#desert pavillion

[l0reenthusiast]

okay mutuals who know how to build teams on genshin, since the desert pavillion set gives a 15% anemo dmg bonus ON 2piece and increases charged, normal, and plunge attacks by 40% on 4piece, WOULD THIS MEAN that i can build all the anemo characters as a dps using the set?

[snakesnifter]

i deliberate opening a hoyoverse game but remember the artifact farming system

[hoshiszora-archived]

My boy is weirdly built cuz I like using him on the field and staring at him and his aesthetics but it kinda works

[opencommunion]

please go to a protest for Land Day tomorrow (March 30th) if you can

AUSTRALIA – Hobart / Nipaluna. 1PM Every Saturday @ Davey St. (Grand Chancellor).

CANADA – Antigonish, NS. 1PM Every Saturday @ Antigonish Town Hall. Antigonish 4 Gaza.

CANADA – Montreal. 2PM Land Day Tatreez Workshop @ Refugee Center. PYM Montreal.

CANADA – Ottawa. 2PM Land Day @ Human Rights Monument.

CANADA – Toronto. 2PM Land Day @ Yonge & Dundas. PYM Toronto.

ENGLAND – Halifax. 1PM Every Saturday @ Wilkos on Southgate.

ENGLAND – Hebden Bridge. 3PM Every Saturday @ Holme Street. 4PM @ St George’s Square. West Yorkshire for Palestine.

ENGLAND – London. 11AM @ 7 Tavistock Square. PYM Britain.

ENGLAND – London. 12PM @ Central London. STW UK.

NETHERLANDS – Amsterdam. 7PM Every Night @ Dam Square.

PORTUGAL – Porto. 10PM Every Night Vigil @ Camara Municipal.

SCOTLAND – Orkney. 1PM Every Saturday @ St Magnus Cathedral Steps. Amnesty Orkney.

AZ – Phoenix. 1MP Land Day @ Civic Space Park. PSL Phoenix AZ.

CA – Los Angeles. 1PM Land Day March @ LA City Hall. PYM LA/OC/IE.

CA – Petaluma. 12:30PM Every Saturday @ Petaluma & E Washington. Occupy Pelatuma.

CA – Ventura. 12:30PM @ 181 E Santa Clara St. ANSWER Coalition.

CO – Fort Collins. 3PM Every Saturday @ Old Town Square. NOCO Liberation Coalition.

DC – Washington DC. 4PM @ DuPont Circle. ANSWER Coalition.

FL – Gainesville. 11AM @ Depot Park. ANSWER Coalition.

FL – Orlando. City Hall. TBA. ANSWER Coalition.

FL – Pensacola. PM @ Main & Reus (Blue Wahoos). PSL CGC. 

GA – Atlanta. 2PM @ Consulate of Israel. PYM.

ID – Pocatello. 12PM Every Saturday @ Bannock County Courthouse. Pocatello for Palestine.

IL – Chicago. 1PM @ TBA. USPCN + Chicago SJP.

LA – New Orleans. 3:30PM @ 701 N Rampart St.

MA – Springfield. 2PM @ 36 Court St. ANSWER Coalition.

ME – Portland. 1PM @ Monument Square. PSL Maine.

MI – Detroit. 1:30PM @ Beacon Park. USPCN.

MI – Detroit. 10AM Land Day @ Rouge Park. PYM.

MN – Minneapolis. 2PM @ 2707 West Lake St. ANSWER Coalition.

MT – Kalispell. 12PM Every Saturday @ Main & Center. MT 4 Palestine.

NC – Asheville. 4PM @ 1 N Pack Square. ANSWER Coalition.

NC – Charlotte. 4PM @ Wilmore Centennial Park. CLT 4 Palestine + PSL Carolinas.

NC – Raleigh. 3PM Land Day @ Moore Square. PSL Carolinas.

NC, Charlotte. 4PM @ Wilmore Centennial Park. Land Day. CLT 4 Pali + PSL Carolinas.

NM – Albuquerque. 4PM @ UNM Book Store. ANSWER Coalition.

NY – New York. 12PM @ City Hall Park. Within Our Lifetime.

NY – New York. 12PM Vigil Every Saturday @ 5th & 44th in Brooklyn. Sunset Park Elders.

NY – New York. 5PM @ Times Square. PYM.

NY – Rochester. 1:30PM @ MLK Park. End Apartheid ROC + SJP UR.

OH – Cincinnati. 3PM @ 801 Plum St. ANSWER Coalition.

OH – Cleveland. 2PM Land Day @ Edgewater Upper Pavillion. USCPN.

OH – Columbus. 4PM @ 120 W Goodale St. ANSWER Coalition.

OH – Dayton. 5PM @ 2680 Ridge Ave. ANSWER Coalition.

OH – Wooster. 11AM @ 538 N Market St. ANSWER Coalition.

OR – Bend. 12PM Saturdays @ Peace Corner. Central Oregon 4 Socialism.

OR – Portland. 12PM @ Desert Island Studios. Letters for Palestine PDX.

PA – Philadelphia. 5PM @ 7th & Walnut. ANSWER Coalition.

PA – Pittsburgh. 3:30PM @ 4100 Forbes Ave. ANSWER Coalition.

RI – Providence. 5PM @ Prospect Terr. ANSWER Coalition.

TX – Houston. 1PM @ Waterwall Park. PYM Houston.

TX – San Antonio. 12PM @ 301 E Travis ST. ANSWER Coalition.

VT – Burlington. 1PM @ City Hall. ANSWER Coalition.

WA – Seattle. 2PM Land Day @ Lake Union Park. PYM.

WI – Milwaukee. 1:30PM @ Sijan Park. PSL Milwaukee.

WI – Viroqua. 11AM Vigil Every Saturday @ Main & Decker. Driftless Solidarity / Wolves PSC.

