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boundinparchment · 1 year

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Dream a Little Dream of Me - XIV

Celestia has a cruel sense of humor. He’s always known this, ever since his days as a student. But a soulmate? Really? Dottore/Female Reader Soulmate AU. Lore speculation, interpretations, etc. AO3 Chapter is Here.

Dottore awoke feeling fuzzy and groggy, his mouth dry and his body aching, yearning. More, more, more.

He could still feel the ghost of her fingers in his hair. Soft, gentle, so careful. It had been so long since anyone touched him, let alone in a meaningful way, full of—

No, his thoughts couldn’t wander there and he needed to stop giving into them every time he saw her as of late.

Celestia was toying with him. Anything that came from this was the opposite of affection; soulmates were forced to be together, to always be connected. What was so loving about that? He didn’t have time for this, never asked for it. In his realm of research, there was no need for emotions, for softness, for people who would never understand him.

He would not be controlled.

Dottore raised a hand to his face, only to be met with a barrier that was not, in fact, his mask. He grabbed it and wrenched it off, the material crinkling in his hand. Paper? Had he fallen asleep while reading? Strange. He didn’t recall doing such a thing. He certainly hadn’t been reading his notes on the potential effects of incense-induced meditation, at least.

The clatter of porcelain meeting wood brought his attention from the paper to the cup placed on his desk, resting near where he’d propped his feet up. Omega hovered nearby with its arms crossed, staring blankly, Ruin core spinning as its processes continued.

“You’re finally awake,” the segment said at last. “You have a little—”

Omega gestured to the corner of its mouth and Dottore raised a hand, feeling dried saliva.

“Did you—”

“You were making ridiculous sounds in your sleep, Prime. Odd expressions, too. I didn’t want to see your face if your dreams were to be filled with that useless piece of dross.”

Dottore shifted and realized that the papers in his lap were, also, quite strategically placed. Not only did he not want to deal with having a soulmate, he had to enjoy the dreams; was Celestia ever going to be happy with him and let him be?

He glared at Omega as he pulled his feet from the surface and sat upright. Dottore reached for the cup, sniffed it for good measure, before he took a tentative sip. His gaze burned holes in Omega’s coat as he walked away.

“Most of the preparations are finished. Now it’s just a matter of starting the samara to harvest the jnana energy needed for the transformation,” Omega said, gesturing to the large suit of armor that served as the Balladeer’s divine vessel. “I will see to the particulars of the harvest and ensure the plan goes as ordered. No doubt Her Most Noble Majesty is looking forward to having her precious Doctor home again.”

Ah, yes, the dream harvest. They needed enough energy to create a steady connection and make use of the Gnosis. And then, come Jnagarbha Day…

Omega’s theory was solid and so far, on smaller tests, everything seemed to work. He was only here to observe now but he should be making preparations to leave. The leyline energy that ran through the segment would be enough to store anything important for later viewing, anyway. He’d handed over control to the Segment and given precise orders. Once the second segment was properly assembled, he was no longer needed here.

And the sooner he left, the better. The dreams were so vivid now, given their proximity, and if he were anyone else, it would be so easy to give in, to stay in the depths of the dreamscape. A danger he’d avoided all of those years ago only because he found the Leylines and their ever-flowing knowledge far more interesting.

He almost spat out his coffee as he processed the dream again. An extended stay in Sumeru City, an unexpected letter from a patron…a choice, a mind already made up. Oh, Archons damn him, he hadn’t even tried to argue against her. He couldn’t have, not without implicating himself so severely that she would never trust him again. Since when did he care about that?

She was staying behind. She would get included in the samsara cycles. Worse yet, her dreams and knowledge would get included in the upload.

Dottore’s eyes drifted from Omega to Scaramouche, asleep in the mechanical suit. He could barely trust his other perspectives with the knowledge of a soulmate. But the Balladeer? Oh, he’d never hear the end of it.

The Segment had witnessed the entire scene with the Akademiya; he recalled the recording of her passionate, infuriated words and felt her very soul resonate with his as she ranted about the injustice. But the letter for her arrived far before that and she was smart enough to discern whether it was her patron’s handwriting. Or maybe he was giving her too much credit.

How quickly he was growing soft for her.

But it was an observation she would have noted. A musician, a composer, was detailed, careful, and would have known the handwriting of a long-time employer. Her suspicion wasn’t of the letter itself but its timing, after all. Why was she so focused on that?

Coincidences happened far more than conspiracies. The world, regardless of its false sky, was just chaotic that way.

“Judging from your silence, you have plenty of things on your mind, Prime. Do share,” Omega teased.

He couldn’t interfere. It would throw off the balance after the variables had been so carefully calculated. It wasn’t as if he cared.

“There was a letter,” Dottore said carefully, his back protesting as he rose from the chair. “From her old patron.”

Omega grimaced and turned his attention back to his own research. “Oh. That. I wrote to her patron on your behalf in an attempt to get her out of Sumeru and away from you. I may have mentioned Pantalone heard of a talented cellist that resided with them and wanted to know if she could play at an upcoming state dinner in Fontaine. I don’t want to deal with her as a variable in my research but after her impassioned speech, it appears we have no choice.”

He wanted to rip out the Segment’s voicebox for that mocking tone, echoing their previous conversation. Dottore strode across the room, listening to Omega ramble on.

“I’m stuck with her and you have no choice but to leave because your cardinal rule is to just…observe, see what happens. First and foremost a scholar, after all. Perhaps that’s for the best.”

Omega was fast but Dottore was quicker, his hand grabbing the Segment’s throat with one hand while the other held onto the leyline core on his harness. The Segment grinned widely, sharp canines glistening, before he gave a barking laugh.

“You continue to drag your feet and cannot be bothered to embrace what has been given to you.”

The last syllable came out strained, a push against the grip Dottore held on the power source that gave the Segment its energy. Dottore held the harness tight as his other hand released the Segment’s throat and reached for the face plate, this time gripping the dangling wires and holding them taut.

He didn’t want to be beholden to fate. He never asked for this. Just like he never asked for the Cryo Vision he kept tucked behind his own Leyline core, the central hub of his Segment network. If he embraced fate with her , it meant he would have to embrace everything and let go of the past. That the events at the Akademiya, with Sohreh, with his home village, were unavoidable.

“Don’t you deserve to be happy, Prime? To know the comfort and embrace and love of another?”

He’d recorded his past with the intention of preserving his perspectives throughout his life; how could he let go of them? He needed them.

Fate was bullshit. He’d proven that when he made his first Segment so many years ago.

“If you don’t want her, I can make better use of that connection. Maybe I shall, Zandik. You’re nothing but a coward,” Omega spat. “You always ran and hid and escaped to the ley lines because you couldn’t bring yourself to act .”

“Every time I did act, something went horrifically wrong. Don’t pretend otherwise. And that is precisely why you will not interfere with her.”

Celestia has ruined enough lives. It will not take another from me.

“If she wants to stay, she stays,” Dottore said at last. “It is her choice. You will not interfere with that and continue with the plan as expected.”

