nathan's stadium) it can and does get a little repetitive. In the overworld and while exploring they do this really well though.

Nothing at all to add about the scenery. It's grand, it's breathtaking, it's beautiful, I wanna roll in it, please and thank you.

The story is ramping up, and it's clear with Natlan's quest. Now that you're properly involved in the world themes are getting heavier and more emotionally charged, situations more fraught and grand with every main quest. Then again, all of them feel like the world is about to fall apart when you come in, but Natlan did add a cherry on top I feel. The visual effects and story beats were absolutely delightful and the combination of effects mostly used in manga, with the usually great animation in high stakes moments really added to it. Buuuut on the flip side, as for the lore itself, genshin keeps sort of half-committing to things. There are suddenly angels (why? where is biblical lore coming from? Having Seelöwe also be lost souls but like, idk, ascended ones or some shit would have been fine) and - maybe I missed something but Xilonen saying she will die forging our ancient name - suddenly doesn't die. Which I don't mind but listen, I was stressing out about this since the moment it was revealed and then nothing happened about it. It's a bit the thing I've said before where they will commit to a plot or some piece of lore but then don't have the courage to leave the player guessing long enough so it really pays off, and instead reveals a plot twist too early to be really satisfying. It's not bad! But it sometimes is a little anticlimactic when it could have been very satisfying.

Once you figure out how to actually play and especially figure out how to fight in this game, it is incredibly fun and rewarding. Which leads me exactly to my point. Boss fights are epic and rewarding in a way I've seen very few games accomplish. I don't think there's ever been a game where I was so excited for boss fights. And a new boss fight on top of that. I usually hate figuring out how to get through a hard boss but genshin makes it so fun. There will be new gameplay mechanics introduced for each boss, which is great at not making them feel repetitive and really helps make every battle feel like it's a unique experience. Buuuut that does give me great frustration sometimes - and that ties into my next point - genshin is horrible at tutorials. Really just abysmal. I am an avid tutorial-reader and -player. I spent as much time in botw in the tutorial area as others spend on the whole game (no I'm not kidding, yes I spent a full 60 hours on the plateau, shh we don't have to talk about it). But! I cannot and will not read tutorials the game gives me, mostly because they're useless in helping me figure out how anything works. They sometimes leave out important explanations, they try to be short and concise but still end up confusing, and even the pictures they are really don't help most of the time. I've started fully disregarding them and it has honestly been easier that way. Which is not how tutorials are supposed to work. So to my earlier point. There will be new mechanics introduced during boss battles, I will be incredibly confused on what the hell I'm supposed to do and in the middle of a big battle with heightened emotions this has brought me great frustration. To be fair, the mechanics are usually not extremely complicated or complex and do add to the gameplay in a positive way, and I do figure them out in a timely matter, but not after swearing at my screen and asking it what the fuck it wants of me. Now I'm no expert, but my suggestion? There is usually smaller fights leading up to the big battle, just add the same mechanics (with a differnt look so it still is a surprise later on) to let the player test it out in a slightly more chill environment. Then make it bigger and grander for the finale with more effects, etc., and let the player go wild with something they're at least a little familiar with already.

I'll only make a quick point to the voice acting since I don't have much to say about that, besides that I changed my mind about Paimon. I like her voice much better, and especially during a big battle, her voice acting was really good, and really added to the story for me. The only sad thing was some of my more favourite characters in natlan not having a voice at all (which I think is due to the strikes with the parent company of where the VA's work, so all blame to whatever company that is lol). But the voicelines that were there were fun and really added to the story, especially with the minimal expression changes in the characters. Which brings me to my next and last point.

Character design! Now this one's... a personal interest of mine and let's say, a double edged sword. The character design in genshin is both very good and very bad - I'll start with the bad. The characters models for playable characters are very boring and ignoring some minor changes almost all almost the same. The base models have little to no variations with three basic sizes and some height differences here and there, some small changes the torso but considering this is animated and these are sculpted models the changed are virtually none. There is no shape language, characters' base models are in no way visually distinct of each other, their flat stomachs, long legs and skinny arms always the same. And there's I think over 90 of them now. With (if we're generous) 5 base models. The thing of course, of this double edged sword, is that this is also the reason genshin's character design is so good. Because in order to have over 90 unique characters, and in order to have over 90 characters people want to spend money on, you have to make them visually distinct somehow. Which is done with their clothes, accessories, capes, hoods, hair, hats- you get the point. The game does an amazing job creating unique silhouettes. And by amazing I so good, that if I look at a blank silhouette of a character, I will know who it is. Out of every one of the 90 characters. That is shape language!! That is exactly what I was harping on about earlier. And that is a truly impressive feat with about 5 base models. The game does also show in various side characters that it is very well within their capabilities to create differnt models, granted not a ton of them, but there are more differnt models and body types than just the playable characters. And as a small side note, the even show in side characters that they are able to have coily hair textures and protective styles. This also does not translate to playable characters, not even from Natlan. This is all I will say about that. On a more lighter note, the colour palettes for the outfits and accessories are also incredibly well done. Somehow each character is unique, and they have still not run out of colour combinations that in combination with their outfits are new and fun and exciting. Also! Details. My god. Having drawn a few genshin characters, I really hesitate to do more because I cannot handle this level of detail with every single drawing. Making a model and puppeting it is slightly easier than drawing it by hand every time, but still, it is no easy feat and base models and body types aside I am truly impressed with their character design each and every time.

