kayumuo

[kayumuo]

thank god im aromantic. i think everyone should get more aromantic

[kayumuo]

old Cuba sketch I still fw

[kayumuo]

A Look into Tequil the Brave

(Part 1 of….2? Maybe 3??)

Tequil the Brave managed to become one of my fav 5.X books (followed by the Headless Coquitao and Rangi Nui’s End) due to the fact that it has LITERAL twinception.

On a basic narrative level, this novel is a self-contained story about a particular set of twins. Yet, when looking deeper, it also references mythological tales that feature sibling duos. Finally, this book can be understood as an allusion to the multitude of “twin” relationships in Genshin itself. This game LOVES the concept of dualism.

(Now this is FAR from being the only genshin book that does what I call twinception, but it’s still one of my favorites.)

This book gives me brain rot so I’m gonna yap about it. Please excuse my rambling and I apologize for any confusion lolll.

(Note: Spoilers for Xilonen’s Tribal Quest below the cut.)

(TW: light gore, blood, and dismemberment. It’s in the 2nd image below the cut. It’s not very graphic in my opinion, since it’s a simple illustration from the Florentine Codex. But I want to warn people regardless.)

(More Below ⬇️)

To summarize, Tequil and Rimac are a pair of twins born to a tribe threatened by the evil demon lord, Coatlicue. Inspired by the encouragement and bravery of the twins, the tribe grows strong enough to withstand Coatlicue’s tyranny. One day, Rimac (the gentle twin) ends up being corrupted and controlled by Coatlicue who is in the form of a one-eyed serpent. He then goes on a rampage, killing many tribe members. Tequil (the heroic twin) fights off his brother and then leads the surviving tribesmen to a distant land near a volcano where they are taken in by a different tribe. He receives the blessing of an unnamed fire goddess, which turns his blood into flames. He then heads on a long journey to confront his brother once more. The two clash and Rimac is killed along with Coatlicue. Tequil returns home only to throw himself into the volcano.

(Note: Was Tequil’s death truly needed to ensure the preservation of the tribe and to encourage them? Or was he just suicidal after Rimac’s death and was looking for a heroic way out? Maybe it’s both 🤷‍♀️. You can read the book for yourself and form your own opinion on it.)

We first learn about this book in Xilonen’s tribal quest which revolves around Tlazolli, Nechca, and Nepecha who loosely parallel the characters within the novel. There’s even a happy alternative version of Tequil the Brave which erases the original ending for a nonsensical resolution, much like Tlazolli attempted to achieve by trying to “resurrect” her daughter at the expense of Nepecha and the memories of her tribesmen.

Now when taking a closer look at the dynamic between Tequil, Rimac, and the evil mountain goddess Coatlicue, another pair of siblings comes to mind. Such as the Aztec gods Huitzilopochtli, Coyolxauhqui, and their mother Coatlicue.

(Note: I am not an expert on Mesoamerican cultures or deities, so please excuse any mistakes as it is not my intention to offend. I will also keep this summary brief and to the point.)

As the story goes, Coatlicue grew pregnant with Huitzilopochtli after touching a ball of feathers. This embarrassed her daughter Coyolxauhqui who made a plan with her 400 brothers, the Centzon Huitznahua, to kill their mother. Huitzilopochtli sprung from his mother’s womb fully formed in order to defend her. He killed his sister and chased off his brothers. Coatlicue is a fertility goddess associated with snakes and the earth. Huitzilopochtli is a sun god with dominion over war. Coyolxauhqui is a moon goddess, and the Centzon Huitznahua are star gods. (The Centzon Huitznahua aren’t super important for what I’m talking about, so you can ignore them.)

(Note: Here’s a link to the wiki page of Coatlicue where you can read about her and click other links to read about her children. Tumblr refuses to let me embed separate links about them into the above paragraph for some strange reason 🙃). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cōātlīcue

Back to Tequil the Brave. So we have Rimac who is controlled by Coatlicue (who took the form of a serpent) and he’s fighting against his brother Tequil who wishes to slay the serpent/Coatlicue. This is reminiscent of Huitzilopochtli fighting against Coyolxauhqui in order to protect Coatlicue.

