dustsmemory

[dustsmemory]

[dustsmemory]

( i finally watched guizhong's lantern rite event (i was putting it off bc i knew it would hurt me) and like. maybe i just enjoy 'show not tell' too much but while i understand the guiping thing, cloud retainer/guizhong is so underrated with the amount of content they gave us in that event??

prideful, tactless cloud retainer talking fondly about how guizhong used to brag about how much smarter she was. cloud retainer mentioning that she wasn't as close to guizhong despite the fact that she spent a lot of one on one time with her. cloud retainer avoiding guili plains because the memory of the loss was too painful for her to cope with ???

also- having finished guizhong's world quest... i know a lot of people hc that zhongli was the one to set up the puzzles to hide guizhong's knowledge... and that's possible, but i did notice that the text to describe the person who did it had them refer to themself as 'one' and it made me wonder if cloud retainer did it. because given her mechanical understanding, it would make sense, and honestly it feels more like something she'd do given how she clearly paid a lot of attention to guizhong )

[dustsmemory]

( like this post for a starter. alternatively, reply if you'd like me to hop into your dms to plot :3 )

[dustsmemory]

( i'm thinking about the theories of guizhong being eroded and thinking of a verse where she faked her death and remained hidden from her friends due to her erosion because i am mean and i like angst ... )

[dustsmemory]

The Kiss

[dustsmemory]

rate your muses traits

Compassion: 9/10 Bitterness: 2/10 Happiness: 8/10 Politeness: 7/10 Chivalry: 7/10 Pride: 7/10 Honesty: 6/10 Bravery: 10/10 Recklessness: 7/10 Ambition: 7/10 Loyalty: 10/10 Love: 10/10 Sense of family: ???/10 Attractiveness: 9/10 Agility: 10/10 Sex drive: 5/10

Tagged by: stolen Tagging: The Person Reading This

[dustsmemory]

( also - plotting call. like this and i'll hop into your dms to discuss a dynamic )

[dustsmemory]

( making another starter call )

[dustsmemory]

about - guizhong as a fenghuang

guizhong was initially created as a fenghuang. her 'true' form is that of a magnificent bird, seen by some mortals as being the ruler of all birds, though certain adepti don't love that title ( guizhong, herself, finds it entertaining - but that isn't strictly relevant ).

most in the guili assembly, however, have never seen her adeptal form. after she begins living with humanity, she stays in her human form the vast majority of the time. she goes hundreds of years without returning to her 'true' form, prefering life amongst humanity. she doesn't hide her identity as a fenghuang, though.

the rare times when she does return to her fenghuang form happen when she is particularly overwhelmed and needs time to herself. usually when she's overwhelmed she'll go off by herself in her human form, but on a few rare occassions her overwhelm reaches the point of her feeling as if she needs even more distance than that.

in her fenghuang form, guizhong is capable of communiting verbally, though often chooses not to. this is typically more a result of the overwhelm than it is anything else.

[dustsmemory]

@fxrina liked for a starter!

"You know, we have operas in Liyue." Guizhong spoke conversationally. It wasn't the topic that she wanted to discuss, but it was a safe one to start with. "I have been wondering about the differences between our nations performing arts."

[dustsmemory]

sinday headcanons. nsfw under the cut, this is your warning.

guizhong's a switch. what's most important to her with sex is everyone having a good time - she can enjoy any role, so she'll just match her partner.

that being said, if you try to be Serious with your domming she will probably start laughing at you. she's not trying to be a dick, but if you're someone she wants to sleep with she will not be able to take that seriously.

...she'll also probably start laughing at you if you get flustered by her domming.

actually, if you fuck her without her laughing at some point, something's probably wrong.

she loves sensory stimulation. whether that's being touched lightly, being held down or something like temperature play, she'll turn to putty pretty quickly if you do something that hits her right there.

her hands and shoulderblades (where her wings would come out) are particularly sensitive. she also likes having her hair stroked.

if she's domming, she'll be talking to you constantly. she's primarily doing this to make sure she's checking in with you. like i said - the most important thing is to make sure her partner is having a good time, so she will be very tuned into you and if she notices so much as a hint of discomfort she's going to be making sure everything is fine before she continues. she's very attuned to how her partner feels, even during the times where she's trying out a 'meaner' persona.

she won't use euphemisms and doesn't really 'get' the social taboo of talking directly about sex. she won't talk about it in public, but if she wants to have sex and you have that kind of relationship with her, she's likely to just straight-up ask 'so, wanna have sex?'

while she doesn't get the taboo, she is aware that some people will become flustered if she explicitly asks. she'll act all innocent, but sometimes her forthrightness is very purposeful. she thinks she's funny.

she'll laugh at you if you try to do it back to her.

she's more vanilla than she is kinky. she'll dom or sub and she'll play into some kinks. she'll also be open to kinky things if her partner's into something, with some exceptions. but ultimately her favourite thing about sex is the intimacy and feeling of closeness with her partner. other things can be fun, but that's what she's here for.

[dustsmemory]

( making another starter call )

[dustsmemory]

It made sense that the golden-haired traveler would be collecting the flowers for another. Glaze lilies were a rarity, the fragile flowers often dying before they could reach full bloom. This, paired with their association with divinity and historic significance, made them very popular - and very expensive. If someone could be hired to pick them directly, it would certainly be worth the mora of their labour.

"That's very generous of you." Xiangu said, accepting the offered flower carefully.

In truth, she rarely picked the flowers herself. She had no qualms about others doing so, but whenever the urge struck her, she cast it aside. It felt a waste, when the flower had fought so hard to bloom in the first place.

