#hoyo needs to bring her back :(((((

[xylon8]

mini Kafka drabble :33

[Sfw} laying on your shared mattress showcasing kafka in a simple white tee and black shorts and her hair out of her usual messy bun just sprawled out on a silk pillowcase, her face clean of any makeup.. Her soft, deft hands running through your hair, immediately relieving her stress and fatigue and her lips chiseled in such a warm smile that always makes your heart falter instead of her usual practiced smirk. your head on her chest because she knows you love her chest so much when it comes to cuddling. soft hymns surrounding your ears with her gentle and airy voice only for you to hear in special moments like this. Her natural eyes without her contact lenses are softer than velvet just casually gazing at you with so much love.. Intimate or not she will always appreciate and deeply love parts of your body that you hate in your eyes. Spoiling you with money and with her love is just her favorite thing to do. Being able to see you smile makes her feel 10x times as happy. She would do anything and everything to preserve your precious smile, as far as to get a ring if she decides to. 

[Nsfw} Such showcases of affection would def apply if you get intimate. She would litter kisses and touches on every inch of skin she can get ahold of with your consent. Your face, every curve and dip of your body. tummy, and thighs just covered in her lipstick to further prove her devotion to you. No part of you would be left untouched with her. When it comes to the pleasure she's an absolute dream. Her soft sighs, breaths and hums.. Her chest moving each inhale and exhale  just get sweeter if you hit her right buttons. Doesn't matter how you do it she will always feel good because you’re the one pleasing her. And she would always make sure to return the favour by doing everything you did to her, only stronger. She's not the only one getting to feel good oh no. both of you will feel boneless one way or another so she can have another excuse to hold you close again. 

:3

[yogorlhilanne]

Yk... Paimon has, for some reason, EXPLICITLY changed ever since Sumeru came out... Well actually no, ever since Fontaine came out and the things she said.

Like, fym my emotional support tiny guide companion is supposedly racist???? (old screenshots before Sumeru)

Paimon before Fontaine coming out was so fucking peak, idk what tf Hoyo is trying to tell us or even do by making her the complete opposite before Fontaine came out.

LIKE GIVE MY BABY GIRL JUSTICE????

[welcometoteyvat]

[leaks] madame ping rumors.... woahhhh

[takuyakistall]

where's home?

mydei-centric fic, hints of x reader

note: rare hoyo pull from me

Mydei can't help but think about what “home” is to a person. The word itself didn't need any clarity; it’s a place where someone stays—a place where they belong. To maidens and priests presiding over time, it might be the temples that wove fate. To scholars who yearn for the skies, it should be the grove that housed reason.

To an uncrowned king burdened by strife, it might be his desecrated land. Though that wasn't quite the case—only his warriors yearned to march back to Castrum Kremnos, ready to raise their arms in the name of strife and glory under their new king. To make that desolate land their home once more.

It was a complicated predicament on Mydei’s part. If anyone else heard the thoughts that raced through his mind, they'd ridicule him for not sharing the same sentiment as his people.

A lesson he learned through various interactions taught him that “home” can't be the same for each person. A group of people—no matter how similar they are—will always have a different home they hold close to their hearts. Beliefs and morals are merely means of bringing people together but a home is something one can attain through a sense of belonging.

Perhaps that's what he lacked.

For someone so extraordinary, he struggles with something as ordinary as this—it was almost pathetic. Mydei and the word pathetic don't go together.

“Each person has a home.” Hyacine once told him. After looking at his face, she couldn't help but shake her hands and added, “at least, that's what I believe.”

Mydei couldn't help but wonder what his face looked like to warrant that reaction from her. He can only assume that it was something that made her think ‘Ah, this person doesn't quite get it.’

Or maybe he made her too patronizing inside his head. Either way, it was obvious that she said that out of consideration for him. Though her notice told him that it was her personal definition of what “home” is, it was only through more observation that Mydei realized that her words hold truth in them.

It wasn't easy for him to see that home doesn't refer to mere houses or buildings. It could be a person, a feeling, or perhaps even a moment in time where a person feels like they belong. It occurred to him that perhaps his people longed for the place that gave them a sense of belonging, painting Castrum Kremnos as their home, blind to the simple gestures that make up a home. From coming back to family after a long day at work to seeking solace at a secret nook by the bathhouse—do these not paint a picture of people finding their homes? Is love not a part of finding one?

Mydei continues this thought.

It's only when love is lost that someone truly loses their home. If you lose love for joy, living, or even the smallest things in life—then how could anyone ever hope for finding a sense of belonging in this rotting world? If home and love go hand in hand, then what a miserable existence Mydei would be if he didn't have a place to call home. He does not consider himself to be devoid of love. His grief and anguish is proof that he feels.

Then what does Mydei call home?

Castrum Kremnos was long gone, overrun by the black tide. It might've been his home once but he can't find much comfort in a lost kingdom that shunned him away, it is only in his mother's embrace that he finds solace. Okhema wasn't as familiar but it was foreign enough to remind Mydei of the flame chase journey. It may not be his home but it's a place where he can come back to; his allies are ready to welcome him back as a hero once more.

In between everything and everywhere—

Maybe Mydeimos finds home in a person instead.

Perhaps it's only in an embrace where he can let loose. Fingers running through his hair that makes him feel whole again. Words that bring him nothing but warmth. It's only when he loves that he finds home once more.

So as long as he brings that love with him in his journey, then who could ever hope of taking away home from him?

That's the answer Mydei settled on. It's an answer he likes. It's an answer that holds nothing but the truth.

He sinks back into his seat, staring at the stormy skies as the black tide continues to plague Amphoreus.

He's starting to feel a little homesick.