Dottore pushed the Segment away with a vicious force. Omega stumbled back, hands reaching for the gaping hole in its head to reassemble itself, knocking over a tray of instruments and disrupting a pile of parts in the process. The cacophony barely disturbed the Balladeer who was still in a deep slumber of his own.

“Do not go near her. And bring back the two Gnoses. These are your final orders.”

“Yes, Lord Harbinger.”

He did not stick around to watch Omega shove wires back into his cranial cavity. After all, he was expected by Her Most Noble Majesty; he could not keep her waiting.

#dottore #il dottore #il dottore x reader #dottore x reader #dottore x female reader #il dottore x female reader #genshin impact reader insert #soulmate au #fic: dream a little dream of me #YES i UPDATED TWICE #and I did it because I need to get to the rest of this story okay #which won't happen for a while

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idcallmyselfhuman · 5 months

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I FINALLY FINISHED MASQUERADE OF THE GUILTY

I STARTED AT 10PM WHY IS IT 6 IN THE MORNING?????

i'd love to make another essay but i'm way too late to the party. nothing i say won't have already been said, so i'll settle for praising it.

i see why people loved this quest so much, it really is the best one yet. i've never been this emotional for this game. hell, i was sobbing alongside furina. she's such a beautifully tragic character i would not have her any other way.

^ i have more to say but like. hmm. maybe another day 🫡 (or maybe if i had sleep)

also SOME FUCKING AETHER LORE HELL YEAHHHHH

FINALLY A POSSIBLE REASONING FOR HIS "PURIFICATION" POWERS

ANYONE REMEMBER THAT ANCIENT ANCIENT THEORY THAT THE GNOSIS CONTAINED AETHER'S POWERS WHICH WAS WHY LUMINE WAS TRYING TO GET THEM BACK

THAT THEORY WAS FLAWED BUT DAMN WAS IT ONTO SMTH

#AHHHHHHHH also i used like 10gb for clips alone the file size is too big but i dont want tosacrifice quality #so fuck my ps5's storage then #going to post more. yes. soon #yes yes im back i think #like actually back #genshin impact #genshitpost #personal #iwant to talk abt furina so so bad but like #i also want to pass out #but i cant because i have somewhere to be in 2 hours #great!!!!!!

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lyss-butterscotch · 5 months

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btw im obsessed over furina too shes literally just me and if you by aaany chance wanna ramble about her feel free to, tis an invitation. if not thats fine too! boop

Omg kiki hi!!! You have no idea that i just like buried my face to a pillow cuz oh gee golly gosh oh sovereigns above this girl. THIS GIRL.

[Obvious spoilers for fontaine archon quests and furinas story quest]

Literally abnormal about her she deserves all in the world. We have hands to give furina pats on the head we can speak so we can tell furina she did it i am so jdhdjsyshjsjsjsn waaaaaaaaa

I love how they paced her characterization throughout each patch, idk i just feel like its well paced. The first patch shows that shes all bark and no bite. All the flare all the drama with neuvillette being the one truly working the system (you can see it in the patch art too!). I just couldnt understand how she is oh so shamelessly show offy when she literally has nothing to show for but her title like damn i felt bad for neuvillette for dealing with her. But the way she falters and hesitates, just makes you think theres something else going on. But i still felt like she HAS a bite, she just for some reason doesnt use it so i was just expecting her to break and show power later on.

Then act two. Man i never wanted to punch a character so bad like arlecchino LEAVE HER ALONE MAN SHE DOES NOT DESERVE THIS SLANDER. Its when i start to think shes not the god after all. She keeps saying she has plans but its 'secret', as much as i wanna defend her arlecchino was right. She has nothing to show for, she has no plan, no act to help fontaine so what is there to defend? But she CLEARLY cares for the prophecy so WHY ISNT SHE DOING ANYTHING. Arlecchino saying that furina might not be a god after all just makes me even more insane about the plot. Like okay theres no way the gnosis isnt in the oratrice and neuvillette is the sovereign so what the hell is going on with furina???

Then the final patch. Omg oh god oh golly oh my lords above. I hate how even as she got duped into a trial she is still trying to keep up her bark. The way she says 'THE TRIAL OF THE HYDRO ARCHON SHALL NOW BEGIN' with so much fervour like she is STILL trying. It made me think shes gonna reveal some super important bg plot shes been working on to make us go 'wow she really is a great archon'. BUT THEN. BUT THEN SHE GETS OUTED FOR NOT KNOWING WHY THE ORATRICE LET OUT A WRONH VERDICT, NOT WANTING TO SHOW OFF HER HYDRO POWERS, AND BEING AFFECTED BY PRIMORDIAL SEA WATER???

Like at that point i think furina youre done. Its over. But the way she cried and begged for people to believe her still WAAAAAAAA. LIKE GIRL WHY ARE YOU STILL TRYING STOP THIS HURTS TO WATCH. Then she goes full catatonic once the trial is over urgh bby no :(

AND THEN THE WHOLE FOCALORS LORE DROPPED AND LITERALLY EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE, ALL HER DRAMA AND BARK MAKES SENSE. AND THE WAY IT REVEALS THAT NOT ONLY DID FURINA ***NOT*** KNOW FOCALORS' PLAN, IT ALSO MEANS SHE THOUGHT THAT HER FAILING THE TRIAL MEANS ***SHE*** WAS GONNA BE THE REASON FONTAINE WAS GONNA DROWN. AAAAAAAGAFAFDAADFAGAAGSHS

I hate how focalors specified that furina had to act like 'how people think gods act' and not just 'act like a god'. I hate it. I hate how she was trying to be nice but in fear that itll blow her cover she had to shine brighter to blind the people, when there was nothing to show underneath it. Dies dies dies!!!!!!!!!

As much as i hate that they didnt really show furina moving out of the palais mermonia. I think its fitting. How shes so tired of all the flair she has to put up she really just... wanted to leave. Be done with it. No flare just slips away silently.

Im glad that she and neuvillette is still in good terms, i think atleast after 500 years of putting an act together + neuvi finding out the shit she had to go through, he'd atleast have some form of camaraderie or respect for her. The fact that he is supportive of her being involved in a performance after she moved out is so waaaaaa she deserves it!!!! I think its clear that despite her needing a break, performing what she wants is something she likes to do and im glad she has something thats entirely her own going on for her :)

Also also la vaguelette is the song ever. I hope hyv is happy that they made a song that can make me cry 1 second in. Literally best song after yunjins opera song. They did not hold back and my heart weeps everyday.

