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Haven’t played the new updates yet but Wriothesley and Neuvillette always gave mirror vibes to me. Wriothesley loves the sun, but is tied to Meropide by duty. Neuvillette loves the darkness and chaos (courtesy of Sigewinne voice line), but is tied to Fontaine by duty.

One understands the darkest parts of humanity but still extends mercy to them, while another attempts to learn of humanity, and pardons them of the original sin.

Wriothesley tells others that he judges them based on first impressions through jail admission papers but will go out of his way to apologize personally to each person he failed to care for, while Neuvillette will claim that the rain is not the Hydro Dragon’s tears, so people should stop singing that silly child’s rhyme, and yet the rain comes every time something saddening happens.

It’s always been ice and water, not ice and fire or water and fire.

The way Neuvillette trusts Wriothesley and Wriothesley trusts Neuvillette in return is just!!!

How did we get so lucky to have them?

Sorry for the yap, I can never get over them 😔

Spoilers for Genshin 5.6 Mond AQ (Interlude...? I can't keep track.)

So Naberius is the Shade of Life. Okay. Wow.

I've been obsessing over that "Heart of Naberius" mention since I learned that Naberius is also Cerberus in Ars Goetia (Wriothesley mention yippee 🥳). I kept thinking I was kind of reaching, maybe the devs just liked the name and didn't bother with the double meaning, but the oddities piled up:

Meropide is a "a nation within a nation with minimal interference from the divine" (Pantalone's words, from Cashflow Supervision); the biggest supplier of clockwork meka; underground (or underwater, same difference); a gathering place of "exiles"; and thematically/philosophically embodies the concept of rebirth. The similarities to Khaenri'ah had to be deliberate...right? Or does any underground society in Teyvat evolve to Khaenri'ah references the same way animals evolves into crabs 🤔😂

Darkgold Wolfbite. The self-corrosion. Is Wriothesley is a rifthound?!?! If you squint his burst kinda makes a weird spatial rift... okay even that is too far for me. Lol. But where there are rifthound references, there is Gold. Rhinedottir. THE woman of the hour.

A cryo wolf guy. Okay Andrius "Wolf of the North" reference.

But seriously even the Wingalet is related to Mondstadt. Or at least the Mondstadt weapon series the Widsith. (Which was apparently also referenced in a veryyy obscure hidden dialogue in the quest?)

AND THEN. This!!!!! It makes so much sense in hindsight. I keep thinking of Meropide and Cerberus/Naberius separately. I forgot about Egeria!!! Miss who was specifically crafted by the Shade of Life to replace the Heart of the Primordial Sea (aka the Hydro Dragon). Who then went on to create Meropide, specifically to watch over the Primordial Sea. Of course it makes sense that Meropide's symbol directly references Naberius!

I still don't think Wriothesley himself has much to do with most of this, except in the sense that he is literally fated for Meropide. This makes me sad to think about, but everything about this guy was shaped from the ground up to be the Warden, maybe even specifically to be the Warden during the Flood. So since he's a walking Meropide reference, which through Egeria is a Naberius reference... he just kind of inadvertently becomes a walking Naberius reference by proxy? Maybe it's over-complicated but I just feel like there's probably other stuff we can compare with his backstory and with Meropide itself to figure out what's the deal with Naberius and the Shades. Genshin likes to do this thing where they tell the same story over and over, just in different forms, to drive the cyclical narrative theme going on home. It wouldn't be too farfetched.

Now as a Neuviwrio shipper. OH BOY. As above so below right??? 😭😭😭 I specifically have this obsession with them, the way they always seem to be directly contrasting each other only oops! It turns out they're the same thing, only slightly different. You'd think they'd be at odds about their interpretation of Justice, only it seems like they get along well and Neuvillette specifically considers him trustworthy. You'd think the Palais and the Fortress would have some political tension, only the Palais is actually the Fortress's best business partner. You'd think Neuvillette, the Hydro Sovereign, would have nothing thematically similar to Wriothesley (mortal, Duke of the underworld)... except, as it turns out, both of their themes strongly reference Life!!

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The greatest banter

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SLAMS OPEN DOOR

You guys won’t BELIEVE what manhwa I got into recently.

