skitterkitters

[skitterkitters]

I must not feel shame. Shame is the art-killer. Shame is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my shame. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. Where the shame has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

[skitterkitters]

We are so back

[skitterkitters]

Guilty!

[skitterkitters]

So real, as someone who joined the fandom after he was already a playable character (he was my second 5* after Kazuha actually!) It's really funny to me to see old posts/fanfiction/youtube videos that call Baizhu "creepy" or "sus" or "money hungry"

Because I (try to) read the character stories most of the time, I've known since the beginning that Baizhu was genuinely a good person who loves Qiqi, loves Changsheng, cares deeply about his patients and community, and only scams bourgeoisie mfs who are purchasing non-necessity items

One of the reasons I’m most grateful that we got so much Dadzhu this lantern rite, is finally all of the people who take things at face value and don’t read the character stories will hopefully stop thinking he doesn’t care about her except as some kind of medical experiment, or that he’s abusing her.

Hoyo with this lantern rite really said Baizhu loves Qiqi and Qiqi loves Baizhu and they said it loudly. My man was distraught when she went missing. He left the pharmacy, which we rarely see him do, and ran around the harbor looking for the traveler, specifically, to ask them to go rescue her. Them holding hands together at the gate. Qiqi insisting on guarding the gate and holding the rattan doll and absorbing the feteor blast for him bc she’s a sponge and she’s obviously worried about what that might do to his already failing health. Baizhu was clearly planning on trying to manage it by himself with how it was framed when they talked about it. Qiqi insisted. AHHHHHHH

[skitterkitters]

monday

[skitterkitters]

IT WAS A RANDOM EXPERIMENT

[skitterkitters]

Hu Tao's Poem in Lantern Rite 5.3 (Spoilers)

There's a joke floating around that Hu Tao survived the ritual because Zhongli C6'd her (by finishing her poem, which is her constellation). I absolutely love that joke because funny haha aside, it shows just how well this event is written. As someone who plays genshin in CN, I love how they incorporated Hu Tao's constellation into the event by making it not only the poem Hu Tao recites before the climatic ritual, but also a foreshadowing of how she might be saved.

It would be difficult to tell at first if you only play in EN, since localization completely gave up on preserving the poetry in Hu Tao's constellation, but if you play in CN or look up the original text, the intent literally jumps out at you (the en constellation names are italicized) :

赤團開時斜飛去 A butterfly dances in a crimson bouquet (C1) 最不安神晴又復雨 For fear of the ominous rainfall that may soon show its face (C2) 逗留採血色 With one last, lingering glance at that carmine hue (C3) 伴君眠花房 She lies among the petals in the garden of eternal rest (C4) 無可奈何燃花作香 As she sets the floral incense ablaze. (C5) 幽蝶能留一縷芳 The lone butterfly left, but not without a trace. A fragrance remained, her butterfly's embrace. (C6)

The last two lines are especially pertinent to the event bc the word for word translation is: "With no other choice, she burns the flowers as incense, but the lone butterfly will leave a trace of fragrance". The first line calls back to the Lone Butterfly's sacrifice centuries ago and foreshadows what Hu Tao is prepared to do. However, the second line reflects how Old Man Wuwang preserved the Lone Butterfly's legacy AND how there's still a chance to help Hu Tao, which Zhongli drops hints to the Traveler with the subtlety of a meteor; and the Traveler uses the plum branch Hu Tao gave them—the "fragrance" left by the lone butterfly—to reach Hu Tao in time and pull her back from death.

It's setup and payoff done so economically, using material that is already known to the audience, and it all centers around Hu Tao, the legacy she carries, and the people who love her.

[skitterkitters]

Nooo Andrealphus please don't lose here 😭

WHB Most Babygirl Polls: Round 4-3

Just for context, this is last year's first and second place :3

[skitterkitters]

cats being capable of understanding accidents and even giving you a little head bonk to let you know you're still cool makes it infinitely funnier that they don't understand when you're trying to help them

cats when you step on their tail: i'll admit that was rather ouchie, but given the lifetime of goodwill and trust between us, one must conclude this booboo is but a fluke.

cats when you try to get their claws unstuck from the couch covering: this nefarious bitch has never had a single honorable intention in their dishonest and shameful life, this must be one of their sinister plots or perhaps even an attempt on my life,

[skitterkitters]

My NufuHoliday gift for Shiniagana (@Shiniagana on twt), Happy New Year!