Here’s a chart to illustrate the parallels that I’m trying to point out:

Aztec Deities Tequil the Brave

Earth Mother Coatlicue Coatlicue

Solar Sibling Huitzilopochtli Rimac

Lunar Sibling Coyolxauhqui Tequil

(Note: The one-eyed serpent that possesses Rimac is a likely reference to Xiuhcoatl, who Huitzilopochtli wields as a weapon. The serpent may also allude to Genshin’s Xiuhcoatl, and seems to be an overall metaphor for abyssal corruption. I’ll talk more about the serpent imagery later.)

While the twins within the book parallel Huitzilopochtli and Coyolxauhqui, their fates seem to be the exact opposite. Huitzilopochtli, the sun god, is the victor but his counterpart Rimac is the one who is defeated along with Coatlicue. The Aztec tale has been inverted. The lunar sibling is the one who prevails and slays their solar counterpart along with their “mother”.

On a symbolic level, the sun has been eclipsed in Tequil the Brave. Or I could say that the death/blackening of the original sun necessitates that a “new sun” must rise. Anyways…let’s put a pin in that, because I’m gonna come back to it later towards the end of my analysis/theory.

For now this is the end of part 1 because trying to fit all of my thoughts on one post would make it ridiculously long. In part 2, l’m gonna talk more about the whole twin thing and I may even connect it to genshin’s overarching story (idk I might have to save that for a possible part 3).

Regardless, if you’ve read this, I hope it gave you some food for thought at the very least! Until next time!! 🌈🌟

[kayumuo]

New painting but it will harass your eyes with bright light (TW)

I want to do unholy things on to her but you guys already know that. I tried my best to make it look like she was melting into liquid phlogiston so hope it worked.

“Ink what’s your process”— gray scale, gradient map, random ahh settings on layer, and every single brush procreate has to offer me. *nervous smile*

[kayumuo]

I WILL BE EATING THIS WELL.

Chapters: 3/6 Fandom: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Och-Kan/Xbalanque (Genshin Impact) Characters: Och-Kan (Genshin Impact), Xbalanque (Genshin Impact), Lianca (Genshin Impact), Yupanqui (Genshin Impact), Dinga | Maghan (Genshin Impact), Ahpub (Genshin Impact), Ixquieh (Genshin Impact), Uenuku (Genshin Impact), Ianeira | Hineila (Genshin Impact) Additional Tags: Team as Family, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Family Dynamics, Natlan (Genshin Impact), Natlan Lore (Genshin Impact), Doomed Relationship, Angst and Tragedy, Character Study, More like imposing my headcanons on said character, Friendship, Unreliable Narrator, Self-Hatred, Self-Worth Issues, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Fantasy and Fictional Setting Racism, Because what is Och-Kan without his dragon racism ey !, Father-Daughter Relationship, Genshin Impact Lore, References to Aztec Religion & Lore, References to Polynesian Religion & Lore Series: Part 1 of O friends, to a good place we’ve come to live, come in springtime! In that place a very brief moment! Summary:

In the annals of Natlan’s history, few figures are as divisive as Och-Kan, the Lord of the Cinder City, the Sacred Lord of Transgression, or as he was known back in the day, the Holy Sovereign. Yet, even thousand of years later, his figure, and particularly his relationships with the first Pyro Archon’s party, is still shrouded in mystery.

The Saurian Relics Association has assembled extensive research on Och-Kan’s life and times. Drawing upon relics, oral histories, and surviving records of the adventurers during the time Ochkanatlan has not yet been a forbidden ground for us, this collection aims to shed the light of the complex web of relationships between the Holy Sovereign and the first Pyro Archon’s party. As those relationships have shaped Natlan’s past, and very well her present and future.

Family. Friend. Love. Those things had always been unreachable for Och-kan.

Or : An exploration of Och-Kan’s relationships with his friends.