“Everyone Loves Her” is so thrilling. High schooler Min-ha using her teleportation powers for good, except in the eyes of the law, it’s murder…and the father of her first victim, the world’s greatest murderer, looking for his daughter’s killer. I foresee a great lesson on morality and the balance between what is right and what is just, when power is the deciding factor of things—yadda yadda yadda

But also Min-ha is so cute. A little boyish cutie. The way she looks so ecstatic when she’s killing people…

Sigh, guess I’m putting myself back on the radar for liking unhinged and insane characters

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fic

absolutely amazing works frm the author btw [im eating the writing]

b4 i pack up my bags n go back on renheng ao3, have this frm me :)

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Pneumousia Alignments

So I was looking for Arlecchino's Pnemuousia alignment when I remembered she doesn't have one, because she's not Fontainian. Idk if I hallucinated her with pneuma on her signature weapon or something, but it made me think, if she HAD BEEN Fontainian, what alignment would she have?

I started looking at other characters and came to a conclusion: pneuma is the embodiment of justice while ousia is the enforcer of justice.

Neuvillette is pneuma. I don't think I need to say any more. Charlotte is pneuma, which makes sense, as reporters can be associated with justice in a sense, holding people accountable via exposure.

Wriothesley is ousia, operating as an enforcer to the Fortress of Meropide. Chevreuse is literally an enforcer of the law. Clorinde as well, enacts the justice that is dispensed by the Court.

Navia had been a bit of a tip-off because she seems to be the type to be pneuma. She's sunny, optomistic, and her gold seems so much brighter than her blue when it comes to aesthetic. She has a strong sense of what's right and what's wrong, but! The justice she "embodies" is not quite her own. It is the legacy left by her father, the memories left of her mother, and the interwoven relationships of the Spina di Rosula. She holds these things in high regard, and enforces a moral conduct based on people's expectations of her. Lowkey, I think her design is half-bright-half-dark because she is both pneumousia, but ousia comes out on top.

This leads to Furina, who has both pneuma and ousia too. Pneuma, when she has long hair, is a symbol of justice that Focalors wanted her to embody, the clueless human playing at being a god, while her ousia, when she has short hair, is the enactment of that justice: duty-and-sin-free existence.

By this point it should be obvious that justice is subjective.

If we take a look at the HotH kids, Lynette has been doing missions long before her brothers, and has gone solo. A lot of under-the-cover-of-the-dark kind of missions. And we can't forget that she saw Arlecchino kill her captors. She has to be influenced by that. On the other hand, Lyney knows what happened, but he didn't experience it. There's still a certain sense of justice in him, as we see in Arlecchino's CQ. Freminet is the same. Only Lynette is implied that, if she had found Clervie first, she would've told Arlecchino day 1. It's only because of her brothers that she went along with it, influenced by their sense of justice.

When I say influence, I don’t mean that the ousia folk don’t have their own sense of justice. On the contrary, they are some of the most determined and resolute people in all of Fontaine. They just don’t care to spread that sort of justice to others, or inspire others with their justice.

As such, it wouldn’t be too farfetched for Arlecchino to have pneuma, I think.

We’ll see how well this little thing holds up when Emilie and Sigewinne come out ahaha.

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OnigiWrio...Palais Mermonia's hardest worker, star employee, and cutest maid

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Arlefuri Nation, you guys have Arle call Furina 'droplet'? I'm foaming at the mouth...that's so daddy of her...

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All the below interactions are shamelessly accurate interpretations of the canon text, trust:

Neuvillette: I am impartial. I am professional. I am cool as a cucumber—oooh buy ten boxes get half off, I know exactly the person who can handle this much leaf juice and it’s not anyone in Fontaine except for him, even if other ppl do in fact, drink tea, none will inhale it as much as him

Wriothesley: *kirby imitation, INHALES, burps* Thanks Monsieur, I accept it on behalf of my entire prison bc I know you couldn’t have gotten it all just for me

Navia, on a therapy couch: She was my childhood friend and she killed my dad in an honor duel, and sure he asked for it but she could’ve just like, said no? Anyways my dad’s death was orchestrated so I can direct my anger elsewhere now, and we’re working on making amends over tea and scones. Oh. And she has a new lipstick. Did you know she has a new lipstick?

Sigewinne, with a clipboard and cat smug smile: Did she now?

Arlecchino: The world is ending and you’re eating CAKE?

Furina, sobbing: THIS IS HOW I SAVE THE WORLD LEAVE ME ALONE

Post flood Arle, in the tune of “Do you wanna build a snowman” as she knocks on the door: Do you want to have some cake?

