#I like Neuvillette he also seems very interested i would Love to know more about his relationship with Furina

[hypostatic-oath]

HG HE JEBE HIHIHI IM SOOO OBSESSED WITH THE OVERSEER CONTENT ITS SO NEW TO ME AAAAAAAAAAA I LOVE IT

ahem ahem NORMAL!!!

anyways do you have any thoughts on how coop works in this version of sagau?? is it like delving into a different timeline of characters or is it like the known existence of multiple overseers?? very interested in this whole overseer plot i can’t wait to see how it goes!!!

AAAAAAA IM SO HAPPY TYSM

As for this ask, coop was actually something I thought about wayyyy back when crafting my own little interpretation of sagau lore.

Essentially, Overseer!Lore accepts every single Teyvat as a canon teyvat. Think like, parallel universes, wherein the only variable is which Overseer (aka which player) is steering the proverbial boat. I would say that the level of awareness regarding those "mirror Teyvats" depends heavily on how often the player of one specific world uses co-op.

Some characters - those whose players love co-op - are more than used to seeing doubles walking around. I would say that Childe for example would definitely not mind seeing a double (and by that I mean he would throw hands ON SIGHT, and both versions of him would be 100% down). However, for characters whose overseers rarely if ever play on co-op... well, their Teyvats are more of a closed ecosystem, and introducing an outside element would turn a few heads.

Then, of course - the characters who, while in co-op, get a chance to chat to their counterparts, and compare the differences in their respective worlds. No Teyvat is the same, after all, and neither are Overseers all alike. Not to mention, the various Teyvats are working on their own isolated timeframe. Let's just say that if a post-archon quest world Neuvillette met a pre-archon quest world Furina, there WOULD be tears. And most likely the hug that poor girl needs. At least Neuvillette is sensible enough not to let slip anything about the events that unfolded in his homeworld. (There is also the matter of Scaramouche... and Rhukkadevata. How would Teyvat handle the influx of forbidden knowledge? I headcanon that the Traveler would have to pull the gaslight of the century and attribute the differences in lore to the different Overseers in charge.)

One thing that would be extremely bittersweet, though? The one important choice players can make is the choice regarding the twin. The Traveler seeing their twin in co-op would undoubtedly shake them. A mirror version of their sibling, thrust into the same unexplicable situation as they were - convinced that the other has abandoned them, or that they are lost. The shared loneliness, the mutual understanding, all with the fact that they both look like each other's missing piece while not being the right fit at all. They can find a modicum of comfort in one another, but at the end of the day, both of them know that that's not their family. The loneliness seems even more crushing.

[bluexiao]

#monsieur neuvillette’s relationship headcanons

NOTES. finally a work after months. i missed this, tbh. but hey, here’s my new husband for you. might also have a part 2 of this i feel like i haven’t written everything yet

WARNING. real identity spoilers (nothing too explicit from the current archon quest i haven’t even done it yet oops)

NEUVILLETTE

(Before)

Before the relationship began, it took a long while for him to truly process what he had been feeling towards you—to be frank, he even thought he was getting sick (which was impossible. He never got sick.), though that thought comes to an end the moment he realizes that the effects only happen when he is around you. Only you.

He had heard of love before. Had seen love. Had read about love. Not just the platonic or familial ones, but also romance and more. And yet, he does not understand them, simply because he considers them as something someone like him would not eventually feel.

And yet, it all changed when he first saw you. Curiosity turns to admiration, and admiration turns to anxiety—which is never good; the sweating on his hands and the back of his neck, and the pressure on his chest whenever your presence comes.

He was only reminded of the term romance when he consulted Sigewinne about it.

“Does it only happen around a certain person, Monsieur?” “Monsieur, I think you are simply in love,” she says. “Humans do tend to have the same symptoms but it does not necessarily mean you are sick. It appears to me that you feel the same as well. Does their presence give you happiness?”

He did not even need to ponder over his answer. What he does ponder over is how he should deal with it. The evidence is overwhelming, and there is only one verdict. And yet, where does this lead to?

Contrary to popular belief, he will confess as soon as he is sure of his feelings. He is an honest and honorable man. He would confess his feelings if he could, but it did take some time knowing how busy his schedule was.

The only thing that probably was able to push him to go through was the Melusines. It took them weeks to have him clear his schedule up for a nice little dinner date that they had planned and suggested to the Monsieur.

“Recently, I have come to realize that I have developed a romantic interest with you, Y/n.”

“I do not intend to put pressure on you. I shall accept whatever judgment you make. I do not wish for you to change how you treat me in any way.”

“If you may… I can only ask to indulge in this meal with you for tonight. Your company eases me greatly.”

Brutally honest. It may even drive you crazy how this all seems so easy on him.

But in reality, his palms were sweating underneath his gloves and the slightly cool sensation of the utensils as he blurts out his intentions for setting up such an occasion. His heart was pounding but he could not process whether this was about how you looked especially good tonight or his nervousness with finally confessing his feelings for you.

Or maybe both. Either way, all evidence of such leads to only one thing—you.

Bonus; I do think he’ll reveal who he is first before he gets into a relationship with you but that really depends on how observant you are.

(During)

It was a surprise to him, at the very least, how he had managed to keep you as his lover despite what he lacks. He knew how he was not well-versed with “feelings” per se (just in his mind), but you, the angel that you’ve always been, chose to be with him.

The sudden change did not occur to him much, actually. But he did notice how much his mind lingers to you more often than not, and how he will end up recalling how you are now his one and only lover.

It takes time for him to adjust, but it all started with frequent conversations (much more than before), then sending flowers to your place every other day (constantly), though most of the time they’re delivered by someone else, knowing how busy he is as the Chief Justice.