WV – Martinsburg. 12PM Land Day @ Martinsburg Town Square. PSL WV.

DISCLAIMER: I didn't make this list and it's not comprehensive. If you don't see a protest near you, look up what your local orgs are doing, and if you still can't find anything, take autonomous action

[locke-rinannis]

I—okay. Listen. Do I run around a lot in this game? Yes. Do I spend an unnatural amount of time looking for RP locations that perfectly match a scene I'm looking for? Probably. But over the course of years, I've found some pretty cool spots. And I'm going to share them with you!

Maybe you'll find inspiration to start something new in these areas, or maybe it'll help scratch an itch for a scene you've been wanting to do. Who knows! Just take them!

Also, these are locations found outside of major cities and aetherytes. This list is for people who want to get out into the overworld and away from crowds! (I’ve also tried to find places that are free of hostile mobs, NPCs, and FATEs.

I’ll likely make more posts for other zones, but the three starter regions are accessible for characters of all levels, and a good place to start!

Locations under the cut!

LONE CAMPSITE - Middle La Noscea - X25, Y23 A single, simple campfire surrounded by a few crates and barrels. I think an NPC appears here for one specific quest, but otherwise it's empty! It’s not near any civilization, although you can see Limsa on the other side of the map.

HIDDEN PIRATE SHIP - Western La Noscea - X10, Y18 A really cool ship hidden deep in the La Noscean map, which only became available once they added flight to older areas. You can land on the ship and the walkways that surround it. It’s really a unique and outstanding spot!

HOUSE @ OSCHON'S TORCH - Lower La Noscea - X23, Y39 You can't enter the lighthouse on the hill (unfortunately), but you can go into the small house in front. It has a nice garden in the yard, and the interior is fairly simple and NPC-free.

WAREHOUSE @ RED ROOSTER STEAD - Lower La Noscea - X31, Y21 I don't know why SE made this, to be honest. I've never seen a quest lead here. Nothing spawns, it just exists. Which is great! I wish they did this more. Anyway, it's a warehouse at Red Rooster Stead. A door in a cliffside, full of supplies and a table with chairs, and nothing else.

PAVILLION @ CANDLEKEEP QUAY  - Lower La Noscea - X19, Y38 Previously inaccessible due to a gate blocking you off the pier, you can now fly over to this spot! This location is beautiful, especially at sunset, but unfortunately nothing is interactable. Unless you’re fine with /groundsit, you can't even sit on the chairs. But still, a quiet and interesting spot to meet!

HOUSE @ THE SILVER BAZAAR - Western Thanalan - X17, 30 All of the buildings in the Silver Bazaar are great! This one is fantastic. It's completely empty inside and outside (except for a couple ambient NPCs on the railing up top). There’s a table and chairs under the awning outside, too.

DESERT RUINS - Southern Thanalan - X19, Y17 There are a lot of nice ruins in the Thanalans, but this one in particular has a lot of potential. The only mobs around are some passive fire sprites, and there's an unopened chest in the back amidst all the crates and jars. Environmental storytelling!

TAVERN @ CAMP DRYBONE - Eastern Thanalan - X13, Y24 I know I said I would make this list outside of major aetheryte areas, but this is the one exception I'll make. Only because it has no business being this good. Every chair at every table is available! It's a wonder!! A very nice little tavern.

HOUSE @ THE GOLDEN BAZAAR - Eastern Thanalan - X10, Y16 The Golden Bazaar, like the Silver Bazaar, is all very useful. But there's one house in particular that is better than the others. This interior is big and extravagant and empty: three things we don't get very often in overworld locales!

CRESCENT COVE - Western Thanalan - X15, Y17 If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: I love Crescent Cove. Every building is accessible! And although there are NPCs around, it's a fairly large area to work with. I’ve both led and participated in a lot of great plot events here. I like it a lot!

LILYSTONE - Central Shroud - X28, Y30 A simple tent with a campfire in front, located next to a river. There are some low level aggressive mobs (level 11), but no NPCs or FATEs. I believe there's an early level quest around here, but I almost never see anyone. A neat campsite!

SWEETBLOOM PIER - East Shroud - X10, Y22 This location is found immediately after you take the boat from Gridania to East Shroud. Most people just run right past it and head through the gates, but if you turn around, there are two buildings here! One is a grocer of some kind, and the other is a storage room. There are a couple NPCs, but nothing too intrusive.

SPRIGGAN DIG - Central Shroud - X11, Y16 (Underground) Sometimes, when you're setting a scene, all you want is a simple cave. Just one simple darn cave. This spot provides! There are 2-3 caves to choose from, although each one contains at least one hostile mob and a patrolling golem (level 43). We take what we can get.

SPIRITHOLD - Central Shroud - X26, Y25 This spot is great for its spooky ambience or for a dungeon/prison location. There are six small, empty jail cells against the walls. Just some small level mobs (level 9) wandering around, too.

That’s it! I have several more, but I trimmed them out due to them being either fairly common knowledge (ie, Buscarron’s Druthers, Hermit’s Hovel) or just too many mobs cluttering the field. However! If you’re interested in more, let me know somehow, and maybe I’ll make a Part 2!

Until then, I’ll very likely follow up with more zones. I like exploring quite a lot.

[glazedvsion]

is this what makes me finally go back to the desert pavillion domain is this what gets me back to grinding artifacts......

[gierosajie]

Now I want to co-op with you to see your DPS venti in action lol/hj

That being said do you have a showcase for him?

