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borbsbirbs · 2 months
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inspired by this tweet:
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borbsbirbs · 3 months
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Sometimes I wonder if the answer to all my mental health issues is a cat
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borbsbirbs · 4 months
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WE LIVE IN A HELL WORLD
Snippets from the article by Karissa Bell:
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing thousands of performers, has struck a deal with an AI voice acting platform aimed at making it easier for actors to license their voice for use in video games. ...
the agreements cover the creation of so-called “digital voice replicas” and how they can be used by game studios and other companies. The deal has provisions for minimum rates, safe storage and transparency requirements, as well as “limitations on the amount of time that a performance replica can be employed without further payment and consent.”
Notably, the agreement does not cover whether actors’ replicas can be used to train large language models (LLMs), though Replica Studios CEO Shreyas Nivas said the company was interested in pursuing such an arrangement. “We have been talking to so many of the large AAA studios about this use case,” Nivas said. He added that LLMs are “out-of-scope of this agreement” but “they will hopefully [be] things that we will continue to work on and partner on.”
...Even so, some well-known voice actors were immediately skeptical of the news, as the BBC reports. In a press release, SAG-AFTRA said the agreement had been approved by "affected members of the union’s voiceover performer community." But on X, voice actors said they had not been given advance notice. "How has this agreement passed without notice or vote," wrote Veronica Taylor, who voiced Ash in Pokémon. "Encouraging/allowing AI replacement is a slippery slope downward." Roger Clark, who voiced Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, also suggested he was not notified about the deal. "If I can pay for permission to have an AI rendering of an ‘A-list’ voice actor’s performance for a fraction of their rate I have next to no incentive to employ 90% of the lesser known ‘working’ actors that make up the majority of the industry," Clark wrote.
SAG-AFTRA’s deal with Replica only covers a sliver of the game industry. Separately, the union is also negotiating with several of the major game studios after authorizing a strike last fall. “I certainly hope that the video game companies will take this as an inspiration to help us move forward in that negotiation,” Crabtree said.
And here are some various reactions I've found about things people in/adjacent to this can do
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And in OTHER AI games news, Valve is updating it's TOS to allow AI generated content on steam so long as devs promise they have the rights to use it, which you can read more about on Aftermath in this article by Luke Plunkett
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
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does tumblr know that goncharov made it into empire film magazine ?
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
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To Dream of Reality ~Lantern Rite ft. Ningguang~
"lantern rite, and festivities"
MASTERLIST ~~
You are not one to lucid dream.
Usually, your dreams are like those of a butterfly's-
Flying through the air, helpless to the winds that surround.
And yet, tonight, the world of your dreams is perfectly intact.
Lantern Rite in Liyue.
The golden lights, so warm in your eyes, floated around you, each lantern a wish sent off from someone, from someone's heart, from one of your beloved children of Teyvat.
The warmth from the lanterns, the sound of festival cheer, the smell of food…
It felt strangely like home.
A plate of freshly cooked skewers laid upon your lap as you sat on the harbor docks, your feet swinging gently off the pier.
This… was nice.
If only this was reality.
~~
Lantern Rite's main festivities had ended, the Concert bright and exciting. The remaining week was left to bask in the festival itself, in the musicals and operas, the food and lights and colors.
If the main stage was for tourists, the remaining festival was for the locals. Liyueans, with the streets cleared, were finally able to enjoy Lantern Rite as it was meant to be celebrated- to welcome the Moon in the New Year.
Most Lantern Rites after the Main Festivities were quiet, as was this one.
Until they appeared, in ethereal glory, asking for nothing but a snack.
The Creator had appeared many times before within Mond, and reportedly thrice within Liyue, consulting with the samurai from Inazuma, the strange man from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and the Vigilant Yaksha.
Only once had the Creator appeared for non-vision wielders, and only a brief meeting.
As the Tianquan of the Qixing, Ningguang wanted to welcome the Creator, but as they appeared in their mortal form, would it be rude to call attention to them?
Rumors had it that the Creator was gentle and calm, appearing mortal yet undeniably divine.