[generalsdiary]

listen I might sound crazy but you know how Aventurine would spend all of his money on his family were they alive? like they grew up poor- worse than poor, and he is always gambling yes- but he is also insanely rich. you just know he'd shower them in money and buy everything for them and that credits today have little to no meaning to him because he has gotten them too late. it wasn't "fast enough" to save them, to ease their lives. and you just know he regrets it, but still hoards more credits, gambling, earning, wasting, etc.

now allow me to draw a parallel to a character in gi most of the fandom doesn't like. dori. LET ME SPEAK- dori's sister died (in her arms) from an illness because her family didn't have enough money to buy the herbs prescribed for her sister's treatment and that is why Dori ends up cherishing every mora/money, turns in a mora hungry capitalist powerhouse and makes everything about her; just money. because she couldn't help her sibling when it mattered. also the "limitless mora" for her comes from receiving a bunch of items from Alice (Klee's mom) - they made a business deal, etc, just a detail.

and it is interesting how most of the fandom dislikes dori so much (meta wise I get it, and also some other povs), when the parallel to aventurine is a straight line and he is loved and liked by so many (granted, I love riney). no amount of mora/credits can bring their family member(s) back or fix what happened, yet they stay in it, hoarding more, be it due to our boy's luck, or Dori's deal and persistence. I know many ppl draw his line to Kaveh, but from this pov it is screaming Dori.

and yh his story is more tragic- but we are talking money rn ppl- stay focused;

here is where their characters differ in the money area. with how little regard he has towards the money, Aventurine, our Kakavasha is so kind, so so kind. he gives out freely, he doesn't give two shits while sending money to the TB (it is worth mentioning that he thinks he also HAS to do it, and that gifts and things of high material value are most appreciated, ex. the gifts the TB receives after become the captain of the ship in penacony. he sadly has a view of it that everyone needs to be given something in return, truly struggling with forming real friendships/relationships except with the TB and Ratio- which I'd love to go more into on another analysis), he openly shares his money to whomever- and in his contrast, dori would probably rather jump off a cliff than give a single gold mora coin to... well, anyone.

both have been through such tragedy and turned rich later on through various means- when it technically no longer matters to them as much as it could've mattered before- and to see one be indifferent towards it/see it as a means to an end & what ppl respond well to vs. the other be stingy to the point she is hurting people while doing it and purposefully putting them in debt (I hate you for what you did to Kaveh TWICE, dori.), makes a really interesting parallel made by hoyo ngl. thoughts?

[kaeyachi]

I have been summoned by your mentions of Kaeya’s mother in your tags and I DARE YOU TO SHARE YOUR THEORIES AND HEADCANONS ABOUT HER!!! PLEASE I NEED SOMEONE OTHER THAN ME CARING ABOUT KAEYA’S MOM AND PONDERING IDEAS ABOUT HER!!!

YOOOO GET READY (with 5.7 livestream fuel, though sorry it took a while!! And this kinda ended up being angsty 😭)

KaeMama HCs (because hoyo is not giving us even a hint about her):

* The HC only version*

Kaeya looks a lot like his mother actually (especially considering the canon Alberich traits we have seen so far. none of them matched Kaeya other than Caribert's cool aura lmao)

Because of that, there were times when his biological father would struggle to even look at him.

Kaeya also unfortunately has not much memory about her because he lost her when he was too young to remember

All he could do is occasionally stare at the mirror and try to imagine what she actually looked like. Sometimes, he would just walk around in front of a mirror with his hair down

She was actually the adventurous and mischievous one between her and Kaeya's father. She was prone to melodramatics, and she enjoyed performing in front of a crowd

She also had a wonderful singing voice. Sometimes, Kaeya would dream of someone humming a popular Khaenri'ahn melody. He wonders if that was her

when Venti plays a familiar tune on nights where they are the last patrons of Angel's Share, he swears he could hear her voice accompanying the the sounds from the lyre

Kaeya did try to pry from his father some more information about her, but his father was apparently so heartbroken that on those nights, he ends up staring blankly in total silence as he reminisced about her, unable to tell his son anything

Kaeya's mother was definitely the light of his father's life before Kaeya was born. She was the social butterfly who managed to bring out the shy (secretly immortal) nobleman out of his shell

(She took his ability to smile with her to the grave)

That being said, she was also sickly. Just like Kaeya, she too grew up to be frequently ill. However, unlike Kaeya, she never outgrew it. Kaeya was taken care of by multiple staff and the best doctors Crepus could find, but his mother never got that privilege in her youth

Speaking of Crepus, when he failed to find information about Kaeya's father, his next move was to look for his mother instead. His search led him to Sumeru

Not much was known about her other than a brief note about her scholar records from Haravatat and her history of performing in plays before she disappeared with a man

Crepus debated on telling Kaeya this, especially because he recently just attempted to sneak away to Sumeru. He worries that the little boy he just took in would try again before he was physically fit to do so. Crepus figures he'll tell Kaeya once he is of age. That way, if Kaeya would like to learn more and go on that journey alone, then he would be able to do it safely and legally (and we all know how that ended)

Don't worry. In recent times, Diluc and Adelinde finally found the courage to rummage Crepus's office to prepare to deep clean it. There, they found a thick folder full of information on Kaeya's mother

Kaeya receives it as a gift on his birthday. When he realized what the folder contained, he couldn't help but cry in front of Diluc (hugged him just to put snot on his expensive coat though).

Kaeya insisted that he and Diluc should read through it together, as Kaeya's demand for his birthday. They both couldn't help but realize, as they read more and more, how similar Kaeya was to his mother

Just as they were about to finish, a picture fell out from the back, and they stared in awe at them finally seeing Kaeya's mother. He really did look a lot like her

*With theory version*

if she weren't just a Sumerian in recent years, she would actually have to have been there 500 years ago and was turned immortal herself

I'm saying this because Kaeya's father seems to care too much about the family history, custom, and duty to not have been there 500 years ago. Most Khaenri'ahns who weren't there during the Cataclysm don't have the same anger and sadness that the ones that were there do (eg. what we have seen from Capitano and his men and Pierro compared to how Albedo and Arlecchino act)

I'm also saying she has to be immortal/full-blooded Khaenri'ahn because that would give a valid excuse as to how Kaeya wouldn't be turned into a hilichurl

At first, I considered the possibility of her being King Irmin's daughter purely coz I can't fully comprehend why of all noble families in Khaenri'ah would an Alberich be their next choice. Based on what we know now, I think the Alberich clan can handle doing that on their own

Allegedly, the sinners did not help Khaenri'ah during the Cataclysm, but an Alberich clearly was doing something, so if I'm right, there are no Alberich clansmen that are counted as one of the 5 sinners... though Hroptatyr and Rerir are looking a bit sus for now... especially with exactly 5 names mentioned as Khaenri'ahs in book 2 of Perinheri