Shdhdjgjc

So funny story- I wanted to do Venti's hold skill, but the timing always keeps messing up and somehow Faruzan did a 41k crit?? while Venti got left in the dust so tap skill it is

Anyway, here's a quick showcase. Normally Venti just does 22k on his tap skill and 6-10k on his charged without buffs

And then here's with Faruzan

And then the artifacts (he has another build with the 2pc Desert Pavillion, but unless I get the Harp, I'm gonna keep farming)

He's using the Blackcliff Warbow in the showcase, tho I usually put Windblume Ode on him during Windblume. Bottom screenshot has the actual stats in the showcase

[anempressofmars]

Regional duststorm enshrouds castle ruins in Southern Noachis, captured during the 1996 expedition to Mars.

"It befell in the days before SIN SHIAN, the Living God, that a proud ruler reigned over the City of Asrathtah. They bore the name of an ancient clan whose name eludes history, and learned ones know only their personal name, that which they ruled with. And that name was Kasir.

Now Kasir desired the land called Noachis by men, which in those days was ruled by a young sovereign, who took the name Hasath of Hakad upon their coronation. When the old and decrepit ruler of Noachis had died, Kasir had been called the Princess of that land, because many thought they would inherit it. But when the council of clans met, they overlooked them. And jealousy and resentment grew greatly in their soul.

So did Kasir decide to journey to the seer's temple near the sea. Kasir carried a great retinue before them and it included their four thralls, their bonded mates, their close warriors and their honor guard, and even two of their flesh-heirs. One bore the child-name of Hemva, "the Reddish", and the other bore the child-name of Amaksat, "the Quick-running." And Kasir loved Hemva, their first-born, with all their heart, and wished for the child to one day rule after them.

After forty passes of Deimos, Kasir and their retinue arrived at a great temple which now rests under the seas of sand. And a group of servants were building a statue to the new ruler of Noachis. Kasir bid their warriors to drive them out into the sand, and tore the statue to the ground. The warriors burned the statue in a ritual. They did not honor the seers nor pay them in homage.

And Kasir took upon the face of a High Ruler, and said upon the Seer, "Tell me how I might steal Noachis, and show me reigning over the land."

And of the vision Kasir saw only sand and bones.

And the seer told them, "You shall reign over the land in death. When your bones sink beneath the seas of sand. When your greatest flesh heir betrays you and takes your seat. When the temple here is buried beneath the sky. When your breathen warriors feast upon you. Then shall the sand sea of Noachis be your palace."

In fury, Kasir slew the seer. Their warriors burned the temple and the remaining seers inside. Kasir rode out with their retinue. Then they returned to Asrathtah, and ruminated upon all the visions and sayings they had heard. There they built a great bonfire with the help of their servants and thralls. And Kasir wept and brought forth Hemva, and burned them upon the fire. Then did they name Amaksat as heir.

Then did years pass. Kasir raised Amaksat, grooming them for command, and making a true warrior and ruler out of them. They grew into adulthood, and took the name of Masatkah. In time, Kasir did make war upon Hasath, the High Ruler of Noachis. At the final battle, in the midst of the sand sea beneath the temple and across from their home city, Kasir slew Hasath on the field of battle and cheered. For a pass of Phobos, Kasir wore a crown.

Once Phobos set, a mighty shadow grew upon the sky, a shadow which howled the nightmares of the mind and seeped into the soul. Dust swirled upon the surface of the sand sea. The landscape shifted. Puddles of quickstand formed in the desert. Masatkah took their armies and Kasir's, and confronted them at their royal pavillion.

There some words were said, lost forever. Masatkah pulled their sword from a scabbard and slashed across their flesh-parent's face. Blinded, Kasir wept blood and knelt in the sand. Their flesh-heir took the crown of Noachis and left them there. Thereafter did Masatkah become High Ruler. They gathered all the banners of the land and returned to Asrathtah, which they declared their capital. And more, they renamed the city Hemva Naro, the City of Hemva.

It is said Kasir lived on, travelling with a few thralls and loyal soldiers, half a shade. Blind and lame, they circled the old sand sea for the remainder of their days. When they could no longer walk, their brethren soldiers slew them, and feasted upon the marrow of their bones. -Translation of ancient Martian legend, c. 1996.

[ninjas-and-coffee]

You play genshin? We should play together sometime!

I do play genshin!! Though iver never played co-op b4. I'm always afraid of being judged for my builds. Especially my Wanderer, I have exactly 1 decent artifact from the Desert Pavillion set so I can't even do my boy justice

[expiredmilks-blog]

29/08/24 Scara build is done

Today was the 5.0 update, aka Natlan release, and as a Scara main, I immediately dropped my 5* artifacts in the strongboxes to make even more Desert Pavillion artifacts. To my surprise, an anemo goblet dropped with crit rate and crit dmg! It was a four liner too, so I kinda started to stress because no way it would be that easy, right? Well, after spending a lot of resin on that domain for like 1.5 years, we can finally make the old goblet graduate 🤲

[jemimalaag]

Artist Research (3)

Michael Heizer

About the Artist / Artwork:

Michael Heizer is an American installation artist and sculptor, primarily working on large-scale projects, utilizing geometric shapes covering expansive, large areas. In particular, he has worked in the dry, desert landscape environments of Midwest America, (e.g., Nevada Desert), producing sculptural formations, protruding into the earth. By doing so, Heizer created 'negative' sculptures by cutting into the earth landscape directly, giving his work a unique edge, (and marking the beginning of an art movement called 'Land Art', arising in the 1960's).

His piece, Collapse, installed in Room 5, is a large-scale, steel sculptural structure, comprised of an arranged formation of 15 long beams, falling into a box-like hole in the earth. This outdoor sculpture is accessed through the Pavillions's interior as it is actually installed within an enclosure.

Relating to my artwork experiments:

I found this art innovative and quite industrial and would relate this to the structural experiments I formed in week 2, where the class used materials like wood and cardboard. In the formations I created, I definitely envisioned them to be in a large-scale setting with depth, and would intend for them to have a similar interactive, industrial experience, placing them in an outdoor context.