Also the fact that now she just eats macaroni everyday is a mood. Boop

#okay sorry long rant #but i am abnormal about her #focalors dude like give her a break #lyssten to my rambles

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anantaru · 1 year

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soooo... 🤭 i finished the sumeru archon quest and this was hands down the best archon quest so far, like they really put all their badussy into this one. I love seeing the development in both their cutscenes and story writing as well, whoever wrote the sumeru archon quest give them a raise!👺 i wasn't this emotional in a long time, literally the last time i had tears in my eyes because of a game was when i finished the flame chaser arc in honkai🥹🌸

other than that tho, i like how everyone played their part and how there was actually character development taking place, not to mention that the way they explained everything was nice too so there weren't any plotholes and ??? moments. BY THE WAY 🤭 LISTEN 🤭 al-haitham is my little meow meow, oh my god i have the hots for him so badly heizou look away, he's such a little bitch with his little smirk in the end (also im sorry but his acting skills ??? this man has it figured out, if he doesn't want to be a scribe anymore he can become the best actor in all of teyvat fr) + dottore did it for me as well AND KAVEH OH MY GOD I CAN‘T CHOOSE, al-haitham, kaveh and dottore all stole my heart in this archon quest, they're amazing and i like dottore as a villain too. 🙇🏻‍♀️

nilou's cutscene was low-key funny when the guards watched her instead of doing something at first, also she really dodged a bullet there 💀! scaramouche's cutscene broke me it was so fucking sad, i never heard him say 'please' before or beg for something, that just shows how much he depended on the gnosis and that it was the only reason for him to continue living -> as seen when nahida took it and he just plopped on the floor with his eyes loosing the light in it. In the end though, when nahida deleted rukkha, WHAT IF THAT WAS MY LAST STRAW LIKE DAMN SUMERU BE HAPPY FOR ONCE PLEASE!!!! the lore dump we got had me speechless too, the whole descender thing is very interesting and also how nahida was the first archon to finally tell us useful information instead of dancing around the things we actually wanted to know.

i can't wait for focalors in fontaine, the name sounds amazing (buer sounded so badass too) also since they most likely will base it off france I'm hoping they include lots of the negative aspects of france as well in the story, (i'm part french and born there!) so fontaine was always my number one most anticipated region!!!! all in all 100/10 archon quest, i can't wait to see dainsleif come back too!!! 💗

#໒꒰ྀིっ˕ ｡꒱ྀི১ yoru plays genshin'#genshin impact spoilers #genshin spoilers

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that-mifi · 1 year

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Recently I've been mourning pre iradori kazuscara and what the ship was like then, with all the inaccurate lore and speculation. Like I've been really missing it but also happy about how kazuscara developed in the fandom (mostly recently with scara's lore and story and redemption) so I was thinking: Why not look at some older Kazuscara fics? Stuff that was written before iradori happened. Then I remembered a fic that seemed to be really popular that I have started reading before but dropped for some reason. I decided to give it another chance and damn do I not regret it. If you want to satisfy your og kazuscara needs like me you should definetly read

no password, no poison

by Anonymous

Warnings:

Graphic depictions of violence

Summary:

After he surrenders the ineffective gnosis to the Fatui, Scaramouche plans revenge against Raiden Ei. That is, if this shopkeeper would just give him the fucking poison.

Relationships:

Kaedehara Kazuha/Scaramouche

Minor or Background Relationship(s)

Katsuragi & Scaramouche (Genshin Impact)

Raiden Ei | Baal & Scaramouche

Additional Tags:

Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Fluff and Angst

Self-Harm

Scaramouche Backstory (Genshin Impact)

Minor Character Death

Torture

Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms

Manipulation

Blood and Gore

Hurt/Comfort

Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Mutual Pining

Unethical Experimentation

Drug Use

Feelings Realization

Not Beta Read

References to Depression

bullshit lore i made up

knowledge of scara lore needed to read

takes off after 2.1 update

written and planned before scaramouche release

slow burn. as in slow FUCKING burn

Angry Scaramouche

Amortentia Potion (Harry Potter)

Suspension Of Disbelief

mxtx arcane and aot references

#kazuscara #scarakazu #kaedehara kazuha #scaramouche #kunikuzushi #pre iradori festival #kazuscara timecapsule or smth #fanfiction recommendation #fanfic recommendation #genshin impact #genshin #genshin fanfic rec #genshin fic recs #genshin fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #Mifi's amazing fic recs

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sevyspams · 1 year

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i would’ve stayed on my knees, and i am damn sure i never would’ve danced with that devil.

The members of the family stood with splendor matching their last name in exquisiteness. Like the matriarch Raiden Ei, they are all resolute and forthright. In the presence of a second harbinger, Dottore, she stood by their side.

A homewrecker, the man who sought to tear this impenetrable family apart. The man, who was so keen to try new things, also tested what would happen if he divided up this family. A family started by a puppet as well.

‘What a blessing it would be to have a family of one's own—a loving family like this.’ "Take my Electro Gnosis with you," Seree remained at the back of the group. Ei shoved her aside. She stayed holding the Dendro, Electro, and Anemo Gnosis close to her. "Get the other four.”

“Where shall I go?” she asked, her hazy eyes gazing up at the Archon with a gaping posture. The Archon did not respond as she turned away from her and returned to tend to her family. The puppet was left there by herself, her head bowed. ‘Ah. I only need the Gnoses. Nothing more.’

Inwardly nodding, Seree drew the three Gnosis closer to her bruised and frail frame. Her eyes were shut in suffering as she painstakingly limped away from the scene of the turmoil, leaving the area where the chaos occurred.

But after taking a false turn, she staggered and dropped the three Gnosis in front of her. Her eyes widened as she crawled to approach the formidable, deadly relics of this realm. She drew the three of them closer to her as she curled up next to a waterbank.

Due to the Gnoses' adverse effects, her hands became crisp and pallid. It was trembling from the pain and the cold. Her grayish-charcoal hands were scarred with writhing, bleeding, withered, scorched, and further lesions. The synthetic skin covering it is hardly visible.

The Puppet was already exhausted, beaten, and damaged, but it seemed as though her body was designed to move. She was never intended to stop, so the only thing she could do was keep going without turning around.

Seree took a quick look at the glowing objects in her palms. Her lungs produced a brief but sharp cough as she wiped away the blood that it carried. The Puppet knew immediately that the end was imminent. She shouldn't let the world's material possessions and emotive entities limit her.

She wouldn't even remain long in this place. All she could do was return to her feet and focus on finding the other Gnosis. “Right. I shouldn’t stop.”

Because she will only be able to stop once she is dead.

disclaimers; this was inspired by a roleplay me and my moots did at our discord server. so if the lore doesn't align with the original genshin lore—it's because it really isn't the genshin lore.