But yes, back to KaeMama. If she has not been turned into a monster, then she could just give birth to Kaeya in recent times- she has to have been a pureblood noble (or the next dragon lord at the time but thats just my demons talking)

if she was a half-blood at the time, that means Kaeya was timey-wimey'd (which also fits the fact that he was born IN Khaenri'ah, unless we just have some rotting immortals roaming the destroyed streets of Khaenri'ah right now lmao)

I also had an idea that has ONCE AGAIN no backing at all (i seem to be saying this a lot 🥀) that maybe she really was just a scholar? Basically, she was out there helping Khaenri'ahns create a vessel that could potentially absorb a gnosis, just like Wanderer. She made him in her image, and an Alberich volunteered to be the sole source of some DNA (kinda stemmed from the thought that Kaeya was called a pawn blah blah blah can ascend to any higher piece which are conveniently gnosis-shaped blah blah blah same old Kaeya archon theory i was spouting some time ago)

bringing back crack theory where tsaritsa was the mama just to end this post coz i still think it would be funny but interesting

I will be ending this here for now! Thanks for the ask!!

[lyss-sketchbox]

Like they have to know that Signora and Capitano are really wanted by the playerbase right? They want money and one of the most important and well designed they just...kill off? Not make playable? Signora I don't understand either. We had to wait until Fontaine for a cryo catalyst, but could've had Signora much sooner, like the least they could do is redesign them a little and bullshit an explanation.

Actually ya'know what! I also have this problem with the 2 adeptus that simply use modified NPC designs for. Just simply say that "Cloud Retainer thought our human forms could use some touching up. We tried to convince her otherwise, but you can't exactly say no to her."

You need to understand that Genshin not only has gacha but also a story. They can't just treat characters all willy nilly when they have lore relevance.

Signora's death while it does suck, had major relevance to the plot. She is well designed so that it makes more impact when she gets killed off, like you thought they wouldn't but they did, if she was NPC model #3 I doubt it would've been as impactful. Who knows they may bring her back because Fatui science or whatever but there is and should be more consideration of making a playable character than just merely 'they will make money'

Yeah them using NPC models for the 2 adeptis are so lazy. It's so off seeing Xianyun talk to 2 NPCs who are supposed to be of equal relevance of her but it's hoyo ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[moonsglare]

wing kjsr anon here!!

its pretty uncertain if she can fly or not. i hc that she did know the basics but after being fostered by kujou, she slowly forgot. since it is canon that she never really connected with her tengu side after being adopted.

another reason why i think there is a chance she might have known to fly is that in her friendship lv.6 story where she gets her vision.

"Though she had the strength of the tengu, she was still young and could not stand against the monsters alone, and was hurled from a cliff during the battle, her wings having been damaged prior.

Plummeting from the heights, and unable to unfurl her injured wings, she seemed fated to fall to her death."

like i think its hinted that she could have been able to fly and not fall if her wings weren't injured. i could be reading too much into it!

if she ever do gets a hangout quest, i hope we see her connect with her tengu side. maybe even visit that mountain she originally lived in. like we barely get any crumbs regarding her, even gorou got more than her 😭😭

i dont play genshin anymore and wasn't really an active player but omg i think a lot we got to lrarn about her was from her teapot interactions and the character stories.

shes so forgotten and mischaracterized that everytime i see people write her as mean and cold, i need to take a deep breath and take a walk 😞😞

i wish people started to actually learn her character than just call her a raiden simp. also bit off topic but i really hated how the inazuma archon quest ended. it pisses me off how they build so much tension just to end it like that..

signora's death was not needed imo, we barely got to even learn more about her character. and all we got about her past from were literal artifacts. and like the tension like the political complexities that happened at the time, the way we saw how people were affected after they got their vision taken away..like it was all soo well written in the beginning and then it just ended like that. inazuma was what got me into the game after liyue but also after inazuma, no quest really hit hard like how the quest where we get to see how inazuma was during the vision hunt decree.

like they wasted sm time on an npc that i could not bring myself to care about!! like i did not gaf during his death scene 😭😭 even yoimiyas quest was wasted on npcs if i remember correctly.

ok i think i rambled bit too much, but i stand by kjsr deserving more crumbs 💯💯

yeah, sara flying is a very grey lore area. i think at the very least we can assume she has the capacity to glide... god she makes me so emotionally unwell i need to give her so many comfort kisses shdlfjsdf also i agree somewhat with your view on the inazuma questline. i think the introductory patches like 2.0 and 2.1 were alright in building up to the war and establishing the weight of it, and how the sakoku decree has affected people from ritou to inazuma city to eventually watatsumi, and how neither citizen nor foreigner is spared. however, hoyo fumbled their landing so immensely to me. most criminally i think was there wasn't really any exploration of the fallout of the war and the decree. kokomi's story quest outlined the peace treaty between the shogunate and watatsumi, but that's literally it. why couldn't hoyo have included even a world quest or something about regular people trying to bounce back post war? surely inazuma's economy and technology has suffered ever since the decree was established. but no, there's not a single hint of information as to how these issues were resolved. it makes the war feel like it wasn't that big of a deal at all, since people seemed to have moved on pretty much immediately. it's a waste of incredibly rich story potential and as someone who does occasionally partake in writing, it genuinely hurts to see something miss the mark so horrendously.

as for teppei, i didn't feel any attachment to him at all, even when he died. honestly, i was more annoyed by him than anything. throughout the entire quest he was a part of, from when we meet him to when he dies, he maintains this cheery, naive energy to him. and again, hoyo's missed potential strikes again, because they could have written a bright-eyed character eager to partake in all the 'glory' of war coming to learn that in truth, there is no glory in war at all, only misery and suffering. that would've made a more compelling story, to me, instead of what we got. honestly, i was more attached to kazari then teppei, and she's a world quest character who doesn't say a single word. and onto signora... i will be crucified for this but to be truthful, i was never that attached to signora. yes she was very attractive when kicking venti in the guts but beyond that... she never stood out to me. i started actively disliking signora when she fucked sara up so badly we walk into tenshukaku and see her barely alive on the floor. after i saw that it was case closed for signora in my book lmao, if the shogun hadn't offed her EYE would've hsdlfjdhfljdf i fear signora will never find my forgiveness for that crime (not that it matters since she's-- *GUNSHOTS*)

anyway. one last thing about inazuma story quest before i go that has always bugged me immensely. the whole war between watatsumi and the shogunate... it's a complete farce when you think about it. there's genuinely no way the rebellion could have ever hoped to succeed if the traveler didn't show up. and i know that sounds obvious, but listen: the rebellion only exists because the shogun permits it to. realistically, if she so desired, the shogun could have sunk watatsumi in one blow. she may no longer have her gnosis in her possession, but a god is a god, and watatsumi is a godless land. i think the shogun would have been completely content turning the war into a battle of attrition, and in that sense, she has already won from the start. after all, who could possibly outlast eternity? this set the grounds for some absolutely crazy politicking and scheming that i would have absolutely LOVED to see... but we all know how the story quest ended up being so :/

[narwhalandchill]

how are we feeling about this project amber update

assuming this is in relation to childe bc who the fuck else JWDJWJKDJKW anon im so sorry if not. also so so sorry for how out of hand this got. i am simply unwell about him.

