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Maybe a hot take, but I don't think the Traveler was being inconsistent or out of character in the last archon quest at all. People are getting upset at their reaction to Lyney and Lynette's behavior from the perspective of players, with meta knowledge of the story that the Traveler, the character, doesn't have.

The players know, for example, that because they're playable characters, Lyney and Lynette are ultimately friendly and on "our" side, and we can also trust that what they told us about their backstory is true. The Traveler does not have that knowledge.

TO BE CLEAR this post is talking about my thoughts on the TRAVELER'S thought process. If we want to talk about how I personally would have reacted to the situation, I'm an overly trusting bleeding-heart who would absolutely get scammed and probably murdered by Fatui in this universe.

(Also characters, even main characters who you normally like, can do things you disagree with and that doesn't mean they're badly written. I mean, sometimes they are, but I don't think that's true in this particular case)

But think about it! Looking at the entire situation from an in-universe, in-character POV, it's a really bad look for Lyney and Lynette overall, because here are the facts as the Traveler is aware of them:

Lyney and Lynette are not only members of the Fatui, the primary antagonistic force in this story, but are specifically members of the House of the Hearth, which is known to specialize in espionage, subterfuge, and sabotage.

Both of them also work in a field that would further require them to be masters of misdirection, audience manipulation, and drama.

They "coincidentally" ran into the Traveler right as they arrived in Fontaine and immediately began to do them favors and be very friendly, including saving them from Furina, bringing them to meet their family, and gifting them VIP tickets to Lyney's show.

During the trial, the twins withheld key information, and not just about their identities (and listen, I get it, I fully empathize with why they did it, I get the reasoning, but it's still a bad look when it gets figured out) but also about what they were doing in the tunnel.

They admitted that the entire magic show was a ruse to do, guess what? espionage! To break into the room with the Oratrice's core and find out how it works. To, through subterfuge, obtain Fontaine's secrets about the nation's most important mechanism and central source of power.

The Traveler has known these people for like, a day total.

So what conclusions might the Traveler draw from these facts? When the evidence shows that Lyney and Lynette have a record of misdirection and obfuscation for their own ends? When the Traveler has no way of knowing if even their initial meeting was orchestrated for an ulterior purpose? How are they supposed to know if the tragic backstory is even true, or if that's just Lyney trying to win back some favor and sympathy? In my opinion, at that moment, they don't. Hence the coldness.

My interpretation of events is that the Traveler does like the twins, and wanted to keep liking them, but was struggling to reconcile their initial impression of two friendly magicians with the realization that these two friendly magicians were dishonest with them for most of the time they'd known each other, so they needed to have some space to figure that out.

And for those saying the Traveler is inconsistent, here's the thing: they still helped Lyney. They still acted as his attorney, investigated thoroughly, won the case, and cleared his name. They've done similar for other Fatui members in their acquaintance—they helped Childe with Teucer, they helped Scaramouche/Wanderer with getting his memories back, they helped that other member of the House of the Hearth fake her death and escape the organization—whether or not they fully trusted them, and generally they didn't.

As for the Traveler's supposed hypocrisy, my view of their relationship with Childe is that it's only improved because, despite Childe trying to nuke Liyue in the past, the Traveler knows that

a. They can handle him if it comes down to a fight again; b. He likes them, regardless of if the feeling is mutual or not, and is indeed aggressively friendly to the point where it's easier to just be civil; c. Childe is generally upfront and honest about his actions and will strike from the front, not stab them in the back; and d. He's worked together with them before when they had a common goal (for example, the labyrinth they went through with Xinyan).

They know how his mind works and what motivates him. Childe is a known quantity, the twins are not, and it took in-story time and shared experiences for the Traveler to get to even this point of neutrality; they were openly suspicious of him during his story quest.

As for holding his Vision for him, the Traveler didn't exactly volunteer for the job, Childe literally threw it at them with no warning and peaced out. What do you expect them to do, drop it in the sea? That would be inconsistent with their characterization.

Wanderer's whole situation is even weirder, since the Traveler was able to experience his actual memories and emotions and therefore has good reason to trust that he's had a genuine change of heart. Not to mention that they're not friends, I'd argue they're in that same nebulous "neutral" zone, and that only because Nahida usually functions as a buffer (and also because, again, the Traveler knows that they can handle Wanderer in a fight, and Wanderer also tends to be blunt and honest).

Also, in Lyney's story quest it seems like everyone got over their problems pretty fast and they're all chummy now, so you can all rest easy that the twins' feelings weren't too hurt about it.

Anyways if you disagree go ham, refute my points, whatever, just keep things civil.