As she saw them swinging their legs off the docs, humming along to the songs of the harbor, she understood. Just how mortal that form was, just how mortal they appeared.
Rumors had it that the Creator had not fully descended, that their form was partially transparent, and that their form was like that of glass. Ningguang had faith in those rumors, but perhaps the truth has merely changed. Their hand firmly grasped the skewers, their face opaque as they turned around, eyes widening as the stood to bow.
"Hi, Ningguang!" Perhaps the rumors weren't true after all. Perhaps the words of the Creator were not that formal, not that... forced. Perhaps this was what Mond wished to keep secret, the informal, gentle speech of the True Divine.
"You know my name?"
"Of course! Lantern Rite is so pretty this year... I'm glad I get to experience it for real this time. As real as I can be, here."
As real as I can be, huh?
Ningguang looked at the Divine, wondering what thoughts ran through their mind.
"I wish I could stay." they said, eyes soft as their hand reached out towards the sky. "I wish I could keep d̴̡̝͉͇̰̬͍̭̊̃͂͑̃̂̚͜͜͝r̶̛͉͈̂̔́̒͐̈́̋̊̒́̀̕͝è̸̢̙̝̼͖̹͔͎̄́̂̋̐͑̆́͌̊̐̆̈́̽ä̵̢̳͖̖̺͙̦̹̙̙̣̼́͊͛m̷̛̳͇̹̰̰͍̗̮͇͇͈̣͕͗̄̓͂̆̋͛̀͘ͅi̶̟̟̭̩̗̝̼̬̭̜̯̳̝̎̾͜ͅǹ̶͓̳͔͉̰̊̋̿̆͌͐̉̉́̂́̄̕g̸̢͎̱̖̻̝͉̖̟̅̉̓̂̒ of this place. Living here n' all."
It's strange, Ningguang thought. How mortal their divine sounds. How utterly human a God appears.
Until their body became transparent.
and they uttered another few words.
"How I wish to grant the wishes of Teyvat. How I wish to assist this world, how I wish to return home at last."
Their body shimmers, becoming the same color as the Xiao Lanterns, light reflecting off the ocean waters as they vanish. Ningguang raced back to the Jade Chamber, summoning pen and paper to draft a letter. The Creator wished to return home to Teyvat, and Teyvat would welcome them with open arms.
To prevent those heart wrenching words from being spoken again, she'd guarentee it.
~~
You rarely lucid dream, and on the lucky nights where you do get to control your sleep-thoughts, the control slips away just as fast. You remember your dream, for once. The taste of Mora Meat and Grilled Ticker Fish remain fresh in your memories as you looked out the windows, at the harsh white-light of cities and electricity.
Nothing like the golden lanterns of wishes that Y̶͕͑́̎̚ǫ̸̛̛͔͖̪̱̥̦̭͕̎̾͊̿̄͠u̴̟̦͈̺̤̫̣̲̼̅̋̈́͆̀̋̇̕͝r̵̨̗͎͕̄̃̀͑͒̋̓̀͑̊̒̌̅͜͠ ̷̢͇̩̰͓̳͈̖̲̝̞̝̦̇̑́̈̈́̅̓̔̎̍͂́̏͝b̵̢̢̜̪̼̩̭̺͔͕̤͇̥͊́͘e̸͓̙͚̩͈̲̤̎̒͒̿̈́̓͆̇͑̃̂̈́́̕͝l̵̳̫̟͋̏̏̓̏̈́͛͂́̕͠ǒ̵͉͖̹̼͚̗v̸̦͎̳̮̩̻̅̐̉͋̄́͒͘ȇ̶̱͖̆̿̊̐̌̍̀̀́̾͛̈́͒ď̶̡͖̹̺͓͇̬͎͇̒̽̒͗̈́̿̽ ̷̥̫͙̱̣̏̈́̔͘c̶̢̛̦̦̼͍̥̬̻͇̣̰̗̗̟̑̄͗̓̒͗̎̾̎̂̾h̸̨̯̝̲̏͘͜͠ì̵̘̳̞͚̃̏͛́̕l̶͔̳͉̺̠͔̣̥̳͋̃̄̅̂̊d̶̯͚̹̣̲̗̬̗̟͚̞̼̿̑͛͊͝͝͝r̶͍̳̄e̸̪̞͔̘̔̽̽̀͒̚ṉ̷̗̺̱̊͐̾̓̓̈́̽̎̓̃̀͘ ̷̫̹͚͓͂̽̕ọ̶̯͎͎̑̎̎̍̈̈́̈́̐͐̋̅͌̕͠f̶̨̡̡̧̛̛̞̹̰̻̩̺̟̱̣̬͊̈ͅ ̵̨̣͒̃̑̈͊͛̄̃̋͜͝͝T̸̢̪̟̰̠̞̙̘̬͍͆̾̂̿̾͗͑̋̑̓͝͝͝é̵̡̖̰̝̳͍̲̤̰͖̫̎̋̈́̉̓͑͜ẏ̶̨̨̺̱̣̺͎̖̙̘͈̭̐̉͊̈͆̆͊͑͘͠ͅv̴̬̮̘͂͌̀́͋́͝a̶̪͚͚̟̻̼͉͌̐̆̃ţ̵̢̧͉̳̘̖̤̓̈́͒̽̔̑͌̆̀̍́̃͂̉ had scent up to the skies.