[vengevix]

⌗ genshin builds.

⌗ complete.

ayaka (mitsplitter) 4pc blizzard | 43/269

kazuha (black sword) 2pc glad 2pc shim | 51/208

itto (redhorn stonethresher) 4pc husk | 62/269

ganyu (amos bow) 4pc blizzard | 41/219

tighnari (hunters path) 4pc wanderer | 64/195

yelan (aqua simulacra) 2pc hod 2pc tenacity | 60/261

childe (skyward harp) 2pc glad 2pc hod | 62/230

yoimiya (thundering pulse) 4pc shim | 63/263

bennett (black sword) 2pc crimson 2pc glad | 64/203

nahida (floating dreams) 2pc wanderer 2pc fpl | 60/158

kaeya (aquila) 2pc glad 2pc blizzard | 50/188

keqing (jade cutter) 2pc shim 2pc thundering | 59/246

⌗ incomplete.

zhongli (black tassel) 4pc tenacity | circlet + feather

shenhe (wavebreaker’s fin) 2pc glad 2pc shim | flower

traveler (jade cutter) 2pc glad 2pc petra | sands + circlet

wanderer (tulaytullah) 4pc dpc | circlet + flower

jean (aquila) 2pc maiden 2pc clam | feather

yae (kagura’s verity) 2pc glad 2pc thundering | sands

al haitham (xiphos) 4pc gilded | feather

mona (lost prayer) 4pc emblem | all

hu tao (staff of homa) 4pc crimson | circlet + goblet

kuki (toukabo shigure) 2pc maiden 2pc clam | flower + goblet

fischl (blackcliff) 2pc wanderer 2pc fpl | sands

xingqiu (jade cutter) 2pc emblem 2pc hod | circlet

xiangling (pjws) 2pc crimson 2pc emblem | flower

⌗ domain.

shimenawa + emblem

archaic petra

desert pavillion chronicle + fpl

ocean-hued clam

thundering fury

gilded dreams

crimson

wanderers troupe

blizzard

[thetoxicgamer]

Genshin Impact leak reveals new Anemo and Dendro artifact sets for 3.3

A recent Genshin ImpaThis Genshin Impact leak reveals that HoYoverse is planning to add two new artifact sets to the anime game when the version 3.3 update goes live next month. The two sets seem to buff Anemo and Dendro characters the most, but it’s likely that there are other creative ways to use them as well. HoYoverse hasn’t added new artifact sets since the introduction of Sumeru in version 3.0, so it’s been about three months since players have received an update on that front. The two new additions will be the Desert Pavillion Chronicle and Flower of Paradise Lost artifact sets. Desert Pavillion Chronicle increases Anemo damage by 15% for its two-piece effect, and for its four-piece effect, it increases the user’s normal attack speed by 10% while also increasing normal, charged, and plunging attack damage by 40% for ten seconds. Viridescent Venerer is still the go-to artifact set for most Anemo characters, but this set seems to be made for the upcoming Anemo character Wanderer, AKA Scaramouche. It could also potentially benefit Xiao or Jean, depending on how they’re being used. The Flower of Paradise Lost set increases elemental mastery by 80 for its two-piece effect, and for its four-piece effect, it increases the wearer’s Burgeon, Hyperbloom, and Bloom reaction damage by 50%. It also adds an additional 25% damage boost if the equipping character is the one triggering these reactions. This effect stacks four times, lasts for 10 seconds, and can be activated even when off-field. Flower of Paradise Lost could be an interesting alternative to Deepwood Memories or Gilded Dreams for characters who rely heavily on Dendro reactions. All of these details were leaked by Sagiri in the GI Front Discord server, so you can check it out for more details. Genshin Impact version 3.2 has given us the best Dendro character we’ve seen thus far in Nahida, so you may want to pull for her if the second set interests you. On the other hand, it may also be a good idea to save for Scaramouche and Faruzan to test the Anemo set. Read the full article

[justneedsalittlework]

This Jeep Cherokee(?) looked ready for some serious adventuring. Where’s the dirt? Spotted at the Pavillions cruise night, Scottsdale, Arizona.

[archonanqi]

consequence / pt i

⛔️ Warning: This is an exploration of Zhongli’s manipulative tendencies that we see glimpses of in his archon and story quest. Absolutely no part of the relationship depicted here is healthy or consensual. Please proceed with caution. 

🔖 [info] [next]

—

pt. i of iii

Looking back, you should have noticed that something was wrong the moment Zhongli had insisted on treating you and Aether to dinner. 

You and Paimon tried to stop him, of course — far too many of his shopping sprees in the past had ended with the Millelith involved or your pockets emptied of Mora (usually both, really). Yet today, he’d produced a wallet lined with gleaming coins, and any protests died quickly on Paimon’s lips. 

“Wow, that’s enough to buy—” she marvelled, staring as intently as though her gaze itself could start pocketing the Mora, “at least… TEN Golden Crabs from Wanmin Restaurant!” 

Zhongli chuckled, the sound still sending pleasant shivers down your spine even after all the months you’d spent traveling with him. “A little more than that, Paimon, but a good guess nonetheless.” He turned his amber gaze to you and your brother, who had not strayed a foot away from you since the Abyss released its hold on him. 

Aether had kept an easy smile on his face for the past few days, but you’d known him long enough to pick out the signs of guilt, despite your reiterated reassurances that what the Abyss did to him was not his fault. It would take a long time for him to feel alright again; and you’d be there for him for as long as it took. 