But! Well. there certainly are thoughts

(obviously 4.6 datamine of arle SQ and her voicelines; This Will Not Spoil Anything Abt The Main SQ Plot, i only discuss the relevant parts. also some p Heavy negativity towards fanon ooc at the start youve been warned dont @ me)

(i mean i didnt even read anything of the SQ but The scene w childe so idek the main plot of the quest rly either lmao. tho go at ur own risk if u wanna check the dialogue out; its the 2nd quest log but it does hint at the greater story)

TLDR: how i feel abt his appearance in a vaccuum? quite solid despite the briefness, actually. accounting for the way fanon is 100% likely going to be reading into this and turning it into the Lets Infantilize Ajax Even More 2024 championship? conflicted.

in other words; a certified labyrinth warriors moment - theyve expanded on childes character in a very interesting and quite a compelling way and while i Do like the potential in what im seeing from hoyos end theyve also done it so that its going to be misinterpreted to hell and back by fanon so i kinda have an immediate jaded love-hate moment going on JJWJDKJDKJWJDWKJ

its literally just labyrinth warriors flashbacks - that event has some of my ALL TIME favorite insights into who ajax is and how he views the world and himself but when the event came out all everyone cared abt was to warp it into baby boy stuck in scawwy paper boy dungeon dehumanizes himself by calling himself a weapon and doesnt love himself he is such a sad trauma meowkitten 🥺🥺so yeah

bc like lets look at this properly for a bit; okay he went back to fontaine to look for skirk still somewhat injured and waa waa my 286 month infant baby cannot Make decisions like that!!!!!11! which is to say. i am tired of him getting this shit every time.

is it smart of him to get on the move immediately with just the bare minimum of rest? no. do i like that hes straining himself before proper recovery? not particularly no. do i feel the particular need to psychoanalyze this grown man and feared warrior whos 100% survived Way Worse in Way More Extreme Situations for it? hell fucking no.

while not at all the course of action a medical professional would approve of. from childes POV its perfectly logical hes priorizing going back for skirk when its literally the FIRST TIME shes showed up in like. a Decade. when hes been looking for her all this time are you kidding me 😭😭😭 but fanon must keep fanoning for their widdle baby girl so what does a hater like me know

anyway. seething and venting over im gonna try to avoid bringing up how much i hate this kinda infantilization of ajax now im sorry for bringing it up so much on ur innocent ask anon KJWDJKWKJDJDKWJKD. neutral discussion moment. i Promise

so it seems that theyre going for the pulcinella-is-shady-about-ajax (and prolly his family) angle for good and like. personally for me as long as the only real source of that claim was scara (a cynical edgelord who doesnt believe in non-exploitative human relationships, mind you) i was rather skeptical towards just instantly drawing that conclusion, but well. with the scene in arles AQ it appears to be sth theyre building towards

i actually really fucking loved that scene bc while theres outsider perspectives (scara obvi; and even arles line for him has that vibe. and ppl still take that shit face value 💀💀) and a lot of fandom assuming childes like. completely clueless and naive and ignorant towards the potential risks involved with trusting pulcinella. this is actually a very clever demonstration of quite the opposite? and showcasing how despite his aversion towards schemes and lies hes still intelligent and knows the kind of people hes dealing with when it comes to his fellow harbingers

like. childe has a negative opinion of arle based on what pulcinella has told him about her because at face value many of her deeds are in heavy conflict with his values of loyalty and family. and because he does not have the further context behind her actions and what the HotH under her is really like. Obviously hed hold a very hostile and wary view towards arlecchino

(ESPECIALLY when with all this biased intel hes still going to run into kids from the house!!! and then hes going wtf? these are good kids. what the hell is that knave doing with them??? blink twice if you need help i will start a civil war for yall like thats how he is with kids!!!!)

so YES. pulcinella has given him if not false then at least misleading intel based on the political tension between himself and arlecchino and the wider HotH. and childes taken that at face value! sure! he is close with pulcinella of course he would!

BUT. THEN. he returns to fontaine and seeks arlecchinos help looking for skirk. and observes her behavior and modus operandi for himself as well as the kids. does he go "nah she must be just hiding the crazy evil shit i would never distrust pulcinella" and leave it at that when reality doesnt completely match his expectations?

NO. because when offered the opportunity through the traveler asking about the HotH childe immediately capitalizes on the opportunity to prod for answers and see if pulcinella is lying to him!!!!

and hes so fucking smart with the way he does it too???? i LOVE his intelligence. the entire thing is so simple yet elegant; it Completely relies on his reputation as the kinda gullible harbinger whod Never scheme or hide Anything to indirectly affirm or deny his suspicions. he doesnt Need to Pretend to care about the possibility of arle betraying the kids bc he genuinely does!! and when she pushes back against the accusation he doesnt Need to fake admitting to her that well, actually, its all just rumors so he could be completely wrong. and so on. like he navigates the entire thing so effortlessly. and whats the end result?

