#the only region I haven't been to yet is inazuma

[egginfroggin]

Fill out Liyue map instructions unclear; wound up in Sumeru and immediately set half the region on fire with Yanfei

Return to Liyue instructions unclear; wound up in Fontaine and drowned

[aprivateplace7]

Natlan Interlude quest let's go!

Iansan... interesting, i still don't know much of anything about her.

A sports coach... i remember that. Lol, guess she's also just short...? Doesn't seem like she's a child, but its still so weird. She looks the same age as Kachina...

"Mentally ill person" 💀

Aw, this is both sad & sweet...

The chief looks kinda cool... Cowboy coded.

That's completely fucked... but i guess it makes sense. The Abyss is more than just mindless monsters...

Lol, Traveler is just too awesome... We basically become a legend wherever we go x3

Its hard to believe we're 6/7 nations in... it feels like our "final goal", aka our sibling & The Abyss Order is still so far away... i mean, i know we're still gonna get Khaenri'ah, so Sneznihya (sorry spelling) won't be the *last* region, but still... i'm worried about it ofc, but i feel like the "point" of Genshin is a big journey. Like Mualani said in her quest, its not about the destination.

Iansan is actually saying some good stuff... i struggle w/ changing things too. Like i've fallen off brushing my teeth at night, or going to bed at a regular time, & its rly hard to get back into a healthy routine... also sometimes w/ things, like playing games, i just... over think it. I think i need to look up a bunch of guides & prep so i do everything perfectly, but i just need to cut that out & start doing it :v

I've been thinking lately... i'm more of a perfectionist than i thought. If i'm not confidant in smt, its hard to even start. I'd almost rather just not try at all... i hate doing things half-assed. It feels like if i can't give it my all, i might as well not even bother. I used to think that i wasn't 1 bc i'm fine w/ not getting all As or winning, but idk... this last trimester at school was rly hard 4 me...

Oh, hi Capitano O.o

Lol, he has a whole dramatic ost change...

Idk... i said last time that i still didn't like Capitano, & i still think his solution was short-sighted & stupid, but... well, maybe its just a Xiao situation :v he wants to help, he's just... kinda, not good socially ^^"

Yeah right... Capitano isn't exactly our "friend" :/ i understand that the Fatui isn't just the "big evil organization", but i still gen don't rly like them... i don't trust them, what tf is the Tsarisa trying to do...?

Oh wow, not gonna show us his face huh... i can guess :/ prob looks like a rotting corpse...

Oh right, i think i remember from the trailer, our ancient name... I haven't done that many quests, i wonder if that'll actually affect anything? :/

Yeah... i just looked & i only have 4 of the spots filled...

XD Kinich just yeeting Ajaw into the void will never not be funny.

...Kinich rly is pretty x3 i just have to look & smile whenever i see him, haha...

Ok no, it doesn't actually matter. I thought so...

This is kinda cool, like the Traveler is just uber awesome, they get a lot of titles & basically do everything, but i still think the ancient names stuff is just awesome. I wonder what ours will be...

Ah, i wanna know what everyone is saying too... that's cute tho. I think Paimon is kinda annoying, but like in a little sibling kinda way. I'm glad that she's with us.

Oh ok, so we don't get it yet...

Oh wow, alredy done? I've only been playing like an hr & 1/2... i guess it is an Interlude :v

...

Ok so... that was pretty peaceful, but idk i liked it... it was nice after Act 4. I still feel like Act 3 was pretty boring... idk why, i don't have anything in particular to complain about. It rly endeared me to Citlali, & Ororon was pretty cute/amusing but still... to me, it was just the worst act in Natlan. What's w/ the Act 3 curse? I didn't mind it so much, but i know ppl rly didn't like Fontaine Act 3 either... i don't remember Sumeru, but Inazuma Act 3 was the worst 1 too... but in that case it was bc that was b4 Hoyo allowed more acts to fully flesh out a story.

Anyway, ofc i'm def excited to see where this goes! Kinda disappointed that it was brought up, but we didn't actually get our Ancient Name yet...

[daggryet]

❤💛

and oh ive figured out why inazuma quests where lacking (at least for me)

they were a little too fast, but not like. to be fair, not much faster than the rest, except like. half of the story wasn't there? like it's all in the legendary quests, the aftermath, the peace treaty stuff and the tension. and I haven't gotten through all of the legendary quests yet but inazuma seems to be the only one that has this kind of Important Stuff shoved away into smth like that

and yeah you technically have to go through all the legendaries for the area but like. i didn't. i didn't even know i should have until I got to that quest with xiao and the nameless adeptus (cool quest btw i was. So fucking scared they were gonna kill xiao)

so yeah. like i finished the sumeru quests and it was basically the same as the inazuma one. except they didn't put any of it away to legendaries and instead just made it whole

which yeah. maybe they weren't sure about inazuma when it just came out. but like. mond quest was full. it had the aftermath and all right there. were they trying smth new? was it a schedule issue? who fucking knows

but yeah. it's not that bad a quest even if the whole thing about raiden being tragic was a bit much for me. like. she was basically a dictator but I should feel bad for her and not for her people hoyoverse?

I mean. Considering political climate in China having rebels be good guys at all is kind cool. But still.

so yeah. that's my thought. gonna be going through the story quests, both archon and legendary, kinda fast in the coming days. i have neuvi guaranteed, but I also want wriothesley (literally because of people's fanart, bark bark awooga and all that) and i hope to have primos by the end of neuvi's banner. at least enough to try for a 50/50

yeah, been talking a lot in a server about my problems with inazuma, and half the story not being there despite that missing half obviously having a lot of weight on the story is a big part of it. like, why should i care so much about tepppei when we've not been shown teppei more than two times? i want to care about teppei, i can think of reasons for why his death is so important to traveler, but i'm not being SHOWN IT.

and raiden being solely tragic is so strange because of all the things we've not been shown in the inazuma archon quest, raiden's callousness and cold power is like the one (1) thing we did get to see. and the visions being given back, so raiden doesn't have those 99 tortured souls on her conscience, is such an obvious marketing choice because us using the power within the visions, the last ambitions of the owners, was such a big part of the finale that the visions still having power is such a dumb choice. i guess it's because it was such recent crimes against her people, that they kind of removed any consequences for it, because zhongli did get to keeps his morally grey nuances in his story quests (and raiden's were, as you said, purely oh woe is me)

i actually think there's a reason for why inazuma lacked and why the writing went so downhill for that region in particular (or well, for that archon quest). probably some behind the scenes drama with writers stepping down close to the deadline. that would make sense with how they very obviously had a big plan for the archon quest, like sumeru was going to be, but somewhere along the line, the story didn't get written.

the world quests for inazuma are so good!!! they're really sad, but they're all following the theme of "you can't change the past, but you can try to put its ghosts to rest", and i just love that so much. i'd definitely recommend doing them if you have time for it. (also, just like in sumeru, some regions in inazuma won't really be unlocked until after the quests have been done).

good luck with story quests!!! if you've come across any good ones, just send me another ask, i have so many thoughts on some of them:DDD and GFOOD LUCK ON WRIOTHESLEY!!! AND NEUVILLETTE!!! YOU WILL GET THEM BOTH!!!

ALSO!what did you think about the 4.1 trailer? i'm SO excited to see how it unfolds. with arlecchino likely being the big bad from the fatui, i'm gonna have to accept that lyney is probably gonna be on the wrong side, but STILL, his "wriothesley, where did you take my siblings?" still absolutely broke me. also neuvillette coming out to fight, hope childe gets an opportunity to face off against him

[intothegenshinworld]

(Warning this is a long One and my first ask to anyone) Ok, so imagine a Soft!SAGAU reader who suddenly gains these weird features everytime they enter one of the nations that ties back to that nations element and unlike the traveler whose color only changes on the jewels of their outfit whenever they pick up a new element, the reader has a streak in their hair corresponding with the color of the element. As for the features, imagine they gain bird/angel wings in Mondstadt, A Rocky amored back and tail like a stone lizard/dragon in Liyue, and a pair of ears + a glorious number of fluffy tails like a kitsune, What would the general reaction be for each of the nation's acolytes to these features?

• Reader has a strand of hair that changes color depending on the nation they reside in. Its similar to the traveller that has accessories of their clothes change to their element color.

• The longer reader spends time in a specific nation, the more their body changes. Each region has different impacts on the reader but its a painless transformation, it just costs time.

Mondstadt: Wings of freedom, just like barbatos. They are just a bit bigger than your arms when spread out. You haven't grasped flying with them but gliding is enough fun for now.