“And as for you two?” Zhongli continued, “will Wanmin Restaurant be agreeable? Though of course, if you believe that such a momentous reunion demands something a little more extravagant, I’m sure that Xinyue Pavillion is still taking reservations—”

“No, that’s not—” you weren’t sure why you were hesitating. So what if he mysteriously found himself without enough Mora by the end of the meal, and you ended up having to foot the bill as usual? It stung a little to think about, but it wasn’t as though you’d have any need for Mora after tonight. “That’s not it. After everything you’ve done for us during our travels, I couldn’t possibly accept more from you, Zhongli.”

Couldn’t possibly bear sitting at a table with Zhongli, knowing that it’d be the last time you’d ever see him. This was why you’d always tried to leave each world with a clean cut. This was why, at the break of dawn, you and Aether would leave without telling anyone — not Jean, not Cyno, not Dainsleif, not Ajax. Not even Zhongli, with whom you’d spent the bulk of your past year.  

“Oh, no,” Zhongli replied, brows arching upwards, “I’ve told you, have I not? The pleasure of our travels were mine to enjoy.” 

“Er... well. I’m sure Aether is also tired and wants to rest,” you prompted, squeezing Aether’s hand. Aether nodded quickly — no matter the world, you’d always been able to count on him to pick up on your nuanced signals. Though he might not know why, he knew that you were uneasy with going to this dinner, and that was enough.

“Hmm,” Zhongli pondered this shortly, then turned to your brother. You’d seen that look of calculated determination on his face before, in front of basha stalls and souvenir stores across the continent. A look that meant Zhongli would get what he wanted. “I had rather been looking forward to getting to know the sibling of my favored travel companion. Are you certain? Wanmin Restaurant is quite the gem of Liyue Harbor, and I’m certain that the food here will be a fair few notches above what the Abyss Order has been able to offer you.” 

There was a slight, amiable smile on his face, but bringing up the Abyss was a painfully low blow and you had no doubt that Zhongli, the lord of contracts and negotiations and everything in between, knew it. You watched in mute horror as the guilt and regret danced on Aether’s face, before he finally gathered it all back into an apologetic smile. “Of course, Mr. Zhongli. Far be it from me to refuse a dinner with the former Geo Archon himself, especially with all the trouble I’ve caused you...”

—  

Even after traveling the seven nations, you’d never once stopped pining for the savory, hearty flavors of Liyue cuisine. The spice of the black-perch stew that Xiangling taught you to cook had kept you warm through many a Snezhnayan blizzard, after all. Basking in the familiar scent of Wanmin Restaurant with a stomach full of hot food, and watching Paimon devour skewers of meat five at a time, you began to feel much better. 

The anger you’d felt at Zhongli’s manipulation of your brother had also since faded into contentment. After all, negotiation, you found, came as naturally to Zhongli as breathing; he had likely meant nothing by it.

Maybe it was okay that you spent just one more night with Zhongli. Maybe it would turn out to be the closure you need. 

You glanced at the man in question; he was teaching Aether how to use chopsticks, of course, and you were grateful to see that the haunted look in Aether’s eyes had given way to exasperation for now. By the time your brother had snapped his third pair of wooden ones, he was smiling and Paimon was just about rolling around on the ground in glee. As you stifled your own laughter, Zhongli set two small bottles of wine on the table.

You tried not to let yourself think about how the string lights of Chi’hu Rock glinted like stars in his eyes. 

“What’s this?” You joked, referencing Zhongli’s anger from the one time he’d seen Venti get you drunk. “Are we all to become disgraces to the arts tonight?”

Zhongli’s lip curled into a small smile. You couldn’t remember when his smiles had started coming more and more frequently, but you’d learned to savor each one. “Ordinarily, I would not condone such strong drink, but today is the most special of occasions, no?” 

As you watched, a goblet began to form between his fingers, golden, black and resplendent. You’d seen similar ones before, buried deep within the Domain of Guyun Stone Forest — an Archaic Petra Artifact, a Goblet of Chiseled Crag. According to Zhongli’s stories, the very same ones that he had created for the Seven to drink from in celebration, before all but two of them had vanished from this world. 

The cruel irony was not lost on you. 

“Besides, this is nothing like the watered down Mondstadt alcohol that that young bard partakes in,” Zhongli said, gloved fingers masterfully plucking the cork from the first bottle and pouring it into the goblets. “These two bottles contain the finest wu’liang’ye spirit that Liyue has to offer. They’ve been aged for well over decades with a technique passed down from the goddess Guizhong, whose mastery over grain and crop transcends even my own today.” 

“We’re—  flattered,” you bowed your head. The matter of Guizhong, the late Goddess of Dust and Zhongli’s good friend from when the Archon War still ravaged the land, was but one of the many things that you’d wanted to talk to him about. If only you had more time. “Thank you, Zhongli.”

He passed you the first goblet, then the second to Paimon. “Please, let’s forgo the formalities tonight. You are a dear friend to me, and so, by extension, is your family.” The second bottle was opened, its contents split between Zhongli and Aether. “Let us drink, to the happy reunion of loved ones, to the fruitful friendships you have forged in this world, and to all the triumphant adventures to be had still.”

The wince you hid was only partially from the burning drag of liquor sliding down your throat.

It had not escaped your notice that Zhongli had been staring at you all night — more intently than usual, and that was saying something. 

“y/n, I think—“ he began, as you met his gaze. By the Archons, the way he said your name—

“ Paimon thinks there should be less talking, more drinking! Ganbei!” Paimon screeches, downing half her goblet and immediately falling down to the cobblestone road, spluttering and choking at the heat. 

“This is… very strong, Mr. Zhongli,” Aether was the first to speak after. “Wonderful liquor. What gives it its mild bitterness?” 

“Bitter?” You asked, letting the drink roll on your tongue, “where’s the bitterness? It tastes mostly sweet to me.”

Aether took another long drink, thoughtfully. “Definitely bitter. Here, try a sip?”