...huh?
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
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To Dream of Reality ~Mona~
“fate, and interpretation”
MASTERLIST
TWs: loneliness, headache, SERIOUS HEADACHE,
This one’s more focused on the effect of the Creator and their effect on the world, using Mona to tell the tale.
~~
Blaring city lights kept the night at bay, the darkness a mere shade compared to the devouring blackness that seemed to consume the world. And yet, the specks that had offered gentle light upon that night weren’t visible anymore. Constellations existed, but were not bright enough to be seen anymore, the gentle hope in the darkness vanished behind the brightness of electric lights.
You wondered if the stars had something in store for you, if the skies of your homeland had a place for you.
If Teyvat’s own skies could fit whole constellations for each of their children, then…
If you could only be there,
Maybe you would have a place to belong.
~~
Viator, Viatrix, Lepus, Tempus Fugit, Pavo Ocellus. 
The first five constellations to light up with the Creator’s sacred touch, the first to be blessed with the gift of becoming their loyal vessel.
Crater and Parma Cordis had lit up soon after, before the stars of Liyue began to light up alongside those from Mond. At first, Mona had assumed that the Creator only wished to bless those of Freedom and Contract, but as soon as the Traveler had traveled beyond the storm of Inazuma, Grus Nivis of the Kamisato Heiress had lit up.
The constellations had no particular pattern to their awakening, and the distribution of Stella Fortuna, the mysterious substance known to make a Vision Wielder's- an Allogene’s, if the drunkard bard was to be believed- constellation even stronger. It was thought that only the Creator could give Stella Fortuna, and that they distributed them to their most beloved Allogenes.
Master Ragnvindr had four, a child from Liyue had five, and some even had all their stars blessed.
Mona’s constellation still hadn’t been blessed by the Creator’s touch, much less gifted with a Stella Fortuna.
It was taboo to read one’s own constellation, so Mona never looked into it. 
She stood upon a lake, watching the reflection of stars in her water, each twitch and glimmer of the mysterious lights pulling her attention left and right.
10 lights began to move. 
It happened quite often, and together, one of those 10 lights would shatter, becoming weapons forged from long ago, and one would turn violet, carrying the Creator’s blessing or perhaps a stronger weapon.
It didn’t turn violet.
It burned gold.
Like Master Ragvindr and Acting-GrandMaster Gunnhildr… was she also seen as a “Gold Fortuna”?
The golden light enveloped Mona, and she felt Astrolabos respond. She felt the light in her body, the warm touch of a Divine behind her.
She moved to the Creator’s will, feeling the rush of excitement that the Creator surely felt as she dashed over-on top of the lake. Not swimming but gliding upon it.
It was… exhilarating.
~
The arrival of the Creator themself had alerted Mona one morning, a few days after Glory reported Their Grace’s sudden disappearance. 
“Your Grace?” She asked the stranger.