Or when he started to first brush his gloved fingers to yours.

When he does something, it will be constant. (Maybe this also comes from being responsible and disciplined as shown by being the Chief Justice). All the things that he did before, he still does them now—unless you’ve told him no, of course.

He is definitely a man of his honor!!

And would always ask for your permission first before he touches your hand, or holds them, or hugs you, or kisses you.

He does like pampering and showering you with “offerings” though.

Stuff like buying your favorite flowers or trinkets once or twice a week, making sure you have enough supply of the best water out there. And even with how he always has an umbrella or parasol for you (ones he got ever since you got together; one in his office, one that’s foldable for him to carry under his coat, and one he gave to you for every time you leave the house.

Through the course of the relationship, he learned about the beauty of life, which is how he sometimes brings you flowers despite its short life. However, he still secretly prefers giving you trinkets for your hoard of gifts from him, mostly because it symbolizes his everlasting love for you. (He’s very romantic like that, even if he does not know he is)

He will also introduce every single Melusine in Fontaine. At first, it may surprise you how he knows all of their names, but it will surprise you even more the moment you realize you could do the same. If you do, he’ll love you even more (which he thought was impossible at first as he knew he already loves you very much).

The Melusines will treat you as their other parent the moment it is known amongst all of them that you’re his lover. Sigewinne, for one, would always give you a personalized gift. She would also always send you letters to ask how you are and probably be quite excited whenever you accept an invitation for a cup of tea.

Monsieur Neuvillete is not jealous, but he is possessive and territorial. It’s a dragon instinct, forgive him.

It also comes with being protective. Though he’s not feral, he would make sure to always shield you away from any harm, or anything that might take you away.

One time, he had to deal with a bunch of… shameless individuals who had tried to make a move on you, and though he has great trust on you, he cannot help but have the same self-deprecating voices in the back of his mind.

Though instinctively, he finds himself buying you trinkets or flowers again.

“Hm? You just gave me one earlier, didn’t you?” You look up with a confused look but still hold that smile that stirs butterflies in his chest.

He nodded. “The flowers reminded me of you, mon amour. I could not help but feel the urge to give it to you.”

It does not stop him from giving you offerings.

Of course, he cannot just give up on you. The ruling of whoever deserves your love and affection the most. Of course, he is at an advantage knowing that he’s already your lover.

“Is there something wrong?” You looked up to him, hearing the pitter patter of the rain outside through the taps on the windows. You had your hands on his shoulders, gently rubbing them with your palms.

“It’s nothing, mon cœur, no need to worry.” He flashes you a reassuring smile, and yet, at the back of his mind, he wondered how you could have thought to check on him. Is it perhaps the gloominess in the atmosphere?

You frown as you look at him intently, “There are times when you’d shower me gifts with a saddened look on you. I’m worried, is all.”

He stares at you then. Ah, so you noticed, he thought.

He chuckles as he shakes his head and stands right next to you. “May I?” He opens his arms and you nod and dive right into his chest. He enclosed you into an embrace, relishing the feeling of your warmth.

He kisses your forehead then. “Allow me to bask in your presence for a while.”

For short, one of the best. Definitely a 100/10.

[hulhudhonado]

Petty Crimes

Synopsis: Wriothesley just can't seem to get a certain journalist off his back. But to his surprise this journalist is very thorough with their work and it seems they aren't willing to give up just yet.

CW: -

HC: Reader is gender-neutral and uses They/Them pronouns, Reader does not have a vision. Reader is a journalist working at The Steambird.

Characters: Wriothesley, Sigewenne, Mentions of Neuvillette,Furina, Traveler and Paimon

Note: Ok, I promise I'm writing the Neuvillette one, it just is much longer than I expected so I apologise for that. Instead have this one which is shorter but I am still proud of it. I love Wriothesley's design and attacks and LORE but had to skip the banner because I wanted Furina so badly. So think of this as me coping with that. There are going to be some Fontaine spoilers but honestly, it is so little I don't think most people would notice it. As always please make sure to interact with the post, I love seeing the tags or comments I get in the posts, and I'm glad people like my silly ideas about characters I like. Enjoy!

The first time you ended up in the prison was by accident. You just happened to be with a kamera at the wrong place and time and ended up being accused as a stalker. Since the judgment was decided by the Iudex and the court now, the easiest solution was to throw you in prison until the actual perpetrator had come to light. At the time you were cussing and throwing hands with the guards but the minute the Duke came into your vision you couldn’t help but halt.

You couldn’t believe it, this was every Steambird employee’s dream. To be able to meet the Duke and have a proper interview with him would reach the headlines in an instant. However, to no one’s surprise, he had rejected your proposition. Before you could make any more moves to convince him, the actual culprit was found with the help of the traveller and his flying partner and you were forced to say goodbye to the Fortress of Meropide. Just like you had entered, you were kicking and screaming when they threw you out.

So you had to make a plan to somehow enter back inside. Being an esteemed journalist at The Steambird, it was no surprise they refused to let you in and casually stay in the prison. Most criminals tend to stay there even after their term is over but you didn’t have an actual reason to be there. But if you wanted to get a scoop before Charlotte could beat you to it, you needed to take some desperate measures.

- - -

“So, you were sentenced to 30 days in the Fortress of Meropide for taking a picture of Lady Furina while she was chasing her hat that was blown away by the wind?” Wriothesley could only raise an eyebrow at the statement. It wasn’t a surprise that some people ended up here for ridiculous reasons, but the amount that you had accumulated over one year was just unbelievable.

There was the time you decided to release a bunch of birds inside the Opera Epicles. It wouldn’t have been an issue to get them out, but somehow you managed to train them so they could coordinate their movements to somehow re-enter the Opera Epicles after they were thrown out.