Furina, hugging her 10000 bags of macaroni: THE WORLD IS ALREADY SAVED LEAVE ME ALONE

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Later, when they’re asleep in his arms, he thinks about that ache in his chest, the way it travels up and becomes heat behind his eyes.

How strange. It hurts, but it’s nice too. Like the feeling of something too sour, it tightens every part of him, but there’s an undertone of sweetness. Like lemon tea.

Is this love?

Calling him dad:

I feel like Cale would have a blank face with mildly wide open eyes if the kids were to call him dad.  Raon would fumble with the words a little because while he considers him his father, he still feels shy about being so open about it.  Hong is beet red while shouting in a mix of embarrassment and excitement about proclaiming this to his dad’s face.  On would say it a bit quietly but steadily, glancing away for a second before maintaining eye contact because she wants him to know they mean it.  She looks almost unfazed but there’s a slight red on her ear. They see Cale have a blank look on his face and know it’s because he’s an idiot and needs a moment to process. Which is absolutely right because he’s like ‘me? Dad? Where did they get that idea? Well, not that i mind, but– when did this development happen?

And he’s close to saying they should not call him that if they feel weird about it, but he sees the genuine excitement on the boys’ faces, and the fond determination on On’s face that seems to know his turmoil and tells him that yes they mean it and no this doesn’t feel weird it feels liberating and suddenly he can’t say anything.  He just pats each of their heads before letting them fall into his arms in a warm embrace.  

Because children should be happy.

And his kids will be happy for as long as he can make it so.

So if calling him ‘dad’ makes them feel like this, he’s okay with it.

(He’s more than okay with it)

He ignores the way his chest feels.  Because that’s not important right now.

What’s important is that On started sniffling like she was about to cry.

That was new.  On had never made such an expression.  She seemed happy and relieved.

Like the weight she had been carrying as the older sister that was thrown away by her home was finally lifted from her small shoulders.  The usual serious expression was gone.

And Cale hugged her tighter.  He ignored the way his arms trembled from the effort.  So did the kids.

Because children should feel like children.

And On was feeling like a kid again. 

And her siblings were right there with her.

With their dad.

With this large yet little family of theirs.

In their own corner of the world.

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There’s not nearly enough analyses of Wriothesley and the panopticon that is Meropide.

Like, sure, the connection is there, but are your lines connecting to the right points? Because if you think Wriothesley’s office is the control tower and the Fortress is his all-knowing domain, I think you’re wrong.

Spoilers for his character quest and the Meropide world quest ahead, as well as various tidbits in mini quests:

The Unfinished Comedy reveals that there is a child who had been born in the prison, more or less a decade ago. More than enough time for Wriothesley to “discover” her. But he doesn’t. He is, without a doubt, an advocator of children, and would never allow her to stay in prison if he can help it. No matter what excuse there is, such as being busy with the reformation of the prison, the Fatui invasion, or the Wingalet construction, it doesn’t negate the fact that Wriothesley doesn’t know, or he would’ve acted.

The Beret Society as well, while coming under Wriothesley’s purview, has existed long enough to brainwash and break the spirits of the people who have joined. He had no evidence that Dougier had been breaking rules and infringing on human rights.

So no, Wriothesley, contrary to the Fortress of Meropide description, does not know everything that goes on in the Fortress, and he tells us so.

So then why does the description say otherwise?

The concept of the panopticon is that a single prison warden can maintain order because people will never be able to tell if his eyes are on them. As a result, they will behave, regardless of whether the warden is truly watching or not. Wriothesley tells us that he doesn’t have eyes and ears everywhere because we are not a prisoner. We do not need to be intimidated into behaving. Moreover, the Traveler seems to be an exception to everything like a harem protagonist so let’s discount “our” knowledge of Wriothesley’s claim.

What I think slaps the most though, is that his panopticon isn’t just the Fortress, but the Court of Fontaine as well.

It is mentioned that Wriothesley knows the ongoings of the overworld despite rarely coming up. The citizens of Fontaine see Meropide as this horrible place, even after Wriothesley’s reforms, and it’s not only because of prejudice (though that is most certainly the case), but because of his refusal to be perceived. He refuses Charlotte’s interviews, though being a Duke would most certainly put him in the eye of the public. This is a tentative maintenance of his public persona: that of a cruel and unfathomable man.

“The less people see of me, the happier they will be.”

If people understood that Meropide had welfare meals, stable work hours, and relatively accessible healthcare, why would they be incentivized to follow the law? Especially those of Fleuvre Cendre. But Meropide cannot possibly be that kind of haven. It is a prison, and forever should be—because it is not sustainable.