Liyue: It seems like you're a human version of Rex Lapis. Zhongi thinks it's adorable. You have horns (at first you couldn't sleep bc they got in the way) and hard scales, starting at your lower back until they form a dragon tail that reaches your ankles.

Inazuma: Whenever you reside in inazuma you grow not one tail, but multiple. Your ears go deaf before they turn into a new set, slightly higher on your head and fluffy. As a kitsune herself, Yae is proud. She will tease you but not enough for you to grow self conscious. She makes sure you realise how loved you are.

Sumeru: The only noticeable change is that strand of hair once again changing color. Besides that, only your communication changes. You hear the songs of nature. Plants hum whenever you pass by and trees whisper kind tales about you. Sometimes a flower appears on your head, entangled in your hair whilst it guids you in Sumeru.

Fountaine: The moment you transform, you gain a huge need for water. Somewhat like a mermaid you gain gills right behind your ears, making you able to both breath above ground and in the sea. Sometimes you grow scales around your shoulders and your neck, but it depends on the time you spend underwater during your stay in fountaine.

Natlan: You have the urge to jump into lava. You don't know why, but you're certain it has to do with your transformation. Until now you've been too scared to try it out. Another noticeable change is your strength! You lift up greatswords with ease!

Shneznaya: Growing ears and a tail, again, surprised you. It's different from your kitsune form in Inazuma. Your fur starts from your lower back, the white hairs growing up from your fluffy tail. Your ears are pointy and when it snows it protects you from the snow. Strangely enough your nails tend to grow faster in Sneznaya as well.

Khaenri'ah: It was strange how your body took another form when you met Dain. While Khaenri'ah doesn't exist anymore, you change after having spent longer periods around the abyss, hillicurls or Dain. Not only do your pupils change into a star shape, whenever you're around, the people who got cursed during the great cataclysm tell you their curse is slightly less of a burden. Dainsleif told you, "It's a different, yet familiar feeling. I wouldn't mind having you by my side for a while longer."

-> MORE BELOW!!

And now some small scenarios to think about:

☆ Venti taking you to Dvalin so you two don't feel alone. He might also teach you to fly, but usually it results in him doing all the work for you, creating wind streams so you only need to open your wings.

☆ READER NOT BEING ABLE TO ENTER CERTAIN ROOMS BC THE DOOR MIGHT BE TOO NARROW FOR WINGED READER

☆ Zhongli turning into his dragon form (both full and half form) when the two of you are alone. He thinks it's adorable how you unconsciously 'chose' to look like him

☆ It might be hard for reader to deal with an extra limb at first. The tail seems to have its own life at times, but once you get used to it you take full advantage of it for closing doors and such.

☆ Ei tends to come out of her isolation when you're around. She heard that you look similar to both Morax and Barbatos. When you transform and she hopes you resemble her too.

☆ Ei pouts when she sees you resemble Yae more than her. When Yae teases Ei about this, the archon will resort back to the fact you can't controll the transformation. (She's just jealous, let her hope lol)

☆ Sumeru is sad once they realise that your power makes you distant from the people. You sit in the nature the whole day, listening to the sounds of nature.

☆ Once they understand your powers better, the citizens will start wearing flowers in their hair so you'd feel more connected to the people as well

☆ While the hydro archon isn't able to breath underwater, she'd manipulate shapes so she can join in on your fun.

☆ There are a lot of rivers. If you ever need to travel you can take those! The hydro archon will most likely follow in a carriage, watching you in admiration

☆ You looooove watching the lava! The pyro archon has grown worried of you jumping in it. It's fair to say that their worries aren't misplaced.

☆ The pyro archon is very energetic and challenges you whenever they can. The yearning for battle is everlasting, so when they notice your strength increasing they hope for you to playfully fight them!

☆ It's not uncommon to see snowfoxes in Shneznaya. What is uncommon; your half snowfox form. Don't worry though! The Tsarista would give up anything to pet those ears for one minute!!

☆ Your new form keeps you warm and protects you from the cold. Like in inazuma and liyue, your tail would be a good indication of your mood! Down when sad and wagging when happy!

☆ Hillicurls would be naturally drawn to you. They don't have much brain anymore but they always seem nice and calm when you're around.

[donutsupremacy]

Faceless

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Summary:

"Finding yourself back in your hometown, you not only find out that everyone had disappeared without a trace, but another surprise as you stared up at the Anemo Archon's statue."

Warning

Angst to fluff

Yes there's comfort.

Horribly written description of a jumpscare

Nightmares

Stalking? Kinda? With eyes only I think?

Established relationship

Reader is not traveller

Reader does not have a vision

GN!Reader

Reader is a shrine maiden but thas not important lol

A/N: I can't think of anymore warnings— Faceless Ayato still haunts me. Don't randomly download Genshin off random websites kids. Lord knows what happens when you see faceless Timmie. Also this is a bit shorter than usual.

(Somewhat of a spoiler section here)

For a bit of context, idk the whole thing but from what I read; It's a creepy pasta (It's still real I think, ah but it's a download something glitchy from a website thing y'know) where a player downloaded Genshin from a random website because they couldn't download it on their device properly. While playing with Diona, the player noticed someone standing on Venti's statue. It was Ayato, but his entire face was black, void, empty but his eyes. Hence, faceless Ayato. Addition; Faceless Ayato killing Diona in the end— Genshin you now have creepypastas, congrats.

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Your terror begins here

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"...Mondstat?..."

It has been a while since you last remembered being in the city of freedom. Nostalgia took over your senses, barely anything changed after you moved to Inazuma. You were sure everything looked the same, even the air reeks of the old days.

It was the place you were born and raised in before moving to the land of eternity, where you became the very first shrine maiden from Mondstat and formed a special relationship that would never sever.

However, something felt off.

Usually, the city had citizens roaming around, idle chatter and joyous laughter hanging in the air while the bells from the church ringing all across the city. It's the city of freedom, a homey and lively region that easily helps anyone get settled in comfortably.

This isn't Mondstat.

This is a complete ghost town.

You glanced everywhere as you walked around, too afraid to call out for any of your familiar's names. Not a single living being in sight, save for yourself. While you haven't returned to Mondstat for a very long time, you occasionally got some news about any events happening there, in a form of a letter written to you from your friends and family.

Did something disastrous happen? Or was it coincidentally the day where everyone has clocked in for the day? No, that wouldn't make any sense... there would always be a few guards patrolling at night, bless those tired souls.

Even the cold breeze brushing against your exposed delicate skin made you anxious, it felt as if someone was watching your every move.

You walked around, wondering where everyone was. Actually, you don't even remember how you got here? Was this a dream? Actually, no, being in Mondstat with no people wouldn't be a dream.

Despite the place being deserted, you could feel eyes staring at you from afar. Yet, no matter where you looked, you were the only one in the area. Was it paranoia stemming from the lack of people? Possibly.

Fear began bubbling in your chest, the air in your lungs slowly depleting when you slowly picked up your pace. You wanted to run, run away from wherever you are. This isn't the Mondstat you knew and grew up in. Where in the world were you?

That's when you felt something cold brush against the skin of your neck.

Biting your tongue to prevent yourself from screaming, you began running. Your mind was as hazy as your sight, sprinting away in your shoes to who knows where. You weren't sure where you are, you don't remember Mondstat being a full-on maze of houses. Where was Good Hunter? Or Angel Shares? You don't even see Katheryne's Adventurers Guild stand anywhere.

But all you could think of was running. Run. Keep running until you find a way out of this place. The houses pass by you like a blur, no one seemed to be inside any of them, confirming your thoughts that the city was completely deserted. Your legs were starting to burn, your heart pounding against your chest, begging you to stop and take a rest.

You kept on running regardless, gut instinct or not, you knew you were in danger. You didn't even know where you wanted to go, just running away from whatever was following you. No matter how many times you checked behind you, there was no one there.

Still, that lingering stare remained on the back of your head.

Were you going in a loop? It feels like you've seen the same building over and over again, or were you going insane? Perhaps, you were.

Adrenaline coursed through your blood, taking a left turn, then a right, going in random directions in hopes of finding the gate that would lead you out of here. However, instead of finding the large gates, you found yourself running up a flight if stairs.

Those stairs had lead you straight to the plaza by the church, and you were now standing in front of the Anemo Archon's statue. At the very least, you were somewhat free from the maze of houses now.

You glanced around, it was still empty and quiet. You could even hear your heart beating rapidly loud and clear. Out of breath, you had your hands on your knees, panting heavily and drinking in as much oxygen as you could.

"Hah... So... tired..." You whimpered, wiping the sweat off your forehead. You were close to collapsing, you've never ran this fast nor this long in your entire life, you envy those travellers who have high stamina to run for a long period of time.