#files: puppet #document: canonau!#sevy: au stuff

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ipcearn · 4 months

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So I finished the most recent Archon quest a week and a half ago, as well as Furina's (first) story quest and I had some time to process and get my thoughts in order

Beware a long, rambly post beneath the cut

I knew what the ultimate twist of the Archon quest would be concerning Furina and Focalors, though not the details of how and why before I played it since I procrastinated on it so long and I didn't evade spoilers, but I wanted to play it before I dug into the meat of the Film Festival event

But damn, that was pulled of very well, with the shifting perspectives (but also ooof, the guilt everyone had to feel when the verdict came down when they made the plan to get Furina on trial, even if it was all planned by Focalors, that would and should haunt people for a while, particularly Furina)

The thing with the narwhal whale was a bit left field, but damn did Childe eat during that cutscene, I do have thoughts on Skirk and her design that I am going to stew over for a while longer

I know people have been talking about this since the trailer had dropped and we got that first look at her, but yeah, for a character with her build up, I kinda expected to be a bit more wow'ed which is all I am going to say for now

Her lore drops though, damn, the revelation about the gnoses and how much more important the Hexenzirkel is becoming - suddenly it tracks very much why Mona is randomly in this quest

Maybe we will finally get that Mondstadt expansion soon I can dream right

But on the topic of the gnoses, I am gonna admit how confused I was that Neuvillette gave that to Arlecchino because I honestly thought that the trick Focalor pulled was essentially destroying the gnosis

I need to look over the earlier quest dialogues again because my understanding had been that the gnoses were given out by Celestia to a god/person which made them an Archon (though a dying/dead Archon can also pass their gnosis to their replacement apparently, I assume Makoto did this with Ei as well, but we get the confirmation that Egeryia did that with Focalors), and god does not need to equal Archon as we get in Liyue's lore regularly; now we know the gnoses are made of the remains of the third descender as revealed by Skirk, because like the Traveler the third descender could channel multiple elemental energies, but those elemental energies that elevated a god/person to an Archon were taken from the Ancient Dragon Authorities by Celestia (as revealed by Neuvillette)

To me that meant that the gnoses were the focal point for that power and we know once those get taken away from an Archon, they still retain enough of a charge of elemental power to pass as vision holders - see literally every Archon we encountered so far, it's either Venti or Zhongli that first explains that, coincidentally also the two Archons with fake visions - so I thought the trick Focalors pulled was by killing the Hydro Archon, she was destroying the gnosis to return the power to Neuvillette permanently

Because couldn't Celestia very easily now just decree the Hydro gnosis to a new person??? Which would create a new Hydro Archon??? We know the Heavenly Principles are not challenged lightly

Or is the Hydro gnosis now essentially powerless? Which would imply the Tsaritsa either isn't aware that is a possibility or that she was never interested in the elemental powers they hold and more in that they are made from the remains of the third descender since we do know the Fatui and by extension the Tsaritsa are aware of the Descenders

Also, very, very intrigued and admittedly worried how much more important the term 'planet' became in this quest, both used by Skirk and Neuvillette, since before it was always 'world'

I genuinely hope the storytellers know what they are doing and are not overloading the lore because planet is a word that comes with a lot of implications, particularly with "the sky is fake" as we heard in Sumeru from Dottore, if it was just Skirk, I could excuse that maybe (I need to look into Mona's story dialogue again because she I could also see using the word which would have strengthened the connection to the Hexenzirkel) but Neuvillette throwing the word around without question is what gave me pause

Plenty of questions, plenty of theories, plenty of concerns

Now to Furina's story quest

I thought they really did an amazing job in it with her dealing with the emotional trauma she suffered from having to play an Archon for 500 years... until the very end of the quest came around

Her setting her boundaries so very firmly really made me applaud her and the writing, and I personally thought where that quest would leave her would be her realizing a joy in running the behind the scenes of a theater troupe and play writing, finding her place in something that made her suffer but rediscovering the joys of it without having to retread what hurt her

And her emphasis that she would never act on a stage again felt so very important and in line with that, and even though a number of characters kept repeating how great she is on stage, her being adamant on her choices felt very important to her healing

And then the quest forces her to do it at the end anyway

Now obviously the art was beautiful and I was bawling during that cutscene, but it cheapened what I thought made the quest great before that

Though at least in the Film Festival event we get to have that director Furina running the behind the scenes instead of acting herself

(Edit after this post sat in my drafts for a few days: I saw that one of Neuvillette's profile stories digs into how the Ancient Dragon Authorities are linked to the gnoses, it doesn't really dispute my understanding, but also doesn't quite match it, though it does say that Neuvillette is now the one responsible for new Hydro visions; I'll need to reread that one a couple times before my brain computes it fully, so maybe I will make additions to this post at a later date)

#shut up ip #genshin impact #genshin spoilers #genshin impact spoilers #for 4.2's archon quest #... is the plural of gnosis gnoses or gnosis #both looks very weird #neuvillette's profile story says gnoses is correct #i originally wrote gnosis for all the plurals and then went over it again to fix it #but I am not sure if I caught all the plurals or if I accidentally now changed a singular to a plural

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dykeyunjin · 2 years

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okay look:

1. venti can literally carve up terrain with his powers (in lore), i shouldn't be surprised he can open black holes but I AM! isn't this guy supposed to be Lacking of Gnosis. why is he so strong

2. 'spookystew were like brothers u and i' 'whos the older brother' 'me.' is so funny to me Like mihoyo's choice to censor 'gays' 'poof' and 'stupid' but not 'gay' or 'ass' makes it 100x funnier. also i have this mental image of wilbur being like SPOOKY OLDER BROTHER??? shutting that shit down rn. NOT ON MY WATCH

3. not pictured: wilbur on its tour guide arc taking me to the secret island by sea. meaning, the two of us as kaeyas taking turns to smooth the water into flat ice so we could walk across. i remember wilbur being so normal and saying Fun Things about the sunrise but i was like OHHHH MY GOD. WE ARE SO FAR FROM SHORE. ARE WE GOING TO DROWN? THERE IS NO SIGN OF LAND. ARE WE GOING DOWN TOGETHER, HAND IN UNLOVABLE HAND? but yeah we reached the secret island perfectly fine. wilbur twoshot the ruin guard. Lol

4. i really did not know you could shoot the damn birds

U read this far. have this screenshot of wilbur mugging me in a shady corner. and...Well. thats all rlly

#chat #documenting my thoughts here bc im not veey transparent on main #that kaeya journey to secret island. definitely a core memory

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flokali · 2 years

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Ngl I slandered Ei for a while now because of her waifufication but at the same time I was waiting for a redemption arc, and damn did they deliver.

That quest was just 👌

And the Ei and Miko banter at the end? Absolutely adorable 10/10 love the dynamic

Honestly, I get why people might’ve disliked her first quest - on the surface it seems very fan-service-y - but not going to lie, I adored it.

It’ll have to go under the cut because I go into spoilers about the quest/lore and rant so much I could talk about Ei and her brilliance for hours it’s not even funny, like can you tell she’s one of my favorite characters??

I felt so bad for Ei throughout the quest, just taking her around and seeing her reaction - I mean, definitely they played up for the whole “naive waifu” narrative but it was also so sad to see, unlike the other two archons who - albeit having different amounts of involvement as archons - were able to interact and live in their respective nations, you can say what you want about Venti and Zhongli but they definitely knew and were up to date with things happening in Mondstatd and Liyue respectively.

Ei, on the other hand, had no idea - she adores Inazuma with her whole heart but decided to neglect it in hopes of making her people happy and to fulfill what she believed was their dream, seeing her experience Dango Milk and read silly novels and see how shocked she was at the progress she had once been so fearful of felt sad (if not just pitiful), it was such a stark contrast to Makoto and how involved she was with the daily lives of Inazuma’s residents (she’s implied to have been out and about in Inazuma and interacting with her people);Ei saw her worth restricted by her ability as a fighter, not a ruler. She was naive and stubborn and it took her 500 years of solitude, a failed decree, the death of her sister and closest friends to experience her own region, her own nature and the her deceased sister’s life’s work, for the first time and she was shocked and, most importantly, regretful for her actions. The end of her quest had me so excited to see what they’d do with her, the implications of a fight between her and Raiden and the clear regret she held for her actions were so interesting and it showed a clear difference between herself (the Ei who has experienced Inazuma) and Raiden.