But perhaps it was silly to project such feelings onto a mere flower.

She returned her attention to the girl and hummed lightly. "A golden haired adventurer dressed in strange garb... you wouldn't happen to be the acclaimed traveler, would you?"

The blonde Traveler immediately turned her head upon hearing an unfamiliar voice, one brow lifted. "...Huh? Oh! Ah, no! I'm actually collecting these for someone else." She explained. It was not uncommon for Lumine to accept these kind of commissions, as they provided a pleasant change from fighting monsters or looking for treasure.

One of the male citizens of Liyue Harbor has been wanting to confess to his crush for a while now, but he does not want to do it empty-handed, hence why she is lending him a hand to make the perfect bouquet.

"I already got some silk flowers and Qingxin earlier."

"Although I have to say, I very much like the flowers here in Liyue. These glaze lillies in particular are such a lovely shade of blue." If she did not already wear the Interteyvat, they'd make for a pretty hair accessoiry.

Slowly approaching the chair-bound female, she held out a single lilly towards here.

"I have a couple to spare, so if you'd like...?"

[dustsmemory]

🐝  *  ―  𝑺𝑨𝑪𝑹𝑰𝑭𝑰𝑪𝑬𝑺 𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺.

GENERAL ❛  run! i'll hold them off for as long as i can.  ❜ ❛  i can buy you some time. go, now!  ❜ ❛  i cause this, and i'll be the one to fix it. no matter the cost.  ❜ ❛  it's the only way!  ❜ ❛  no matter what it takes, i won't let anything happen to you.  ❜ ❛  i need to make this right. this is my only chance.  ❜ ❛  i'll go through this so we have a chance. it's a risk worth taking.  ❜ ❛  you're more important than me. so let me do this to save you.  ❜ ❛  putting your needs ahead of mine is the only way i know.  ❜ ❛  can't you see i'm trying to save you?  ❜ ❛  i'll promise to keep you safe for as long as i can.  ❜ ❛  you know i'd jump in front of a bullet for you, right?  ❜ ❛  there are some people worth dying for ...  ❜ ❛  i trusted you with everything, and this is how you repay me?  ❜ ❛  i promise, i'm gonna do everything in my power to protect you.  ❜ ❛  i'm willing to do whatever it takes to prove my worth to you.  ❜ ❛  you don't have to sacrifice yourself for me. we're in this together.  ❜ ❛  are you sure you want to give up your only chance at freedom?  ❜ ❛  go! i'm not sure how much longer i can hold on ...  ❜ ❛  forget about me and save yourself. please.  ❜

LOVE / RELATIONSHIPS ❛  i love you, but you deserve better than what i can offer.  ❜ ❛  your happiness means more to me than my own.  ❜ ❛  i have to let you go, even if it breaks my heart.  ❜ ❛  i'll support your dreams, even if it means letting go of mine.  ❜ ❛  if this is truly what you need, i'll go.  ❜ ❛  you're worth waiting for. no matter how long it takes until you come back.  ❜ ❛  this is going against everything i stand for, but i'll do it for you.  ❜ ❛  you will always have my unwavering support.  ❜ ❛  your smile is worth the sacrifices i'm willing to make.  ❜ ❛  sometimes, there are more important things than me. you, for example.  ❜ ❛  i will always love you, but we're not good for one another. so i'm letting you go.  ❜ ❛  you deserve to find happiness with someone who isn't as destructive as me.  ❜ ❛  you will always be my first choice, but i know i'll never be yours, and that's okay.  ❜ ❛  no matter what happens, you will always hold a special place in my heart.  ❜ ❛  i'm gonna do whatever it takes to make you smile again.  ❜ ❛  you make me wanna be better. you make me wanna be good.  ❜ ❛  you don't have to sacrifice your dreams just to fulfill mine.  ❜ ❛  if you don't want to be with me anymore, just say so and go.  ❜ ❛  i won't let you make any more decisions for me!  ❜ ❛  remember, i'm doing this because i love you.  ❜

[dustsmemory]

we are not born to die!! what are you talking about!! do you think a book begins just to finish? do you think a song opens with a beautiful chord just for it to end? you don’t read the book to finish it, you read the book to eat up the excitement and the emotions it evokes!! to learn and to digest and to fall in love and be heartbroken!! you listen to the song to dance and dance and sing your throat raw!!! to cry and smile and swell with the harmonies!! yes, we are born with the inevitable fate of death, we are mortal after all, but that is merely the finale of the play!! the final act, the closing of the curtains - we are not born to take a bow and exit stage left!! we are born to love and be joyous and yell and move and learn and cry and feelfeelfeel!!!  we are not born to die, silly, we’re born to live!!!

[dustsmemory]

George Saunders, The Brain-Dead Megaphone

[dustsmemory]

( okay so disclaimer that i am not chinese, this is based on my research, but it's always possible i've misunderstood something. if you think i've got something wrong, please let me know so i can correc it!

i'm here to talk about dust.

guizhong is the god of dust. this does include literal dust, but more importantly, it includes metaphorical dust.

in chinese buddhism and taosim, 'dust' has another meaning. 'dust' refers to the mortal world, and the temptations within it. as a result, guizhong being the god of dust is more than her being the god of literal dust - it makes her the god of the mortal world, of the bustle of society and the people within it.

this also links in with her being the god of agriculture, her ruling over the guili assembly, and the memory of dust being called 'the lock of the mortal world' in chinese. )