Your eyes scan the area once more, thinking of entering the church in hopes to end whatever nightmare you're going through. However, as you gazed at the statue that stood tall and proud, your eyes slowly moving upwards. Your heart had dropped as soon as you saw the familiar figure standing on the palm of the statue.

"...Ayato?..."

Frozen in place, you stared at the man whom you had fell in love with on the first day you arrived in Inazuma. Your relationship was like a fairytale, fictional and sweet, yet, it came true in the end. But this was not the same Ayato you knew and love.

He was faceless.

His whole face was black, like a void. Save for the pair of calm purple eyes that were staring right back at you. Those eyes didn't hold any love for you, they seem to have... a malicious glint in them.

Your heart began picking up in speed when you continued to stare at him, your hands trembling while the both of you stared at eachother for who knows how long. Was he the one chasing you before?

You took a step back, blinking while you do so— and he appears right in front of you.

A scream erupted from your throat, stumbling backwards only to realize he was holding your hand with an iron grip. You tried to slip out of his grasp, but your attempts were futile, his arm holding your hand wasn't even budging the slightest when you tried to pull back with all your might.

With every pull, you grow desperate to escape from the imposter. But his grip slowly grew stronger, drawing a pained cry out of you as you could feel your bones start to break underneath his hand. "A-AYATO! PLEASE!"

Your plea fell into deaf ears, glacing up with teary eyes at the faceless man who stared back at you with no emotion. "PLEASE! LET ME GO!" You sobbed, your knees bucking when you could feel his fingernails digging into your skin, dangerously close to grazing your veins.

"P-Please..." Tears formed in your eyes, your vision blurry as you stared at Ayat— no, he wasn't Ayato. He would never hurt you like this. This... faceless 'Ayato' was not planning to let you free anytime soon.

Then, he lunges at you.

"NO!"

You sat up quick as lightning, your heartbeat pounding loudly in your ears as cold sweat formed on your head. Your loud breathing filled the room, before the sound of fabric shuffling could be heard right beside you. "[Name]? Love, what's wrong?" You almost slapped away the hand that gently held onto your shoulder, your wide frantic eyes gazing to the side to see your beloved partner who has now regained his beautiful features.

He was no longer faceless.

"A-Ayato..." You sobbed, your hand reaching out to cup his cheek, his eyes filled with worry and confusion. "Y-You're..." You couldn't finish your sentence, relief washing over you to see that you had escaped your nightmare. Sensing your distress, his slim yet muscular arms held your waist, gently tugging you towards him. His hold on you was careful and gentle, holding you as though he was afraid of breaking you if he had used any strength.

"Shh... You must've had a nightmare. You're safe now, love. I'm here... I won't let anything hurt you." Ayato's calm voice filled your ears, his tender touches aiding you in slowing down your heartbeat.

You melted in his arms, matching your breathing pattern to the sound of his soothing heartbeat. "...I-I'm sorry for waking you up..." You whispered in a hoarse voice, gazing up into his purple eyes that were full of emotion. Guilt repleaced the relieving feeling you felt before, realizing that you might've made some trouble for him by waking him up in the middle of the night.

"Worry not about me, love. Your safety and comfort will always my number one priority." He chuckled, planting a kiss on your forehead after wiping away your tears.

"I'll stay awake with you as long as you'd like."

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A/N: I rushed the ending cause I got scared, cause like I was typing this while entering the room and the lights coincidentally starting flashing for a few seconds ;—;

[earlgarden-archived]

Kazuha x KomiShouko!Reader

As you can see, I Stan Kazuha, because this is the second time within a week that I'm writing another Kazuha headcannon post. Sorry about that! Also I know I'm posting a lot of Character x different anime character!reader stuff but I always find these types of posts so interesting so I just had to make my own. But don't worry, I'll be posting normal posts soon.

(just like the Childe x Shinobu!Reader series, I'm making this a series too! So once again, stay tuned)

Kazuha x KomiShouko!Reader part 1 :

How you guys meet

Kazuha was simply strolling around Inazuma, of course considering how he's a fugitive, it's a bad choice to go wandering around Inazuma. But at this point, he didn't seem to care, as much as he disliked the region, he wanted to see the Sakura trees just once.

When strolling, he noticed a tiny voice talking. Thanks to his good hearing, he could make out what this voice was saying.

"Why can't I do it? Why is it so hard for me to utter even a single word?"

Cant even utter a single word? How sad...

Kazuha decided to listen in a bit more, maybe he could find out what's going on

"Even though I got the thing I wanted, I ended up getting more than I wanted. Why? Did he find me weird? Maybe he thought I was weird and wanted me to go away, so he gave me a bunch of stuff so I could never come again?"

Maybe they're mistaken

Kazuha slowly emerges from the trees, silently hoping that this person doesn't think of him as a stalker

"hello there" he quietly says, trying not to scare you, regardless it still startles you. You drop your small cat plush that you seemed to have been holding a few seconds ago

"ah, apologies, but I heard you talking. You seemed troubled so I thought I could talk to you." Kazuha said, trying to sound comforting to hopefully soothe your stressed self. But he was only greeted with silence. You slightly panick, trying to find something

"hm? Is there something you would like me to help find?" Kazuha asks, wondering why you won't talk to him. Just as he was going to help, he saw you take out a notebook and quickly scribble some words into it.

He watches patiently, anticipating what you are going to do. You show the notebook to him, hiding your face in the process. On the notebook it reads:

"I appreciate the help, but I'm good" although Kazuha doesn't really think so, if you say you're okay, then he'll leave you alone. Just as he was gonna open his mouth to say something, you flip the notebook onto the other page. Kazuha reads it, it says:

"but actually, do you mind if you could buy a cat plushie. I had promised my dad to get one, yet I could only get one... And those other plushies" Kazuha looks at the pile of stuffed animals sitting next to you and chuckles

"I can see the seller must like you a lot. Alright then, I'll help you" He watches in amusement as you quickly put your notebook away and attempt to carry all the animals. Unfortunately, one tiger plush ended up dropping to the floor. As you crouch to try to pick it up, an elephant plush drops. Then as you try to pick that up, a leopard drops onto the ground until eventually, every single animal plush is on the ground again. Your on your knees, looking as if you're about to cry. Once again, Kazuha chuckles

"there, there, I'll help you. Leave the carrying to me, I can handle it" your eyes sparkle, and you quickly bow down to thank him. Kazuha finds your actions very cute.

As you both walk to the shop, Kazuha couldn't help but wonder why haven't you uttered a single word? But the longer you walk to the shop, the more he starts to understand.

Maybe she dislikes talking? No, if she dislikes talking then she wouldn't have wanted me to help her in the first place. As well, it seemed like she really wanted to talk to people. Maybe she can't talk? But how is that possible? Is she mute? No, she was slightly shrieked when I approached her. And she was talking to the stuffed animal beforehand. So... What could it be... Ah! It has to be... Does she have a communication disorder?

But before he could say anything about it, you tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at shop selling plush. He smiles at you and places the stuffed animals down

"wait here" he quietly says and approaches the seller.

"hello, I would like to buy a cat plush"

"of course! That would be-" the seller suddenly stops, Kazuha turns his head to see you. Your holding a wallet, which he assumed was your wallet, when he looked back at the seller, the seller was shaking.

"wh-what? You're back? Did I not give you enough? I gave you every type of plushie we h-have" he stutters, he's clearly intimidated by your gaze. Which further proves Kazuha's theory. Kazuha looks over his shoulder to see you very sadly take out some mora and nervously handing it to Kazuha. Kazuha sighs as he hands it back to you

"I'll pay for this" he says, as he turns back to the seller

"sir, what's the price?" kazuha asks quickly

"f-five moras" the seller stutters as you hang your head to avoid eye contact

"alright here you go"

"h-have a n-nice day.. hope t-to nev- I mean, hope to s-see you again" the seller slowly stutters as Kazuha picks up the stuffed animals again and you hug the cat plush gloomily. As he looks back, he notices several people admiring something. He averts his gaze to what the people were staring at, only to find himself looking at you. People were admiring you.. He takes a closer look at you, and quickly realized why everyone was admiring you. You were beautiful. The most prettiest person he had ever seen. Your hair was silky, your skin was porcelain and your eyes were beautiful. Everything about you was perfect. But Kazuha simply turned his head forward, it's not like he really cared about looks anyway.

You two go back to the spot you first met and sit down. You look at the floor, embarrassed to make eye contact with Kazuha. While Kazuha looks out at the sea.

"The ocean is truly beautiful. Don't you agree?"