The Creator’s presence was absolute. None could ever hope to imitate it, nor could anyone deny it.
And yet, they looked so perfectly… normal.
Wings did not sprout from their back nor did their eyes appear like gems and stars, but they… they were human. Or appeared to be. 
“Yes?” they responded, at last. “Are you Mona Magistus?”
She nodded, hesitantly. 
“Could you read my fortune?”
Mona agreed. How could she not, as a request of the True Divine?
And all the same, how could she? Read into the stars and future for information about the star itself?
Nonetheless, she tried. 
Creator, a constellation named after who it represented, an Olde Teyvanese word so sacred, its name was unchanged when the Common-Tongue was established. A constellation spanning the entire night sky, even the stars that were not visible at the time. For a mere apprentice to attempt to read the fate of the world itself…
She saw.
The cold, lonely warmth of someone surrounded by people, yet always alone. Surrounded and spoken to, acknowledged but never embraced. Technology far superior to Teyvat’s own was everywhere, and despite it all, the Creator still seemed unsatisfied. Was this the Creator’s-
Her eyes began to burn.
Her head began to ache.
A jackhammer- why did she know what a jackhammer was- against her forehead. Light filled her sight and pierced through her eyes. It throbbed. Her eyes- her mind- it was too much. Too much. 
Mona’s hydro-bubble burst, water splashing against the ground.
“Are you okay?” The Creator asked, their hands grasping Mona’s own, sacred light flowing through her body.
“I- am fine, Your Grace. In terms of your future, it will one surrounded by those who will love you no matter what.” She responded. It wasn’t a lie.
She would make sure of it.
The Creator’s hands tightened slightly around hers.
“You promise?” they whispered, and Mona no longer saw a proud God, a true Divine. 
She saw a fragile person who only wanted to cradle their loved ones in their arms. One who wanted to spend time with their family. Not a god, but a mortal, a blasphemous thought to be sure. 
“Because I don’t want to go.”
And just like water, they slipped through her fingers and became nothing but a phantom touch.
~
Your eyelids peeled open, the night cold and chilling as it embraced you. You sat by the window, gazing emptily at what few stars you could see, longing for the warmth in your dreams. Like the volume of cotton candy melting to a sugary mass, your dream felt so heavy, yet you couldn’t grasp it.
You were lonely, you realized. The kind of loneliness you feel once you realize your friends are no longer here. But it’s been years. Why now, of all times, do you long for the friendly smile and smirk of a close friend…?
You’re tired.
Something about your dream captivates you even more than before.
A siren-song calling you to a place further away than even your dreams, beyond reality.
You want to go to sleep and sleep forever, but at the same time, you fear death.
It doesn’t matter.
Back to work.
There’s no time for sleep. 
No time for dreams.
Not when the city-lights outshine the night.
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
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i want to write more TDOR please someone ask me for stuffs
Reblog the writers’ fortune cookie for luck!
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
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No harm to any religion. It’s just a lamp ads by an Australian company. However, it’s funny!
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
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Too Tight
MASTERLIST
TW: Body dysphoria, gender dysphoria, gender being wacky, Traveler Aether, Aether being a weird alien creature, Game mechanics taken seriously, implied genderfluid Aether, no actual ending. Ventfic.
~ It was all too tight.
Like a T-shirt at the bottom of the drawer that you swear you couldn't fit into, but your mom said you had to wear.
His Her Their Its wings were confined to the body, no bones nor muscle, yet tight all the same.
It was all too tight.
Like the suffocating feeling of being called the wrong name, of being called Lumine when they he she it was Aether.
But it was... manageable.
But the wings aren't there.
The limbs aren't there and Aether still panics.
If Aether closed her their his its eyes and pretended to Be, it was easier.
But Aether nor Lumine were not human.
So Aether became.
Clothes would change to fit, hair and eyes, bones and all. Their memories would meld with Aether's own, and Aether would simple become.
Aether, he, she, they, it, became whatever Aether needed to be.
And the tight, filthy itch would settle.
Aether looked in the mirror and saw Amber staring back at her.
And she felt nothing but relief. To know that the itch that plagued her would stop, so long as she obey her subconscious and become.