childe has Confirmation of pulcinellas possible ulterior motives in action AND that arlecchino is a much more reliable ally than he initially assumed. all the while appearing as just The Straightforward 11th. like obviously id need to hear it voiced first to be sure but in text it v much gives the impression hes almost kinda just. playing up the threats towards arle and being "dumb" on Purpose?? to get the answers he wanted out of arle without appearing like hes fishing for anything particular. and i just hhhhhhhhhhh

i love when he does this so muchhhh!!!!!! 😭😭 he doesnt need to become some machiavellian schemer to be able to strategize !!!!!! he avoids scheming bc he Dislikes it not bc hes incapable of it like this has Always been the case Since Liyue AQ and i love whenever they show that side of himm . my Beloved

so anyway. while i do still think the like "pulcinella is bad and has his family hostage" is still kind of a generic plotline and i hope the writing regarding the whole thing wont ultimately turn out to be sth That simplified and black and white. its p clear theyre doing Something with pulcinellas motivations and as they are. im Really glad theyre letting it show that childes not just some completely passive party being manipulated in this all. he Is thinking abt this stuff and his position among the harbingers. ig we shall see where it goes - not the greatest fan of the concept still, but canon text supports it becoming a thing way more than when it was just scaras word we had for it. hope theyll surprise me positively w how they go about it!

then briefly for the rest uhh

also loved arle and childe just shittalking the rest of the harbingers it was amazing. i wasnt expecting this kinda dynamic between them at all but its great lmao. also i wanna see childe hang out w the HotH kids

as for project stuzha; so we dont really get anything solid on it other than being summoned back to snezhnaya for it is apparently a Big Deal. but still very interested. let my man have his endgame significance Trust

childes appearance was obviously v brief ultimately but that was clear from his leaked linecount to begin with - i am pretty satisfied with what they seem to have done w him. like its not The Best but also i wasnt expecting his lore to get some massive expansion in another harbingers SQ . the worst i feared was that it was just going to be a flashback of arle returning his vision which did Not happen so massive W. i am super hyped to hear this scene voice acted proper and happy to see him again, i really hope he gets to appear at least once more in an interlude or dains quest or something before going on hiatus again but idk if thats too much to ask LKKWJDJWDJWD

also: i am never changing my namecard after this patch drops. oh my godddddddd its So Fucking Beautiful 😭😭😭😭

But. Yeah. lots of good stuff. unfortunately lots of it will get misinterpreted and fanon will get obnoxious about it. but i still love getting to see him again and i am speedrunning that namecard day fucking one mutuals and/or followers in EU please add me (UID 711090267) ill need coop buddies for the world bosses

thank youuuuuuu for the ask i hope this monstrosity of a monologue doesnt scare u off 💀💀💀

[revserrayyu]

2.5 Xianzhou continuance thoughts [part 4]

**SPOILER warning** for the end of the mission, covering the conversations between the Yaoqing trio, the Generals and everything else. If you haven’t cleared the story yet then go do so. Or go farm some relics. Do a ten pull. Go frolic outside. Do whatever you wish except ruin your own story experience with spoilers by reading ahead.

The way my heart sank thinking that Jiaoqiu truly didn’t survive his injuries..

..only for us to see Trailblazer and Bailu messing around, weeping at a hastily put together grave for March because she disappeared out for their sight for two minutes. Hoyo must take great pride in successfully giving me a heart attack.

Pfftt, I’ll enjoy the lighthearted conversation while I can though I guess. We truly didn’t do much during this mission with all the POV switch ups that happened, though I still love that they’re allowing us to speak more. All the Trailblazer voice actors are great and I hope we continue to hear them more often in the future.

Annndd that the panic settles back in. Jiaoqiu’s injuries were no doubt the worst, while Feixiao probably faced some drawbacks from all the fighting and madness she endured, but Moze too? I guess he did get attacked by Hoolay and his followers once the warhead realized he was spying on them, but then Moze was seen later on the Skysplitter when Feixiao at the bloody heart and he did eventually find Jiaoqiu somewhere with the help of the Trailblazer, so surely he couldn’t have been that hurt if he was running around everywhere, yeah? Perhaps exhaustion caught up with him after all the chaos, or he knows how to deal with pain rather well. Possibly both.

Why am I not surprised to hear that Feixiao is the kind of person who can’t be confined to a hospital bed. Even if she left in plain sight, I’m sure she would’ve quick enough that no one could even catch her to bring her back.

Seems the whole Yaoqing trio shares this mindset too. Moze could easily sneak out in the shadows whereas Jiaoqiu probably just walked himself out with an excuse like “I’m a healer, trust me when I say I’m fine” or something.

Oohhh buddy.. I love it when characters have different roles in status or have to act a certain way around each other but one of them tells the other to forget the formalities and just be truthful because their relationship is worth so much more than that, like yes she’s his general and he’s her healer, but I have no doubt they’ve become such close friends over the years too. Also, the way the scene doesn’t show his entire face.. god, what nice foreshadowing.

Aww sweetie nooo! Please don’t blame yourself! If anything, blame the plot. It’s like the four stars had a rough time in Penacony and now it’s the five star’s turn on the Xianzhou. And I’m sure I mentioned it before but the trio’s voice actors are all so talented and completely nailed these two story patches. The emotions are perfect.

WHAT IF I CRIED HUH?? Is that what Hoyo wants? For me to become a sobbing mess after thinking Jiaoqiu healed perfectly fine?? AAAaahh.. I’m not entirely sure if the blindness is a result of Hoolay’s attack or a side effect of the poison Jiaoqiu drank, but either way I’m so incredibly sad. Our handsome foxian has already been through hell from being Hoolay’s hostage, did we really need to take away his eyesight too?? Man.. if anything, I will say it was clever of Hoyo to make the one character who always has his eyes closed end up blind because then they wouldn’t have to change up his model at all. It might seem off-putting whenever people use his ultimate and see his eyes now though. Aah, his pretty golden eyes.. I’ll admit that they did seem a bit dull during that one scene of him all slashed up and bloody on the floor, but I didn’t think it was anything serious. More like it was an art style choice and he was so worn out from the attack and knocking at death’s door.

Tell me why I don’t believe his smile and that’s he’s only saying such a thing so Feixiao doesn’t bury herself under all the guilt she feels. Looking back now though, I can appreciate the subtle hints about his condition before Feixiao revealed it. I remember Jiaoqiu mentioning how he recognized the sound of Feixiao’s footsteps when she approached him, so pair that with how the game framed his face before in the previous shots where his eyes weren’t visible and yeah.. smart moves. Sigh.. he once left his role as a military healer to prevent himself from watching more people rush towards their death and now he’s not gonna see much of anything.