What humans cannot understand, they fear, and that works to keep the rest of Fontaine in check from committing crimes. No one wants to go to prison, no one wants to suffer, no one wants to see the Duke of Meropide. It’s embedded into the very society, so much that they have pop culture-like phrases for it.

The Duke’s office isn’t the control tower. The whole of Meropide Fortress is, and Fontaine is the “prison.”

There are other interpretations of course, such as the factor of more recent commentary on panopticons and how they bring up the topic of holding those in absolute power accountable. The warden at the center of the panopticon has absolute power, but how is he to be kept accountable?

It could be a hint about how Wriothesley isn’t as in control as he presents himself, and the way he rules is dependent on the people who keep him in check. After all, he says that as Duke, he must set an example of persecuting only after evidence has been found of a wrongdoing, otherwise he could have simply killed Dougier. However, that would certainly bring the Fortress down around him as people questioned his reputation as a fair ruler. (Cough bringing back my sword of Damocles bullshit here//shot).

Alternatively, Wriothesley himself could be a sword of Damocles upon Fontaine, evidenced by Neuvillette’s story quest, but I feel like that would be a Wriolette thread…

Without the source material confirming anything, we’re just playing with Schrödinger’s cat though. Just some food for thought.

Next time on Dragon Ball Z: my TED Talk on why the Fortress of Meropide is not called the Fortress of Atlantis because Wriothesley presents it as communism but it is totalitarian and why that works— (Kidding, I don’t wanna touch this with a ten foot pole pls don’t respond with political philosophies I will perish 🫠🫠🫠😵)

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Wriothesley, makes a joke: Neuvillette, taking the joke seriously: Neuvillette: Did I do it right? Wriothesley, wiping a tear: You did great sweetie,,,

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LCF is essentially, a middle-aged man who gathers babies and babies them because he never got the chance to baby, but inevitably gets babied because he taught the babies how to treat babies.

Mhm.

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I love some analyses/headcanons about Wriothesley and how he couldn’t possibly be as put together and cool as he shows. After all, a young boy shoved into a situation where he felt he had no other choice but to kill cannot possibly walk away from that unscathed.

There must be more to him, perhaps psychological scars to match his physical ones—but sometimes, I also like to think he IS as put together as he shows despite the scars.

After all, scars don’t mean a person can’t come out stronger for it. Especially if he is self-aware of his traumas and shortcomings.

And we do get evidence that he’s self-aware! He states that he can’t trust people, even if he wanted to. Perhaps he’s already tried, and that’s how he knows. He knows that not trusting people is detrimental to him—especially because he has a fortress to run. How is he to do work if he can’t trust people to delegate to?

That’s why he’s learned to trust that people will always be into self-interest, and partially why he rewards the people who work for him.

Thats why he trusts Neuvillette, who has worked tirelessly and equivocally for Fontaine for five centuries.

Human nature and the work ethic of the Iudex are bigger than that part of him that is naturally paranoid. That part of him that will forever be the runaway orphan who had to kill his parents.

Therapy, in essence, teaches you to be aware of your faults, and the traumas that caused them. Some people learn to fix it, some people learn to adapt. Some never do, but live on regardless to be functional and even a bit wiser than the average Joe.

It’s a toss up as to which category Wriothesley falls under. Every one, maybe. After all, even functional people will have bad days.

I guess what I mean to say is that the most appealing part of Wriothesley is his ability to fix himself. It’s somewhat tragic that he has to, because there is no one else for him to depend on—was, no one else for him to depend on in his darkest days. But he got through it regardless. He survived. He succeeded. He bettered himself.

And in his ascension quote, he says he “likes symbols of hope.” Does he realize that he himself is a symbol of hope, for someone who is born in the gutter, or who have fallen down into hell, to climb back up to the top?

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The idea of Wriothesley being from Mond has been living rent free in my mind. Y’all ever notice his red aura looks exactly like the shit on Dragonspine? And Cerberus? Naberius?

And what’s with Mondstadt and Fontaine mirroring each other? Two absentee archons, dragon and wolf subordinates, their people given a kind of freedom (freedom to not believe in their god, freedom from worship), two abyssal dragons created/released by Rhinedottir…

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On a scale of gay to heterophobic, how bad is it if I point at a straight ship dynamic that's pretty bangin', and go "queerplatonic."

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Genshin is so gay coded sorry I don’t understand heterosexuality in Teyvat—