But Outrider Amber is a public figure, so Aether simply doesn't.
He She They It walks alone as him her them it -self and deals with the itch.
Aether looked into the mirror and wanted to become, to stop it, to let wings be free, to let Aether be him her them it self but Aether can't. Shouldn't.
Aether fights.
Alone, for commissions, so that Aether can become.
They can fight. He can deal with the itch. Or sometimes, it stops it completely. She makes the shirt less tight, or sometimes makes it tighter.
Aether wants to become, but he she they it just can't.
To steal a face, to steal a form, to free from that tight shirt, to scratch the itch...
Aether shouldn't take it. Their forms, their faces, their memories and personalities.
But even still, He She They It becomes.
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
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The. fucking. keys.
If there ever was anything remotely heterosexual about Alhaitham and Kaveh's cohabitation, it died on its ass with the key idle.
Just. Look at it.
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There is so much going on here so allow me to break down how gay those two little pieces of metal are.
Alhaitham taking both keys by accident because they got tangled up.
Meaning they had to be in the same place.
Not even on key hangers or anything, but likely in some kind of fucking domestic little key bowl that you only get when you don't fucking care who takes whose keys.
Alhaitham's key being the silver one while Kaveh's is gold.
Meaning this was not a key Alhaitham just *owned* previously in case he misplaced the first or something.
No. This man went to the locksmith's when Kaveh moved in and fucking commissioned a new key in a Kaveh kind of color.
Like if he'd just come back with a pair of rings that would have been less embarrassing.
At this point, I just really wanna know if Kaveh is emotionally smart enough to realize he tacitly married this man years ago and Alhaitham has probably been filling out all the official paperwork and tax returns and emergency contact forms with Kaveh's name in the "Spouse" column the entire time.
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
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My dad and I once had a disagreement over him using the adage "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
I said, "That's just not true. Sometimes what doesn't kill you leaves you brittle and injured or traumatized."
He stopped and thought about that for a while. He came back later, and said, "It's like wood glue."
He pointed to my bookshelf, which he helped me salvage a while ago. He said, "Do you remember how I explained that, once we used the wood glue on them, the shelves would actually be stronger than they were before they broke?"
I did.
"But before we used the wood glue, those shelves were broken. They couldn't hold up shit. If you had put books on them, they would have collapsed. And that wood glue had to set awhile. If we put anything on them too early, they would have collapsed just the same as if we'd never fixed them at all. You've got to give these things time to set."
It sounded like a pretty good metaphor to me, but one thing I did pick up on was that whatever broke those shelves, that's not the thing that made them stronger. That just broke them. It was being fixed that made them stronger. It was the glue.
So my dad and I agreed, what doesn't kill you doesn't actually make you stronger, but healing does. And if you feel like healing hasn't made you stronger than you were before, you're probably not done healing. You've got to give these things time to set.
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
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I love love love your dream series it's so good hngg
What about the Creator checking up on Venti and Diluc at Angel's Share since we're already in Mondstadt? 👀
To Dream of Reality ~Venti 1, Diluc 1~
“encounter, and closure”
MASTERLIST
TWs: Alcohol usage, venti being drunk as per the usual, Kaeya and Diluc backstory referenced.
~~
You were exhausted. How much work did you make up, how much did you have to do for them, bending over backward to assist…?
You didn’t like alcohol. The buzz it offered only paved the way to pain in the morning, and the flavor was honestly just alright.
But Angel’s Share seemed wonderful despite all that. The music, the atmosphere… Maybe, if you could just be there, you could relax and enjoy it. 
~
It was a rare evening when Master Ragnvindr attended the bar in Angel’s Share. A rare, precious occasion to behold.
The door swung open, and the drunkards froze.
The Creator had descended, and was here. In a tavern. Filled with sad, laughing, horny, crying drunks.
“Your Grace,” Diluc began, “How may we serve you?”
Many of the drunkards stayed silent, merely watching the Creator from afar. But perhaps the most famous of the drunkards didn’t catch the memo.
“Your Benevolence, it’s an honor to see you again~!” 