[skitterkitters]

birthday 💛

[skitterkitters]

Mentally I’m still in Fontaine ⚖️

[skitterkitters]

And now, more reasons I love Sunday as a character:

“Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner”

I’m sure this is a familiar phrase for people who grew up in the American South, like me. It’s not meant to isolate people, but it is isolating. It reflects an attitude of “they just don’t know better,” and it’s the attitude that Sunday has when you first meet him. He doesn’t think he knows what’s best for people. He knows it. He knows he can make peoples’ lives better if they just embrace Order. It’s an attitude that’s cultivated by Mr. Wood. He exploits Sunday’s desire to help people by slowly making him believe that the Order is the only thing that can bring happiness. Mr. Wood shows Sunday the worst people, then tells him that they can be saved if they’re led. The people of Penacony are a flock of sheep, and Sunday is the shepherd. The Order will lead humanity to what they most desire. Of course, that involves removing all their free will, but details! Why does free will matter if overriding it is for the greater good?

What I love about this starting point is that it perfectly captures several aspects of Radical Christianity: their way is the only way to live, and anyone who strays from their role is aberrant and must be corrected. It’s also very difficult for people raised in this environment to see another way to be. In contrast, Robin was not raised to value Order. She was allowed to embrace the Harmony, which values love and freedom of choice. It’s the opposite end of religious circles, which feels very rare nowadays, that says, “come as you are.” This is the ideal that so many churches preach but never live up to.

Then Sunday, who is draped head to toe in angelic/savior symbolism, falls. His idea of religion cannot work because it’s too oppressive. No one truly benefits from an oppressive society, and even those in power suffer indirectly. For example, the expectations placed upon men in a patriarchal society to never show emotions and to always be the provider/protector do not benefit men, and yet it's a system upheld primarily by men. Oppression/Order is not the path to a truly Harmonious society. He only rises again when he realizes that to truly live, people have to have the freedom to decide who they want to be. And he has to accept them as they are. It’s such a delicious critique of Radical Christianity, and it’s in a gacha game.

I also love the acknowledgement that although people raised in these kinds of oppressive environments perpetrate oppression, they don’t begin that way. As a child, Sunday never wanted to control, he wanted to protect. He grew up locked away and was taught to love his isolation. It was done with his “best interests at heart”, and was taught to believe that other people would benefit from the same treatment. It’s safer in the cage, so other people should be locked away as well. If they’re locked away, then they won’t be hurt. When Sunday is confronted with the possibility that he’s wrong, he lashes out. It’s only when Robin, who is emblematic of love and acceptance, reaches out to him that Sunday considers the possibility that he might, maybe, be the tiniest bit incorrect.

Abuse shaped Sunday into a religious lunatic, but his sister’s unwavering acceptance set him free.

The best part about the Order/Mr. Wood plot line is that it’s perpetrated by a small group of extremely powerful people. It isn’t until the masses stand together and shout, “no” that things change. Systems of oppression are difficult, if not impossible, to break without unification. A single voice is easy to ignore, but a choir 10,000 strong isn’t easily drowned out.

Sunday demonstrates how propaganda uses your desires against you. If you realize you might be wrong, it’s your responsibility to take that step outside of your comfort zone and educate yourself. People might reach out to help you, but they can’t take the journey for you. You also have to be willing to accept that no one owes you forgiveness. He goes out of his way to prove to the Nameless that he's had a change of heart and is rewarded for it.

I’m so excited to see how Sunday grows into a new, better person on his journey with the nameless.

[skitterkitters]

Just like Rhine said, they can't release a support that doesn't buff Neuvi 😌 need Xilonen on a different team? No worries, swap in Citlali with Cinder City set and Neuvi will still get hydro buffs + hydro res shred. You wanted a freeze support that helped Cryo dps? No need! After all, Neuvi isn't cryo, silly !! 🫠

are they not allowed to make premium supports who dont buff neuvi now? he's fine guys, can you maybe make a support for cryo reactions who would buff cryo???

[skitterkitters]

Honkai: Star Rail JP | "Look! What a Beautiful Bird!" From pom_starrail

Artist: obb_spl on Twitter/X Download: Google Drive

[skitterkitters]

I was c0mmissioned by the english voice actor of Jing Yuan, Alejandro Saab, for a Jing Yuan and Sunday print!! This was a super exciting piece to work on and I hope y'all like it!!