 Then there was the time you filled all the water fountains in the district with Fonta and to this day people still cannot figure out how you got your hands on such a large shipment without any suspicions arising. 

To put it simply, the list was endless and at this point, you had probably been in and out of jail more than any citizen he had met. He honestly would not have cared the slightest about you if it wasn’t the fact HE was the reason you were acting like this.

You beamed at him in glee, notebook and pen ready in your hands. He could also see the kamera peaking out of your satchel, probably filled with a brand new film. He tried not to scowl. He couldn’t help but be a bit annoyed by your persistence.

“You know with a track record like this, everything you have done up to now is going to sound more interesting than whatever comes out of my mouth.” He sighed, dropping the papers onto his desk and to no one’s surprise, you immediately began to write down everything he said.

“Maybe for another journalist, but what point is it for me to write about my own stories? I write scoop about celebrities, not my memoirs. ” You answer, pen on your chin trying to figure out which category his statements could fit.

Wriothesley could only sigh. Every time he did all he could remember was Sigewinne’s words. 

‘ Don’t sigh too much, you’re going to end up sighing away all your happiness!’

It was a shame he couldn’t keep his promise, but honestly, the only one he could blame was the columnist who sat right across him. “ I am no celebrity. My answer remains unchanged. No interview.” He reached over for his cup of tea, which had turned cold at this point. He didn’t realise that time had passed so suddenly. It seemed you were just capable of taking over a person’s life just like that.

He tried to stand up to make a new cup only for you to halt him. “Oh did your tea get cold? Sorry, let me make you one.” Before he could react you already took his cup and made your way to the kettle. He blinked in confusion before settling back into his chair. “Are you even sure you can make it right?” He decided to humour both you and himself. He knew you were just trying to suck up to him so he might change his mind, he wasn’t dumb though. Maybe he could use it to his advantage and kick you out of his office. As he tried to wrack up another reason to kick you back outside, a fresh new cup of tea was placed before him. 

And it was perfect.

The tea was infused almost too well. It was pure black with no random additives that Sigewinne insisted were better for his health. No sugar, creamer or milk. There weren’t even any tea leaves left in the brew.

He took a sip, surprised with how it wasn’t boiling since you had just prepared it. A suitable warmth reached his lips as he took a sip of it. He had to stop himself before he could chug it down. He wasn’t an animal, he knew proper tea etiquette.

“Are you a fan of tea, Journalist?” He asked unconsciously. He wished he had shut his mouth, you already write down everything that comes out of his mouth and he didn’t need to give you any more leverage. To his surprise, you didn’t immediately go and reach for your notebook once again.

Instead for once, you looked away from him, refusing to meet his eyes. “I do partake in tea sometimes but I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite. I prefer sugary drinks usually.” You answer, sheepishly brushing your hands together, continuing to look away. Wriothesley squinted at you, unsure whether you were acting shy due to embarrassment or because you were a bad liar. “This tea is steeped far too well for you to be saying that.”

You almost immediately beamed up, your shy demeanour leaving in an instant. “Oh! That’s because I learnt how you liked to brew your tea!” Your eyes reached his and he wondered if you realized what you had just admitted to.

“Isn’t it a bit suspicious you know that?” He asked, taking another sip, it was certainly good tea. You again turned embarrassed. “Well, you tend to pick up some things when you stay around a certain place often.”

“Oh?” His curiosity getting the better of him, leaned towards the desk to fully take you in. “Please do tell me what you have collected thus far.” 

“Well, a journalist can’t show everything they have gathered, unless it’s properly published.” You mumble, trying to slowly back away from his desk. For once you were trying to get away rather than him trying to get rid of you. It intrigued him a bit, what else were you hiding? “Well, unless you do have permission, I doubt you will be going around publishing articles. That is unless you were a scandalous reporter?”

He was shocked to see how wide your eyes grew, for once your usual reporter nature had gone from your face, now looking like any normal citizen living in Fontaine. “I would never! It is unethical!” You defended yourself, you would never dare to publish articles without people’s permission. “Then you wouldn’t mind me reviewing what you have unless you have something to hide?”

And that was how Wriothesley ended up with all your documents, which were now scattered on the desk alongside your prison testaments. You only handed him the documents relating to him but he was surprised to see that you have accumulated quite a number of them. It made him wonder why even bother with an interview if you already had so much knowledge about him.

“This is everything? You have been working hard it seems.” He said. His teacup was now empty, but he needed a new brew if he had to sit all day just to read through everything that was left. You had already collected his entire existence on these papers. His best and his worst moments.

“You know, now I’m starting to doubt that your first imprisonment was a mistake.” He chuckled to himself, which only made you feel red hot with embarrassment. “This is all public knowledge. Sure some were a bit harder to find but if you know what you’re looking for it gets easier” You mumble, fidgeting with your hands. He wondered why you were so embarrassed.

Everything written here was all about him, but you acted as if you were the one on full display. He continued to flip through what you had written. The words you had articulated were quite intriguing, if you did write a scoop about him he was certain he would have had his nose in the papers as well. All your points had thorough evidence with the times and dates it was recorded. There was even certain information he completely forgot about himself.

“You know, with such extensive research you have done, you can pretty much write a whole article about me. Hell, you could even fake an interview with me and I would honestly think I did an interview with you and forgot about it.” He said, placing down your work on the desk once more so he could fully take you in.