The green-clad bard could not help but tangle his fingers with the pale stranger, smiling wide as he tugged the God into an impromptu dance. 
“Venti.” Diluc called as he tugged the bard back by the collar. “Your Grace, may we help you?”
They watched, silent, as the god ran their hand through Venti’s hair, their smile gentle and soft. 
Jealousy flared in his chest as he watched Venti of all people retrieve the affection of the Almighty Divine. 
And yet, before he could make his usual retort, arms gently wrapped around him. He looked down, wondering if he was dreaming, if all of this was an illusion crafted for him, another escapist dream to ignore the dawning sun. 
There was no mistake. 
The Creator was embracing him. 
The Creator was hugging him.
“You’ve done well. You’ve worked hard.” The Creator’s whispers were… personal. Warm. Like all his worries could melt away, like all the wrongs in the world had been righted. There was comfort in simply knowing that such comfort did exist. It wasn’t that he was exhausted, but something about the warmth, something about that comfort seemed to be beckoning him to rest. 
And as suddenly as the embrace came, it melted away, the Creator’s touch featherlight as they pulled Venti up, his hair once again fondled as his head was cradled by the Divine. “Are you alright?”
“Y-Yes, Your Grace. I’m- I’m great, thanks.”
“Good,” they smiled, sitting down at the bar counter before motioning to Diluc. “May I?” they asked, pointing to the cider on the menu. Wordlessly, Diluc served one, holding his breath as the Creator sipped it. 
The Creator’s smile was so… 
Perfect.
A bright smile that lit up the entire tavern, the candles paling in comparison to the radiance their smile gave off.
Literally.
“Your Grace, have we done well?” Venti sang, cuddling up to the Almighty Divine.
“Your people are free and you enjoy your every day, yes?” They said, leaning down to the bard’s ear. “And though your Gnosis has been taken and your throne cast aside, you still care for your people as if they were your own children.”
Diluc’s hands lingered over an empty glass, wondering if he was intruding.
“And you,” The Creator began, “Have worked tirelessly to remove corruption, and you once bitten, now twice shy, fear the vulnerability that love can bring. Do be aware that reconciliation is but a single conversation away, and that He has been bitten twice.”
They knew, Diluc realized. 
…Maybe he should talk to Kaeya one more time.
Not for the Creator's will, but perhaps for his own good.
The Creator simply looked at him.
His own good as well as Kaeya's...?
Once more, their hand extended outward as they beckoned towards Diluc and Venti. Their hand buried itself into Venti’s hair before they glanced at Diluc, who leaned down to meet the other hand of the Creator. 
I wish I could stay here longer. I don’t want to leave. My people and children… Teyvat is precious and- 
Foregin thoughts filled Diluc’s mind. They were not his own thoughts, the voice was far too… unharmed to be him. Too light, too bright, too divine. A strange sensation clawed at his heart. 
“Do you have to go, Your Grace?” Venti whispered, and Diluc understood what the feeling was.
Longing.
“Your Grace, we will always have a place for you.” Diluc added on, grasping the hand that glided through his hair.
“I don’t want to leave,” Their Creator whispered, tears forming in their eyes as they called out. “Wait for me, please. I’ll- I’ll return.”
There was no flash of light, nor grand spell that announced the Creator’s departure; simply silence and the loss of warmth.
~~~
You woke not to the taste of your own morning-breath, but to the faint taste of apples and the phantom touch of someone’s warmth on your palms, the faint touch of a given embrace on your arms.
You lived alone, and you hadn’t had apple juice since-
A long while.
You were homesick, but not for your parents’ home where you spent much of your young life.
But perhaps, for something you’ve never seen before…
Your dreams are pleasant, and you cannot help but wonder who you dreamt of, to make you wish for a home you never had.
But the day must go on, and you cannot linger on memories.
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
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To Dream of Reality ~"Scaramouche" 2~
"to save, and name"
MASTERLIST
A/N: To the Anon that wanted the Angel's Share chapter, that'll be up soon but i have a brainworm and it must be released.
TWs: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR 3.3.
~~
The 3.3 Archon Quest made you sob. It grabbed your heart and squeezed it, your emotions flowing freely down your face.