The second quest kind of solidified these feelings for me about Ei and made an already tragic and well-written story so much more amazing to me, it honestly did her and Makoto so much justice… Her actions always stood out; her distaste for her gnosis yet her fear of the Heavenly Principals, the reasoning behind the creation of Raiden Shogun, those questions kept me hooked through her first and second archon quest and honestly I adore the direction they seem to be heading towards for her </3

And her relationship with Yae Miko is so precious, they care about each other so much - Yae’s lines about entrusting “her God” onto the traveler’s hands and her absolute shyness when Paimon and the traveler try brining it up >_< The way until this point, Yae has been the bridge between Ei and Inazuma and finally is able to spend time with Ei, even if she says she’s only doing her job as her familiar, it’s clear Yae and Ei care about each other deeply; I’m literally in love with them and their relationship.

#genshin spoilers #๋࣭. priestess preaches #๋࣭. hidden devotee #๋࣭ offerings #like… Ei/Kaeya/Kokomi/Venti/Ajax are some of the most interesting character for me right now #but especially the first three and enka… like the love i have for them and the new region #and the lore that’s coming out recently has me writing essays on my google docs as i research about shit #literally could write a whole 1.5 hour video script like those video essays about genshin theories not even joking #and half of it would be screaming about ei and the archons

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lailoken · 3 years

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‘Of the Elixir Sacramentum’

“Visionary Potions, known to the chymist as the Elixirs Sacramentum, stand as a signpost on the Tortuous Road of the Green Snake: that Via of Arte known as the Poison Path. It is the Cup of Self-Bewitchment, from which arises Shades both Hallowed and Damned. This Flask we brew with utmost caution, and drink, savouring equal parts Epiphany and Terror. In its power it commands the planetary nuances of Old Mercurius, his face illumined by the Stellar Fires of Cain Al' Shajarat, plant-lord of the Green Gnosis.

These potions, like their brethren and sisters, were known to the Wise of Ancient times. Symposia, the lively social imbibitions of the Old Greeks, were pleasurable and socially sophisticated convivii centred around strong drink. Hellenic wines were notoriously potent: the vessel known as the Krater was employed for mixing water with wine to dilute its strength. Because distillation of spirits was unknown—or at least conceal'd—at the time, the potency of the wine was probably due to the addition of various Herbs, many of which were known to harbour stupefying, stimulating, narcotic, and visionary virtues. The ancient practice of mixing water with wine also embodies the sorcerous arcanum inherent in the Conjunctio of the male and female principles. Coptic rites employing the ritual mixture of water and wine derive from the piercing of Christ by the spear of the Roman centurion as written in The Gospel of John, wherein the wound produced water and blood.

In other lore, the Celtic god Gobniu, divine smith and Master of Brewing, manufactured a heady sacred ale from the Otherworld Apples, drunk to assure eternal youth. The notorious kykeon of the Eleusinian mysteries was indeed some form of phytognostic philtre. Myriad beers, meads, and other fermented brews were held in great esteem by Teutonic and Scandinavian tribes, employing numerous plant adjuncts both poisonous and visionary.

Sacramental potions were also known in the Americas; some Algonquin male initiation ceremonies featured prolonged use of the brew known as Wysoccan, made from Thorn Apple species, in order to banish one's youth to all but a Fog of Memory. The Amazonian ayahuasceros are truly potion-sorcerers of the first order, with a stunning diversity of formulae for the Ayahuasca brew. Another South American Elixir Sacramentum is the healing-divinatory Cimora, brew'd from the San Pedro Cactus and magically-allied plants. Old Meso-American philtres employed Chocolate, Vanilla and other spices as a sorcerous vehiculum exponentiating the visionary goodness of God's Mushrooms. Additionally, other species were brewed as ensorcell'd liquids approximating the Elixirs Sacramenta, namely Tobacco (Nicotiana spp.), Brugmansia, and Methysticodendron.

Consider this entry from Giambattista della Porta's Magia naturalis of 1589:

How To Make A Man Mad With Mandrake.

We have told you, that a small dose brings sleep, a little more madness, a larger, death. Dioscorides says, that a drachm of Morion will make one foolish. We will easier do it with wine, which is thus made. Take the roots of Mandrake, and but put them into new wine, boiling and bubbling up. Cover it closed, and let them infuse in a warm place for two months. When you would use it, give it to somebody to drink, and whosoever shall taste it after a deep sleep, will be distracted, and for a day shall rave. But after some sleep, will return to his senses again, without any harm. And it is very pleasant to behold.

This late 16th century formula is degraded in magical context and presentation, but we may, with Good Sense, speculate of its ancient forbears, perhaps as a Bacchic or Dionysian sacrament, especially considering the Illuminating and highly sorcerous nature of Our Root. Here, the meaning of its juices are reduced to folly and madness, at best employed as a Veneficium. But those who have drunk of its gifts know the great powers it conceals, and its impeccability as a True Ally and Famulus to those of the Craft.

To the learn'd astromancer, the sacramental wine is Mercury's own child, profound of inspiration and fleet of foot. The Elixir Sacramentum is therefore best realised during the Hours of Mercury, and rites employing these philtres are best initiated at the beginning of a favourable aspect betwixt the Moon and Mercury. Depending on the nature of the rite, beneficent aspects between Mercury and Venus are also auspicious.”

—

Ars Philtron:

Concerning the Aqueous Cunning of the Potion and Its Praxis in the Green Arte Magical

6: ‘Of the Elixir Sacramentum’

by Daniel A. Schulke

#ars philtron #daniel a. schulke #witchcraft #traditional withcraft #sabbatic witchcraft #sabbatic tradition #cultus sabbati #sabbatic craft #green magic

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ajaxwrites · 3 years

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GENSHIN IMPACT FANFIC REC LIST II

(previous: part i)

Seaglass by Aevas

There was more to the contract than a gnosis and test of Liyue. It seemed like a simple deal five hundred years ago: so long as Morax never had a soulmate, the Tsaritsa would never harm Liyue and she would not get his gnosis. But the moment he gained a soulmate, all that belonged to him was forfeit. He thought the deal left Liyue safe—he'd lived thousands of years without a soulmate. The Tsaritsa would be dead and gone by the time she'd have a chance to collect.

Five hundred years later, Childe appears in Liyue, Zhongli gains a soulmate mark, and everything falls apart.

(The obligatory soulmate AU, featuring a Zhongli with PTSD, an oblivious Childe, and demon-worshipping cultists.)