CHAPTER 3 IS FUCKING OUT AFTER ALL THIS TIME OH MY GOD. Is 27k words for part 1 is too much?😭 What does a lore character with no spoken dialogues in his own weapon does to a mf… Uenuku when I catch you Uenuku…

[kayumuo]

What I dont think people talk about enough is that the og seven archons would gather in liyue. That means egeria, xbalanque, and the belyi tsar. Ofc makoto and rukkadehvata too but you could see them having tea, unlike the others.

I think there should be fics or art of this

[kayumuo]

New Oc alert who I already teased prior.

A brand knew five star Hydro off-field damage applier: Katla.

I took the name from a old Swedish book in which there is a dragon named Katla (means either "the kettle" or "the boiler) even tho she’s based off of any other dragon from medieval times. I couldn’t use that name cause it was literally “Sea-dragon” and that’s boring.

Anyway her lore

Katla fought along side the dragons only in the second war and was imprisoned within the Cider Lake. When the whole thing happened in Paralogism she got freed accidentally due to the shear power that got released. It was Sucrose who found her washed up by the beach in a human form (though all Sucrose saw was a human with no arms) and from there got taken to mondstadt. Currently she kinda works with the alchemists only because she can test poisons without any consequences, plus, Albedo has been doing several experiments with her own venom that he produces through either her fangs or they hydro manifestation of her stinger.

Her kit (scales off atk):

To get max effect of her kit, she works best with other hydro units or pyro units. The more hydro on the team, the longer her skill and burst effects last. The more pyro on the team, the more damage the enemies take.

Basic attack: Her arms show up and she hits the enemies applying hydro. (Not talent priority)

Hold: Double swipe (shrugs)

Skill: Enemies within a certain range become slower while taking a significant amount of hydro damage over time. (First talent priority)

Burst: Enemies around her take even more damage and all hydro units gain an elemental buff. (Second talent priority)

Passive: When swimming, she can swim faster while taking up less stamina

Passive: When crafting an element potion, she has a 25% chance at doubling the item crafted.

(When I was making Katla, the only person that kept popping up into my head was Maomao from apothecary diaries so Katla’s personality was inspired by her)

Voice Lines:

Katla’s Troubles: “It’s not poison, It’s venom. I understand the two are very similar in a sense but regardless they are different. Poison is something you consume that begins shutting down your organs one by one and while venom tends to do the same thing, it comes from a bite or sting. If someone asks me to ‘Poison’ an enemy, I might just ‘poison’ them instead.”

About Vision: “I hate it, a mockery of the power that the dragons once held. Due to Mr. Albedo’s request, me and him watch up to the church to meet someone. He told me it was someone that I may not like but I should still introduce myself. Lo and behold, it was a pawn who stole the wind from the rightful sovereign dragon. At first I wanted to hiss and bare my teeth before making a beeline out of there but Albedo instructed that I hold back from doing that. Venti, as he introduced himself, gave me this vision as a ‘Favor’. The only thing I like about it is how I can manifest my arms and tail.”

About Sucrose: “She’s a sweet girl. Timid, keeps to herself, asks me for my venom as if it’s a crime, overall not bad. When she found me washed up, she freaked out and got really flustered, though it might have been due to the lack of clothing… still, she was courageous enough to drag me back to the city. From there I became her apprentice for a while before doing my own research on every type of poison and venom imaginable.”

About Dvalin: “The Anemo archon found me one late afternoon, clearly drunk, and beckoned me to follow him. I, of course, told him to be drunk somewhere else but he simply pointed to the my vision and smiles, that sneaky, grinning, fool. He took me all the way up to Starsnatch Cliff and then began playing his harp. To be honest, at that point I was planning a way that I could sting him to make his death long and miserable until a giant teal being flew over our heads. I remember some kind of hope rushing through my blood as I was face to face with another dragon again. By standards, he’s a child compared to me. No knowledge of the ancient world yet I still go out often to his lair or Starsnatch Cliff to talk with him.”