Sleep didn't come easy that night.
~~
Tears were running down his face-
his face was dry
and his breath was unsteady as he sobbed
his voice was steady
"Please," he cried begged, "Let me save him. Let me do something, anything, please, Nahida. Please let me save him, shut up, Paimon, Please Nahida, Mihoyo, please please, Aether- help him, save him."
The Creator spoke through Aether but the words remained unsaid, the cries of the Divine echoing eternally in his mind but never expressed.
I'm sorry, he'd think to himself. I'd speak for you, but I don't know how.
It wasn't until later, 'til he had indeed saved the Wanderer, that his voice changed and the Creator's words could reach their audience.
~
"Have you got anything?" the Wanderer asked, and the clicking of keys echoed in the Traveler's mind.
"No, it's not... It's not perfect enough. Kuni, no, He needs to be new. Reborn. Phoenix isn't quite right and Mirai? Future... maybe, but no. Your name..."
"Your name is Jiyuu," They said together, both Creator and Vessel.
"Because you are free," the Creator whispered to themselves, satisfied. "Because you have chosen to be free, and despite your origins, you have forged yourself a new identity from the past. Jiyuu, from your mother tongue, gifted in a new land, to a new identity."
Aether wondered how the others would react if they knew that the name gifted was written by the Creator themselves.
But maybe, just maybe, they knew.
His tongue had moved on its own, after all.
~~~
At first, you were unsure. Was his name fitting? Too childish? Too... mundane?
...
Something within your heart seemed to settle.
You had another chance, one more to change it again.
His name is Jiyuu, after all.
And he's free to change it.
You woke to a strange comfort, and the featherlight touch of another's name on your lips.
"Jiyuu..." you whispered, and you could have sworn that a breeze passed through your closed windows.
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
Text
To Dream of Reality ~Glory~
"visitor, and message"
MASTERLIST
A/N: Mond's reaction to the arrival of the True Divine, the Almighty Creator, but really it's just Glory... and also please do send me asks, I work better with prompts.
TW: The blind NPC from Mond, "a siren's call," and white lies... Or half truths.
Sometimes, as you slave away at work, chiseling at your pile of assignments slowly and carefully, your mind wanders. You dream, sometimes, of just walking around Mondstadt, of the scent of Good Hunter's food, of the sound of Katheryne's voice, of what could be.
The dream is enrapturing, enticing, and all devouring. Sometimes, it's all you can think about.
~
"Did you hear, They've descended!"
"Tell Master Jean that They're by the gate!"
"Y-Your Grace!"
Their God walked over the bridge, smiling as the pigeons didn't scatter. Their hand traced Timmie's own, their headpat soft.
"Excuse me," they asked the guard. "Is something wrong?"
"Nope, can we help you, s-strange yet respectable traveler?" Swan asked, the harsh gaze of passerby making him shiver. What was he supposed to do, go against the handbook?
"Oh, then, thank you for your hard work!" the Divine said, walking through the gate, mingling with the townsfolk.
The Creator's presence was absolute. Even if their physical form was as normal and mundane as the townsfolk, the mark their soul gave off was radiant.
Not that Glory could see it.
She had heard the commotion and wonder on the wind when a new pattern of footsteps clattered upon the floor.
"May I rest here?"
The voice was soft and sweet, a language unfamiliar yet understood. She nodded. The bench shook a little, the force of the stranger- nay, the Creator- caused the bench to squeak.
"If I may be so bold, have you heard anything from Godwin?"
The Creator smiled. Glory did not know how she knew that the Creator was smiling, but they did, and she knew.
"He's working hard, in his own way, to hurry home with pride."
No lies slipped through their lips. Glory knew somehow, that the words were true, despite not knowing the language. It was instinctual, heartwarming, and strangely familial.
Before Glory could offer her thanks, a soft whimper came off of her bench-partner.
"...Five more minutes."
The weight on the bench seemed to vanish, and the comfortable warmth in the air turned cold.
...
Glory had only spoken for no longer than a minute, but somehow, she felt as if a close friend had left.