Bruh.. he faced the foxian’s worst enemy, got taken hostage by them, watched people die in front of him, got seriously attacked and purposefully drank poison at some point, yet despite all that trauma, he solely cares about how Feixiao is feeling? GOD HELP ME he’s too precious and sweet! I adore him so much and his devotion to her has me so giddy and weak. In a shipping context or not I fucking I love the bond these two have y’all.

I mean.. I guess? In exchange for losing his sight, Hoolay was definitely defeated, which grants all the foxians a big sigh of relief to finally be rid of the monster that haunted them and treated them as slaves for centuries.

More importantly than that (to me at least) is knowing that Feixiao’s moon rage was actually taken care of. Part of his ‘About Feixiao’ voice line is “I cannot leave this world before she's cured” and our man really kept his promise. I wish he didn’t have to go through such extremes to achieve one of his biggest goals in life but hey, if Jiaoqiu says he’s fine, I’ll choose to believe him. Just a little bit.

The way Moze was here the entire time and he didn’t even know… aaahh. Considering Moze was here way before Feixiao first showed up, he probably moves too quietly for Jiaoqiu to even hear him. I wanna bet that Moze left the Alchemy Commission after Jiaoqiu did just to make sure the guy didn’t get himself lost or walk into any danger.

I fucking hope they can find someone to help him! Also, I absolutely LOVE that it’s her now making a promise to find a way to heal him! All those years of Jiaoqiu stressing about finding a cure for her moon rage and Feixiao gets the chance to pay back all his efforts. Kinda surprised that Bailu couldn’t do anything about Jiaoqiu’s sight, but perhaps she doesn’t know how to or isn’t strong enough for such a thing yet? Not even Lingsha could’ve helped I guess. Who knows.

Ma’am.. I love each and every little thing about you, but can you relax? Please?? You just snuck out of the Alchemy Commission, which means you probably aren’t even full healed yet, and we’re already chatting about rushing into more battles? How about we take a break for a little bit and go enjoy the real Wardance. Sound good?

Me and Jiaoqiu sharing exactly one brain cell.

Just hearing her say “wildfire” made me miss our favorite Underworlders even more. At least we’ll get to see a whole bunch of Luka during the Wardance event.

Ah, even more name drops to taunt my hopes with. I’m still bitter we were teased with Jingliu’s return. Speaking of a certain blonde man though, can we ask him to cure Jiaoqiu’s eyes? We don’t exactly how skilled Luocha is with healing since everything about him is a giant mystery, but I think it would be a nice reason to bring him back, if only for a moment. I know he’s still locked up but whomever does eventually heal Jiaoqiu will be put on my good side.

Well, at least we finally get an idea of what our “traveling merchant” has been carrying in that coffin of his.

Having the Swarm be mentioned right before Ruan Mei.. oh dear. What kind of chaos are we in for next time there’s a mission on these ships.

Now then, I know our mad scientist was mentioned at the very beginning of the quest by Himeko regarding some fossils, then again once more towards the middle by Feixiao when she was chatting with Yukong about how the Verdant Knights found the wreckage of Whistling Flames ship, so that of course got my hopes up that we might finally learn more about Tingyun.. but I wasn’t expecting to hear her speak!! Thank heavens she’s actually alive! Whether by chance or because Ruan Mei has already.. you know, used her as a test subject, who knows. I’m leaning towards the latter option personally but regardless! I’m so thrilled for her! I’m not even that big of a Tingyun fan but my mouth was literally hung open in a huge grin when I heard her voice again. I can’t imagine how her voice actors must’ve felt being called back after so long in to give just a single line for this character again after what happened during the main story.

Speaking of powerful one liners, Feixiao receives a second one about Jiaoqiu after you complete the entire mission. Ain’t that grand.

Behold! I’m finally done with all this rambling and I can finally start the Wardance event! I’ve already seen some characters and cutscenes that I’m excited to learn more about. I do enjoy Luka but hopefully I can just breeze through it and not take an abundant amount of screenshots this time.

[moviememokeeper]

what star rail characters do u like besides reca?

nobody asked but personally ive been a blade and boothill fan since day 1 for both of them, they have so much depth and ways to interpret them (but in case of blade nobody talks about it :,) ) also im not escaping the insanity allegations after this reveal. loving an insane director who gives his entirety to art, a husk of a man obsessed with trying to die, and a space cowboy whose fate is lifelong crime and who lost most of his humanity to revenge??? i may need to be admitted /j

-dream anon

hi dreamy !

first of all, yours are top tier choices

second, I'm gonna list the characters I like in no particular order and then elaborate on a few of em after

the characters:

Welt, Kafka, Therta, Serval, Jiaoqiu, Gallagher, Robin, Aventurine, Jade, Black Swan, Boothill, Sunday, Mydei, Anaxagoras, Cipher

Top five out of that list:

Welt

Serval

Sunday

Gallagher

Jade

honorable mentions to Jiaoqiu, Boothill & Anaxa

I enjoy the lore, character design & playstyle for all of these characters so I'm not going to talk about that (obviously Cipher & Naxa are the exception for that last point since they're not playable yet)

Welt: his voice is very satisfying to listen to. also I might project my parent issues onto him. he'd be a way better parent I want him as my dad :<

Serval: she's just very nostalgic for me. first main, I still use her regularly - you can pry her from my cold dead hands. she was my all time favourite until Reca got introduced

it's been a long time since I played her quest but I don't think we ever got to tell her truth about Cocolia's death? On one hand I think she deserves to know, on the other the guilt might eat her alive otherwise ("this all could've been prevented" type stuff)

sighs.

she deserves so much I would give her the world I love her hoyo please bring her back

Sunday: I FUCKING KNEW HE'D BE IMAGINARY HARMONY.

sorry

BUT I TOLD MY SISTER AT THE TIME AND SHE WAS DOUBTFUL

SHE LOOKED ME DEAD IN THE EYES AND ASKED IF I EVEN PAYED ATTENTION TO THE QUEST

I DID AND I WAS RIGHT

I CALLED IT

anyway

What can I say about this man that hasn't been said already

I hope he ends up staying with the express. He's not a trailblazer yet but I really want to see him become one

also he's kinda relatable ngl

Gallagher: singlehandedly proved to us that hoyo CAN give their male characters facial hair. fantastic give me 10 more of these.

jokes aside the guys an amazing healer and is just a very interesting character - 10/10 no notes