Kazuha says to break the silence, not knowing what to say. He looks back to see you writing on your notebook, turning the notebook to show what's on it:

"yes it is." You quickly turn to the other page

"by the way, thank you for helping me buying and carrying the stuffed animals" using the notebook, you're blocking your face, once again embarrassed to meet his gaze.

"ah, it's no problem. I'm happy to help"

As you two continue talking (actually Kazuha's doing all the talking, you're just writing on the notebook) Kazuha starts to enjoy your quiet nature. Since you can't talk, the conversations between you two are calm and peaceful. This is a lot better than being on the ship Kazuha thinks. Especially at night when the crewmates are drunk.

He is taken out of his thoughts when you suddenly start scribbling things down, you show your notebook:

"actually, I haven't gotten to know your name" Kazuha widens his eyes, how rude of him!

"apologies, looks like we were to busy chatting we forgot to introduce ourselves. My name is Kaedehara Kazuha, a wanderer that roams the land" after introducing himself, Kazuha smiles seeing how your face lights up after hearing that he's a wanderer.

"What about you? What's your name?"

Very quickly, you scribble your name down in big letters, turning the notebook around to reveal your name.

"y/n." Y/n that's a nice name

"what a beautiful name, it's nice to meet you y/n" Kazuha says smiling as you turn your notebook around

"nice to meet you too"

I find Komi relatable so this fic was for my own needs. Also quick reminder: This will be a series, so make sure to stay tuned

[savarii]

VI - Teyvat and The Seven Archons

This is an analysis that may contain spoilers

"Teyvat is a world blessed by the 7 Elemental Archons. Though the calamity the world suffered has ceased, and the lands have slowly healed, peace has yet to be restored." - Genshin Impact Official Website, about Teyvat

Genshin Impact main storyline happens in Teyvat, the world where our traveler stuck into. This world got its own "law" and our traveler is not a being from Teyvat that doesn't know about everything yet, that's why we're playing this game to uncover that. But! so far in the game we know certain things here and that is-

Teyvat is a world of 7 nations where each of those nations has their own ideality based on the god they believe in. This world also offers 7 elemental power that includes Anemo, Geo, Electro, Dendro, Hydro, Pyro and Cryo.

Every known nation has an Archon, so there are total seven of them.

The word Archon refers to gods who fit in Celestia's ideality to lead each element and nation. Ever since the Archon war ended, Teyvat is ruled by these seven Archons and Teyvat is pretty much peaceful after Archon system exist. (I made the previous posts about what Teyvat is like before Archon system check out in masterlist).

Celestia also grant each of the Archon a gnosis with matching element power. The gnosis works like a special badge for these archons, giving them strong power boost straight from Celestia and to show that they are an Archon.

The seven nations and their god are :

Mondstadt, led by God of Freedom/Anemo (Barbatos/Venti)

Liyue, led by God of Contracts/Geo (Morax/Zhongli)

Inazuma, led by God of Eternity/Electro (Beelzebul/Raiden Shogun)

Sumeru, led by God of Wisdom/Dendro (Kusanali?)

Fontaine, led by God of Justice/Hydro (?)

Natlan, led by God of War/Pyro (?)

Snezhnaya, led by God of ... /Cryo (Tsaritsa)

All of these are things that we know canon in game. The next thing I want to say is something vague but quite true about Teyvat and the Archon system.

The history of Teyvat extends up to thousand years, and we still haven't figured out everything just yet. But we do know that the past of Teyvat is quite dark. Before Archon system exist, this world was a chaotic place. There were many hostile creatures, environment, minor gods, etc. It was life of constant battles, and humans were always in the worst place back then.

But at some point Celestia finally settle down with ideality that centered for humanity, and that is the 7 elements and beliefs. With that order, chaos in this world finally come to end where gods that fit that divine ideals shape and bring Teyvat to better fate with the power of divine granted for them in a gnosis. Altho it is still unknown when and why Celestia settle down with this ideal, but it totally bring sustainable order for Teyvat so it is no longer as hostile as before.

Archons were the hand from Celestia to help humans in Teyvat. Gods who fit in divine idealities became Archons of region that they defended. Humans were very grateful for this blessing from Celestia, because they finally can live in peace and prosper, so as gratitude for this blessing, humans cultivated strong beliefs for the ideality that their Archon gave and it last for many generations up until now. As time healed the land of Teyvat, humans finally able to stand, and grow with the help of the god that is their region Archon.

Another note, an Archon power (gnosis) is cultivated if they are performing their Archon duties. So if they don't perform any duties/ go into slumber, their Archon power will also be greatly reduced.

Archon system has been the same since then. To put it simple, this system works like a government for Teyvat. The god can be replaced with other god with same ideality, but the system is the same and that is the 7 elements and beliefs. The only originals from Archon war era left are Venti and Zhongli, the others had been replaced with new gods.

But let's look at present time. Teyvat has changed so much but in good way, it is now peaceful land where humanity strive for their own dreams. However there are so many faint problems as we played as traveler in the game, and one of it is how each of the Archons one by one let go of their gnosis because they started to believe humans can live on their own in Teyvat.

It is undeniable that there is something that these gods and Celestia hid from current Teyvat and traveler. The Archons are not hostile (at least Venti and Zhongli lol) at traveler but they are aware that traveler can bring major change for the fate of this world, so they only helped for a bit and let us go on our own journey to figure this all out.

The past battles are not completely over yet because the Archons only kept Teyvat in a state that is considered "peaceful". The good thing is that our traveler somehow solved each of the nation's problems and gained the Archon trust to step out of that state and change. The battle continued again as our traveler begin to bring changes into "law" of Teyvat.

If I have to say something about this... the conclusion to all of these problems is because everyone in Teyvat is always at misunderstanding towards each other, including traveler's sibling. No one is at right because they're stubborn with their own wishes, and that has been going since ancient times. but! It is up to us as the main traveler to fix this altogether, to find the true balance of peace for everyone, to find the meaning of our journey, to bring new hope and dream to Teyvat, and hopefully getting back to our home world intact without any loss yk (istg we know that Mihoyo started to kill people in Inazuma chapter, it better NOT be worse in next chapters)

a/n : this is original from my head but you're very welcomed by my ask box if you would like to share something with me. ty for reading ^^

= Masterlist =

[wri0thesley]

hi nat! was curious if you do a lot of exploring in genshin? I've been grinding sumeru the last few days and finally 100%'d everything in time for 3.4s new area. weirdly enough, I felt like it was a lot easier this time compared to other regions? I don't even have the treasure compass yet. the only thing I went out of my way to find were time trials and the 76 aranara. the desert was even easier, after doing golden slumber and just checking every nook and cranny while doing so, I was already at 93% for all 3 areas. so for the desert it was just finishing up exploring where the sacred seals and obelisks are. I swear hoyoverse is making it easier since I remember liyue being a 100× worse. I guess that's good tho because unlike all the other regions thus far, I actually enjoyed exploring sumeru and it's desert. idk why but it was so relaxing??

i do a fair amount of exploring!!! i haven't 100%ed a lot of areas but i love wandering around so i would eventually like to; inazuma is the closest to totally complete for me because it feels so much easier to split it up into sections (let's not talk about liyue fbgjnkbgfnk).

the aranara KILLED ME. i was missing one for the absolute longest time and needed to go through the entire list again to help . . .</3. but the exploring is one of my favourite parts of the game!!!

[bbugyu]

of all the views you had seen, there was little that could compare to him.