He wasn’t one to pay attention to the little details if he wasn’t interested but when he took another look at you, it felt as if he was seeing a completely new person. Your notebook was tucked into the little front pocket of your shirt, and he could see scratches and marks on the visible part that stuck out. Some corners of the pages were dog-eared while others had little sticky tabs poking out from them. Your pen was now tucked behind your ear, it was blue, the colour that usually was smudged on the palm of your hands which you were currently fiddling with. Lastly, your Kamera, the film may have been brand new but the Kamera was fairly old, a dent was visible on the top and he could see a sticker of a Melusine on its side, the same one he would see stuck on his gauntlets from time to time.

You suddenly didn’t seem like the annoying tenacious reporter on his back. You were a journalist, a writer. You had something you wanted to work on. A passion which seemed to exceed expectations. You were not worried to ask questions over and over until you got an answer but you were embarrassed to showcase your work, afraid of the judgment that others give. 

“You know you don’t need to have an interview with me? You can just write whatever it is here and get it done.” He answered, collecting all your research together to hand it back to you.

You shook your head, sighing. You finally turned to look at him. The prison was not known for its lighting but the way the light reflected onto your eyes made it shine with a passion he couldn’t seem to grasp. It almost distracted him from your words.

“It isn’t the same. I want it to be authentic. All of this-” You pointed at your work, which was a full stack at this point. “ was just from the ‘grapevine’ as some may say. I want to hear about your experiences and thoughts from you.”

He thought about your words. It bounced in the walls of his head, like an unstoppable echo. No one up to this point had ever bothered to go directly to him to ask about certain things. It was always the rumours. 

The Duke bought his title. 

The Duke would snap your neck if you looked at him wrong.

The Duke is under a permanent sentence in the Fortress of Meropide.

And here you were, asking him directly, even though everything written in your documents was fully true with proof, whether he could give some time of his day just to ask the same questions all these papers could answer.

He could only chuckle, one that wasn’t in a joking tone. “You like me quite a lot don’t you, Journalist?”

He watched as your sincere reporter's face morphed into what he could only describe as pure embarrassment. He was only shocked with his words but your expression completely delayed his bashful reaction. Instead, he smirked, a bit satisfied for once you weren’t on your high horse.

You grabbed the documents, stuffing them into your satchel and shutting it so quickly he could hear how crumpled they were getting.

“Well, it seems since you aren’t willing to do an interview today I’ll come again another time.” You almost yell, trying your best to close your bag so none of the papers would slip out.

“You’re right, aren’t you glad you have more than 30 days to ask me again?” He retorted, only to see your eyes grow wider. He was certain if he could touch your face, it would have been burning up with how much blood had rushed to your face.

Before anything else could have been said, you turned around rushing yourself out the door. He watched as you scattered down the stairs, making sure not to fall before finally hearing the door shut loudly, the metal clamps echoing in his office. However not a second later the door hinges squeaked once more, and you peeked your head a bit from the staircase.

“Um, goodbye, for now, Sir.” 

And with that you rushed back down once more, door shutting as loud as it did the first time you left. And Wriothesley could only laugh, he wasn’t sure if he had laughed so much before his entire life. Who would have thought that the pure journalist might have a slight crush on him? It intrigued him a bit.

You were here but the only proof of your essence was in your prison statements and the teacup which you brewed tea for him. You were careful not to leave any of your documents or items around, it prevented Wriothesley from coming after you because technically he had nothing to hold against you.

However, he knew he probably would not be able to see you for some time unless you finally got the courage to come to him again. He fiddled with the empty teacup once more. Well, who knows, maybe he would finally come around to doing that interview with you, perhaps he will answer one question at a time while you brew him another cup or for a change of pace he could brew a cup for you instead. You would like sugar in yours, wouldn't you?

It seemed now he had to do his little research on you and maybe, just like you, be a little petty just to be able to see you every day during your 30-day prison sentence.

[beloved-blaiddyd]

Dear Brynlee,

I hope my letter finds you in good health. I appreciate your swift and kind response. I'm quite relieved you do not mind my ignorance at times.

Moving on, I'm quite glad to hear your fondness for both the architect and the Duke. I favour the architect a lot, agreeing that he does put other artists at peace with his reliable nature. His way of communication is certainly one I nod at with great appreciation, and his sentimental disposition easily captures my curiosity.

As for the Duke though, my gaze of favour does not have any particular cause; it is simply that Monsieur Neuvillette an I happen to be close associates, and a friend of a friend certainly deserves my favour.

Of course, though, much like you, even I retain my appreciation for them away from romance. I simply adore them, is all.

Lord Kamisato is a curious one indeed... in spite of his status, it's safe to say that I consider myself quite fortunate to never have had the privilege bad luck to have a chance at interacting with him.

The Bough keeper is a more fascinating character though; I have never exactly been able to pin down his personality in spite of having had multiple chances to speak to him, in all of whom he has been nothing short of poised, respectful, and brilliant.

I believe he drapes on himself the title of a mourner, shading all other of his brighter qualities with its dull colour. He is illusive, but quietly so, never entirely being honest, or a liar; masterfully treading the lines that separate all that is good and evil.

Who dares to observe the observer? I do, of course. I await the day he shows his true nature; perhaps eagerly so.

I would share my enthusiasm for Sir Dmitri as well, should I have known him better; but considering that you adore him so, I believe he must be a good man. He certainly deserves my curiosity, then.

May I ask yet another question? Who do you adore from yet another parallel universe where the star of Stelle/Caelus finds home?

I hope my letters do not disturb you.

Yours Truly,

Chryseis Valois.

Dearest Chryseis,

You have no idea how much happy I was to receive another letter from you. I agree with most of your points, and I can definitely understand your relationship with the Iudex.

You better thank the God you believe in that you've never encountered Lord Kamisato. The Kamisato Commissioner is the elusive type. Perhaps one day you would encounter him. Who knows? Well, perhaps I do. I am an overseer after all.