Jade: I like how she keeps Topaz & Aventurine wrapped around her finger. I like how Aventurine can see right through her and the other stonehearts but can't escape the IPC either. I like how she can give you anything you desire but it always comes with a price. I like how she understands how people think and uses it against them. she's so aiwlkcjezoqzc <3333

I just think she's very interesting

but that can be said about everyone on this list

[tabr1-s]

hsr 2.3 rant (disguised as yet another sunday rant) ...... i didn't expect to make one for each penacony update but here we go again

(634 words - my shortest one yet!)

so, on one hand... it could've ended worse. we've regained 70 (or 65?) % of penacony's freedom. huzzah!

still feeling highly iffy about the ipc's involvement but because it was expected i'll let it slide. for now.

the ending was definitely rushed, it definitely had a "we don't concretely know how we want to wrap up this story so we'll just wing it" feel to it, but again... alright. whatever. could've been more robust but i'll also let that slide. the hoyo devs were probably waiting for a throwaway update to focus on other things anyway.

but, content wise, i am absolutely terrified of the implication of Robin reaching out to Jade for help with her brother.

we were shown the whole Bonajade exchange shtick when playing as Firefly (also not Jade deadnaming her but ok). initially i took it as Mainly filler content, with an opportunity to show us a bit more about Firefly. cool, yeah, makes sense. but it did also focus on How the exchange worked, and specifically made mention of what people have/had to pay for their exchanges with Jade. now, again, i thought that was just filler content.

but now that i think back to it, Robin's whole demeanour during the quest (maybe i was just seeing things but she seemed significantly more down/tired than before (due to very obvious reasons. i wonder how she's still standing)), Jade meeting Robin before her second negotiations with Alfalfa, and then the Bonajade exchange getting explained to us randomly... that was most likely foreshadowing for the last scene of 2.3.

which brings me back to, again, feeling Unwell over what Robin could've possibly agreed to with Jade concerning the freedom/future of her brother. (also if he's gonna join the ipc - Wholeheartedly fuck him. my beef with them is stronger than my love/hate towards Sunday.)

i don't even Want to begin thinking about what Robin might've exchanged for Jade's sudden interest in Sunday. and it also all seems very unfair - the lengths Robin would go to for her brother when he on the other hand was fine with outright using her to accomplish his goals (again, without even filling her in on What those goals were. i don't care if it was for his concept of the greater good, i am still pissed at him for completely disregarding her opinions on the matter and the Entirety Of Her Free Will As A Person. unironically my blood pressure spiked when i saw him in that last scene, and it certainly wasn't because i was excited. even writing this down gets my blood boiling.).

point is. if Sunday chooses to forsake Robin's love for him again (not him also being surprised that Robin was the reason why Jade reached out to him - like she literally hugged you and fell from the sky with you after your plans failed. don't act surprised that she's not mad at you. (and if the reason why you're surprised is because you don't trust Jade's intentions with her, then SHOW IT DAMN IT. STAND UP FOR HER)) i am going to be Supremely disappointed in him.

and yes, i know he's a fictional character.

but holy shit. i've never seen such an infuriatingly (and, sadly, realistically) stubborn character before.

and, like in my last rant - the sentiment that 'i would personally strangle him if it wasn't for Robin being sad over his death' remains.

anyway. Robin really needs a break. a long break. and to somehow find a good and reliable support system because her brother is not very reliable on that front.

...if i were to express my opinion on the matter.

[littlekiara96]

We need to talk about the web event Code: ACTION

Spoilers ahead

First, albeit this event was short, it was packed with lore for the Stellaron Hunters.

It either confirmed things or gave us New Info.

For example, on Blade:

Blade was hard to convince in joining the Hunters, but he and Elio get along well. Blade was also the one to help Silver Wolf on her first mission.

Then we have more cutesy details, like this:

We already know about some of Blade's past and about his "hometown" but look!

Silver Wolf is asking Kafka to stop bullying Blade with his memories! That's so cute of her!

But now, I have to go deep into theory crafting.

Buckle up, boys and girls and non-binary kids.

So, as some of you may have noticed, once in a blue moon, we get to see a specific Stellaron Hunter being mentioned.

Yes, I'm talking about Sam.

Now, my followers and mutuals know my stance on them. Here's a link to my biggest argument towards:

Sampo is a Stellaron Hunter a.k.a. Sam

But you may ask: "Why are you bringing this here?"

Well, because Sam is taking care of lighting during the event. Thus why we don't see them.

But that's not all...

Because we know of someone else who helps backstage once in a while...

Sampo Koski.

Also, did you read what Sam says about Blade's picture? The one meant to recreate when he joined the Hunters?

Sam says it's "a good recreation".

Which means Sam was there when it happened.

Keep that in mind, I'll come back to it later.

Because now, we have to talk about Elio.

And Elio...

Is the cat.

Don't believe me? Buckle up, darling.

Have Kafka namedrop her homeplanet and Blade tell us that's where she met Elio.

On a rainy day.

Where have we seen Kafka under the rain already...?

Ah, yes, in her splash art.

We can also see Blade and Silver Wolf there, and there's plenty of hidden spots for Sam to hide.

Now, the question is: Is Elio there, too?

Are they under another umbrella?

No. Of course not.

Elio is staring back at us, just like Kafka is.

Hoyo even put Kafka's quote right next to them.

The irony. I love it.

Also...

Nice cat statue.

Nice black cat statue.

Wonder if it represents someone who isn't here.

Aaaaand with all the information gathered from this...

We have the order in which the Hunters joined:

Elio > Kafka > Sam > Blade > Silver Wolf

Last point, because I need to answer a potential question:

What if the cat was Sam?

The answer is no, they aren't, because the IPC calls Elio Destiny's Slave (and we know black cats have a history regarding luck aka fortune/fate/destiny (which is just misconception, ofc, but my point still stands)) and constantly genders them as neutral, like you would a pet or simply something that is not-human but humanly sentient, thus ""deserving of the respect you would give a human being"" regarding how you would talk to/about them.

Thus, Elio is the cat. A sentient cat.