You took his goblet, but as you pressed it to your lips, you felt it begin to violently vibrate. Quickly, you pulled it away from your face just in time for it to shatter in your hand, gold and black shards falling to the floor as what little drink left in the goblet splattered across the table. 

“Goodness,” Zhongli said, after your surprised yelp brought Paimon stumbling back to your side, her cheeks still stained scarlet from the liquor, “I must apologize. It’s been quite some time since I’ve had to construct something so small and intricate — I am out of practice, it seems.” 

“Oh! That’s quite alright, I drank most of it already—“ Aether glanced over your shoulder, “by the Archons, Paimon has a knife!”

As you watched Chef Mao try to wrestle his knife back from a cackling, red-faced Paimon, you recalled the crystal hairpin Zhongli had forged two months ago — when you’d complained of the Natlan desert wind blowing your hair into your eyes. It had been just as intricate as the goblets, and much, much smaller. One of the few belongings you were planning on bringing with you.

You wondered what reason Zhongli had to lie. 

— 

“Maybe it was a good thing your goblet shattered,” you told Zhongli, prodding Aether with one of your chopsticks. He had stopped even groaning in response. And though Paimon was still conscious, she looked as though she would much rather not be, sitting forlornly on the table with her head in her hands. “Look at them. Drunk as skunks.” 

“Maybe,” Zhongli replied, “though I did not expect these two to have such low tolerance to alcohol. It was a miscalculation on my part.” 

“Paimon’s always like this —you know, remember that bar in Snezhnaya?— but Aether’s usually better at holding his drink,” you sighed. “I should probably get him back to Wangshu Inn.”

“Let him sober up a little here. It’s a long trek to the inn, and you don’t want him making a mess of his dinner on the way back.” Loathe as you were to admit it, Zhongli was right. It seemed that the fates were demanding that you spend a little more time with him, after all. He stood up, his tremendous height still a little startling to you. 

“Will you walk with me for a little, y/n?”

It wasn’t fair, really, the way he said your name. “Where are we going?” 

“I’m not sure,” he answered. “The harbor for a breath of fresh air perhaps, or Bubu Pharmacy to fetch a remedy for Aether. Does it matter to you, where we go?”

Going anywhere with him was a pleasure, one that against your better judgement, you yearned to partake in one more time. “No,” you admitted. “Let’s go.” 

--  

“It’s been so long since we’ve walked through Liyue — a year, almost. Do you remember? It was my birthday, and we walked for hours through the harbor.” Zhongli chuckled, the sound a deep rumble through your bones. “You wouldn’t let me buy dinner that time, either.” 

The nights of Liyue, its rolling hills and monumental mountains, were a peace you’d never known before coming to Teyvat. The city was uncharacteristically quiet tonight, and by the time you got to Yujing Terrace, you realized that it was the emptiest you’d ever seen it. The usual evening crowd of kids out of school and elderly taking strolls were nowhere to be seen — not even the Millelith guards usually standing by the gate were there. 

“ That time ,” you corrected, swallowing your unease at the silence of the city, “you didn’t have a single Mora to your name.” The strides you had to take to keep up with Zhongli’s long, long legs were huge, and you struggled to stay by his side. “Look me in the eyes and tell me that I wouldn’t have had to pay the entire bill if we’d actually gone to Wangshu Inn for dinner that night.” 

You immediately regretted it when he turned his golden gaze upon you, and it took everything within you to not avert yours. “Perhaps that may have been the case,” Zhongli allowed, “though I would have returned your investment tenfold over the next week. Have I not proven as much throughout our travels?” 

His vast knowledge of valuable gemstones and herbs — and more importantly, his uncanny ability to get any deal he set his mind to — had kept you and Paimon fed for many a week during your trek through the caves and jungles of Sumeru. You had to give him that. And that wasn’t not even counting the number of boulders, traps, swords and ravenous winter wolves that his shield had protected you from—

“Fine, I’ll admit, it was nice to have you around, you bourgeois parasite,” you said, playing on his joke back from when you’d first met. Then, after a brief silence, “Zhongli, in all seriousness, thank you.”

“Hmm?”

“I know that you’ve accompanied many adventurers on their journeys,” you explained, “but you — you dropped everything and journeyed with me, and you’ve done more for me than anyone else. I could never have found Aether without you.” Zhongli was being uncharacteristically quiet, and so you hurried along to fill the silence, “We— we made a great team together. And I will never forget everything that you’ve done for me. So, thank you.” 

“A great team together...” he repeated, voice lower than a whisper. “y/n, this sounds like a farewell.” 

Your breath caught in your throat. Even in silence, you were breaking the most important rule you’d learned throughout all your travels. Never let them know you’re leaving.

Zhongli turned to face you, and his full attention is a force that you had not yet learned to endure. So instead, you turned your attention to the koi darting about among the lotus reeds as he continued, “I’ve noticed that you’ve been more careless with your Mora lately. And as for your hard-earned weapons, artifacts, and resources, you have given them all to the Knights of Favonius, correct?” 

“I gave some to the Millelith too,” you objected quietly.

“You know that is not what I meant,” Zhongli said. You did know. “Are you planning on leaving this world, y/n?”

“I have to,” you heard yourself say, “we don’t belong here.” 

As though he heard the waver in your voice, the Lord of Contracts honed in on it like a Sumeran jaguar. “Do you remember the first Lantern Rite you partook in? Though you had just arrived in Liyue, and though the Millelith, Qixing and Adepti each gave you reason to distrust them, you still chose to spend the festival helping people.” 

“I didn’t help that many—” 

“Twenty-six people,” he corrected, and you cursed yourself for not thinking that he would remember. “A dozen more, if we are to count the young and elderly of Qingce, whose lives were brightened by the festivities you brought to the village. And hundreds above that, if we acknowledge every person in Liyue Harbor, whose Lantern Rite would have been ruined had you not stopped the thief who tried to steal the Mingxiao Lantern. Am I correct?” 