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Traveler was Right (4.0 Archon Quest Spoilers Act I and Act II + Lyney Story Quest)

SPOILERS, turn back now if you don't want spoilers. Mostly a rant because people are just way too mean towards them, but I believe their actions/emotions are valid and rational.

Traveler was right to distrust Lyney and Lynette after it was revealed mid-trail that they 1. WERE LYING ABOUT WHERE LYNEY WAS DURING THE MAGIC SHOW (Sneaking to see the Oratrice). 2. MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF HEARTH (The two most distinctive members being 1. Someone who wanted to leave (Fake Shrine Maiden who didn't want to complete the Fatui plot and eventually escaped) and 2. Alphonso who LURED CHILDREN that TRUSTED HIM into the Fatui's hand where they could kidnap and experiment on the Aranara. The Traveler could choose to kill him (I did, since it indicated that he would still stay loyal/obey the Fatui's orders if he remained free and alive).

So, the House of the Hearth (Two specific members who either wanted to leave or reluctantly did evil). Not best impression of the Fatui. Note that Fontaine is after Sumeru and facing against Il Dottore (And Wanderer, who is still mistrusted (See the event with Hat Guy and being sus of him). Also, in one of the later 3.x events, Yoimiya and Childe were playing with kids and Traveler specifically warned Yoimiya about Childe being a Harbinger, Traveler has consistently shown being wary of the Fatui. This recent "friendship" was a culmination of two years.

Additionally, Lyney basically admits at the end of Act 1 that he was sneaking to see the Oratrice for Arlecchino for miscellaneous aims. Overtly to help the prophecy, but considering our experiences with Harbingers, which Harbinger/Fatui plot has actually helped the people of the nations they're in? In Tatara Tales, the Fatui were activelly trying to stop the Traveler from fixing the situation. In Mondstadt, they stole the Holy Lyre der Himmel in order to STOP the Knights of Favonius/Traveler's efforts of calming Stormterror/Dvalin.

Yes, not all Fatui are bad, but they're the exception, not the rule.

Additionnally, Traveler isn't even mean. They're just feeling upset and not really friendly with the people who lied to them, while they offered to help publically defend them in court. Even absent of the Fatui thing, Lyney should have told Traveler about sneaking out of the box to see the Oratrice.

Also, they still helped Lyney. I feel like that's important. Even if they're upset by the apparent betrayal (not telling them about Fatui/sneaking to see the Oratrice), they still helped Lyney become free.

Also, their reaction/non-reaction to Lyney and Lynette's past is excusable because a sad past doesn't equal a good person and we have never met Arlecchino, so it's not like we can judge if she's misleading/manipulating Lyney and Lynette or not.

Regardless of these feelings, when Traveler meets up with Lyney and they're pretty buddy buddy, no lingering mistrust (EVEN THOUGH LYNEY LIES TO THEM AGAIN).

(If Traveler doesn't have trust issues, I still have them).

Stop being mean to Traveler just because you like Lyney/Lynette. (Not bashing them or anything, but they're still Fatui. Until the Archon Quest Ends, I'm still going to be suspicious of them).

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Caribert Interlude Spoilers

I did the quest as soon as it was out and it just left me with soooo many questions.

With the mirror Twin memory reveal, I thought it was going to be confirmation that the twin we choose was just an illusion or something, which it might still be foreshadowing for.

Kaeya... I think Kaeya knows more than he lets on, but his memories of Khaenri'ah might not be complete. I wonder if he's Calibert or if he's the decendant of Calibert and thus the current incarnation of the Looms of Fate. The leyline things, I've seen others blame Dainslief and I think I agree, or at least I blame the leylines, like Diluc's Hidden Strife Event.

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illuminated wings

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Epilogue Spoilers

Xiao!!!

Venti and Zhongli pretending not to know each other was so funny. Making Xiao prentend he didn't know Zhongli was also cute.

Was so cute when Traveler knew that Xiao was feeling uncomfortable, so we made an excuse to leave for a bit.

The whole lighting incense thing and everyone complimenting each other was super cute.

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actually wait I wanna make this post. it is true that society shames all sexual activity (especially the sexual activity of queer and/or fat people) and it is also true that society expects a certain level of sexual "normalcy" (heterosexual monogamous sex for procreation and intimacy purposes). these are both true and in fact. part of the exact same problem.

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3.4 4* 1st Half

YaoYao (Obviously)

Yunjin

Xinyan

2/3 isn't too bad for characters I want. Not saying who so the desire sensor can't pick up on who I want.

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have you seen the new official short trailer?