I think I have a grasp on the former Black Serpent Knight's personality. He is someone I have the privilege of working with as of late, alongside Black Swan and "Medjed". Dainsleif may seem hard to understand upon first meeting, but the subtleties in his speech and humor shines the mote you interact. Though, considering that you are one of our guests, perhaps limited interacts is better. You know well that he asks the most mind boggling questions.

Interest in His Majesty...? Oh, no, you must've misunderstood our relationship. If you saw me inquiring women and men alike about their opinions of our King— it's an act done for my duties rather than... Whatever romantic airs people will label them as. I'm just helping a friend find someone to love him. That's all. Really. Please, believe me. Please.

As for the that other realm... Hmm. Well, Dr. Ratio and Aventurine are very similar to the Professor Veritas and Kakavasha I know— so it's no secret I'm fond of them. Though we'd never met, I think I would get along with Captain Gepard of the Silvermane Guards just fine. Jing Yuan is very hospitable, Kafka is charmingly persuasive, Sparkle is easy to befriend, and Blade is... Something. Hilarious how I found him most difficult to describe when he is my closest friend from that realm. His circumstances are unique, and I suppose I can relate to his... "tendencies".

Well, how about you? Who do you favor from that realm? I don't suppose Mister Aventurine is also in that list? Most people I know are quite obsessed with him. Do tell me your opinion. I'd love to know!

Sincerely,

- Brynlee <3

[myjustice]

spoilers for pt. 4 of lantern rite, thoughts mainly focused on furina.

at first i was concerned that her & hu tao meeting was going to be another little jab at furina's trauma concerning the floods & the people that were lost to the waters & other things ( because she genuinely carries a lot of guilt with her over it & the powerlessness she felt for the last 500 years & just making false promises that she herself as she was had the power to help them when that wasn't the truth ), so i'm really glad that it didn't end up being the case & it ended up being an entirely different thing.

by the sounds of it furina might be testing her wit on making a horror film which i would love to see personally. i hope this comes back full circle in a later patch - would love to see who she thinks would make perfect actors to star in her horror film, it'll probably be characters from liyue since liyue folklore seems to have been the source of inspiration for this film idea she's trying to iron out.

i'm glad that we caught the fontaine cast as they were leaving liyue because i really wanted the lantern rite to be more heavily focused on the liyue cast. i love the implication that the fontaine characters were there enjoying the lantern rite as well though!

i can't express just how happy i am that furina got to meet zhongli first out of the seven & that she got to spend time with him in the company of hu tao. she genuinely enjoyed their company & i adore & i'm so happy that she did because it emphasizes that her isolation isn't something she does with pleasure. furina doesn't like to be alone, she doesn't want to anymore. being on her own is just something she was forced to live with, self-isolation to cope with what may come her way & threaten her spirit. the fact that she can kick it off with others so well is wonderful & that she feels so at ease & comfortable to just be herself around them.

furina being able to tell there's more to zhongli than meets the eye by a mere conversation was awesome. the exhaustion i feel when people want to discredit her ability to critically think on her own or that she's too "childish" to connect two & two on her own is ridiculous. also this one shot of zhongli looking so happy to see her in person is very cute to me.

it gets glossed over that the seven see furina & her expelled divinity as one entity ( individual interpretations from the fandom/fanon aside ), so betwixt them they hold her at a very high esteem for being able to successfully deceive the heavenly principles which is an entity that they all fear ( for good reason ). they don't see furina &/or focalors, they just see furina who has simply destroyed her throne & is now like zhongli & venti are, they're just three retired tired & exhausted ex-archons. furina, however, does not fully have her memories intact, she only has vague recollections of her very old life. should that ever return to her in full swing or not is still very much in the air. it's neither a yes or a no.

anyway, i'm glad that it can't be argued that furina cares so much about neuvillette. he means a lot to her. & that she thinks of his wellbeing & is hopeful about him giving himself a chance in this world even with his lack of interest for it which she has known he has for the longest time. she knows him so well it's actually so lovely to see it play out how it does. she's using the traveler as her middle man, to pass on her message to him but i'm hopeful for the day where these two will get to talk to each other again & reconcile as she continues to find a healthy way to sort through her traumas & her woes to where it's not entirely consuming her anymore. having her see that she's deserving of love & is worthy of it & that it's genuine is the day i'm so excited to be able to see & witness for myself. for hundreds of years furina encouraged neuvillette to integrate himself more & more into the human world so that he for himself can see the beauty she saw in it even through the struggles & pains that come with it so i'm sure hearing the advice furina told the traveler to pass on to him was a song he was all too familiar with. him admitting & coming to terms with that is very important to that part of their relationship.

hearing clorinde regard furina as her friend no doubt meant the absolute world to furina & given how familiar furina is with clorinde it was important to me that she heard it from clorinde the most because furina knows clorinde wouldn't just say & toss the word friend around so lightly & so mindlessly. it really strengthened the foundation afterwards for furina to call them both her friends as well a few moments later because that was reassurance to furina. clorinde just saying this is what friends do for each other was letting her know that they really see her as their friend & that it's okay for furina to consider & see them as her friends as well because they already consider her as part of their group. it made me so happy. they all came separately but they all depart together.

in general i was pretty happy. it was so nice to see furina again. she means everything to me.

some tid bits that i found so funny were the implications that zhongli really did avoid neuvillette which the conflict in that is something i love because there really is a deep rooted conflict there by relation that needs to get addressed & ironed over & not fixed by the power of friendship.

hu tao saying that neuvillette was a friend of furina's that still had a lot of growing up to do because it's true, hu tao isn't wrong but it's just so funny that it came from hu tao, not because i believe her immature, but because her saying it out of anybody else is implying something.