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: I CANNOT BELIEVE I SLEPT ON THIS FIC FOR SO LONG. Read it and I mean it! I admitted initially steered clear of this fic because I wasn’t comforted with a soulmate tartali fic pre-Osial but this fic is actually post-Ostial *facepalm* The writing is phenomenal and Aevas does some beautiful worldbuilding that you typically don’t see in Genshin Impact fics. I love the dynamic between Childe and Zhongli here and the angst is real. The author writes the two as very human characters who makes mistakes, etc. and notably Zhongli struggles with the concept of Childe as his soulmate (who understandably is upset by the rejection when he realizes). They get better though. Also very plotty. A+ writing.

it's a hard rock life for us by reptilianraven

“Ah, no need to worry about that,” Azhdaha waves a dismissive hand. “There is no real Kun Jun. He’s dead.”

A leaf blows past and plaps onto Aether’s face.

“You killed him???” Paimon screeches.

“No,” Azhdaha scrunches his eyebrows. “He was dead when I found him.”

“And you just decided to wear his corpse?” Aether says, leaf still on his face.

He shrugs. “It was free real estate.”

“Azhdaha...” Morax says, sounding vaguely pained.

Or the one where Historia Antiqua Chapter II: No Mere Stone goes a little bit different and Azhdaha gets more time.

He ultimately uses that time to bully Morax into confronting his immortal neuroses, to make Aether and Paimon suffer, and to figure out how to get that ginger boy Morax has his eye on to make a move already.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe, Past Azhdaha/Zhongli

Notes: Very lighthearted, humor-filled fic. Love how Azhdaha is so flippant. Interactions with Zhongli and Childe are pure gold.

if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes by moonlight_mist

Childe has a Weapon problem- specifically, that he can't keep one.

He's too reckless, too wild, and too keen on pushing his Weapon partners past their limits. He's just about ready to give up when he meets Zhongli, a Weapon who just might be the solution- so long as Childe can manage to keep his dick in his pants.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: This is a Soul Eater AU with some college/university AU vibes (?) but you don’t really need to know much about the anime. It’s a cute AU and I love the premise. Light angst but otherwise, it’s a pretty semi-plotty fic. Easter egg Kaeya and Diluc though.

To Kill A God by IlluminanceinTales

In Snezhnaya, they call them sansis—lost souls that have no guidance but themselves. It’s an apt description, given that most of the time, wannabe-Archons have to go through dozens of tests with nothing as their reference, relying solely on their wit and strength and hoping it would be enough. At least, until they survive the end of the whole game—and they might not have to undergo a painful reincarnation which feels like a hundred bones being stitched together again.

On his seventh game, Childe Tartaglia reincarnates this time in the body of a young man.

Damn, he thinks, looking down at his thin body, his slightly calloused fingers. This won’t be good when facing the other Hydro Decisions.

In a world where an Archon's position is not chosen but fought for in games, Childe Tartaglia is a Hydro Decision who's poised to become the next Hydro Archon. Of course, that's only if he survives his seventh reincarnation. All would be so much easier if it weren't for a certain Geo Archon interfering with every possible chance he gets.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: Think Hunger Games meet Political Intrigue meet Genshin Impact. Love the premise and world building that’s done. Features overprotective Zhongli and lots of Childe whump. Has one or two supplementary OCs that aren’t really important outside of plot device reasons. Warning for character death tho lmao.

Three's a Family by IlluminanceinTales

Childe finds a kid that looks just like him.

Of course Zhongli wants to keep him.

Or: How a harbinger and an archon accidentally become fathers. The kid is their wingman

Ships: Childe/Zhongli (?)

Notes: Your everyday cute AF kid fic. Fluffy as hell and super cute. Zhongli and Childe get domestic pretty quickly. Xiao gets dubbed a grandfather and begrudgingly plays along. Super wholesome.

in pitch dark i go walking in your landscape by snowbrigade

He glanced down at him, at the silvery scars peeking out from beneath his robe, and at his eyes, properly now. They were the bright blue of high quality noctilucous jade, but he could see it, an underlying darkness.

Zhongli wondered what his eyes betrayed about himself. --

Rex Lapis is dead. Zhongli, formerly known as triad leader Rex Lapis, is a detective investigating his own "death." Childe, also known as Tartaglia of the Fatui mafia, is undercover as an escort looking to kill Rex Lapis- until someone beats him to it, and he wants to know who. Goals intersecting, they form a partnership of ulterior motives.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: There’s like one scene that skews NSFW but otherwise surprisingly not explicit. Really fun AU. Like how the author addresses Childe’s reaction to being stuck with the undercover escort stuff and how the dynamic between the two develops. Pretty plotty so far.

Phantom Lines by iskendaris

“It’s a measure of one’s self, Mr Zhongli.” Childe says. “Maybe you don’t understand it since you work as a consultant, but as an ambassador from the Tsaritsa, as one who fights in her name— this is how I learn to know the measure of myself.” “I understand,” Zhongli says thoughtfully. “It is a warrior’s way, to test one’s strength against the incomparable. To find where one falls short. To find where one has risen to the challenge.”

In which Childe has insomnia, vandalizes public property and runs into a mysterious funeral consultant on his first night in Liyue.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: THE FEELS. I can only describe this as the fic where Zhongli pays Best Boyfriend Ever only to FUCK UP big time (via Gnosis deception). Poor, poor Childe. Look, he gave the boy feelings and then broke him. You can really feel Childe fall in love in this love. He also does mental swooning a lot lmao.

adventitious by Anonymous

It's said the Ley Lines remember all things that happen in this world, from the surface down to the deepest depths... But in the hidden corners where the Gods' gaze does not fall, there are those who dream of dreaming.

There's a dormant bud where Kaeya's eye once was. One day, it will bloom. (Never forget: memory is untrustworthy.)

Ships: Diluc/Kaeya

Notes: I don’t even know where to start. This is very headcanony and lore-focused. Very much concentrated on Khaenri'ah. The implications of this story is grotesque to say the least (according to this fic, Visions are the literal eyes of the people of Khaenri'ah). Warnings for eye and body horror.

Without Those Dark Memories by StrangeDiamond

Diluc awakens in Stormterror’s Lair with no memories of the past five years. Kaeya is on the trail of a rogue alchemist, with a habit of testing his chemicals on unwilling human subjects. Now, in addition to capturing the criminal, Kaeya has to shake him down for an antidote . . . and deal with an amnesiac Diluc who acts exactly like he did before their brotherhood fell apart. (Standalone Fic.)

Ships: Diluc/Kaeya

Notes: This is sort of a classic amnesia fic. I particularly really liked the way that Kaeya was written in this. I feel like the author did a really good job nailing his character and they have a way of capturing the subtle things.

Through the warmth, through the cold by strikedawn

“It’s you!” Paimon shouted with a twirl in mid-air.

“…Excuse me?"

They were drunk. Were they drunk? Was he drunk? Because Kaeya had the feeling his guests had been talking to him for a while now, but none of their words had made any sense whatsoever.

That was, until Venti stepped firmly in front of Kaeya’s desk and set his hands on the top, the better to lean over towards Kaeya and say: “For the end of the Windblume festival, Sir Kaeya Alberich, we’re going to auction a date with you.”

Ships: Diluc/Kaeya

Notes: Shortword, Kaeya gets auctioned off. Diluc makes impulsive (but good) decisions and scores himself a Date but displays an inability to do Date Planning. Venti deserves a pat on the back. Very sweet.