I know I don't really use this account anymore but I need to shout about it somewhere. Genshin impact y'all. Genshin impact.

The music score is absolute top tier not only in quality but also quantity. Almost 100 titles for Fontaine alone, and I probably am not even counting all areas of Fontaine. A unique fighting soundtrack for every region that somehow does not get old. Cinematic scores that to me are honestly big cinema worthy. Sometimes orchestral, sometimes more subdued, Inazuma Sumeru and Fontaine boss fights are what I think is rock? And it's so fun.

Scenery? This is the most obvious one but I will not discount it bc you will see previews and still images and go yes, this is nice actually. Very pretty and picturesque. And then you'll stand on a mountaintop looking at the sun set, see the colours change and know it looks completely different standing at the foot of the mountain and you couldn't decide which view is better while the colours shift from one delightful hue to another.

The story feels so full and it is clear how much it has evolved from mondstadt to Fontaine alone. And mondstadt was already fun! I enjoyed it, and it felt like a satisfying narrative. In fact, all of the areas I've explored have had extremely interesting and satisfying narratives that have drawn me in and made me want to know more. I personally am a fan of all things mystery, so I have been having a blast specifically in Sumeru and Fontaine, but Inazuma and Liyue were engaging and fun to play through as well. Really the only thing I would criticise is them not fully following through on the mystery. Both in Sumeru and Fontaine did they in my opinion reveal the truth a smidge too soon, and put scenes after where The Traveller is still trying to find out the mystery while you, the player already have gotten an extended cutscene. For example in Fontaine, Neuvilette and Furina's cutscene should come just after The Traveller and Furina's and not The Travellers in the middle. I think it would have been great to build a bit more tension and make the reveal hit even harder. And, I do understand why they did it in this way because narratively it does make sense like this too. I just like being hit in the face with realisation even more. I don't remember what exactly the scene in Sumeru was, but I remember thinking a similar thing, because they had built anticipation with hints and all these insinuations really well, but it did feel a bit like not following through, because all the way through you and your Traveller know the same amount, but suddenly they change that right before the end where The Traveller gets all the information anyways. But all in all as I've said. The stories are incredibly engaging and more than once ice found myself unable to stop at the time I wanted to because I need to know what happens next.

Boss fights. After having finished Tears of the Kingdom just before, I had been curious about the boss fights since Totk had been slightly lacking in that. Especially in Totk the boring thing was that every boss fight had pretty much the same lead-up and the same beats. Essentially it was the same fight in differnt clothes. Even Breath of the Wild had had more variety. So I was curious about how genshin would handle it. Divalin's two stages were fun if a bit hard to get the hang of, but I was optimistic and thought that if the next fight would just not be exactly the same, I would be fine. And the next boss fight in liyue was the coolest fucking thing. I had. So much fun in that. It did such a good job really making you feel as powerful as people kept telling you that you were. And it was very different! Inazumas and Sumerus boss fights were not my favourite but I think I had had my characters slightly underleveled for both. But they also were completely different! And uniquely fun and challenging.

The levelling system is incredibly complex considering how many characters you can and will have, there are multiple ways to level characters, weapons and the difficulty and rewards in-game which is just a fully wildass system that they somehow manage to implement so slowly that you can get your head around it by the time it's time to actually do something about it. How. And also why. There's already 84 characters and counting. I don't think I want to know how many weapons there actually are.

And also. This game is free. I have not paid a single cent and I've been able to do all of this. Fully for zero cents and zero euros. None. What the fuck. I would fully buy this game and with all of the included gameplay expect it to cost me a small fortune but I do not in fact have to. Because this game does not cost. Anything.

(Yes you can buy things and yes it is a gacha game. I am aware that they do in fact need a way to actually make money and this is it. But still. No one's forcing you to play a guessing game with real money. I have a decent amount of characters and as said, have not spent a single cent.)