~
You woke to a familiar alarm, with no memory of your dream, as per the usual.
And yet, a single phrase stuck in your mind.
"Your Grace."
The words were not spoken in any language you knew, but it was familiar all the same.
Like a siren call, you felt as if listening to it would complete your life.
And you turn away as you prepare to face the day once more.
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
Text
To Dream of Reality ~ Aether 1 ~
"exhaustion, and affirmations"
MASTERLIST
TW: Traveler Aether, i just find it easier to write. Aether is tired AF, feelings of abandonment(i should stop writing at 1am, i just wrote banandonentm) and the Creator being pale(sickly-ghostly pale, not race) as per the usual.
Also, Implied Usage of the Mondstadian Mansion in the Serenitea Pot
~
You wonder sometimes, if the Traveler tires of fighting. If his never-ending journey will come to an end, one with all his friends and his sister, in whatever world he considers home...
~
~
"Of course I'll help you." Those words had been uttered too may times already. How many people had he helped, for the sake of helping?
Jobs done for little pay, sleepless nights spent up for weeks on end, fighting and working without rest?
How many nights were spent on others and not himself? How many times had he saved the lives of thousands of people in exchange for a few minutes of information and a pat on the back?
"It's all for Lumine," He had to remind himself.
He was tired.
"Traveler!" "Honorary Knight!" "Golden Nara!" "My name," He said, sad and exhausted. "Is Aether."
His words were whispered into the wind, a gentle sob ringing in the artificial breeze of the Serenitea Pot.
"Aether!"
The language of Teyvat- Teyvanese, he assumed it was called- was a new language for him. Two months was barely enough to hold a decent conversation, but the sound of their voice, pure and untainted with the poison of mortality-
The language of his homeland, the Tongue of the Divine.
Their pale hands wrapped around him and Aether felt the warm breath on his neck.
"How are you?" they asked, touch as gentle as a mother's embrace, as firm as a father's hold.
He didn't want to lie.
"I could be better," he said. "I'm tired."
Their hands left his body, and he could not help but feel a tinge of sorrow.
And yet, the Creator sat down besides him on that balcony, tugging on his braid and letting it come undone.
"Lie on my lap," they whispered, and though it did not feel like a harsh order, he followed.
Despite their touch feeling cool upon contact, a strange warmth filled his body.
"It's alright," they sang. "You've worked hard."
"I can't tell you when your sister will be home, but the people are more than willing to lend their hand- If you're willing to accept."
"But if it's too hard, if you're too scared..."
"That's okay too."
Almost instinctively, his heart seemed to acknowledge the unspoken words.
"If you ever need to cry, I'm always there. Maybe not physically, but my creation is always listening."
~
You woke the next day to a slight feeling of sorrow, the same feeling of watching a movie and crying afterwards.
You wanted to comfort somebody, but didn't know who.
Something within you seemed to settle, as you acknowledged that things are alright now...
Now?
Was it ever wrong?
...
Maybe you can dream about it tonight.
Or maybe someone else will appear in your dreams...?
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borbsbirbs · 1 year
Text
To Dream of Reality (And Live Within Dreams) ~1~
MASTERLIST
TW: Tonal shift, no actual genshin characters, this is creator/reader-centric, Denial of reality, a Creator who tires of the real world
You are a normal person.
Completely and wholly average.
Be it schooling or your profession, you are stressed nonetheless.
You have been playing Genshin in your free time, and sleeping whenever you can.
You have been dreaming well, of something. What exactly it was, you don't know.
But you have been dreaming, and because of that, you have been resting well.
But there is an "Itch" underneath your skin, a sense of unease, a sense of "Wrongness."
Each glance in the mirror, each word you speak, each step and breath feels… wrong, like a t-shirt on too tight or poorly tailored….robes, meant for another.
Robes?
It feels inherently wrong, like something's just… not quite there.
Like limbs are missing, limbs you didn't even know you had.
Like words are evading your mind from a language that doesn't exist…
Like your dream is reality, and reality is a dream.
But even still, you merely stand up from your bed and prepare for the daily grind once again. Your dream can wait.
...you still wonder what you'll dream of tonight.
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