6.2k | cavalry captain!jeonghan x gn pyro!reader, genshin impact au, fluff, adventure, drinking, so much flirting, mentions of trauma, honestly this is the sweetest i'm ever gonna write jeonghan

happy inazuma release day!!! it's your local kaeya trash, because i predictably fall for gay bastards that lie straight to my face (example: jeonghan), and i'm here to give you a fic i wrote AGES ago and just polished up a bit to celebrate the release of what is likely going to be my FAVORITE region in genshin impact. i'm japanese so 😅 i have a soft spot. if there's any other gaymer carats out there, enjoy this one. if not, sorry! you can actually probably still read this and understand it for the most part, though you might miss a bit of context of the landscape and the lore.

ps. go tell @babiemingoo that wonwoo xinqiu 🤭

~

your work with the adventurer's guild was always efficient. you received your commissions, you carried them out, then returned for your reward, usually before the sun had even peaked. the rest of your day was generally spent either basking in the eternal sun of mondstadt, feeding cats in inazuma, or enjoying a hard earned meal in liyue, depending on where you decided to stay that week, finding board and paying for it with the commission you had earned that day. your tendency to wander came less from choice and more from nature - you could call yourself a nomad, but generally, you just got bored, and preferred seeing everything teyvat had to offer rather than settling in one place. adventuring was simply what you were meant to do, your mother had told you at a young age.

she, too, had wandered for most of her youth, and didn't stop just because you had come into her life. you remembered getting scooped up because you had wandered off a bit too close to the railing at wangshu inn as a toddler, playing with dogs at the docks of liyue harbor. you remembered the ludi harpastum and the first time you had ever had a sweet honey roast, and the way it made your eyes grow ten times in size before you dug in for more.

when your vision was bestowed upon you, you already knew how to use a sword. it was important, your mother told you, that you knew how to protect yourself. she had a vision as well, younger even than you had, and you had come to recognize the static in the air as a sign that she was angry - whether it was because of an altercation with someone on your journey or because you had secretly eaten the last hashbrown without consulting her first.

she used her vision and a sturdy blade she had owned since before you were born to protect the two of you on the road, but when she felt you were old enough, she taught you how to weild. a two handed weapon that was far too big for you when you were only fourteen, but when your reckless abandon got paired with a spark, you suddenly became far more dangerous than even your own mother. she scolded you for nearly starting a forest fire when you tried to pair the two skills for the first time after receiving your vision, and you both agreed that training was a beach activity from then on.

your mother settled eventually, after you were old and skilled enough to take on the road alone, pulling the many favors she had gathered in her travels to build a home in a small neighborhood south of liyue harbor, nestled in the foothills of mount tianheng, where you visited as often as your wandering allowed.

you had become much better with your vision. more careful but just as hot. quick to scan situations and strategize in the moment, hardly taking a second before jumping into action, slaying hilichurls like you were getting paid. well, you were, you supposed, but you had been doing this long before you had discovered the benefit of joining the guild. you were good at it. you were built for adventure, but revelled in leisure. there was good reason you were able to take afternoons off, and you milked every last second of it.

"you're back in town?"

you grinned, leaning your sword against the wall and dropping your bag off your shoulders before settling at the bar. "for now."

rubin often served you alcohol - when you were in mondstadt, at least, however often that may be - but never questioned you deeply. he would ask how your travels were, and listen to your stories from regions beyond his knowledge, of the cultures that he had only heard of from people like you. he enjoyed them just about as much as any, if not a little more, purely because your tenacious personality brought something more to the table. he wondered, though, how long you intended to keep living day by day, sleeping in different beds every week.

"what's wrong with sleeping in different beds?" you teased, laughing into your wine glass. "if i didn't know any better, i'd think you were shaming me, rube."

rubin simply laughed, knowing your tone by now. "i just wonder if you ever intend on digging in your roots, or if you'll continue travelling forever."

"if i dig roots, you may never see me again. is that what you want?"

"what," he said. "you don't like mondstadt?"

"i love monstadt," you assured him. "but i also love inazuma. and my mother is in liyue, though she might be upset with me if i try to settle too close to her. perhaps natlan would suit me more?" you shrugged finally, the door behind you opening as you finished with "i suppose i'll settle when i've found a reason to love one place more than the rest."

rubin shook his head, a chuckle falling from his lips. "a wanderer through and through." his attention was quickly drawn to the man entering the bar. "ah, captain! the usual?"

"please," the decorated man said, quickly taking a seat beside you despite the rest of the bar being available. "would you like another, wanderer?"

you eyed him cautiously, studying what you could see if his face around the black eyepatch, gaze skimming down his elaborate clothing before looking down at your emptied drink. "sure."

"another for your wandering friend, rubin, on my tab, please." your brain swirled, considering the brief information you had been given and wondered how you had never managed to meet this regular during your past visits. "are you just drinking dandelion wine, or something more fun?"

"more fun?" you asked. "what are you drinking, then?"

"well, a death after noon, of course," he stated. "don't tell me you haven't had one."

you blinked at him. "i haven't."

you turned towards rubin when he laughed at the back and forth. "shall i make two, then?"

"definitely," your new drinking buddy said, then gestured to you. "you trust my taste, right?"

you said nothing, but he accepted your silent smile as an agreeance. "captain," you said finally, thinking of how rubin had addressed him. "of?"

the man turned towards you, his elbow planted on the bar and his cheek on a fist. despite his get up, he had a playful smirk across his lips. "you mean, my reputation doesn't precede me? you really are a wanderer. everyone in mondstadt knows my name."

"everyone but me," you corrected. "as i'm currently in mondstadt."

his teeth shone behind his smirking lips before he sat up straight. "well, allow me to introduce myself." he saluted, his arm extending from his side at an angle - a salute you recognized from the guards around the city. "i am jeonghan, the cavalry captain of the knights of favonius."

"ah, the knights," you smiled briefly, before letting your eyes wander as you thought, crossing your arms over the bar. "i don't see much of a cavalry in the city, though."

he let out an amused exhale. "so i have a bit more free time these days."

"i'm sure the acting grand master is jealous of all your free time," you teased. "poor guy, looks like he's staving off a panic attack every time i see him. you should probably help him more."

"so," he sighed, leaning against the bar again. "you know of the acting grand master but not me?"

"jihoon?" you asked. "of course i know of him. he's all anyone ever talks about around here."

jeonghan nodded once, thanking rubin when he placed two drinks before you. "people talk about me, also, you know."

your lips stuck out in a pout. "jeonghan, you said? doesn't ring a bell."

he rolled his eyes and picked up his drink, holding it out for you to cheers against. you giggled, clinking your glass against his before taking a sip. the golden liquid was sweet, but not like the dandelion wine you had grown to love in this region. it had more depth, a subtle bitterness to it, and a refreshing bubble. you stared after the glass when it left your lips, then looked over to find jeonghan grinning at you.

"i see why it's your usual," you said, taking another sip before placing the glass on the bar. "i could drink too many."

"will you?" he asked.

"not tonight," you replied coolly. "i haven't asked sana to put me up at the guild yet, and if i get there too late, i'll get a cot instead of a bed. unless rubin finally wants to come clean about something?"

the bartender laughed. "how many times do i have to tell you? we don't even have rooms to board."

you squinted at him. "i know there's something upstairs. i'll learn your secrets one day, rube."

"i wouldn't be a very good bartender if i didn't know how to keep them."

"so you're in the guild?" jeonghan asked as rubin attended to another patron. "an adventuring wanderer."

you smiled vaguely at him. "i am. i have to pay for my travels somehow."

he shrugged. "there's other ways to make money. probably more profitable, too."

you eyed his teasing smirk. "i'm not sure i know what you're implying."

"as a captain of the knights of favonius, i assure you, i'm implying nothing at all," he said, exhaling sharply and adjusting on his stool. he leaned over towards you before speaking in a quieter tone. "but as jeonghan, i think you know exactly what i'm implying."

you only laughed, recognizing the thinly veiled attempt to worm a secret out of you. "i outgrew those means a long time ago. besides, when mora gets tight, i can always board up with my mother. i like liyue enough."

jeonghan studied you as you drank again. "liyue's home, is it?'

"for her, yes," you said, looking over to him, but you found yourself looking away again when his steely blue gaze met yours. you thought carefully about how much of yourself you were willing to reveal to this stranger, especially considering how important he was in the rule of the city. "she was a wanderer, too, and ended up falling in love with liyue harbor."

jeonghan made note of the way your face softened as you spoke about your mother. "and what about you?"

you met his intent look again, thinking about how his covered eye somehow made him even more intimidating. perhaps that was its purpose. "what about me?"

"what have you fallen in love with?"

a smile crept onto your lips as you processed his question. "oh, archons, what have i not fallen in love with? the smell of the open ocean in inazuma, the breathtaking temples in sumeru - have you ever been to waterfall city?"

jeonghan merely shook his head at you, the corners of his mouth turning upwards as he put his cheek on a fist again, leaning against the bar. "beautiful?"

you exhaled, eyes wide as you thought of the towering falls and the light mist that covered the city, trying to come up with an apt description. "humbling. there's nothing like it."

he watched your expression, head tilting further. "what a wonderful way to describe a place. tell me more."

your gaze went to him, then away briefly, feeling suddenly shy as you noticed his look. "about waterfall city?"

he shrugged a fur covered shoulder, shaking his head lightly. "about anywhere. describe your world, wanderer. i'd like to hear whatever you have to say."

you wondered if the heat that ran through you was because of the alcohol or the man, but you just took another drink and cleared your throat lightly, thinking of more places you had discovered in your travels. you thought of qingce village, one of your favorite places to visit, because the people are kind and welcoming and the fields are so beautiful. you told him about a tea shop owned by an old man - he insisted you call him pops so fiercely that you weren't even sure you had caught his given name - and it was probably the most relaxing cup of tea you ever had.