& then the fact that furina vaguely recalls neuvillette's age as a result of hu tao saying that neuvillette has so much room to grow. i didn't know there was so much controversy around it because from the very beginning it was made clear that furina knew he was the sovereign. you may interpret the text as you want. both cn/jp say that he's at least a thousand years old while the english translation say he's several thousands which, both in essence, are not wrong. furina counting his previous dragon incarnations into his current one isn't anything new, at least to me.

regardless, i'm happy furina got to spend time with zhongli. they're good friends now.

[fatuismooches]

Fontaine Archon Quest Act 1 + 2 Spoilers beneath the cut!!! 👾 anon and 🎺 anon i responded to you here :) (Also lots of talking about Arlie because I LOVE HER)

I've also gone through Lyney and Lynette's character stories/voice lines regarding Arlecchino (and a rough translation of Freminet's) and I completely agree! To be completely honest she seems more nicer than I thought she'd be. Of course, she's still strict and evil but she still has standards and seems to care for the siblings to some extent. One of the lines I found most interesting was "Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Lyney's Founding Day magic show was its ability to have even "Father" lay down her heavy burden and enjoy a brief moment of familial love." I didn't expect her to have such a close connection with the siblings. Plus, when she denied giving Lyney a Delusion and also allowed Lynette to keep a box of cats? Loved that. She can be cruel and mean but she does have some sort of heart left. Not to mention Arlie's confirmed to be from Fontaine. I hope we learn her real name soon! Totally with you there with her being soft only for reader ❤️ She has the ability to be kind but expresses it in perhaps an unconventional way. Even when she's being soft she doesn't know exactly how to act. Really looking forward to her in-game appearance!!

HELP I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE😭😭 Saved for months with absolutely no regrets. Currently saving for Arlie as well! I wish you luck on your primogem saving ❤️❤️

FR I LOVE THE SIBLINGS SOOO MUCH 😭💖💖 (Freminet was robbed of screentime though) AND YES ARLECCHINO I LOVE HER 😭 Ugh I can totally imagine that <3 Arlie shows her kindness in a stern and strict way but you're the complete opposite. You can't fathom being cold to these little cuties! You're the affectionate one and while Arlie does scold you a bit about spoiling them too much she can't get too mad because at least you can handle all the mushy stuff which she cannot do very well. I'm now brainrotting about the kids seeing you and Arlie argue and becoming scared for your relationship and trying to get the two of you to reconcile 😭 I'm literally bouncing in excitement for 4.1 i want to see her so bad!!

Moving on to me just talking about the quests. Did anyone else feel a bit upset at Traveler for how they treated Lyney and Lynette at the end?? I did considering everything the twins went through. I understand the Traveler not trusting the Fatui but they were literally holding onto Childe's Vision in that moment?😭 Besides that little piece, these two Archon quests were really solid and lots of fun. Was also surprised how many serious topics were put into it too. Usually they leave the dark stuff for side/world quests.

Navia. Definitely an amazing character i loved her in the quests. Really beautiful, great personality, and i love her two bodyguards. Her voice while yelling at Neuvillette was really raw 🥺 Also loving Furina a lot. I didn't expect her to be insecure of herself. Seems like her confidence is just a facade for her people's sake. Y'all already know how I feel about Neuvillette haha i didn't expect him to be so emotional but I'm loving him so much! (I love everyone lemme just stop repeating myself 😭)

But damn being dissolved into water is so grim 😭 Imagine just being Fontanian and all of a sudden you learn you could simply dissolve and no one would ever know. I'd literally be so scared that i could die at any time 😭

EDIT: I CANT BELIEVE I FORGOT TO TALK ABOUT CHILDE IM SO DONE. IM SO SORRY CHILDE LOVERS I GOT TOO SWEPT BY ARLIE. Anyway. Childe was so freaking cute. He is the kind of guy who would tell you every little detail no matter how minuscule it is about his siblings. Teucer told him about something that happened to him? Okay now you're getting the same story but more drawn about and longer because Childe can't help babbling about his family.

I know people are clowning on Childe for getting beat by Neuvillette but give my man some credit 😭 He managed to scratch A DRAGON THATS IMPRESSIVE OKAY.

[empyrangel]

Fontaine thoughts:

Love Furina! She’s got just as much chaotic energy as I knew she would, however, one thing that a lot of people thought is that she would be completely amoral and merciless in her judgments of everyone around her. Even though she is quite impulsive and egotistical, she clearly felt embarrassment and even remorse for accusing an innocent person of murder, demonstrated by her maturity in the following trial. I’m curious to see where her character goes, and I wanna have a private conversation with her since all our talks have been in public so she’s always been using a dramatic persona.

Not sure what to think of Lyney and Lynette after all that. Them being in the fatui was a really good plot twist. I think they do genuinely think they’re doing the right thing, and given their backstory it makes sense why they’d trust the house of hearth and the knave, but this means that we might end up on opposing sides when it comes down to stealing the gnosis. Honestly, if I believed Arlecchino really would help the people of Fontaine with it, I wouldn’t have a problem, Furina doesn’t seem to be doing much with it, but obviously the fatui have ulterior motives. I just hope the twins find out they’re being deceived before we have to fight them. Very excited to see them again and I’m definitely still pulling for Lyney.

About their backstory… they never mentioned Freminet. Im assuming that he’s not their biological brother, but I still have questions. When did they take him in? Is he an orphan too? Does he know they’re fatui? What does he think of it? Is he from the house of hearth too? I need more than his 2 minute cameo!!! Where is my boy?!