Hide and Seek by Kiri_Kaitou_Clover

Childe did not expect regaining his memories would bring him such frustration.

He makes the best of the situation by messing with one amber eyed consultant in anyway he can.

A reincarnated storm god wades through life in Liyue, all while screaming about one dragon god's incompetency at being human.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: Features Childe as Osial’s very exasperated reincarnation, who gets the joy of discovering that his rival/enemy Morax is not only an idiot but also broke AF. He still falls in love anyway. Contains this golden line:

"Did... did that complete blockhead really use my money in order to get me a gift that basically says that he is proposing to me?!"

(Osial was screaming. When had the other god become like this?! Had he always been like this?!)

Getting that Bread by tzitzimeme

Concubine AU where Zhongli is Emperor, Xiao is an assassin sent to kill him while disguised as a woman in his imperial harem, and the only reason he doesn't actually do it is because he pities Zhongli for being so catastrophically stupid (also Xiao falls in love).

Ships: Zhongli/Xiao

Notes: Like Xiao says, Zhongli is an idiot. Fluff and humor filled. Xiao spends a good 95% of this exasperated by Zhongli’s bullshit.

prayers for a boy by Recluse

The only way to reconciliation is fierce combat!

Hm... Come to think of it, there will be a lot of interesting news to be heard the next time we gather for drinks. Filling in the blanks.

Ships: N/A

Notes: I...don’t really know where to begin with this? It’s exactly what the summary implies...but more? I was tempted to describe this as the fic where Zhongli puts his foot in his mouth but...that’s not exactly write? I feel like this was more of a character study. It explores the aftermath of the Osial Incident and how Zhongli and Childe reconnect. Platonically...though I guess it can be read romantically.

one kind of longing, two places of sorrow by lady_peony

Zhongli's hands rest behind his back, both gloved hands clasping one another. His fingers tighten around one another for the merest moment, before he relaxes his grip.

"There is a tradition in Liyue," Zhongli says, his back still to Childe standing behind him, "of inviting out a companion to a last meal before a farewell."

A pause.

"A tradition?" Childe echoes.

"Yes."

"With a companion?"

"Yes."

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: The fic where neither of the two communicate about jackshit but go on a quiet, sad not-date before Childe leaves for Snezhnaya. Childe pulls (? on accident or on purpose, I can not tell) the equivalent of leaving the jacket in the car post-date to get date to call for the second date. Also, the author has a gift for like...writing angst...without writing angst? Like the whole fic is like brimming with everything that the characters aren’t saying but the thoughts aren’t necessarily written out BUT YOU KNOW THOSE DUMBFUCKS ARE JUST LIKE. BRIMMING WITH FEELS?

The People of Liyue by queer_occurrences

But Zhongli whispers, his low voice rooted in the back of Childe’s mind. “Changsun, the merchant, who is never too Mora-enthralled to turn away a needy child. There’s Tiantian—she will allow anyone to join the Adventurer’s Guild—she knows what it is to be desperate.”

Childe ducks away from them and hurries out over the bridge. It’s a warm, sunny day, the kind he would have complained about, whining about his delicate Snezhnayan skin. “It’ll burn, or worse, freckle. Would you still like me if I was freckled?”

Then Zhongli would say, “The people of Liyue will remember your sacrifice.” And he would wrinkle his nose.

Or: after it all goes down, Childe takes a walk.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: The author has a way with perfectly balancing angst with humor in a way that makes you cackle. There’s a lot of feels in this one. Zhongli tries communicating--Childe runs away a lot. There’s a lot of love for Liyue in this one.

cold blooded, warm blooded, hearts all the same by reptilianraven

Teyvat Petting Zoo @tyvtpettingzoo

Well would you look at that! Zhongli, our resident spinytail iguana, has gotten quite cozy with Childe, our new (and very feisty) ginger ferret! Aren’t they adorable all cuddled together like this? 😍😍😍

[Attached image shows a brown spinytail iguana curled up against a ginger ferret. The iguana’s head is nuzzled under the snout of the ferret.]

At the Teyvat Petting Zoo, Zhongli and Childe fall in love.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: ...I promise I’m not weird. This is just super cute. Cross-species love affair? Childe the ferret is very besotted. The internet is confused and the zoo keepers are just done.

a geo archon's guide to the modern era by Erina

“Morax,” Xiao says after Zhongli finishes his retelling of the incident. “He thinks you’re a weirdo.”

“No, don’t say that,” Barbatos snickers. “You’ll give him hope that this is salvageable.” He lowers his voice. “Morax, he thinks you’re a boomer.”

(In which Zhongli hibernates for centuries and wakes up in the modern world)

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: This took me, I shit you not, FIVE SEPARATE ATTEMPTS to read. Not because it was bad but BECAUSE THE SECOND HAND EMBARRASSMENT WAS REAL. Like, omg, just reading about Zhongli’s introduction to modernity made me want to dig a hole and die. Super funny though. Do not read in public or you will look like a lunatic. Has a...parallel (?) fic in the same series called buy two get one archon free where Zhongli gets reversed isekai’d into an anime convention.

time flies like an arrow by Erina

He’s tired, tired of the unbreakable loop of watching his loved ones pass on, tired of getting attached only for the connection to be violently ripped away from him. He wonders if the real victors during the Archon War were those who perished, who died long before their godhood turned into a curse that chained them to the land that they were fighting for.

But that is not a problem for Childe to worry about. That is Zhongli’s burden to bear, delivered to him in a pretty package years ago in the form of a gnosis.

His very first contract.

(Zhongli and Childe, across many lifetimes)

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: This is a quiet fic. It’s this kind of slice-of-life fic colored by this overpowering sense of love and loss as Zhongli remains immortal and Childe dies and lives and dies and lives for hundreds of lifetimes, but always finds his way back to his geo archon. It’s so lovely but also unbearably sad.

Tartaglia’s Favorite Professor by GreyLiliy

The famed hitman Tartaglia of the Fatui Syndicate spends his days as the charming college student Childe. The two lives remain as separate as possible in order to maintain a flawless cover to keep the authorities off his back and to better serve the Tsaritsa.

However, new intel about a rival syndicate intersects his two lives in a way he could never have predicted.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: Mafia AU meet College AU. Childe is somehow both a horny AF college student and murderous hitman. Zhongli gives off major DILF vibes. GreyLily somehow makes this work while also avoiding cringe. Highly recommended!

like a handprint on my heart by fallingintodivinity

“Strictly off-the-record,” Jean says, with a small smile, “I’m really happy to see you and Captain Kaeya getting along again, Master Diluc.”

“We’re not – we’re not getting along,” Diluc tells her, indignant. “We’re working together. Unwillingly, I might add.”

“Yes – oh, yes, of course.”

Diluc stares at Jean suspiciously. “Are you laughing at me?”

Jean clears her throat primly. “I would never.”

Ships: Diluc/Kaeya

Notes: Super, super cute! Sort of reads like a first date fic except genshin impact style? Writing style is very refreshing!