"it's been a while since i've gone," you sighed. "i think i'm overdue for a chat with pops and his tea."

jeonghan was smiling when you looked at him again. "the tea in liyue is unmatched," he said, reaching for his drink. before taking another sip, he gestured for you to continue.

so you did. you told him about sakura pond, about celestia city, about the volcanic black beaches. you told him liyue had your favorite people, but inazuma had your favorite food. he clicked his tongue at you.

"what about mondstadt? do we have one of your favorites?"

you smiled, genuinely. "sunsets. the night sky is different here than it is anywhere else. i think mondstadt is the closest we can get to the stars without joining the archons."

jeonghan studied you briefly, his blue eye flicking over your face as you finished your drink. "i think that's an apt observation. it seems your eyes are always wide."

"i travel for the views," you exhaled. "i don't plan on missing any."

he thought a second. "have you been to starsnatch cliff?"

your eyes lit up. "not in years," you said, in complete shock that you could have forgotten such a place. you pushed from the bar slightly, turning towards him, and he noticed the flash of a red gem strapped to your right thigh for the first time. "my mother took me there when i was a kid, but i haven't gone since."

"it never gets old," he said, sipping at the end of his drink. "i've yet to see that view and not be in awe."

"i'll go before i leave mondstadt again," you decided.

he looked to you. "when will that be?"

you sighed. "not sure, yet."

he just chuckled. "would you like another drink?"

"oh, no," you said, standing and stretching your spine. "i should make my leave. i don't like sleeping on cots. i just came by to let my ol' pal rube know i was in town again."

jeonghan watched you pull your pack onto your back, grabbing the handle of your sheathed claymore from where it was leaning against the wall next to the bar. "perhaps i'll see you again tomorrow?"

you looked at him, a vague smile on your lips as you strapped your sword back on. "perhaps you will, captain."

"jeonghan," he corrected. "but i don't believe you ever shared your name?"

"that was by design, captain," you said, and he swore he caught a glint in your eye as you bid rubin a farewell and stepped out of the angel's share.

jeonghan spun back around on his stool, immediately looking to rubin. "do you know their name?"

"no, sir," he said, looking at the closed door. "they've never said."

jeonghan's gaze went to the empty glass you had left behind, thinking about your stories, your sword, and the signifier of your vision on your thigh. "fascinating."

you got lucky - sana had a private room for you, and said you were welcome to rent it for your stay. she said not many people were travelling to mondstadt these days, and that more often than not, the adventurer's barracks in headquarters went unused. ever since the fatui had holed up in the grand goth hotel, it had been harder for you to make extended stays in mondstadt, but it seemed that something was telling you to stick around longer than usual. you laid on the hard mattress - a feeling that was more comforting than most, thanks to your continuous travels - and thought of the charming captain that had made a night of questioning you. you wondered if he really had any interest in anything you had to say, or if he had been hoping for details about something pertinent to an investigation.

you packed a lighter bag in the morning, only bringing along the essentials as you set out for your commissions for the day. that afternoon, you wandered around mondstadt and asked questions. questions about the simultaneously well-discussed and mysterious cavalry captain that had listened to your tales of travel, and answers came easier than expected, though they didn't contain all the details you were looking for. that night, you waited up at the angel's share to brag about your newfound knowledge to the captain that never showed, and you did your best to not let that hurt your ego.

the next day, you made a detour on your way back to the city after completing your commissions, stopping by springvale to enjoy a well deserved lunch and catch up with some locals. you sat in the grass with a skewer of grilled meat, watching the windmills of mondstadt steadily spin in the distance as time passed, thinking about how rubin had asked you if you didn't like it here.

you did, you decided. mondstadt felt different than anywhere else you had been. untouched, almost. wilder. freer. despite being born in inazuma, your first memories being in celestia, or your mother being in liyue, mondstadt felt comfortable. felt like a home. you wondered to yourself what that might mean.

sana greeted you happily when you returned much later than you normally did. she told you to go ahead to the guild and come back, filing away your reports and retrieving your rewards. you dropped off your things in your rented room, quickly, practically galloping back down the steps towards the entrance of the city to continue your conversation with the adventurer guilds' mighty receptionist without your sword weighing you down. you crossed your arms on the counter, comfortably lounging as you chatted with her, having always enjoyed her conversations more than most. like rubin, she was a reason mondstadt always felt comfortable.

"fancy meeting you here," an all too familiar voice said, and you pulled your eyes from sana to find jeonghan leaning his side against the counter next to you.

"good evening, cavalry captain!" sana chirped, placing your reward - your room free already removed - on the counter and bowing politely. "can i help you with anything today?"

his icy gaze flickered from your lightly curved lips towards sana. "oh, no, my dear. i'm just coming back from an investigation near springvale"

"interesting," you said, eyeing him. "i was just there and didn't see you."

"i wouldn't be very good at my job if you did, wanderer," he grinned. "knight business, you wouldn't understand. got the assignment yesterday."

"ah," you shifted to your side to face him, making him eye the vision on your thigh. "is that why you never showed? rubin was worried."

he looked you up and down. "rubin was, huh?"

you rolled your eyes and adjusted your posture to face away from his smirk. sana looked between the two of you twice before clearing her throat as quietly as possible, making jeonghan let out a chuckle before he directed his attention to the guild's receptionist.

"how goes holding the post, sana?"

she looked almost frightened when the attention was directed back to her. "good, captain! in fact, one of our most capable adventurers-" she gestured to you, "-just returned from taking care of some of our more difficult commissions - no one else would take them."

jeonghan looked at you. "why did sana have to tell your secret?"

your eyebrows quirked upwards. "what secret?"

"that you're good at this. shouldn't you be bragging?"

a chuckle spilled from your lips, and jeonghan watched you as you looked away. "i'm not the bragging type."

he studied you a moment. "what type are you, then?"

you considered the question, wondering exactly how to answer. what type were you? if not a teller, than surely you must be a shower, but that didn't seem right either. you exhaled. "the quiet type. see you later, sana."

he laughed, pushing off the counter as you tucked your mora into your waist bag, wishing sana a good evening and following you towards the fountain. "you sure talk a lot for being the quiet type."

a smirk landed itself on your lips as he fell into step beside you. "maybe private is a better description."

"that one i can see," jeonghan said, looking over to you. he thought of how you had spent nearly an hour telling him about the best views in teyvat, yet he still didn't know the most basic information about you. "do you share your name with anyone?"

you thought. "my mother."

he scoffed. "anyone else?"

you looked to the sky. "rubin."

"wrong," he retorted. "he doesn't know your name, either."

you laughed, looking over to him as you came up to the fountain, spinning and sitting back on the ledge. "you asked?"

"of course i asked," he said, planting one foot on the ledge beside you and placing his arms on his knee. "i asked other people, too. almost everyone knows you, but they don't know anything about you. bits and pieces, but never the full picture."

you just smiled up at him from your relaxed posture on the concrete. "what's wrong with a little intrigue?"

he just smiled back at you. "nothing. i tend to keep a bit myself. did you know there's a large number of people in this city that were shocked when i said you wield a claymore?"

you hummed, dipping the tips of your fingers into the fountain. "did you know there's a large number of people in this city that consider you the most eligible bachelor in not only mondstadt, but in all of teyvat?"

his lips parted slightly as you spoke. "so you snooped, too."

"i was bored yesterday. it wasn't hard," you exhaled. you flicked a drop of water towards his foot. "jeonghan yoon, the cavalry captain of the knights of favonius since he was only nineteen. who loves wine and whose adopted brother runs the biggest winery in teyvat, yet they're hardly ever seen speaking. who comes from a far off land on a different continent, but has come to love mondstadt like it was his home. who wears an eyepatch but has never told anyone why."

he chuckled at the assessment and pulled his foot off the ledge to sit beside you. "so when do i get to learn about you?"

"i told you about me yesterday," you said.

"you told me about teyvat," he corrected. "and while i was able to infer some things about your character, i still know close to nothing about you."

you thought for a moment, realizing no one had ever noticed how little you truly shared despite always being willing to tell stories. "sometimes it feels like i am teyvat. it's hard to think of things that are just about me."

"you could start with that vision," he said, nodding at the strap across your thigh. you looked down at it, exhaling.

"what's there to tell? you know what it means, and that's more teyvat than me, too."

he leaned back on a hand, looking you up and down in curiosity. "how old were you."

you chewed your cheek. "fourteen. you?"

his lip quirked upwards. "sixteen."

you bumped his shoulder with yours playfully. "beat you."

he laughed. "how'd it happen?"

you paused. "you go first."

he just chuckled and looked away, watching a dog wander past the general store. "another day, then."