[bloodoathclan]

Sunday, the Stellaron Hunters, and the 2.4 main event theory

Hi everyone, since the 2.3 update is just around the corner; I think it’s time to share a possible theory regarding the contents of the next 2 updates, and even when Sunday may get released. Be warned this post mentions leaks, so if you don’t want to see any leaks, please don’t read further (under cut for more protection)

So in the dreamflux reef area that was added in 2.2, players can find a readable item that, (when researched a little closer), is a letter from Elio to Sunday. In this letter, Elio acknowledges Sunday’s talents and invites him to join the Stellaron Hunters… many people believe this theory to be true, and a recent leak that was confirmed by a credible leaker, suggested that Sunday would get a redesign before his release. (The leak originally said that his outfit would change from white to black)

So with this new information, I feel the “Sunday joining the Stellaron Hunters” theory is going to be true. Moreover, we may see a cliffhanger cutscene at the end of the 2.3 trailblaze mission; a similar thing to how we saw Sampo breaking the forth wall (sprouting theories that he’s a masked fool that turned out to be true) at the end of the Belebog trailblaze mission, or how at the end of the Xianzhou Luofu trailblaze mission when it was revealed that Jingliu and Luocha were working together to bring down the Abundance. So we could see something similar where we witness Sunday getting indoctrinated into the Stellaron Hunters.

Now, what about the 2.4 main event? Well, in 2.4, we’re getting two more characters from two of the other Xianzhou ships, (Yunli is from the Xianzhou Zhuming and Jiaoqiu is from the Xianzhou Yaoqing) it could mean that we’ll be going back to the Xianzhou Luofu for the Wardance. (Perhaps we get invited to the event by Jing Yuan or Yanqing, perhaps March invites us)?

If Hoyoverse wanted to reveal Sunday in his new Stellaron Hunter - sona soon, they could show him off here. In some teasers for future Xianzhou characters that revealed while I've been writing this, they show someone called 'the legendary new swordmaster'; this has recently been confirmed to be March 7th, and she'll be the new 4* coming in 2.4. I feel they would want to show her new form off, showing it alongside a massive lorebomb like Sunday joining the Stellaron Hunters would be perfect.

If they do show Stellaron Hunter Sunday in 2.4, it could set everything into place for a 2.5, 2.6 or 2.7 release. (And if you’re a Sunday fan like me, you may have seen leaks that show Sunday’s character ID 1313 in placeholder assets, indicating his official playable status)

If he does come in 2.7 like speculations say, (more specifically 2nd phase), Sunday would release on Christmas day. Having a character that has angel vibes release on Christmas is quite ironic. (Plus he'd be our Christmas present from hoyo, if you celebrate it). In other words, hoyo NEEDS to release Sunday soon.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[gemkun]

Please recommend Aventurines and Acherons for me to follow! I came back to the fandom and finally finished 2.1/2.2 and now I love them.

hi anon ! thank you for giving me a chance to gush about some of the best aventurine and acheron writers out there. see them below !

aventurines

@blindbet : i cannot express how much i love ( and hate ) dak's aven. the hcs he has spun and the way he writes aven is so delicious that i am so lucky ( and cursed ) to be able to write with his menace. not to mention his dialogue sounds like it's literally ripped out from hoyo's script. from one - liners to multiparas , dak never fails to let his peacock fan his feathers. i cannot imagine my hsr journey without him in it uwu

@luckquartzed : luna is incredible. the amount of thought and time she puts into her aventurine is . . . insane. she has shared so much research with me and literally is so invested into this blonde golden goose and you can see it in every response. the way luna manages to write him with an assortment of other characters honestly amazes me because it's something i struggle with. it's something i admire greatly.

@defiedlife : jenna loml. she might have been one of the first aventurine's i wrote with and he has such a special place in my heart. she writes him as the little minx he is ( saff's words ) but goes into so much more depth. her writing is so rich and refreshing and the way she delves into his psyche has me in awe.

@kushtibokt : naans is known for writing little shits and aventurine is no exception. thankfully he's not ginger. their aventurine is so cocky and true to his character. not only do you get a good giggle out of naans' portrayal but on the other hand , there is exceptional insight into the darker traits of his character which i think is truly admirable. they also write amazing hcs and pick out details that people often overlook ( myself included ).

@apocryphis : ventium is just a must follow in general. i haven't written with her aventurine ( guilty as charged ) as much as i should but you only need to read some responses to understand how much care and love she invests into the gambling trickster. not to mention her character studies are so informative and you can tell each aspect has been critically analysed which just adds to the amount of passion she puts into her muses.

@starspurn : kit my beloved. she's on hiatus rn but she writes a spectacular aventurine. i miss him and kit a lot actually. he will prod and poke your muses and rile them up until he's grinning like the cat that got the cream but it is exhilarating.

honourable mentions : @aventvrina , @highrolls , @spadilled , @raytm ( even if all you write is gepard ) , @stagehunt ( i know we have never written vos but i've seen your writing and it is chef's kiss ) , @ephemyrals ( bring him back from the war mona )

acherons

@amourem : saff is just an incredible writer overall. this is her multi cause she deleted her acheron ( boo ! ) but i'm sure if asked she will pull her out of the abyss.

@finalism : please please please follow ori. i have not written with her acheron yet but i've glimpsed some of it and the dialogue and description and mystery is so . . . on point. ori in general writes brilliantly from her blade to her ratio to her acheron and of course her dazai.

[crguang]

In the recent main quest, Firefly says she could bring Kafka one of the oak cake rolls she bought "as she never refuses" and I found that DEVASTATING for some reason 😭 Maybe I'm just emotional atm but the idea that Kafka could never say no to those she holds close adds so much more depth to her character HOYO PLS BRING HER BACK I BEGGETH, AND GIVE US MORE BACKSTORY ON HER

-🧸

this is so funny the way i just jumped up and down when i heard that line and went “KAFKA SWEET TOOTH KAFKA SWEET TOOTH OH MY GODDDDDDDDD” and youre here with the angst like?4!?!! i just thought it meant she was greedy! now im crying

can we talk about “just swipe my card you know the pin”. can we. can we actually. that line hasn’t left my mind for days how can she be so hot without being there— YOU KNOW THE PIN? does she just give people her pin. are the stellaron hunters indeed closer than she said they were (she’s a liar so im not that surprised). how much money does she have on that card and can i have the pin?… sugar mommy kafka is REALLLLLLLL LETS ALL HOLD HANDS AND BE JOLLY !!!!

also she definitely tells the others to buy her stuff often cause firefly was not fazed at all😭 i knowww kafka needs two walk in closets to put all her clothes and shoes im so giddy rn my baby’s a fashionista