Katla’s Hobbies: “I like testing things, adding random ingredients and chemicals with my venom to see what results I get. Sometimes the venom changes color from its bright cyan to a mellowed out purple or the purest of yellows that you could ever see. As cool as the color changing is, nothing is as cool then testing out each venom and poison on the battle field. Watching the smiles puff up and literally burst, or a hilichurl began squealing on the drown as their limbs move on their own. Fascinating…why are you backing away?”

Specialty Food:

Description: Katla is never allowed near food due to most not wanting to try it and because she has purposely tried to poison a few in the past. Thankfully, nobody ever got hurt and either Sucrose or Albedo stopped before the victim could digest what was given to them by her. Katla’s specialty dish “Dragon’s Gamble” is not an exaggeration, she intentionally makes the drink look exactly like her venom to poison victims. Albedo and Sucrose can both plea that Katla had never actually given anyone something fatal and infect the drink is a wonderful balance of sweet and sour due to the berries and nectar she uses.

Buffs Atk by 250 for 300 seconds.

Sources:

[kayumuo]

is this a safe space.

[kayumuo]

when you gotta post but u lowk lost interest in genshin💔💔

[kayumuo]

honestly i wish hoyoverse actually treated its players with respect and not mindless piggy banks.

i dont usually complain about the company. i usually couldnt care less what they make because at the end of the day, its their product, and i dont have to consume it.

but its so blatantly obvious that they scrapped the plot of natlan in genshin impact and attempted to make it into solely a money grabber.

its also obvious that they ditched plot ideas and build-ups that were leading up to the new mondstadt quests in turn for these simple, unfufilling quests that feel like being backhanded to the face.

i had such a hard time accepting fontaine since the advanced architecture didn't feel like genshin--until natlan came around. and you know how fucking ridiculous natlan is. so now i sing songs of praise for fontaine.

honestly.

genshin has become a joke of a game.

i love its characters and stories with all of my heart. so its not easy for me to say that.

[kayumuo]

Here's Anemo Miku from my Genshin Miku series. (◕ᴗ˂̵๑🐠)

She's a conchero dancer from the Flower-Feather Clan and a sword user. She's actually a complete rework of an older design that predates Natlan's release. You can check out the video where I designed her here.

[kayumuo]

i love how huitzilopochtli looks like a solar eclipse

in aztec mythology, huitzilopochtli is the god of the sun and is constantly getting chased by his sister, coyolxauhqui, god of the moon and his brothers, which are the stars. when coyolxauhqui and his other brothers finally catch him, the world would end by huitzilopochtlis siblings destroying their mom, the earth.

huitzilopochtli is also used as an apocalypse device of some sorts in genshin, turning tevyat into phlogiston, killing and merging everyone.

[kayumuo]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Och-Kan/Xbalanque (Genshin Impact) Characters: Och-Kan (Genshin Impact), Xbalanque (Genshin Impact), Lianca (Genshin Impact), Mentioned Xiuhcoatl (Genshin Impact) Additional Tags: Cannibalistic Thoughts, Cannibalism Play, Blood Kink, Blood and Injury, Biting, Graphic Description of Corpses, References to Aztec Religion & Lore, Cannibalism, Corpses, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Kissing, Rough Kissing, Unhinged Xbalanque (Genshin Impact), Yes it’s not Och-Kan. Unhinged Xbalanque all the way, He may or may not be possesed… though. Revival fucks Lanque’s brain, Fantasy and Fictional Setting Racism, Internalized racism, Genshin Impact Lore, Natlan Lore (Genshin Impact), Vore, Mildly Dubious Consent, Blood and Gore, Gore, Male-Female Friendship, Sort…? This is just an excuse to write Lianca in lmao Summary:

People eaters.

After the Pyro Archon’s glorious victory, the Dragonborns initially thought that they had no choice but to either kneel in submission or die in a blaze of resistance. How stunned they were, though, when the first human Archon extended his hand in a gesture of mercy and reconciliation. Some hissed, some did hold back. For the latter, they were able to do proper funerary rites for their fallen brethren.

Consuming their remains.