"no fun," you sighed, brushing your hands together as you leaned forward. "what about the eyepatch?"

he met your eyes, mouth slanted in a smirk. "another day."

you clicked your tongue. "if you wanna learn about me, you have to be willing to give up some details, too. i value a fair trade."

"then stop asking questions that you know i won't share the answer to." jeonghan noticed the color of the sky, then suddenly pulled a pocket watch out, checking it quickly to confirm that there was enough time and stood. "come with me?"

you stared up at him. "where?"

he grinned, extending a hand to help you to your feet. "you said mondstadt's sunsets were your favorite, correct?"

you generally weren't prone to following mysterious men into back corridors, but jeonghan easily convinced you with no words at all that sneaking around the sight line of the acting grand master was completely normal behavior, sushing you with a grin as you giggled, taking refuge around a corner after the two of you made it up to the second floor of the favonius headquarters. he tugged your hand with his, pulling you into a steep maintenance staircase behind a door.

"this feels like it's against some rules," you said, climbing the stairs behind him.

"nonsense," he said, looking back at you and grinning. "are you suggesting that a knight of favonius would break rules just to impress a mysterious traveler?"

you laughed quietly, wondering if he really meant that he wanted to impress you. "not most, but maybe this one."

he only thought for a split second. "if anyone asks, we're on official knight business."

he opened the door and you found the sky again, beginning to glow orange as the edge of the sun began to hide behind the cliffs. you stared in awe at the way the few fluffy clouds reflected pink and gold, then readjusted your focus when jeonghan spoke again.

"i hope you aren't afraid of heights," he said, walking over to the parapets that surrounded you. "the best view requires a bit of a climb."

you looked up at the tower, and while it wasn't much higher than where you stood, you also recognized that you were well above most of mondstadt already. "you climb up there?"

he paused, studying you. "we don't have to, we can just sit on a merlon-"

"no, we can climb," you said, walking over to where he was and eyeing the small gap between the parapet and the adjacent roof. "hop over?"

he laughed, stepping over the gap and holding a hand out for you. "watch your step."

and though you didn't need it, you accepted the hand anyways, and it stayed on yours as you walked over the roof to the tower, as if making sure you didn't misstep several stories in the air.

"would you like to go first?" he asked. "i'll catch you if you fall."

you rolled your eyes at him, dropping your hand from his grip. "you go first. i want to see where the handholds are."

he just grinned at you. "very well," he said, tugging on the wrists of his fingerless gloves to make sure they were taught against his skin before taking hold of a brick. you watched him as he took foothold after foothold, and he resisted the urge to show off by speedily scaling the wall in favor of making sure you had the chance to see where he gripped. when he reached the opening in the tower, he pulled himself up and spun around, exhaling with a grin as he seated himself at the ledge with his legs dangling above you.

"your turn."

you adjusted your waist bag as you sighed in amused annoyance, spinning it to be behind you and out of your hips' way to climb the wall. it wasn't much - a couple meters, maybe - and you had definitely climbed further, but jeonghan's presence made you slightly nervous. that nervousness, however, just fueled you to prove yourself.

you scaled the wall easily, making jeonghan whistle and jokingly call you some kind of adventurer, and your only hesitation came when his hand was in your face. despite your initial inclination to ignore it, you put your left hand in his, allowing him to help you pull yourself up on the ledge and sit beside him.

"impressive," he commented.

you laughed, brushing off your hands. "you, too."

"c'mon," he said, gesturing his head over his shoulder before making moves to stand. "the view's on the other side."

you sighed, looking over the view of mondstadt shrouded in golden light as he stood and walked to the other ledge. "never a moment of rest with you."

"if you want to miss the sunset, be my guest."

you leaned back on your hands and laughed, pulling your gaze away from the city to look at where jeonghan had seated himself on the other end of the tower, and subsequently the view of the rolling hills beyond him that were glowing golden in the evening sun. you blinked for a second, realizing you hadn't seen the sunset the night before, and quickly got to your feet to join him before you missed this one, too.

he gave you a soft smile when you sat beside him, and you briefly wondered how many he had in his repertoire. the wind was stronger higher, whipping gently through his hair and alleviating any uncomfortable warmth you may have had from exerting yourself on the way up. you watched the dregs of sunlight skip across the grassy hills and the sky turn deep orange and bright pink, feet swinging lightly over the edge of the tower.

"i was fighting with my brother," he said suddenly, causing you to look at him with a start before you realized he was telling you about his vision. there was a slight smile on his face as he looked out on the fields. "hyungwon. it was bad. he already had his - he's a pyro, like you - and we were both young and stupid and just lost our dad. we were sword fighting and it came to me when i needed it. it probably saved my life, honestly."

you blinked at him. "you think he would have killed you?'

he exhaled, leaning back on his hands. "i think if the roles had been reversed, i would have tried to kill him, too. i'm grateful it didn't go that way, though." he coughed abruptly, clearing his throat. "we're on speaking terms, and i do love him as a brother, but i generally avoid him."

you let that thought ruminate as you watched the sun sink, halfway beyond the horizon. "my father was in a gang in inazuma, but my mom ran away when she found out she was pregnant. didn't want to raise a kid in that world, i guess? we ran into him when i got older and he wasn't very understanding." you paused, remembering the detail too well. "they were going to take her vision. that's what they did to traitors. probably take me, too. they weren't expecting me to start setting fires."

jeonghan's gaze was on you as yours was on the horizon. "just a couple of survivors."

you looked over at him, a smirk on your lips. "a couple?"

he laughed waving at your implication, thinking he would have said the same thing in an attempt to fluster you just as you were to him. "like, more than one and less than four."

you only laughed back. "fortune favors the weak, i suppose. the archons saw we needed help and extended a fig branch."

"is that what it was?" he asked, a laugh on his lips. "we were both fighting people. that's hardly an offer of peace."

"look for the deeper meaning, jeonghan. we were fighting for our lives," you pointed out, and he realized it was the first time you had addressed him by his name rather than his title. "i was fighting for family. for freedom. is that not the greatest pursuit of peace?"

he watched you as you pulled your knees to your chest, putting your feet on the edge of the stonework surface you sat on. he studied the way the golden rays lit your skin and made your eyes sparkle. "i suppose so."

you paused in that moment for a long while, and jeonghan allowed the comfortable silence as the two of you watched the sun disappear beyond the cliffs of mondstadt. the sky was turning a deep shade of purple when you told him your name, and jeonghan thought that it was quite possibly the best news he had ever received, but he kept that joy to himself as he confirmed your name, and you rolled your eyes.

"are you gonna answer my other question now?"

he scoffed. "about the eyepatch? is it really that interesting?"

"not any more interesting than my name," you retorted.

"completely untrue," jeonghan insisted. "i've never been so excited to be told a secret, and i get told a lot of secrets."

you eyed his smile warily. "my name may be unknown, but it's no secret."

he sighed and shook his head lightly. "you really wanna know the reason i wear it? it's probably not as dramatic as you're hoping."

"yet you hide it?"

he laughed. "what's wrong with a little intrigue?"

you looked away, recognizing the parrot of your own words. "whatever you say, captain."

"no!" he whined and grabbed your arm, making you start and look at him with big eyes. "you just started calling me jeonghan, don't go back to captain."

you stared at him, only breaking to laugh, dropping your legs over the edge again. "you won't show me what's under the eyepatch, so i thought we weren't on first name basis."

his hand on your bicep was warm and gentle, but his gaze was piercing as he thought it over for a bit longer. you did your best to hold it, but you felt yourself shrinking when he quietly muttered, "go on, then."

it took you a second to register what he meant, and you reached out slowly, fingers hesitating before they brushed upon his cheekbone. jeonghan closed his eyes, resigning to your touch as you gently lifted the eyepatch. his eyes opened again, slowly, and you thought your heart might have skipped a beat.

"like chocolate," you commented, and a smile spread across his lips.

"that's the kindest reaction i've gotten."

your fingers fell upon his temple, brushing down gently as you inspected his singular brown eye. "since birth?"

he nodded, his eyes flicking down to your lips briefly before he spoke. "heterochromia. it's a characteristic of my family."

you studied his face. "not the one here?"

he sighed. "not the one here."

the icy blue of jeonghan's eye had always struck something in you. it made him mysterious. commanding. it felt like he saw more than you despite having one eye covered. but now, you felt warm. you felt his gentleness. there was comfort hidden away behind that black patch, and you told him that you understood why the cavalry captain had chosen to hide the eye he did.

but to you, he was willing to show anything that would keep you around longer, he said.