Traveler’s kind of a hypocrite though, judging the twins for being fatui even with good intentions while being amicable frienemies with mr. impulsively violent fatui harbinger.

I don’t like Childe and seeing him get cocky and then get his ass beat again was nice (also I thought that I saw Furina stand up to stop him so when the smoke cleared and it was Neuvillette I was shocked). But I don’t think he deserved to be imprisoned for something he didn’t do. It’s weird how much people trust that oritrice to make final judgements. They’re putting people’s lives and fates in the hands of some machine. I knew it would malfunction when judging Childe, hearing that it never went against Neuvillette was like Chekhov’s gun. The oritrice has definitely captured my interest.

The trials themselves were incredible. Trials in real life are so boring, but I can see now why the people of Fontaine think of trials as stories. I got serious whiplash, especially from the first trial, but the whole back and forth made it really interesting. Also the logic chain and rebuttal mechanics were really cool. I love that they’re getting more into interactive elements like that, I hope that they do more stuff like this in the future.

The cutscenes were incredible. The Clorinde fight was beautiful but I think my favorite was Lynsey’s switching trick. Having the tension being built by Lyney’s purposely staged panic just to mess with the audience and then revealing that actually everything went fine just as the tank came crashing down! My jaw dropped at that part. I don’t think genshin ever murdered anyone on screen before. It surprised me even though I already knew what would happen from the trailer. I thought the accident with the tank would happen with Lynette’s trick, I think that was intentionally misleading. They have so many good red herrings and foreshadowing in this!

Don’t really have any opinions on Neuvillette. Don’t really get the hype for him. But I do know that he’s a dragon. I love how they sort of sprinkle in the clues for that gradually. I first talked to the melusine at the opera door and she said he had been nice to them for hundreds of years and I was like weird but okay. Then I saw him up close and his eyes, ears, and hair antennae things. And later I noticed that it always rained when Neuvillette was sad, like how Freminet said it would spontaneously rain when the hydro dragon was sad. But Neuvillette works with Furina and tolerates her. I thought the primordial dragons hated the gods considering y’know they stole their land and places as the rulers of Teyvat. I guess I am kind of interested in Neuvillette from that perspective.

The only part I did feel bored during was the first half of act 2. I think I know the reason for that. I like Navia, but I don’t love her. She’s a great person and a great character, but she’s not the kind of character that I’m personally interested in. She also isn’t nearly enough to shoulder an entire archon quest act on her own. Act 2 felt less like an archon quest and more like a Navia story quest. The first act was mainly about Lyney and Lynette, but it also prominently featured Furina, Neuvillette, and Navia herself. The second act we spent almost all of our time with Navia which quickly become mundane. Besides her there were very short cameos from Clorinde and Neuvillette, and then at the very end with the trial there was Furina, Neuvillette, Childe, and briefly Clorinde. About 90% of it was just with Navia though. I just wish there were more characters both so that we could get a fresh dynamic and a break from Navia and also that other characters can get a chance to have some screentime. Between her being prominently featured in the first act and being the main character of the second, I hope Navia takes a back seat for the rest of the archon quest and lets some other characters have the spotlight. I believe this would probably happen because it feels like Navia’s part of the story has concluded with getting justice for her father. Again, I liked the story, I just wish there was more to it than Navia.

The land scenery and architecture are pretty cool, but the oceans blew me away. There’s so much to see about them! I can also tell they took people with a fear of the ocean into mind because underwater it’s incredibly bright and well light all the way down to the sea floor, unlike the real oceans which are terrifying and foreboding underneath. Also as a former sky cotl player, I’m very grateful that genshin doesn’t have oxygen/something that functions like it and we can explore unlimited, and that the swimming controls actually work really well. And the underwater combat is fun. I like that we can’t use our characters abilities and have to rely on our surroundings.

As I thought they threw 40 different puzzle mechanics at us at once and now the tutorials for them are all buried under each other in my menu and I don’t know how any of them work. I’ll have to figure them out at some point if I plan on getting all the hydroculi. I heard there are gonna be as many as Sumeru. I don’t even have half the ones in Sumeru.

Not loving the new combat thing with the opposing energies, whatever they’re each called, ouija and pneumonia or something. Especially since I don’t know how to work their puzzles. I think they only implemented them because they felt like they needed something that would totally shake the meta like the introduction of dendro did, so they just gave Fontaine their own special combat boost. I don’t actually know how good the new system is for meta, haven’t heard anything about it. Maybe that’s just because there’s only 2 Fontaine characters out now.

[idyllic-affections]

now that youre done with the archon quest; what are your thoughts on how the sinth production was handled? i found it kinda weird how its entire distribution was dependant on just a guys (also its like a cartoonish caricature of a drug, makes you feel amazing but almost immediately sends you into withdrawl too? like how was anyone buying this)

also, what do you think of neuvillette being a parental figure to furina? i've been thinking of making furina focalors' daughter instead of a different version of her. I also think her and neuvi should've been old friends, which is why she trusted him to take care of furina. And i think it would make focalors' death much more impactfull for him

(P. S. happy early anniversary!)