Och-Kan watched the whole procession in revulsing disgust, bile rising. However, a sinister thought slipped through his brain, like a hissing serpent.

what do you taste like?

would anyone even care to consume you?

Worry not. The First Pyro Archon was more than willing to help.

Or: the “I wonder what I taste like” meme, but its them, the toxic doomed yaoi themselves.

As you can see from the tags, this fic includes heavy themes, such as CANNIBALISM, GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF CORPSES, VORE, ETC. If you are squeamish or uncomfortable with such topics, please steer away from this fic. I don’t want to burden you, and your mental wellbeing is your number one priority.

Btw I have promised this fic for like, two days ago. @rhineposting, @kayumuo, and other moots, sorry for waiting😞

If you guys have seen this post before… no you didn't😁 (somehow the link is broken for me and it won’t let me edit? So I thought it’s better to delete it altogether.)

[kayumuo]

vibing to natlan ost bc they're just so good then some ochkanatlan track starts playing and great now i just feel empty and sad

[kayumuo]

i love how huitzilopochtli looks like a solar eclipse

in aztec mythology, huitzilopochtli is the god of the sun and is constantly getting chased by his sister, coyolxauhqui, god of the moon and his brothers, which are the stars. when coyolxauhqui and his other brothers finally catch him, the world would end by huitzilopochtlis siblings destroying their mom, the earth.

huitzilopochtli is also used as an apocalypse device of some sorts in genshin, turning tevyat into phlogiston, killing and merging everyone.

[kayumuo]

journey to the centre of the earth

[kayumuo]

I think people are mistaking "sci fi = tech of any sort" for some reason. Natlan didn't feel either sci fi *or* fantasy; it felt wholly out of place in the game's overall tone. Mavuika pulling out a motorcycle when people in universe are amazed at the kamera makes Mavuika pulling out that motorcycle stupid, sorry.

Sci fi does in fact have its own rules and conventions for being a defined genre. Fantasy does, too. Most sci fi works and most fantasy works have a mixture of magic and technology. Look at any other popular fantasy work right now and you'll see. Final Fantasy 14 has the Allagans, which were decidedly capable of advanced technology, for example. It works in reverse, too. Something like Steins;Gate is fantastical in nature and requires a suspension of disbelief, despite being so thorough in making the time travel believable in universe with advanced technology.

Genshin is a mixture of low fantasy and high fantasy, though leans towards high fantasy. The technology of the Fatui makes sense because it's believable. (Not to mention a common trope is that "the bad guys" often have more advanced technology.) The technology we see elsewhere makes sense, too. The kamera, the stuff the Fontaine Research Institute are doing at any given time, etc. But Natlan comes out of left field with motorcycles and DJ tables and tries to make them make sense with the phlogiston explanation but it just feels really flimsy. Like it's just not good writing. The tech found in Natlan do, admittedly, evoke a more "modern technology" or "baby's first sci fi" feeling. So many sci fi stories, especially ones that take place closee to "modern day" such as Katana Zero or 1000xResist or Cyberpunk 2077, have motorcycles as a primary form of transportation because they're cool as shit, so people subconsciously associate them with the genre.

Natlan technology ends up tonally different while trying to be something cool and unique. Natlan doesn't mix the genres well and so thus feels like neither fantasy nor sci fi (it feels like both at the same time) and is a weird awkward spot of just existing. I don't think a majority of the people who are saying Natlan feels bad for having this tech are saying it due to racist reasons. Maybe some are. But I think a majority of people are recognizing the dissonance between everything else we have seen up until now and drawing upon their subconscious impressions of the sci fi genre, and they go, "hey, wait a minute, this doesn't really fit in with what we've seen so far." The average genshin fan does not know how to articulate this feeling, though.

I will argue that the technology in Natlan is not really that big of an issue. It contributes to the overall problem of Natlan main AQ just being very bad. It's very, very, very poor writing if you genuinely critique it and really dig deep into the narrative. And I usually love "power of friendship" stories. But that's a confession for another day.

i would love to see your confession for another day! on another day, ofc ;P