#genshin impact #genshin impact fanfic #fanfic rec #rec list #zhongli/childe #childe/zhongli #tartali #chili #diluc./kaeya #luckae #fanfiction #took a while but i have been steadily reading my way through the fandom #still not all my recs #but you can check my ao3 for what i'm reading lmao

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stainedglassthreads · 3 years

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A list of my thoughts on Omnipresence Over Mortals, spoilers obviously--

-On the one hand, delighted because we got both confirmation of Signora Crimson Witch AND her true name, her kickass boss music(which maybe shared a leitmotif with Childe’s did I hear????), confirmation of a Sheet Heat-esque mechanic, AND from her expressions, implication that maybe she feels a bit of remorse over people losing their Visions, despite remaining adamant they were a ‘necessary sacrifice’, even giving us a chance to back down from the battle and leave. (Or perhaps it’s just how much I love female villains who are morally grey and rely on Violence And Arson over seduction coloring my perceptions. Either way, Playable Signora When!)

-On the other hand nooooooooo Signora died I wanted her to reunite with Bloodstained Knight. And also roll her. The second I heard it was a duel to the death I was very sad-- and then got distracted by Crimson Witch confirmation and kickass battle music.

-On the anomalous third hand, goddamn she still insists on going down fucking fighting. Like, kinda futilely since the Fatui already had the Gnosis by then, but good job Signora. I love you you have butterfly motifs and they represent reincarnation, please come back.

-On the increasingly alarming fourth hand, there seems to have been at least three days between Yae doing hostage exchange with Scaramouche, and Signora doing diplomacy with Raiden. Was there not enough time for Scaramouche to report he had gotten the Gnosis and for the Fatui to be withdrawn, or did he just not bother to tell Signora because he didn’t like her? He did refer to her and Childe as his ‘least reliable colleagues’ (’Least reliable, despite Signora being the one to gather two Gnoses, and being seemingly more active than him in pursuing a third. Is it just that they’re impulsive and emotional, or does he really view them as weak or foolish compared to the other nine Harbingers?)

-On that note, I have a feeling that that bone marrow... it’s probably gonna come back, as will how he seemed to be using the Traveller’s anger to fuel... something. At first I thought he was just kinda being an arrogant little shit, but he was purposefully baiting us. I’d say clever, but observing the Traveller’s dialogue options... they’re kinda ALWAYS two steps away from snapping the nearest Fatui’s neck, honestly. So it really isn’t that hard.

-Also, that Ei cut ties entirely with Celestia by giving up her Gnosis years ago... it wasn’t the lore I was hoping for, nor was the reason she was gathering Visions ultimately the one I was anticipating. I was kinda hoping that she’d realized Celestia could spy on people through their Visions, and was confiscating them so they couldn’t see shit about Inazuma. But her cutting ties with Celestia, and confirming that Khaenri’ah is a major motivation in halting Inazuma’s progress and creating eternity... is still interesting. That’s four for four Archons who want nothing to do with Celestia so far. (Since Dendro was promoted exactly 500 years ago, VERY curious what their stance on Celestia will be, I still strongly believe Sumeru will be a major turning point somehow.)

-I love boss fights where you just have All The Buffs. I also love that the end of the fight was just... Yae refusing to let her friend keep sulking all alone. I would have preferred an Ei who was a little more morally dubious, but I still like the version we got. Loneliness and loss fits with the themes of prior archons and does a lot to humanize her-- as does Yae comparing her to a child throwing a fit and locking herself in her room.

-Also... Baal and Beelzebul. The former Archon ‘Baal’ really being Ei’s twin sister. Damn. I didn’t expect it, but I should have. There wasn’t much direct foreshadowing for it, but there’s been such a strong theme of siblings this entire game, and the Archons have such a strong theme of grief and death. It only makes sense the themes would collide in such a way for ONE of the Archons. And likewise, them both being ‘Baal’ explains why there’s never much distinction made in the books and history between the present Raiden Shogun and the past Raiden Shogun. Because from the people’s perspectives, they were probably extremely identical and always assumed the same name and role. That said... it leaves me wondering if it’s foreshadowing Abyss Twin or the Traveller dying, as Ei and Makoto have been the only other set of twins we’ve met so far.

-We should ask Ei about our twin. Watch as she realizes the kind of loss Traveller is going to, and attempts to make amends for trying to kill us by ripping a hole straight to the bottom of the Abyss.

-I like Ei. :) I am happy she is still alive. Even if Signora was not.

-You know what’d be even better tho? If her Gnosis were still in her body and we did keep the Fatui from getting it and we befriended her and then in Snezhnaya Celestia calls the Archons to assault the nation and we see Ei in her puppet body but now another is pulling the strings and we have to fucking fight her again but this time she is Our Friend and doesn’t wanna do this and Tsaritsa uses her as an example of why she was gathering Gnoses while Ei physically strains against Celestia’s bonds and--

-Also that walk, after killing Signora while slowly leaving the Tenshukaku.... that was so fucking creepy, I was wondering if the Tatarigami(?) was still affecting the Traveller and gonna make them ill. It did an excellent job conveying their mental state. And that cutscene with the resistance and Kazuha! A bit sad he didn’t really get any lines, he said in the prologue he’d ‘seek answers from the Shogun too one day’, I kinda wanted him to at least ask after his friend.

-So I guess Teppei’s just gonna die of old age huh. The resistance stuff at the very beginning felt a little rushed, I did see that Teppei was advancing through the ranks Weirdly Quickly, but it could’ve been cool if he tried saving the Traveller from some danger and Traveller realized ‘Hey what the fuck? What’s my friend doing with a delusion? How’d you get that, Teppei? Put that down, we need an infirmary and we need to tell Kokomi’

-On that note-- if using a Delusion aged the resistance at an excelerated rate... why don’t Childe and Diluc look all that old...? Does having a Vision protect them somehow? If the manga is still canon, did using a Delusion age Crepus Rangvindr into dust?

-Signora please come back you were at Sumeru Academia you can tell me all about Sumeru while we wait for it to be released, let’s chat Old Mondstadt and Cataclysm history, Signora-- please Signora, please elaborate on your voicelines and maybe we can get you a good therapist--

-Also who is Lesser Lord Kusanali? I thought Dendro Archon was a he, but Lesser Lord Kusanali seems to be a she? Was the God of the Woods the he? Is someone other than Kusanali the Dendro Archon? But also as a fan of Marielda, oooooooooh FUCK YEAH KNOWLEDGE IS HOARDED KNOWLEDGE IS A RESOURCE LET’S BE KNOWLEDGE SMUGGLERS LET’S GO

-I wonder if Vision distribution is also restricted in Sumeru-- since Lisa seems to have uncovered some Forbidden Knowledge about Visions, and Knowledge is a resource, perhaps it’s also heavily restricted who can get a Vision-- and if Dendro wielders are pursuing knowledge in some way, they’re even smaller in number to prevent them from finding out Too Many Secrets...?

-Celestia lore in Sumeru! Please Celestia Lore in Sumeru!

-Also, Lisa character quest act 2 as prologue to Sumeru please?

I may have forgotten some things I found interesting, and I have not yet played Ei’s Character Quest.

#genshin impact spoilers #archon quest #signora #baal #raiden shogun #genshin ei

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