XIAO MAINS HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY

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Qiqi's weekly routine

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Evil takes on many forms, but always carries a karmic curse. It spawns monsters that lurk in the mountains where the adepti dwell, preying on the living for decades. It manifests as devastating pestilences, scarring the world for centuries.

It is the sworn duty of the yaksha to purge all evil. But after a millennia of bloodshed, the karma takes a toll…

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qiqi carry !!!

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Qiqi literal carry

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Xiao's Endless Suffering|Short Trailer

I love him.

His interaction with Qiqi's cute.

I know Qiqi's canonically strong but did she just drag him with his feet hanging on the ground? Xiao's not that tall, but he's still taller than Qiqi. I'm guessing maybe a fireman carry or somthing similar?

The whole fighting yourself/monster version of yourself is interesting. I'm guessing it's his Karmic Debt which is resurging around Lanturn Rite. I hope he gets to see the Laturns rise with everyone this time!

When he was talking to the child with the monster mask, I wonder what he was thinking. I believe the Girl meant: Don't be scared. This mask scares away monsters, which means any real monsters aren't here/there aren't any monsters walking around.

Xiao's possible interpretation: This mask scares monsters. Because you are scared you are a monster (your dreams are warnings of the monster you are/will become).

Just fyi, I'm not a Xiaoven shipper, it's just not my thing. I prefer them as friends.

Venti's interactions with Xiao's cute. I wonder if the talk about masks was only about Xiao or if Venti also meant for himself? Like how Stanley died and thus Hans Achibald took up both the appearance and mannerism of Stanley. What parts of Venti is Venti and what parts did he copy from the Nameless Bard?

Also, Xiao choosing to rest! That's so important to me b/c after the Perilous Trail event Xiao knows when to stop and that he doesn't always have to sacrifice himself and his health to protect others/fight monsters.

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According to the storybook given to us by Amber, it is said that the first birds initially did not know how to fly so they asked the Anemo God for help. 

In the book the anemo god is depicted to be Barbatos, and not Decarabian so it’s safe to assume that this took place after the fall of Decarabian.

But the thing is, birds are said to have been able to fly even before Barbatos became the anemo god.

When Venti tells us Nameless Bard’s story, he says that the boy said “I do so wish to see the birds in flight”

yet before Barbatos, did the birds not know how to fly? 

First of all, that kinda sounds ridiculous so probably not. The birds learning to fly and Barbatos appearing in the story was likely made up to teach children about courage or something.

that or Decarabian was the one who helped the birds fly. After all, he was the god of storms, and was also considered the anemo archon(yknow, before The Seven were a thing). 

Also apparently Decarabian wasn’t really a tyrant just really oblivious to people’s fear and was overprotective(going off the Gunnhildr book), so it isn’t out of the question for Decarabian to be nice. The story might’ve been changed to fit Barbatos’ image over time however.

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3.4 Rerun leaks

First Half: Al'Haitham + Xiao

Second Half: Hu Tao + Yelan

Part of me is happy for another Xiao, but another part of me is upset because I don't have enough pulls saved for Xiao cons. (At C2 right now).

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oh oh xiao alone in sumeru. he doesn't sleep. everyone else is stuck in dreamland, meanwhile xiao is the only one awake in the entire city aside from those involved in the dream harvesting, and hes being the world's most aggressive detective about it.

Absolutely brilliant. Listen, listen, how about this:

Xiao wakes up to a city devoid of dreams.

At first, he's afraid. Xiao has not slept for a long time, and has not lost control for even longer. It's been thousands of years since he'd succumbed to the waves of hunger, torn apart towns in a mindless rampage, devouring dreams and leaving nothing but catatonic husks. The thought of being reduced to that mindless beast—of betraying the redemption he had sacrificed so much for—why, oh why had Rex Lapis not allowed him to perish in the depths of the Chasm, if this is what he had survived for?

Desperate, Xiao dove into Lumine's dream, trying to find any remaining scraps for him to piece together. Only, there was nothing. Her dream was gone, cut clean with surgical precision in ways that no dream-eater could leave behind.

It was then that he found the thread connecting her mind to the Akasha terminal, and suspicion grows in his mind. He follows the thread into the nebulous land of dreams, just in time to see the last of them dissolve into nothingness.

From the space between dreams, he sees the dreams of the people of Sumeru. He sees how their minds clutch onto their dreams, only for them to be swept away with no regard of the damage left behind. He sees lives flicker under the torture he used to inflict on his master's worst enemies, and for a moment he's back in the archon war, helpless and afraid against the might of the god of dreams.

Then he's just pissed.

Whichever creature had dreamt up this cruel abomination is going to feel the wrath of a true dream-devourer.