🐌.

man. i have so many thoughts about the archon quest. Probably enough to warrant their own post tbh HAHA

tbh, it was sort of just... there?? i don't have any particularly strong feelings about it, it felt very much like it was there exclusively to serve the purpose of progressing the more overarching plot. which isn't inherently bad. sometimes we all just need plot devices 🙏🙏 that's definitely how it felt to me--plot device-y. vacher didn't serve much of a purpose other than for progressing the plot--making you aware that fontainians return to their oceanid forms when they dissolve, letting you know they CAN dissolve, etc. he was just there to serve the bigger ideas imo

HE SO IS HER DAD IN MY BRAIN MAN. he's all of fontaine's dad if we're being real /hj /lh...... bro loves these people so much that he could never even consider deeming them guilty, and he KNOWS it. god. even though he's a soverign. even when his power was unjustfully taken from him and used to provide humanity with a throne for a god. Idk. hes so. such a gentle and empathetic guy. he really is even if it does not outwardly seem so. he's such a DAD. he's so furina's dad. she reacted so viscerally to his disapproval multiple times in the aq. he is making sure she is taken care of even though she no longer has to play archon. *head in hands* dad behavior. Dadittude.

i was actually quite fond of the whole "mirror me" situation, but this does have it's own appeal too! and focalors and neuvi being old friends would definitely be such an interesting path to explore..... definitely would make her death that much more devastating i think

(and thank you dear <333)

[moni-harmonia]

Chapter IV Act I

It took me a lot of time to finish Act I because I was so engaged with exploration and building characters lol. It's been a while since I enjoyed doing that.

But I didn't want to wait too much, I decided to continue with the story today. But I didn't know it was gonna be so interesting! I couldn't put it down until I finished the act.

(I don't have screenshots of the beginning, sorry lol, I literally forgot while I was playing.)

First, we arrive at Fontaine, meet the twins, Furina and other characters. With each region I feel they're improving on the storytelling. This Act was long but I never felt bored of it. We met important characters very soon and we knew that something was wrong here. And I'm liking the characters so far.

And then we see our favorite battle maniac again!

I knew Tarta would appear in Fontaine but I wasn't expecting to meet him so soon. It was fantastic, even if he's a Fatui we're on very friendly terms with him (something to take into account later...).

He's having problems with his Hydro Vision, and I thought "Finally!", I've always felt that problems with Visions is something that would happen sooner or later, but for now we don't know exactly what's going on.

(Tarta leaves his Vision with us, a very interesting move. I wonder what will happen with him later on.)

We go see Lyney and Lynette's magic show (which was very well animated) and there's a murder.

I have to tell you, I really liked this part lol. I'm a huge Ace Attorney fan. Not only the whole investigation and trial was very similar to those games, but in Ace Attorney there is one case where a murder occurs during a magic trick too! (Well, maybe more than one, but there's one that's very similar to this one)

Of course we think that Lyney is innocent so we defend him, but in the trial there's an interesting revelation: Lyney and Lynette are Fatui.

What I found most interesting was Traveler's reaction to this. This is one of those instances where you can see that Traveler has their own personality and thoughts. If I could choose dialogue, I wouldn't really have minded if they were Fatui or not, I could tell they weren't bad people.

But Traveler is angry, they decide to still defend them but they're very angry that Lyney hid this information from them.

It was a simple mystery but I thought it was very well done. In this part we meet other characters like Neuvillette and also Navia, and we confront Furina on the trial.

She's a fun character and very different from other Archons so far. I'd say she's most similar to Venti in personality, but unlike him, everyone is aware she's the Archon so relationships are different.

(I swear, this was too Ace Attorney lol, even the music had a similar vibe, I love it)

Lyney and Lynette were innocent and we discover some very interesting things here. Apparently people from Fontaine can turn into water. This reminds me of Radiant Historia, though in that story people turned into sand instead. I wonder what's going on about that.

And I'm also interested to meet Arleccino and what kind of plans does she have. It seems we'll be meeting her and Tarta in this region. There's still a lot of story left, but I feel like we've seen so much already lol.

I'll try to play Act II in the following days. So far, Fontaine is pretty good both in story and exploration. I hope it continues that way.

[tearskillstardust]

ahh, hello hello! i just wanted to drop by to say that i loved how you did my submission for the december game. something about the way you write is so intricate to me. reading through the whole thing made me feel like i'm an actual protag. woah. seems like i really am destined for dendro, fascinating... first, the quizzes i took online in my free time told me so and now, you. so i'll gladly take that notion with pride, heh. the part about being a part-time researcher is also accurate! i'm a bio student and also someone who values 'freedom' per se, so that fits me well. (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

furthermore, the letter from neuvillette is soooo soft and adorable. i would like to hug him. i think he gives out good and warm hugs (whenever he does, that is).

p/s: i nearly toppled when i saw alhaitham's name at the top— the funny thing is that my boyfriend, coincidentally, happens to be quite alhaitham-coded LOL. both of them are such wet blankets (affectionate). maybe, that's a sign i should keep on pestering him to try out genshin? hehe, who knows. i've gotta say, though, that i didn't expect pantalone at all but what you said about my dynamic with him is very convincing, aha. also, the moodboard you made is really pretty! it really has that elegant and classy vibe to it, i'm honored.

and again, thank you so much! i will be looking forward to your future works (have i mentioned how much i admire your writing? repetitive, i know, but i want to say it again nevertheless!) and i wish you good luck in each of your endeavors. take care! have a wonderful day/evening ♡

— 🎐

i'm so glad you could relate to it! lol for most of the part i went by your big 3 really and then thought that you could very well be interesting in biology and related fields, and then there was a tendency of leading a double life that follows with gemini and virgo placements so yup!

i feel so flattered that you could relate to it! 😭🥺

lmao bet you neuvi would give the warmest and longest hugs because that would very likely be his way of relaxing. he would never be the one to pull away first!

ha it'd be fun if you managed to convince your boyfriend to play genshin with you and then introduced him to al haitham 😂 best luck!

im so happy you spent effort into writing this feedback it's honestly very heartwarming and lovely 💕 looking forward to more requests by you, id be glad to work on them!

have a nice day, both to you and your partner! <3 may luck favour you on your journey!