“I did it for the compensation,” you retorted, determined not to let yourself think about the people you’d helped. Who would help them after you left? 

“Hmm.” Zhongli rested his gloved fingers against his chin, and you could tell that he didn’t buy your bluff, not for a moment. “Anyone else, I may have believed. But you, y/n, who have begged me to stay my hand against fleeing Hilichurls? You, who could not bear to attack the Mitachurl that sits alone on Mount Tianheng and watches the harbor? You, who gave it a name ?” 

“Okay,” you finally relented. “Okay, I like helping people, and I don’t want to go. But that doesn’t mean I can stay. It’s— it’s not good for Aether to stay here, after what this world has done to him.” 

“With time, I believe your brother can adjust—”

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be, Zhongli,” you begged, and the tone of your voice finally made him take notice. He regarded you for a moment, and you thought you saw his eyes glow bright. 

“The last thing I wanted,” he sighed, reaching into his coat, “was for it to come to this.” 

Your first reaction was to reach for your weapon — it wasn’t there; you’d given Festering Desire to dear little Bennett just before you’d left Mondstadt. Still, you felt the bright burn of shame when the only thing Zhongli pulled out was a piece of parchment, folded into a perfect square. How could you think that after everything, Zhongli would ever hurt you? 

“Do you remember this contract of ours?” Zhongli asked as he carefully unfolded the paper, handing it to you. You stared down at the neat lines of calligraphy, punctuated by your name in your own handwriting. 

Of course you remembered: the moment you had approached Zhongli at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, after your expedition into Havria’s domain. The day you’d asked him to join you on your travels.

“ Oh? A new contract? I'm still on leave, but I can accompany you for a while. ” Zhongli had mused, as though he hadn’t just sent butterflies soaring through your insides. “ What name should I use on the contract? I have a great many names, though when on leave... I tend to go by Zhongli. And you, Traveler? What name will you be signing on this contract— ?” 

The following contract had been quickly printed in his swift brushstrokes — simple terms: he would lend his strength and knowledge to your endeavor of finding Aether, and you, in turn, would simply keep him in good company. 

Even at the time, you’d wondered what was in it for Zhongli — the terms of the contract had seemed rather imbalanced, but in your euphoria at having gained Zhongli as your new travelling partner, you had not thought more on it. 

—

The same terms stared back at you now, and you were quickly realizing what was going on. 

For thousands of years, I have made countless contracts. If the deal was of no benefit, then I certainly would not be inclined to agree to it. 

The day you discovered his identity, Zhongli had said this to you. He’d never signed a contract before that did not benefit him wholly; and you were a fool to think he would’ve made an exception for you. 

“By keeping you in good company,” you said, numbly, “you don’t mean— forever ?”

“In the circumstances that the duration of a contract’s term is unspecified—” Zhongli held out his hand for the parchment. Briefly, you debated tearing it up and scattering it to the koi, but you knew well enough that it would not void the contract — one of the hundreds of thousands that Zhongli had undoubtedly seared into his memory. You handed it back to him silently. “Well, it would be fair to say that you are obliged to uphold it, until I personally release you from it, no?”

The first thing you felt was: fear, deep and chilling. You hadn’t truly believed that Zhongli would hurt you — until now. Until a contract had come into play. Until you realized you were poised to break one.

“You can’t be serious,” you said, but you’d known him long enough to know that he was. “I found my brother. I’m not from this world, and so I have to leave. I have to go home.” 

“Has Teyvat not provided you enough of a home? You have made friends here, allies who would die for you in a heartbeat. And as for Liyue — Liyue will always be as much of your home as mine. You have your own room in Chi’hu Rock, you are on a first-name basis with the Qixing and the Adepti would spar with you as though you were one of their own—”

You could feel your resolve trembling, but it was not enough. You would not ask your brother to compromise his wellbeing in a world that had not been kind to him. “I’m sorry,” you said, and you understood fully what was coming. “I can’t stay.” 

“After everything we have gone through, my friend, you would leave... me?” And there it was. In that moment, the former Archon — the oldest being in the world — looked so lonely that you almost broke down, almost apologized, almost reassured him that you would never once again put him through what he’d gone through far too many times: the loss of a friend. 

“I’m sorry,” you repeated. “My family comes first. I can’t stay.” 

Zhongli’s expression became unreadable. He closed his eyes, and for a moment, there was a peaceful silence that you savored. You had a feeling that it would be the last one you’d ever have in Liyue. The seconds crawled by, and briefly, you let yourself hope that Zhongli might relent, might make an exception for his close travel companion. 

“Well then, my friend,” Zhongli finally said, holding out his right arm. Sparks of energy gathered in his palms, forming a wicked, golden spear. The Vortex Vanquisher. You’d seen it countless times, marveling each time at its beauty and strength. You never thought you would one day be staring down the end of it. “You must know what comes next.” 

—

On your journey, you’d witnessed many a broken contract between Zhongli and other people — an Inazuman merchant whose greed for an extra trinket got the better of him; a Sumeran scholar who just needed to grab that last book from the hidden ruins; a Snezhnayan soldier whose loyalty to the Tsaritsa transcended his gratitude to you saving his life— 

None of them had escaped unscathed.  And each time, after delivering the punishment required of the situation, Zhongli would ask you the same thing, uncharacteristic frustration in his voice: 

“ To get people to abide by a contract, and act in accordance with the guidelines set out within, is simply to ask them to respect the concept of fairness. It is not a large request. How are there those who still do not understand such simplicity? ”

Each time, after you’d cheered him on in his reckoning of justice, you would nod and agree sympathetically. None of their contracts, you thought, had been particularly difficult to uphold. And each time, you would thank the heavens that you had more sense than to break a promise between yourself and the God of Contracts. 