"why me?" you asked, studying his expression when he looked away. the sun had retreated behind the hills, leaving the sky a deep blue.

jeonghan didn't respond right away, and you wondered if he himself even knew the answer. "we're birds of a feather, you and i."

you looked out to the view again, watching the subtle movements of the wild hills. "did you travel much before you came here?"

"it was all i knew," he told you. "i was thirteen when my father left me here."

your neck snapped, your eyes on his profile when he leaned back on his hands. "left you?"

he almost laughed, a smile on his lips when his eyes met yours. "i was slowing him down, i suppose. hyungwon's father found me and took me in."

"so you stayed?"

"i didn't always want to," he assured you. "i had the itch to leave for years. as soon as i was able, i always told myself." he paused, eyes dropping. "then father died. then hyungwon turned down his position with the knights. and i was their second choice."

you pursed your lips. "you stayed for a job."

he laughed. "it's not that simple."

you smiled at him, enjoying the warmth of his eyes on yours as the sky cooled. "are you sure we're birds of a feather?"

"listen," he said, getting off his hands and brushing them off on his thighs. "i accepted the job so that i could set the story straight. i didn't want to run from the people that believed that hyungwon tried to kill me to avenge our father."

you studied him. "i'm sorry."

"don't be," he said, nudging your shoulder. "i was still planning on leaving, but then i fell in love."

you looked away, trying to sort out the way your stomach flipped. "are they still around?"

"not with a person," he laughed, then nodded towards the now dark hills. "with the views. besides, i get free reign whenever i leave for missions. i have fun adventuring, and come home to the best sunsets in teyvat. there are worse places to call home."

your eyes scanned the horizon, remembering the brilliant rays of sun you had just seen skip across it. "that is tempting."

"how tempting?" he asked.

you thought on that for a moment. "almost as much as a death after noon right now."

jeonghan laughed, slightly proud that he had hooked you on his favorite drink. "shall we go see rubin, then?"

you hummed, smiling at the captain. "as long as i don't have to sit alone again."

"that's a promise," he told you as he stood, holding out a hand that you took without hesitation, though he withheld his intention to make sure you were never alone again.

[debtofayaksha]

10 13 18 19 20 for the genshin meme

For "Genshin Impact Ask Game" (accepting)

10. Who is your favorite character?

The Conqueror of Demons, of course! :D

13. What's your least favorite part of the gameplay?

Probably the stamina meter—that and time-gating. Oh! And I hate the load limit for the Teapot.

18. Who was your first 5 star character?

Jean! I was originally trying to get Childe when he was last featured—needless to say, that's how I learned about 50/50. But Jean really grew on me, especially with how useful she is with any team!

19. If you're currently saving to pull for someone, who?

Xiao! I hoarded as much primos as I could when I first heard rumors of his return. And to my understanding, he has only been featured once? So I'm definitely gonna try to get him one way or another, my strategy will be to have so many wishes stockpiled in case I lose the 50/50 haha!

20. Do you prefer Mondstadt, Liyue, or Inazuma?

Inazuma took some getting used to, but I think they did a good job condensing so much puzzles onto the islands despite their size compared to other regions. Overall though, in music and exploration, I have to say Liyue is still my favorite. There's still a handful of treasure chests I haven't found yet.

[celestiabyss]

I agree with bloo's answer here, and I'd like to add my thoughts as well!

With all the memory/history/time shenanigans that we've encountered so far in recent lore, it further solidified my thoughts on events: events might be "stuff that the Traveler only experiences when they are at a certain place at a certain alternative point in time."

Just because some lore is locked behind limited-time events doesn't automatically mean they'll become irrelevant in the future. It might only just be a matter of how early the Traveler got to access certain information.

An example of this is Unreconciled Stars:

Players who haven't played Unreconciled Stars only get a Scaramouche intro (with the huge fancy text and Fatui logo and all) during the Inazuma archon quest.

Players who have played Unreconciled Stars got the Scaramouche intro during the event. And in the Inazuma archon quest, Scaramouche tells the Traveler, "Barely two words in and you already look like you want me dead."

There was a tiny dialogue option difference in Mona's story quest depending on whether or not you first met her in Unreconciled Stars. Basically it was just "oh yeah I remember you", something like that!

Players who haven't played Unreconciled Stars will see Dottore as the first Fatui character that brought up the fake sky, but those who have played will know that Scaramouche knows this too. He also speculated that the Jester (now revealed as Pierro) might have had a clue that they'll discover something about the fake sky in their mission. I'm quite curious to see if the main story will actually reveal that the Fatui have been researching about the fake sky all this time.

With this example in mind, it kinda reveals that the game remembers whether or not you did a certain event, which is cool and kinda "goosebumpy" if you think about it. But we still need further examples in the future to confirm this point, and there are also inconsistencies at times (e.g. some events still flash character descriptions on-screen even if you already met the character beforehand).

But still, we have yet to see how certain lore-heavy event content will be fully integrated in permanent content, like Scaramouche's involvement in the Raiden Gokaden incident (as revealed in the Irodori Festival) and Albedo's origins (which were further discussed in Shadows Amidst Snowstorms).

Nevertheless, it's also cool how some events kinda served as teasers. For instance, you don't necessarily have to know that Guoba used to be a god (which was revealed in the Moonchase Festival) to know the possible effects of gods using up all their power, since another example was also addressed in the main story (Rukkhadevata). You also don't need to know that Nahida's power over dreams and ability to intercept connections were already hinted in the 2.8 Golden Apple Archipelago, since they were discussed and showed in more detail in the Sumeru archon quests.

Festival events (excluding Irodori Festival since that was kinda major) have more like "nice to know" stuff than "need to know" stuff since the Traveler isn't really...required to attend every festival in existence HAHAH but they do have some interesting region-specific lore and cultural knowledge that we get to know more about.

Overall, it's still early as of now to conclude the validity and relevance of event lore since we've only been 2 years into the game and who knows how else hoyoverse will handle event content in the future. But event lore does provide teasers about possible permanent content at times and further expands what we currently know about Teyvat's worldbuilding. It's just a matter of how early we got to discover them, but it doesn't mean that we have to know them right away.

Genshin is a constant waiting game, and everything we need to know will probably be revealed in due time.

lowkey it feels like even the "crucial lore" limited time events aren't meant to be taken to heart w/ the way the lore just ends up being recontextualized or retconned. like w childe searching for the electro gnosis completely being dropped, or scara's "sky is fake" spiel never being part of his character again & then recontextualized as part of dottore's character revealing that the Heavenly Principles (the sky) is a Descender (fake). limited events don't have solid lore tbh, they're semi-canon

Hey, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!

I can see why you’ve come to this conclusion. Limited time events have been a place for Genshin to establish important lore and world building, but the fact that it’s not a permanent part of the story means that new players or those who weren’t able to play during that period miss out on crucial information.

If the information and character arcs within those events aren’t permanent to the story then maybe they’re not as important as we think, or as you posit, will be retconned in some way to account for those who missed out.

I disagree with this! I do think the lore and information we get in these limited time events are important and will be touched on later in the story. I view Dottore, another Fatui Harbinger specifically, being the first to mention the false sky since Scaramouche in Unreconciled Stars as a direct reference to that event.

But why would Hoyoverse put important lore and character development in limited time events that not every player will get to experience?

My guess is a simple and perhaps obvious one: it’s a gacha game that profits off people playing daily and spending money. In order to entice people to login near daily, there has to be incentive and reward for doing so. This includes more “practical” things like all the primogems, mora, adventurer’s experience, talent mats, and more that players can receive for completing the mini-games and quests, but a huge way to entice people is by an important and gripping story that they could potentially miss out on.

I think Unreconciled Stars is so famous within the fandom despite a majority of the current players not being able to experience it first hand because it had important lore that will be touched upon again. And now when the game has a new limited time event each patch, people will scramble to play before it ends because they don’t want to miss out!

Also, limited time events have given information beyond the false sky. If the lore we learn from those is only semi-canon, that negates a large amount of knowledge we have about Teyvat. It would throw into question Albedo’s character and origins (two Dragonspine events), Kazuha and Scaramouche’s stories (Irodori Festival), and everything we learned about Teyvat and multiple characters in Summer Fantasia.

I think limited time events are just a fact (maybe feature) of a gacha game that is constantly updating and pumping out new content. It is what it is. However, I do have faith that all the lore and story beats we get in them will be addressed and fleshed out later on because the quality of storytelling in Genshin has only improved with each patch, and the false sky was finally addressed again!

I hope my perspective was useful to you!