[skitterkitters]

haha dw I'm not taking it personally! I appreciate you taking the time to respond :) 1. His NA is lvl 7 because he's the reason I even started playing Genshin in the first place - so I intend to triple crown him at some point. It also helps a little with damage when I bring him to co-op 2. Originally Zhongli was going to be on my Mualani team, but I didn't actually like him on that team. So I moved him to a 2pc 2pc for his own damage... and then Neuvi needed support. He's on 4pc Archaic instead of Cinder City because 1. I have to swap Neuvi out between skill/burst + 1 CA, or 2 CA because of Sac Jade, so swapping to Zhongli and grabbing a shard isn't too much of an inconvenience. With 2 pillars on the field there's always a shard to grab. 2. 35%/15% hydro/geo bonus instead of 12%/12% hydro/geo bonus and 3. When Xilonen is on the team (most of the time) she already runs Cinder City The crit rate being so low is something I am aware of and was working on until Neuvillette needed a workable set and ate my resin for breakfast. I definitely agree that a geo goblet would be much better on him, especially with geo resonance already boosting the shield. It's a good point and thank you for the suggestion Anyway! I like running odd little teams of my favorites, so the team comp has been Neuvi, Raiden, Xilonen, Zhongli. Raiden makes it so Zhongli bursts quite often, and c2 gives shield on burst so I only ever tap skill if one of the pillars disappears. I'm aware I'm missing a stack of Past Draconic Glories by having two geo on the team but watching a 120k meteor hit is simply too funny to me. so alas I make concessions on Neuvi's damage for Zhongli's benefit ...speaking of Raiden

Months. Months of Emblem farming and this is still the best I can do :(

Edit: I'm really really glad I sent my Zhongli build in to you tbh. Took a second look at his artifacts and took into account that I didn't need *that* much hp, rolled a geo goblet I was scared of leveling because they *always* roll flat def for me, and... I think he's looking a lot better now!! and his crit burst still hits over 100k (in double geo with xilonen at least) so I still get Big Number dopamine hit :)

Ooo build review time? Pretty easy to tell which dragon I anticipated getting, and which one I decided last minute to pull. Been farming Marechaussee since I got him to very minimal luck :(

ok listen, please dont take my critique personally, i understand that you really like zhongli and you've prepared his build, but im saying what im saying *because* i understand that you care and i want you to have results: its kind of bad:( i'm not saying dont build dps on zhongli, im saying this is not how you do it

to begin, we need to establish what you want from this:

1.first, i hope you're not planning to normal attack on zhongli? like i see his NA lvl 7 and i get kind of scared. to be clear, normal attack zhongli needs a physical build that is very different and tbh not good. like you can do it for overworld but it needs completely dif team and build, so tell me if you want to on field normal attack him and i will give you options. but THIS is not it

2.if you dont plan to on-field and NA on him, this looks like sub dps shield build? like, someone else is main dps, but you use zhongli shield and sometimes drop his burst. if this is what you want, then this build is also kind of :(

like to start, why do you have 4piece petra? like, do you know what it does and how to use it? bc 4 piece petra is a support set. how it works is that you put status of your main dps on the enemy, for example, you play main dps neuvi. you put hydro status on enemy, you switch to zhongli, you do his shield\burst, you make sure it hits enemy. when it reacts with hydro status, you get hydro crystalize shard on the ground. then, you need as zhongli himself, to pick up the shard. if you do, you get 35% dmg bonus for HYDRO for 10 seconds. not geo, hydro, your zhongli gets no benefit. almost no onew uses 4 piece petra zhongli bc its kind of clunky:(

if you use him with atk scaling dps, then tenacity of mill is better. if you use him with with dps who dont scale off atk like neuvi, then actually natlan support set is better, bc it doesnt require you to pick up shard with zhongli

if you want to use him as shield\sub dps, then you dont have to use 4p petra, but this crit rate is horrible. with this crit rate, you're critting once a patch, so all of your huge crit damage is useless :(

here is my burst dps zhongli top 5% on akasha. its not perfect bc i dont actually use it, bc tbh fav spear is just much more useful on him, but if you want damage zhongli its literally better to use 2 piece 2 piece

you want crit rate AT LEAST higher than 50% on your dps\sub dps, or your huge crit damage is useless:( on sub dps zhongli, you generally want geo dmg cup bc 30k~ shield is usually enough to sustain. ER and atk should be higher than mine

tldr let me know HOW you want your zhongli to function bc rn i'm kind of guessing. again, im not trying to tell to NOT build dps zhongli, some of my fav mutuals are zhongli simps, but this is just not a functional build:(

with your neuvi its tbh much better than your zhongli asdfghjk. marichussy hunter gives him 36% crit rate, so this is actually 80% crit rate build which is more than enough. like yeah obv its mid, but its clear youve been farming for just a week. stay in the mines for like 3 more weeks and it will be better. you need more crit dmg and hp, thats it.