It seemed that today, you were going to learn of what happened when you did. 

You took a step backwards as Zhongli took a slow, calculated one towards you. Having closely watched him rain destruction down upon your foes for the past few months, you knew with certainty that you, lightheaded from the wind and the still exhausted from your fight with Aether, would not be able to keep up with his speed and technique. 

And even if you weren’t, how could you even hope to compete with six thousand years of experience in war and strife and carnage? No; fighting him was not an option.

“Come on now, Zhongli,” you pleaded, taking another step and discovering, to your horror, that one more step backwards would have you falling into the koi ponds. You had nowhere else to go. “Aren’t we friends?” 

Even as the words left your mouth, you knew that they would fall on uncaring ears. Friendship had never stayed the hand of the victor of the Archon war.

Zhongli took another lazy stride forward. 

“Are we really going to fight in the city? We’ll destroy half the harbor.”

“While I appreciate your concern, I am quite confident that it will not come to that,” Zhongli said, the ‘because I would long have you pinned under my spear before then’ unspoken but tacit. “And besides, most of Liyue architecture is of stone. It would be nothing that I could not easily fix.” 

Fair enough. You switched gears, praying that two millennia of walking amongst the mortals had given him some vestige of human empathy. “Please, I need to go back and check on Aether. What if he woke up and found himself alone? Who knows what Paimon’s done to him by now.”

“Aether,” Zhongli said, “will not wake up for another day or two.” 

You pause, letting that register. “What?” 

The first bottle: you and Paimon. The second bottle: Zhongli and Aether. You remembered how carefully Zhongli handed you the first goblet, though Liyuenese etiquette would have mandated that he pass the first drink to the guest at the table. The way the goblet had shattered suddenly rang clear in your mind’s eye. His lie. How adamantly Zhongli must have been trying to keep you from drinking from Aether’s cup— 

“The herb I placed in his drink was but a very mild… sedative. He will almost certainly not die from it, but it can take mortals up to two days to regain consciousness.”

“ What ?” You could barely breathe. “You’re joking. You drank from the same bottle he did.”

“You need not concern yourself about me. My body has always been much more resistant to poisons than that of mortals.” 

The rage made your throat tight; it had been a long, long time since you had been so angry. “Congratulations, you know that there’s absolutely no way I’m staying now, right?” 

“Even before our confrontation today, I could tell that your mind was already made up,” he explained, as nonchalant as ever, as though he hadn’t just poisoned your fucking brother . “Naturally, the next course of action was to prevent you from breaking your contract by any means necessary, so that we could further negotiate. I did not want—” 

You would never learn what Zhongli didn’t want, because the fury in your lungs erupted outwards in a burst of elemental energy. You reached out, grabbing one of the last swords in your arsenal — a dull blade that you had been keeping around for enhancement fodder — but it didn’t matter, didn’t matter didn’t matter didn’t matter. All that mattered in that moment was making Zhongli pay . 

The familiar warmth of the element you were attuned to channeled through the sword, and you swung it as hard as you could in the direction of the former Archon. A wake of hardened earth ripped through the stone brick of the terrace, circling Zhongli in a jagged cage of rock and crystal. A little too late, you realized your folly.

Zhongli absently reached out, resting his gloved fingers against the earthly fangs you’d entrapped him within. Even through the haze of your anger, you could see a smile — a kind you had never seen on him — forming between his cheeks. “How ironic,” he said, “that you would use the powers that I granted you against me.” 

You could see the glow of Geo flowing from your constructs towards his outstretched palm. Vaguely, you knew that you had to run . 

“And how endearing—” he continued, and you could hear the rumbling beneath your feet, even as you turned to flee, “—that you truly thought it would work.” 

From behind, a shockwave of Geo more powerful than anything you’d ever felt smashed into you, throwing you off your feet and slamming you against the wall behind the pond. You crumpled like a paper lantern, cheek hitting the cool stone floor. As you struggled to keep your eyes open, the last things you saw were Zhongli’s intricate boots, gleaming in the moonlight before you.

[mashtonasfuck]

Take My Hand Tour Masterpost

Hi friends, here is a handy post with links to everything I’ve posted from my TMH dates! (I’m also including my Pryzm show in this, even though it wasn’t technically a part of the tour.) Also, there are flashing lights in all of the videos, so please be aware of that.

Pryzm, London - 8pm, 1/4/22

Disconnected

Ashton during Youngblood, and some photos

2011 hype from Michael

Second verse of 2011

Wembley Arena, London - 6/4/22

Photos of Ashton after the final bow

Photos of Calum

My favourite photo I've ever taken

Photo of the band during Red Desert

Photos of Luke

Photos of Michael

Full performance of Easy for You to Say

2011 hype from Michael

Ashton showing off his outfit

Malum during Talk Fast

Band Twitter account retweeting my tweet about the Wembley show

Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff - 8/4/22

Lover of Mine

Photos of the band during Easy for You to Say

Photos of the band

Full performance of supernova/Red Desert

2011 hype from Michael

Full performance of Easy for You to Say

Plymouth Pavillions, Plymouth - 11/4/22

Michael during Amnesia

Wildflower

Michael during Disconnected, and some photos

2011 hype from Michael

Utilita Arena, Birmingham - 12/4/22

Photo of Ashton

2011 hype from Michael

Michael during Complete Mess

Calum during Wildflower

Ashton and Michael during If Walls Could Talk

Zenith, Paris - 10/5/22

Photo of Ashton carrying Luke at the end of the show

Video of Ashton picking Luke up at the end of the show

Photos of the band coming on stage

Second verse of 2011

Photos of Michael

Calum hyping up his boys

2011 hype from Michael